Bishop Challoner's Meditations ~ September 7th

ON CLEANNESS OF HEART

Consider first, the words of the sixth beatitude, 'Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.' God is not to be seen by the eyes of the body, but only by the eyes of the heart, that is, by the interior eyes of the soul. Now, as the bodily eyes, in order to contemplate their proper objects must be clean, (for if any speck interpose itself and cover the sight, the object cannot be seen,) so the interior eye of the soul, in order to see God, must be clean; the sight must not be covered with any speck of earthly dirt, that is, with any disorderly affection to any thing in this world. This cleanness of the inward eye requires two things, viz., simplicity in the intention, purity in the affection: with these two wings, a man is lifted up above the things of the earth: simplicity aims at God alone; purity takes hold of him, embraces him and adheres to him. 'Seek God,' says the wise man, 'in simplicity of heart,' Wisd. i. 1: that is in the uprightness and sincerity of a single heart, of a heart free from all double-dealing, and all the guile of an artful selfseeking, instead of seeking God. Let the eye of the intention be simple, that is single and sincere, and truly directed to God; and then the whole body of the actions shall be lightsome, - Matt. vi. 22. Let God be the great object of thy love, so as to admit of no affection that takes off thy heart from him: and thy heart will be truly pure and clean, and qualified to contemplate and embrace God.

Consider 2ndly, the degrees by which we are to ascend to this perfect purity and cleanness of heart. The first, and most necessary purgation, is from all mortal sin, and from the affections to it. For the heart that voluntarily admits of the affection to mortal sin, (whether it be the sin of impurity or any other vice,) is absolutely unclean, and is possessed by an unclean spirit, and therefore can have no share in God. The second purgation goes farther, and not only settles the soul in a fixed determination never to consent upon any account, not even in thought, to any one mortal sin, but also cleanses the heart from all wilful affections to venial sin, and fixes her in a resolution, never with a full deliberation to commit a known venial sin; much less, to indulge any habit or custom of any such sin. All these sins, when fully deliberate, are so many spots and stains, which strangely disfigure the beauty of the soul, make her unworthy of the embraces of her heavenly spouse, and darken the eye of the heart, so as to disqualify it for the seeing of God. And therefore such spots and stains as these must be purged away if we would be truly clean of heart.

Consider 3rdly, that in order to be perfectly clean of heart, the heart must also be purged from all affection to worldly honours, riches, and pleasures; from all disorderly love of the creature, to the prejudice of the love of the creator; and from every affection that takes off any part of the heart from God: which indeed is always the case when we love any person or thing which we don't love for God's sake, or with a due subordination to the love of God. Whatsoever love cannot stand this test is more or less an unclean love; it divides the heart; it makes the heart unclean; it sullies its purity; and disqualifies it for the seeing of God. O see then, my soul what an evil it is to suffer any irregular affection to possess thy heart; since it hinders thee from so great a good, even the sight of God, the only true and sovereign good!

Conclude to be ever jealous of the purity of thy heart; labour daily to purge it more and more, not only from all wilful sin, but also from every earthly affection that can any way sully it, or overcloud its inward sight, with the exhalations that are aways arising from sensual and worldly love.

7 September, Antonio, Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day

“To be Silent, to Adore, and to be Happy”

1. When Rosmini was seriously ill and in danger of death he was visited by his admirer and friend, Manzoni, who found him in so serious a condition that he could only breathe with difficulty. In his shaking hands he clutched a crucifix. “Are you suffering much?” Manzoni asked as he bent over him. The sick man gazed at his friend and a wan smile passed over his face. Then the great writer asked him to give him some advice by which he would remember him. Rosmini looked at his crucifix and whispered: “Be silent, adore, and be happy.”

To be silent: It is very difficult for a man to remain silent when he is suffering great physical pain or when he is slandered, envied or misunderstood. On such occasions one’s blood begins to boil and bitter remarks come easily to the tongue. But what good does it do? It may be some relief to our feelings, but usually it will only make matters worse by aggravating our trouble. Let us be silent and offer our sufferings to Jesus, Who suffered for us more than we could ever suffer. Let us atone for our sins by silently offering our sorrows and disappointments to God. Any other gift which we give to God is nothing more than restitution for all He has given us; but when we offer our sufferings, we give Him something which is truly our own, because it is we ourselves who suffer. Suffering endured without complaint is a most acceptable gift to God, Who grants us in return peace and resignation.

