COMMENT: Email on St. Francis de Salle

COMMENT:

Hi, William,

Your Email on St. Francis de Salle is a splendid commentary, the story of interesting memories. (Donald). 

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 Fw: St Francis de Sales

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

domdonald.org.uk 

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: William ...
To: Donald@....
Sent: Sunday, 25 January 2015, 13:53
Subject: Re: St Francis de Sales

Dear Father Donald,

I delight in St Francis' feast day, for his writings have had such an influence in my life, and I am so pleased to have the photo you insert of that portrait of him, so much closer-up than the one I have: for in 1984 I wrote to the Monastery of the Visitation, Thurnfeld, Austria to ask if they could send me a photo-card of St Francis' portrait (I must have seen it reproduced in a book), and they kindly did so, a small colour card of that portrait from 1622 that hangs in their monastery, and in my bedroom!

The Anglican clergyman who later gently coaxed me away from Anglican orders to Catholicism, gave me, in 1975, a slim selection of St Francis' letters, in which he wrote, "May the Master of the Spiritual Life be of as much help to you as he had been to 'BSWS' (his customary signing of his name, Benjamin Smith Wignall-Simpson)". Even before the 2nd hand bookshop obtained its grand building and vast stock, I found in its original Dickensian premises, in 1980, a copy published by Rivingtons in 1871 of a larger selection of St Francis' letters (for £1.50!). Attached image: front piece, and wonderful inscription in the book (the evidence of my name tells how I treasured this discovery!).

Thank you for celebrating his feast day with me!

With my love in Our Lord,

William

----Original message----
From : nunrawdonald@.........
Date : 24/01/2015 - 18:48 (GMTST)

Subject : True Devotion

Journalist  St Francis de Sales

Sent from my iPad. 

Saturday 24 January

Saint Francis de Sales

St. Francis de Sales True Devotion

  Posted By Blogger to  Dom Donald's Blog on 1/24/2015 05:16:00 pm

 

                                    

EWTN Live - Saint Francis de Sales - Fr Mitch Pacwa, SJ with Fr Thomas D...

Saturday 24 January

Saint Francis de Sales

St. Francis de Sales
True Devotion 

 http://www.ccel.org/download.html?url=/ccel/desales/devout_life.txt  

CHAPTER XVIII. TENTH MEDITATION.

   How the Soul chooses the Devout Life.

   Preparation.

   1. PLACE yourself in the Presence of God.2. Humble yourself before Him,
   and ask His Aid.

   Considerations.

   1. Once more imagine yourself in an open plain, alone with your
   guardian Angel, and represent to yourself on the left hand the Devil
   sitting on a high and mighty throne, surrounded by a vast troop of
   worldly men, who bow bareheaded before him, doing homage to him by the
   various sins they commit. Study the countenances of the miserable
   courtiers of that most abominable king:--some raging with fury, envy
   and passion, some murderous in their hatred;--others pale and haggard
   in their craving after wealth, or madly pursuing every vain and
   profitless pleasure;--others sunk and lost in vile, impure affections.
   See how all alike are hateful, restless, wild: see how they despise one
   another, and only pretend to an unreal self-seeking love. Such is the
   miserable reign of the abhorred Tyrant.

   2. On the other hand, behold Jesus Christ Crucified, calling these
   unhappy wretches to come to Him, and interceding for them with all the
   Love of His Precious Heart. Behold the company of devout souls and
   their guardian Angels, contemplate the beauty of this religious
   Kingdom. What lovelier than the troop of virgin souls, men and women,
   pure as lilies:--widows in their holy desolation and humility; husbands
   and wives living in all tender love and mutual cherishing. See how such
   pious souls know how to combine their exterior and interior duties;--to
   love the earthly spouse without diminishing their devotion to the
   Heavenly Bridegroom. Look around--one and all you will see them with
   loving, holy, gentle countenances listening to the Voice of their Lord,
   all seeking to enthrone Him more and more within their hearts.

   They rejoice, but it is with a peaceful, loving, sober joy; they love,
   but their love is altogether holy and pure. Such among these devout
   ones as have sorrows to bear, are not disheartened thereby, and do not
   grieve overmuch, for their Saviour's Eye is upon them to comfort them,
   and they all seek Him only.

