MMXXI
Dominica in Sexagesima 

WELCOME to this the twenty-third edition of Volume II of “The Old Roman” a weekly dissemination of news, views and information for and from around the world reflecting the experience and life of 21C “Old Romans” i.e. western Orthodox Catholics across the globe.
CONTRIBUTIONS… news items, magazine, devotional or theological articles, prayer requests, features about apostolates and parish mission life are ALL welcome and may be submitted via email. Submissions should be sent by Friday for publication the following Sunday.

From the Primus's pastoral epistle for Lent last year - as Coronavirus broke in the UK

“Noli timere” (Be not afraid) is a phrase repeated in Scripture no less than 365 times! We hear it spoken by God through His prophets to His chosen people in all sorts of situations. Our Lord Himself says it to His disciples, particularly when they are frightened and or ignorant of the significance of miraculous or prophetic events, e.g. the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor (Mtt17:7[1]), or when they mistook Him for a phantom on the water (Mtt14:27[2]).

At this present time people all around the world are experiencing a common threat to their lives, the Coronavirus or COVID19 and naturally many are frightened and fearful for themselves and for their loved ones. This has manifested itself in various ways, some positive e.g. a greater concern for the well-being of all in communities, with people cooperating with each other to ensure the most vulnerable are protected and supported; but also negative, e.g. panic-buying of essential products and ostracization of the infected. How should we Old Romans respond?

In the first instance we should not give into the natural desire to panic[3]. As Christians we have no need to! “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4) Resigned to and always seeking God’s Will, we have no need to be anxious about our own particular fate (1 John 2:17) [4], when we die – as surely we all will – as long as we have been faithful and steadfast then we have the joyful prospect of heaven and eternal life awaiting us, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.” (cf 1 Corinthians 15:50-58)! Rather, we should continue to focus our energies on loving God and neighbour (Galatians 1:10[5]). The worship of almighty God and the offering of prayer is always the first obligation on our time (Matthew 22:37[6]), even in times of distress; then serving and loving God through our neighbour (Matthew 22:39[7]).

One of the implications of the first commandment to “love God” (Deuteronomy 6:5[8]) requires us to trust Him (Proverbs 3:5[9]), to put our faith in Him (2 Samuel 22:31[10]; Romans 15:13[11]) and to believe in His promises (Deuteronomy 31:6[12]). Hope (Romans 5:5[13]) is the great gift we receive from loving God (Isaiah 40:31[14]; Psalm 3:2-6[15]) and in doing His will (Jeremiah 29:11[16]; Romans 8:28-29[17]). In times of trial and tribulation we should not think to ourselves “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me” (Psalm 22:2) but rather trust that through whatever we must endure, God hears us and is with us “Be not afraid, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1-2 Similarly, remember, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” Romans 8:35

In these trying times, loving God means we must turn to Him in worship and in prayer; upon rising, through the day, before, during and after any task and before sleeping, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) For only in His strength can we hope by our efforts to achieve anything for anyone else, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) If we want to be of help and service to anyone else, we need first to receive – and that means ask for – God’s grace and strength to empower us “Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong. Do everything in love.” (1 Cor16:14). Our efforts may well be futile if we do not ground them first in God and in His love (cf 1 Corinthians 13: 3[18]) and make His love our own.

Everyone then from the healthy, susceptible, infected and even the dying, can assist any and all efforts of Old Romans to help in these times through prayer, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,” (Colossians 1:9) The whole Church should be praying for an end to the contagion, praying for victims, the governments, scientists, medics and everyone who is trying to help “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,” (1 Timothy 2:1-8). Any apostolate seeking to serve their local community should begin with prayer and ask for prayer and everyone else should be praying for them, for their protection as well as their efforts while they are about their work (cf 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12[19]). This is a practical task anyone can do, no matter their own particular circumstances, “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,” (Ephesians 6:18)! Likewise, we should all be praying for any known to us who are vulnerable to infection and those infected, remembering the words of the apostle “I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,” (Romans 15:30)

The Lenten liturgy lends itself to our current predicament, encouraging us as it does to a deeper love and trust of God and of service in charity to each other. Every day the liturgy contains supplications in the prayers and in the Scripture verses for God “to have mercy upon us” and we should all determine to intend those prayers and sentiments in our devotion and piety, hearing Mass or in reading the Mass texts, in praying the Hours of the Breviary or in our private devotions. Any and all contagions and afflictions may be interpreted as a punishment from God – not just Coronavirus – for this world is not as He had originally conceived and intended it to be[20], and we are all of us to some degree deserving of chastisement[21] for, as the apostle admonishes us from the Psalm, “… There is none righteous, no, not one…”[22] (Romans 3:10) Irrespective of natural disasters, plagues, famines, etc what matters most is the way human beings behave toward God and each other. This may be the opportunity yes, for Old Romans to offer supplications of mercy to God for our own and others’ sins, but also too, to play our part in the redemption of the world[23] by the way in which we offer ourselves in practical service to our neighbours during this testing time.

What is extremely important for all Old Romans everywhere to appreciate and remember, is that God is with us all. Everyone. Everywhere. “Be not afraid” my brothers and sisters to manifest your love in and for God through serving Him in each other and in the stranger. We often lament how selfish our society is today, here we have an opportunity to prove our faith and trust in God by serving our neighbour and maybe, just maybe, our example and witness will bring others to faith. Remember that we are not called simply to love one another “as you would love yourself”[24] i.e. to “Do as you would be done by”[25] but Our Lord commands us, “Love one another as I have loved you”[26] We may not necessarily be called to take the place of another in death[27], but we most certainly are commanded to do all we can for others in emulation of Christ, our Master and teacher[28] and to offer such sacrifice to God for and in love of Him, for His love toward us (Romans 12:1[29]).

a) Septuagesima Season begins with Septuagesima Sunday and goes until the eve of Ash Wednesday (Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras). It includes Sexagesima Sunday and Quinquagesima Sunday.
b) The characteristic mark of Septuagesima is the absolute suppression of the Alleluia, which is never mentioned again in the sacred liturgy until its solemn re-introduction at the Easter Vigil.
c) The colour of the season is violet, but it is nevertheless permitted to play the organ and use flowers on the altar during this season. By custom, relics may also remain on the gradines during this season.
d) The Mass on ferial days is that of the preceding Sunday (votive Masses are permitted), without Gloria or Credo, and with the common preface. After the Gradual, the Tract is said on Sunday but is omitted when the Mass is used during ferial days in the subsequent week. On the Sundays of the season, the preface is of the Holy Trinity.
 

Sexagesima Sunday; Commemoration of St Romuald, Abbot: Missa “Exsurge, quare obdormis”

A major theme of the liturgy is the Word of God.  We give thanks that we have heard the Word (Introit), which Saint Paul faithfully preached despite so many obstacles (Epistle).  The Gospel is all about hearing the Word of God in a way that produces good fruit, and not in a way that wastes or kills the seed offered to us by God through His holy Word.  In the Offertory, we ask God to hear our words of petition, but only after we have first heard His holy Word.  The liturgy for Sexagesima Sunday is a call for man to prepare for Lenten repentance by becoming attuned to God’s Word.

