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The Saints of Christmastide -          Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Martyr

12/29/2014

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IN the year 1117, upon the 21st of December, a child was born in our own city of London whose name was destined to shine in the long list of martyrs who have laid down their lives for the love of God. This child was Thomas—the son of Gilbert-a-Becket and his pious wife Matilda, who sought to train him in the fear of God and reverence to the Blessed Virgin, under whose special patronage he was placed. His mother would often weigh St. Thomas during his infancy, putting meat, clothing, and bread into the opposite scale, which were to be distributed amongst the poor, so that her alms increased with his growth and were all offered to bring down heavenly blessings upon the child's life.

While still very little, St. Thomas was seized with fever, and when he was getting better, the Blessed Virgin appeared to him in the form of a beautiful lady, who bent over his bedside, and, promising him that he would soon be well, gave him two golden keys, which she said were the keys of paradise, of which he was to have charge. Thomas went to a school in the city when first his studies began, but he was soon given into the care of the Prior of Merton, who was afterwards his confessor and friend, and witnessed his martyrdom.

Gilbert-a-Becket was a native of Normandy, and so many of his own countrymen came to visit him in London; one of them called Richier de l'Egle, was very fond of hunting and hawking, and often took St. Thomas as a companion. One of these times they had reached afoot-bridge across a mill-stream, which the knight crossed safely, but Thomas, taking less care, managed to tumble with his horse into the stream, and being unable to swim, he was rapidly borne along in the direction of the mill-wheel, which would certainly have crushed him to pieces. But at the cry for help the miller heard, the mill was stopped in time for the boy to be saved, and dragged out of the water almost insensible.

After finishing his education in England, St. Thomas was sent to Paris for a short time, when he returned to London and became clerk to the sheriffs until he was about one and twenty; then his parents died within a short interval, leaving their family very ill provided for. St. Thomas next entered the service of a relation who was a rich merchant, and thus learnt habits of business which were very useful to him afterwards, when he was raised to a high place in the Church. Many times Thomas had been advised to offer himself to the service of Theobald, the Archbishop of Canterbury, but his humility kept him back until he was five and twenty, when he was persuaded to do so by a friend of his father's, who felt sure that a higher vocation awaited him than the business of the world.

Theobald received the young man with much kindness, and St. Thomas at once set to work to make up for the deficiencies he quickly discovered in himself, and succeeded in gaining the esteem and confidence of the archbishop so entirely, that when Henry Plantagenet came to be king, Theobald obtained for a-Becket the place of Lord High Chancellor of England. This office was a very important one; he who held it was the keeper of the king's seal, and took charge of the royal chapel, and had the disposal of all the abbeys and bishoprics which were vacant and belonging to the king's right of patronage'; many other privileges belonged to the position which St. Thomas had been given, and which he filled with such great discretion. His life now was full of the whirl of state business, and yet his heart was not in it; often he would speak of his weariness and longing for a quiet and retired place where he might serve God only; but he used his power for the good of the Church and country, and for the divine glory, influencing the king to many acts of mercy and justice. But whilst he was surrounded by luxury and grandeur, his own fare was as simple as it could be. Under his splendid clothing he wore a hair-shirt, and after passing a day in royal pleasures, he would lie upon the floor during the night, doing many acts of humiliation and penance, and thus he remained unharmed by the world in which he had to live, keeping his heart fixed upon God.

Archbishop Theobald died during the month of April, 1161, so Henry II. fixed upon Thomas-a-Becket to succeed him, and in June, 1162, he was consecrated in the Cathedral of Canterbury, in the presence of an immense assemblage. A different life began for St. Thomas now—one which he had long desired. Every night he rose to say Divine Office with his monks, and then he washed the feet of thirteen poor men, to whom he gave a good meal before sending them away. At the dawn of day, he slept for a short time, and then rose to study the Scriptures; after which, he gave himself to prayer before saying Mass, or assisting at it During dinner, he had some spiritual book read aloud, but he did not force his soldiers to be present lest they might grow weary. Seats were always kept for a number of poor people, but afterwards a large quantity of food was given away to the crowds who came asking alms.

After a time, the king's great friendship for St. Thomas began to grow cooler, and the first
signs of his displeasure arose in several ways. One was a sermon which St. Thomas preached before Henry, in which he said that spiritual power was nobler and higher than that which is temporal; another was, that the archbishop objected to and succeeded in preventing an unfair tax being laid upon the people. Then, Henry encouraged an abbot in refusing to take the oath of obedience to the archbishop, and it became a struggle whether the Church should be governed as our Lord Jesus Christ had appointed, or whether a king was to be its ruler. Great difficulties seemed hanging over England, for Henry wished to begin reforms and changes which St. Thomas refused to agree too, but when the king pledged himself never to do anything to the injury of the Church, the Saint believed his word, and said that upon that condition he would not oppose the royal power.

A council of bishops and nobles was called to meet, so that St. Thomas should be forced to repeat this promise in public, and a paper was drawn up, upon which these "customs," as they were called, had been written, to which he was required now to affix his signature and seal. The Saint, who saw now what he was being made to consent to, refused to sign until he had communicated with the Pope, and no rage of Henry's could induce him to swerve from this decision; but his heart was sad and heavy, for he feared that by his first general promise to accede to the king's wishes, he had been weak instead of strong in the cause of the Church which it was his duty to guard and protect. So tender was his conscience, that for this fault which he deemed so serious, St. Thomas performed severe penance, and deprived himself of the right to say Mass until he had received the forgiveness of the Pope. The Pope wrote to comfort him, and assure him that for any fault there had been of weakness in yielding to the king, God would grant forgiveness, and supported him in his determination not to sign the royal papers which contained such alterations in the government of the Church.