2. To Adore: What are we in the sight of God but poor, weak creatures? How can we rebel against those sufferings with which the Lord in His infinite wisdom allows us to be afflicted? Since it is God Who sends them, it can only mean that He wishes us to profit spiritually from them in the same way as we benefit physically from unpleasant medicine. We gladly recognize, therefore, the mysterious designs of Divine Providence in all the circumstances of our lives, happy and unhappy. Like the holy patriarch Job we should say: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!” (Job 1:21) We should repeat, too, with Jesus in Gethsemane: “Not my will but thine be done.” (Luke 22:42) Like the Saints, we should thank God for all His designs in our regard.

3. To be Happy: When the Apostles had been persecuted and threatened with death we read that “they departed rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.” (Acts 5:41) The Saints were also happy to suffer for Christ. St. Teresa used to say “Either to suffer or to die,” while St. Maria Maddalena de’ Pazzi wished “to suffer and not to die.”

There were others whose love for Jesus was so great that they prayed for suffering because they considered it an affliction not to be carrying a cross. It is difficult for human nature to desire and to pray for suffering; but when a man really loves God more than himself and more than created things, nothing is too difficult. If we have not reached such a high level of generosity, however, let us at least resolve to be fully resigned in our acceptance of any trials which He may wish to send us.

Byzantine Saints: Martyr Sozon of Cilicia

Major Archbishop Josyf, Cardinal Slipyj

Byzantine Saints: Forefeast of the Nativity of the Mother of God

Eastern Rite ~ Feasts of 7 September AM 7534

Today is the Forefeast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God and the Feasts of the Holy Martyr Sozon,  of the Zhyrovytsi Icon of the Mother of God (On this day in 1719 Clement XI confirmed its miracles). This icon is presently found in the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus in Rome, at the metochion of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and the Commemoration of the  Passing into Eternal Life of Patriarch Josyf Slipyj.

✠✠✠✠✠

The first lesson at Great Vespers (Genesis 28:10-17) describes Jacob’s dream of a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, and the angels ascending and descending upon it. The second lesson (Ezekiel 43:27-44:4) speaks of the gate of the sanctuary which faces east. God enters through this gate, which is shut so that no one else can enter by it. The third reading (Proverbs 9:1-11) talks about the house that Wisdom has built.

These readings are interpreted as prefiguring the Mother of God.

Troparion — Tone 4

Today from the stem of Jesse and from the loins of David, / the handmaid of God Mary is being born for us. / Therefore all creation is renewed and rejoices! / Heaven and earth rejoice together. / Praise her, you families of nations, / for Joachim rejoices and Anna celebrates crying out: / “The barren one gives birth to the Theotokos, the Nourisher of our life!”

Kontakion — Tone 3

Today the Virgin Theotokos Mary / the bridal chamber of the Heavenly Bridegroom / by the will of God is born of a barren woman, / being prepared as the chariot of God the Word. / She was fore-ordained for this since she is the divine gate and the true Mother of Life.

✠✠✠✠✠

Saint Sozon lived in the late III century. He was from Lykaonia in Cilicia, and originally his name was Tarasios. When he became a Christian, he was baptized and received the name Sozon. A shepherd by profession, he tried to imitate the meekness of the sheep, at which he marvelled. “I am ashamed,” he said, “that I am inferior to sheep.”

He studied the Holy Scriptures attentively, and he also guided Christ‘s rational sheep to good pastures. One day, while watering his flock at a spring, Sozon fell asleep under an oak tree, where he had a vision that foretold his impending martyrdom for Christ. He was also informed that the spring would become a source of blessing and of healing for many since it would be sanctified by God‘s grace. When he awakened, he entrusted his flock to another shepherd and journeyed to Pompeiopolis in Cilicia. Seeing what impiety there was in that city, his heart was profoundly grieved.

Entering one of the temples of the idolaters, he beheld a golden statue representing a pagan “god.” Then, with great courage, he broke off the statue‘s right hand with his shepherd‘s crook and smashed it into tiny pieces, which he distributed to the poor. This caused a great uproar in the city. Maximian, the governor of Cilicia, became very angry, and a search was made to find the culprit. Many innocent people were arrested and tortured in an attempt to force a confession from them.

When Saint Sozon heard about this, he could not permit others to suffer for something he had done. Therefore, he presented himself before the governor and responded to his threats in a calm manner, saying that the statue was not doing anyone much good inside the temple, and so he used the gold for the benefit of the poor.

Maximian asked the Saint how he dared to dishonour their “god” in such a way. Sozon replied, “I did this so that you might know that your ‘god’ is powerless. When I struck off his hand, he did not protest or make any attempt to stop me, nor did he cry out with pain. How could he? Your idol is deaf and dumb and without breath. It cannot see, hear, speak, or defend itself. If your ‘god’ was real, I would not have been permitted to break it.”

