#st. peter healing the sick

[artandthebible]

St. Peter Healing the Sick

Artist: Jacob Toorenvliet (Dutch, 1640–1719)

Date: 1650-1675

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Collection: National Museum in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

St. Peter Healing the Sick | Acts 5:15 (MSG)

"Through the work of the apostles, many God-signs were set up among the people, many wonderful things done. They all met regularly and in remarkable harmony on the Temple porch named after Solomon. But even though people admired them a lot, outsiders were wary about joining them. On the other hand, those who put their trust in the Master were added right and left, men and women both. They even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on stretchers and bedrolls, hoping they would be touched by Peter’s shadow when he walked by. They came from the villages surrounding Jerusalem, throngs of them, bringing the sick and bedeviled. And they all were healed."

[orthodoxadventure]

I don't usually do this sort of thing but its sort of an All-Hands-On-Deck situation. Please pray for the mother of my friend, She was diagnosed with cancer some time ago, but it has since spread to her brain.

Of course I will pray, may God bless her and provide her with healing and comfort. And may God also bless and comfort those family members, friends, and all those that know her who are also in pain and anxiety because of her suffering.

Under the Readmore, I have attached some prayers for those with cancer that you might find to be helpful. I would especially recommend looking into some of the Patrons associated with Cancer patients and asking for their aid. For example St. Parthenios, St. Nektarios, St. Panteleimon

Through Your illuminating and sanctifying Spirit, Lord, guide through medical science those who are seeking through studies to exterminate its wickedness, reveal to them the medicine and the way of healing, and grant strength to those who are suffering and patience and respite in their pain, rewarding them all with the healing of their soul and body, through the intercessions of our Most-blessed Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, the Life-Giving Spring, whose waters in the Queen City were poured over those who were sick with cancer and their suffering ceased, as well as those of our Holy Father Parthenios, Bishop of Lampakos, the holy, glorious and wonderworking Unmercenaries, the holy, glorious Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, and all Your Saints. Amen.

--

O Most-Pure Mother of God, O Queen of All! Hearken unto our much-afflicted sighing and look upon thy children, suffering from unhealed ailments, who fall down before thee with faith! As a bird covers its nestlings with its wings, so do thou now, who art ever present, cover us with thy greatly healing omophor in that place where hope be. There where bitter sorrows overcome us, there will patience and rest be revealed. Where the torment of despair dwells in the soul, there will shine the ineffable Light of Divinity! Console the fainthearted, strengthen the weak, bestow softening and enlightenment upon embittered hearts. Heal thine ailing people, O All-merciful Queen!

Bless the minds and hands of our physicians, that they might serve as instruments of the All-powerful Physician, Christ our Saviour. We pray that thou mightest truly live with us, O Sovereign Lady!

Stretch out thy hands, filled with healing and cures, O Joy of the sorrowful, Consolation in afflictions, that having speedily received miraculous help, we may glorify the Life-creating and Undivided Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages. Amen.

--

O Christ, Who alone art our Defender: Visit and heal Thy suffering servant [name], delivering her from sickness and grievous pains. Raise her up that she may sing to Thee and praise Thee without ceasing, through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Thou Who alone lovest mankind.

--

Lord have mercy. O Lord Almighty, the Healer of our souls and bodies, You Who put down and raise up, Who chastise and heal also; do You now, in Your great mercy, visit our sister (Name), who is sick Stretch forth Your hand that is full of healing and health, and get her up from her bed, and cure her of her illness.

Put away from her the spirit of disease and of every malady, pain and fever to which she is bound

If she has sins and transgressions, grant to her remission and forgiveness, in that You love mankind.

Yea, Lord my God, pity Your creation, through the compassions of Your Only-Begotten Son, together with Your All-Holy, Good and Life-creating Spirit, with Whom You are blessed, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

--

O Lord our God, Who by a word alone did heal all diseases, Who did cure the kinswoman of Peter,

You Who chastise with pity and heal according to Your goodness;Who are able to put aside every sickness and infirmity, do You Yourself, the same Lord, grant aid to Your servant _____________and cure them of every sickness of which she is grieved.

Send down upon them Your great mercy, and if it be Your will, give to _____________ health and a complete recovery;  for You are the Physician of our souls and bodies, and to You do we send up Glory: to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen

--

O God, our help in time of need, Who are just and merciful, and Who inclines to the supplications of His people.

Look down upon ____________and have mercy on them and deliver them from the trouble that now besets them.

Deal with ____________ not according to their iniquities, but according to Your manifold mercies, for we are the works of Your hands, and You know our weaknesses.

I pray to you to grant ____________ Your divine helping grace, and endow them with patience and strength to endure their hardships with complete submission to Your Will.

Only You know our misery and sufferings, and to You, our only hope and refuge, we flee for relief and comfort, trusting in Your infinite love and compassion, that in due time, when You know best, You will deliver ____________ from this trouble, and turn their distress into comfort.

We then shall rejoice in Your mercy, and exalt and praise Your Holy Name, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit, both now and forever and to the ages of ages.  Amen

[apilgrimpassingby]

Alaska Native Orthodox Saints

St. Jacob Netsvetov, Enlightener of Alaska (1802-1864)

Feast Day: 26th July

The son of a Russian fur trader and an Aleut mother who was the first Alaska Native to become an Orthodox priest and spent the rest of his life preaching the Orthodox faith in Alaska; by the time he died, he had created an alphabet for the Aleut language, exorcised demons and baptised well over a thousand people. The full story is here.

Troparion: Righteous Father Jacob, adornment of Atka and the Yukon delta, offspring of Russian America, flower of brotherly unity, healer of sickness, and terror of demons, you offered yourself as a living sacrifice to bring light to a searching people. Pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved!

St. Olga of Alaska/Olga Michael/Olga of Kwethluk (1916-1979)

Feast Day: 10th November

A Yupik matushka (priest's wife) known in her village as a midwife, charity distributer and firm yet compassionate presence, canonised for the miracles associated with her post-mortem; in particular, a sexually abused woman who experienced a vision of St. Olga that proved particularly healing. The full story is here.

Troparion: By your righteous deeds, you were revealed to the world as an image of the perfect servant of the Lord in Alaska. By your fasting, vigil and prayers, you were inspired in your evangelical life. You fed the hungry, and you cared for the poor. You served as a midwife, and you brought babies into the world. You nurtured children, and you clothed all those in need. Now, O Holy Olga, you stand at the right-hand of Christ the Master, and you intercede for our souls.

St. Peter the Aleut, Protomartyr of North America (unknown - 1815)

Feast Day: 24th September

A young Suqpiaq ("the Aleut" is a misnomer by a monk who wasn't good at distinguishing Native groups) man who was one of the first converts to Orthodoxy in North America. He was captured by the Spanish in a raid, and tortured in an attempt to make him convert to Roman Catholicism; he refused, and the tortures eventually killed him. When St. Herman of Alaska (the chief evangelist of Alaska) heard the story, he cried out "Holy New Martyr Peter, pray to God for us!" The full story is here.

Troparion: Today Alaska rejoices and America celebrates, for the New World has been sanctified by martyrdom. Kodiak echoes with songs of thanksgiving, Iliamna and Kenai observe the Festival of Faith. The apostle and martyr Juvenaly is glorified and Peter the Aleut is exalted by his voluntary sacrifice. In their devotion and love for the Lord they willingly endured persecution and death for the Truth. Now in the Kingdom of Heaven they intercede for our souls.

Troparion for the Synaxis of All Saints:

Adorned in the blood of Your Martyrs throughout all the world, as if clothed in purple and linen, through them Your Church cries out to You, O Christ God: “Bestow Your bounties upon Your people, grant peace to Your habitation, and great mercy to our souls.”

