Yesterday's Mass was offered for the repose of the soul of Canon J. W. Browne (+), may he be forever blessed. Today, Mass was offered for the intentions of coronavirus sufferers. What an ordeal it must be to endure the treatment for that in serious cases. Let us continue to pray for the victims of the illness, and in particular those who are dying from it.
As an act of charity, would you please also pray for S. R., who is presently in hospital.
The last two days have been a liturgical high for the Church in England. Yesterday was the feast day of Saint Philip Neri, the saintly Florentine priest from the sixteenth century, who spent the greater part of his life and ministry in the holy City of Rome, leaving no writing behind but exercising a charismatic hold on the people of the City that has lasted four hundred years and more. They still call him the third Apostle of Rome, the first two being naturally Saint Peter and Saint Paul. His history begins in England in the nineteenth century with the popular English convert, Saint John Henry Newman. JHN was an academic and a minister of the Church of England who was convinced that he could find a middle way between the Catholicism that was so disliked and distrusted in England, and extreme protestantism. In the course of his study of Church history, he discovered that the concept of such a middle way (via media) had been condemned in the past as a heresy by Church Fathers and the Popes. He became one of the most famous Anglican converts to Catholicism and later sought ordination as a Catholic priest. Seeking to lead a common life with other clergy, he introduced the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri into England, with the first house in Birmingham. Many of our large cities now have colleges of Philippian priests: in addition to Birmingham and London, the oldest houses, there are Oxford and (recently) Manchester and York. More about the the English Oratories here.
Today has been the feast day of the Apostle of England, Saint Augustine, the humble monk chosen by the Holy Father (Gregory I) to bring England into stronger relation with Rome. This last summer, finding those two weeks free, I had conducted a tour of England. Intending to find friends in the East country, I drove down to Ramsgate. I had wished very much to see the shrine of S. Augustine that stands there. I had actually thought Augustine had landed at Ramsgate, but the cross that marks the point of landing is a little further west on Pegwell Bay.
I like the histories of those early days when the diocesan structures of England were in their infancy. I am, in fact, reading one of them at the moment: Saint Bede's ecclesiastical history. Augustine was not alone, he had companions, but it must have been a difficult mission, even with the assistance of the Kentish king Ethelbert. Having ended my stay at Ramsgate, I passed through Pegwell to locate the cross that was erected about a hundred years ago at the presumed landing spot, and then headed off to London, through Canterbury. At Canterbury, the cathedral was being restored, and there was scaffolding over much of the West end of the building, but it was pleasant to walk through the old church and the cloisters a few times. Afterwards, I stopped at the original monastery, which is about a quarter of a mile away from the cathedral and was where Augustine lived and died (early seventh century). I do believe he was entombed there and I don't think his relics were ever moved to the present cathedral building. Augustine was the first archbishop of the See of Canterbury, the southern See. May he pray always for the Church in these lands, his great Project.
Meanwhile, the countdown to Pentecost continues. Today is the sixth day of the novena to the Holy Spirit.
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: DAY 6"If Thou take Thy grace away,Nothing pure in man will stay;All his good is turned to ill."Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light in Thy Light; and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of Thee and the Father and the Son. Amen.One Our Father and one Hail Mary,Seven times the Glory be.On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself soul and body to Thee, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Thy purity, the unerring keenness of Thy justice, and the might of Thy love. Thou art the Strength and Light of my soul. In Thee I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve Thee by unfaithfulness to grace, and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against Thee. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Thy light and listen to Thy voice and follow Thy gracious inspirations. I cling to Thee and give myself to Thee and ask Thee by Thy compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore Thee Adorable Spirit, helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Thy grace that I may never sin against Thee. Give me grace O Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to say to Thee always and everywhere, Speak Lord, for Thy servant heareth. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment