Pope Saint Gregory the Great, Doctor

Third September  

2 Corinthians 4:1-2, 5-7

Psalm 95:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8, 10
Luke 22:24-30

Your Servants Through Jesus

We celebrate today the feast of Saint Gregory the Great, a joy for the whole Church and, in a special way, for the Benedictine Order. Like Saint Paul speaking in today’s first reading, Saint Gregory had a passion for preaching “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor 4:4). “For we preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ our Lord; and ourselves your servants through Jesus” (2 Cor 4:5).  

Father and Doctor
We count Saint Gregory the Great among the Fathers of the Church. He takes his place alongside of Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine and Saint Leo the Great. His fatherhood in the Spirit is an ongoing reality. Saint Gregory continues to be a “father” in the Spirit, sowing the seeds of contemplation even today by means of his writings. The writings of Saint Gregory allow us to hear his voice and to thrive on his teaching. Thus does he continue to help us grow up to maturity in Christ. Saint Gregory the Great is the Doctor of Lectio Divina, the Doctor of Compunction, and the Doctor of Contemplation.

MAGNIFICAT monthly

MEDITATION OF THE DAY

SAINT GREGORY THE GREAT

The Mercy Jesus Proclaimed

What tongue can describe the heart of the divine mercy? What mind is not amazed by the riches of such great love? The psalmist was thinking of these riches of divine love when he said: My helper, I will sing a psalm to you. It is you, 0 God, who are my protector, my God, my mercy. Carefully weighing the labours surrounding our humanity, he called God his helper. He calls his "protector" the one who protects us in the midst of our present distress until we come to eternal rest. But bearing in mind that God sees our evil deeds and bears with them, that he puts up with our sins and still preserves us for his rewards because of repentance, he could not just speak of God as being merciful but called him mercy itself, saying: My God, my mercy.

Let us then recall before our eyes the evil deeds we have done, let us consider with how much goodness God puts up with us, let us bear in mind the depth of his love. He is not only lenient toward our sins, but he

even promises the heavenly kingdom to those who repent after sinning. Let each of us say from the very depths of our hearts, let us all say, My God, my mercy.

Saint Gregory the Great (t 604) was one of the most important popes and influential writers of the Middle Ages.

From Forty Gospel Homilies, David Hurst OSB. Tr. 1990, Cistercian Publications Inc, Published by Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN. 

Caldey Monks Broadcast

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Albert - - -
To: - - -
Sent: Sunday, 2 September 2012, 12:03
Subject: Caldey

Greetings! Happy Sunday!

A suggestion: Tune in to "Listen again" on Radio 4, this morning at 8.10

for a broadcast from the Caldey Island Cistercians

(whom I visited a few times every year while I was based in London)

presented by Anglican bishop Stephen Oliver.

 

PAX vobis

Albert

+ + + Thanks and adding the Link here   

 See http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01m9my1

Don.   

HE AND i, 1947

December 11 - 

Holy hour.

 "My child, even if you seemed to love everything, even if all the affections of your heart were to fade away and you found yourself alone and misunderstood by everyone I should still be your Treasure, your Goal, your incomparable Friend, your Beginning and your End. 

So don't be upset by anything. Once and for all, place your heart in Mine, in joy as in distress. If Ifill your cup to overflowing, I am your peace. If I put you to the test, 1 am your companion. Nothingever ceases to flow from Me to you, if you accept Me. Now do you understand a little better thereason you were born? To be one with Me. Begin, begin right from this very moment. Tighten the bonds of union. Ask the Immaculate One for this grace. Her heart never left Me. And you, child,never leave Me. Never. I'll be tempted to thank you. "

Mysteries of the 'Seven Dolours (Sorrows) of Mary'

 http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/09.cfm

September, 2012 - Overview for the Month  

The month of September is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, whose memorial the Church celebrates on September 15. September falls during the liturgical season known as Ordinary Time, which is represented by the liturgical color green.

The Holy Father's Intentions for the Month of September 2012

General: That politicians may always act with honesty, integrity, and love for the truth.

Missionary: That Christian communities may have a growing willingness to send missionaries, priests, and lay people, along with concrete resources, to the poorest Churches. (See alsowww.apostleshipofprayer.net)

Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary  0  0 Google +0 Delicious0  email  print The month of September (Overview - Calendar) is dedicated to the Seven Sorrows of Mary. Devotion to the sorrows of the Virgin Mary dates from the twelfth century, when it made its appearance in monastic circles under the influence of St. Anselm and St. Bernard. The Cistercians and then the Servites undertook to propagate it. It became widespread in the fourteenth and especially the fifteenth centuries, particularly in the Rhineland and Flanders, where Confraternities of the Sorrowful Mother sprang up. It was in this context that the first liturgical formularies in her honor were composed. A provincial council of Mainz in 1423 made use of these in establishing a "Feast of the Sorrows of Mary" in reparation for Hussite profanations of her images. In 1494 the feast appeared in Bruges, where the Precious Blood of Christ was venerated; later on it made its way into France. It did not, however, become widespread in France before Benedict XIII included it in the Roman Calendar in 1727 and assigned it to the Friday before Palm Sunday. Some Churches had previously celebrated this feast during the Easter season. Others, however, celebrated the Joys of the Blessed Virgin during the Easter season, as is still done today at Braga. In some places it was entitled "Recollection of the Feasts and Joys of the Blessed Virgin Mary." Excerpted from The Church at Prayer, Vol. IV A.G. Martimort. Fr. Faber on the Seven Sorrows God vouchsafed to select the very things about Him which are most incommunicable, and in a most mysteriously real way communicate them to her. See how He had already mixed her up with the eternal designs of creation, making her almost a partial cause and partial model of it. Our Lady's co-operation in the redemption of the world gives us a fresh view of her magnificence. Neither the Immaculate Conception nor the Assumption will give us a higher idea of Mary's exaltation than the title of co-redemptress. Her sorrows were not necessary for the redemption of the world, but in the counsels of God they were inseparable from it. They belong to the integrity of the divine plan. Are not Mary's mysteries Jesus' mysteries, and His mysteries hers? The truth appears to be that all the mysteries of Jesus and Mary were in God's design as one mystery. Jesus Himself was Mary's sorrow, seven times repeated, aggravated sevenfold. During the hours of the Passion, the offering of Jesus and the offering of Mary were tied in one. They kept pace together; they were made of the same materials; they were perfumed with kindred fragrance; they were lighted with the same fire; they were offered with kindred dispositions. The two things were one simultaneous oblation, interwoven each moment through the thickly crowded mysteries of that dread time, unto the eternal Father, out of two sinless hearts, that were the hearts of Son and Mother, for the sins of a guilty world which fell on them contrary to their merits, but according to their own free will. — Fr. Frederick Faber, The Foot of the Cross.

Thou, Mother, dying in so many ways, pierced by such dreadful sorrows, didst not die. Prayer of the Month Prayer of St. Bonaventure Lady, who by thy sweetness dost ravish the hearts of men, hast thou not ravished mine? O ravisher of hearts, when wilt thou restore me mine? Rule and govern it like thine own; preserve it in the Blood of the Lamb, and place it in thy Son's side. Then shall I obtain what I desire, and possess what I hope for; for thou art our hope. Documents The Seven Dolors of Our Lady by St. Alphonsus Ligouri Websites Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary Catholic Encyclopedia Servite Chaplet

  

Treasures of the Church- Devotions

OUR LADY OF SORROWS
AND
HER SEVEN DOLORSFeast: September 15


I want to stand with
you next to the cross
and I want to join you in your grieving.

Make me bear Christ's death
make me share his passion
make me recall his wounds.
 

From the Roman Missal:
The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows falls on September 15. This feast commemorates the sorrowful Mother and the sufferings she experienced in union with her Son and dates back to the 12th century. The feast was extended to the universal Church in 1817 by Pope Pius VII and fixed officially in the calendar for September 15 in 1913 by Pope Pius X. This feast reminds us of the spiritual martyrdom of Our Blessed Mother and her compassion with the sufferings of her divine Son. Through her great sufferings as co-redeemer, she also helps to show us the true evil of sin and thereby leads us to repentance and salvation.

Liturgical Collect Prayer in honor of Our Lady of SorrowsFather, As your Son was raised on the cross,
His mother Mary stood by Him, sharing His suffering.
May she, who is also our spiritual Mother
and Patroness in heaven,
help us to find renewed strength
at the cross of Christ
and so to come to share in His rising to new life,
where He lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God forever and ever. Amen.
 

---

Praying the Seven Sorrows (Dolors) of Our Blessed Mother 
Recompiled by SCTJM

The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows falls on September 15; however, the prayers honoring the seven sorrow of Our Lady can be said anytime throughout the year. The devotion is similar to the Rosary, in that it consists of seven "mysteries" to be meditated on. These are the seven sorrows of Mary, the great piercings that she received throughout her life with Jesus her Son.

In our meditation on the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady, we should pray to imitate the virtues and dispositions of Our Blessed Mother, especially during her moments of greatest suffering. We should seek to learn from her the value and power of redemptive suffering. Suffering becomes redemptive only through the Incarnation, Passion and Resurrection of Jesus. Because of this, each one of us can offer our sufferings as a gift to the Lord, uniting them with those of the His Son. When we do this, our sufferings, just like those of Jesus, redeem and bring grace to souls because they are united with His. We look to our Blessed Mother to show us how to do this most perfectly. She, more than any other creature, suffered in perfect union and communion with her Son. These sufferings, united with Christ's, helped redeem the world. We look to her for aid, comfort and an example.