[portraitsofsaints]

Pope St. Clement I of Rome 

35-99

Feast Day: November 23

Patronage: stonecutters, marble-workers, mariners, sailors, tanners, sick children

Saint Clement was an early successor to St. Peter, installed as Pope in the year 88 and one of the 5 Apostolic Fathers, who provide a direct link between the Apostles and later generations of the church fathers. He’s a contemporary of St. Paul and is mentioned in Philippians 4:3. St. Clement's  First Epistle to the Corinthians, condemned the unauthorized and unjustified division between the laity and clergy, urging charity to heal this riff. It’s said that he was miraculously saved from martyrdom when he was cast in the sea with an anchor bound to him.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase here: (website)

[anastpaul]

One Minute Reflection – 25 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” –St Vincent Strambi CP (1745-1824) Bishop, Priest of the Passionist Order of St Paul of the Cross – Ferial Day –1 Corinthians 1:4-8; Matthew 9:1-8 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/ “Seeing their faith …” – Matthew 9:2 REFLECTION – “He came into His own town and behold, they brought to Him one sick of the palsy, lying in a bed.” (Mt 9:1-2). Jesus, the Gospel tells us, seeing the faith of these people, said to the paralytic: “Courage, son, thy sins are forgiven thee.” The paralytic hears these words and remains silent. He offers no word of thanks. He wanted the healing of his body more than that of his soul. He lamented the transitory pain of his sick body but, the eternal torment of his soul, whose sickness was even greater, this he did not mourn. He judged his present life to be more precious to him than the life to come! Christ was wise to take account of the faith of those who brought the sick man to Him and to pay no attention to the latter’s stupidity. Thanks to his neighbours’ faith, the paralytic’s soul would be cured before his body. “When He saw their faith,” the Gospel says. Take note here, my brethren, God is not concerned with what the foolish want; He does not expect to find faith among the ignorant; He does not analyse the foolish desires of a sick man. On the other hand, He does not refuse to come to the aid of another’s faith. Such faith is a gift of grace and is in harmony with the Will of God.” – St Peter Chrysologus (400-450) Bishop of Ravenna, Father & Doctor of sermons of the Church (Sermon 50).

(via One Minute Reflection – 25 September – “Seeing their faith …” – Matthew 9:2 – AnaStpaul)

[cadmusfly]

Non Comprehensive List of the Nice Spanish Paintings That Mysteriously Ended Up in Marshal Soult's Collection

Sourced from the essay Seville's Artistic Heritage during the French Occupation in the book Manet/Velázquez: The French Taste for Spanish Painting, which can be downloaded for free on the Met's website which is frankly awesome but i wish someone OCRed their book

In 1852 at the sale of his collection, there were 109 paintings up for sale - 78 from the Seville School, including 15 Murillos and 15 Zurbaráns.

It's interesting that Soult wanted to legitimize his ownership of these paintings via receipts and official documentation - the biography of him I was machine translating talks about the king questioning his collection and him pulling out receipts for each painting. But, well, the essay puts it like this: "The existence of an official letter can be explained by Soult's desire to dress up in legal or formal terms what was in reality theft or extortion."

I might put excerpts from the essay in a different post, but for now, let's look at the list! Modern locations of the paintings are in parentheses, and I must say, for an essay critical of historical reappropriation of artwork, a lot of these artworks are still extant. Not a dig or anything, just an observation.

I do not condone extorting or stealing priceless Spanish artworks anyway

On with the show!

Murillo The Immaculate Conception (Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid) Virgin and Child (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool) Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Nursing the Sick (Church of the Hospital de la Caridad, Seville) Christ Healing the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda (National Gallery, London) The Return of the Prodigal Son (National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.) Abraham and the Three Angels (National Gallery Of Canada, Ottawa) The Liberation of Saint Peter (State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg) Saint Junipero and the Pauper (Musée du Louvre, Paris) Saint Salvador de Horta and the Inquisitor Of Aragon (Musée Bonnat, Bayonne) Brother Julián de Alcalá and the Soul of Philip II (Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Mass.) The Angels' Kitchen (Musée du Louvre, Paris) The Dream Of the Patrician (Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid) The Patrician John and His Wife (Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid) The Triumph of the Eucharist (Lord Farringdon Collection, Buscot Park, Farringdon, England) Saint Augustine in Ecstasy [Not sourced from the above book, from a Christies auction actually]

Herrera the Elder The Israelites Receiving Manna (unknown/destroyed?) Moses Striking the Rock (unknown/destroyed?) The Marriage at Cana (unknown/destroyed?) The Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes (Musée d'Amiens, destroyed in 1918) Last Communion of Saint Bonaventure (Musée du Louvre, Paris) Saint Basil Dictating His Doctrine (Musée du Louvre, Paris)

Zurbarán Saint Apollonia (Musée du Louvre, Paris) Saint Lucy Musée des Beaux-Arts, Chartres Saint Anthony Abbot (private collection, Madrid) Saint Lawrence (State Hermitage, St. Petersburg) Saint Bonaventure at the Council of Lyon (Musée du Louvre, Paris) Saint Bonaventure on His Bier (Musée du Louvre, Paris) The Apotheosis of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Museo de Bellas Artes, Seville) Saints Romanus and Barulas (Art Institute of Chicago) paintings of the archangel Gabriel and Saint Agatha (both Musée de Montpellier)

Cano Saint John with the Poisoned Chalice and Saint James the Apostle (both Musée du Louvre, Paris) Saint John Giving Communion to the Virgin (Palazzo Bianco, Genoa) Saint John's Vision Of God (John and Mable Ringling Museum Of Art, Sarasota) Charity and Faith (present location unknown; 1852 Soult sale) Saint Agnes (destroyed in fire in the Staatliche Museen, Berlin)

Uncertain source, thought to be Murillo at the time A Resting Virgin (usually identified as The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist, Wallace Collection London) The Death Of Abel Saint Peter Saint Paul

Other artists in his collection whose specific works weren't named Sebastiån de Llanos Valdés Pedro de Camprobin José Antolinez Sebastiån Gomez

[focsle]

Happy new year! Here’s what some whalers were thinking about on this day past.

William Abbe, Atkins Adams, 1859

During our middle night watch the new year came in the man at the wheel struck one bell at 12 o clock - when M + I had a little aquadiente + switchel — We furled the M t. g. sl, M. Sh. + I going aloft to do it — + stowed the f.j. saw a large ship just abeam faintly defined against the sky in the night gloom — Had roast pork for dinner but not enough hardly for one man — Old woman sent me 5 cigars as a New Years present. Cap this morning asked the Mate + 3rd Mate down to the Cabin — saw them spit out quids and clean their mouths — very suspicious + extraordinary circumstance this. I think they went down to Splice Main Brace — especially as immediately afterwards the cabin boy carried down a pitcher of water. What are the dear friends at home doing to day? Very pleasantly—I hope—celebrating the infant year with due festivities — I smoke my cigar and content myself with this degree of jubilee.

Charles Brown, Parker, 1834

“We thus see the beginning of the year who may see the End we know not. I wish for helth and Prosperity [hain?] wish I know not what is most propper for me to have but the giver of all noeth and therefore I shal have whatever is most Propper”

William Stetson, Arab, 1856.

“The old year has now been swallowed up in the unfathomable vortex of the past, another year of promise has pleasantly dawned upon us, and another week has passed away as quietly as its immediate predecessor. But little cruising about on shore has been done by any of us.”

J.T. Langdon St. Peter 1851

“This year we have taken 13 whales which stowed us 430 bbls Have spoken 11 Barques and 1 ship and have been gamming 18 times. Have lost 1 man by drowning and 1 discharged on account of sickness. The health of the crew has been generally good. So far myself I have not been sick a single day. Another year has drawn to its close and still we are preserved from danger + sickness and are all fondly hoping that before another year rolls around we shall be enjoying ourselves at home”

Silliman Ives, Sunbeam, 1870

“The old year is numbered among the things that were, the death knell has been rung and today the joy bells are pealing for the birth of 1870. But peal they ever so joyfully, the music of their merry chiming is unheard by us, as we hold on the “even tenor of our way” down here in the Malay Archipelago. It is a sad fact that there are no holidays for sailors. One day is not regarded above another on ship-board, and we wear away the weary weeks of our treadmill existence with but little to break the dull monotony of the recurring days, as they bring to us the same round of duty and discipline. If the Almanac were not referred to, we would never know that there was such a day as the “glorious” Forth of July. The day supposed to be observed by our friends at home as Thanksigiving, is never noticed at sea. Christmas, the dearest and best of all festival seasons, is utterly and entirely ignored. And so far as specially observing New Years, it might just as well be June 1st as January 1st.”

Allen Newman (and his wife Abby Newman), Edward, 1849

Newman’s sick. I would give all my old shoes to trade situations  with the poorest Devel I can think of I am home sick, sea sick, and love sick, and sick of the sea without A remedy. There is no Balm for healing heare. [it appears Abby was annotating this old logbook of his a year later while he was away again at sea, penning her own entries in response to his] O dear what A [Time?] A nobody see it of all kind of sickness home sick is the worst Abby P. Newman

William H. Chappell, Saratoga, 1855

“150 days out. Ten years ago I hardly daired to think of seeing this year but God has ordained it I do not know why. Perhaps there is a work for me to do and I must do it “by the patience of hope and and the labor of Love” that I may be able to say at His coming “I have fought my way through I have finished the work thou didst give me to do” I am glad to hear others make becoming resolutions for the New year and I should not do my Wife justice if I did not think she had formed some before this time and I wish them all a happy New Year. One year from this we should be half way home and our feelings will contrast wonderfully with those of the present time.”

