Guardian Angels, St. Bernard 'That they might guard you in all your ways'

Community Liturgy Office - drawings

We thank iBreviary for the St. Bernard illuminations on our Guardian Angels.

      

iBreviary

Friday, 2 October 2015

Friday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Type: Weekday - Time: Ordinary

Office of Readings

SECOND READING

From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot
(Sermo 12 in psalmum Qui habitat, 3. 6-8: Opera omnia, Edit. Cisterc. 4 [1966], 458-462)

That they might guard you in all your ways

He has given his angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways. Let them thank the Lord for his mercy; his wonderful works are for the children of men. Let them give thanks and say among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them. O Lord, what is man that you have made yourself known to him, or why do you incline your heart to him? And you do incline your heart to him; you show him your care and your concern. Finally, you send your only Son and the grace of your Spirit, and promise him a vision of your countenance. And so, that nothing in heaven should be wanting in your concern for us, you send those blessed spirits to serve us, assigning them as our guardians and our teachers.

He has given his angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways. These words should fill you with respect, inspire devotion and instill confidence; respect for the presence of angels, devotion because of their loving service, and confidence because of their protection. And so the angels are here; they are at your side, they are with you, present on your behalf. They are here to protect you and to serve you. But even if it is God who has given them this charge, we must nonetheless be grateful to them for the great love with which they obey and come to help us in our great need.

So let us be devoted and grateful to such great protectors; let us return their love and honor them as much as we can and should. Yet all our love and honor must go to him, for it is from him that they receive all that makes them worthy of our love and respect.

We should then, my brothers, show our affection for the angels, for one day they will be our co-heirs just as here below they are our guardians and trustees appointed and set over us by the Father. We are God’s children although it does not seem so, because we are still but small children under guardians and trustees, and for the present little better than slaves.

Even though we are children and have a long, a very long and dangerous way to go, with such protectors what have we to fear? They who keep us in all our ways cannot be overpowered or led astray, much less lead us astray. They are loyal, prudent, powerful. Why then are we afraid? We have only to follow them, stay close to them, and we shall dwell under the protection of God’s heaven.
RESPONSORY
Psalm 91:11-12, 10

God gave his angels charge over you
to protect you in all your ways.
– They shall lift you up with their hands,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.

No evil shall harm you,
no plague shall come near your tent.
– They shall lift you up with their hands,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

God, our Father,
in your loving providence
you send your holy angels to watch over us.
Hear our prayers, defend us always by their protection
and let us share your life with them for ever.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

Pope Francis: The angels defend us

Pope Francis: The angels defend us

Posted: Monday, September 29, 2014 2:58 pm

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Pope Francis focussed on the feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael during his homily this morning at Casa Santa Marta. The angels battle Satan for the destiny of mankind and they win. They defend and protect the greatest mystery of the Church, God-made-Man. Today’s readings present us with very strong images: the vision of the glory of God described by the prophet Daniel with the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, before the Father: the archangel Michael and his angels fighting against "the great dragon, the ancient serpent, he who is called the devil" and "seduces all of inhabited earth," but who is defeated, as affirmed by the Book of Revelation; and the Gospel in which Jesus says to Nathanael: "You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man". Pope Francis speaks of "the struggle between God and the devil". "This struggle takes place after Satan seeks to destroy the woman about to give birth to a child. Satan always tries to destroy man: the man that Daniel saw there, in glory, and whom Jesus told Nathanael would come in glory. From the very beginning, the Bible speaks to us of this: Satan’s use of seduction to destroy. Maybe out of envy. We read in Psalm 8: 'Thou hast made ​​man superior to the angels,' and that angel of great intelligence could not bear this humiliation, that a lower creature was made superior to him; thus he tried to destroy it". Satan, therefore, seeks to destroy humanity, all of us: "So many projects, except for one's own sins, but many, many projects for mankind’s dehumanization are his work, simply because he hates mankind. He is astute: the first page of Genesis tells us so, he is astute. He presents things as if they were a good thing. But his intention is destruction. And the angels defend us. They defend mankind and they defend the God-Man, the superior Man, Jesus Christ who is the perfection of humanity, the most perfect. This is why the Church honors the Angels, because they are the ones who will be in the glory of God – they are in the glory of God - because they defend the great hidden mystery of God, namely, that the Word was made flesh". "The task of the people of God - the Pope said - is to safeguard man: the man Jesus” because "He is the man who gives life to all men". Instead, in his plans for destruction, Satan has invented "humanistic explanations that go against man, against humanity and against God": "This struggle is a daily reality in Christian life, in our hearts, in our lives, in our families, in our people, in our churches ... If we do not struggle, we will be defeated. But the Lord has given this task mainly to the angels: to do battle and win. And the final song of Revelation , after this battle, is so beautiful: Now have salvation and power come, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who accuses them before our God day and night”. Pope Francis concluded urging those present to pray to the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, and "recite the ancient but beautiful prayer to the archangel Michael, so he may continue to do battle and defend the greatest mystery of mankind: that the Word was made Man, died and rose again. This is our treasure. That he may battle on to safeguard it".  Source: Vatican Radio and thanks from ICN