INTROIT Psalm 43: 23-26
The Introit, which is taken from the Psalms, cries out to our Lord for help. The human race is all but extinct after the Deluge, and is here represented as beseeching its Creator to bless and increase it. The Church adopts the same prayer, and asks her Saviour to multiply the children of the Word, as he did in former days.

Arise, why sleepest Thou, O Lord? arise, and cast us not off to the end. Why turnest Thou Thy face away, and forgettest our trouble? our belly hath cleaved to the earth : arise, O Lord, help us and deliver us. (Ps. 43: 2 ) ) We have heard, O God, with our ears: our fathers have declared to us. v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Repeat Arise, why sleepest…

COLLECT
In the Collect, the Church expresses the confidence she puts in the prayers of the great apostle St. Paul, that zealous sower of the divine seed, who labored more than the other apostles in preaching the word to the Gentiles.

O God, who seest that we put not our trust in anything that we do; mercifully grant that by the protection of the Doctor of the Gentiles we may be defended against all adversity. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. R. Amen

for St Romuald, Abbot
May the intercession of the blessed Abbot Romuald, commend us to You, O Lord, so that through his merits we may obtain that which we cannot accomplish by our own. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who livest and reignest with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. R. Amen.

for the Intercession of the Saints
Defend us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, from all dangers of mind and body; that through the intercession of the blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, together with blessed Joseph, Thy blessed apostles Peter and Paul, and blessed N. (Here mention the titular saint of the church), and all the saints, mercifully grant us safety and peace; that all adversities and errors being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. R. Amen

EPISTLE 2 Corinthians 11: 19-33; 12: 1-9
The Epistle is that admirable passage from one of St. Paul’s Epistles, in which the Great Apostle, for the honour and interest of his sacred ministry, is necessitated to write his defence against the calumnies of his enemies. We learn from this his apology, what labours the Apostles had to go through, in order to sow the Word of God in the barren soil of the Gentile world, and make it Christian.

Lesson from the Epistle of blessed Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians. Brethren: you gladly suffer the foolish : whereas yourselves are wise. For you suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take from you, if a man be lifted up, if a man strike you on the face. I speak according to dishonour, as if we had been weak in this part. Wherein if any man dare (I speak foolishly), I dare also. They are Hebrews, so am I. They are Israelites, so am I. They are the seed of Abraham, so am I. They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as one less wise), I am more: in many ore labours, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often. Of the Jews five times did I receive forty stripes save one. Thrice I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea : in journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren : in labour and painfulness, in much watching, in hunger and cold and nakedness; : besides those thing which are without, my daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is scandalized, and I am not on fire? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knoweth that I lie not. At Damascus the governor of the nation under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes, to apprehend me : and through a window in a basked was I let down by the wall, and so escaped his hands. If I must glory (it is not expedient indeed) but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ about fourteen years ago, whether in the body I know not, of out of the body I know not, God knoweth; such a one caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man, whether in the body or out of the body I know not, God knoweth: that he was caught up unto paradise, and heard secret words which it is not granted to man to utter. For such an one I will glory: but for myself I will glory nothing but in my infirmities. For though I should have a mind to glory, I shall not be foolish : for I will say the truth : but I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth in me, or anything he heareth from me. And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, thee was given ne a sting of my flesh, an angel of satan, to buffet me. For which thing, thrice I besought the Lord that it might depart from me. And He said to me; My grace is sufficient for thee, for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

GRADUAL Psalm 82: 19, 14    TRACT Psalm 59: 4, 6
In the Gradual, the Church beseeches her Lord to give her strength against those who oppose the mission he has entrusted to her, of gaining for him a new people, adorers of his sovereign Majesty.

Let the Gentiles know that God is Thy name : Thou alone are the most High over all the earth. V. O my God, make them like a wheel, and as stubble before the wind.

While the earth is being moved and is suffering those terrible revolutions which, deluge-like, come first on one nation and then on another, the Church prays for her faithful children, in order that they may be spared, for they are the elect, and the hope of the world. It is thus she prays in the Tract, which precedes the Gospel of the word.

Thou hast moved the earth, O Lord, and hast troubled it. V. Heal Thou the breaches thereof, for it has been moved. V. That they may flee from before the bow : that Thine elect may be delivered.

GOSPEL St. Luke 8: 4-15

At that time, when a very great multitude was gathered together and hastened out of the cities unto Jesus, He spoke by a similitude: ‘The sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And other some fell upon a rock: and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And other some fell among thorns, and the thorns growing up with it choked it. And other some fell upon good ground: and being sprung up yielded fruit a hundredfold.’ Saying these things, He cried out: ’He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.’ And His disciples asked Him what this parable might be. To whom He said: ‘To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables : that seeing they may not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. And they by the wayside are they that hear: then the devil cometh and taketh the word out of their heart, lest believing they should be saved. Now they upon the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no roots: for they believe for a while, and in time of temptation they fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they who have heard and, going their way, are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and yield no fruit. But that on the good ground are they who in a good and perfect heart, hearing the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit in patience.’

St. Gregory the Great justly remarks, that this Parable needs no explanation. since Eternal Wisdom himself has told us its meaning. All that we have to do, is to profit by this divine teaching, and become the good soil, wherein the heavenly Seed may yield a rich harvest. How often have we not, hitherto, allowed it to be trampled on by them that passed by, or to be torn up by the birds of the air? How often has it not found our heart like a stone, that could give no moisture, or like a thorn plot, that could but choke? We listened to the Word of God; we took pleasure in hearing it; and from this we argued well for ourselves. Nay, we have often received this Word with joy and eagerness. Sometimes, even, it took root within us. But, alas! something always came to stop its growth. Henceforth, it must both grow and yield fruit. The Seed given to us is of such quality, that the Divine Sower has a right to expect a hundred-fold. If the soil, that is, if our heart, be good;- if we take the trouble to prepare it, by profiting of the means afforded us by the Church;- we shall have an abundant harvest to show our Lord on that grand Day, when, rising triumphant from his Tomb, he shall come to share with his faithful people the glory of  his Resurrection.

Inspirited by this hope, and full of confidence in Him, who has once more thrown his Seed in this long ungrateful soil, let us sing with the Church, in her Offertory, these beautiful words of the Royal Psalmist:- they are a prayer for holy resolution and perseverance.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Psalm 16: 5-7

Perfect Thou my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps be now moved : incline Thy ear, and hear my words : show forth Thy wonderful mercies, Thou who savest them that trust in Thee, O Lord.

