Christ's Cross Abides Forever:
Weedy
The saving serpent in Moses' time was fashioned from bronze as a
symbol of
faith in the enduring effects of the Lord's Passion. Faith in Christ's
cross
abides forever; it is as enduring as bronze.
Despite the constant cycle of birth and death, the cross continues to
be
held high above the earth for the healing of all who gaze upon it.
Augustine:-- Commentary on Galatians 22
Meditation for troubled times:
All is fundamentally well. That does not mean that all is well on
the
surface of things. But it does mean that God's in His heaven and that
He has
a purpose for the world, which will eventually work out when enough
human
beings are willing to follow His way. "Wearing the world as a loose
garment"
means not being upset by the surface wrongness of things, but feeling
deeply
secure in the fundamental goodness and purpose in the universe.
--From Twenty-Four Hours a Day
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March 26th - St. Macartin of Clogher, Bishop
(also known as Macartan, MacCartan, Maccarthen)
Died c. 505; feast day formerly March 24. Saint Macartin (in Irish is
Aedh
mac Carthin) was an early disciple and companion of Saint Patrick
during the
latter's missions into pagan territory. He is said to have been
consecrated
bishop of Clogher in Tyrone by Patrick in 454. It is said that Saint
Brigid,
Macartin's niece, was present at the founding of the see.
Macartin is also one of the earliest Irish saints to be known as a
miracle-worker. His holiness is revealed not so much by any vita,
which are
non-existent, but by the high veneration in which he is held. Saint
Bede
records that the earth was taken from his grave as holy relics. His
Office
is the only one to survive from an Irish source.
A reliquary, called the Great Shrine of Saint Mac Cairthinn, which was
designed to contain relics of the True Cross as well as his bones, has
been
altered over the centuries but still survives as the "Domnach Airgid"
in the
National Museum. It's inner yew box was given to Macartin by Patrick
together with the latter's episcopal staff and Bible.
The Cloch-Oir (Golden Stone), from which this ancient diocese takes
its
name, was a sacred ceremonial stone to the druids, It was given to
Macartin
by an old pagan noble, who had harassed Macartin in every possible way
until
the saint's patient love won the local ruler to the faith. The stone
is
still preserved and the noble's son, Tighernach of Clones, succeed
Macartin
as bishop (Benedictines, D'Arcy, Farmer, Healy, Kenney, Montague,
Muirhead,
Needham).
Saint Quote:
God refuses only the person who does not admit his own weakness; He
sends
away only the unhappy proud person. You must "hold him" well and
strongly,
with a poor spirit, with a poor heart, with a life entirely poor...The
life
of a soul who seeks true happiness clearly and indisputably depends on
this:
that those who seek their joy in God are the ones who give joy to God.
--Saint Raphael Kalinowski
Bible Quote:
He who does not take up his cross and follow Me, is not worthy of Me.
(Matthew 10:38)
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Canticle 1 Peter 2
Christ's passion, freely chosen
Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, to follow in his
path.
He committed no sin, in his speech there was no deceit;
when they cursed him, he did not curse them;
when he suffered, he did not threaten retribution, but committed them
to the
one just judge.
He endured our sins in the sufferings of his body on the tree,
so that we would die to our sins and live for righteousness -
and by his bruises you have been healed.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.