THE OLD CATHOLIC MISSION IN SUSSEX

1.Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith;

2. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

3. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;

4. Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance.

5. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.

6. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.

7. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit.

8. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated.

9. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.

10. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.

11. And yet they are not three eternals but one eternal.

12. As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible.

13. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty.

14. And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty.

15. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God;

16. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.

17. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord;

18. And yet they are not three Lords but one Lord.

19. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord;

20. So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say; There are three Gods or three Lords.

21. The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten.

22. The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created, but begotten.

23. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

24. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.

25. And in this Trinity none is afore or after another; none is greater or less than another.

26. But the whole three persons are coeternal, and coequal.

27. So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.

28. He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.

29. Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

30. For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man.

31. God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world.

32. Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.

33. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood.

34. Who, although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ.

35. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of that manhood into God.

36. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.

37. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ;

38. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead;

39. He ascended into heaven, He sits on the right hand of the Father, God, Almighty;

40. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

41. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies;

42. and shall give account of their own works.

43. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.

44. This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved.

18th International Conference Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care

Depression always entails a spiritual trial

On Friday, 14 November, the Holy Father spoke to the participants in the18th International Conference promoted by the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care on the theme of " Depression" . "The spread of depressive states" , the Pope said, "has become disturbing. They reveal human, psychological and spiritual frailties which, at least in part, are induced by society" . The Holy Father also said that it was important to be "aware of the effect on people of messages conveyed by the media which exalt consumerism, the immediate satisfaction of desires and the race for ever greater material well-being" . The following is a translation of the Pope' s Address, given in Italian.

Dear Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,

Dear Friends,

1. I am pleased to meet you on the occasion of the International Conference organised by the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care on the theme of "Depression". I thank Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán for his kind words on behalf of those present.

I greet the distinguished Specialists, who came to offer the fruit of their research in order to further knowledge of this pathology, so as to improve treatment and provide the right type of assistance to those concerned and to their families.

Likewise, my appreciation goes to those who are dedicated to the service of persons with depression, helping them to retain their trust in life. My thoughts naturally extend to families who are accompanying their loved one with affection and sensitivity.

Disturbing increase in depression reveals human frailty

2. Your work, dear participants in the Congress, has revealed the different complex aspects of depression: they range from chronic sickness, more or less permanent, to a fleeting state linked to difficult events, conjugal and family conflicts, serious work problems, states of loneliness that involve a crack, or even fracture, in social, professional, or family relationships. This disease is often accompanied by an existential and spiritual crisis that leads to an inability to perceive the meaning of life.

The spread of depressive states has become disturbing. They reveal human, psychological and spiritual frailties, which, at least in part, are induced by society. It is important to become aware of the effect on people of messages conveyed by the media which exalt consumerism, the immediate satisfaction of desires and the race for ever greater material well-being. It is necessary to propose new ways so that each person may build his or her own personality by cultivating spiritual life, the foundation of a mature existence. The enthusiastic participation in the World Youth Days shows that the young generations are seeking Someone who can illuminate their daily journey, giving them good reasons for living and helping them to face their difficulties.

Help the depressed person to discover God' s love

3. You have stressed that depression is always a spiritual trial. The role of those who care for

depressed persons and who do not have a specifically therapeutic task consists above all in helping them to rediscover their self-esteem, confidence in their own abilities, interest in the future, the desire to live. It is therefore important to stretch out a hand to the sick, to make them perceive the tenderness of God, to integrate them into a community of faith and life in which they can feel accepted, understood, supported, respected; in a word, in which they can love and be loved. For them, as for everyone else, contemplating Christ means letting oneself be " looked at" by Him, an experience that opens one to hope and convinces one to choose life (cf. Dt 30:19).

In the spiritual process, reading and meditation on the Psalms, in which the sacred author expresses his joys and anxieties in prayer, can be of great help. The recitation of the Rosary makes it possible to find in Mary a loving Mother who teaches us how to live in Christ. Participation in the Eucharist is a source of inner peace, because of the effectiveness of the Word and of the Bread of Life and because of the integration into the ecclesial community that it achieves. Aware of the effort it costs a depressed person to do something which to others appears simple and spontaneous, one must endeavour to help him with patience and sensitivity, remembering the observation of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus: " Little ones take little steps" .