   3. Surely you have altogether renounced Satan with his weary miserable
   troop, by the good resolutions you have made;--but nevertheless you
   have not yet wholly attained to the King Jesus, or altogether joined
   His blessed company of devout ones:--you have hovered betwixt the two.

   4. The Blessed Virgin, S. Joseph, S. Louis, S. Monica, and hundreds of
   thousands more who were once like you, living in the world, call upon
   you and encourage you.

   5. The Crucified King Himself calls you by your own name: "Come, O my
   beloved, come, and let Me crown thee!"

   The Choice.

   1. O world, O vile company, never will I enlist beneath thy banner; for
   ever I have forsaken thy flatteries and deceptions. O proud king,
   monarch of evil, infernal spirit, I renounce thee and all thy hollow
   pomp, I detest thee and all thy works.

   2. And turning to Thee, O Sweet Jesus, King of blessedness and of
   eternal glory, I cleave to Thee with all the powers of my soul, I adore
   Thee with all my heart, I choose Thee now and ever for my King, and
   with inviolable fidelity I would offer my irrevocable service, and
   submit myself to Thy holy laws and ordinances.

   3. O Blessed Virgin Mother of God, you shall be my example, I will
   follow you with all reverence and respect.

   O my good Angel, bring me to this heavenly company, leave me not until
   I have reached them, with whom I will sing for ever, in testimony of my
   choice, "Glory be to Jesus, my Lord!"
     ______________________________

Saturday 24 January

Saint Francis de Sales____________________________________

          

EWTN Live - Saint Francis de Sales - Fr Mitch Pacwa, SJ with Fr Thomas Dailey, OSFS - 04-06-2011  

EWTN 
Mass Saint,
 

Third Sunday of the Year (B) Jan 25, 2015

Mass Gospel Mark 1:14-20

After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. ‘The time has come’ he said ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.’

  As he was walking along by the Sea of Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake – for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men.’ And at once they left their nets and followed him.

  Going on a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they too were in their boat, mending their nets. He called them at once and, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the men he employed, they went after him.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Day Eight: Many believed because of the woman’s testimony (John 4:39)

God, spring of living water, Make of us witnesses of unity through both our words and our lives. Help us to understand that we are not the owners of the well, And give us the wisdom to welcome the same grace in one another. Transform our hearts and our lives So that we might be genuine bearers of the Good News. And lead us always to the encounter with the other, As an encounter with you. We ask this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ, In the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Vatican Resources

                   

Sunday Gospel Reflection With Fr. Bill Grimm

International January 23, 2015 The clearest presence of the reign is Jesus, God's reign made flesh."The time of fulfillment has come" is another way of saying, "Here I am!"

Divine Will, Father Iannuzzi - FULL (500x333)

GB 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWjIuQU_pyw

Divine Will, Father Iannuzzi - FULL 

(URL, perhaps COPY & PASTE to Net)

 

olav laurel

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Published on 5 Sep 2013

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Subject: 2 Thur of Yr All pressed around Jesus

Mass NT:   

Fw: 2 Thur of Yr All pressed around Jesus

 

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

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----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Nivard  ...
Sent: Thursday, 22 January 2015, 11:38
Subject: 2 Thur of Yr All pressed around Jesus

www.dailyscripture.net, adapted Copyright author Don Schwager © 2015 Servants of the Word

2 Thur Jan 22 2015): Scripture: Mark 3:7-12 

All pressed upon Jesus

   Is there anything holding you back from giving yourself to God without fear or reservation?

   Jesus offered freedom to everyone who sought him out.

   Wherever Jesus went, the people came to him because they had heard about all the wonderful deeds and miracles that he performed.

   They were hungry for God and desired healing from their afflictions.    

   In faith, they pressed upon Jesus to touch him.

   As they did so, power came from Jesus and they were healed.

   Let us seek to lay hold of Jesus' presence in our life that he may touch and heal each and every one of us.

 

   Father, Inflame our hearts with a burning love for you and with an expectant faith in your saving power, through Christ our Lord.

