Saint Mamertus
by VP
Posted on Sunday May 11, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
An engraving of Saint Mamertus from an 1878 book, Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints
PUBLIC PRAYER. Public prayer is the remedy for public calamities, even as private prayer is for individual evils. Towards the middle of the fifth century, Gaul was the victim of multiplied woes, civil wars, epidemics, inundations, earthquakes and conflagrations. All nature was in throes, and seemed awaiting still greater disasters; wild beasts, quitting their forest haunts, roamed at large in the midst of the thronging cities; every event was converted into dread forebodings, and the inhabitants generally were out of heart and sunk in discouragement. The church of Vienne then possessed a holy bishop who was the model, the hope, and object of love to all his flock. He directed that solemn supplications, not then usually resorted to, should be instituted in order to revive the courage of the faithful and turn aside the wrath of Heaven; he further ordered fasting and prayer to be combined. God, who had already favoured him with miracles, gave heed to these supplications, and the calamities ceased. Hence originated the "Rogation days, which were afterwards adopted by the Church at large. St. Mamertus, their founder, died in 477.
MORAL REFLECTION.-There is no instance of public
prayer having remained without result. "All that you ask in my name
shall be given unto you," has Jesus Christ promised.—(John xvi. 23.) Pictorial Half Hours with the Saints, Abbe Lecanu
Pleasure in serving God
by VP
Posted on Sunday May 11, 2025 at 12:00AM in Sermons
Bernhard Plockhorst
(1825–1907)
"Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say, rejoice."— Phil. iv. 4.
"It has often been noticed, my dear brethren, and we every day come across examples of it, that when things are going well men think very little about God and about the practice of their religious duties. We may almost say that, as things are at present, most men will not perform their duty to God unless they are driven to do so by something unpleasant and hard to bear. It is when a man is taken ill that he sends for a priest and makes his confession and receives the Sacraments; as soon, however, as he gets well it is only too probable that he will return to his old ways.
Now, this shows that the service of God is felt by a great many to be a heavy burden and yoke. And I am sorry to say that this feeling is not confined to those whose passions and low propensities are so strong as to hold them down for a great part of their lives in slavery and subjection to sin and vice. Many even of those who have freed themselves for the most part from this degrading bondage seem far from the possession of that spirit of holy joy with which every one trying to serve God should be filled. Many even of these seem to find the yoke of the Lord a heavy one: and if they do not cast it off, it is chiefly because they are afraid to do so.
Now, I am not going to say a word against the service of God which springs from the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom.” The fear of God is not merely good-it is necessary for salvation. But it is only the beginning, not the perfection of wisdom. Moreover, it should not be the habitual dominant and constant motive of our religious life it should serve as a motive to fall back upon when higher motives are not felt. As St. Ignatius says: We should ask of God the grace to fear Him, so that if and when through our faults we grow forgetful of God's love, the fear of punishment may hold us back from offending Him. In other words, we ought, as a rule, to be serving God from love and holy joy rather than from fear and dread.
This is the teaching of the Holy Scripture, and especially of the great Apostle our patron, St. Paul. The text is but a sample of similar injunctions which might be found in every one of his Epistles "Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say, rejoice." Do not be always looking upon the service of God as a heavy burden and yoke to which you must be driven as a fear of punishment, but let that service fill your souls at all times with delight and satisfaction. This is what St. Paul enjoins. Why is it not so with us? Why should it be so?