When Maximian heard these words, he ordered that Saint Sozon be tortured without mercy. He was suspended and his body was raked with iron claws. Then iron boots were nailed to the soles of his feet, and he was paraded through the city. Throughout his torments, he never ceased to glorify the Savior Christ. Once again he was suspended from a tree and beaten with iron rods so that his body was mangled and his bones were broken. Amid such torture, the Saint surrendered his soul to God in the year 304.

Seeing that he was dead, the soldiers took him down from the tree and built a large fire to burn his body so that the Christians would not be able to claim it and venerate it. Suddenly, there was thunder and lightning, rain and hail, which put out the fire. The pagans fled in fear, and the holy relics were not damaged. The faithful came at midnight when it was very dark. They were troubled because they could not find the relics, but a light from Heaven shone upon Christ‘s holy martyr to guide them. Gathering the Saint‘s relics, the Christians gave them an honourable burial.

Many miracles took place at the tomb, and also at the spring where the Saint had his vision under the oak tree. Later, a church was built by the spring and was dedicated to Saint Sozon. In that holy place praise was offered to the one true God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, to Whom be glory throughout all the ages. Amen.

Troparion — Tone 4

O Martyr Sozon, you pledged your life to God, / Enduring the contest and becoming a sharer in Christ’s passion. / Save from temptation those who cry to you: / “Glory to him who strengthened you! / Glory to him who crowned you! / Glory to him who through you works healing for all!”

Kontakion — Tone 2

As we come together on this day, / let us, with loud voices, remember the true and God-bearing martyr, and athlete of piety, Sozon, / the divine initiate of grace, / the most bountiful giver of healings, / for he intercedes with God for us all.

✠✠✠✠✠

The Zhyrovytsi Icon of the Mother of God appeared in the year 1470 in the vicinity of Zhyrovyts on the Bielorussian frontier. In the forest, belonging to the schismatic Orthodox Lithuanian dignitary Alexander Solton, shepherds beheld an extraordinarily bright light while peering through the branches of a pear tree that stood over a brook at the foot of a hill. The shepherds came closer and saw a radiant icon of the Mother of God on the tree. With reverence, the shepherds took the icon to Alexander Solton. Alexander Solton did not pay any attention to the report of the shepherds, but he took the icon and placed it in a chest.

On the following day, Solton had guests, and he wanted to show them what had been found. To his amazement, he did not find the icon in the chest, although he had seen it shortly before this. After a certain time, the shepherds again found the icon in the same place, and again they brought it to Alexander Solton. This time, however, he received the icon with great reverence and vowed to build a church in honour of the Most Holy Theotokos at the place of the icon’s discovery. Around the wooden church, a settlement soon gathered and a parish was formed.

Around the year 1520, the church was completely burned, despite the efforts of the inhabitants to extinguish the blaze and save the icon. Everyone thought that the icon had been destroyed. However, some peasant children returning from school beheld a miraculous vision. The Virgin, extraordinarily beautiful and radiant, sat upon a stone at the burned church, and in Her hands was the icon which everyone believed had been destroyed. The children did not dare approach Her, but they hastened to tell their relatives and acquaintances about the vision.

Everyone accepted the story about the vision as a divine revelation and they went to the hill with the priest. The Zhyrovytsi Icon of the Mother of God, totally unharmed by the fire, stood on a stone with a burning candle before it. For a while, they placed the icon in the priest’s house, and the stone was fenced in. When they built a stone church, they placed the wonderworking icon there. A men’s monastery later grew up around the church. Its monks headed the struggle for the Orthodox schism against the Catholic Church.

In 1609, the monastery was taken by the Ukrainian Catholics.

✠✠✠✠✠

His Eminent Beatitude 

Josyf Slipyi (Ukrainian: Йосиф Сліпий, born as Ukrainian: Йосиф Коберницький-Дичковський; 17 February 1892 – 7 September 1984) was Patriarch (Major Archbishop) of Lviv.  

Troparion of the Departed

Thou only Creator Who with wisdom profound mercifully orderest all things, and givest unto all that which is useful, give rest, O Lord, to the soul of Thy servant who has fallen asleep, for he has placed his trust in Thee, our Maker and Fashioner and our God.

Kontakion of the Departed

With the saints give rest, O Christ, to the soul of Thy servant where sickness and sorrow are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting.

7 September, The Chesterton Calendar

SEPTEMBER 7th

The sin and sorrow of despotism is not that it does not love men, but that it loves them too much and trusts them too little.

'Robert Browning.'