YES AND NO;,Mass Homily (Mt. 21: 28-32). Fr. Raymond. - Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael Monday 29 Sept.

Fw: The Daily Gospel

Sancta Maria Abbey: http://www.nunraw.com.uk (Website)   Blogspot :http://www.nunraw.blogspot.co.uk,  domdonald.org.uk    

On Saturday, 27 September 2014, 17:06, DGO <noreply@evzo.org> wrote:   

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 21:28-32.

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: "What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
He said in reply, 'I will not,' but afterwards he changed his mind and went. 
The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, 'Yes, sir,' but did not go. 
Which of the two did his father's will?" They answered, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.

YES AND NO

Homily by Fr. Raymond

In The gospel story today the first son says ‘no’, but does go to work in his father’s vineyard, and the second son says ‘yes’ but doesn’t go to work in his father’s ‘ vineyard.  Jesus is obviously comparing the first son with the gentile peoples who at first don’t keep God’s laws but who, on hearing the teaching of Jesus are led to obey their true Father, God.  On the other hand he is comparing the original people of God, the Jews, to the second son because they are the first to acknowledge the true God but fail to obey his Messiah when he finally comes. If we are to learn anything from this parable there is not much point in just applying it to the Jews as though it were just a history lesson.  We must learn to apply it to ourselves, each and every one of us, in our daily lives.  We must realise how often there is this ‘yes and no’ in our own lives as we face so many daily choices between what we know very well to be our duty before God and what is our own convenience in one way or another.  To ‘go to the vineyard’ means, for each of us, to do what we well know we ought to do.  We say always say ‘yes’ to our conscience and we should always carry out that ‘yes’.  It is so easy to put off the execution of our good intentions for a thousand and one reasons, or even for no reason at all.  And finally we forget to carry them out altogether. It’s not only for others that we should be true to our word.  The first person to whom we owe our sincerity in what we promise is our own selves.  The more we let others down, the more we let our own selves down. The more we let others down, the more we lose not only the respect and confidence of others but also our own respect and confidence for ourselves.  Trust is one of the most essential elements of human life.  The whole of human society is built on trust.  Where there is no sense of reliability and trust in others there can only chaos and fear.  All commerce is based on it.  All education is based on it.  Marriage and the family itself are based on it.  Our very hope in God is base on it.  The very climax of the passion of Christ was not the pain of the scourging and the nails, but the last desperate ploy of Satan to deprive Jesus of his trust in his heavenly Father;  a temptation that forced from him that terrible cry of ‘My God my God, why have your forsaken me’.  St Paul teaches us that we can always trust the promises of God:  Christ is the great ‘Yes’ of God to Mankind.

Feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels ...

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Daily Readings for: September 29, 2014 (Readings on USCCB website)

The following day, Monday 29 September,

Fr. Raymond was Presiding the Mass. 

