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St. Raymond Pennafort, Confessor A.D. 1275

by VP


Posted on Monday January 06, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints


File:Dolabella St. Raymond of Penyafort.jpg - Wikipedia


St. Raymond Penafort Tommaso Dolabella  (1570–1650)

"He made so rapid progress in his studies, that at the age of twenty he taught philosophy. He was a perfect model to the clergy, by his innocence, zeal, devotion, and boundless liberalities to the poor. He took the habit of the Dominicans, eight months after the death of their holy founder. To the exercises of his solitude, he joined the functions of an apostolical life, by labouring without intermission in preaching, instructing, hearing confessions with wonderful fruit, and converting heretics, Jews, and Moors. Except on Sundays, he never took more than one small refection in the day. Amidst honours and applause, he was ever little in his own eyes.

Being informed that he was chosen general of his order, he was thunderstruck at the news; he wept and entreated, and acquiesced only through obedience. On one occasion, being unjustly detained by the king in the island of Majorca, full of confidence in God, he spread his cloak upon the sea, tied up one corner of it to his staff for a sail, and having made the sign of the cross, stepped upon it without fear, and was wafted with such rapidity, that in six hours he reached Barcelona, a distance of one hundred and eighty miles. He was received on the shore with great acclamations; but gathering up his cloak dry, he put it on, stole through the crowd, and entered his monastery.

Pray for all the religious of the order of St. Dominic. Pray for the charity of this saint, that you may not be wanting to whatever part of it falls within your power, whether in visiting, comforting, or relieving such as are in distress. It is the best reparation you can make for your past hardheartedness, idle visits, and time and money misspent. It is the surest way of obtaining mercy for yourself.

It was by means of this saint that was founded the order for the redemption of captives. Pray for all those who live captives to sin. Bless God if you are none of these, and fail not daily to put up your prayers in behalf of those who lie under this misfortune." The Catholic Year, by Rev. Fr. John Gother


The Epiphany of our Lord.

by VP


Posted on Monday January 06, 2025 at 12:00AM in Sermons



File:Brooklyn Museum - The Adoration of the Magi (L'adoration des mages) - James Tissot - overall.jpg

The Adoration of the Magi (L'adoration des mages) - James Tissot            


"GIVE thanks this day to Christ our Redeemer, who was pleased to manifest himself to the Gentiles, and thus open the way to salvation. Pray for those Gentiles, who as yet in great numbers sit in darkness, and know not God, that God would please to call them to his faith.

Pray that you may ever imitate the zeal and diligence of the three kings, who were no sooner called but they obeyed; who were not discouraged by the difficulties of the journey, but without delay set forward to find him who called them.

How happy would it be for you, could you thus readily follow where your obligation calls, and not let every pretended difficulty be sufficient to justify you in the frequent omission of duty.

Fall down in spirit, and adore Christ; and with the three kings acknowledge him for your God and Redeemer. Fail not to make your offerings with them. Offer your heart to him, if it be your own, or his. But if it be otherwise engaged, either in riches, pleasures, or excessive troubles, pray for its deliverance. Lay your gold, your frankincense, and myrrh all at his feet; let neither the sweet nor bitter keep you from him; offer all to him, who is Lord of all.

The zeal and courage of the three kings was very wonderful. Being informed of the birth of Christ, by the appearance of an unusual star, they forthwith undertook their journey; neither regarding the discourses of the world, which would charge them with folly and rashness, nor considering the dangers of going to proclaim a new-born king, at the court of a jealous prince; nor apprehensive of those many difficulties, the usual consequences of an uncertain journey, not knowing how far they were to go, nor whether they were ever to return. Whenever a soul comes up to this degree of resolution, there is reason enough to hope that it has overcome the world; since in this very point consists its victory, that it admits of nothing to take place of duty. And this is the test, by which every Christian may make a true judgment of himself. For, whatever his condition be, there is no proposal can be made of seeking Christ, and making any advance to him, but he must be exposed to some of these trials. The world will ever do like itself; it will certainly meddle with what belongs not to it; it will curiously examine, discourse, and its censures. It will condemn whatever departs out of the common road of its loose maxims, as singularity, folly, and vanity; and declare its resentment against every one, who disapproves of its ways by forsaking them. So that whoever pass has not gained this point, to be unconcerned at what the world says, is not yet in a possibility of finding Christ; since there is not one step which he can take, whether in prayer, recollection, fasting, penance, or frequenting the sacraments, but the world by its insults and mockeries will be ever discouraging him from all his pious designs, and will by this means bring him to the trial, whether his concern for what this world says, be not greater than his zeal for duty and justice.

