[St. Ambrose – IV Century AD; born: Augusta Trevrorum, Gallia Belgica, Roman Empire/died: Mediolanum, Italia, Western Roman Empire – Resting Place – Crypt of Basilica Sant’Ambrogio – One of the Great Four Latin Church Fathers – Doctor of the Church – made Bishop by popular acclamation] Chapter VIII ~ The sacrament of the Eucharist prefigured in Psalm xxiii., in the incident of Melchizedek, and in the manna and water miraculously supplied to Israel in the wilderness. 43. Rich with these adornments the cleansed people hastens to the altar of Christ, saying, And I will go unto the altar of God, even unto the God that maketh glad my youth ; 1 for, putting off the slough of long-standing sin, renewed in the youth of the eagle, she hastens to approach that heavenly banquet. She comes, therefore, and seeing the holy altar duly ordered, cries and says, Thou hast prepared a table before me. z She it is whom David represents as the speaker, in the words, The Lord is my shepherd, and I shall not …More
" For the synagogue derived its origin from the law of Moses. But Abraham is far earlier; who, when he had won the victory, defeating the enemy and recovering his own nephew, was then met by Melchizedek who brought forth the gifts which Abraham received with reverence. It was not Abraham that brought them forth, but Melchizedek, who is represented as being without father, without mother, having neither beginning of days nor end, but like unto the Son of God ; of whom Paul says in the Epistle to the Hebrews that he abideth a priest continually, who in the Latin version is called King of righteousness, King of peace."
[St. Augustine of Hippo – IV-V Century AD; born: Thagaste, Roman Empire/died: Hippo, Western Roman Empire; (aged 75) – Church Father – Doctor of the Church – Blessed; Resting Place – Pavia, Italy] Chapter VIII 20. In this sentence the meaning is twofold. We must deal with it in both ways. For He who says, "I am not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill," means it either in the way of adding what is wanting, or of doing what is in it. Let us then consider that first which I have put first: for he who adds what is wanting does not surely destroy what he finds, but rather confirms it by perfecting it; and accordingly He follows up with the statement, "Verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one iota or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." For, if even those things which are added for completion are fulfilled, much more are those things fulfilled which are sent in advance as a commencement. Then, as to what He says, "One iota or one tittle shall …More
The Legend of the Bees According to pious tradition and poetic hagiography, as the saint passed away, a swarm of bees gathered around his body and formed a garland or crown over him...
"Blasio also spoke of Heaven, the last place into which he had been taken ; but he spoke almost like St. Paul, who, having been ravished to the third Heaven, whether with his body or without his body he knew not, there heard mysterious words which no mortal tongue could repeat. What most attracted the attention of the child was the immense multitude of angels that surrounded the throne of God, and the incomparable beauty of the blessed Virgin Mary, elevated above all the choirs of angels."
Chapter XXI ~ Diversity of the Pains — Blasio Raised from the Dead by St. Bernardine — Venerable Prances of Pampeluna and the Pen of Pire — St. Corpreus and King Malachy. The celebrated Blasio Massei, who was raised from the dead by St. Bernardine of Sienna, saw that there was great diversity in the pains of Purgatory. The account of this miracle is given at length in the Acta Sanctorum (Appendix, May 20). A short time after the canonisation of St. Bernardine of Sienna, there died at Cascia, in the kingdom of Naples, a child aged eleven years, named Blasio Massei. His parents had inspired him with the same devotion which they them- selves had towards this new saint, and the latter was not slow to recompense it. The day after his death, when the body was being carried to the grave, Blasio awoke as from a profound slumber, and said that St. Bemardine had restored him to life, in order to relate the wonders which the saint had shown him in the other world. We can easily understand the …More
"He was accustomed to say that in this single work of mercy the thirteen others are assembled. Is it not, he said, in some manner, to visit the sick, to obtain by our prayers the relief of the poor suffering souls in Purgatory ? Is it not to give drink to those who thirst after the vision of God, and who are enveloped in burning flames, to share with them the dew of our prayers? Is it not to feed the hungry, to aid in their deliverance by the means which faith suggests ? Is it not truly to ransom prisoners?"