 

Finnish Catholics and Lutherans visit Vatican A delegation of Catholics and Lutherans visited Rome today, Feast of St Henry patron saint of Finland,  during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. In his address to the Finnish delegates, Pope Francis applauded the progress achieved in ecumenical dialogue between the two Churches over the last thirty years and said: “a shared Christian witness is very much needed in the face of the mistrust, insecurity, persecution, pain and suffering experienced so widely in today’s world.”

Finnish Catholics and Lutherans visit Vatican - Independent Catholic News

 

 
Finnish Catholics and Lutherans visit Vatican - Independent Catholic News 

Finnish Catholics and Lutherans visit Vatican

Posted: Thursday, January 22, 2015 5:44 pm

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St Henry & his successors A delegation of Catholics and Lutherans visited Rome today, the Feast of St Henry patron saint of Finland,  during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. In his address to the Finnish delegates, Pope Francis applauded the progress achieved in ecumenical dialogue between the two Churches over the last thirty years and said:  “a shared Christian witness is very much needed in the face of the mistrust, insecurity, persecution, pain and suffering experienced so widely in today’s world.” The  full text of Pope Francis’ address follows:  Dear Bishop Vikström, Dear Bishop Sippo, Dear Friends, It is with joy that I welcome you, on the occasion of your annual ecumenical pilgrimage to Rome to celebrate the feast of Saint Henrik, the patron of your country. This annual event has proven to be a truly spiritual and ecumenical meeting between Catholics and Lutherans, a tradition dating back thirty years. Saint Pope John Paul II addressed the members of the first Finnish ecumenical delegation which had come to Rome thirty years ago in these words: “The fact that you come here together is itself a witness to the importance of efforts for unity. The fact that you pray together is a witness to our belief that only through the grace of God can that unity be achieved. The fact that you recite the Creed together is a witness to the one common faith of the whole of Christianity”. At that time, the first important steps had already been taken on a common ecumenical journey towards full, visible unity of the Christians. In these intervening years much has been done and, I am certain, will continue to be done in Finland to make “the partial communion existing between Christians grow toward full communion in truth and charity” (John Paul II, Ut Unum Sint, 14). Your visit comes within the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year our reflection is based on Christ’s words to the Samaritan woman at the well: «Give me to drink» (Jn 4:1-42). We are reminded that the source of all grace is the Lord himself, and that his gifts transform those who receive them, making them witnesses to the true life that is in him alone (cf. Jn 4:39). As the Gospel tells us, many Samaritans believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony. As you, Bishop Vikstrom, have said, there is so much that Catholics and Lutherans can do together to bear witness to God’s mercy in our societies. A shared Christian witness is very much needed in the face of the mistrust, insecurity, persecution, pain and suffering experienced so widely in today’s world. This common witness can be sustained and encouraged by progress in theological dialogue between the Churches. The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine on Justification, which was solemnly signed some fifteen years ago between the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church, can produce further fruits of reconciliation and cooperation between us. The Nordic Lutheran–Catholic dialogue in Finland and Sweden, under the related theme Justification in the Life of the Church, has been reflecting on important questions deriving from the Joint Declaration. Let us hope that further convergence will emerge from that dialogue on the concept of the Church, the sign and instrument of the salvation brought to us in Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that your visit to Rome will contribute to strengthening further the ecumenical relations between Lutherans and Catholics in Finland, which have been so positive for many years. May the Lord send upon us the Spirit of truth, to guide us towards ever greater love and unity.

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Tags: Bishop Sippo, Bishop Vikström, Lutherans, patron saint of Finland. Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Pope Francis, St Henry

21 Jan 2015 St. Agnes

St. Agnes

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The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Day Four: Then the woman left her water jar (John 4:28)

Loving God, help us to learn from Jesus and the Samaritan that the encounter with the other opens for us new horizons of grace. Help us to break through our limits and embrace new challenges. Help us to go beyond fear in following the call of your Son. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

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21 Jan 2014

Today is the birthday of a virgin; let us imitate her purity. It is the birthday of a martyr; let us offer ourselves in sacrifice. It is the birthday of Saint Agnes, who is said to have suffered martyrdom at the age of twelve.

http://nunraw.blogspot.com/

Dom Donald's Blog: COMMENT: St. Agnes. Tre Fontane ...

