Saint Cyril, Martyr
by VP
Posted on Thursday May 29, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
THE HOLINESS OF CHILDHOOD.-A philosopher has said; "A man is trained on his mother's knees." In like manner it might be said, it is at the knees of the mother that saints are formed. The young Cyril had learned from his mother to pronounce the name of Jesus, to love the sweet Saviour, and to long for the advantages of Heaven. But his father, hardened in idolatry, drove him from his roof, that he might no longer hear repeated a name which provoked his anger. The governor of Cæsarea, informed of these facts, caused Cyril to be brought before him, and strove to gain him over by caresses and promises; but perceiving how vain were his efforts, he had him led to the place of execution, where the instruments of torture were placed before his eyes. The child was overjoyed at being at length able to die so as to go to Heaven; when he was led before the judge; "I do not fear death," he exclaimed, "and I wish for Heaven; you could never make up to me on earth for the advantages I should lose by your sparing me. To the work then speedily, for I am a Christian, and intend always to remain one.' The judge thereupon delivered him to the executioners. The martyrdom is generally believed to have occurred under the reign of the emperor Decius.
MORAL REFLECTION.-Parents should keep in memory that it is "out of the mouths of babes and sucklings that God has perfected praise."-(Psa. viii. 3.)
The Ascension: Festival of Encouragement
by VP
Posted on Thursday May 29, 2025 at 12:00AM in Tradition
"The Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven." MARK XVI. 19.
1. Reconstruction of the event.
2. He had been the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
3. He ascended to claim the Kingdom for Himself and all who believe in Him.
4. Remembrance of this day, the hope and strength of His disciples.
"THE Ascension is the grand finale of the drama of Christ's life on earth. Short as are the accounts of it in the gospels and Acts of the Apostles, we can reconstruct devoutly the events of this blessed day. St. Luke tells us that "He led them out as far as Bethania." What tender condescension of our Blessed Lord! For the last time He wended His way along the lower slopes of Mount Olivet, accompanied by the disciples and His holy Mother. He loved His friends to the end; and we are told in the gospel that Jesus loved Martha and Mary. So He passed by their home in Bethania with a last, loving look; and at the grave of Lazarus and the house of Simon the leper where He had supped, and mounted the gentle rise to Olivet. There He had spent many a night in prayer; from there He had looked down upon Jerusalem and begun His humble triumph on Palm Sunday, and lower down He had commenced His sacred Passion six weeks before. Now that all things had been accomplished by the Son of Man, how befitting to rise hence and to enter into His glory. Picture the touching scene of His last farewell. Each of those favoured ones received a look of ineffable love; words of encouragement, to be treasured all life long; they were permitted to kiss His sacred feet, and the hand of blessing was laid upon their heads bowed down in adoration. It is beyond us to realize the farewell of the Mother and the Son! The Mother's heart would yearn never to be parted, but, according to His Will, that Mother gave up her divine Son to become the Mother of the infant Church. Her presence was needed to encourage the Apostles: to be a model to them, and to be a living proof that the Saviour, though departed to enter into His glory, had been a real Man born of the Virgin Mary; Who had lived for us; died for us on the Cross; and had risen again, immortal and glorified, to prove that He was not only Man, but God!
"And the Lord Jesus was taken up to heaven.” He had declared Himself thus: "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John xiv. 6). The way of salvation He had shown to men by His obedience to His heavenly Father; by doing good to all; by being meek and humble of heart; by forgiving His enemies; by dying on the Cross for our salvation.
The truth He had taught them. He had renewed the commandments of old and explained and amplified them. He had taught them that the blessedness of life was to be found in poverty, in suffering, in peace, in cleanliness of heart, in suffering persecution for justice' sake.
The life! For from whence could man draw the power to obey the truth, to follow the way, but from that loving God made man, Who made us partakers of His own strength, endurance, and immortality; Who crowns our endeavours in this short life on earth with a never-ending life of glory?
And thus, when our Lord ascended into heaven, the Apostles did not lose Him, He only went before themtheir Leader, the Victor-to claim that heaven which He had won for us. On ascending, He had lifted up His hands and bestowed such a blessing upon them that their faith rose superior to His departure, and their hearts rejoiced. They had not lost Him! He had associated them with Himself in His triumph, as the Church sings this day, "Ascendo ad Patrem Meum" (I ascend to My Father and to your Father; to My God and to your God).
What a divine encouragement this vision of their beloved Master ascending to His Kingdom was to the Apostles! They had now to return, wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, and then commence their labours. Yes, their labours, their persecutions, their martyrdom before their glory. As their Master, so they themselves. And He had said to them before His departure, "Thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead" (Luke xxiv. 46).
How the remembrance of the Ascension has been the source of the heroism of the saints! Not only to the Apostles, a vivid, lifelong remembrance; but to the martyrs amidst their tortures; to the hermits and fathers of the desert amidst trials and temptations; to the inmates of cloisters, during the slow martyrdom of obedience and unchanging monotony of life. It was heavenly sunshine to them, that lifted up their souls, and made them hopefully and bravely cling to their King and Master, Christ. Aye, and amongst the poor, unknown faithful, amidst their daily trials and labour and sorrows, the memory that Christ, their Lord, has won the Kingdom for them, has prepared a home for them, is waiting with the welcome on His lips, till they have fought the good fight and been faithful. Oh, how many have persevered through this blessed remembrance !