Each Sorrow is meditated upon while praying 1 Our Father and 7 Hail Mary's.

The First Sorrow of Mary: The Prophecy of Simeon at the Presentation in the Temple (Lk 2:22-35)

1. When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
2. Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
3. He took Jesus up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word;
4. for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples.
5. And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him;
6. and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against"
7. (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed."

The Second Sorrow of Mary: The Flight into Egypt (Mt 2:13-21)

1. When the Magi had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream
2. He said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him."
3. Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod.
4. Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage.
5. He sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under.
6. But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.
7. "Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.

The Third Sorrow of Mary: The Loss of Jesus in the Temple (Lk 2:41-50)

1. Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom;
2. When the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem.
3. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the company they went a day's journey,
4. They sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him.
5. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
6. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously."
7. He said to them, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

The Fourth Sorrow of Mary: Mary Encounters Jesus on the Way of the Cross (John 19:1; Luke 23:26-32)

1. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross.
2. And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.
3. And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him.
4. But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
5. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never gave suck!'
6. For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
7. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull).

The Fifth Sorrow of Mary: Jesus Dies on the Cross (Mark 15:22; John 19:18, 25-27; Mark 15:34; Luke 23:46)

1. And they brought him to the place called Gol'gotha (which means the place of a skull).
2. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.
3. Standing by the cross of Jesus were his Mother, and his Mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
4. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!"
5. Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your Mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
6. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "E'lo-i, E'lo-i, la'ma sabach-tha'ni?" which means, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
7. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last.

The Sixth Sorrow of Mary: Jesus Is Taken Down From the Cross (John 19:31-34, 38; Lam 1:12)

1. In order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
2. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him;
3. but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
4. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.
5. After this Joseph of Arimathe'a, who was a disciple of Jesus, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus.
6. Pilate gave him leave. So he came and took away his body.
7. "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow.

The Seventh Sorrow of Mary: Jesus is Laid in the Tomb (Matthew 27:59; John 19:38-42; Mark 15:46; Luke 27:55-56)

1. Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud,
2. Nicodemus also, who had at first come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds' weight.
3. They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.
4. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had ever been laid.
5. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, as the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. And Joseph rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.
6. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid.
7. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

---

The Promises:

According to the visions of St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373) our Blessed Mother promises to grant seven graces to those who honor her and draw near to her and her Son every day by meditating on her dolors (sorrows) and entering into her grief.

"I will grant peace to their families."
"They will be enlightened about the divine Mysteries."
"I will console them in their pains and will accompany them in their work."
"I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls."
"I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives."
"I will visibly help them at the moment of their death-- they will see the face of their mother."
"I have obtained this grace from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy." 

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St. Ninian's annual pilgrimage 26 Aug 2012

COMMENT: SPOTLIGHT ON...

----- Forwarded Message -----

Sunday, 26 August 2012

St. Ninian Cave Whithorn Annual Pilgrimage 26 August 2012

From: Anne Marie M...
To: Donald ....
Sent: Monday, 27 August 2012, 22:34
Subject: Mass - St Ninian's Cave 

I thought you might like these pictures
Anne Marie
Sent from my iPhone

Saint Ninian's cave has long been a special place for pilgrims. Scotland's first saint
with the date 397AD celebrated as the beginning of his mission of his mission
to his people. 

Dear Anne Marie,

Thank you for your SPOTLIGHT-ON pictures
of the Diocesan Pilgrimage 2012.

Account -story...?

1997

The National Pilgrimage for us was a multiple-story.

1.      It was the 16^th Centenary of St. Ninian, 1997.

2.      7 or 8 of Nunraw travelled to the celebration..

3.      The Presbytery of the Wigton Church welcomed to hospitality overnight.

4.      Early morning, on the drive, BBC Radio had the NEWS, “Diana, Princess of Wales, is killed after her car crashes in a Paris underpass - the driver and her friend Dodi Fayed are also dead”, Spoken by Cardinal Winning.

5.     That ‘story’ remains with us and the memory of Princess Diana.
ON GOING ... 

6.     Diana, Princess of Wales - 15th Anniversary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NFToiDfFbA

Yours ...