He began the introduction by reciting the Archangel Prayer learned by heart as he knew at the Low Mass some time past. (Pope Leo XIII 1903).

Short Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

The well-known short version of this prayer follows in English and Latin. The Pope ordered this prayer to be recited daily after Low Mass in all the churches throughout the Catholic world. However this practice was almost completely swept away in the 1960s by liturgical changes made in the wake of Vatican Council II.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

Sáncte Míchael Archángele, defénde nos in proélio, cóntra nequítiam et insídias diáboli ésto præsídium. Ímperet ílli Déus, súpplices deprecámur: tuque, prínceps milítiæ cæléstis, Sátanam aliósque spíritus malígnos, qui ad perditiónem animárum pervagántur in múndo, divína virtúte, in inférnum detrúde. Ámen

ICN:  Posted: Sunday, September 28, 2014 12:09 am

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Saint of the day: 29th September

Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael

The name Michael means 'He who is like unto God'. The archangel engages in a great cosmic battle with the Devil. In the Book of Jude, he contends with the Devil over the body of Moses, rebuking the Evil One in God's name. The imagery reveals that with the triumph of Jesus, evil no longer reigns throughout the cosmos, but remains on earth as the enemy of those who seek to follow God's will.

In the New Testament Michael is twice represented as the helper of God's chosen people.

Gabriel (his name means man of God) is an archangel who assists Daniel, helping him to understand his visions. Gabriel has a special role in the New Testament. To Zachariah the father of John the Baptist, he announces the birth of the future prophet. He brings the message to the Virgin Mary that she is to be the Mother of God.

Raphael appears in the Book of Tobit as one of the seven archangels who stand in God's presence. Tobit presents him as hearing our prayers and bring them to God. Raphael means 'God heals'.

All three archangels appear in later Christian writings many times, with Michael often seen as the receiver of souls of the departed - as in the spiritual Michael Row the Boat Ashore.

Feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels

Congratulations to Fr. Edward, O.P. 
on the Jubilee, 
anniversary of Ordination 
on the Feast of Sts. of Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

The name of the archangel Michael means, in Hebrew, who is like unto God? and he is also known as "the prince of the heavenly host."

Archangels

He is usually pictured as a strong warrior, dressed in armor and wearing sandals. His name appears in Scripture four times, twice in the Book of Daniel, and once each in the Epistle of St. Jude and the Book of Revelation. From Revelation we learn of the battle in heaven, with St. Michael and his angels combatting Lucifer and the other fallen angels (or devils). We invoke St. Michael to help us in our fight against Satan; to rescue souls from Satan, especially at the hour of death; to be the champion of the Jews in the Old Testament and now Christians; and to bring souls to judgment.

Feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels ...

www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?​...

Ordinary Time: September 29th Feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels

St. Michael

St. Michael

Old Calendar: Dedication of the Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel (Michaelmas Day)

The liturgy celebrates the feast of these three archangels who are venerated in the tradition of the Church. Michael (Who is like God?) was the archangel who fought against Satan and all his evil angels, defending all the friends of God. He is the protector of all humanity from the snares of the devil. Gabriel (Strength of God) announced to Zachariah the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist, and to Mary, the birth of Jesus. His greeting to the Virgin, "Hail, full of grace," is one of the most familiar and frequent prayers of the Christian people. Raphael (Medicine of God) is the archangel who took care of Tobias on his journey.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Michael. St. Gabriel is observed on March 24 and St. Raphael on October 24.

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The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that, "[T]he existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition."

Angels are pure, created spirits. The name angel means servant or messenger of God. Angels are celestial or heavenly beings, on a higher order than human beings. Angels have no bodies and do not depend on matter for their existence or activity. They are distinct from saints, which men can become. Angels have intellect and will, and are immortal. They are a vast multitude, but each is an individual person. Archangels are one of the nine choirs of angels listed in the Bible. In ascending order, the choirs or classes are 1) Angels, 2) Archangels, 3) Principalities, 4) Powers, 5) Virtues, 6) Dominations, 7) Thrones, 8) Cherubim, and 9) Seraphim.

