St. Alphege, Bishop and Martyr A.D. 1012.
by VP
Posted on Sunday April 19, 2026 at 12:00AM in Saints
"He was born of noble and virtuous parents; but renounced the world whilst he was yet very young. He served God first in the monastery of Derhurste in Gloucestershire; but after some years, he built himself a cell in a desert place of the abbey of Bath, where he shut himself up, unknown to men, but well known to God, for whose love he made himself a voluntary martyr of penance. His eminent virtues invited many to be his followers. But some of them falling from their first fervor, contented themselves with deceiving their superior with pretended exactness, while out of his sight they took very scandalous liberties, particularly in sitting up in the night to feast and drink, and fasting in the day with the rigor of the strictest hermits. But though they imposed upon this good man; yet God's justice soon discovered their hypocrisy in the punishment of it. St. Elphege in a short time reclaimed them; and God, by the sudden death of one, opened the eyes of all the rest. See that you imitate not these unhappy men, but observe discipline exactly. It is the practice of too many to transgress it, and their glory is to deceive those under whose care they are, by unduly going abroad, and unseasonable meetings at home. Break off all such customs: for there is so much folly, injustice, and deceit in them, that they cannot fail of proving your scourge in bringing mischief upon you.
The see of Winchester
falling vacant, St. Dunstan was admonished in a vision to oblige St.
Elphege to receive episcopal consecration. After he had governed the see of Winchester twenty-two years, he was chosen archbishop of Canterbury. The Danes landing in England took the city of Canterbury, seized the holy
prelate, laid him in irons, and confined him for several months in a
filthy dungeon. He was then released, but soon after cruelly martyred in
the year 1012.
Pray for all the bishops of Christ's Church; and in particular for him, under whose charge you are. Pray for this nation, that God would in His mercy preserve it from atheism and infidelity; and not let these be the punishment of its vice, but make it zealous for virtue, justice and truth." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Duties of Parents
by VP
Posted on Sunday April 19, 2026 at 12:00AM in Sunday Sermons
The Good Shepherd (Le bon pasteur) - James Tissot
"I am the Good Shepherd: I know mine."-St. John x. 14.
"Our Divine Lord, my dear brethren, not only asserts that He is "the Good Shepherd," but also proves Himself to be so by the care and solicitude which He has for the well-being of His flock. He spared no pain, no labor, in His watchful care over His sheep, and finally shed the last drop of His
Blood in their defense, leaving an example to those who are likewise
shepherds in their own sphere. St. Augustine says that parents are
shepherds in their houses, and that they must have the same care for their children that a shepherd has for his flock. They, like the Good Shepherd, must know and feed their sheep, protect them from the wolves, and go before, leading them in the right way. Parents, you must realize that the sheep entrusted to your care are spiritual beings, that they have souls, that they are images of God, created by God the Father, redeemed by God the Son, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and that, in heaven or hell, they shall continue to live for ever. Stainless and bright in baptismal purity are these sheep when placed in your hands to be led to their inheritance of the kingdom of heaven.
In order that you may be good shepherds you must know your children. Know them interiorly, what their dispositions are, what they wish, desire, and aim at; what troubles they have, what they need, what is good or evil, expedient or injurious to them, what their faults and defects are, whether they are inclined to this or that vice, that evil habits may not be allowed to grow up and take root in them. "Hast thou children," says sacred Scripture, "instruct them and bow down their neck from their childhood." You must instruct your children in the truths of religion. Impress upon them the end for which they were created. Speak to them of the future life, of the eternal happiness or the eternal misery which awaits us - a heaven full of joy or a hell full of suffering. Speak to them of God's knowledge, who knows and sees all things; of God's justice, who leaves no good unrewarded and no evil unpunished. Instruct and warn them regarding all things appertaining to salvation. Let the words uttered by Tobias, when on his death-bed, be re-echoed in every household : Hear, my son, the words of my mouth, and lay them as a foundation in thy mind, and take heed thou never consent to sin nor transgress the commandments of the Lord our God. Never suffer pride to reign in thy mind or in thy words, for from it all perdition took its beginning. See thou never do to another what thou wouldst hate to have done to thee by another. Eat thy bread with the hungry and needy. Bless God at all times, and desire of Him to direct thy ways and that all thy counsels may abide in Him.Fear not, my son; we indeed lead a poor life, but we shall have many good things if we fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is good."
You must protect your children from the wolves. Know who their companions are. Watch over them that no wolf in sheep's clothing may enter amongst the flock, that none of the flock may stray into the wolf's den of the dance-hall, the public house, or any of the other miscalled places of amusement. Be not like the hireling who leaveth the sheep and flieth when he seeth the wolf coming.