Donald  

Whithorn

1. Audiovisual Theatre - The audio visual history of Whithorn narrated by Russell Hunter.

2. Through the Ages Exhibition - with finds from over a century of archaeology in Scotland's oldest Christian town.

3. Discovery Centre - The Discovery Centre with 3-dimensional jigsaw and hands-on exhibits.

4. Dig Site - Access to the dig site now restored to the foundation level of the Northumbrian Monastery.

5. Cathedral Ruins - The ruined nave of the Medieval Cathedral and crypts now in the care of Historic Scotland.

6. Museum and Stones - the Historic Scotland Museum with the finest collection of early Christian stones in Scotland.

7. Ninian Gallery - The Ninian Gallery offers a programme of temporary exhibitions.

St. Monica 'the way you love Me while you work'

 At the Night Office Second Reading, I caught up the story of Monica's own purpose. She pursued Augustine to her goal that her son would return to the faith.
That raises my question.
How come the Lord gave Monica not the likes of gifts of Augustine?
The outstanding vocation of Monica was her own special grace and calling. . .
 "While I was digging around the hydrangeas.
 "Be one with Me in My toil as a carpenter. It is not what you do that matters, but the way you love Me while you work. And love is oneness. Give Me the spectacle of a soul engulfed in its Saviour, and this will be joy, My joy." As the love example fromYOU ANDi of Gabriel Bossis.
  

 Monica was distressed to learn that her son had accepted the Manichean heresy and was living an immoral life. For a while, she refused to let him eat or sleep in her house. Then one night she had a vision that assured her Augustine would return to the faith. From that time on she stayed close to her son, praying and fasting for him. In fact, she often stayed much closer than Augustine wanted.

When he was 29, Augustine decided to go to Rome to teach rhetoric. Monica was determined to go along. One night he told his mother that he was going to the dock to say goodbye to a friend. Instead, he set sail for Rome. Monica was heartbroken when she learned of Augustine’s trick, but she still followed him. She arrived in Rome only to find that he had left for Milan. Although travel was difficult, Monica pursued him to Milan.

http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/Saint.aspx?id=1120#tagAudio

August 27
St. Monica
(322?-387)

The circumstances of St. Monica’s life could have made her a nagging wife, a bitter daughter-in-law and a despairing parent, yet she did not give way to any of these temptations. Although she was a Christian, her parents gave her in marriage to a pagan, Patricius, who lived in her hometown of Tagaste in North Africa. Patricius had some redeeming features, but he had a violent temper and was licentious. Monica also had to bear with a cantankerous mother-in-law who lived in her home. Patricius criticized his wife because of her charity and piety, but always respected her. Monica’s prayers and example finally won her husband and mother-in-law to Christianity. Her husband died in 371, one year after his baptism.

St. Ninian Cave Whithorn Annual Pilgrimage 26 August 2012

Saint Ninian's cave has long been a special place for pilgrims.  Traditionally associated with Saint Ninian himself, it is unclear whether he ever came to the cave.

St. Ninian's Cave

The cave lies on the south coast of the Machars of Galloway, south-west of Whithorn.  It is a natural cleft in the sea cliffs and is about 7m long and 3m high. Rock falls may have made it smaller than it would have been when medieval pilgrims visited. During summer, hundreds of pilgrims may have travelled to the cave. It is not entirely clear what happened when the pilgrims arrived at the cave. There may have been a system for controlling access like at Saint Brendan’s Cave on Eileach an Naoimh off the Argyll coast, where pilgrims pass through a series of outer chapels and passageways before reaching the cave.

Archaeological discoveries in the cave

Our understanding of Saint Ninian’s Cave comes from a series of remarkable archaeological discoveries. 

Excavations in the 1880s revealed boulders and loose slabs of stone carved with crosses and other designs. Other crosses had already been found carved into the cave walls. 

The carvings date mainly to the 700s and 800s, although one stone might have been carved around 1600. Many are thought to be the work of pilgrims, or perhaps monks from Whithorn occupying the cave as a place of retreat. These stones are now displayed in the Whithorn Priory Museum. 

Modern Pilgrims

Saint Ninian’s cave remains an important place for pilgrims. Diocesan-Pilgrimage These include individual pilgrims making their own personal journeys and large pilgrimages organised every year by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galloway.  Modern-day pilgrims often leave pebbles from the beach marked with crosses inside the cave, along with offerings of coins placed into crevices in the rock.

St Ninian Whithorn

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At the St. Ninian Pilgrimage we at the News of Princess Diana

BBC ON THIS DAY | 31 | 1997: Princess Diana dies in Paris crash

news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/31/.../2510615.stm

Diana, Princess of Wales, is killed after her car crashes in a Paris underpass - the driver and her friend Dodi Fayed are also dead.

31 August 1997: Princess Diana dies in Paris crash

Diana, Princess of Wales, has died after a car crash in Paris.

St Ninian's Cave is located 3 miles (5 km) south-west of Whithorn.

From Dumfries follow the A75 to Newton Stewart, then follow the A714/ A746 for Whithorn. A car park is located to the left side of the minor road just before Kidsdale Farm (NX433366).

From the car park, follow the direction sign for St Ninian's Cave.


Walk through the wooded glen, then follow the burnside path to the pebbles of Port Castle Bay. Turn right at the sign for St Ninian' s Cave. The cave's entrance sits by the seashore.  Look along the beach and you will see the cave entrance.

Strong footwear is recommended during wet weather.