From that time, St. Thomas began to prepare for his martyr's crown, for Henry Plantagenet sought to annoy and persecute him in every possible way—he was ordered to give up his property, called upon to pay an impossible sum of money, and summoned to appear before the court which had judged him. On the first day, the archbishop was confined at home by sickness, but on the Tuesday he rose, said Mass at his own altar, in which he offered up himself in union with the Divine Sacrifice, to suffer according to God's holy Will; then, as the custom of the time was, in any special trial, he placed the Blessed Sacrament in his breast and set out for the court, carrying his own cross, in token of his sacred office. When the king heard of his arrival, he was awe-struck, and stayed in an inner room, for he feared to face the representative of God, and there his nobles followed him, leaving St. Thomas and his bishops alone in the council chamber. The Earl of Leicester at last returned to pass judgment, but the archbishop refused to hear him, reminding him that he had no power over one who was the spiritual father of the king, the nobles and people, and then rising, he left the court, saying, "I put my cause and the cause of the Church under the protection of God and the Holy Father."

On reaching the gate, St. Thomas mounted his horse, but they found themselves locked in; however, one of his followers saw a bunch of keys hanging on a nail in the wall, and, fortunately, the first which he tried opened the gate. When the king heard how the archbishop had left, he was frightened lest some terrible judgments from Heaven should befall him, so he thought to protect himself from God's punishment by sending a herald through the town to order that no one should do St. Thomas any injury; but his command was unnecessary, for the people loved our Saint so warmly that they were rejoicing over- his safe return from the council. They crowded round him, so that he could scarcely get through their midst, kneeling for his blessing, and the sight of their devotion gave him great joy in the midst of his troubles.

Many of his followers had deserted the holy archbishop, but the poor whom he loved were invited to fill their vacant places at his table. When supper was ended, St. Thomas desired to remain the whole night in the Church, but after Office had been sung, he escaped from the monastery with three faithful friends upon strong horses which had been prepared in case a flight was necessary. It was a wet night, and they rode unobserved along the streets, reaching a village half-way to Lincoln before morning, where they rested a short time, and then started again for Lincoln. Here St. Thomas with one of his followers took a boat and went by water to an island on which stood a convent belonging to the canonesses of St. Gilbert of Sempringham, whilst the others journeyed there by land. They rested three days, and then set forth once more, travelling on foot towards Kent, from whence they crossed to the Flemish coast, landing after a stormy passage near Gravelines. But here the Saint was so weary, that his friends tried to get a horse for him; however, when the boy who had been sent for one returned, it was with a miserable ass, without a saddle, and with a halter of straw; so they threw a cloak over it, and S. Thomas mounted and rode a couple of miles, but he found it was more wearisome than walking, so he dismounted and dragged his weary steps along with great difficulty. A poor woman, struck with his noble appearance and evident fatigue, ran into her house and fetched him a rough stick to help him on his way, which he accepted with many thanks.

Soon after they met a party of young men, one of whom carried a hawk on his wrist; and as the archbishop's eyes rested upon the bird, one of them recognized him, and exclaimed, "I believe that is the Archbishop of Canterbury." But as one of his followers retorted, "You simpleton, did ever you see an archbishop travel in such a guise ?" they were allowed to pass on without further remark, and at length, after many difficulties, arrived safely at St. Berlin's monastery, where a trusty follower was waiting for St. Thomas, with a portion of the plate and money he had secured from Canterbury.'  But they could not remain long where they were, in the territory of the Count of Flanders, so once again they journeyed on, until they were safe in the dominions of Louis, King of France.

For seven years the Saint remained in exile—years in which he lived as a simple monk at Fontigny, in the community which received him with great delight, joining the brethren in their out-door occupations, assisting at their Office in choir, and keeping to a course of mortification and penance. Now the quiet and leisure he had often desired was his. It pleased Almighty God at this time to reveal to our Saint the future before him, for once, while he was praying after Mass at the altar of S. Stephen, he beard a voice calling"Thomas! Thomas f upon which he answered, "Where art thou, Lord?" Then the heavenly voice replied, "I am Jesus, thy brother and thy Lord. My Church shall be glorified in thy blood, and thou shalt be glorified in Me."During the archbishop's absence, the King of England took all his property at Canterbury, banished all his servants, even turning every poor man and woman who had shown him any kindness in his wanderings, out of
their homes in the cold winter-time, to seek shelter in Flanders. But his cruelty made every Catholic in Europe indignant with him, and charitable to the poor sufferers. The King of France tried to put an end to Henry's angry feelings, and bring him round to be once more friendly with the exiled archbishop, but in vain. After giving him time to cool down his passion, St. Thomas himself wrote to the king in a kind and gentle way, but no answer was returned to the first or second letter, and the third brought a sharp answer; and yet Henry was very much frightened, for he dreaded the sentence of excommunication which he knew he had deserved. Obstinate as he was, his faith in the Church was sufficient to make him fear her anger. Indeed the Saint felt now that his next step must be to cut off the rebellious monarch from communion with the Church, but by the advice of the Pope he put off the sentence in the hope of peace being made.

After several years of humiliations and false accusations, which the Saint endured with patience and holy joy, a reconciliation was brought about by the King of France, who had persuaded Henry Plantagenet to be his guest, and see the archbishop once more; and at this meeting Henry asked him to return, promising to restore him his see of Canterbury, and to uphold the power of the Church. It was on December 1,1170, that St. Thomas landed at Sandwich, from which he continued his journey to Canterbury upon the same day—the place where within a month he was to die for the cause of God. His journey was a continual triumph, for people flocked from all parts to meet and welcome him, and in his own city there was every sign of joy—the churches resounding with music, and the streets decked out as for a public holiday. St. Thomas went straight to his own cathedral, his face shining with the happiness of his heart, and in the chapter-house he preached a sermon from the words, which seemed almost like a preparation for his fast-approaching death, "We have here no abiding city, but seek one to come."