Samuel Wood, Bowditch, 1852

“2 sail in Sight to the Westward the weather is fine nothing doing but comon ship duty Easy times & a hapy new year with uss + a hearty wish & a good kiss to all the mery girls of the American Stars & Stripes that floats in the breeze at our mast heads.”

Keeper Unknown, Bartholomew Gosnold, 1843

“The old year is past and gone and A new one has begun, and yet we are blessed with the comforts of this wourld, for as the sun in all her splendor rises above the towering hills of Owhyhee, sends forth her rays, in that fullness of a devine being, as though it were the first of her appearance on this our globe, non yet altering her cours, but with all her celetial power, still pursues her way along in an uninterupted state, what wonders power does she display.”

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Tuesday,

may 15_may 28

THE SLAIN CROWN PRINCE DEMETRIUS OF MOSCOW (1591)

Born October 19, 1582 and was the son of Ivan IV Vasilyevich, more commonly known as Ivan Grozny or Ivan the Terrible.

Ivan was succeeded by his much less capable son, Feodor, upon his death in 1584. According to some, the new Tsar Feodor was not only feeble in body, but also in mind. This meant that Feodor was a ruler only in name, and that real power was in the regency council that was established to guide the Tsar. One of the most prominent figures of the council was Boris Godunov, the Tsar’s brother-in-law.

Feodor and his wife, Irina, did not produce an heir, and, according to one popular account, BorisGodunov was hoping to occupy the Russian throne once Feodor died. In order to achieve this, Boris Godunov would have to have to get rid of the last of Ivan’s sons, Dmitri.

In the year that Ivan died, Dmitri, his mother, and his uncles were exiled to Uglich, the Tsarevich’s appanage city.

Wanting to get rid of the rightful heir to the Russian throne, Boris Godunov began to act against the prince as against a personal enemy. At first he tried to slander the young heir to the throne, spreading false rumors about his alleged illegitimate birth. Then he issued a new invention that if Demetrius had inherited his father's harshness Sovereign. As these actions have not brought the desired, the insidious Boris decided to destroy the prince.

An attempt to poison Demetrius was not a success: the deadly potion did not harm the child. Then the villains decided to hide the crime. In Saturday May 15, 1591, the young prince Demetrius walked in the yard with his nurse. The killers, Osip Magi, Danilo Bitiagovsky and Nikita Katchalov, brutally stabbed prince.

Prince Dimitri was buried in Uglich, in the palace church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Many miracles and healings began to be made at his tomb, especially often healed the sick eyes. A July 3, 1606 the holy relics of martyr Tsarevich Dimitri were found incorrupt.

Source:

After numerous miracles of healing from the holy relics, three feastdays for the Tsarevich Demetrius were established during this same year of 1606, his birthday (October 19), his murder (May 15), and the transfer of his relics to Moscow (June 3).

Source: Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St John the Baptist

SAINT ACHILLES, BISHOP OF LARISSA (330)

Saint Achilles, Bishop of Larissa, lived during the fourth century, during the reign of Saint Constantine the Great. Glorified for his holiness of life and erudition, he was made Bishop of Larissa in Thessaly.

Saint Achilles participated in the First Ecumenical Council, where he boldly denounced the heretic Arius. In his city he strove to promote Christianity, destroyed idolatrous pagan temples, and he built and adorned churches.

Saint Achilles had the gift of healing sickness, especially demonic possession, and he worked many miracles. The saint died peacefully in about the year 330. His relics have remained in Prespa, in today's Republic of Macedonia, since 978.

ACTS 10:21-33

21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, "Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?" 22 And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you." 23 Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man." 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together. 28 Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me? 30 So Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31 and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. 32 'Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.' 33 So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.

JOHN 7:1-13

1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. 2 Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world. 5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him. 6 Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come. 9 When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee. 10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. 11 Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, "Where is He?" 12 And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, "He is good"; others said, "No, on the contrary, He deceives the people." 13 However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (April 29)

St. Catherine was a third-order Dominican, peacemaker, and counselor to the Pope.

She singlehandedly ended the Avignon exile of the successors of Peter in the 14th century.

She is the co-patron of Italy and Europe.

Born in Siena, on the feast of the Annunciation, 25 March 1347, Catherine was the 23rd of Jacopo and Lapa Benincasa’s 25 children. Her twin sister died in infancy.

She exhibited an unusually independent character as a child and an exceptionally intense prayer life.

When she was seven years old, she had the first of her mystical visions in which she saw Jesus surrounded by saints and seated in glory.

In the same year, she vowed to consecrate her virginity to Christ. When, at the age of 16, her parents decided that she should marry, she cut off her hair to make herself less appealing.

Her father, realizing that he couldn’t contend with her resolve, let her have her way. 

She joined the Dominican Tertiaries and lived a deep and solitary life of prayer and meditation for the next three years.

She had constant mystical experiences, capped, by the end of the three years, with an extraordinary union with God granted to only a few mystics, known as ‘mystical marriage.’

Catherine suffered many intense periods of desolation alongside her mystical ecstasies, often feeling totally abandoned by God.

She ended her solitude at this point and began tending to the sick, poor and marginalized, especially lepers.

As her reputation for holiness and remarkable personality became known throughout Siena, she attracted a band of disciples, two of whom became her confessors and biographers.

They served Christ in the poor with even greater ardor. The Lord also called Catherine to a more public life while she was still in her 20s.

She established correspondences with many influential figures, advising and admonishing them, and exhorting them to holiness, including the Pope himself who she never hesitated to rebuke when she saw fit.

Great political acts, which are attributed to her, include achieving peace between the Holy See and Florence who were at war, to convince the pope to return from his Avignon exile, which he did in 1376, and to heal the great schism between the followers of the legitimate pope, Urban VI, and those who opposed him in 1380.

She achieved this while on her deathbed.

Her Dialogues, one of the classics of Italian literature, are the record of her mystical visions, which she dictated in a state of mystical ecstasy.

In 1375, while visiting Pisa, she received the stigmata, even though they never appeared on her body during her lifetime, owing to her request to God.

They appeared only on her incorruptible body after her death.

She died in Rome on 29 April 1380 at the age of 33.

She was beatified on 29 December 1460. She was canonized by Pope Pius II on 29 June 1461.

Pope Paul VI declared her a Doctor of the Church, along with Teresa of Avila, on 4 October 1970.

Pope John Paul II proclaimed her patron saint of Europe on 1 October 1999, along with five other saints.

She is also the patron saint of journalists, media, and nursing.

[pamphletstoinspire]

Commentary on the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to St. Mark – Chapter 3

St. Mark, the disciple and interpreter of St. Peter (as noted by St. Jerome.) according to what he heard from St. Peter himself, wrote at Rome a brief Gospel at the request of the Brethren (fellow Christians), about ten years after our Lord's Ascension; which when St. Peter had heard, he approved of it, and with his authority he published it to the Church to be read. Baronius and others maintain, that the original was written in Latin: but the more general opinion is that the Evangelist wrote it in Greek.

First, Christ restores the withered hand of a crippled man on the Sabbath, then withdraws with the crowd to the sea, where He cures many who were sick and possessed. Second (v. 13), upon the mountain He selects from His disciples twelve Apostles, and sends them to proclaim the good news, with the power of curing the infirm and of casting out devils. Third (v. 22), He refutes the scribes, who deceitfully accuse Him of casting out devils by Beelzebub, and He says that this is a blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which can never be forgiven. Finally (v. 31), He teaches that His mother and brothers are they that do the will of God, His Father.