#18 Acts of Adoration Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament in reparation for all the offenses committed against Him by mankind [Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament]
by VP
Posted on Thursday May 29, 2025 at 12:00AM in Thursday Reparation
18. We adore Thee, O Hidden God! And to make reparation for all the contests, disputes, punctilios of honor, and scandal, by which Thou hast been offended we offer up to Thee the humility of the holy confessors. Eternal praise and thanksgiving be to the Most Holy and Most Divine Sacrament.
O Queen of heaven and earth, hope of mankind, who adores thy Divine Son incessantly! We entreat thee, that, since we have the honor to be of the number of thy children, thou would interest thyself in our behalf and make satisfaction for us, and in our name, to our Eternal Judge, by rendering to Him the duties which we ourselves are incapable of performing. Amen
St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi, Carmelite
by VP
Posted on Thursday May 29, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
Offerings to the Divine Incarnate Word of His own Most Precious Blood
"O most Holy Word! I offer Thee Thy priests, and in their behalf I offer thee whatever is most dear to Thee in heaven and on earth, in union with all Thy Most Precious Blood: and I pray Thee to enable them fitly to conceive of the high degree to which they are exalted, and to hold in extreme abhorrence whatever can dishonor their dignity or contaminate their lives." ( St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi. Confraternity of the Precious Blood)
"God complains of his servants, because they neglect to recommend
sinners to his mercy, He once said to Mary Magdalen de Pazzi,"See, my
child, how sinners are in the hands of the devil: if my elect, by their
prayers, did not deliver them, they should be devoured." The Almighty
desires, in a particular manner, that priests and religious pour fort
their prayers in favor of sinners. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi used to say to
her sisters in religion, "My dear sisters, God has separated us from
the world, not only to sanctify ourselves, but also to appease his wrath
against sinners." (...)
She prayed especially for priests; because
their virtues ensure the salvation of many, and their bad example causes
the ruin of thousands. Hence, she frequently begged of God to punish
her for their sins saying, "Lord, put me to death frequently, and make
me return to life, that by frequently suffering the pangs of death, I
may satisfy Your justice for them." It is related in her life, that she
liberated numberless souls from the hands of Lucifer." A Short Treatise on Prayer by St. Alphonsus of Liguori
Biography:
"Saint Mary Magdalene of Pazzi was the only daughter of the illustrious Camille de Pazzi, related to the Medicis of Florence. She was born in the year 1566, and was baptized with the name of Catherine. As a child she loved to go into solitary places to enter into prayer with God, who revealed Himself to her from her tender years without the aid of teachers, as her Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. She made a crown of thorns one day, and wore it for an entire night, enduring great pain. She received her First Communion at ten years of age; at twelve years, she made a vow of virginity and took great pleasure in teaching Christian doctrine to poor children.
Her father, not knowing of her vow, wished to give her in marriage, but she persuaded him to allow her to become a religious, and chose the Carmelites, because there the nuns received Communion frequently. She entered in the year of the death of Saint Teresa of Avila, 1582, at the age of sixteen. It had been more difficult to obtain her mother's consent; while she was a novice, her mother sent a portrait artist to the convent, with instructions that her daughter be portrayed in lay clothing. The Sisters complied with her request, and the portrait can still be seen in the Convent. She became professed at eighteen years of age in the Carmelite monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Florence, May 17, 1584, Feast of the Holy Trinity. She changed her name of Catherine to that of Mary Magdalene on becoming a nun, and took as her motto, Either suffer or die.
Her life thereafter was one of penance for sins not her own, and of love for Our Lord, who tried her in ways fearful and strange. She was obedient, observant of the Rule, humble and mortified, and had great reverence for the religious life. One day, when she seemed to be at the last hour of her life, she rose from her sickbed and hastened everywhere throughout the convent, saying during her ecstasy, O Love! O Love! No one knows You, no one knows You, no one loves You! For five years she was tormented by demons with fearful temptations of pride, sensuality, gluttony, despair, blasphemy; they became so violent that she said, I do not know whether I am a reasonable creature or one without reason; I see nothing in myself but a little good will never to offend the divine Majesty.
God raised her to elevated states of prayer and gave her rare gifts, enabling her to read the thoughts of her novices, and filling her with wisdom to direct them. She was twice chosen mistress of novices, and then made Superior. On her deathbed she asked her Sisters to love only Our Lord Jesus Christ, to place all hope in Him, and be perpetually ardent with desire to suffer for love of Him. God took her to Himself on May 15, 1607. Her body remains incorrupt.
Reflection. Saint Mary Magdalene of Pazzi was so filled with the love of God that her Sisters saw it in her love for them, and called her Mother of Charity, and the Charity of the Monastery." Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, by Fr. John Gilmary Shea (1894).