In about a week, the archbishop proceeded to London, where he was received with great
expressions of joy, the priests and people meeting him, and the "Te Deum" being sung. The young king (whom Henry had caused to be crowned during his own lifetime) sent the archbishop a message, forbidding him to make any more .processions about the country, and advising him to return to Canterbury. This gave St. Thomas much sorrow, for he knew that Henry's son was really attached to him, and that this message must be caused by the influence of others — it seemed to confirm him in his belief that new persecutions and sufferings were beginning.

The Saint wrote to a friend (the Abbot of St. Albans) to meet him at Harrow, and begged him to go and procure him an interview with the young king; and the Abbot obeyed, but without success. Then St. Thomas returned to Canterbury for the Feast of Christmas, but some of his enemies had already crossed over to Normandy, where King Henry was staying, complaining of his renewed power, and of the journeys he was making amidst the rejoicing people. Henry Plantagenet's eyes flashed with rage, and with an oath he cursed all those who did not rid him of one who annoyed him in this way. Then he left them, little thinking what were to be the consequences of those words spoken in his furious passion.

The four knights went out from King Henry's presence, determining to take him at his word, and, starting by four different routes, they reached England and Saltwood Castle at the same time. Next day they went to St. Augustine's Abbey, outside the walls of Canterbury, and spent the time in making their preparations for the sinful deed they had in view. The last morning of his life, the Saint assisted at Mass in the Cathedral, went to confession, scourged himself three times in his spirit of contrition and penance, and spent some hours in talking with his monks of spiritual things. At four in the afternoon the wicked knights came and asked for the archbishop, who received them with his usual courtesy, but they took no notice, looking at each other so strangely that he felt sure they had come for an evil purpose. They professed to have brought a message from the king, but not having an opportunity of attacking their victim, they at last left the room noisily, with threatening words.

The archbishop, with his monks, went to assist at vespers in the choir, but he withdrew alone to the altar of St. Benedict to think and pray, for he felt convinced that the hour of his death had come. As he was just ascending the steps to the choir, one of the knights appeared with his sword drawn, followed by the other three. Some one rushed to bolt the door leading to the cloister, so as to give the Saint an opportunity of escape, but he came down the steps to meet the knights, asking them what they desired. " Your death," replied one, and they tried to drag him from the church, but the Saint pushed the murderer from him, saying, " Touch me not—you forget that you owe me submission." Then, finding they could not get him from the church, Fitz-Urse waved his sword above the Saint, whilst he bowed his head, and commended his soul to God. Three times they struck him, and then falling on his face before the altar of St. Benedict, he breathed his last, saying, "For the Name of Jesus, and for the defence of His Church, I am ready to die." Then the wretched murderers ran through the palace, taking every valuable they could secure, and afterwards they departed, glorying in their awful deed.

When the news spread, people flocked to the church, weeping and lamenting for the Saint, who was so dear to them. They threw themselves down hy the holy corpse, kissing the hands and feet with reverent love, while others secretly cut shreds from his garments or took away some of the blood which had flowed from him. That night there was an awful thunder-storm, and amidst the flashes of lightning which lit up the church, the monks kept watch by the remains of the holy martyr, who lay there beautiful in death, a calm smile still on his lips as it had been through life, a fresh colour upon his cheeks, and an air of peace surrounding him, as if he had died in an untroubled sleep rather than by violence.

Next day they dressed him in his hair shirt, with the vestments of his office to cover it, and, laying him in a marble coffin in the crypt, they closed and left it for a while. But miracles began to be worked by the relics which had been carried away, and people flocked to the church, begging to kneel at the shrine. Then the enemies of the martyred Saint threatened to carry off his remains by force, so that the monks in terror were compelled to place the body in a wooden coffin, and hide it behind the altar of the Blessed Virgin until they could carry it once more down to the crypt, where it was enclosed in a marble coffin, round which strong walls were built, and in the roof of which two openings were left, through which pilgrims might touch and kiss the coffin. For a long time the cathedral was in mourning, for the terrible bloodshed which had desecrated it; no Mass was said there, the crucifixes were veiled, the altars stripped, and everything wore an aspect of gloom.

When the news reached Henry Plantagenet, his remorse was terrible. Too late, he saw the consequences of his ungoverned passion—too late he mourned for those hasty words which had brought about the death of such a faithful servant of God, and one who had been so good and patient a friend to himself He shut himself up in his misery, he took off his royal robes and dressed in sackcloth, he fasted, he did penances, but God inflicted greater punishments on him than these.   For more than a year Henry was excommunicated, and then had to do public penance for his sin before absolution was given him.

On the 21st February, 1173, St. Thomas of Canterbury was solemnly canonized as a martyr
for the cause of God, and his festival appointed to be kept on the 29th December, which was the day of his death. The body was removed to the place in the chapel of the Blessed Trinity where he had said his first Mass, and a splendid structure was raised to contain those holy relics. There the rich and great, the poor and unknown thronged to the shrine of the martyred St. Thomas, through whose intercessions many prayers were answered.

The death of the Saint of Canterbury brought peace to the Church in England, for in Henry's contrition he restored all the rights which he had deprived her of in that or any other land; and although in later times, when this unhappy country had turned away from the true faith, the martyr's tomb was destroyed and his sacred relics burned, his name still lives, and his memory is cherished as it deserves.

Now in our own times St. Thomas has been given the title of Patron of the Secular Clergy, and churches are rising up in honour of him who shed his blood to keep for the Church of Christ in England that place which, though lost in later years by the faithlessness of its own children, will belong to it again when the errors which prevail are overcome by the power of God's truth, and Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is dwelling within every sanctuary throughout the land, amidst the reverent love of a faithful Catholic people.

Source:  Saints for Children, Vol III, 1878

A coloring picture for the children can be found below.