Well, there are ten thousand reasons why the service of God should be delightful and satisfactory; but I can refer to one only this morning— one, however, of which I think that we can all feel the force. As a rule, the man who is carrying on a profitable and successful business is, so long as everything goes well, tolerably happy. You don't see him going about with a long face, and although he may grumble a little, as most men do, you can see that he does not mean it. Now, if this is the case in the midst of the uncertainties which are inseparable from all human transactions, what ought to be the satisfaction and contentment of a man who has seriously taken in hand the one necessary business? For how does the case stand with such a man? The man who has seriously taken in hand the business of saving his own soul must succeed - for him there is no such thing as failure. So long as he is willing he must be prosperous. And why? Because he has Almighty God as a partner. And God is ready to give him what I hope it is not irreverent to call unlimited credit. In this life he pours into his soul His heavenly grace, and this grace gives to all his actions a value which gives him a right to an eternal recompense. No action from morning to night, from week's end to week's end, but may be made profitable and fruitful, if done with a right intention, and, of course, if there is nothing sinful in it. This is the position in which any and every man may be placed and may remain if he so wills, and of the sense and judgment of a man who is not satisfied by such terms I have but a poor opinion." (Third Sunday after Easter - Five-minute Sermons from the Paulist Fathers)
Ss. Philip and James, apostles
by VP
Posted on Sunday May 11, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
Paolo Veronese: Saints Philip and James the Less
"They were apostles of our Lord: pray for all who succeed in that function, that by their zealous labours, the whole world may be enlightened, and brought to the knowledge and love of God.
They both laid down their lives for Christ, confirming their doctrine with their blood. St. Philip was crucified; St. James suffered a manifold martyrdom, in being first stoned, then thrown down from a pinnacle of the temple, and lastly, being yet alive, and praying for his persecutors, had his brains dashed out with a club. Pray for all those who are under any kind of persecution for truth or justice, that they may persevere to the end with the patience, constancy, and charity of these apostles.
On this (...) day of the month, while you profess to honour these apostles, resolve to live in the practice of the doctrine which they preached, by renouncing the corrupt customs of the world, and taking the Gospel for your rule. Examine the method of your life, and compare it with this rule; beg grace to reform whatever you find amiss, and let the blood of these martyrs inform you, how much you ought to suffer in this cause. He that has not patience under the unavoidable mortifications of a virtuous life, is not yet disposed to give his life for Christ. Learn to put yourself in this disposition from these holy apostles, in the lessons which they give you.
In these holy men, leaving all to follow Christ, and thus becoming His apostles, we have a lesson, that we cannot be followers of Christ,
but by leaving something for Him. They left all; and we are to be in a
preparation for leaving all, whenever He pleases to call us to it. But
can this be reasonably expected, unless by proportionate steps we
endeavour to bring our souls to this holy disposition? We are therefore,
first, to leave all that is sinful: because a state of sin is a rebellion against God, and an aversion of the heart wholly from Him; and it is therefore inconsistent with the very lowest degree of a follower of Christ. They must be blind and mad, who in this state flatter themselves with the thoughts of being
prepared to leave all for Him. Secondly, we are to leave all that is
evidently dangerous: because living in voluntary dangers, is a state
either of presumption or neglect, in rashly expecting God's grace, or being too little concerned for that divine assistance; both which are great dispositions for leaving God, but not of leaving all for Him. Thirdly, we are to leave whatever draws our hearts away from God, and fixes them with immoderate affection on creatures; because all such affections diminish the love of God,
by which alone we are prevailed upon to forsake all for Him. Therefore
such as desire in good earnest to put their souls in the true disposition of Christ's disciples, are very jealous of everything
that is prejudicial to that love which they ought to have for Him. So
that in whatever degree their state obliges them to make use of creatures, in the same
proportion is their care to preserve their hearts from excessive
affection for what they use. They avoid all attachment to grandeur and
state, while their circumstances oblige them to it; they love not riches
while they possess them. And so of all other things, which please the appetite, court the fancy, and are too apt insensibly to engage the heart,
and draw it from its more substantial good. So that, however they are
circumstanced, as to outward possessions, they are ever solicitous to
preserve interior poverty, which is the poverty of spirit, one of the best titles to eternal riches, and the best character of a true disciple. This is the only expedient, by which those who live in plenty and honour, can pretend to the spirit of the Gospel. For if amidst all their greatness, there be not poverty of spirit, it is plain that as they possess and use the world, so they enjoy and love the world: and this is not the spirit of Christ, but contrary to all that he has taught. Leaving therefore all, either in reality or in spirit, is indispensably necessary for all those, who undertake in earnest to follow Christ." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