21 Jan 2013

It is known for raising the lambs whose wool is used to weave the pallia of new metropolitan archbishops. The Pope blesses the lambs on the Feast of Saint Agnes on January 21. The wool is prepared, and he gives the pallia ...

http://nunraw.blogspot.com/

Dom Donald's Blog: St. Agnes 21st January

20 Jan 2013

Awareness of our place in God's creation draws us together, as we realize our interdependence upon one another and the earth. Contemplating the urgent calls to environmental care, and to proper sharing and justice with ...

http://nunraw.blogspot.com/

Dom Donald's Blog: Saint Agnes

21 Jan 2011

She was a mere nothing in the eyes of the world but he showered his extraordinary favours on the twelve year old virgin martyr The child Agnes was faithful unto death. May we likewise persevere faithfully to the end of our ...

http://nunraw.blogspot.com/

1

January 20th. BLESSED CYFRIAN TANSI

 Cistercian Monk    

        

Mass Homily below.

The Mass Introduction was moving quoting from Dom John Moakler:

Of Bl. Cyprian, "His holiness was a hidden holiness... Humility is central to St . Benedict's Rule, and that means, in St. Bernard’s words, that the monk is one who loves to be unknown, Ama Nesciri".

January 20th.

BLESSED CYFRIAN TANSI

(from a homily given by Abbot John Moakler at Mt. St. Bernards on the occasion of his beatification 1998)

It must be quite unique for a mass to be offered in honour of a beatified member of a community by those who actually knew him. Of course there have been occasions in this century when relatives and acquaintances of a person have been present at his or her beatification or canonisation, but I cannot recall any case of a priest offering mass in honour of someone who not so long ago had stood next to him in choir.

The person next to one may always be a .saint. But don’t expect halos to be visible. When Sister Therese of the Child Jesus died, in 1897, one of her community wondered just what could be said about her in the death notice that was sent round to other Carmels, this has usually been taken as a lack of perception on the part of that particular sister, but I think Therese herself would have understood. She" certainly did not want to be thought of as a saint during her life on earth. And I think all of us who knew Father Cyprian would have to admit that when he died we did not think we had lost a saint. His companion Father Mark Ulugu, was the one we would all have spontaneously canonised.

The fact is that we did not really know much about him, beyond the fact that he had come from Nigeria with the intention of taking monastic and contemplative life back to his own country. His reputation as a parish priest and as an apostle was not known to us in any detail. He came among us as one breaking new ground, for what European community at that time, 1950, had any black members?

And it was for him an adventure into the unknown – he had come to a country whose people he had only met as colonisers and exploiters; he had been treated by both missionaries and government officials as a second class person; he had not experienced the damp and cold of our northern climate; he had never seen ice and snow at close quarters before; and this was not enough, he was not just coming to England he was coming to a Cistercian monastery in England, which even most English people themselves would have found difficult to survive in, so the challenges to perseverance were considerable. In addition the novitiate regime at the time was very strict

Some of the present community worked with Cyprian. They have their own memories a and stories. He was uncompromising in his living of the life, yet there was always a gentleness and a. humour there, and he did not give the appearance of a hard ascetic. The strict rule of silence at the time meant that many of us were never able to converse with him, and although he was next to me in choir for some time, and acted as a deacon at the first Mass in 1956, I could not say that I really knew him. But one thing is certain – he did not appear extraordinary in any way. His holiness was a hidden holiness. It was the holiness of an ordinary person who lives his faith and his union with God at a level not apparent to others. Those who had known him in Nigeria and had seen his apostolic zeal and dedication as a parish priest were no doubt more aware of what was in the man than we were. Members of a monastic community are not heroes to each other, and they are often more conscious of each other's failings than of their virtues.

Humility is central to St . Benedict's Rule, and that means, in St. Bernard’s words, that the monk is one who loves to be unknown, Ama Nesciri.

Cyprian lived that and only after 34 years after his death is he becoming known – even to those with whom he lived.