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The Saints of Christmastide - The Holy Innocents

12/28/2014

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                                       The Holy Innocents

Herod, who was reigning in Judea at the time of the birth of Our Saviour, laving heard that the Wise Men had come from the East to Jerusalem in search of the king of the Jews, was troubled.  He called together the chief priests, and learning that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem, he told the Wise Men: "When you have found Him, bring me word again, that I also may come and adore Him."  But God having warned them in a dream not to return, they went back to their homes another way.  St. Joseph, too was ordered in his sleep to "take the Child and His Mother and fly into Egypt." When Herod found that the Wise Men did not return, he was furious, and ordered that every male child in Bethlehem and its vicinity of the age of two and under should be slain.  These innocent victims were the flowers and the first-fruits of His martyrs, and triumphed over the world, without having ever known it or experienced its dangers.

Reflection:  How few perhaps of these children, if they had lived, would have escaped the dangers of the world! What snares, what sins, what miseries were they preserved from! So we often lament as misfortunes many accidents which in the designs of Heaven are the greatest mercies.

Source: Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, Imprimatur 1925


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The Saints of Christmastide - Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist

12/27/2014

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             SAINT JOHN THE APOSTLE, EVANGELIST

YOUNGEST of all the Apostles was he whom we know as the "Beloved Disciple," he who was permitted to rest his head upon the Sacred Heart throbbing with love for men, and afterwards to make that Divine love his constant theme.

John was the brother of James whom Herod Agrippa had put to death, and therefore the son of Zebedee and Salome. From his earliest years he had doubtless heard of the time when the long-foretold Messiah should be given to Israel, and thus when John Baptist came to preach penance and to prepare the way for his Master, John, after wards the Evangelist, enrolled himself among the Saint's disciples, and was directed by him to Jesus by the words," Behold the Lamb of God." From that hour, St. John became a follower of Christ, and his love was so deep and strong and true that be was admitted to great and particular favour by Our Lord.

With Sts. James and Peter, John was suffered to be present at the miracle of the raising of the young daughter of Jairus; they too were permitted to attend their Master to the Mount of Transfiguration and to go with Him in the first hour of His bitter Passion to the sorrowful Garden of Gethsemane. Truly John fled in the moment when the soldiers came to seize upon Jesus—fled because overcome by a great and sudden fear; but love soon conquered, and he returned to the hall of judgment to be near his Lord during His trial, and with aching agonized heart beheld the Crucifixion, and received the last earthly wish of that beloved Master, and took the Virgin Mother to his own home.

During the remaining fifteen years of Mary's life on earth, John remained with her in Jerusalem, but after she had been assumed to heaven he made his way to Asia, there to preach the Gospel of Christ and to confirm those who had already received the truth. The churches of Pergamos, of Smyrna, of Sardis, and others, were founded by St. John; but his chief residence was at Ephesus, which church he governed.

During the reign of the Emperor Domitian, a great persecution was raised against Christians, and by his order the Apostle was sent for and carried to the gate of Rome called Latina, where he was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil. Doubtless St. John offered his life gladly to God in that moment; yet the Will of the Almighty was not to accept him among the company of martyrs, but to prevent the fiery bath from causing him either pain or injury, so that he came forth from it refreshed as if it had been clear pure water.

Domitian's disappointment and rage were great, and believing this miracle had been effected by the power of magic, of which men spoke and thought so much in those days, he banished the aged Apostle to the desolate isle of Patmos in the Aegean sea. It was a bleak and barren spot, and thus chosen by the Emperors of Borne as especially suited for the residence of criminals, there being no chance of escape and no possibility of aid being rendered to them.

Away from all who could comfort him, Domitian deemed his punishment the most severe which he could inflict upon the Apostle, short of positive death; but his power could not shut heaven from the captive's sight, and God granted to St. John glorious visions of that "Jerusalem the Golden" which he mystically describes in the Apocalypse or Book of Revelations.

In this book, the glory of gold and the radiance of rare gems are employed to figure to us the splendour of heaven, still even the most learned of men must fail to comprehend what is reserved for us in that bright home; we only know and love to think that there is perfect peace, perfect joy, for no sorrow and no care can enter in, neither shall there be any more sin—it will be holiness, light, love, and "Christ all and in all!" At length Domitian died and was succeeded by Nerva, under whose milder rule St. John was allowed to leave Patmos for Ephesus, in which city he wrote his Gospel.

This Gospel abounds not so much in narrative as in doctrine, the design and work of Christ being specially dwelt upon. The reason for this seems to lie in the fact that certain heresies prevailed in those early days when men were beginning openly to deny the Divinity of Our Lord—an error which St. John sought to counteract. He also supplies some passages of Evangelical history which had been omitted by the other Evangelists.

St. John was the only one of the Apostles who did not die a martyr's death—it was the Will of God that he should remain a "living example of holiness unto all men," to the great age of nearly a hundred years. Three Epistles come to us from the hand of the Beloved Disciple.

In the first of these he addresses Christians generally, telling them that in Jesus we have eternal life and fellowship with the Father, but that holiness of life must be the fruit of this faith, for "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." He goes on to preach the forgiveness of sins, and to insist upon fraternal charity as the proof of love to God; he also warns us not to give ear to false teachers who are not led by the Spirit of God.

The second Epistle of St. John was written for the purpose of encouraging a Christian matron with her children to walk perseveringly in the way of truth, and to avoid any dealings with those who taught not the true doctrine of Christ Jesus.

The third Epistle is addressed to one called Gaius, of whose good and charitable deeds the Apostle had heard with joy. It seemed the especial work of St. John to teach the grand, yet simple lesson of Divine love, and that love to all men which must spring from the heart which is indeed penetrated with this love of God. "If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another;" thus did he write for us of later times as well as for those who heard the message also from his holy lips.

Tradition tells us a beautiful story of St. John's last days on earth. Feeling that his time was short, and being so weak that he could no longer walk to the church where he had been accustomed to teach, the old Apostle entreated his friends to bear him in their arms so that he might once more speak of Christ. They did what he desired; but when he looked round upon the assembly his strength failed him, the words he longed to utter died upon his feeble tongue, he could only raise his trembling hands in a last blessing and falter, "Little children, love one another, love one Another!"