7 September, The Holy Rule of St Benedict, Patriarch of Western Monasticism

PROLOGUE OF OUR MOST HOLY FATHER SAINT BENEDICT TO HIS RULE

7 Jan. 8 May. 7 Sept.

We have, therefore, to establish a school of the Lord’s service, in the setting forth of which we hope to order nothing that is harsh or rigorous. But if anything be somewhat strictly laid down, according to the dictates of sound reason, for the amendment of vices or the preservation of charity, do not therefore fly in dismay from the way of salvation, whose beginning cannot but be strait and difficult. But as we go forward in our life and in faith, we shall with hearts enlarged and unspeakable sweetness of love run in the way of God’s commandments; so that never departing from His guidance, but persevering in His teaching in the monastery until death, we may by patience share in the sufferings of Christ, that we may deserve to be partakers of His kingdom. Amen.

8 September, The Roman Martyrology

Sexto Idus Septémbris Luna vicésima sexta. Anno Dómini 2026

September 8th 2026, the 26th day of the Moon,
Upon the same 8th day of September, were born into the better life:
On the morrow we commemorate the birth of the Most Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, Mother of God.
Upon the same day are commemorated the holy martyr Adrian, and twenty-three others, who finished their testimony at Nicomedia after many sufferings, under the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian, by having their legs broken, upon the 4th day of March. Their relics were carried by the Christians to Byzantium, where they were buried with reverence and honour, and thence the body of holy Adrian was afterwards brought to Rome, upon the 8th of this month, upon which day the chief feast is kept in his honour.
At Alexandria, the holy martyrs Ammon, Theophilus, Neoterius, and twenty-two others.
At Antioch, the holy martyrs Timothy and Faustus.
At Gaza, in Palestine, the holy brethren Eusebius, Nestabus, and Zeno, all martyrs, in the time of the Emperor Julian the Apostate.
A multitude of the Gentiles fell upon them, rent them, and slew them.
There also the holy martyr Nestor, who was most cruelly tormented by the same raging Gentiles, under the same Emperor Julian, and gave up the ghost.
At Valencia, in Spain, holy Thomas of Villanueva, Archbishop (of that city,) famous for his exceeding charity toward the poor. His name was enrolled among those of the Saints by Pope Alexander VII, and we keep his feast upon the 22nd day of this present month of September.
At Frisingen, holy Corbinian, first Bishop of that city. He was ordained and sent forth to preach the Gospel by Pope Gregory II. He bore much fruit in Gaul and in Germany, and at length fell asleep in peace, famous for graces and wonders.
℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Meme of the Moment

Today is the 493rd anniversary of Her Majesty's birth.

Traditional Catholic Evening Prayers in English | September

Traditional Catholic evening devotional prayers to close your day with your mind, heart, tongue, and soul on our Lord! The month of September is dedicated to the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady. Begin and end each day with prayer. This video is a compilation of many traditional evening prayers Catholics say, and should not be considered a replacement for those who have an obligation to pray the Divine Office evening prayers.

Compline

From St Thomas Aquinas Seminary. You may follow the Office at Divinum Officium.

Byzantine Saints: Martyrs Cyriacus, Faustus, Abibas the Deacon, & 11 Others

Eleutherius, Abbot: Butler's Lives of the SaintsSt

Second Vespers for the Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost

From the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem. You may follow the Office at Divinum Officium.

Why Catholics Keep Christ on the Cross | Pope Pius XII

Summa Contra Gentiles, Book II: LXXVI Active Intellect Is Part of the Soul, Not a Separate Substance

From Contemplating History

Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 7 March 1274), was a Doctor of the Church, Philosopher, Theologian, Jurist, Dominican Friar, and Priest. Known as Doctor Angelicus "Angelic Doctor," and the Doctor Communis "Universal Doctor" his writings serve as a defense and proof of the validity of Christ's authority over all. The Summa contra Gentiles (also known as Liber de veritate catholicae fidei contra errores infidelium, "Book on the truth of the Catholic faith against the errors of the unbelievers"). The Summa contra Gentiles consists of four books. The structure of Saint Thomas's work is designed to proceed from general philosophical arguments for monotheism, to which Muslims and Jews are likely to consent even within their own respective religious traditions, before progressing to the discussion of specifically Christian doctrine.

Book II is dedicated to the Creation (in other words, the physical universe, everything which exists). Whether you are a history enthusiast, a student of religion, or simply curious about the impact of the Roman Catholic Church on the world, this playlist is designed to provide an informative and engaging journey through its captivating past. Subscribe to the Contemplating History channel for more educational content and immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of history.

John Dupré, PhD - Philosophy of Transhumanism & Artificial Intelligence (AI)

From Closer to Truth, a secular source.

Humanity’s future is now framed by artificial intelligence (AI) and increasing interventions in the human body to cure and to enhance, i.e., transhumanism. Considering the stakes, and the dangers, a philosophical perspective is imperative. John A. Dupré is a British philosopher of science. He is the director of Egenis, the Centre for the Study of Life Sciences, and professor of philosophy at the University of Exeter. Dupré's chief work area lies in philosophy of biology, philosophy of the social sciences, and general philosophy of science.