[Saint Catherine of Genoa – XV-XVI Century AD; born: Genoa, Republic of Genoa/ died: Genoa, Republic of Genoa; Aged 62-63; mystic, known for her work among the sick and the poor] ST. FRANCIS DE SALES ON PURGATORY. The opinion of St. Francis de Sales was that from the thought of Purgatory we should draw more consolation than pain. The greater number of those, he said, who fear Purgatory so much, do so in consideration of their own interests and of the love they bear themselves rather than the interests of God ; and this happens because those who treat of this place from the pulpit usually speak of its pains and are silent in regard to the happiness and peace which are found in it When any of his friends or acquaintances died, he never grew weary of speaking fondly of them and recommending them to the prayers of others. His usual expression was : " We do not sufficiently remember our dead, our faithful departed and the proof of it is that we do not speak enough of them. We turn away from …More
St. John of the Cross ~ Among all the creatures, the highest or the lowest, there is none that comes near to God or bears any resemblance to His Being.
St Matthew 13:13-14: "Seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And the prophecy of Isaias is fulfilled in them, who saith: By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand: and seeing you shall see and shall not perceive. (Isai, 6:9; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40; Acts 28:26; Rom.11:8)"
Chapter XXI ~ Diversity of the Pains — Blasio Raised from the Dead by St. Bernardine — Venerable Prances of Pampeluna and the Pen of Pire — St. Corpreus and King Malachy. The celebrated Blasio Massei, who was raised from the dead by St. Bernardine of Sienna, saw that there was great diversity in the pains of Purgatory. The account of this miracle is given at length in the Acta Sanctorum (Appendix, May 20). A short time after the canonisation of St. Bernardine of Sienna, there died at Cascia, in the kingdom of Naples, a child aged eleven years, named Blasio Massei. His parents had inspired him with the same devotion which they them- selves had towards this new saint, and the latter was not slow to recompense it. The day after his death, when the body was being carried to the grave, Blasio awoke as from a profound slumber, and said that St. Bemardine had restored him to life, in order to relate the wonders which the saint had shown him in the other world. We can easily understand the …More
"Blasio also spoke of Heaven, the last place into which he had been taken ; but he spoke almost like St. Paul, who, having been ravished to the third Heaven, whether with his body or without his body he knew not, there heard mysterious words which no mortal tongue could repeat. What most attracted the attention of the child was the immense multitude of angels that surrounded the throne of God, and the incomparable beauty of the blessed Virgin Mary, elevated above all the choirs of angels."
[Saint Catherine of Genoa – XV-XVI Century AD; born: Genoa, Republic of Genoa/ died: Genoa, Republic of Genoa; Aged 62-63; mystic, known for her work among the sick and the poor] ST. FRANCIS DE SALES ON PURGATORY. The opinion of St. Francis de Sales was that from the thought of Purgatory we should draw more consolation than pain. The greater number of those, he said, who fear Purgatory so much, do so in consideration of their own interests and of the love they bear themselves rather than the interests of God ; and this happens because those who treat of this place from the pulpit usually speak of its pains and are silent in regard to the happiness and peace which are found in it When any of his friends or acquaintances died, he never grew weary of speaking fondly of them and recommending them to the prayers of others. His usual expression was : " We do not sufficiently remember our dead, our faithful departed and the proof of it is that we do not speak enough of them. We turn away from …More
"He was accustomed to say that in this single work of mercy the thirteen others are assembled. Is it not, he said, in some manner, to visit the sick, to obtain by our prayers the relief of the poor suffering souls in Purgatory ? Is it not to give drink to those who thirst after the vision of God, and who are enveloped in burning flames, to share with them the dew of our prayers? Is it not to feed the hungry, to aid in their deliverance by the means which faith suggests ? Is it not truly to ransom prisoners?"