And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand. 2 And they watched him whether he would heal on the Sabbath days; that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man who had the withered hand: Stand up in the midst. 4 And he saith to them: Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life, or to destroy? But they held their peace. 5 And looking round about on them with anger, being grieved for the blindness of their hearts, he saith to the man: Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth: and his hand was restored unto him. 6 And the Pharisees going out, immediately made a consultation with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. 7 But Jesus retired with his disciples to the sea; and a great multitude followed him from Galilee and Judea, 8 And from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond the Jordan. And they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, hearing the things which he did, came to him. 9 And he spoke to his disciples that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. 10 For he healed many, so that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had evils. 11 And the unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him: and they cried, saying: 12 Thou art the Son of God. And he strictly charged them that they should not make him known. 13 And going up into a mountain, he called unto him whom he would himself: and they came to him. 14 And he made that twelve should be with him, and that he might send them to preach. 15 And he gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. 16 And to Simon he gave the name Peter: 17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he named them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: 18 And Andrew and Philip, and Bartholomew and Matthew, and Thomas and James of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Cananean: 19 And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. 20 And they come to a house, and the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21 And when his friends had heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him. For they said: He is become mad. 22 And the scribes who were come down from Jerusalem, said: He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils he casteth out devils. 23 And after he had called them together, he said to them in parables: How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26 And if Satan be risen up against himself, he is divided, and cannot stand, but hath an end. 27 No man can enter into the house of a strong man and rob him of his goods, unless he first bind the strong man, and then shall he plunder his house. 28 Amen I say to you, that all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and the blasphemies wherewith they shall blaspheme; 29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, shall never have forgiveness, but shall be guilty of an everlasting sin. 30 Because they said: He hath an unclean spirit. 31 And his mother and his brethren came; and standing without, sent unto him, calling him. 32 And the multitude sat about him; and they say to him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33 And answering them, he said: Who is my mother and my brethren? 34 And looking round about on them who sat about him, he saith: Behold my mother and my brethren. 35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Commentary: Saint Mark - Chapter 3

Verse 4. And he saith to them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy? The translator reads ἀπολέσαι, that is, to destroy. We now read ἀποκτεῖναι, i.e., “to kill.” But to destroy is more appropriate in this passage. For the gospel is speaking of a maimed person, who had a withered hand, not of one who was dead, whether killed or about to be killed. With reference to healing this maimed person, the scribes had proposed to Christ a doubt or scruple, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days? Christ resolved this doubt by means of another question, not dubious, but plain, Is it lawful to do good on Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy? Animam (“life” or “soul”), S. Augustine says, is a synecdoche meaning “a man”; the part signifies the whole. The meaning is, “if anyone should not succor or do a kindness to one who is sick or heavily afflicted, like this maimed man, on the Sabbath, when he is able to do it (as I, Christ, am able), he does him an injury; for he refuses him the help which is due to him by the law of love. Similarly, if someone does not rescue on the Sabbath a man who finds himself in dire straits, when he could save him, he is considered to destroy him. Therefore, it is permissible for Me to cure this maimed man on the Sabbath; for unless I do this good deed for him, I shall be considered to have harmed him and done him wrong, and unless I make him whole, I shall be thought to have destroyed him, for I would be withholding a benefit and assistance that is due, so to speak, to this afflicted man, and I would be hard-hearted and merciless toward him, leaving him in his affliction, which I could so easily relieve.” “In a similar sense” S. Augustine says, “If thou hast not fed the hungry, thou hast killed him,” because thou hast allowed him to die of hunger. In like manner, if thou hast not delivered him who was about to be killed by a robber, when thou mightest have done so, thou hast slain him; for his death and murder will be reckoned to thee by God for guilt and punishment, in exactly the same manner as if thou hadst killed him thyself. Christ, therefore, signifies that not to do good on the Sabbath to a sick person, when thou art able, is to do him evil. But it is never lawful to do evil. Therefore, it is always lawful to do good to such persons, even on the Sabbath. For the Sabbath is devoted to God and good works. And thus it is a more grievous sin to do evil on the Sabbath than upon other days. For by this means the sanctity of the Sabbath is violated, just as by doing good it is the better kept and hallowed.

Verse 5. And looking about on them with anger. Being angry at their unbelief, says the Interlinear, showing by His severe countenance that He was wroth with the blind, and obstinate, and perverse minds of the scribes, in that they ascribed Christ’s miracles of goodness, which He wrought upon the Sabbath, to a breach of the law enjoining the observance of that day. From hence it is plain that there was in Christ real anger, sorrow, and the rest of the passions and affections, as they exist in other men, only under control and subject to reason. Hence anger was in Him a whetstone of virtue. “Anger,” says Franz Lucas, “in us is a passion; in Christ it was, as it were, an action. It arises spontaneously in us; by Christ it was stirred up in Himself. When it has arisen in us, it disturbs the other faculties of the body and mind, nor can it be repressed at our own pleasure; but when stirred up in Christ, it acts as He wills it to act, it disturbs nothing, and finally it ceases when He wills it to cease.” This is what S. Leo says (epist. 11), “The bodily senses were vigorous (in Christ) without the law of sin; and the reality of His affections was governed by His Deity and His soul.”

Moreover, Aristotle (lib. 1 de Anima cap. 1 text. 16) says that “Anger is the desire to inflict suffering in turn upon an adversary.” Hence Gregory of Nyssa (or rather Nemesius, a Christian philosopher under whose name this book is found in volume 9 of the Bibliotheca SS. Patrum) in book 4 of On Philosophy, chapter 13, says, “Anger is the frustration of desire.” Lactantius says (lib. de Ira Dei ex Possidonio), “Anger is the lust of punishing him by whom you think yourself to have been injured.” Hence anger in other men springs from self-love; but in Christ it sprang from love of God, because He loved God perfectly. Hence He was infinitely grieved and angry at offenses against God caused by sins, and committed by sinners, wishing to compensate for those offenses by punishing or correcting sinners and unbelievers. Hence Christ’s anger was zeal, or seasoned with zeal, even as in the angels and the blessed it is not anger but zeal. See S. Thomas (Summa III. Part, q. 15. a. 9). The opinions of the doctors vary as to whether there is in God the passion of anger, strictly speaking. For some, with Suarez (opusc. de Divina Justitia sect. 5 n. 2) affirm this, while others, with Vasquez (tom. 1 in 1. p. disp. 84. cap. 4) deny it.

Being grieved for the blindness (Syriac, "hardness or  “callousness”) of their hearts. Grieved, in Greek συλλυπούµενος, i.e., “condoling with” and “commiserating” them, because, being blinded and hardened by envy and hatred, they would not acknowledge Him to be the Messias, but twisted the good deeds that He performed for the sick on the Sabbath and spoke of them as wickedness. It is meant, therefore, that the anger of Jesus did not proceed from the desire of vengeance, but was mingled with pity; and that Jesus was angry with sin, but sorry for sinners, insomuch as He loved them, and strove to save them. Lastly, all anger is mingled with sorrow; for he that is angry grieves for the evil at which he is angry. Thus the sorrow for the evil causes and sharpens anger, that it may strive to remove the evil at which it is grieved. Thus S. Thomas and the Scholastics (loc. cit.).

Verse 9. That a small ship should wait on him. In Greek προσκαρτερῇ, i.e., so that it might be close at hand, and, as Budaeus translates it, so that it might accompany them continually, that He might betake Himself to it when the multitude pressed upon Him.

Verse 10. Evils. In Greek µάστιγας, i.e., "scourings," viz. "wounds" and “diseases,” with which God chastises and scourges men on account of their sins. It signifies, therefore, that sicknesses are often scourges, sent by God because of sins, to punish them.

Verse 11. And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him. That is, they fell down, kneeling at His feet, not out of love and devotion, but from fear, begging Him to grant their plea, that He would not drive them out of the men, and banish them to hell.

And they cried. So that He, honored and praised by them, might spare them.

Verse 12. Saying: Thou art the Son of God. You will ask whether the devils really knew that Jesus was the Messias or the Christ, the Son of God? I answer, it is plain from this passage, and from Matthew 8:29, and from Luke 4:41, and from the fathers and the interpreters generally who comment upon these passages, that the devils, although they did not fully know Christ at His baptism, and before His baptism (since they afterward tempted Him, that they might learn who He was); yet subsequently they did recognize who He was, from the many and great miracles, which they clearly saw were true miracles, and far transcending their own natural power and that of the angels. They saw that what Christ did was wrought by the supernatural power of God alone, with this end in view, that He might prove, first, that He was the Messias promised to the fathers; second, that He was God, and the Son of God. Hence, I say that the devils knew that Jesus was the Messias and the Son of God, especially when they compared the scriptures and the ancient prophecies with the miracles of Christ. For they saw that the scriptures had predicted that He would be such a person as Jesus was, and would work such miracles.

Note, however, that the devils did not so clearly and surely know this truth, as not to hesitate somewhat, on the other hand, when they thought of the greatness of the mystery, and of the infinite dignity and humiliation of Christ incarnate (which would appear a thing of itself incredible, especially to the proud and arrogant devil), and be in doubt whether Jesus were really the Messias and the Son of God. They the more hesitated, yea, they were ignorant of the purpose and fruit of this mystery, to wit, that by the incarnation, cross, and death of Christ men were to be redeemed, and that his own kingdom among them was to be ruined, and the kingdom of God established. Especially were they blinded by their hatred of Jesus, because they saw that He was an extremely holy man, and snatched many souls from them. Hence they felt that they must oppose and ruin Him and utterly crush Him. Hence it came to pass that they, being blinded by their hatred of Jesus, neither considered nor understood the holy scriptures, otherwise so plain, concerning the cross and death of Christ and our redemption thereby. Thus, by means of the Jews, they crucified and slew Jesus as an irreconcilable enemy; and thus they unwittingly destroyed their own kingdom. Thus S. Leo (serm. 9 de Passione), “Nor did the devil himself perceive that by his rage against Christ he would destroy his own principality; who would not have lost the rights he had gained by his ancient fraud if he had refrained from shedding the blood of the Lord Jesus. But by his malice, being greedy of doing harm, when he rushes upon Him, he falls; when he would capture, he is taken; while he pursues a mortal, he stumbles against the Savior.”

Verse 14. And he made that twelve should be with him. As His Apostles, comrades, and His personal delegates. Hence He adds, that he might send them to preach.

Verse 15. And he gave them power to heal sicknesses. Gave, not then, when He simply designated them and made them Apostles, but later, when He sent them to preach (ch. 6-7), for then they had to confirm their preaching with miracles. Hence there is a prolepsis or an anticipation here.

Verse 16. And to Simon he gave the name Peter. Several Greek codices prefix to these words, πρῶτον Σίµωνα, i.e., “first Peter,” meaning that He appointed him first among the Apostles; but the rest omit them. The same thing is sufficiently gathered from the fact that Peter is here first named by Christ, and his name changed, so that he who was previously called Simon, is afterward called in Syriac Cephas, in Greek and Latin Petrus, that is, “a rock,” because he was to be made by Christ the rock and foundation of the Church. A propos, this name of Cephas, or Peter, had been promised to Simon by Christ at John 1:42, but was actually conferred at Matthew 16:18.

Verse 17. And James the son of Zebedee (James is named first because he was older than John, who of all the Apostles was the youngest), and John the brother of James; and he named them Boanerges, which is (means), The sons of thunder. The Vulgate says “gave them the names,” and not “name,” because they were two, and hence required more than one name, “Boanerges,” which is grammatically plural, signifying not “the son” but “the sons of thunder” in the plural. They were “thunderers,” as it were, thundering forth Christ’s gospel and doctrines.

Boanerges. So the Arabic, Egyptian, and Persian. The Ethiopic, however, has Baanerges. This name is a corruption, for in Hebrew, or rather in Syriac, it would be Banerges or Bonerges, as it is found in certain manuscripts, as Franz Lucas attests in his Notation (note 460 on this passage). For the Syrians, like the Bavarians and the Westphalians, pronounce the vowel a like o, and��e like a. Hence for Semuel they say Samuel, for Selomon, Salomon, and for bene, or “sons,” bane. It may be that Banerges has been changed into Boanerges by persons ignorantly supposing that boa signifies “the sound of thunder.” Thus Franz Lucas.

Moreover Banerges, as Jansen observes (also Angelus Caninius, in Nomin. Hebr. cap. 11), is a compound word, consisting of Hebrew ינב bane, i.e., “sons,” and Hebrew שגר regesch, i.e., “a roaring,” that is, of thunder. Thus Jupiter is called by the Greeks ὑψιβρεµέτης, “loftily roaring,” “thundering on high.” The Syriac version has in this place bane reges, “sons of thunder,” instead of the Hebrew expression, םער ינב bene raam. For Christ here spoke in the Syriac of that age. There is here, then, a metathesis or transposition of the letters r and e, banerges, instead of bane reges. A similar transposition of the same letter r is common in many languages, as Angelus Caninius demonstrates with many examples (in Hellenismo p. 64). Thus, for καρδία, i.e., “heart,” the Greek poets say κραδίη; καρτερὸς for κρατερὸς, and τέτρατος for τέταρτος. For νεῦρον the Latins say nervus; for ἅρπαξ, rapax and for ἁρπάζω, rapio; for µορφὴ, forma; for καρκῖνος, cancer; for κρέας, caro; for κρίνω, cerno, for he who judges must discern. Punic has gerac for ἄκρα, i.e., arx, (Etruscan rocco), “a citadel.” Punic furthermore has bigr, Latin virgo, “a virgin”; darag, gradus, “a step”; elmara, mulier, “a woman”; carmes, cramoisy [a crimson cloth]. The Hebrew word arets (in Belgian aerde [and English earth]) corresponds to the Latin terra; sippor is passer, “sparrow”; kebara, cribrum, “a sieve”; cabbirim, cherubim; keraim, crura, “shinbones”; kerem, cornu, “horn.”

The meaning, then, is as follows: Christ called James and John by a new name, Banerges, sons of thunder, because He charged them above the rest of the Apostles with the glorious preaching and propagation of His gospel, that by the holiness of their lives and their miracles they might be like thunderbolts, and might, by the power of their voices, shake men as with claps of thunder, even unbelievers and barbarians, and bring them to repentance and a holy life. This appears in the history of S. James. Because of his candor and zeal in preaching, he was the first among the Apostles to incur the wrath of Herod and the Jews, by whom he was beheaded, dying a martyr (Acts 12). The same converted the Spaniards, and by their means the inhabitants of the East and West Indies, to the Faith of Christ. John preached for a very long period, and very efficaciously. He was the last of the Apostles to depart this life, which he did after he had subdued Asia and other provinces to Christ by his preaching. Hence, also, his gospel begins with divine thunder, as it were an eagle of God, fulminating and crying out with a voice of thunder, when he intones, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Thus S. Epiphanius (hæres. 73). Hence, when he was writing his gospel, there were lightnings and thunderings from heaven, just as it lightened from Mount Sinai when God gave the law to Moses and the Hebrews. So Baronius shows from Prochorus, John’s disciple, and from Metaphrastes (A.D. 99 in fine).

See the commentary on Ezechiel 1:14, at the words, The living creatures ran and returned like flashes of lightning, where I have given a three-fold meaning to the expression, sons of thunder. Thus Pericles, as an orator, seemed not so much to speak and declaim as to thunder and lighten, says Quintilian (lib. 2 cap. 6). Hence he was called by the poets “the Olympian”, that is, “the celestial.”

Verse 21. And when his friends (some of Christ’s relatives; Syriac “his brethren.” Thus Euthymius, Theophylact, Bede) had heard of it, they went out to lay hold on (bind) him. For they said: He is become mad. In Greek ἐξέστη, i.e., “beside himself, out of his mind,” non compos mentis, having become delirious and insane because of an excess of piety and zeal. (See commentary on Matthew 12:46.) The Arabic has, “saying that he is foolish.” The Syriac renders literally, “they said that he had gone out of his mind.” Others render differently, “saying that he has swooned,” from hunger, because, on account of the multitude, He had no leisure to eat. (See verse 20.)

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[discoveringorthodoxy]

St. Seraphim of Sarov the Wonderworker

Christ is Baptized in the Jordan by John!

Hello my brothers and sisters in Christ! I pray that you all continue to have a blessed Theophany and blessed new year! Today I would like to look into the life of St. Seraphim of Sarov, one of the most beloved Saints in recent Orthodox history. I have seen a lot of quotes from this saint but I never knew much about him. I only knew that he was often depicted with a bear. Why is that? Why is he so well loved? Today we're going to find out.

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Prokhor Moshnin (Feast Day: 2 January) was born in the town of Kursk on July 30th in either the year 1754 or 1759. He was born into the family of a wealthy eminent merchant. He lost his father, Isidore, at a young age and was brought up by his pious widowed mother, Agathia. Since he was a child, Prokhor would read the Holy Scripture and go to church services daily. One day, he fell from a bell tower of the church his father had started building before his death. However, a miracle happened and Prokhor was alive and unharmed (St. Seraphim of Sarov).

When Moshnin was around 9 or 10 years old, be became gravely ill. One day, the most holy Mother of God appeared to him in a dream, telling him that she was going to heal him. When Agathia put him up to the miracle-working icon of the Mother of God called "The Sign", he was miraculously healed.

When he was 19, the saint felt a call to follow the monastic path after visiting the monastery of Sarov. So, Agathia blessed him and gave him a large crucifix made out of copper, which St. Seraphim would wear over his clothes until the day he passed. At the age of 20, he joined the Sarov Monastery as a novice.

In 1780, the Saint was stricken with a sickness which he endured for three years, until the Theotokos healed him, appearing to him with the Apostles Peter and John (Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov).