The Holy Rosary

Sunday, the Glorious Mysteries, in Latin with Cardinal Burke.

Story of the Black Prince’s Ruby. Famous Royal Gemstones. Famous Fake Ruby. The English Crown Jewels

From History Calling

The BLACK PRINCE’S RUBY is one of the most famous royal gemstones in the English Crown Jewels collection. It also has one of the most fascinating stories. Supposedly given to Edward of Woodstock (aka the Black Prince) who was the eldest son of Edward III and the father of Richard II, it is apparently from a mine in Badakhshan in Afghanistan and was reputedly a gift from King Pedro I of Castile. These stories cannot be proven though and its later provenance is also a little murky in places. Legend claims though that it was worn by Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt, perhaps by Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth and it is likely one of the few gems to both survive the destruction of the Crown Jewels in 1649 by Oliver Cromwell’s forces and come back into royal hands after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660. Its documented history only really begins in the 1680s though. Interestingly, the stone is actually a fake ruby as it is in reality a spinel. It is now set into the 1937 Imperial State Crown and has perhaps adorned the heads of more monarchs than any other stone in English history. It has sat on their coffins too, including most recently the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II.

In this royal jewels documentary from History Calling, we look at the history of this stone and at the purpose of crown jewels more broadly. I’ll explain too why the Black Prince’s Ruby has a noticeable hole at the top (plugged with an actual ruby) and tell you about its current home in the Tower of London jewel house.

Medieval Ideas of the Multiverse J. Christopher Clemens, PhD (University of North Carolina)

From The Society of Catholic Scientists

Monks’ Guide To Protect Your Peace As Autumn Looms

The author is the creator of Monks' Mindset to coach one in these techniques (unfortunately, only available as an app on the Apple iPhone).

From Aleteia

By John Cannon

Even a monk can realize that life has become a frenzy, from one activity to the next. What's to be done?

As many of us transition back to school or as work gets busier this fall season, it can be easy to let the inertia of the busy-ness turn to chaos. But there are ways to keep peace within ourselves despite the chaos going on around us.

In my early days in the monastery, we had classes on spirituality, during which we’d learn from the older brothers who'd been in the monastery for a while. I remember the youthful and energetic Fr. Robert, sharing with us once: 

We all have this candle burning within us. It’s the light of hope, life, God’s presence within us. If you run around while carrying a candle, it will go out. 

Similarly, if we rush around, become frenetic, or allow too much stress to creep in, the candle of God will go out within us and it can be hard to re-light.

You’d be surprised how much there is to do in the monastery –  praying, cleaning, gardening, cooking, caring for older brothers, studies, preparing spiritual talks, and much, much more.

When I was in the monastery, I’d literally be going from one thing to the next, all day. 

And we all face this – more to do and accomplish than we have time for... And this will always be the case so long as we are finite human beings, which is literally our whole life.

Not producing, but protecting

So often in our culture, productivity is measured by speed and output.

But the monastic way flips this on its head. What matters most is not how much we produce, but how we carry the inner flame while we work.

There are different terms for this in the monastic tradition: St. Teresa of Avila would call it “union with God.” Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, a 17th-century Carmelite, referred to it as the “practice of the presence of God.” (It's his book by this title that Pope Leo loves so much.) Carrying this inner flame could mean that a monk might spend days carefully and patiently writing an icon, because the act itself is a prayer.

In the same way, our daily work — whether it’s emails, meetings, child care, or manual labor — becomes transfigured when we guard the candle within us, bringing peace into our tasks.

It’s OK to move quickly, but protect yourself from moving in haste, and shield the candle within you so that it doesn't go out.

You can still give “your all” to your work and tasks, but hold back from allowing the anxiety, franticness, and haste to take over your mind, heart, and work.

Don’t give in to allowing this to spoil your work and duties during the day so that you can preserve the peace, light, and radiance within yourself. 

It will shine to others, but the flame must be lit inside.

But how?

If you’re interested in putting this into practice in your own life, here’s a quick exercise you can do:

Pause for a moment, invite the Holy Spirit into this space. Then look back on your recent weeks and try to call to mind the times and places that you tend to rush or hurry.

Now that you are aware of those, make an intention now that the next time you START to feel this hurry or haste, that you will literally STOP in that moment, close your eyes, and ask for the grace to preserve the candle within you.

Continue to ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to not only be more aware, but also to protect the candle within so that its light may radiate to all those you encounter.

~

If you want to learn and apply more practical wisdom like this from Catholic monks and nuns, check out the Monk Mindset app (available on iOS) to access guided content from monks and nuns, set up your routines, and block distracting apps. 