SECRET

May the sacrifice offered to Thee, O Lord, ever quicken and protect us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God. Forever and ever. R.Amen.

for St Romuald, Abbot
We beseech You, O Lord, may the holy Abbot Romuald, prevail by his prayers, so that the offerings placed upon Your sacred altar may be beneficial for our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R. Amen.

For the Intercession of the Saints
Graciously hear us, O God our Saviour, and by the virtue of this sacrament protect us from all enemies of soul and body, bestowing on us both grace in this life and glory hereafter. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. R. Amen

PREFACE Holy Trinity

It it truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God; Who, together with Thine only-begotten Son, and the Holy Ghost, art one God, one Lord: not in the oneness of a single Person, but in the Trinity of one substance. For what we believe by Thy revelation of Thy glory, the same do we believe of Thy Son, the same of the Holy Ghost, without difference or separation. So that in confessing the true and everlasting Godhead, distinction in persons, unity in essence, and equality in majesty may be adored. Which the Angels and Archangels, the Cherubim also and Seraphim do praise: who cease not daily to cry out, with one voice saying: HOLY, HOLY, HOLY…

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Psalm 42: 4
The visit, which our Lord makes to us in the Sacrament of His love, is the grand means whereby He gives fertility to our souls. Hence it is that the Church invites us, in the Communion antiphon, to draw nigh to the altar of our God; there, our heart shall regain all the youthful fervour of its best days.

I will go in to the altar of God, to God Who giveth joy to my youth.

POSTCOMMUNION

We humbly beseech Thee, almighty God to grant that they whom Thou refreshest with Thy sacraments may serve Thee worthily by a life well pleasing unto Thee.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God For ever and ever. R. Amen.

for St Romuald, Abbot
May the pleading of the blessed Abbot Romuald. for us, together with the partaking of Your sacrament, protect us, O Lord, so that we, mindful of his way of life, may obtain the help of his intercession. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who with Thee liveth and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R. Amen.

For the Intercession of the Saints
May the oblation of this divine sacrament cleanse and defend us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and, through the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, Thy blessed apostles Peter and Paul, blessed N. (here mention the titular saint of the church), and all the saints, purify us from all our sins and deliver us from all adversity. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. R. Amen

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ON THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER. LUKE viii.

FOR SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY

Consider first, in this parable, the infinite riches of the goodness and bounty of the Son of God, who without distinction or respect of persons, sows so plentifully the seed of his word, and of his graces, on all kind of soils. This seed is heavenly; it is capable of producing fruit a hundred fold - he himself is the sower, and he himself waters with rain from heaven the seed he has sown, and yet three parts in four of this divine seed are lost for want of a correspondence in the soil. Christians, see in what manner you receive the seed of God's word; see how you correspond with the divine graces and calls; your eternal salvation is here at stake. If you bring forth good fruit, agreeable to this divine seed, you shall live on it for endless ages in the kingdom of heaven; but if you suffer the soil of your soul to be like a beaten highway, or like a rock covered but with a thin surface of earth, or like a ground overrun with thorns and briars, the seed of God will be lost upon you, and you will be answerable for the loss of it, and miserable for all eternity.

Consider 2ndly, what is here meant by the highway - where the seed is trodden under foot, or picked up by the birds - and see how justly all such souls are compared to a highway or a beaten path, as live in the forgetfulness of God, and in a continual dissipation of thought, so as to become a mere thoroughfare for every passenger that passes, that is for every idle amusement, that offers itself; for every impertinent or sinful imagination, without any sense at all of the fear of God, or any care to keep off those wicked spirits, signified by the birds, which are ever upon the watch to snatch away this divine seed of God's word that lies thus unregarded on the surface of the soul. But what is the remedy for this evil? No other to be sure, than to plough up this ground that has hitherto been made a highway; to fence it in such a manner, as that the passengers may have no longer liberty to be continually trampling it under foot, and to harrow it so that the seed may be covered by the earth, and lie no longer exposed to be a prey to the birds. For a highway, or beaten path, as long as it remains such, can never bring forth fruit. Now, in the spiritual sense, we plough up the soil of the soul, by daily meditations upon eternal truths; we fence it in by a spirit of recollection; and we preserve the divine seed, which is to make it fruitful, from our spiritual enemies, by letting it sink deeper into our souls, and there guarding it by watching and prayer. 

Consider 3rdly, who they are that are meant by the rock or stony ground, where there is no depth or earth, nor proper moisture to nourish the seed, so as to bring the fruit to maturity, viz., such souls as receive indeed the word of God, and are moved by it to make some good resolutions, and some slender efforts towards bringing forth the fruits of a new life; but the rock of their old bad habits (which they have never heartily renounced,) hinders the seed from taking root: their resolutions are but superficial; they do not sink in deep enough to reach or change the heart, but upon the first opposition or temptation they wither away and die. The remedy here must be, to procure that this rock may be softened by the means of a long continued application to mental prayer, and other spiritual exercises; till those old habits are brought to give way to the fear and love of God, which are capable even of breaking the rock in pieces, and changing it into springs of water.

Conclude to be for ever attentive to the gracious calls of the word of God and of his heavenly inspirations, and to let this divine seed sink deep into thy soul by daily meditation.

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ON THE REMAINING PART OF THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

Consider first, that there remains a third kind of soil, which brings no fruit to maturity, viz., the thorny ground, which received indeed the seed of the divine word, but suffers it not to grow up and ripen, but overpowers it, and chokes it up with the thorns which are its natural produce, and which have taken a much stronger root therein. By which thorny ground are meant all they who hear the word of God, or are otherwise favoured with the visits of his graces and calls, but are so unhappy as to suffer all his heavenly seed to be overpowered and choked up with their carnal affections and lusts, or as our Saviour says, 'with the cares, and riches, and pleasures of this life, and so yield no fruit.' Luke viii. 14. O see, my soul, if this be not thy misfortune. Reflect how often thou hast been visited with graces from heaven? how often thou hast heard, or read the word of God? and what fruit has this divine seed hitherto produced in thee? It is well, if instead of the increase of a hundred-fold, it has not been rendered absolutely fruitless, if not pernicious to thee, by the thorns of thy disorderly affections to the things of this world, which thou has loved more than God. 

Consider 2ndly, that thorny ground can never bring any fruit to perfection, except the thorns be first rooted up; for since they are much stronger than the corn, and have taken a deeper root in this unhappy soil, (in consequence of the curse laid upon our earth by occasion of sin, Gen iii. 17, 18,) as long as they are suffered to occupy the ground, they will of course overpower, and choke up the good grain. Wherefore, if we desire to bring forth fruit, that the seed of the word, and of the grace of God, should not be lost upon us, we must seriously apply our souls to the rooting out these thorns of our irregular affections to worldly toys and sensual pleasures, for as long as these are predominant In our souls, the seed of heaven will bring forth no fruit there. Now this rooting out of these thorns is the proper business of the virtue of self-denial, that is , of the daily mortifications of our passions and natural inclinations, which are ever prone to evil, and if not kept under, hurry the souls into all kinds of vice, and stifle all the graces and inspirations of heaven. This then must be the care of every Christian; this our daily labour, to keep these thorns under, that they may not overpower the seed of the word and of the grace of God in our souls. And whatever we affect of love, to the prejudice of the love of God, or of our duty to him, we must look upon as thorns, and discharge from our souls, as mortal enemies to the seed of heaven, and to our true welfare, either for time or eternity.

