Saint Simplicius (47th Pope)
by VP
Posted on Sunday March 02, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
"Saint Simplicius was the ornament of the Roman Clergy under Sts. Leo and Hilarius, and succeeded the latter in the pontificate in 468. He was raised by God to comfort and support his Church amidst the greatest storms. All the provinces of the Western Empire, out of Italy, were fallen into the hands of barbarians. The emperors for many years were rather shadows of power than sovereigns, and, in the eighth year of the pontificate of Simplicius, Rome itself fell a prey to foreigners. Italy, by oppression and the ravages of barbarians, was left almost a desert without inhabitants; and the imperial armies consisted chiefly of barbarians, hired under the name of auxiliaries. These soon saw that their masters were in their power. The Heruli demanded one third of the lands of Italy, and, upon refusal, chose for their leader Odoacer, one of the lowest extraction but a resolute and intrepid man, who was proclaimed king at Rome in 476. He put to death Orestes, who was regent of the empire for his son Augustulus, whom the senate had advanced to the imperial throne. Odoacer spared the life of Augustulus, appointed him a salary of six thousand pounds of gold, and permitted him to live at full liberty near Naples.
Pope Simplicius was wholly taken up in comforting and relieving the afflicted, and in sowing the seeds of the Catholic faith among the barbarians. The East gave his zeal no less employment and concern. Peter Cnapheus, a violent Eutychian, was made by the heretics Patriarch of Antioch ; and Peter Mongus, one of the most profligate men, that of Alexandria. Acacius, the Patriarch of Constantinople, received the sentence of St. Simplicius against Cnapheus, but supported Mongus against him and the Catholic Church, and was a notorious changeling, double-dealer, and artful hypocrite, who often made religion serve his own private ends. St. Simplicius at length discovered his artifices, and redoubled his zeal to maintain the Holy faith, which he saw betrayed on every side, list the patriarchal sees of Alexandria and Antioch were occupied by furious wolves, and there was not one Catholic king in the whole world. The emperor measured everything by his passions and human views. St. Simplicius, having sat fifteen years eleven months and six days, went to receive the reward of his labors in 483. He was buried in St. Peter's on the 2d of March."
Reflection.-" He that trusteth in God shall fare never the worse," saith the Wise Man in the Book of Ecclesiasticus.
Source: Lives of the Saints, with reflections for every day in the year.
Prayer for the Pope ( by Pope Leo XIII)
O Lord, we are the millions of
believers, humbly kneeling at Thy feet and begging Thee to preserve,
defend and save the Sovereign Pontiff for many years. He is the Father
of the great fellowship of souls and our Father as well. On this day, as
on every other day, he is praying for us also, and is offering unto
Thee with holy fervor the sacred Victim of love and peace.
Wherefore, O Lord, turn Thyself toward us with eyes of pity; for we are
now, as it were, forgetful of ourselves, and are praying above all for
him. Do Thou unite our prayers with his and receive them into the bosom
of Thine infinite mercy, as a sweet savor of active and fruitful
charity, whereby the children are united in the Church to their Father.
All that he asks of Thee this day, we too ask it of Thee in unison
with him. Whether he weeps or rejoices, whether he hopes or offers
himself as a victim of charity for his people, we desire to be united
with him; nay more, we desire that the cry of our hearts should be made
one with his. Of Thy great mercy grant, O Lord, that not one of us may
be far from his mind and his heart in the hour that he prays and offers
unto Thee the Sacrifice of Thy blessed Son.
At the moment when
our venerable High Priest, holding in His hands the very Body of Jesus
Christ, shall say to the people over the Chalice of benediction these
words: "The peace of the Lord be with you always, grant, O Lord, that
Thy sweet peace may come down upon our hearts and upon all the nations
with new and manifest power. Amen.
Saint Chad, Bishop and Confessor, a.d. 673
by VP
Posted on Sunday March 02, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
St. Theodore, archbishop of Canterbury, found the ordination of St. Chad defective, and adjudged the see of York to St. Wilfrid. St. Chad willingly offered to resign his bishopric, of which he had never thought himself worthy. But St. Theodore was so charmed with his humility, that he would not admit of his resignation, but supplied what he found wanting to his ordination. The humble prelate retired to his former monastery; but was soon after appointed bishop of the Mercians, and fixed his episcopal see at Lichfield. By his heavenly doctrine and saintly life, he shone forth as one of the brightest stars in the firmament of God's Church. His common abode was in a house which he had built near the church at Lichfield; wherein he was accustomed to pray and read with seven or eight brethren, as often as he had any spare time from the labour and ministry of the Word. He had governed his diocese with admirable perfection for two years and a half, when he died in the great pestilence, on the 2nd of March, in 673.