Among the other cruelties which the Emperor Domitian practiced upon the holy Apostle John, was the sending him a poisoned cup. But the Saint, taking it in his hand, made the sacred sign of the Cross, at which a serpent sprang from it, and, without doing harm to any one, glided away. This cup is preserved at Rome, in the church of St. John Lateran, as well as the tunic of the Apostle, and a piece of the chain with which he was bound on the journey from Ephesus to Rome.

A singular devotion has been entertained for St. John by many of the Saints. Among these is St. Edward the Confessor, of whom we read that he never refused anything asked in the name of the Apostle. On one occasion St. John himself appeared in a beggar's dress beseeching alms, and the pious king, having no money with him, took the ring from his finger and gave it to the beggar. It was returned to him afterwards by St. John, with the tidings of his death upon a certain day, which prediction was fulfilled.

To both St. Bridget of Sweden and St. Gertrude, the Apostle appeared several times in vision, and when the last-named Saint asked; God to reveal to her how she could show her love and gratitude to His beloved disciple, the answer was this: "If any one will say an 'Our Father' daily in honour of this Apostle, reminding him of the faithfulness which filled his heart when he learnt this prayer from My lips, he will surely obtain for such an one the gift of persevering in sanctifying grace to the end of his life."

There is an oft-told legend of St. John's life, which we cannot omit here, because it shows so clearly his love for souls and his tenderness to sinners. After his sojourn at Patmos, the Apostle met in a certain city with a youth whom he persuaded to begin to walk in the way of eternal life. Being compelled to go elsewhere, St. John entrusted this youth to the care of the Bishop, calling upon Our Lord to witness his charge solemnly given in the church of the city. The Bishop promised to guide and watch over the young man, and did indeed baptize him and instruct him carefully in Christian doctrine but he allowed him to go from his care too soon, so that, borne down by strong temptation, he fell into many and grievous sins. One night he went with his bad companions to take part in a highway robbery, and the desire for gain took such hold of his mind that he became one of the chief robbers and assassins in those parts. Time passed, and St. John, returning to the city, sought the Bishop and said: "Give me back him whom I committed to your charge in the presence of Christ Jesus." "He is dead," said the Bishop, "Dead to God, for he has become a robber upon the highway."

The Apostle's heart was pierced with grief at such tidings, and calling for a horse he rode quickly towards the mountain where his pupil was then known to dwell. The robbers, however, employed sentinels to guard the mountain passes, and these seized upon St. John and carried him before their leader.

He, the once promising youth—recognized his spiritual Father, and, for very shame, turned and fled. But the old Apostle would not thus let him go, and following him cried: "Why art thou flying from thy Father? stay, my son, for Jesus has sent me to you." The young robber paused at these words, sorrow now succeeded to shame, and he began to weep bitterly; yet he would not stretch out his hand, defiled as it was with crime, to touch the Saint.

But he, the Saint of love took that sinful hand and touched it with his lips, then he led away the youth to the church, nor was it long before his soul was restored to life, and he regained all the grace he had lost. Thus did John love sinners, because great, and deep, and burning was his love for Him Who died for sinners, and Who came into the world to seek and to save the lost.
Source: Lives of the Saints, Vol. IV, 1878

                                                     Collect from the Mass of St. John

  Mercifully, O Lord, enlighten thy Church: that being taught by blessed John, thine Apostle and Evangelist, she may come to thy eternal rewards.  Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in unity with the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.
Source: The Liturgical Year, 1867

A couple coloring pictures for the children can be found below:



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                   Nativity Coloring Picture

12/26/2014

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Just sharing a lovely coloring picture of the Nativity.  You will find the file below. . . .
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The Saints of Christmastide - December 26th - Saint Stephen, First Martyr

12/26/2014

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                                                         SAINT STEPHEN

THE name of Stephen signifies a crown, and a glorious crown in heaven was surely won by him who was chosen of God to lay down his life for Christ's love, first of all the many martyrs.

St. Stephen was one of six other Jewish men who had been elected to the office of deacon by reason of their well-known piety and wisdom. This office was constituted in the early Church for the purpose of having proper care taken of the poor, and Stephen with his companions were admitted to it by the laying on of hands, and we bear that he was "full of faith and power, and did great wonders and miracles among the people."

But certain men began to feel great enmity against the holy deacon, and resolving to do him harm, they bribed false witnesses to declare that he had been heard publicly to utter blasphemy against Moses, and also against the Almighty. St. Stephen was therefore summoned to appear before the council or Sanhedrim upon the charge of saying that Jesus the crucified and rejected Nazarene, should destroy Jerusalem and change all the rites which had been celebrated by the command of Moses.

We hear that as the holy deacon stood before the assembly, his face shone as that of an angel, bright with the love of God, and the thought of the dear Master, Who also had been evil spoken of and dragged before an earthly tribunal. He made a long address to the council with such power and courage, that they were "cut to the heart at his words," yet gnashed with their teeth in their passionate anger against the Saint, who, looking upwards, cried: "Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God."  We read that at these words the infuriated people stopped their ears, and with one accord fell upon their victim, casting him violently outside the gates of the city that he might be stoned to death.

Heavily upon the martyr's head fell the stones, terribly they cut and bruised him; but he called upon his Master for help, saying: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" But Jesus had done more than suffer—He had prayed for His murderers; and Stephen, who was treading the hard, rough, bloodstained way of the Cross, must also pray for those who were taking his life. "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge," he cried, and thus speaking, he "fell asleep," the sweet sleep of a holy death, a martyr's death, which should know such a blissful awakening.

Oh, happy Saint, so soon to follow his crucified Lord! May we learn from him to love our enemies and to pray for our persecutors, and thus grasp the lesson of his holy life.

Source: Lives of the Saints, Vol. IV,  1878

                                            Collect from the Mass of St. Stephen

Grant, O Lord, we beseech Thee, that we may imitate him whose memory we celebrate, so as to learn to love even our enemies; because we now solemnize his martyrdom, who knew how to pray even for his persecutors to our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.