Consider 3rdly, that the Christian must endeavour to be the good ground in which the seed of God's word yieldeth fruit a hundred-fold - that is, he must labour to be of the number of those who with a good and perfect heart hear the word, and keep it, and bring forth fruit in patience. He must hear it with a good heart, not out of idle curiosity, but for his own instruction and edification; not to carp at it, or criticize upon it, but to let it sink into his soul for the reformation of his life. He must hear it with a perfect heart, embracing it as the word and truth of God, brought to him from heaven by the Son of God, and designed to carry him to heaven. He must keep it, by laying it up carefully in his mind, and often meditating upon it; he must ever follow its light, and regulate all his steps by it. He must bring forth fruit with it, by exercising himself daily in those virtues which it recommends, and advancing continually by its direction in the love of God, and in the way of Christian perfection; and this fruit he must bring forth in patience - that is, with constancy and perseverance, notwithstanding all the difficulties and oppositions he will be sure to meet with from the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Conclude to rid thy soul of all the thorns that may hinder it from bringing forth fruit to God, that thou mayest be the good ground that may yield a hundred-fold.

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Sexagesima Sunday

Today is Sexagesima Sunday, the second of the three Sundays of the Gesima season, in which the Western Church prepares for Lent. Today’s Gospel is the Parable of the Sower, which tells us the story of how a sower went out to sow his seed. Some fell by the wayside, some on stony ground, and some among thorns, but some fell on the good soil and yielded much fruit. When the disciples question the meaning of the parable, Jesus responds that to them has been given the mystery of the Kingdom of God, but to those without (those who are not Jesus’ disciples) everything is spoken in parables that hearing they may not understand. The parable is then explained to mean that the seed is the Word of God, the seed fallen by the wayside stands for those who do not respond at all to Jesus’ message, that fallen on stony ground those who initially respond with joy but have no root, that fallen among thorns those who respond for a time but are choked by the cares of this life and fall away, that fallen on the good soil, for those who do respond and bear fruit.
What is the mystery of the Kingdom of God which the parable explains? The Kingdom of God was the hope of Israel which the prophets looked forward to, that new heaven and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. It is this Kingdom for which Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. The mystery of the Kingdom of God is that in Jesus’ words and works, the Kingdom, future in its fullness, is now being inaugurated. Hence, for those with eyes to see they were already living in the days of fulfilment, albeit in paradoxical form. In Jesus’ mighty works there were signs of the messianic age in which the eyes of the blind were opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. In his words, not least his parables, the Kingdom was also being inaugurated by its proclaimer. Blessed are those eyes which see the things that ye see, for many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things that ye see and have not seen them and hear those things that ye hear and have not heard them.
However, while Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God was addressed to all Israel, and some responded, most did not. The parable of the Sower is about the response to the proclamation of the Kingdom of God in Jesus’ ministry. It is a warning to those who do not respond that they face judgement, but an encouragement to those who do respond that, despite seeming failure the faithful remnant of Israel was being gathered around Jesus. The seed was growing secretly, the mustard seed was growing into a tree, the leaven was working through the lump, the wheat was growing even among the tares.
While the proclamation of Jesus was the fulfilment of the hope of Israel, it also recapitulated the response to the Hebrew prophets in past history. They had addressed themselves to the nation as a whole, a message of God’s judgment and mercy, yet only a few responded. Most did not. Those who responded formed the faithful remnant of Israel.
This was true in the time of the old covenant and in the proclamation of Jesus, and it is also true from the first days of the Church, the faithful remnant of Israel, until now. The Gospel message is addressed to all times and all places, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace, yet only a few respond. Most do not. It might be said that in past ages of faith it was different and that most did respond, but it may well be that this was more due to convention than true commitment. Certainly now only a few respond. The message of the parable of the sower is that we should not be disheartened, for even if seed mostly falls by the wayside, on stony ground and among thorns, it still sometimes falls on good soil.
St. Paul, in today’s epistle, writes of his own ministry as one of struggle and conflict. There were some who challenged his status as an apostle, and he speaks of the opposition he faced. There were those who said that his letters were weighty and strong, but his presence weak and his speech contemptible. Yet he had learned to glory in his infirmities, of power made perfect in weakness. The message of the Cross was foolishness to those who were perishing, but to those who were being saved it is Christ the wisdom of God and Christ the power of God. The message was foolishness to the Greeks, who looked for wisdom from philosophy rather than a crucified Saviour, and a stumbling block to the Jews, who did not acknowledge the first coming of the Messiah as a suffering servant before his final advent in glory at the end of the age. Yet despite not numbering many wise and many mighty, some seed fell on good soil.
This is a lesson for us today. Even if only a few respond, we must still preach the Gospel in season and out of season. For we have this treasure in earthen vessels, and among us even now the seed is growing secretly.
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
 

In the tenth century Sergius, a nobleman of Ravenna, quarreled with a relative over an estate and, in a duel to which his son Romuald was witness, slew him. The young man of twenty years was horrified at his father's crime, and entered a Benedictine monastery at Classe to do a forty days' penance for him. This penance led to his entry into religion as a Benedictine monk.

After seven years at Classe, Romuald went to live as a hermit near Venice, under the guidance of a holy man who had him recite the Psalter from memory every day. When he stumbled, the hermit struck his left ear with a rod. Romuald suffered with patience, but one day, noting that he was losing his hearing in that ear, asked the old man to strike him on his right ear. This episode supposes great progress in virtue. The two religious were joined by Peter Urseolus, Duke of Venice, who desired to do penance also, and together they led a most austere life in the midst of assaults from the evil spirits.

Saint Romuald, whose aim was to restore the primitive rule to the Order of Saint Benedict, succeeded in founding some hundred monasteries in both Italy and France, and he filled the solitudes with hermitages. The principal monastery was that at Camaldoli, a wild, deserted region, where he built a church, surrounded by a number of separate cells for the solitaries who lived under his rule; his disciples were thus called Camaldolese. For five years the fervent founder was tormented by furious attacks by the demon. He repulsed him, saying, O enemy! Driven out of heaven, you come to the desert? Depart, ugly serpent, already you have what is due you. And the shamed adversary would leave him. Saint Romuald's father, Sergius, was moved by the examples of his son, and entered religion near Ravenna; there he, too, was attacked by hell and thought of abandoning his design. Romuald went to visit him; he showed him the error of the devil's ruses, and his father died in the monastery, in the odor of sanctity.