Pray for all the prelates of Christ's Church, and in particular for those of your country, that both by word and example they may be lights to the faithful, to lead them into all truth and holiness. Pray for the people of this
nation, that God would show mercy to them, in removeing his judg ments,
and raising up apostolic men, by those labours vice and profaneness may
be banished from this island." The Catholic Year by Rev. Fr. John Gother
Repentance (Quinquagessima)
by VP
Posted on Sunday March 02, 2025 at 12:00AM in Sunday Sermons
"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me."-LUKE Xviii. 38.
1. To repent, God's mercy is needed.
2. Sin, in regard of ourselves; of God; of our eternal welfare.
3. God willing and ready to forgive.
4. Our gratitude for forgiveness.
"THE holy time of Lent, upon which we enter this week, is given us once again by the mercy of God, in which to repent and put our souls in order. No one can afford, can dare to despise this fresh opportunity of having their sins forgiven. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John i. 8).
Then in what does repentance of sin consist? A thorough change of heart, by which we turn from our sins and break with them: confess them with true contrition of heart for having committed them. But can we ourselves do this? Can we shake ourselves free from the bonds of sin? Can we, the slaves of sin, gain liberty for our souls of our own power? No, we need the grace of God; hence our earnest prayer should be," Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me."
If the blind, the lepers, all the poor sufferers were so earnest in seeking a cure, a freedom from their afflictions, and were mercifully healed by our Blessed Lord, how much more earnest should we be in seeking forgiveness of our sins! For sin is the leprosy of the soul; sin blinds us and leads us astray from the path to heaven; sin is the palsy that paralyses all our powers. Mortal sin, alas! is the death of our soul, the forfeiture of eternal life, the condemnation to eternal misery. All this is sin; for we are the slaves of that in which we have sinned.
And what is sin as regards Almighty God? A defiance, a rebellion, an insult and ingratitude of the vilest kind. By sin we dare to disobey the Almighty Master; by sin we insult the all-holy God, by preferring vile things to Him, by choosing the indulgence of our passions to doing His holy Will. By sin we ignore and despise all that an infinitely loving Father has done for us.
He has given us an immortal soul, destined to be happy with Him for ever, and we sell this soul for a paltry or shameful pleasure. He has pardoned us so many times, and we have added iniquity to iniquity by returning to our evil ways. And that pardon, that our heavenly Father has granted so often-what was the price of it? What was the ransom that was paid to rescue us from the thraldom of the devil? The precious Blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who died on the Cross for us.
Alas! in the past when we have sinned we thought little of the dreadful evil of our sins. Yet, without exaggeration sin is this appalling evil, the calamity with eternal consequences for our poor soul. How the tempter has fooled us and ruined us time after time! When we gave way to our passions-jealousy, pride, avarice, impurity-he skilfully hid the malice from us. When we disobeyed the commandments of God and the Church, we did not realize the cruel contempt and ingratitude towards our divine Lord.
Then let us treasure this opportunity of repentance during the sacred time of Lent; let the prayer of our heart-earnest and constant-be, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." But can it be that God will hear our prayer and grant us forgiveness after all our falls, our relapses, perhaps our long continuance in sin? So many times have we made half-repentances and fallen again with scarce a struggle against temptation. Is not the patience of God worn out? Will He trust us and try us once again? In this anxiety and doubt, how consoling for us to recall the words of ScriptureGod's own inspired words--" Hear me, O Lord, for Thy mercy is kind," says the Psalmist, "look upon me, O Lord, according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies" (Ps. lxviii. 17). "Thus saith the Lord: Be converted to Me with all your heart . . . turn to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy" (Joel ii. 12).
Surely, then, with all confidence we may trust in the mercy of our heavenly Father! It is He Who turns our hearts to wish to repent. It is He Who prompts the prayer to our Saviour, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." And that mercy will be poured down upon us to enlighten us to see our sins; to have the good will and the courage to break with them; to confess them; to have loving and sincere sorrow and compunction of heart for having committed them.
Finally, what gratitude should fill our hearts that we have so forgiving, so tender a Father: "Who forgiveth all thy iniquities, Who healeth all thy diseases, Who redeemeth thy life from destruction, Who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion" (Ps. cii. 3, 4). "For thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild, and plenteous in mercy to all who call upon Thee. Thou, O Lord, art a God of compassion, and merciful, patient, and of much mercy and true" (Ps. lxxxv. 5, 15). This is the Father, rejoicing when He hears our prayer for mercy, blessing the poor sinful heart resolving to come and ask for pardon.
This is the holy work of Lent. This blessed work of repentance has peopled heaven! Pray to that multitude of redeemed and glorious souls who have prayed the same prayer for mercy; who have received the same grace of contrition and absolution; who can look back to some Lent when they turned to God with all their hearts. They persevered faithfully, and may we do the same in the service of that good God “ Who is gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy."