In His infinite love, God is always close to those who are suffering. Depressive illness can be a way to discover other aspects of oneself and new forms of encounter with God. Christ listens to the cry of those whose boat is rocked by the storm (cf. Mk 4:35-41). He is present beside them to help them in the crossing and guide them to the harbour of rediscovered peace.

Healthy reference points are necessary, especially for youth

4. The phenomenon of depression reminds the Church and all society how important it is to provide people and especially youth, with examples and experiences that can help them to grow on the human, psychological, moral and spiritual levels. In fact, the absence of reference points can only contribute to making persons more fragile, inducing them to believe that all forms of behaviour are the same. In this perspective, the role of the family, of school, of youth movements and of parish associations is very important because of the effect that these realities have on the person' s formation.

Indeed, the public institutions have a significant role in guaranteeing a dignified standard of living, especially to abandoned, sick and elderly people. Equally necessary are policies for youth aimed at offering the young generations motives for hope to protect them from emptiness or from dangerous fillers.

Entrustment to Mary Most Holy, Health of the Sick

5. Dear friends, in encouraging you to a renewed commitment in such an important task beside your brothers and sisters who are suffering from depression, I entrust you to the intercession of Mary Most Holy, Salus infirmorum (Health of the Sick). May every individual and every family feel her motherly solicitude in times of difficulty.

To you all, to your collaborators and to your loved ones, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.

By Father Paul A. Duffner, O.P.

At the very beginning of our Christian life, when the waters of baptism washed away the stain of original sin, we (personally or through our parents and godparents) renounced Satan and all his works and pomps, that is, all worldliness and false maxims of this world which would lead us to love pleasure, riches, honors and power more than Christ. It is not that these things are evil, but that, because of the weakness of human nature they easily enslave the heart of man so that he seeks them in a way or to a degree that causes him to disregard the laws of God. By our baptism, then, we have not renounced the world as such, for all that God has created is good (Gen. 1:31). It is the misuse or abuse of what God has created that we renounce, an abuse that draws us away from the love and service of God and neighbor. It is in this sense that St. John wrote ?the whole world is in the power of the evil one? (1 Jn. 5:19).

The ultimate warfare in this world that has gone on since the fall of our first parents and will continue until the end of time, is that between our divine Savior and Satan. It is a spiritual battle for the souls of men. The ultimate defeat of Satan is already assured through the Passion of Christ, yet in the divine plan the devil and his angels are allowed to tempt souls through their own human weaknesses and the enticements of this world; for it is the will of the Creator that our love for Him be tested and proven in order to attain the eternal beatitude for which we were created.

The danger lies in that the world offers so many attractions that seem to promise happiness; and though many of those attractions are not in themselves sinful, they can captivate the heart to such an extent that one becomes lax, if not outright negligent and forgetful of his duties to God. Then too, many of the world?s attractions are clearly sinful, yet the prince of this world, the ?father of lies? (Jn. 8:44), deceives so many in believing that they are not only justifiable, but beneficial to mankind.

So many of the sources that form public opinion (the daily press, television, movies, books, magazines) - deceived by the Evil One - are presenting under the guise of good, practices that are forbidden by the divine and natural law: artificial contraception, abortion, euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, premarital sex, etc. The more one is captivated by the spirit of the world, the more one is open to this deception of the ?father of lies,? and tends to look upon the Church as ?old fashioned? and failing to keep up with modern progress. How many are misled by all this, failing to see that the arguments put forth are simply an appeal to the baser appetites and passions of man. The guidance of reason enlightened by faith is pushed into the background, if not entirely blotted out.

Because of all this, there is need to be on our guard as to what the world puts forth as lawful and normal. What we used to refer to as needed ?discipline? in certain areas, is now at times looked upon as self-repression and unnatural. Natural instincts, we are told, should not be repressed lest this give rise to disturbances of one?s psyche. In line with this, many restrictions are placed on the correction and discipline of children, even though the Scriptures warn again and again of the ill effects where such discipline is lacking.