Among his first disciples were Saints Adalbert and Boniface, apostles of Russia, and Saints John and Benedict of Poland, martyrs for the faith. He was an intimate friend of the Emperor Saint Henry, and was reverenced and consulted by many great men of his time. He once passed seven years in solitude and total silence. He died, as he had foretold twenty years in advance, alone in his monastery of Val Castro, on the 19^th of June, 1027, in an advanced and abundantly fruitful old age.

By the life of Saint Romuald, we see how God brings good out of evil. In his youth Saint Romuald was much troubled by temptations of the flesh; to escape them he had recourse to hunting, and it was in the woods that he first conceived his love for solitude. His father's sin prompted him to undertake a forty days' penance in the monastery, which he then made his permanent home. Some bad examples of his fellow-monks induced him to leave them and adopt the solitary mode of life; the repentance of a Venetian Duke brought him his first disciple. The temptations of the devil compelled him to lead his severe life of expiation; and finally, the persecutions of others were the occasion of his settlement at Camaldoli, mother house of his Order.

Reflection. If we follow the impulses of the Holy Spirit, like Saint Romuald we shall bring Him into situations which seem without hope. Our own sins, the sins of others, their ill will against us, our own mistakes and misfortunes, if we react with the help of God, are capable of bringing our own souls and others to the throne of God's mercy and love.

Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on Butler's Lives of the Saints and other sources by John Gilmary Shea (Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894); Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin (Bloud et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 2

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The life of Saint John of Matha, born in southern France of an illustrious family, was consecrated to God by a vow at his birth. His life from his youth was exemplary, by his self-sacrifice for the glory of God and the good of his neighbor. As a child, his chief pleasure was serving the poor; and he would say to them that he had come into the world for no other end but to care for them. He served every Friday in a hospital, and obtained for the sick whatever they needed. Later he studied in Paris with such distinction that his professors advised him to become a priest, in order that his talents might render greater service to others. For this purpose John gladly sacrificed his high rank and other worldly advantages.

At his first Mass an Angel appeared, clad in white, with a red and blue cross on his breast, and his hands reposed on the heads of a Christian and a Moorish captive. To comprehend what this vision might signify, John went to Saint Felix of Valois, a holy hermit living near Meaux, under whose direction he led a life of extreme penance. Another sign was given the two hermits, by a stag they saw with a red and blue cross amid its antlers. The two Christians then set out together for Rome, to learn the Will of God from the lips of the Sovereign Pontiff. Pope Innocent III consulted the Sacred College and had a Mass offered in the Lateran basilica to understand what God was asking. At the moment of the Elevation, the Pope saw the same Angel in the same vision as had been given Saint John. He told the two servants of God to devote themselves to the redemption of captives, and for this purpose they founded the Order of the Holy Trinity, whose habit was first worn by the Angel.

The members of the Order fasted every day, and after preaching throughout Europe, winning associates for their Order and gathering alms to buy back captives, went to northern Africa to redeem the Christian slaves taken prisoner during the Crusades or while traveling on the seas. They devoted themselves also to the many sick, aged, and infirm captives whom they found in both northern Africa and Spain, and who were unable to travel and thus to return home. Saint John on one occasion was assaulted in Morocco and left, in his blood, for dead. He was preserved by a miracle, and took up his charitable services again.

The charity of Saint John of Matha in devoting his life to the redemption of captives was visibly blessed by God: the Pope approved the Constitution of the Order, and in 1198 it was canonically instituted with an establishment in Rome, where the liberated captives were taken from Ostia to give thanks to God and rest for a time.

On his second return from Tunis he brought back one hundred and twenty liberated slaves. But when he was about to undertake another voyage, the Moors attacked the ship and disabled it before it could sail, removing the rudder and sails. Saint John told the passengers to take the oars and set out just the same, then he prayed on his knees to the Star of the Sea, prayers which the sailors and passengers repeated after him. He tied his cloak to the mast, saying, Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered! O Lord, Thou wilt save the humble, and wilt bring down the eyes of the proud. Suddenly wind filled the small sail, and a few days later brought the ship safely to Ostia, the port of Rome, three hundred leagues from Tunis.

Worn out by his heroic labors, John died in 1213, at the age of fifty-three.

Reflection. Let us never forget that our blessed Lord bade us love our neighbor not only as ourselves, but as He loved us, who afterwards sacrificed Himself totally for us.

Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin (Bloud et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 2; Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on Butler's Lives of the Saints and other sources by John Gilmary Shea (Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894).

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Born at Alexandria, Egypt, and nephew of the patriach of that city, Theophilus, Cyril received a classical and theological education at Alexandria and was ordained by his uncle. He accompanied Theophilus to Constantinople in 403 and was present at the "Synod of the Oak" that deposed John Chrysostom, whom he believed guilty of the charges against him.

He succeeded his uncle Theophilus as patriarch of Alexandria on Theophilus' death in 412, but only after a riot between Cyril's supporters and the followers of his rival Timotheus. Cyril at once began a series of attacks against the Novatians, whose churches he closed; the Jews, whom he drove from the city; and Governor Orestes, with whom he disagreed about some of his actions.

In 430 Cyril became embroiled with Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople, who was preaching that Mary was not the Mother of God since Christ was divine and not human, and consequently She should not have the word Theotokos (God-bearer) applied to Her. He persuaded Pope Celestine I to convoke a synod at Rome, which condemned Nestorius, and then did the same at his own synod in Alexandria. Celestine directed Cyril to depose Nestorius, and in 431 Cyril presided over the third General Council at Ephesus, attended by some two hundred bishops, which condemned all the tenets of Nestorius and his followers before the arrival of Archbishop John of Antioch and forty-two followers who believed Nestorius was innocent; when they found what had been done, they held a council of their own and deposed Cyril. Emperor Theodosius II arrested both Cyril and Nestorius but released Cyril on the arrival of papal legates who confirmed the council's actions against Nestorius and declared Cyril innocent of all charges. Two years later Archbishop John, representing the moderate Antiochene bishops, and Cyril reached an agreement and joined in the condemnation, and Nestorius was forced into exile.

During the rest of his life Cyril wrote treatises that clarified the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation and that helped prevent Nestorianism and Pelagianism from taking long-term deep root in the Christian community. He was the most brilliant theologian of the Alexendrian tradition. His writings are characterized by accurate thinking, precise exposition, and great reasoning skill. Among his writings are commentaries on Saint John, Saint Luke, and the Pentateuch, treatises on dogmatic theology, an Apologia against Julian the Apostate, and letters and sermons. He was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1882.

Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney (Doubleday & Co.: Garden City, 1980)

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At Alexandria, in 249, a mob rose in savage fury against the Christians, during a persecution which the pagans of Alexandria instigated at the urging of a magician of that city. Metras, an old man, perished first. His eyes were pierced with reeds, and he was stoned to death. A woman named Quinta was the next victim. She was led to a heathen temple and told to worship; she replied by cursing the false god many times, and she too was stoned to death. After this the houses of the Christians were sacked and plundered; and they accepted the despoiling of their possessions with joy.