In 1786, Prokhor was tonsured a monk and was given the name Seraphim, after the holy Hieromartyr Seraphim, Bishop of Phanarion (Dec. 4). St. Seraphim was ordained a hierodeacon and then a hieromonk. He served the Divine Liturgy every day and in his love for God, continually added labours to labours. Once, during the Divine Liturgy of Holy Thursday, he was counted worthy of a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, who appeared encompassed by the heavenly hosts (Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov). After this vision, St. Seraphim gave himself over to greater labors.

In 1794, St. Seraphim got a blessing from the Monastery's Hegumen Nicodemus to become a hermit. So, he took up the solitary life in a cell in the forest, where he lived in a remote cabin. The Saint devoted most of his time to praying, fasting, reading the Gospel, and working in his vegetable garden (St. Seraphim of Sarov). He spent 1000 successive nights being awake and praying on his knees. This period of extreme asceticism lasted about 15 years and his only visitors were wild animals.

Once while living in isolation, St. Seraphim was assaulted by robbers who severely injured him. They broke his chest and his head with their blows, leaving him almost dead. Even though he could have defended himself, he did not and completely forgave the robbers for their crime. St. Seraphim began to recover after receiving another appearance from the Theotokos, who was accompanied by the Apostles Peter and John. The Theotokos pointed to St. Seraphim and said to him, "This is one of my kind" (Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov).

In 1810, after being weakened by his more than human struggles, St. Seraphim returned to the monastery, where he lived as a recluse until 1825. For the first five years of his reclusion, he spoke to no one at all and very little is known about this period. After five years, he began receiving visitors, giving them counsel and consolation to ailing souls.

In 1825, he had another vision of the Mother of God, who blessed him to become an elder. She revealed to him that it was pleasing to God that he fully end his seclusion. Thousands of people would come to him for advice and blessing. People remembered the elder as extremely meek and joyful, greeting everyone with the words, "My joy, Christ is risen!" It was also at the command of the Theotokos that St. Seraphim undertook the spiritual direction of the Diveyvo Convent. The Saint healed "body ailments, foretold things that were to come, brought hardened sinners to repentance, and saw clearly the secrets of the heart of those who came to him" (Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov).

The last time the most holy Theotokos appeared to St. Seraphim was on Annunciation in 1831. She announced to him that he would soon enter into his rest. The holy Virgin was accompanied by twelve-virgin martyrs and monastic saints with St. John the Baptist and St. John the Theologian.

Shortly before his death, St. Seraphim became very ill. And less than two years after his last vision of the Theotokos, he fell asleep in peace on January 2, 1833. He was found asleep by his cell attendant standing on his knees in front of the icon of the Mother of God.

On the night of his repose, the righteous Philaret of the Glinsk Hermitage behind his soul ascending to Heaven in light. Because of the universal testimony to the holiness of his life, and the multitude of miracles that he performed in life and death, St. Seraphim's veneration quickly spread outside of Russia to the whole world (Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov). And on July 19, 1903, St.Seraphim of Sarov was canonized by the Orthodox Church.

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St. Seraphim of Sarov is often depicted with a bear in his icons. The story behind this is as follows:

One day Matrona, one of the nuns at the monastery, saw St. Seraphim sitting on a tree trunk in the company of a bear. Being terrified, she let out a scream. The elder, seeing her, patted the bear and sent him away. He then invited the nun to sit beside him. But, they had barely sat down together when the bear returned from the wood and came and lay at St. Seraphim's feet. Matrona was terrified but when she saw that St. Seraphim was unconcerned. He was treating the bear like a lamb, stroking him and giving him bread. When Matrona was wholly reassured, the Elder gave her a piece of bread and said: "You needn't be the least afraid of him, he won't hurt you." So, she held out the bread to the bear, and felt great joy as it ate the bread.

Seeing how much Matrona was enjoying feeding the bear, Fr. Seraphim said: "You remember the story of St. Jerome feeding a lion in the desert? Well, here we've got a bear obeying us."

"The sisters would die of fright if they saw such a sight!" Matrona exclaimed.

"They won't see it," replied the Elder.

"I'd be very sad if anyone killed him," Matrona went on.

"Nobody will kill him and nobody except yourself will see him," answered Fr. Seraphim.

Matrona was rejoicing at the thought of telling the sisters about it, but Elder Seraphim, reading her thoughts, said to her, "'No, my joy, you're not to tell anyone until eleven years after my death. Then God will show you whom to tell."

A day came years after St. Seraphim's death where Matrona went past an artist's studio in the monastery. The artist was working on a portrait of the Elder in the forest on a tree trunk. "You really must paint the bear!" Matrona told him. "What bear?" the artist asked in surprise. Then Matrona told him the story and remembered the Elder's words. Eleven years had gone by since his repose (Carlson).

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St. Seraphim of Sarov is indeed a holy and blessed man. His life alone shows the beauty of God's grace and love for all of us. There were many times where St. Seraphim could have fallen to illness, but through the Theotokos, God healed him. He had every opportunity to give up and not fully commit himself to God. For example, the 1000 nights of prayer. If I did that now, I wouldn't make it very long. But St. Seraphim, through the grace of God, did.

I love the words that he greeted everyone with: "My joy, Christ is risen!". I might start doing the same to my brothers and sisters.

And the fact that he reposed while praying to God is the most beautiful thing. If I had to choose how I'd die, that is the death I'd seek.

The story behind the bear is also beautiful. I think it's interesting how his words about revealing the story of the bear came true. And St. Seraphim was so peaceful and holy that a wild bear felt safe to lie at his feet. It is truly a testament to the kind of person St. Seraphim was.

Until next time and may God bless all of you!

Love your sister in Christ,

Joanna

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Works Cited:

Carlson, Kristofer “The Story of St Seraphim of Sarov and the Bear.” Why Mary Matters, 3 Sept. 2017, http://wmm.dormitionpress.org/archives/1285.

“Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov .” Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, https://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints?contentid=366.

“St. Seraphim of Sarov.” Https://Obitel-Minsk.org/, St. Elisabeth Convent, https://obitel-minsk.org/st-seraphim-of-sarov.

[astaldis]

Whumper's Monthly Issue no 33: Hospital - Amoris Infinitas

@whumpers-monthly

This is really old, my ending to the saga written before the last book dropped. But maybe the one or other reader still likes it. The last chapter takes place at St Mungo's Hospital.

Fandom: Harry Potter

Whumpee: Severus Snape

Published: 2005-07-31; Completed: 2005-08-25; Words: 17,874; Chapters: 13/13

Excerpt from Chapter 12: Aftermath

"Leave him be," gritted Harry through his teeth, his wand trained on the old Auror. "You touch him again, and I'll kill you."

"Harry, calm down. The fight is over." Lupin stepped forward, his hands held in a pacifying gesture. But Harry ignored him. Pushing his former professor out of his way, he strode over to where Snape lay and crouched down at his side, oblivious to Moody's grumblings and the others' stares. Snape was breathing, that was all that counted at the moment.

"We must get him to St. Mungo's." Harry looked up at Lupin pleadingly. "The snakes - the snakes bit him, and I'm sure there are more injuries. Please, Remus. He must not die!"

Bewildered, Lupin stared at Harry, who was starting to sob quietly while he gently brushed a strand of blood-matted, greasy hair from Snape's deathly pale brow. "Remus, please ..."

Lupin nodded. "OK, Harry. You get some rest; you must still be in shock," he said, half turning to Molly Weasley, who had arrived on the scene, "and I'll take care of Severus." Reluctantly, Harry rose to his feet and made room for Remus to kneel down beside Snape. Lupin carefully hoisted the dying man into his arms and Disapparated with a soft 'plop'.

Excerpt from Chapter 13: Epilogue

"Potter."

Snape nodded towards the single chair that stood not far from the bed. The wizard was propped up in his bed with numerous white pillows. He still looked awfully pale and sick, but the healers had assured Harry that it would only be a matter of a few weeks, strict bed rest and healthy food, and afterwards a nice holiday at the coast to fully restore his former professor to health. Although Harry could hardly imagine Snape sunbathing and enjoying himself with a cool drink in some holiday resort, he fully agreed with the bed rest and food thing.