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This day is referred to as "Michaelmas" in many countries and is also one of the harvest feast days. In England this is one of the "quarter days", which was marked by hiring servants, electing magistrates, and beginning of legal and university terms. This day also marks the opening of the deer and other large game hunting season. In some parts of Europe, especially Germany, Denmark, and Austria, a special wine called "Saint Michael's Love" (Michelsminne) is drunk on this day. The foods for this day vary depending on nationality. In the British Isles, for example, goose was the traditional meal for Michaelmas, eaten for prosperity, France has waffles or Gaufres and the traditional fare in Scotland used to be St. Michael's Bannock (Struan Micheil) — a large, scone-like cake. In Italy, gnocchi is the traditional fare.

Patron: Against temptations; against powers of evil; artists; bakers; bankers; battle; boatmen; cemeteries; coopers; endangered children; dying; Emergency Medical Technicians; fencing; grocers; hatmakers; holy death; knights; mariners; mountaineers; paramedics; paratroopers; police officers; radiologists; sailors; the sick; security forces; soldiers; against storms at sea; swordsmiths; those in need of protection; Brussels, Belgium; Caltanissett, Sicily; Cornwall, England; Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee Florida; England; Germany; Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama; Papua, New Guinea; Puebla, Mexico; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Sibenik, Croatia; Archdiocese of Seattle, Washington; Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts.

Symbols: Angel with wings; dressed in armour; lance and shield; scales; shown weighing souls; millstone; piercing dragon or devil; banner charged with a dove; symbolic colors orange or gold.

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St Gabriel

St. Gabriel

 St. Gabriel's name means "God is my strength". Biblically he appears three times as a messenger. He had been sent to Daniel to explain a vision concerning the Messiah. He appeared to Zachary when he was offering incense in the Temple, to foretell the birth of his son, St. John the Baptist. St. Gabriel is most known as the angel chosen by God to be the messenger of the Annunciation, to announce to mankind the mystery of the Incarnation.

The angel's salutation to our Lady, so simple and yet so full of meaning, Hail Mary, full of grace, has become the constant and familiar prayer of all Christian people.

Patron: Ambassadors; broadcasting; childbirth; clergy; communications; diplomats; messengers; philatelists; postal workers; public relations; radio workers; secular clergy; stamp collectors; telecommunications; Portugal; Archdiocese of Seattle, Washington.

Symbols: Archangel; sceptre and lily; MR or AM shield; lantern; mirror; olive branch; scroll with words Ave Maria Gratia Plena; Resurrection trumpet; shield; spear; lily; symbolic colors, silver or blue.

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St. Raphael

St. Raphael

Our knowledge of the Archangel Raphael comes to us from the book of Tobit. His mission as wonderful healer and fellow traveller with the youthful Tobias has caused him to be invoked for journeys and at critical moments in life. Tradition also holds that Raphael is the angel that stirred the waters at the healing sheep pool in Bethesda. His name means "God has healed".

Patron: Blind; bodily ills; counselors; druggists; eye problems; guardian angels; happy meetings; healers; health inspectors; health technicians; love; lovers; mental illness; nurses; pharmacists; physicians; shepherds; against sickness; therapists; travellers; young people; young people leaving home for the first time; Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa; Archdiocese of Seattle, Washington.

Symbols: Staff; wallet and fish; staff and gourd; archangel; young man carrying a staff; young man carrying a fish; walking with Tobias; holding a bottle or flask; symbolic colors, gray or yellow.

Things to Do:

This is a good feast to learn more about the angels. Children especially are fascinated by these celestial beings. The best place to start is the Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 328-336 to see the teachings of the Church on angels. John Paul II also did a Catechesis on the Angels during his General Audiences from July 9 to August 20, 1986.