Saint Apollonia, an aged virgin, was the most famous among the martyrs, honored for her virtue and modesty. Her teeth were beaten out, and she was led outside the city, where a huge fire was kindled. She was told she must deny Christ, or else be burned alive. She was silent for a moment, and then, moved by a special inspiration of the Holy Ghost, she walked into the fire and died in its flames.

The same courage showed itself the next year, when Decius became emperor, and the persecution grew until it seemed as if the very elect must fall away. The story of the witness to Christianity given by a fifteen-year-old boy named Dioscorus illustrates both the courage of the Alexandrian Christians, and the esteem they had for the grace of martyrdom. To the arguments of the judge this young man returned wise answers, and then proved invincible under torture. His older companions were executed, but Dioscorus was spared on account of his tender years. The Christians could not suppose that he had been deprived of the martyr's crown, unless to receive it afterwards more gloriously. Dioscorus, writes Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria at this time, still is with us, reserved for some longer and greater combat.

There were indeed many Christians who came, pale and trembling, to offer the heathen sacrifices. But the judges themselves were struck with amazement at the multitudes who came spontaneously to receive the crown of martyrdom. Women triumphed over torture, until finally the judges were glad to execute them at once, and put an end to the ignominy of their own defeat.

Reflection. Many Saints who were not martyrs have longed to shed their blood for Christ. We, too, may pray to share some portion of their spirit. The slightest suffering for the faith, borne with humility and courage, is proof that Christ has heard our prayer.

Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on Butler's Lives of the Saints and other sources by John Gilmary Shea (Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894).

Of this Saint but little is known on earth, save that she was the very pious younger sister of the great patriarch Saint Benedict, and that, under his direction, she founded and governed a numerous community near Monte Casino. Saint Gregory sums up her life by saying that she devoted herself to God from her childhood, and that her pure soul rose to God in the likeness of a dove, as if to show that her life had been enriched with the fullest gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Her brother was accustomed to visit her once every year, before Lent, and she could not be sated or wearied with the words of grace which flowed from his lips. On his last visit, after a day passed in spiritual conversation, the Saint, knowing that her end was near, said, My brother, leave me not, I pray you, this night, but discourse with me till dawn on the bliss of those who see God in heaven. Saint Benedict would not break his rule for the sake of natural affection, but his sister bowed her head and prayed, and there arose a storm so violent that Saint Benedict could not return to his monastery, and they passed the night as she had prayed, in heavenly conversation.

Three days later Saint Benedict saw in a vision the soul of Saint Scholastica going up in the likeness of a dove into heaven. Then he gave thanks to God for the graces He had given her and the glory which had crowned them. When she died, Saint Benedict as well as her spiritual daughters, and the monks sent by their patriarch to her conventual church, mingled their tears and prayed, Alas! alas! dearest mother, to whom dost thou leave us now? Pray for us to Jesus, to whom thou art gone. They then devoutly celebrated holy Mass, commending her soul to God; and her body was borne to Monte Casino, where her brother lay her in the tomb he had prepared for himself. It was written that they all mourned her many days. Finally Saint Benedict said, Weep not, my sisters and brothers; for assuredly Jesus has taken her, before us, to be our aid and defense against all our enemies, that we may remain standing on the evil day and be perfect in all things. Her death occurred in about the year 543.

Reflection. Our relatives must be loved in and for God; otherwise the purest affection becomes inordinate and is ill directed, because taken from Him.

Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on Butler's Lives of the Saints and other sources by John Gilmary Shea (Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894); Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin (Bloud et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 2.

Gilbert was the eldest son of Jocelyn, a Norman knight and his low born Anglo-saxon wife. He was born between 1083-89,(in most biographies it is 1083), his mother had a vision that he would be special before his birth. It was a time within memory of the Norman invasion of England and he was half Norman half Saxon.
He is said to have been born with some form of disability and a variety of suggestions have been made as to the form that this was manifest - curvature of the spine being one. Whatever it was, the household servants would not eat at the same table with him. He was unfit for military service and in his very early childhood seemed to have no enthusiasm of learning and is said to have been cared for by his mother and this is maybe why he had such an affinity and kindness for women in an age when women were not generally allowed an education. At some point, however, his education led him to France . He returned having acquire the title of Master, by which he was known for posterity.
When he returned we see him educating the local children, of both sexes, which was unusual for the time in his district of Lincolnshire. His father was impressed with his education and abilities and his religious manner and presented him with the rectories of Sempringham and West Torrington so that he had an income.
He only held minor orders but for a time joined the household of the Bishop of Lincoln, firstly with Robert Bloet (died 1123)and with Alexander (1123-1148) as a clerk.
He did not take holy orders until he reached his 40th year, due to his reservations of being unworth, and for similar reasons he refused the position of archdeacon in the diocese which stretched from the Humber to the Thames and was the largest diocese in Europe .
In 1131 he founded a home for girls whose residence was attached to his church at Sempringham and hired a priest named Geoffrey, and they shared rooms above the church entrance. In 1139 he moved his small community to a new site a field's distance from his church and in due course this became the mother-house for the Gilbertine Order of Sempringham. He was later to add lay sisters, ministering priests (ordained canons) and lay brothers.
In 1147 Gilbert travelled to France hoping to persuade the Cistercian Order to adopt his community of nuns. This was refused but with the encouragement of Pope Eugenius III, who himself had been a Cistercian monk, and Bernard of Clairvaux, he drew up the Institutes of the Gilbertine Order. Back in England Gilbert became "Master" of the Order by the Popes rule. He was not attached to any particular house and was not the Prior of Sempringham. It was his responsibility to visit all the houses in his care, there being no visitation rights given to the diocesan bishops.
At the point when in old age he became blind he transferred with the consent of the Order, his responsibility to Roger, the prior of Malton. Gilbert did not take the vows of the Gilbertine Order until he was close to death. He felt that doing so would be a sign of arrogance as he had written the Gilbertine Rule.
Miracles were attributed to him during his lifetime as well as after his death. Some are said to have taken place at Chicksands. When he reached his centennial year he felt compelled to "pass from this life in which he was so greatly broken for penance which he had endured in God's service, but yet all his members were whole as we have said before, save his sight."
On Christmas night in 1188, whilst at his island house of Cadney (Newstead in Ancholme) he was taken ill. He was given the last rites (then known as extreme unction) and carried by his companion Roger and chaplain to Sempringham, a distance of forty miles. On the 3rd February of 1189, the priors of all his churches went to Sempringham to receive his blessing. On the last day, he lay unconscious with Roger (Prior of Malton), his successor, at his bedside. He died the following morning about the hour of Matins. He was buried three days later. His tomb was placed between the altars of St. Mary and St. Andrew, on either side of the wall which divided the canons from the nuns, so that all alike might see him. During his lifetime Gilbert had built 13 monasteries, nine for men and women together, four for men only. Besides these had had also built hostels for the poor, the sick, the leper, the widow and the orphan
Eleven years after his death, Hubert Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury sent the Priors of the Lincolnshire Gilbertine houses of Swineshead, Bourn and Croxton to make inquisition to write an account of his life about him and his miracles. King John and some of his nobles visited Gilbert's tomb, 9th January 1201 . The Abbots arrived the same day and were satisfied as to the truth of the miracles. The King, Archbishop, Bishops and the three Priors sent letters to Pope Innocent III, asking for the canonisation of Gilbert of Sempringham. The pope decreed a three day's fast on the whole Order and a further investigation into the life and miracles of Gilbert; the fast took place, 24 September 1202 with the inquisition on the third day.
Five canons and six men cured of infirmities by Gilbert, set out for Rome arriving on 31 December 1202 . The Pope gave the decree on 11th January and the feast of St. Gilbert was commanded to be on 4th February, The Papal Bull was issued 30 January 1202 and sent to the two Archbishops ( Canterbury & York) and the Gilbertine Order.
The occasion of St. Gilbert's translation (death) is detailed in depth, 13 Oct 1202 . Brian Golding tells us that it was "marked by the usual manifestations of bright lights, sweet odours, and incorrupt clothing". Additionally the archbishop of Canterbury was privileged with a cure from illness which threatened to prevent him continuing with the lengthy ceremonies. The archbishop issued an indulgence of 40 days and an additional one of 169 days from bishops assisting at the translation, to all those visiting the shrine or making grants to the priory."
In the centuries which have followed the life and death of St. Gilbert of Sempringham, little is now visible of the convents and monasteries that he founded.The Priory church of Malton in Yorkshire is in use, Chicksands, however, has the most substantial remains of a cloister of the twenty five that were built in England .
In 1984 a group of parishioners met at the Cistercian abbey of Mount St. Bernard , Leicestershire. As a result a devotional society, The Oblates of St. Gilbert, meet regularly to recite the Gilbertine liturgy.   