After Remus Lupin had brought Snape to St Mungo's, the healers had had a hard time keeping the man alive. Flinging their code of honour to the wind, some, seeing who their patient was, had stubbornly refused to even try. However, this changed when Dumbledore's will was found. It had been hidden in a secret drawer in his desk at Hogwarts. Of course, the desk had been carefully searched after the headmaster's death; the drawer simply had never been there before, but suddenly it was. Obviously it had been timed to appear once Voldemort was dead. The will proved beyond doubt that Snape had acted strictly on Dumbledore's orders. In an extraordinary meeting, the Wizengamot had declared his deed a 'necessity of war in the service of the light' and cleared him from all charges. The Aurors positioned at the entrance to Snape's sick room had received new orders; instead of preventing the man from breaking out (something the badly wounded wizard wouldn't have been able to do anyway), they now were to prevent anybody from breaking in; there were still a few Death Eaters on the loose, Peter Pettigrew among others, and they were eager to take revenge. Finally, after almost two weeks of searching, the healers had found an effective antidote to the snake venom. However, Snape had been so weakened from the violent cramps and burning fever caused by the poison that they had thought they would lose him nevertheless. Fortunately, they were wrong, and their patient slowly began to recover. The blackened burn mark that had caused the healers quite a headache had started to heal of its own accord, and the Dark Mark burned into the wizard's left forearm was fading.

[barbaramoorersm]

February 4, 2024

February 4, 2024

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Job 7: 1-4, 6-7

We hear very depressing words from Job.

Psalm 147

The Psalmists speaks of God’s healing power

1st Corinthians 9: 16-19, 22-23

Paul describes how he tries to be all things to all people.

Mark 1: 29-39

We are still hearing from the first chapter in Mark and it is full of activity. 

We begin with the ministry of John the Baptist followed by Jesus’ baptism, and his temptations in the desert.  And then he quickly he begins to call disciples, and he launches his healing ministry.  There does seem to be not a wasted moment in Jesus’ life or time for himself.  Note how often Mark uses the term “immediately.”

In the past few years, I have been fascinated by this story in the Gospel’s first chapter.  Jesus and four of his new disciples have been worshiping in the synagogue and for some reason stopped at Peter’s family home.  For a rest?  For food? For any number of reasons?  I have wondered why the first thing that happens is the news about Peter’s mother-in-law’s illness. Was it serious?  Were some anxious because nothing had been prepared for Jesus?  Or was the whole visit a surprise for her? All we know is that Mark tells us that “immediately” they tell Jesus about her condition. Jesus responds and she is healed.  And note that after the dear lady is healed, “she waited on them.”   We learn a great deal about the role of women, their culture, and self-giving.  We also know a bit more about Jesus’ style.   His response, his touch, and I am sure his appreciation of for all her efforts.

The word got out about her healing and his presence. Mark tells us that, “the whole town was gathered at the door.”  And I am sure she was again in the serving role as Jesus healed one after the other that whole evening.  In addition, it seems Jesus and others stayed all night with her and he rose early in the morning and “went off to a deserted place.” 

There are so many lessons in this text.  Jesus that day was using the gifts he has been given as he deals with illnesses and folks who were possessed.  I think about people who came to him and were trying to explain to him what they were suffering and he could see that in their bodies and reflected in their wounded spirits.  That kind of ministry takes a toll of a person.  And perhaps he had hoped that the visit to Peter’s home would be one of rest and quiet.  Parents and pastoral ministers could easily understand what Jesus was facing.  It appears that no one was turned away that day.

But Jesus seems to know his limits and call.  “Let us go to the nearby villages.  For this purpose, have I come.” 

There are other aspects of this story we may miss.  After he and his disciples began their travels their first stop is in the synagogue in the villages they visited.  The local site of worship.  There he preached and healed according to Mark.  The Gospel gives us a clear picture that Jesus believed he was called to preach and minister to his own people and to call them back to the heart of their faith.  His mission it appears, was not to form something new but to enrich the ancient message.

Mark also shares another fact that is a good one for all of us.  After a day’s ministry and a nights’ rest, Jesus took time to go off by himself and pray.  I would guess to reflect on the past day and to gather strength for the next day.  And as he shared with Peter, he was not going to rest in the praise of the locals but move on.

As I reflect on this story, I must say my heart goes out to the sick mother-in-law as well as the healed souls.  She never had time to reflect on her own healing but started to serve.  Jesus seems to try to take refection times. 

St Ignatius suggests that like Jesus, we all take time at the end of a day to do just that.  We call it an examine and it has five steps.  Father James Martin labels them as Presence (that is we are in God’s presence), Gratitude (for the blessings of the day), Review (of the day), Sorrow (for mistakes) and a desire for God’s Grace for the next day.

Many men and women find that this practice helps them to be aware of the good and difficult times of each day, and to seek the grace to meet the next day with hope.  My guess is Jesus often used a process like this as he ended or began a day.  We see it in the Gospel today.  He reflects on the events of the day, as well as the sorrows and the joys he experiences and well as a prayer for the grace to continue his ministry.

May we make efforts to follow this daily pattern of reflection. It will help us to keep our busy lives in balance and perspective.

[riszellira]

Reflection: Not Just Having Time but Making Time

There are only twenty-four hours in a day, no matter how we divide it. Time is a limited resource and we are called to spend it wisely. As we grow older, we feel as if time goes faster and faster, but in reality, we come to realize and appreciate how precious time is. Hence, we need time management to optimize it, work more efficiently, avoid unwanted stress, and achieve work-life balance.

The Gospel describes a typically busy day for Jesus. After performing exorcism on a man with an unclean spirit in the synagogue of Capernaum, He heals Peter’s mother-in-law, cures many others who are sick, and expels evil spirits. The following day, He again goes about preaching in synagogues and driving out many more demons.

But note how very early in the morning Jesus goes to a deserted place to pray alone. After a tiring day, He makes time to be alone and to draw renewed strength from His Father. This is why Jesus never gets tired. He always goes back to the Source of His power—His intimate moments with His Father Jesus must have been a “master” of time management. He has time for family and close friends, for other people, and for God in prayer. He never sacrifices one for the other.

Yet more than human planning, Jesus opens Himself to the rhythms of divine grace. This entrusting enables Him to do all His activities freely, comfortably, and seamlessly.

It is good to ask ourselves: how fruitful is our busy day? St. Ignatius of Loyola advises us to review our day to see how we have spent it and to be more aware of God’s presence in our day-to-day lives. 

~Fr. Pao Asprer, SSP

Are you busier than Jesus? We will be wise if we follow Jesus’ example.

Lord, in our busyness, may we not lose sight of the more and most essential in life. Amen.

Prayer  

… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.

… for the strength and healing of the sick.

… for the healing and peace of all families.

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.

GOD BLESS!

[anastpaul]

One Minute Reflection – 15 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – St Albert the Great OP (1200-1280) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church – 2 Timothy 4:1-8; Matthew 5:13-19 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/ “You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:14

  REFLECTION – “I shall always love and reverence the Apostles sent by Christ and their successors, in sowing the seed of the Gospel, those zealous and tireless co-operators in propagating the Word, who may justly say of themselves: Let a man so account of us as the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the Mysteries of God. For Christ, like a most watchful and most faithful householder, wished that the Gospel lamp should be lit by such ministers and delegates, with fire sent down from Heaven and once lit, should not be put under a measure but set upon a candlestick, so that it may spread its brightness far and wide and put to flight, all darkness and error, rife among both Jews and Gentiles. Now it is not enough for the Gospel teacher to be a brilliant speaker in the eyes of the people; he must also be as a voice crying in the desert and endeavour, by his eloquence, to help many to lead good lives, lest, if he omit his duty of speaking, he be called the dumb dog that is not able to bark, spoken of by the prophet. Yes, he should also burn, in such a way, that, equipped with good works and love, he may adorn his evangelical office and follow the leadership of Paul. He indeed was not satisfied with bidding the Bishop of the Ephesians: This command and teach: conduct thyself in work as a good soldier of Christ Jesus but he unflaggingly preached the Gospel to friend and foe alike and, said with a good conscience to the Bishops gathered at Ephesus: You know how I have kept back nothing that was for your good but have declared it to you and taught you in public and from house to house, urging Jews and Gentiles to turn to God in repentance and to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. Such should be the shepherd in the Church who, like Paul, becomes all things to all men, so that the sick may find healing in him; the sad, joy; the desperate, hope; the ignorant, instruction; those in doubt, advice; the penitent, forgiveness and comfort and finally, everyone, whatever is necessary for salvation. And so Christ, when He wished to appoint the chief teachers of the world and of the Church, did not limit Himself to saying to His disciples: You are the light of the world but also added these words: A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a measure but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all who are in the house. Those churchmen err, who imagine that it is by brilliant preaching, rather than by holiness of life and all-embracing love, they fulfil their office.” – St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1597) Doctor of the Church (Sermon excerpt).

