The Beauty of Singing
Waldtraud
Indeed, Lord, the days were not long enough as I found
wonderful delight in meditating upon the depth of your design for the
salvation
of the human
race. I wept at the beauty of your hymns, and I was powerfully moved at the
sweet sound of
your Church's singing.
Those sounds flowed into my ears, and the truth streamed into my heart. My
feeling of devotion
overflowed, and the tears ran from my eyes, and I was happy in them.
-Augustine--Confessions 9, 6
Meditation for troubled times:
Rest now until life, eternal life, flowing through your veins
and heart and mind, bids you to bestir yourself. Then glad work will follow.
Tired work is never
effective. The strength of God's spirit is always available to the tired
mind
and body. He is
your physician and your healer. Look to these quiet times of communion with
God
for rest, for
peace, for cure. Then rise refreshed in spirit and go out to work, knowing
that
your strength
is able to meet any problems because it is reinforced by God's power.
I pray that the peace I have found will make me effective. I pray that I may
be
relieved of
all strain during this day.
--From Twenty-Four Hours a Day
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January 7th - St. Lucian of Antioch, Martyr
St. LUCIAN was born at Samosata, in Syria. He became a great proficient in
rhetoric and philosophy, and applied himself to the study of the Holy
Scriptures
under one Macarius at Edessa. Convinced that his duty as a priest required
him
to devote himself entirely to the service of God and the good of his
neighbour,
he was not Content to inculcate the practice of virtue by word and example,
but
he also undertook to purge the Old and New Testament from the faults that
had
crept into them through the inaccuracy of transcribers and in other ways.
Whether he only revised the text of the Old Testament by comparing different
editions of the Septuagint, or corrected it upon the Hebrew text, being well
versed in that language, it is certain in any case that St. Lucian's edition
of
the Bible was much esteemed, and was of great use to St. Jerome.
St. Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria, says that Lucian remained some years
separated from Catholic communion at Antioch, under three successive
bishops. He
may perhaps have favoured overmuch the heretic Paul of Samosata, condemned
at
Antioch in the year 269, but it is certain, at least, that Lucian died in
the
communion of the Church. This appears from a fragment of a letter written by
him
to the church of Antioch, still extant in the Alexandrian Chronicle. Though
a
priest of Antioch, we find him at Nicomedia in the year 303, when Diocletian
first published his edicts against the Christians. He there suffered a long
imprisonment for the faith, for he wrote from out of his dungeon, "All the
martyrs salute you. I inform you that the Pope Anthimus [Bishop of
Nicomedia]
has finished his course by martyrdom." This happened in 303. Yet Eusebius
informs us that St. Lucian did not arrive himself at the crown of martyrdom
till
after the death of St. Peter of Alexandria in 311, so that he seems to have
continued nine years in prison.
At length he was brought before the governor, or the emperor himself, for
the
word that Eusebius uses may imply either. At his trial he presented to the
judge
an excellent apology for the Christian faith. Being remanded to prison, an
order
was given that no food should be allowed him; but after fourteen days, when
almost dead with hunger, meats that had been offered to idols were set
before
him, which he would not touch. It was not in itself unlawful to eat of such
meats, as St. Paul teaches, except where it would give scandal to the weak,
or
when it was exacted as an action of idolatrous superstition, as was the case
here. Being brought a second time before the tribunal, he would to all the
questions put to him give no other answer but this, " I am a Christian ". He
repeated the same whilst on the rack, and he finished his glorious course in
prison, either by starvation, or, according to St. Chrysostom, by the sword.
His
acts relate many of his miracles, with other particulars; as that, when
bound
and chained on his back in prison, he consecrated the divine mysteries upon
his
own breast, and communicated the faithful that were present this we also
read in
Philostorgius, the Arian historian. St. Lucian suffered at Nicomedia in
Bithynia
on January 7, 312, and was buried at Drepanum (Helenopolis).
We have plenty of information concerning St. Lucian in Eusebius (Hist.
Eccles.,
ix, 6) in a panegyric by St. John Chrysostom (Migne, PG., vol. 1, p. 519),
and
in a rather fantastic legend preserved by the Metaphrast (Migne, PG., vol.
cxiv,
p. 397). See also Pio Franchi in Studie Documenti (1897), vol. xviii, pp.
24-45.
Father Delehaye says of St. Lucian "Nothing could be better authenticated
than
the fact of his martyrdom, nothing more firmly established than his cultus,
witnessed to by the basilica of Helenopolis, as well as by literary
documents"
(Legends of the Saints, p. 192). Nevertheless the story of St. Lucian has
been
chosen by H. Usener (Die Sintfluthsagen, 1899, pp. 168-180) as a typical
example
of the evolution of Christian legend out of pagan myth. Consult the reply of
Father Delehaye (l.c. pp. 193-197), and see also Batiffol in Compte-rendu du
Congr�s catholique (1894), vol. ii, pp. 181-196. There is a sensitive and
erudite study by G. Bardy, Recherches sur St. Lucien d'Antioche (1936).
Saint Quote:
Look then on Jesus, the author and preserver of faith: in complete
sinlessness
he suffered, and at the hands of those who were his own, and was numbered
among
the wicked. As you drink the cup of the Lord Jesus (how glorious it is!),
give
thanks to the Lord, the giver of all blessings.
May the God of love and peace set your hearts at rest and speed you on your
journey; may he meanwhile shelter you from disturbance by others in the
hidden
recesses of his love, until he brings you at last into that place of
complete
plenitude where you will repose for ever in the vision of peace, in the
security
of trust, and in the restful enjoyment of his riches.
-from a letter by Saint Raymond
Bible Quote:
Blessed are you when men reproach you, and persecute you, and, speaking
falsely,
say all manner of evil against you, for My sake... because your reward is
great
in heaven. (Matt. 5:11-12)
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Prayer for the Holy Souls
Eternal Father I offer You the Body and the Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your
Dearly Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ for the Mercy and deliverance of
the Holy Souls in Purgatory. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have
Mercy
on them and bring them to Your Eternal Glory. Holy God, Thou art all
Powerful, Loving and Merciful, and I appeal to Your Mercy for the release of
all of the Holy souls in Purgatory. May they all be rewarded this day with
Your long awaited gift of Your Glorious Presence in Heaven. Holy Mighty One,
please hear and grant the prayer of my heart, and bring home to You, the
Holy
Souls, so that they will not have to suffer one more second separated from
You. Holy Immortal One, I beg for Your Mercy, and ask that You please not
delay in answering my request, so that the Holy Souls will today receive
their joy, of the long anticipated journey to their Home and to You. May all
of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, today, end their longing of seeing Your
Face,
and be brought to Your Awaiting Arms. Praise You Father. Bless You Father,
Thank You Father. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have Mercy on all of
the Holy souls, on us, and on the whole world. Dearest Father, who art in
Heaven, I pray this prayer in the Name of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
who suffered and died on the Cross, and shed His Precious Blood for us for
the forgiveness of our sins, and for the hope of Eternal Life. Thank You
Father for sending us Your Son, Jesus. Amen.