Can you imagine seven prominent men of any large modern city banding together, leaving their homes and profession, and going into solitude for a life directly given to God? That is what happened in the cultured and prosperous city of Florence in the middle of the 13th century. At this time, the city was torn with political strife as well as by the heresy of the Cathari; morals were low and religion neglected.

On the feast of the Assumption in 1233, seven of the members of a Florentine Confraternity devoted to the Holy Mother of God were gathered in prayer under the presidency of Alessio Falconieri. The Blessed Virgin appeared to the young men and exhorted them to devote themselves to Her service, in retirement from the world. It was in 1240 that they decided to withdraw together from the city to a solitary place for prayer and the service of God. The eldest was Buonfiglio Monaldo, who became their leader. The others were Alexis Falconieri, Benedict dell'Antella, Bartholomew Amidei, Ricovero Uguccione, Gerardino Sostegni, and John Buonagiunta. Their aim was to lead a life of penance and prayer, but they soon found themselves disturbed by increasing numbers of visitors. They next retired to the deserted slopes of Monte Senario near Florence, where the Blessed Virgin appeared to them again. There the nucleus of a new Order was formed, called Servants of Mary, or Servites, in recognition of their special manner of venerating the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady.

In 1244, under the direction of Saint Peter of Verona, O.P., this small group adopted a religious habit similar to the Dominican habit, choosing to live under the rule of Saint Augustine. The new Order took a form resembling more the mendicant friars than the older monastic Orders. One of the most remarkable features of the new foundation was its wonderful growth. Even in the fourteenth century, the Order had more than one hundred convents in several nations of Europe, as well as in India and on the Island of Crete. The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows is one of their regular devotions, as is also the Via Matris, or Way of the Cross of Mary.

Saint of the Day: The 173 Saints of the new Missal. Edited by Leonard Foley, O.F.M., Vol. I (Saint Anthony Messenger Press: Cincinnati, 1974); The Catholic Encyclopedia, edited by C. G. Herbermann with numerous collaborators (Appleton Company: New York, 1908).

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For the ORC Policy Document click below

The Coronavirus Policy document [above] mentions specifically consideration pastorally of those in isolation, whether self-isolating i.e. a person or someone in their household has symptoms, or quarantined i.e. positively infected and required to convalesce at home or receive treatment in hospital. As the guidance posits, those who are hospitalised are unlikely to be permitted visitors, but in the section "Pastoral Care of the Isolated" those who are in isolation at home may require regular contact and communication as well as occasional practical assistance e.g. to get supplies.

STAYING IN TOUCH
The Policy suggests that parishioners and clergy... 

The Policy also suggests for those parishes/missions with a localised congregation in a neighbourhood, a system of "street wardens" be established. A "street warden" is a nominated member of the church who agrees to become a point of contact between the church and any church member living on their street who is self-isolating, and even perhaps for anybody else as well (as a form of witness and outreach). The "street warden" would let the pastor know of someone becoming self-isolating, would maintain regular contact with the member perhaps through electronic means eg mobile phone, talking through a door or window and be prepared to arrange the supply of provisions eg medicine or food etc. 
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"Online is the only place I can really make friends, so that helps obviously. For people who cannot get out to socialise, the internet is a link to the outside world. It IS a social life of sorts."

If you're worried about loneliness

Try to keep active
 

Keep your mind stimulated

• Keep your brain occupied and challenged. Set aside time in your routine for this. Read books, magazines and articles. Listen to podcasts, watch films and do puzzles.
• There are lots of apps that can help you learn things, such as a foreign language or other new skills.

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Persons experiencing homelessness encounter significant barriers to self-care and personal hygiene, including limited access to clean showers, laundry and hand washing facilities. The obstacles to personal hygiene associated with homelessness may increase risk of infectious disease, yet hygiene-related behaviours among people experiencing homelessness receives limited attention. 

Due to COVID the situation for people sleeping on our streets has become more difficult as homeless provision services affected by the pandemic have ceased operating or had to scale back significantly their operations; some unable to operate at all. For Brighton & Hove there is no only one provider of showering and washing facilities for those sleeping rough.

Usually at this time of year, the Archbishop would be planning a Christmas Day lunch with the Salvation Army for the homeless, but due to COVID restrictions, regrettably neither the regular Wednesday drop-in nor Christmas Day Lunch are realisable.

The Archbishop is supporting a new homeless project in Brighton & Hove, “Soup & socks” that will be tackling food poverty and serving the homeless of the city a hot meal four nights a week throughout winter. In addition to socks, His Grace is keen to provide necessary items for personal hygiene, toiletries, sanitiser, change of underwear and particularly women’s health items such as sanitary towels and fresh wipes. These items are often overlooked. Funding for such items is seldom available.