The Return of the Pagan Gods | GK Chesterton

Pope Leo’s Weird Warning About the Prophets of Doom

Pope Leo invokes John XXIII's warning about the Prophets of Doom, which was a slight against the Fatima seers and those who demanded the release of the Fatima message when he first said it back in 1960.

Where Did Poor Peasants Stay When on a Journey?

From Modern History TV

When poor medieval peasants went on a journey, where did they stay and how were they treated? Jason Kingsley, the Modern Knight discusses medieval road travel. Where Did Medieval Peasants Sleep on the Road? Life on the Move in the Middle Ages https://burgschneider.com/en-de/colle... What did a medieval journey look like for a poor peasant? 🛤️ In this eye-opening video, we uncover the challenges of travel in the Middle Ages and reveal where ordinary people found shelter during their journeys. Was it rough roadside camps or monasteries offering hospitality, discover the surprising realities of medieval travel.

Explore: The dangers and discomforts of peasant travel Common sleeping arrangements for those without wealth The role of inns, churches, and barns in providing shelter Historical examples and real medieval records of travelers' experiences

Perfect for history buffs, RPG enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the daily lives of medieval people, this video sheds light on a rarely explored topic.

👉 Watch now and discover: How did medieval peasants manage long journeys? What were the safest and most common places to sleep? What does this tell us about medieval society and hospitality?

Traditional Catholic Morning Prayers in English | September

Traditional Catholic morning prayers to help start your day in a holy way! The month of September is dedicated to the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady. I hope these prayers increase your devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary this month, to share in her sorrows and to and draw you closer to her Divine Son, Jesus Christ. Begin each day with morning prayer! This video is a compilation of many traditional evening prayers Catholics say, and should not be considered a replacement for those who have an obligation to pray the Divine Office evening prayers.

Robert Breaker Wrong About the Catholic Church (False Teaching and History)

From Catholic Truth

Robert Breaker is WRONG about the Catholic Church and history! Everything Robert Breaker says about the Catholic Church on his YouTube channel is false or a caricature. His history is also false and off base. We debunk and expose Robert Breaker's false claims about the Catholic Church and history.

Never Be Afraid of Making Mistakes

We all make mistakes. Even the Saints made mistakes. The important thing is how we react to them. Is it with anger or a firm resolution to not make the same mistake again?

From Aleteia

By Fr Michael Rennier

Of course we all make mistakes. It’s to be expected. The important thing is how we react.

On balance, my life is probably more a series of mistakes than it is actual good decisions. I feel like I’m constantly blundering about, pretending I know what I’m doing but, deep inside, the truth remains, adamant and firm, that even into middle-age I am still in the process of figuring out exactly who I am, where I’m going, and why I do the things I do. Mistakes are constant. There are the “big” mistakes - the sins, the hasty and thoughtless decisions, the way I pridefully double-down on those hasty decisions and refuse to listen to advice, the arguments I repeatedly start about the same topics, parenting decisions I wish I could take back – and there are the “small” mistakes - the jokes I make that really aren’t funny at all but that I stubbornly keep making, convincing myself I don’t need sunscreen, eating too much ice cream ... and so very many more examples.

In the midst of it all, I’ve somehow managed to make the really vital, big decisions correctly -- the woman I married, starting a family with her, always going to Sunday Mass even when I haven’t felt like it, reading lots of books, asking forgiveness, being willing to change my mind, and, yes, not being afraid of making mistakes.

Because, of course, we all make mistakes. It’s to be expected. The important thing is how we react.

As a highschool chaplain, probably the most frequent question the students ask me is about how to avoid making mistakes when it comes to big life decisions. Our highschool, a Chesterton Academy, is full of bright and inquisitive young people. They worry about which college to attend and what career to pursue. They fret about dating and finding the right spouse. Some of them are pondering going to seminary or into religious life. These are huge decisions and they don’t want to make a mistake.

They ask me how to avoid choosing wrongly because they don’t want to look back years from now with regret. In response, I tell them a little bit of my life story, how I was born a protestant Christian and mistakenly believed all sorts of theological propositions that, in retrospect, harmed my spirituality. Some of those beliefs almost made me stop practicing my faith. I tell them how I finally make a big decision and converted ... but not to Catholicism. I became Episcopalian, went to seminary, and watched helplessly as the religious tradition I’d so confidently decided to join struggled. I became part of arguments within that tradition and despaired over its future. I realized that, perhaps, it was a mistake to think that becoming an Episcopalian pastor was the end of my spiritual journey. Finally, after much wandering, I became Catholic and, by some mysterious grace for which I am ever-thankful, I was ordained a Catholic priest.

