The Holy Spirit renews our hope in the promise of God

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The Holy Spirit renews our hope in the promise of God

Simeon was not alone in recognizing the Lord's presence in the
temple. Anna, too, was filled with the Holy Spirit. She was found
daily in the temple, attending to the Lord in prayer and speaking
prophetically to others about God's promise to send a redeemer.
Supernatural hope grows with prayer and age! Anna was pre-eminently a
woman of great hope and expectation that God would fulfill all his
promises. She is a model of godliness to all believers as we advance
in age.
Advancing age and the disappointments of life can easily make us
cynical and hopeless if we do not have our hope rightly placed. Anna's
hope in God and his promises grew with age. She never ceased to
worship God in faith and to pray with hope. Her hope and faith in
God's promises fueled her indomitable zeal and fervor in prayer and
service of God's people.

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March 19th - Saint Alkmund of Northumbria, King and Martyr
Also known as Alcmund, Alchmund, Alcumundus, Ealhmund

The holy Martyr Alkmund was the son of Alchred and brother of Osred,
kings of Northumbria. He succeeded to the throne of Northumbria after
the murder of his brother, and ruled with great humility and love,
being a liberal father to the poor, the orphans and the widows. He
always longed to die for Christ, and this the Lord in His goodness
granted him.

In 802, Alderman Athelmund of the Hwicce (South-West Mercia) was
enraged against the men of Wiltshire and threatened to invade that
territory. On hearing this, King Alkmund, who had the intention anyway
of going to Wiltshire to protect some lands that he possessed there,
called the two warring sides together and urged them to peace. The
Mercians were persuaded to return home, but in their hearts they were
not pacified, and they soon returned with a great army.

At this juncture the men of Wiltshire called on King Alkmund to help
them. And he, wishing to die for Christ, and remembering the words of
the Lord, "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his
life for his friends," consented to their desire. In the ensuing
battle, the Wiltshire men won, but both of the leaders and Alkmund
were killed.

The place where the holy Martyr-King fell was the scene of many
miracles. His body was transferred to the ancient Church of
Lilleshall, and then later to the White Church in Derby. This was the
scene of further miracles. The sick, the deaf, the blind and those
suffering from various diseases were brought to the tomb, and there
they received healing through the intercessions of St Alkmund. Some
years later, when at the request of many of the faithful, the priests
of this Church raised the Holy relics, a most beautiful fragrance
issued from the tomb. This fragrance persisted for a long time, as the
people praised and glorified God and his Holy Martyr. However, when a
certain unbeliever entered the Church and behaved in an unseemly and
impious manner, the fragrance suddenly ceased.

When there were further incursions by the Danes the body of St.
Alkmund was taken further south for safety and arrived in Derby on
March 19th which has been kept as his feast ever since. Devotion to
the young King and Martyr grew and this may be due to the interest
shown in him by the Queen of Mercia, Ethelfreda, a daughter of Alfred
the Great. She is responsible for the dedications at Shrewsbury and
Derby and quite possibly to two other churches which have Alkmund as
their patron, Whitchurch in Shropshire and Blyborough in Lincolnshire.

The people of Derby took St. Alkmund to their hearts and as the church
was on the Ryknald Street, the Roman road to the north and one of the
main thoroughfares in the Middle Ages, pilgrims abounded. The fame of
the shrine survived its destruction and the Vicar of St Alkmunds in
the 18th century reported miracles and said journeymen still asked
"for the tomb and set their packs upon it". Unfortunately the
Victorian builders and road makers have caused the disappearance of
both the church and St Alkmund's Well but in the Derby Museum there is
a sarcophagus found when the church was demolished. It is decorated
with a beautiful Anglo-Saxon inter-lace design and is thought to be
the coffin in which the body of the saint rested.


Saint Quote:
Help yourself during this troubled period by reading holy books. This
reading provides excellent food for the soul and conduces to great
progress along the path of perfection. By no means is it inferior to
what we obtain through prayer and holy meditation. In prayer and
meditation it is ourselves who speak to the Lord, while in holy
reading it is God who speaks to us. Before beginning to read, raise
your mind to the Lord and implore Him to guide your mind Himself, to
speak to your heart and move your will.
--St. Padre Pio

Bible Quote:
"When he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will teach you to all
truth: for he shall not speak of himself, but what things soever he
shall hear, he shall speak . . . He shall glorify me: because he shall
receive of mine, and will declare it to you. All things whatsoever the
Father hath are mine. Therefore I said, that he shall receive of mine
and will declare it to you." Cf. Jn. 16:13-15: Douay-Rheims trans.


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GO FORTH.

Go forth in peace,
for you have followed the good road.
Go forth without fear,
for God who created You has made you holy,
has always protected you,
and loves you as a mother. Amen.