"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."[John 6:68]
Thursday of the Fifth week of Lent
Saints of the day:
SAINT LUDGER
Bishop
(c. 743-809)
Bishop
(c. 743-809)
St. Ludger was born in Friesland about the year 743. His father, a nobleman of the first rank, at the child's own request , committed him very young to the care of St. Gregory, the disciple of St. Boniface, and his successors in the government of the see of Utrecht. Gregory educated him in his monastery and gave him the clerical tonsure. Ludger, desirous of further improvement, passed over into England, and spent four years and a half under Alcuin, who was rector of a famous school at York.
In 773 he returned home, and St. Gregory dying in 776, his successor, Alberic, compelled our Saint to receive the holy order of priesthood, and employed him for several years in preaching the Word of God in Friesland, where he converted great numbers , founded several monasteries, and built many churches.
The pagan Saxons ravaging the country, Ludger travelled to Rome to consult Pope Adrian II, what course to take, and what he thought God required of him. He then retired for three years and a half to Monte Casino, where he wore the habit of the Order and conformed to the practice of the rule during his stay, but made no religious vows.
In 787, Charlemagne overcame the Saxons and conquered Friesland and the coast of the Germanic Ocean as far as Denmark. Ludger, hearing this, returned into East Friesland, where he converted the Saxons to the Faith, as he also did the province of Westphalia. He founded the monastery of Werden, twenty-nine miles from Cologne.
In 802, Hildebald, Archbishop of Cologne, not regarding his strenuous resistance, ordained him Bishop of Munster. He joined in his diocese five cantons of Friesland which he had converted, and also founded the monastery of Helmstad in the duchy of Brunswick.
Being accused to the Emperor Charlemagne of wasting his income and neglecting the embellishment of churches, this prince ordered him to appear at court. The morning after his arrival the emperor's chamberlain brought him word that his attendance was required. The Saint, being then at his prayers , told the officer that he would follow him as soon as he had finished them. He was sent for three several times before he was ready, which the courtiers represented as a contempt of his Majesty, and the emperor, with some emotion, asked him why he had made him wait so long, though he had sent for him so often. The bishop answered that though he had the most profound respect for his Majesty, yet God was infinitely above him; that whilst we are occupied with Him, it is our duty to forget everything else. This answer made such an impression on the emperor that he dismissed him with honor and disgraced his accusers.
St. Ludger was favored with the gifts of miracles and prophecy. His last sickness, though violent, did not hinder him from continuing his functions to the very last day of his life, which was Passion Sunday, on which day he preached very early in the morning, said Mass towards nine, and preached again before night, foretelling to those that were about him that he should die the following night, and fixing upon place in his monastery of Werden where he chose to be interred.
He died accordingly on the 26th of March, at midnight.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
BLESSED MADDALENA CATERINA MORANO
(1847-1908)
(1847-1908)
Blessed Maddalena Caterina Morano was born in 1847 into a large family in Chieri, near Turin, Italy. When she was eight years old, her father and older sister died, and so young Maddalena had towork . However, she applied herself to study as well, and in 1866 she received her diploma as an elementary school teacher.
Her studies increased her knowledge of Christian doctrine and her longing to be a saint. She wished to enter religious life, but the needs of her family required her to wait. For 12 years she worked as a rural school teacher in Montaldo and taught catechism in the local parish.
In 1878, having set aside enough savings for her mother's future needs, Maddalena entered the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, a congregation founded six years earlier by Don Bosco. She was a model religious, and after a brief but intense novitiate she took her first vows. In 1881, with Don Bosco's blessing, she was sent to Trecastagni (Diocese of Catania), Sicily, and put in charge of an existing institute for women, to which she gave a new orientation inspired by the principles of the Salesian method .
Sicily became her second home, where she carried out a varied and fruitful apostolate. She opened new houses , set up after-school activities and sewing classes , trained teachers, etc. Her real love, though, was for catechism class, since she was convinced that the formation of Christian conscience was the basis of personal maturity and all social improvement. She coordinated catechetical instruction in 18 of Catania's churches and trained lay and religious catechists to bring the Christian message to needy boys and girls.
She spent 25 years in Sicily and served her community as local and provincial superior. She was an attentive mother and caring guide for many local vocations, faithfully living the charism of Mother Maria Mazzarello, co-foundress of the institute. She died in Catania at the age of 61 on 26 March 1908.
She was beatified on November 5, 1994 at Catania by John Paul II.