Short Sermons on the Epistles & Gospels of the Sundays of the Year By Fr. Francis Paulinus Hickey
Saint David, Wales and Saint Albinus, Brittany (Bishops)
by VP
Posted on Saturday March 01, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
"From his tender years, he gave great proofs of the fear and love of God, which increased in him as he grew up, together with a love of purity, and a diligent application to sacred literature: and such was the progress he made in virtue and learning, that he was judged worthy of being advanced to the priesthood. He exercised his talents in preaching the word of life, and propagating the kingdom of Christ among the Britons. He gained innumerable souls to God, by word and example. He also collected a great number of disciples, desirous to aspire to Christian perfection in a monastic life; in favour of whom he founded twelve religious houses, under a most excellent rule and institute.
Whilst he was thus conducting many holy souls to Christian perfection, he was invited by St. Dubritius to a national synod of British bishops, assembled at Brevi, in Cardiganshire, against the Pelagian heresy. At the conclusion of the synod, St. Dubritius resigned his archbishopric to St. David, who removed the metropolitan see to Menevia, now called St. David's.
Such was the life and conversation of this holy archbishop, that he was looked upon as the glory of Britain, and the father of his country. He has ever since been honored as the principal patron of Wales, on account of his eminent sanctity, and the great miracles, for which he was renowned, both in his life and after his death. He was a mirror and pattern to all; instructing all, both by word and example; an excellent preacher in words, but more excellent in works. He was an instruction to all, a model to the religious, life to the poor, support to orphans, defence to widows, father to the fatherless, a rule to monks, and a model to teachers; becoming all to all, to gain all to God.
St. David having founded several monasteries, and been the spiritual father of many saints, died about the year 544, at a very advanced age. Pray for all bishops in Christ's Church. Pray for your country; that God would in his mercy remove from it all errors and schisms, and establish it in the unity of its primitive faith. And let the ancient Britons have this day a part in your prayers.
It being the first day of the month, consecrate it by a sincere oblation of yourself to God, and his service. Beg his blessing on yourself, and all who belong to you; and beseech him to accompany you in the discharge of all your duties, and preserve you from temptation and sin." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
"Saint David, son of Sant, Prince of Cardigan and of Non, was born in that country in the fifth century, and from his earliest years gave himself wholly to the service of God. He began his religious life under Saint Paulinus, a disciple of St. Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre, who had been sent to Britain by Pope Saint Celestine to stop the ravages of the heresy of Pelagius, at that time abbot, as it is said, of Bangor. On the reappearance of that heresy, in the beginning of the sixth century, the bishops assembled at Brevi, and, unable to address the people that came to hear the word of truth, sent for St. David from his cell to preach to them. The Saint came, and it is related that, as he preached, the ground beneath his feet rose and became a hill, so that he was heard by an innumerable crowd. The heresy fell under the sword of the Spirit, and the Saint was elected Bishop of Caerleon on the resignation of St. Dubricius ; but he removed the see to Menevia, a lone and desert spot, where he might, with his monks, serve God away from the noise of the world. He founded twelve monasteries, and governed his Church according to the canons sanctioned in Rome. At last, when about eighty years of age, he laid himself down, knowing that his hour was come. As his agony closed, Our Lord stood before him in a vision, and the Saint cried out, “ Take me up with Thee,” and so gave up his soul on Tuesday, March 1, 561."
Saint Albinus, Bishop. Saint Albinus was of an ancient and noble family in Languidic Vannes, Brittany, and from his childhood was fervent in every exercise of piety. He ardently sighed after the happiness which a devout soul finds in being perfectly disengaged from all earthly things. Having embraced the monastic state at Tintillant, near Angers, he shone a perfect model of virtue, living as if in all things he had been without any will of his own; and his soul seemed so perfectly governed by the spirit of Christ as to live only for Him. At the age of thirty-five years he was chosen abbot, in 504, and twenty-five years afterwards Bishop of Angers. He everywhere restored discipline, being inflamed with a holy zeal for the honor of God. His dignity seemed to make no alteration either in his mortification or in the constant recollection of his soul. Honored by all the world, even by kings, he was never affected with vanity. Powerful in works and miracles, he looked upon himself as the most unworthy and most unprofitable among the servants of God, and had no other ambition than to appear such in the eyes of others as he was in those of his own humility. In the third Council of Orleans, in 538, he procured the thirtieth canon of the Council of Epaone to be revived, by which those are declared excommunicated who presume to contract incestuous marriages in the first or second degree of consanguinity or affinity. He died on the 1st of March, in 549.
Reflection.— With whatever virtues a man may be endowed, he will discover, if he considers himself attentively, a sufficient depth of misery to afford cause for deep humility; but Jesus Christ says, “ He that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Source: Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, 1894