Find the passages in the Bible about angels, in particular the passages about Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

Read the section on angels in the Directory on Popular Piety and Liturgy. The document examines the doctrine and devotions of the angels. Devotion to angels is good, but also can have deviations.

Devotion to the Holy Angels gives rise to a certain form of the Christian life which is characterized by:

devout gratitude to God for having placed these heavenly spirits of great sanctity and dignity at the service of man;

an attitude of devotion deriving from the knowledge of living constantly in the presence of the Holy Angels of God — serenity and confidence in facing difficult situations, since the Lord guides and protects the faithful in the way of justice through the ministry of His Holy Angels. Among the prayers to the Guardian Angels the Angele Dei is especially popular, and is often recited by families at morning and evening prayers, or at the recitation of the Angelus.

217. Popular devotion to the Holy Angels, which is legitimate and good, can, however, also give rise to possible deviations:

when, as sometimes can happen, the faithful are taken by the idea that the world is subject to demiurgical struggles, or an incessant battle between good and evil spirits, or Angels and daemons, in which man is left at the mercy of superior forces and over which he is helpless; such cosmologies bear little relation to the true Gospel vision of the struggle to overcome the devil, which requires moral commitment, a fundamental option for the Gospel, humility and prayer;

when the daily events of life, which have nothing or little to do with our progressive maturing on the journey towards Christ are read schematically or simplistically, indeed childishly, so as to ascribe all setbacks to the devil and all success to the Guardian Angels. The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture.

Also read All About the Angels.

Memorize the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. Although no longer formally recited after Mass, our Holy Father John Paul II has encouraged us to recite this prayer daily. Read about this prayer. Here is the Regina Caeli message from April 24, 1994 during which the pope encouraged this prayer.

In honor of St. Gabriel, Learn the Angelus and recite it daily. Traditionally, the prayer is prayed at the 6:00 and 12:00 hours (am and pm). There is a partial indulgence attached to those who pray this prayer.

Read the Book of Tobit for the story of St. Raphael helping Tobit and Tobias.

Make some recipes related to Michaelmas. Of special mention is the St. Michael Bannock from Scotland, roast goose and stuffing from Britain, waffles from France, and roast duck from Germany or France, gnocchi from Italy. Blackberries, apples and carrots also play a large role on this feast in various countries. Other ideas: make an angel food cake, devil's food cake or angel hair pasta. Decorate with white, symbolizing the angels, or use other symbolic colors (see above). Non-dessert items: deviled eggs, deviled meats, etc.

Try to find the Michaelmas daisy, a purple aster, to use for decoration. It also comes in other colors, including white, but purple is the most popular. It usually blooms in late summer until October. The official name is Aster novi-belgii, but is also known as New York aster. If you find plants or seeds to plan for next year's garden. This site has photos and gardening information for the Michaelmas daisy.

Folklore in the British Isles suggests that Michaelmas day is the last day that blackberries can be picked. It is said that when St. Michael expelled Lucifer, the devil, from heaven, he fell from the skies and landed in a prickly blackberry bush. Satan cursed the fruit, scorched them with his fiery breath, and stamped and spat on them, so that they would be unfit for eating. A Traditional Irish proverb says:
On Michaelmas Day the devil puts his foot on the blackberries.

If you have access to blackberries, make this the last picking and eating. Perhaps make a blackberry pie? See Michaelmas Pie for a great recipe.

The Mystery of a Name

12th Sunday Ord Time

 

Night Office

First Reading    Judges 13:1-25

Second Reading  From the commentary by Rabanus Maurus

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THE MYSTERY OF A NAME
W.F. Adeney — Pulpit Commentary: Homilies

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Judges 13:17, 18And Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, What is your name, that when your sayings come to pass we may do you honor?…

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Names denote persons and describe characters. The nameless one wraps both his individuality and his nature in mystery. Naturally Manoah, like Jacob, desires to solve such a mystery (Genesis 32:29), and in response to this wish, unlike "the traveller unknown," the angel reveals a name, though one of partial mystery. 