"His usual expression was : " We do not sufficiently remember our dead, our faithful departed and the proof of it is that we do not speak enough of them. We turn away from that discourse as from a sad subject. We leave the dead to bury their dead. Their memory perishes from us with the sound of their funeral-bell. We forget that the friendship which ends even with death, is never true. Holy Scripture assuring us that true love is stronger than death."
May the Heart of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even unto the end of time! ~ Amen.
Kant's concept of justice is grounded in autonomous human reason, not in God's law. Catholic justice is a virtue ordered to God as its final end. It is based ultimately on divine revelation that must be accepted by faith in the Logos taught by Jesus Christ. What Kant taught and what Jesus taught are not the same thing. Kant's philosophy undermines the Catholic faith.
This past Sunday as I was praying silently the Canon with the priest, the words of the Communicantes hit me. First and foremost, we are to be Communion with the Blessed Virgin and all for the martyr saints mentioned in that prayer. So the unity starts with unity in the faith held by those Saints, not with anyone who contradicts the true faith. Therefore the "una cum" referenced in the Te Igitur can only refer to those who hold the same faith as those saints. Ask yourself, do those who currently run the Church hold the same faith as the saints mentioned in the Canon?
Chapter XXVII. ~ The Fourth Dungeon The Boiling Kettle Amos iv. The days shall come when they shall lift you up on pikes, and what remains of you in boiling pots. Look into this little prison. In the middle of it there is a boy, a young man. He is silent; despair is on him. He stands straight up. His eyes are burning like two burning coals. Two long flames come out of his ears. His breathing is difficult. Sometimes he opens his mouth and breath of blazing fire rolls out of it. But listen! There is a sound just like that of a kettle boiling. Is it really a kettle which is boiling? No; then what is it? Hear what it is. The blood is boiling in the scalded veins of that boy. The brain is boiling and bubbling in his head. The marrow is boiling in his bones! Ask him, put the question to him, why is he thus tormented? His answer is, that when he was alive, his blood boiled to do very wicked things, and he did them, and it was for that he went to dancing-houses, public-houses, and theatres. Ask …More
"The blood is boiling in the scalded veins of that boy. The brain is boiling and bubbling in his head. The marrow is boiling in his bones! Ask him, put the question to him, why is he thus tormented? His answer is, that when he was alive, his blood boiled to do very wicked things, and he did them, and it was for that he went to dancing-houses, public-houses, and theatres."
[Saint Catherine of Genoa ~ XV-XVI Century; born: Genoa, Republic of Genoa/ died: Genoa, Republic of Genoa; (aged 62-63); Mystic; Spiritual Writer] Chapter XVI ~ THE SAINT SHOWS THAT THE SUFFERINGS OF THE SOULS IN PURGATORY DO NOT DESTROY THEIR PEACE OR THEIR JOY. I SEE that the souls in purgatory in the midst of their pains are sensible of doing two things : First, that they are suffering willingly ; for when they perceive their own deserts and God's Majesty, they think that He is treating them with great leniency in afflicting them as He does ; for had not goodness tempered justice with mercy through the satisfactions of the precious Blood of Jesus Christ, a thousand hells would have been the portion of a single sin through all eternity. Hence they suffer all their pains gladly, and would not rid them of a single pang, knowing that all is justly deserved and righteously ordained : they no more complain of God, so far as their will is concerned, than if they were in life eternal. Secondly …More
"Secondly, they are conscious of feeling positive satisfaction in beholding the love and mercy with which God orders His work within them. They are made sensible of these two facts at one and the same moment, and being in a state of grace, understand them as they are, each soul according to its capacity ; and they experience great happiness, which never grows less, but, on the contrary, goes on increasing the nearer they approach God."