Source: The Liturgical Year, 1867

A coloring picture for the children can be found below:



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                        Merry Christmas

12/24/2014

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The perfect, gentle innocence of the Babe Who comes to us at this Holy Season draws all to His humble manger, though we may be the greatest of sinners.  What hope is offered by that innocent Lamb, for all power has been given to Him to accomplish the great work of our salvation.  Our Lord’s noble Precursor revealed Him to the world with the astounding and uplifting words,

“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

And the beloved disciple of the Lord declared Him to be the “Lamp” which lights up the eternal city that is Heaven.   In this great Feast of Christmas, He is truly the Light of the World.  He, the Babe of  Bethlehem, Who came to earth to be the sacrificial Lamb of God, and would later call souls to Himself as the  Good Shepherd, wills to make us like Himself, lambs that hear His voice and follow Him.

May this holy season bring us all the graces we need, in order to follow the Little Babe in the Manger ever faithfully!

                           A Very Merry Christmas to you all!  The Willson Family


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What is Truth

12/18/2014

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…. it is to be found many years before Vatican II, in books written by faithful priests of that time.

    Unity is one of the Four Marks of the Catholic Faith given to us by Our Lord Himself and contained in The Nicene Creed:  I Believe in….One - Holy - Catholic - Apostolic.  Each of the Four Marks is an Article of Faith which must be believed by all Catholics. The Four Dogmatic Marks of the Church come directly from Our Lord and appear many times in Holy Scripture.  

In the book, The Straight Path, Imprimatur, 1914, by Rev. M.J. Phelan, S.J., “Christ being God foresaw all things to come…The God who longs for the salvation of souls, and Who foresaw the torture of perplexed minds, must have made provisions to relieve and enlighten them. He surely did not leave them to grope without help, He must have flung out a loving hand to guide us, by giving His inspired Volume (Bible) definite character marks by which His true Church could be distinguished…These marks cannot be obscure for if they are to be read by all, they must shine as luminous lamps…” This learned Jesuit teaches those seeking to find the true Church, quote: “Opening the sacred Volume he soon discovers that God actually has left four characteristic marks by which His true Church could be known from the spurious imitations. That she should be One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic…He closes the Bible and surveys the various Churches in order to discover the four divine birth-marks, the four credentials that guarantee a heavenly origin. In one and, only, in one Christian body he discovers them…Inquiry now ends, for he has arrived at truth…Christ being God was bound to leave definite marks to distinguish His true Church from various false claimants…He has done so and one Christian body possesses them. Therefore, that and no other is the true Church. This line of reasoning is so direct and so simple that while it satisfies the most cultured intellect, the untutored can follow it with ease; and so irresistible is the force of the conclusion arrived at that no trick or sophistry can loosen the iron grasp with which conviction holds the mind. Father continues, This conviction is shot home with the force and precision of an iron bolt.” Further, under the chapter heading, “The Unity of the True Church,” Father states, “ Christ and His Apostles when describing the true Church liken it to many things; in each and every comparison the leading, dominant idea is one of unbroken unity…If diversities of faith and contradictory heads were discovered in a Christian body, if it became split into different groups acknowledging various heads, it could not be known as the true Church of Christ…that Church has no claim to be recognized as the Church of Christ.” Moreover, Fr. Phelan tells us that Christ for our edification, “… abandons the figurative for literal language and plainly states, ‘There shall be one sheepfold, and one shepherd’ (Matt. XII. 25) He sets up a picture that rejects even the remotest idea of distinct Churches or discordant faiths or diverse pastors. A sheepfold having but one door and one shepherd…Nowhere do we find Him speaking of churches, ‘Upon this rock I will build My Church,’ Christ never said My Churches.” concludes the learned, Father Phelan. (Emphasis added)

From Monsignor McGuire’s, Baltimore Catechism, Imprimatur 1953, “When Our Lord was on earth, He did exactly what He promised to do. For example, Christ promised that His Church would have certain marks or signs, so that all men can see and know that it belongs to Him….the Catholic Church is the only one that has these Four Marks.”  Our Merciful Savior gave us these Marks for our protection so that we could recognize the Church He founded as well as false churches. Remember, anything that is not the whole truth is not truth.

From Holy Scripture, “Until we meet in the unity of faith…that henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the wickedness of men, by cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive.” Douay Rheims - (Eph. 4:11-14) 

Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism, by Rev. Thomas L. Kinkaid, Imprimatur 1891, “Our Lord said, ‘My Church will be one; it will be holy; it will be Catholic; it will be apostolic; and if any church has not these four marks, you may be sure it is not my Church.’ Some false churches may seem to have one or two, but never all the marks; so when you find even one of these marks wanting, you will know immediately it is not the true Church established by Christ…only one can be telling the truth, and that one is the religion or Church that can show the four given marks.”

Religion Doctrine and Practice, Imprimatur1931, by Francis Cassilly, S.J., “Marks of the Church…any religious body that lacks only one of them (Marks) is a false or counterfeit Church. Reason tells us that since God is all-truthful He could not establish different churches teaching in His name contradictory doctrines, else He would be responsible for the error in belief.” This Jesuit Father, a Professor of Theology, further teaches us, “What is meant by the Unity of the Church? The meaning is oneness or sameness for all times and the world over.”

My Catholic Faith, (1937) by Bishop LaRavoire Morrow, (pg. 81) Chapter heading, Perpetuity of the Church, “Christ intended the Church to preserve the whole of what he taught and the shining marks which He gave it in the beginning. If the Church lost any of the qualities that God gave it, it could not be said to be perpetual, because it would not be the same institution, Perpetuity implies unchangeability.” (pages 69-73) “The True Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic….Any church that lacks even one of these marks is an imitation, a false church, and not the one founded by Our Lord. The Catholic Church is the only one which possesses all these marks.”