(via One Minute Reflection – 15 November – “You are the light of the world.” – Matthew 5:14 – AnaStpaul)

[faniju]

SAINTS OF THE DAY

FRIDAY, 14 APRIL, 2023

1) SAINT LYDWINE OF SCHEIDAM

2) SAINT PETER GONSALEZ

1) SAINT LYDWINE OF SCHEIDAM

STIGMATIST AND VICTIM SOUL

(18 March, 1380 - 14 April, 1433)

Saint Lydwine was born in present day Scheidam, Holland, near Rotterdam, in 1380. She was the only daughter of nine children in a poor working family. Little is known about the childhood of Lydwine, with the exception that she took a private vow of virginity at age 15. One year later, when Lydwine was 16, she was ice skating with a group of friends, when she suffered a fall and collision, causing her to break a small rib in her right side. A hard abscess grew around the broken rib which never healed. From that moment on, Lydwine lived in constant pain, such that no position of her body (sitting, standing, reclining) could relieve her suffering.

She became bedridden following her accident, and a host of bodily ailments followed. These sufferings included headaches, fever, thirst, bedsores, toothaches, spasms of the muscles, neuritis, pieces of her body falling off, coughing up blood, ulcers and tumours, could not eat or drink without vomiting and many others.

She also fractured her forehead, which extended to the middle of her nose and a cleft from her lower lip to her chin that would often bleed. She could not see from her right eye and had a weak left eye. For thirty-three years, until her death, St Lidwina's body deteriorated, and became a spectacle of pure suffering, defying the laws of nature. She is believed to be the first recorded patient suffering with Multiple Sclerosis.

Several years passed. Lidwina was deprived of a spiritual director, receiving communion Holy Communion only at Easter when she was carried to Church. She laid in darkness and spent many nights sobbing to herself. Like a forsaken home that was once a place of excitement and warmth, so too did Lidwina temporarily depart from her joyful and lively self, for suffering and abandonment moulded her into a vessel of despondency and despair. But St. Lidwina's world was set on fire when she finally understood the potent mystery of love: love that is willing to suffer is life-giving.

By meditating upon the Passion of Christ with the aid of her new-found spiritual director, Fr. John Walters of Lyden, a spark ignited within St Lidwina, allowing her to find happiness in her pain through fortitude, patience and trust in God's will. True peace came upon St. Lidwina after she received the gift of tears. She then comprehended God's unconditional love and care, which opened the floodgates to renewal and consolation.

One day after receiving the Eucharist, she cried uncontrollably for fourteen days. This experience inundated her her spirit with perfect consolation. Like a spring of cleansing water, Lidwina's discovery of the redemptive strength of love allowed her to recommit to prayer, fasting and penance. The more suffering she endured, the closer she was to the Cross of Christ. After eight years of suffering, she said: “It is not I who suffer; it is my Lord Jesus who suffers in me!”

Saint Lydwine came to realize that there was no earthly reason for her suffering, and that it must be a gift from the Lord. She eagerly consecrated herself to enduring the pain and suffering for the good of others, in atonement for their sins. Lydwine fasted in earnest, receiving only the Holy Eucharist as sustenance in the last 19 years of her life. Lydwine further gave away all her possessions to the poor, sleeping on a mound of hay.

Saint Lydwine became known as a holy woman, a healer of the sick who visited her, and a mystic. Her body, despite being covered by awful sores, emitted the sweet perfume of heaven. Her touch was known to heal those whom doctors had given up on. She was visited frequently with visions and ecstasies of Jesus, and herself exhibited the Stigmata on many occasions. In one such vision, she was greeted by the presence of Jesus, and saw a rosebush which was not in bloom. Above the bush, an inscription read, "When this shall be in bloom, your suffering will be at an end."

Lydwine spoke to Our Lord and Our Lady and the saints and angels on a daily basis. Her lifelong illness which was recognized to be of supernatural origin. Her body became covered with sores and abscesses and virtually came apart into three pieces-symbolically representing the condition of the Church.

One day the victim soul asked Our Lord for the conversion of a notoriously immoral young man in Schiedham. Jesus replied that His grace was sufficient and that this person habitually rejected grace. “He is sinning right now,” Jesus said, “as we speak.” Lydwine would not have “no” for an answer. She wanted a special grace. She wanted his soul. Jesus refused, “My justice will not allow it.” She then started to complain. “Look at what I suffer for souls,” she said, “I suffer your Passion, all for you. Is your mercy not loving enough to win this wretched one back to grace?” Jesus would not be moved. “My justice will not allow it, enough now.” “If that it is the case,” Lydwine protested, “I will have a word with your Mother.” Jesus disappeared and Mary came and answered her prayer. The young man came knocking at the door seconds later asking the blessed saint to send for a priest. She sent for a priest and this great sinner made a sincere confession in tears. The Mother will have her way. And that is the way the Son wants it.

Lydwine suffered for thirty-eight years, after which time she was greeted with another vision in which Jesus, Himself, administered her the Last Rites. She stated, “I see the rosebush in bloom,” and died later that evening, alone, as she preferred.

Multiple miracles and mystical gifts have been attributed to Lydwine, including bilocation. As Huysmans wrote in 1923, “She was given to be in two places at once, when Jesus asked her to be with him at Golgotha. In answer to His request, Lydwine replied: ‘O Savior, I am ready to accompany you to that mountain and to suffer and die there with you!' He took her with Him, and when she returned to her bed, which corporeally she had never left, they saw ulcers on her lips, wounds on her arms, the marks of thorns on her forehead and splinters on her limbs, which exhaled a very pronounced perfume of spices."

PATRON: of sickness; chronically ill, ice skaters, town of Schiedam.

PRAYER TO SAINT LYDWINE: O Glorious Saint Lydwine of Schiedam,you were chosen by Christ to suffer immense pain for poor sinners and to offer up all your sufferings to Him.Intercede on our behalf and help us through our small sufferings that cannot be compared to yours.Grant us the grace to trust completely in Jesus even during times of deep sorrow and confusions.Help us to always place our petitions in the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary who on our behalf will offer up our petitions to Jesus like how she did kindly for you.May we be given the grace to persevere in sufferings until the Lord calls us home to enjoy the Glory of Heaven. Amen.

St. Lydwine, whose life was filled with intense sufferings for poor sinners, pray for us!

2) SAINT PETER GONZALEZ

DOMINICAN PRIEST

(1190 - 15 April, 1246)

Peter González, also referred to as Pedro González Telmo, Saint Telmo, or Saint Elmo, was born in 1190 in the city of Astorga, Spain, of an illustrious family. After studies in which he excelled, he was named canon of the Cathedral. His uncle, the Bishop of Astorga, obtained for him from Rome the position of dean of the chapter of canons.

He became a priest as a step to high office. One Christmas Day, it was planned for Peter to take possession of the dignity at Christmas. A vain youth filled with the spirit of the world, Peter desired that the ceremony should take place with great pomp before the whole city. Astride a magnificent horse in full harness, he rode through the streets of the city. When he reached a place crowded with onlookers, he spurred his horse to make it prance more elegantly and raise the applause of the people. But the horse tripped and threw the rider into a puddle of mud. The applause immediately changed into derision and laughter.

Embarrassed and knowing that his parishioners thought he was a fake, Peter withdrew from the world for a period of prayer and meditation. During this time, he had a conversion and spent the rest of his life making up for his lost youth. He joined the Dominicans and shunned those who tried to convince him to return to his old ways, saying: "If you love me, follow me! If you cannot follow me, forget me!"

He served as the confessor and court chaplain to King Saint Ferdinand III of Castile, and reformed court life. He also worked for the crusade against the Moors, went into the battlefields, and worked for humane treatment of Moorish prisoners.

Fearing that the honors and easy life offered by the king's court would lead him to return to his previous ways, he left the court and evangelized to shepherds and sailors. He became apostle and preacher to the poor, and especially to sailors. He received the gift of miracles. He preached without stop until his last days and foretold his own death, which took place on April 15, 1246. The sailors of Spain and Portugal still invoke him in every storm under the name of St. Elmo (Elm or Telm).

"Public humiliation led Peter Gonzalez to a true conversion experience and set him on the road to sainthood."

He died in 15 April, 1246 and was beatified in 1254 by Pope Innocent IV.

PATRON: Spanish, Mariners and Portuguese sailors.

PRAYER: Almighty God, you bestowed the singular help of Blessed Peter on those in peril from the sea. By the help of his prayers may the light of your grace shine forth in all the storms of this life and enable us to find the harbor of everlasting salvation. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. - General Calendar of the Order of Preachers. Amen.

St. Peter Gonsalez: Pray for us!