God will fix it

I explain my history of mistakes to my students in order to prove something important to them. In spite of all our mistakes, if we don’t give up and, if we’re willing to course-correct, God will make our lives good. He will make them very good. Perhaps we don’t end up in the place we thought we’d end up, or when looking back it seems as though we could’ve taken an easier path. Maybe there were some false starts and wrong steps. Hard lessons had to be learned and forgiveness requested, but in order to keep moving forward, we have to accept the fact that we have made mistakes and almost certainly will make more. We cannot live with regret and we cannot allow the hazy possibility of regret sometime in the future to prevent us from making decisions right here and now.

The only mistake is to give up. If we become paralyzed at the thought of deciding wrongly, that paralysis itself becomes the worst possible mistake if we allow it to take hold. We’ll never have a crystal ball to see the future. We’ll never have every single piece of information required to perfectly navigate every decision. There is always risk. The way I look at it, if God managed to get me (even me) into the right place after all the mistakes and false starts I made, then he can accomplish the same in absolutely anybody. He has a plan for each one of us. Sometimes we’re slow to accept it, or fight against it, or mistakenly identify it. Even if we knowingly decline our intended destiny out of fear or anxiety or pride, that God can change up his initial plan and provide a new one. No mistake is beyond his ability to repair. I’ve experienced this reality time and again. God can take even our mistakes and fold them into his goodness (Isn’t this exactly what he does at the Cross, transform our sins from punishment into the very sacrifice that earns our salvation?).

So what’s our decision-making responsibility – be attentive and patient, pray, get advice, think things through, evaluate the options, and then, act. Don’t be afraid of making a mistake. As long as we all keep moving forward and learn from our mistakes, even if the lessons we must sometimes learn are agonizingly hard, God is moving us, patiently but surely, closer to him, closer to Heaven, and into his promised happiness.

The Shrine Henry VIII Destroyed – 500 Years Later, Young Catholics Are Walking Back!

From The Catholic Corner

Nearly 500 years after King Henry VIII had England's Walsingham shrine robbed and its sub-prior executed, 500 young Catholics gathered in its ruins for Mass this August. Known as "England's Nazareth," Walsingham became one of medieval Europe's four major pilgrim destinations, alongside Rome, Jerusalem, and Santiago de Compostela. In 1538, Henry VIII had the shrine destroyed, and its sub-prior executed for alleged treason. It wasn't restored until 1897. This August 27–30, organizers led a pilgrimage from London – nearly 250 people walking the full 54-mile route through heavy rain, reciting devotions and hymns the entire way. Joseph Shaw, chairman of the Latin Mass Society, said: "No one has been canvassing or knocking on doors. Instead, young people have discovered something they can aspire to and move towards." One young pilgrim said the Latin Mass gave him "inner peace and something to live for." He doesn't think Traditionis Custodes should have restricted the Mass: "if something brings people closer to Christ, I think it should be allowed." Shaw says Walsingham's pilgrimage numbers are projected to grow 20% annually. The real story is already being written outside the Vatican's offices.

Stories From the Silver Screen: The Diary of a Country Priest

Can you even imagine Hollywood making a film called "The Diary of a Country Priest" in the current anti-Catholic climate in the industry? 

From Crisis

By Regis Martin STD

The Diary of a Country Priest dives deep into the hidden suffering of the alter Christus, whom Christ sends into the wilderness to retrieve the one lost sheep.

In a letter written to a friend in 1935, Georges Bernanos—France’s foremost Catholic writer, whose essays and stories are filled with the most searing and prophetic insight into God and the things of God—announced his intention to write a novel about an obscure country priest who, he declared, “will have served God in exact proportion to his belief that he has served Him badly” but, in his childlike innocence, will triumph, allowing him “to die peacefully of a cancer.”  

Three years later, the novel appears precisely along those lines, bearing the title The Diary of a Country Priest, soon becoming the most-widely acclaimed of all his writings. Three years following Bernanos’ death in 1948, a film adaptation is made under the direction of Robert Bresson, which has garnered no end of praise for its many excellences, not the least being the hidden yet heroic sanctity of its main character, who, dying alone and seemingly without hope, cries out at the very end, “Does it matter? Grace is everywhere.”

Perhaps that should instead read, “All is grace,” the former being a mistranslation from the original, which Bernanos himself had intended. Thus will the dying priest replicate exactly the words spoken by a certain Carmelite nun as she lay dying at the end of the 19th century—who has since been canonized as among the most beloved of all the saints in the Church. And yet, her last request that she be given the holy Viaticum before returning to God was refused on the grounds that she was far too ill for nourishment of any kind, including the Eucharist. Obedient to the end, the young Thérèse of Lisieux quietly accepted this final privation; for that, too, was a kind of grace. “Tout est grace” (“All is grace”).