Another difficulty he must meet with in respect to himself. No one can think of going towards Christ, but he will presently discover the way to be long, through the variety of interior contradictions, the apprehension of losing his own ease and convenience, and the obligation of making war against his own inclinations. This war is absolutely necessary, because his nature being corrupt, and strongly inclining him to selflove and the love of the world, he can no other way make approaches to Christ, than by resisting all such interior motions, and obliging them, by a sort of violence to yield, in obedience to the law of God. Now this cannot be effected, but by many uneasy conflicts. Nature itself must be overcome, passions must be mastered, what is pleasing must be renounced, and that made choice of, to which sense and inclination are wholly averse. And this must go on, till by this exercise the soul becomes wholly changed, not desiring now to follow the corrupt principles of the first Adam, but to live by the better maxims of the gospel, even the life of Christ. For he knows that there is no finding Christ, till he finds him abiding within his own heart, and there commanding as his Lord and Sovereign.

This is the way, and these are the difficulties, by which every one is to go to Christ. And there are few, though at the greatest distance from him, through the unhappy state of error or vice, but who are informed, like these three kings, by some providential light, where Christ is to be found: and had they a zeal and resolution like theirs to undertake the journey, would as certainly find him, to receive their offerings, and reward their labours. But here is the greatest instance of human weakness: few follow this light. Only three of all that nation in the East, to which the star appeared, followed it; and, it is to be feared, as few in other nations, in proportion to the great numbers who now see enough of it, to direct them to the truth of Christ. They have light shining upon them in their darkness, enough to awaken them; but, like men oppressed with sleep, they shut their eyes against it, and sleep on. The thoughts of what the world will say, the many inconveniences, as to their business and interest, the displeasure of friends, the difficulties of a change, with a thousand other discouragements, immediately present themselves; and prevail so far on minds unwilling to be disturbed, that on such motives of self-love, they desist from farther enquiry; and contenting themselves with some general principles of education, and the company of others, like themselves, they stifle the light and choose darkness.

The same weakness is, in many others, the occasion of continuing in the practice of very dangerous liberties, and walking on in a way very unjustifiable and unchristian. For though Almighty God often touches their hearts with a sense of their failings, and by an interior light from the gospel, good men or books, lets them see the danger of their state, and the necessity of reforming; yet being unwilling to forsake what pleases, and foreseeing the difficulties of a true conversion, they run for shelter to the example and authority of others, whose learning, position, reputation, and character seem to qualify them for being a rule. They plead that such a one does this, such another does that; if this were not allowable and safe, certainly such as they are, would not permit or practise it; and the like. Thus the example of religious, of priests and prelates, is brought forward; and there is scarcely any kind of vanity, pride, covetousness, levity or excess, but what is warranted and justified under this cover. And what is the ground of all this, but deceit and delusion? What is this, but a vicious partiality of insincere souls, who study how to delude the designs of infinite goodness, and by the treacherous authority of weakness itself, shut out the light of heaven, and harden themselves against all its impressions? It is plain that these are nothing but little subtilties, to put a fair gloss upon an ill cause. Were there any sincerity in them, and zeal for truth and justice, they would carefully attend to that light from heaven, which glancing upon them at all times, puts them upon seeking farther than they yet have done. They would join these sages in finding Christ; and let no human respect, or the example of the errors and infirmities of others, stop them in their way. Such courage would ensure blessing and success to their endeavours; and they would certainly find Christ. Let this thy light, O God of mercy, touch the hearts of all those, who by vice or error, are at a great distance from thee. Give them strength of mind to follow it with constancy and perseverance, that they may never stop till they find their Redeemer, and offer themselves at his sacred feet." The Catholic Year by Rev. Fr. John Gother