I. MANOAH'S QUESTION (see ver. 17). 

1. Manoah does not know that his visitor is an angel of the Lord (ver. 16). Divine visitations are not always recognised. The true nature of Christ was unknown to most of his contemporaries. We cannot always trace the hand of God in his providential action. Heaven is about us unnoticed; unseen ministries attend our lives; God is nearer to us than we suspect. 

2. Manoah desires to know the name of his mysterious visitor - 

(1) from natural curiosity, 

(2) from a desire to strengthen his faith in the message of the unknown, 

(3) from a wish to give him thanks when his promise should be fulfilled. 

The thirst to solve the strange questions which surround our spiritual life is natural, and not inconsistent with humility nor with faith. It would be better if we were more anxious to inquire for indications of God and of his character in the experience of life. 

II. THE ANGEL'S REPLY (see ver. 18). 

1. He begins his reply with a question. We should not assail heaven with unjustifiable prayers, but should be ready to give a reason for our petitions. Revelation is not intended to quench human thought, but to stimulate it. Every new voice from heaven, while it answers some questions, starts new questions. 

2. The angel implies that Manoah's request was needless, either 

(1) because he ought to have recognised the nature of his visitant from the character of his message and conduct, or 

(2) because it was more important to consider the meaning of the message than to inquire into the nature of the messenger. We sometimes pray for more light when we only need better eyes to use the light we have; not a fresh revelation, but discernment, reflection, spiritual feeling to appreciate the revelation already received. God's truth is more important than the person of the prophet, apostle, or angel who brings it to us. 

3. The angel gives Manoah a name. He is "Wonderful." This was a partial answer to Manoah's question. 

(1) It carried his thought to God, who is the supreme mystery, and suggested the greatness, the wonder, the awe of all that pertained to him. Thus it was a revelation of the Divine. 

(2) Nevertheless the name was but a partial explanation, as its very meaning suggested the unknown. The deepest questions cannot be solved on earth. But it matters little that the rays of revelation seem to melt into the darkness of the Infinite if only they shine bright and clear on our path of duty. - A. 

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More Sermons by W.F. Adeney 
More Sermons from Judges 13:17

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Parallel Verses

KJV: And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?
WEB: Manoah said to the angel of Yahweh, "What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?"
http://ibiblestudies.com/judges/13-17.htm 

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Rabanus Maurus: Christ, the Fair Glory of the Holy Angels

Saturday, Sep 29 2012 

Early Latin Monks and MONASTIC and PATRISTIC and Rabanus Maurus angels, Christ, glory, peace,saints, victory, Virgin Mary, worship Mark Armitage 8:38 am

Christ, the fair glory of the holy angels,
Maker of all things, ruler of all nations,
Grant of thy mercy unto us thy servants
Steps up to heaven.

Send thine archangel Michael to our succour;
Peacemaker blessed, may he banish from us
Striving and hatred, so that for the peaceful
All things may prosper.

Send thine archangel Gabriel, the mighty;
Herald of heaven, may he, from us mortals,
Drive every evil, watching o’er the temples
Where thou art worshiped.

Send from the heavens Raphael thine archangel,
Health-bringer blessed, aiding every sufferer,
That, in thy service, he may wisely guide us,
Healing and blessing.

May the blest mother of our God and Saviour,
May the celestial companies of angels,
May the assembly of the saints in heaven
Hhelp us to praise thee.

Father Almighty, Son, and Holy Spirit,
God ever blessèd, hear our thankful praises;
Thine is the glory which from all creation
Ever ascendeth.

Rabanus Maurus (c.780-856), translated by the compilers of Hymns Ancient and Modern@ Hymnary.org.

Rabanus Maurus: Jesus Enlightens the
Minds of All Believers with Heavenly Light

Tuesday, Jun 21 2011 

Early Latin Monks and MONASTIC and PATRISTIC and Rabanus Maurus Christ, Christ's passion, church,kingdom of God, light, pasc, redemption, temple, Virgin Mary Mark Armitage 7:25 am

Let me summarise briefly everything that is said about Samson.