The following quotes are from the chapter Marks of the True Church, by Bishop Morrow.

The Church Is One “The True Church must be ONE. Its members must be united in doctrine, in worship, and in government. ‘If a kingdom is divided against itself that kingdom cannot stand’ (Mark 3:23). ‘There shall be one fold and one shepherd’” (John 10:16).

The Church is Holy   “The True Church must be Holy, because it was Divinely founded, ‘Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves’ ” (Matt.15)

The Church is Catholic   “The True Church must be Universal or Catholic. It must be for all peoples of every nation and for all times and teach the same faith everywhere.”

The Church is Apostolic   “The True Church must be Apostolic. It must be the Church propagated by the Apostles. Its rulers must derive their office and authority by lawful succession from the Apostles. It must hold intact the doctrine and tradition of the Apostles to whom Christ gave authority to teach.” (Emphasis throughout appear in the original)

How merciful Our Saviour is, who makes it so simple and easy for His children who have a love of the Truth, to find it. It stands out as a beacon and beckons to us.

My Sunday Missal, Confraternity of the Precious Blood, Imprimatur 1938, “Preparation for Confession… Examination of Conscience…My Duties to God…We sin Against Faith by willful doubts concerning any article of the Creed.”

                                       Truth cannot contradict Truth! 

The True Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. The Church that possesses all the shining marks which our Lord gave is the Church of God, the True Church. Any church that lacks even one of these marks is an imitation, a false church, and not the one founded by our Lord. The Catholic Church is the only Church which possesses all these marks. It is the Church which Christ commanded all to hear and obey. The Catholic Church is the True Church.




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Third Sunday of Advent - The Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness

12/13/2014

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The life of John the Baptist is still continued in this Gospel. The appearance of John created quite a sensation in his time. By his retirement into the desert, by his austere penances, by his pure life, by the force of his preaching, he had attained such a reputation among the people of those days, that they thought perhaps he was the Messiah, the Saviour of the world. To clear away their doubts, they sent an embassy to him composed of priests and Levites, to ask him who he was. And he confessed and did not deny, and protested that he was not the Messiah.

You understand from this, my good young people, that the saints humbled themselves the more, the greater honor they received. Not so with us poor sinners. Though on account of our many sins we are worthy of being despised, we look for the esteem of men, and are very much disturbed when any one looks upon us in our proper character, and does not give us the honor to which we have no claim.

But, my dear young people, let us not look for praise or flattery from men, who are very shortsighted in their judgment, and who frequently praise that with which they ought to find fault on good grounds. "Sons of men are foolish; they are lying in their weights, and they deceive themselves in their vanity." What would it be to you if men praised you and held you in high esteem, if before God you were wicked, miserable and poor in virtue? Seek then to please God; that should be your glory. "Oh! if you could understand," says the venerable Father Segneri, "how to appreciate the glory of God! "

St. Ephrem held the esteem of men in such abomination, that at one time when he was praised, he became most uncomfortable, changed color, the sweat poured from his face with anguish, and he lost all power of utterance. St. Ignatius said he would rejoice to be considered crazy by every one. And when he was at the point of death, he told his companions who stood around his bed, to throw his body into any vile place, like a dog's. God's esteem is above all things. With His esteem you have at the same time the esteem of all the choirs of angels, who are more numerous than the atoms which compose the earth, the esteem of the Apostles, prophets, the martyrs, and of all the saints. Would you renounce all this glory to have the praise of poor miserable man? But to possess this glory from God you have to
be truly humble, since before God there is no vice more hateful than pride. To keep yourself always in this condition of mind, frequently ask yourself the question, "Who art thou?" You are indeed a Christian, but how much is lacking in you to be a good Christian? How far are you from those virtues which your holy profession demands? What little fervor, how impatient, how unmortified are you! "Who art thou?" Oh, that you would frequently make these reflections! You would keep yourself humble, you would know yourself thoroughly, and you would make great effort to remove all bad 'habits from your heart and acquire all the beautiful virtues of a Christian life.

The Jews had now heard and been convinced that John was not the Messiah. "But who are you?" they asked again. "Are you Elias? Are you a prophet?" Even in this he refused himself a title. "If you are none of these, who are you? what do you say of yourself, for we must bring word to those who sent us." John the Baptist answered, "I am nothing but a voice crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord." What great humility is this! Yes, he was but a voice, but such a voice! A voice of thunder, a voice like a two-edged sword that was given by God and fitted by Him to open a way into the 'hearts of that hardhearted and stubborn people. Are we not stubborn and hardhearted, too, in our day? What a tremendous prophet would be needed to shake us out of the sleep of sin! In this sacred time of Advent we hear preachers in the churches crying out, "0, ye people of God, prepare ye the way of the Lord! " But there are many sinners who will not be moved by these words. Are not these ministers of the Gospel angels whom God has sent to do the very work that John the Baptist was commissioned to perform? It is the duty of a priest to cry out; it is the duty of the people to listen. But, alas, you young man, you hear the voice of the priest:  "Christmas is close at hand; prepare the way of the Lord; in order that He may come to your soul, cleanse it
from evil, cut off that bad friendship, keep away from that companion, shun that occasion of sin, make peace with God and with Jesus also, who wishes to come to your soul, and be born there again by grace." But how carelessly you listen to that invitation of God, who speaks to you by the voice of His priest, and you remain obstinate in your sins. Yes, my dear young people, if you hear God's voice, do indeed open your hearts and follow His instructions. "Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?" you will say with a strong will. Therefore "If you hear His voice hearken."