You, like good shepherds, must go before your flock leading it in the right way. Children are taught far more by example than by words. You yourselves must be virtuous and God-fearing, diligent in the practice of your Christian duties. Do you go punctually to Confession, or are you slothful and careless, and put off for a year, or years, the worthy reception of Holy Communion? Are all your acts influenced by the consciousness of God's presence? Are you just and forgiving in your transactions with others? Are you solicitous to perform good works, works of charity, of mercy ? Would you have your children live according to the dictates of their holy faith? Then set them good example and they are sure to walk in your footsteps. "If any man have not care of his own, and especially those of his house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." Source: 5 minutes Sermons by the Paulist Fathers, Gospels 2nd Sunday after Easter 1893
Bearing Injustice
by VP
Posted on Sunday April 19, 2026 at 12:00AM in Sunday Sermons
Let Him Be Crucified (Qu'il soit crucifié) - James Tissot
'Who, when he was reviled, did not revile: when he suffered, he threatened not: but delivered himself to him that judged him unjustly."— Epistle I. St. Peter ii. 22.
" One of the hardest trials, my dear brethren, to which we can be exposed; indeed, perhaps the hardest one of all, is to be condemned unjustly. And the condemnation need not be pronounced in court, and published to the world. It need not even be given by public opinion; no, there may be only a few who share in it, perhaps only one, and that may be one whose judgment is not of much weight; still, to be falsely judged, to be accused of what we have not done, to have even our motives misinterpreted, is a pretty heavy cross to bear. How often will you hear people alleging as a reason for a permanent breach of friendship with someone, that one has belied them? It is of little use to point out that the person who is or seems to be a false accuser, may really not intend to be guilty of falsehood, nor be conscious of rash judgment, but may in his or her heart actually believe the charge, and feel not only justified, but even under an obligation of conscience in making it, and thus be guiltless before God. No, the sting is perhaps even greater, that he should believe a thing about us that we feel is not true, and could not be.
Nor is it enough to say that there are many things which we ought to be judged guilty of, but are not; and that so we can afford to take some punishment that we do not deserve, as we escape a good deal that we do. No, we say to ourselves: "I would not mind it so much if it were true; I would rather take the burden of all the many wrong things that I have done, than of one that I have not." Perhaps that would not really be the fact, but we feel as if it were.
I think, then, that to find a real cure for our heartache about matters of this kind, we must take the one which St. Peter gives us in this Epistle of today. We must take refuge under the shadow of the cross of Him who, as the Apostle says, suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps. The Cross of Christ is the only remedy in the last resort for all the pain and misery of the world, as well as for its sins; and we may as well come to it at once as wait till other consolations have failed.
Let us, then, lay to heart our Lord's example in this matter, as St. Peter tells us; let us keep it always by us, to be ready for use at the first moment. Let us consider how slight and insignificant are all the false judgments that can be made about us, miserable sinners that we are, compared with that which was passed on Him, the Saint of saints; on Him who was not merely holy, but holiness itself, the source of all sanctity, the Giver of every virtue that we can have. Let us consider how He was reckoned with the malefactors, how He was condemned not merely to death, but to the shameful death of a criminal; and how not merely one or two, but the crowds of His own people, whom He had come to save, turned against Him and believed all the false charges which His accusers made.
And let us not imagine that, being in truth God, His human nature was made insensible to all this outrageous injustice by its essential sanctity, or by the homage of the angels, or of those on earth who really knew and loved Him and remained faithful to Him. No; it was no more rendered in this way insensible to the pain of the false charges than it was to the sharp piercing of the nails driven through His hands and feet. Indeed, that He could much better have borne. His infinite purity and sensitiveness to sin only made these suspicions and accusations of it the more intolerable; physical suffering was little in comparison.
Yet, as the Apostle says, in this He did not defend Himself. He was willing to drink this bitter chalice to the dregs. When He was reviled, He reviled not again. He neither cleared Himself, which He could easily have done, nor took the poor remedy which we sinners are too apt to take, of accusing His accusers.
Let us then, when thus tried in our poor way, ask Him to give us the grace to do as He did, and even, if it be possible, to rest for a time at least under accusations which we might remove, when the honor of God is not concerned. And let us remember not to be guilty of rash judgment in our turn, but make, as He did, every possible excuse for those who belie us; let us believe that, so far as they are wrong, they know not what they do. And, lastly, let us take the greater pains to abstain from uncharitable thoughts or words about our neighbors, thus exposing them to a trial which we have found so hard to bear." 2nd Sunday after Easter - Five minute Sermons by the Paulist Fathers, 1893
Sunday for Priests
by VP
Posted on Sunday April 19, 2026 at 12:00AM in Tradition
O Holy Spirit, Creator, be propitious to the Catholic Church; and by Thy heavenly power make it strong and secure against the attacks of its enemies; and renew in charity and grace the spirit of Thy servants, whom Thou has anointed, that they may glorify Thee and the Father and His Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. amen.
Manual of prayers to the Holy Ghost by Very Rev. Fr. Felix of Jesus 1941