Samson, who in his day was a Nazirite of the Lord, is allegorically a type of Christ; first, because his birth was foretold by an angel;

secondly, because he was called a Nazirite and delivered Israel from its foes;

and, finally, because he overthrew their Temple, causing many thousands of people who had mocked him to perish.

As the birth of Samson was foretold by an angel, so the Lord’s bodily birth was foretold by the Prophets, as well as by the angel who said to Mary:

Hail, Mary, full of grace; you have conceived in your womb and will bear a son, and you shall call him ‘Emmanuel’, for he shall save his people from their sins.

The name ‘Samson’ means ‘sun’.

But our Redeemer too is called ‘sun’; listen to how the Prophet thus names the Lord Jesus: The sun of righteousness shall rise over you, and there will be healing in its wings.

The Lord Jesus is truly the Sun of Righteousness, for he enlightens the minds of all believers with heavenly light.

He is the true Nazirite and Holy one of God, and it is only by analogy with him that this other man was called a Nazirite.

When Samson was travelling to the wedding he encountered a roaring lion. As he travelled to a foreign people in quest of a wife, a lion came out to meet him and he killed it.

Who should we see foreshadowed by Samson if not Christ who, when about to gather the Church from among the Gentiles, said: Rejoice, for I have overcome the world.

What does it mean that Samson took honey from the mouth of ­the slain lion except that, as we ourselves see, the nations of the earthly kingdom who formerly raged against Christ have lost their ­savagery and, moved by the sweetness of the Gospel preaching make their votive offerings?

Also significant is what we see in ­Samson’s own person: he killed few in his lifetime, but countless ­were the enemies he slew when he died by destroying the Temple.

So too the Lord in his lifetime rescued few from the arrogance of unbelief, but he rescued many when the temple of his body was ­destroyed;

and those Gentiles who were arrogant and whom he bore with in his lifetime, he laid low by his death.

Rabanus Maurus (c.780-856): Commentary on Judges, 2.20 (PL 108:1198); from the Monastic Office of Vigils, Sunday of Week 12 in Ordinary Time, Year1

Angels at the tomb. John 20:12

Questions Tuesday 2 April later

As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb… John 20:11

You’ll remember how low the entrance is, no more than three feet high. John and Peter saw strips of linen. Mary sees a great deal more.

…and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. John 20:12

Two angels this time. Yet Mary isn’t trembling in fear or falling to her knees. She’s too busy weeping. Is it any wonder the word maudlin comes from Magdalene?

The angels address her—not by name but by gender—and speak directly to her sorrow.

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” John 20:13

Emotionally, Mary is still at the cross. This brave woman, who left demons in her wake years ago only to find herself conversing with angels, wants nothing more than to prepare his body properly. Even that humble task has been denied her.

Now listen to the cry of her heart. Her words are personal, and her devastation clear.

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” John 20:13

It’s the same message she told Peter and John, with one important difference. My Lord. So intimate, in the best sense. Jesus is not only her Savior; he is also her friend.

Oh, Jesus, that we might see you in the same way. Our dearest companion. Our truest friend.

Crushed in spirit that morning in the garden, Mary stares at the emptiness that looms before her. Can no one help?

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And seeth two angels in white,.... Matthew and Mark speak but of one, but Luke of two, as here; whom he calls men, because they appeared in an human form, and in shining garments, or white apparel; and which appearance is entirely agreeable to the received notion of the Jews, that as evil angels or devils are clothed in black, so good angels, or ministering spirits, , "are clothed in white" (l), expressive of their spotless purity and innocence:

sitting the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain; in what position the body of Christ was laid, whether from west to east, as some, or from north to south, as others, is not certain; since the Jews observed no rule in this matter, as appears from the form of their sepulchres, and the disposition of the graves in them; some lying one way, and some another, in the same vault; See Gill on Luke 24:12.

(l) Gloss. in T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 72. 1.