St. Peter Damien tells of a very wicked man who had two great vices; one was ambition, which brooked no opposition from anybody, and hence he was the personal enemy of any that opposed him; the other vice was impurity, which sunk him into the most filthy excesses. His conscience reproved him all the time and the fear of death often made him tremble; but to these pious relics of a good education, he would say: "Some other time I shall give this up." Several times he was on the point of going to confession, but the old habit of putting off the execution of his resolution prevailed. He was found dead; he had died impenitent. But to prepare the way of Our Lord still better, not only will you remove every sin and the stain of it, but you will also imitate the life of John the Baptist. St. Augustine, speaking of St. John, says, "In the Baptist all is voice, that admonishes us to listen." His silence in the desert is a voice that tells us not to talk too much, especially of things which offend God. His fast is a voice, that preaches loudly against the excesses of eating and drinking, of which we are frequently guilty, especially in Lent and on fast days, caring nothing for the law of abstinence; thus giving grave scandal to bad Catholics. The camel's-hair covering with which John was scantily clothed in order to do penance, is a loud voice against too great delicacy toward the body. His retirement to the desert is a voice that is raised against our continual dissipation. . 
St. John preached so well, by the example of every virtue, that the people learned to give up sin, to do good, and to devote
themselves to the service of God.

If you young people would be less dissipated and distracted in your life, your life, too, would be a living voice to your companions, preaching to them. If you were respectful to your superiors, you would teach obedience and submission. Certainly the life of a good young man is a great lesson to others; if he is obedient, devout, sensible, decent, and quiet, his companions will become the same. A good life is a sermon to our father, mother, and superiors; yes, even to the priest, for seeing the young man pious, sensible and devout, frequenting the sacraments, always going to church on Sundays and holydays of obligation he will become edified and strengthened in his work for souls.

Thus a youth will sanctify a family, a home, a school and his companions. Now listen to an example which shows how a good son was the means of saving his father. This father had many sons; the oldest was so pious and so accustomed from his childhood to be quiet and retired, that the father could not endure him, but ridiculed him on all occasions. The boy, however, did not change his demeanor. When the time of the father's death approached, all thought he would disinherit the son, but the father, who 'had reflected on the injustice he had committed against this young man, had him brought to his bedside, and with tears he said: "Forgive me, my son, and pray almighty God to forgive me too. You sought the glory of Jesus Christ, but I had no other thought than of the things of this world." He then sent for his other sons, and turning to his good son said: "Here is your father, and your master; do what he tells you, I leave my property in his hands to divide among you as he wishes; this is my last will." These words made an impression on all present.

When the father was dead the good son divided the property among his brothers, but his own share he gave to the poor. Then he went away and built a little cell, there to pass the
remainder of his days. Thus it was that the beautiful life of the son was a lesson to the father, and the cause of his happy death. In the same manner let your life be such before men, that it will edify them and be a direct war on sin, as was the life of John the Baptist. The Pharisees who were on this embassy to John, were not quite satisfied, and they said: "If you are not Christ, or Elias, or a prophet, why then do you baptize?" "I," he answered, "baptize only in water as a preparation for the Baptism which will take away sins, and which will be given by another who is already among you and you do not know Him. He is the One who is to come after me, but who was already before me, the latchet of whose shoe I am unworthy to loose."

How many young people could apply to themselves the same reproof ! You have Jesus, the Saviour, among you, and you know Him not. If you knew Him would you not visit Him, would you not adore Him in His holy tabernacle, would you not approach frequently His sacred table? How many young people live in forgetfulness of Our Lord! they rarely visit Him, and 'hardly know that they should genuflect before Him when He is exposed to public worship.

Our Lord is with us also in another way; that is by His presence in our 'hearts. Make an effort to know Him, and remember always the presence of God. Which of you in the presence of a king would dare to perform even an act of incivility? Remembering that you are seen by God, strive to honor Him by acts of love, adoration and gratitude for the many mercies He has shown you. Since He is a king who wishes to reign in your heart, and to do you much good, permit Him to direct your will and your actions in the ways of His providence. Ask Him to assist you, to give you strength in temptation, to give you courage in your labors, and to make you rich in your poverty. Never lose sight of your King; you will thus surely love Him with all your
heart, and He will never cease to pour upon you the abundance of His graces. At the hour of your death, Jesus will console you. He will be your last food in the viaticum; and when your friends will stand near you, unable to help you Jesus will be there to assist you in your last agony.

                                Source: Sermons for Children's Masses, Imprimatur 1900

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Saint Catherine's Academy Gazette - Issue 41

12/7/2014

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Finally, we've been able to get to put together another Gazette.  You can find it on our download page here. 
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                   Admonition by Father Lasance

12/4/2014

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       Admonition

He that rejecteth instruction, despiseth his own soul;
but he that yielded to reproof, possesseth
understanding.  
(Proverbs. xv. 32.)


 
It is better to be rebuked by a wise man than to be
deceived by the flattery of fools.
  (Ecclesiastes. vii. 6.)


A man that is prudent and well instructed will not

murmur when he is reproved.
(Ecclesiastes x. 28.)

“Although old and wise
Be still advise.”

Lift Up Your Hearts by Father Lasance, Imprimatur 1926

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   The End of the World and the Abomination of Desolation

12/3/2014

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"The End of the World - At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:
When you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken
of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, he that readeth
let him understand…Matt. xxiv. 15-35

 “The Apostles had asked Our Lord concerning the destruction of the
Temple of Jerusalem, and so important did it appear, that He
made them understand The catastrophe which is to destroy this
world and all its inhabitants must certainly be fearful, and the
destruction of Jerusalem was a foreboding of it. The great sign
which is to show that the end is near, is that there is to be
abomination in the Temple itself. When any one, then, stands in
the holy place and sees that filth, neglect and dishonor has come
upon it he may conclude that the end is near.

By this abomination of desolation in the holy place is understood literally,
the profanation of the Temple, that, to a certain degree, it was the
foreshadowing of the end of the world.” (Page 272)

 

Sermons for Children’s Masses According to the
Sundays and Principal Festivals of the Year.
Rev. Raphael Frassinetti , Imprimatur, 1900

https://archive.org/search.php?query=Sermons%20for%20Children%27s%20Masses%20AND%20mediatype%3Atexts

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