L'Osservatore Romano - 1994Saint Margaret Clitherow
Feastday: March 26
St. Margaret Clitherow was born in Middleton, England, in 1555, of protestant parents. Possessed of goodlooks and full of wit and merriment, she was a charming personality. In 1571, she married John Clitherow, a well-to-do grazier and butcher (to whom she bore two children), and a few years later entered theCatholic Church. Her zeal led her to harbor fugitive priests, for which she was arrested and imprisoned by hostile authorities. Recourse was had to every means in an attempt to make her deny her Faith, but the holy woman stood firm. Finally, she was condemned to be pressed to death on March 25, 1586. She was stretched out on the ground with a sharp rock on her back and crushed under a door over laden with unbearable weights. Her bones were broken and she died within fifteen minutes. The humanity andholiness of this servant of God can be readily glimpsed in her words to a friend when she learned of her condemnation: "The sheriffs have said that I am going to die this coming Friday; and I feel the weakness of my flesh which is troubled at this news, but my spirit rejoices greatly. For the love of God, pray for me and ask all good people to do likewise." Her feast day is March 26th.
(vii) 7 “I am establishing my covenant between me and you, along with your descendants after you, generation after generation, as an everlasting covenant, to be God for you and for your descendants after you. 8 I will give you and your descendants after you the land in which you are now foreigners, all the land of Kena‘an, as a permanent possession; and I will be their God.”
9 God said to Avraham, “As for you, you are to keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you, generation after generation.
Psalm 105:4 Seek Adonai and his strength;
always seek his presence.
5 Remember the wonders he has done,
his signs and his spoken rulings.
6 You descendants of Avraham his servant,
you offspring of Ya‘akov, his chosen ones,
7 he is Adonai our God!
His rulings are everywhere on earth.
8 He remembers his covenant forever,
the word he commanded to a thousand generations,
9 the covenant he made with Avraham,
the oath he swore to Yitz’chak,
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 8:51 Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever obeys my teaching will never see death.”
52 The Judeans said to him, “Now we know for sure that you have a demon! Avraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, ‘Whoever obeys my teaching will never taste death.’ 53 Avraham avinu died; you aren’t greater than he, are you? And the prophets also died. Who do you think you are?” 54 Yeshua answered, “If I praise myself, my praise counts for nothing. The One who is praising me is my Father, the very one about whom you keep saying, ‘He is our God.’ 55 Now you have not known him, but I do know him; indeed, if I were to say that I don’t know him, I would be a liar like you! But I do know him, and I obey his word. 56 Avraham, your father, was glad that he would see my day; then he saw it and was overjoyed.”
57 “Why, you’re not yet fifty years old,” the Judeans replied, “and you have seen Avraham?” 58 Yeshua said to them, “Yes, indeed! Before Avraham came into being, I AM!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to throw at him; but Yeshua was hidden and left the Temple grounds.
Thursday of the Fifth week of Lent
Commentary of the day:
Saint Irenaeus of Lyons (c.130-c.208), Bishop, theologian and martyr
Against the heresies, IV, 5, 3-5
"Abraham rejoiced to see my day"
"Your father Abraham rejoiced that he should see my day; and he saw it, and was glad." What is intended? "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness." (Gn 15,6; Rm 4,3). In the first place, he believed him to be the maker of heaven and earth, the only God; and secondly, that he would make his posterity to be as the stars of heaven in number. This is what Paul also meant when he said "as lights in the world" (Phil 2,15). Rightly, therefore, having left his earthly kindred, he followed the Word of God, walking as a stranger with the Word that he might later become a citizen with the Word, the Son of God (cf. Eph 2,19). Rightly, too, the apostles, being of the race of Abraham, left their boat and their father, and followed the Word (Mt 4,22). And rightly do we also, having the same faith as Abraham and taking up the cross just as Isaac took up the wood, follow the same Word (Gn 22,6; Mt 16,24).
For in Abraham people had learned beforehand and become accustomed to follow the Word of God. For Abraham, by his faith, followed the commandment of God’s Word and did not falter in delivering up his only-begotten and beloved son as a sacrifice to God (Gn 22,2) so that God also might be pleased to offer up for all Abraham's descendants his own beloved and only-begotten Son as a sacrifice for our redemption (Rm 8,32).
Since, therefore, Abraham was a prophet and saw in the Spirit the day of the Lord's coming and the dispensation of his suffering, namely salvation for himself and for all those who, like him, would believe in God, he rejoiced exceedingly. The Lord Christ, therefore, was not unknown to Abraham, whose day he desired to see. And it was as one who had been taught by the Word that Abraham also knew the Father of the Lord and believed in him… Therefore he said, "I will stretch forth my hand to the most high God, who made heaven and earth" (Gn 14,22).
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