How beautifully does the Bernanos film capture this deeply Christic dimension, pointing us to the very horizon of grace, the sheer boundlessness of God’s love for the world shown in the sending of His Son to suffer and die. “It is,” as the late David Schindler put it in an interview some years ago, in which he described the continuing importance of Bernanos’ witness, “the sense of being at the heart of the world while remaining at the center of the Church.” In reading him, he tells us, “You get this sense of entering into the world in all of its ambiguity and brokenness and loving it, not in a relativistic fashion; but neither in a moralistic fashion; entering in and penetrating”—all the way down to the very bottom of its Christic being, which shines with the radiance of divine grace, however hidden in the dark night of sin and suffering. 

Despite what people will often and quite glibly say about the life of faith, it does not so much do away with tragedy as it succeeds in fulfilling and redeeming it. Christ does not cosmetically remove our suffering, sanitizing everything in a cheap and superficial way. It is not magic that Christ applies to our brokenness but mercy, which He dispenses by entering ever more deeply into our shattered lives, leaving nothing untouched by His love. 

One hasn’t a clue about Christianity, as image upon image from the movie shows, until one sees, as Professor Schindler insists, “that the radicality of Christ’s love was such that he was no longer concerned to separate himself from the sinners, the guilty.” But what Christ aims for, most particularly in this great cinematic drama, is an identification with our pain and loss so intimate and complete as to take ownership of it and thus bear it all away in the fire of His consuming love.

In other words, the moralism that causes the strangled cry in the sinner who cannot live up to the standard laid down in the Law and the Prophets, has all been blessedly smashed to bits by a God whose judgments are always preceded and accompanied by love, a love which became concretely incarnate in a person who bears a unique name, Jesus the Christ. There are no thunderbolts hurled from above, blowing up the poor sinner unable to follow the learning curve of virtue; but rather, judgment is always preceded by the love which enters and understands the sinner, even as it will not compromise with his sin. “A harsh and dreadful love,” to recall a line from Dostoevsky, “and not any sort of counterfeit love full of soft soap and sentimentality.” 

How powerfully evocative all this becomes in the film, so ably and sensitively handled thanks to the directorial genius of Monsieur Bresson! This is seen most especially in the scene with Madame la Comtesse, whose bitterness over the death of her young son has kept her for so long unable either to love or to be loved. The priest tells her that he, too, knows what it is to suffer. Indeed, as alter Christus, his entire priestly ministry requires that he not be a spectator to others’ suffering but that he enter into it as deeply as Jesus Himself did—remaining as vulnerable and exposed to the dark side of sin and suffering as Christ Himself, the action of whose grace the poet Eliot has so movingly described in Four Quartets:  

The wounded surgeon plies the steel
That questions the distempered part;
Beneath the bleeding hands we feel
The sharp compassion of the healer’s art
Resolving the enigma of the fever chart.

And in his priestly role as one “Whose constant care is not to please / But to remind of our, and Adam’s curse, / And that, to be restored, our sickness must grow worse,” his job is to speak only what is true, to reveal what is really there. “I try to understand it,” he tells her. 

A priest can’t shrink from sores any more than a doctor. He must be able to look at pus and wounds and gangrene. All the wounds of the soul give out pus, madame.

And we ourselves must often and at no little cost be made to see them, lest we, too, go to our deaths not knowing the full extent of their hidden malice. Like Madame, we will all be forced to face our own stinking selves. “God will break you,” he tells her. “Break me!” she cries out in bitter protest. “God’s broken me already. What more can He do? He’s taken my son. I no longer fear him.”  

Yes, the young priest agrees, God has taken him. “But your hard heart may keep you from him for all eternity.”

“Is my son to hate me, then?” she asks. “The son I bore, and nursed at my breast!”

“You won’t hate,” he answers, “you’ll cease to know one another.” Which is, he tells her, the awful condition of the damned. “Hell is not to love anymore, madame. Not to love anymore!”

It is to force a man out into a state of aloneness no human being was ever created to have to endure. “If you want to love,” he tells her, summoning all the urgency Christ Himself must have felt when even the least sinner threatened to hurl himself down into the abyss, “don’t place yourself beyond love’s reach…

You must resign yourself to—to God. Open your heart to Him…God is not to be bargained with. We must give ourselves up to Him unconditionally. Give Him everything. He will give you back even more.

“Do you take God for an executioner?” he asks. “God wants us to be merciful with ourselves. And besides, our sorrows are not our own. He takes them on Himself, into His heart.” And here the tension builds to an almost unbearable climax, Heaven and Hell hanging in the balance. 

Which of the two will she choose? If you see the show, then you will know…