Blessed Father Peter Donders, Redemptorist

by VP


Posted on Monday January 06, 2025 at 12:00AM in From the Past














Source: Wikipedia

"We must pray and do penance and hope in God and His Holy Mother; for the saints say: From the day on which Christ died souls must be bought by blood. If only, by sacrificing my own life, I could bring all people to know and love God as He deserves. But let God's holy will be done in all things." - Blessed Peter Donders (1809 - 1887) Quotes of the Day


"Born October 27, 1809, at Tilburg in North Brabant, was obliged to spend his boyhood in privation and self-denial. From his very early years his heart was drawn toward the priesthood. But three considerable obstacles stood in the way; viz., his parents were very poor, he had poor health, and possessed but little talent. So much the greater, therefore, were Peter's piety, his purity of morals, and his confidence in God. To help his parents he learned the weaver's trade. When he was twenty-two he was received into the boys' seminary at St. Michiels-Gastel as a servant, with permission to avail himself of whatever instruction he could get. It was no small humiliation for a student who was so much older than his fellows to be almost last in everything; but his strong will and his confidence in prayer won him the victory over all difficulties. Twice he asked admission into a religious body and was each time refused. After six years he was admitted into the priests' seminary.

Some years after his ordination to the priesthood his desire to work as a missionary in foreign lands was gratified. On September 2, 1842, he landed at Paramaribo, capital of Dutch Guiana, which mission was then in the care of Dutch secular priests. Great patience and self-sacrifice was required to protect the 4000 Catholics scattered throughout the colony from the dangers which threatened their faith and morals in consequence of their heathen environment and the enervating climate. Donders paid special attention to the young, rightly foreseeing that it is easier to protect them from vice than to reclaim them when once in its power. When yellow fever raged at Paramaribo in 1851, he won the admiration of the whole colony by his heroism, in caring for both the spiritual and the corporal welfare of the sick, nearly falling a victim of his vocation.

Batavia, a remote place in the colony, had been set apart by the government for the residence of lepers. In 1856 Donders undertook the pastoral care of this difficult post, and persevered here for thirty years, shirking no sacrifice to be all things to his poor flock and to win all to Christ. When the mission of Dutch Guiana was adopted by the Redemptorists in 1865, Donders asked to be received into the Congregation. What was denied to the young petitioner thirty years before was gladly granted to the deserving and saintly missionary. After a year of noviceship at Paramaribo he took up again his post at Batavia.

“There was never a prince, perhaps," we read in a sketch of his life, “who, crowned with fame and splendid success, entered his capital in triumph after his victories and found so great an overflow of joy and happiness as did Donders when, surrounded by his beloved lepers, he again directed his steps to his poor little church.”

He went forth to his work with renewed courage and energy. At last, seventy-seven years of age, he laid down his arms to receive, on January 6, 1887, the reward of his holy and mortified life."

Source: The Holiness of the Church in the Nineteenth Century: Saintly Men and Women by Fr. Konstantin Kempf 1916




The Epiphany

by VP


Posted on Monday January 06, 2025 at 12:00AM in Meditations


"I. The Sun of justice that rose on Christmas morn did not shine on the Jews only. The light that shone upon the rejoicing earth was a light that was to enlighten the Gentiles as well as to be the glory of the people of Israel. The feast of the Epiphany was the declaration of the world-wide dominion of the new-born King. It proclaimed that the kingdoms of this world were to be the kingdoms of the Lord and of His Christ. Rejoice with the Infant King in His universal sovereignty, and pray that His kingdom may speedily be acknowledged by all His subjects.

2. Those who came to visit Jesus on the Epiphany were three kings. They came as the representatives of all earthly monarchies. They came to do homage and to adore the universal King of the whole earth. What a shadow of a shade is all temporal dominion compared with the dominion of Jesus ! What unlimited homage we all owe Him ! How we should rejoice to acknowledge Him our King and Lord by our loyal obedience to Him !

3. This festival is especially the festival of converts. Our ancestors were once pagans until the Vicar of Christ sent to our beloved country the apostle who proclaimed to us the faith of Christ. This faith in many lands has faded now, and mockery sits on Juda's throne. Alas, to think that those who had the inheritance of the faith have lost it ! How can I ever be grateful enough for the light that shines on me ! "

Meditations for Christmas . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891