Please help the Archbishop to help others by way of a donation so that necessary personal hygiene items can be purchased wholesale and distributed to those who need them most.

QUESTION: What benefits do I derive from watching the traditional Latin Mass on the internet? I know I don’t get the full benefit I would if I were there in person.

RESPONSE: It is clear, based on the teaching of pre-Vatican II theologians regarding hearing Mass over the radio or television, that one could not fulfill his Sunday obligation by viewing a Mass broadcast over the internet. The law requires physical presence at the Holy Sacrifice, or at least being part of a group that is actually present (in the case of a congregation so large, for example, that it spills out beyond the doors of the church into the street).

So, if you were able to be physically present at Mass under the usual conditions on a Sunday or a Holy Day, you would be obliged to go to it. You could not choose instead to remain at home glued to your computer— or indeed, to remain in the church parking lot, hovering over your iPhone — and still fulfil your duty to assist at Mass.

Thus the question of the obligation.

However, the spiritual benefit of a broadcast Mass is another matter — you can indeed benefit from it. This is clear from the comment of Fr. Francis Connell, a well-known moral theologian at Catholic University in the 1950s, who addressed the question of hearing Mass over the radio:

“One may participate in the benefits of the Mass without being actually present — namely, by directing one’s intention and devotion to the sacred rite. By hearing Mass over the radio one can certainly foster his devotion, and thus profit considerably from the offering of the Holy Sacrifice. Indeed, it could happen that one who participates in the Holy Sacrifice in this manner will gain much more benefit than many of those who are actually present.” (Father Connell Answers Moral Questions [Washington: CUA 1959] 75–6)

So, in these days when true Masses offered by real priests are few and far between, Catholics can at least have the consolation of knowing that a facet of modern technology so often used for evil can also be used to foster their own devotion — and indeed, to bring to them the benefits of a true Mass, wherever it is offered.
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Possible ways to fast during Lent
If you’ve never practiced fasting before, an easy way into the practice is to engage in a partial fast. A partial fast can involve food and drink, or certain habits. Here are some possibilities for a partial fast:

 

If you’ve never prayed the Rosary before, this article will give you the basics; and, if you’re returning to the Rosary after a long time away, you can use this article as a "refresher course." Keep in mind, though, that there are no "Rosary police" checking up on you to make sure that you’re doing it "the right way."

In the long run, you may pray the Rosary however you prefer to pray it. The main objective of the Rosary is the same as any method of prayer—to nourish your intimacy with the triune God and with the communion of saints in this world and the next. So whatever serves that purpose is good.

If you want to pray the Rosary in the customary manner, however, there is a traditional way to go about it. The prayers of the Rosary will be provided here, in case you don’t already know them.

Because praying the Rosary involves repetitive prayer, it’s a good idea to have a rosary. If you don’t have a religious goods store in your area, you can find several sources on the Internet—some of which even offer free rosaries.

There are two basic ways to pray the Rosary—alone or with one or more people. If you are praying the Rosary with others, the custom is for one person to lead the group, primarily by saying the first half of each prayer and announcing each of the mysteries. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll assume here that you are praying the Rosary by yourself. If you join a group, most likely many of those present will understand how to pray the Rosary as a group, so all you’ll need to do is follow along. When praying the Rosary alone, you may either recite the prayers aloud or say them silently—it’s up to you.

The rosary consists of six Our Father beads and five decades (sets of ten) Hail Mary Beads plus one set of three Hail Mary beads. The Apostles’ Creed is said on the crucifix, and the Glory Be is said on the chain or knot after each set of Hail Marys. The Hail, Holy Queen is said at the end of the Rosary. Here’s how to go about it. You may be surprised when you see how easy it really is:

Make the Sign of the Cross

You begin the Rosary by making the sign of the cross using the small crucifix on the rosary. Simply hold the crucifix on your rosary with your fingers and trace the sign of the cross on your forehead, your chest, and then your left and right shoulders while saying,

In the name of the Father [forehead], and of the Son [chest], and of the Holy [left shoulder] Spirit [right shoulder]. Amen.

Say the Apostles’ Creed

Still holding the crucifix, pray the Apostles’ Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Say the Our Father

Holding the first bead of your rosary (the bead closest to the crucifix), pray the Our Father:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.

(If you came, or are coming, to Catholicism from a Protestant tradition, remember that Catholics say a doxology—"For the kingdom, and the power, and the glory are yours now and forever"—only in the context of the Mass, and then it is separated from the Our Father by a prayer said by the priest.)

Say Three Hail Marys

Next, hold each of the three beads in the next series one at a time, and pray a Hail Mary for each bead:

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee (you). Blessed art thou (are you) among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy (your) womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Say the Glory Be/Doxology

Holding the chain or knot that comes after the series of three Hail Mary beads, pray the Glory Be:

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, it is now and ever shall be, world without end. (now and forever.) Amen.

If you like, you can say the following lines at the end of each Glory Be:

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of thy (your) mercy. Amen.

It’s up to you whether you use this prayer, or not. If it appeals to you, go ahead and say it. If not, skip it.

Say the Five Decades

The next set of prayers—consisting of an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be—is repeated five times, once for each mystery of the Rosary. While holding the next, single bead, announce the first mystery of the kind you are praying today—joyful, sorrowful, glorious, or luminous. For example, "The first joyful mystery, the annunciation." Theoretically, the idea is to meditate or reflect upon this mystery while praying an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be. If you can do that, great. If not, don’t worry about it. Personally, I suspect that the repetitive nature of the Rosary actually short-circuits conscious reflection on anything—let alone a mystery of faith—and acts something like a mantra does in the meditation methods of Zen Buddhism. The Rosary gives the fingers and tongue something to do, so that your mind and heart can "go deep," as it were, in wordless prayer.

After announcing the first mystery, and still holding the single bead, pray the Our Father. For each of the ten beads in the first decade of the Rosary, say one Hail Mary. When you reach the chain or knot after the tenth Hail Mary bead, say one Glory Be. Then hold the next single bead, announce the next mystery, say an Our Father, say the next set of ten Hail Marys, and say another Glory Be. Do this until you finish all five decades.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen/Salve Regina

When you have completed the fifth decade of the Rosary and said the final Glory Be, say the Hail, Holy Queen:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee (you) do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; (the children of Eve;) to thee (you) do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale (valley) of tears. (in this land of exile.) Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine (your) eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile, (lead us home at last and) show unto us the blessed fruit of thy (your) womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

If you wish, you may also add this final verse-and-response prayer:

V: Pray for us, O holy mother of God,
R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

And that’s it. That’s all there is to praying the Rosary. After you have prayed the Rosary a few times, you’ll know how easy it is. The more you pray the Rosary, however, the deeper you’ll get into it and the more you’ll discover its spiritual riches.

An excerpt from The Rosary Handbook by Mitch Finley.
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