Daily Mass - Saint Blaise

I'm still continuing with the daily Masses, as given by the newsletters. Although they tend to be private, since I cannot guarantee that the two required stewards are present everyday. Without two guaranteed stewards, I am not permitted to open the doors of the church. This morning was rather busy. Mass was offered for the sick and the dying, especially at this difficult time, and especially those among our own parish. I hear sometimes about those who are dying and those who have recently died. They are all in my constant prayer.

By two marvellous coincidences, the readings for the Mass for the fourth Wednesday of Ordinary time were all to do with human suffering. And, as I must have said several times before, the Christian religion is unique in having a theology of suffering - because we honour a God-man who is particularly defined by His sacrifice of His life, and that upon a wood cross - a distinctive feature of Catholic churches everywhere. Therefore, here's most of today's first reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Hebrews, where he says that not all of us are to acquire the quick suffering that comes from violent bloodshed; rather we are to suffer patiently and in different ways, and suffering is used by God to tutor His beloved children to look beyond safety and security, beyond health and prosperity. Now remember that this same letter has earlier said that even the sinless Christ had to learn obedience through suffering (Hebrews, 5: 8):

"Your protest, your battle against sin, has not yet called for bloodshed; yet you have lost sight, already, of those words of comfort in which God addresses you as His sons; My son, do not undervalue the correction which the Lord sends thee, do not be unmanned when He reproves thy faults. It is where He loves that He bestows correction; there is no recognition for any child of His, without chastisement. Be patient, then, while correction lasts; God is treating you as His children. Was there ever a son whom his father did not correct?" - Hebrews, 12: 4-7

And then, today was the feast day of Saint Blaise, and Armenian bishop and a holy martyr. And by profession he was a physician (what we ordinarily call a doctor today). He was bishop of Sebaste, and is particular invoked as a protector for those suffering from diseases of the throat.

This morning also, the forty days since Christmas day being completed yesterday, the crib setting in the Martyrs chapel was dismantled and stored away. The Martyrs chapel altar has therefore emerged once more and I shall spend some time this month dressing it and equipping it anew. As I said a several months ago, when I had just arrived, it's too beautiful an altar to just walk past on our way out of the church. Let's see what can be arranged.