PILGRIMS ON THE WAY

For the most part, what draws many away from following Christ, or what makes them lax in doing so, are not the pleasures or practices that are clearly against the law of God; but attractions innocent in themselves when used in moderation, but which have the power to bring one to prefer them to the demands of religion and the benefits of the sacraments. We are told to be ?in the world, but not of the world,? that is, not captivated by its spirit. We are to use the goods of this world and its enjoyments for the purpose that God intended, as means in the attainment of our final end, and not to allow them to become the end of all our striving. As St. Leo the Great warns, we must be careful not to become like the man who set out on a journey, but became so attracted by the many enticements along the way, that he forgot where he was going. The Scriptures admonish us to keep in mind that we are but ?pilgrims? on the way to our fatherland (l Pet. 2:11), and that here we have ?no permanent city? (Heb. 13:14).

So we are on a journey for the few short years of our earthly life, the destination of which is eternal beatitude with God in the life beyond. This journey can be a happy one in the enjoyment of the lawful pleasures of life if they are sought in moderation, and in keeping with God?s word handed down by the Church. But because of the weaknesses of our fallen nature, that moderation will not be observed without applying discipline to our weaknesses and self-denial to our appetites. And the necessary self-denial will be lacking if we do not seek the help of God?s grace through prayer and the sacraments, and reflect often on the final goal of our existence.

A pilgrim traveler carries along what he needs, but does not like to be burdened with things not needed for the journey, or that would impede its fulfillment. And since life is but a journey, it is important that one not become burdened with unnecessary possessions and attachments to the extent that he frequently loses sight of his eternal goal. To safeguard against this, he must achieve a healthy detachment towards the goods and goals of this world, so that they serve and not hinder his progress.

The detachment of which we speak does not imply giving up everything, nor does it mean a lack of interest in everything. It means that one is free from attachment to the world?s goods, giving one the capacity to enjoy the satisfactions the world offers that are in keeping with the divine plan, and to refrain from those that are not.

The human soul, by its very nature, yearns for happiness; and man, in his obscured spiritual vision and his innate self-seeking tendencies, can easily be deceived into thinking it can be found among the pleasures of the world. Yet, the happiness offered by the world is only a temporary enjoyment of some passing satisfaction, that invariably loses its attraction and ends in delusion. It was meant to be so by God, who made man for Himself, that we might turn to Him who alone can satisfy all the cravings of the human heart.

SOURCES OF WORLDLINESS

Among the effects of original sin, in addition to the loss of sanctifying grace, man?s lower nature (bodily appetites and passions) is no longer under the perfect control of his higher nature (intellect and will), and this opens the door to conflict in three weakened areas of human nature referred to by St. John.

?Do not love the world, nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; because all that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not from the Father, but from the world? (1 Jn. 2:15, 16).

Insofar as one is affected by this threefold concupiscence, he is imbued with the spirit of the world (worldliness), which rebels against the guidance of reason enlightened by faith. The spirit of the world and the spirit of Christ are irreconcilable; the more one is influenced by one of them, the less he is by the other.

As we have already pointed out, the prince of this world and his countless army of fallen angels are engaged in a struggle to win souls redeemed by Christ. The waging of this battle for souls has been entrusted by Christ to His Mother, who (by the power of Christ) will crush the serpent?s head (Gen. 3:15). The point we are stressing is that the more one is influenced by the spirit of the world, to that extent he/she is veering away from Christ, and is gradually succumbing to the enticements of the Evil One whose wish is our eternal damnation. ?No man can serve two masters; for he will either hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon? (Mt. 6:24). We will examine briefly these three weaknesses of our wounded human nature.

Concupiscence of the flesh is the inordinate desire for the pleasures of the body (especially lust and gluttony), and the revolt of the body against the necessary restraints and mortification in these matters.

St. Thomas defines concupiscence as the appetite for pleasure, which is something good when its fulfillment is sought and enjoyed in keeping with the intentions of the Creator. As the author of nature, God has endowed certain actions with pleasure that are necessary for the preservation of the individual (nutrition), and for the preservation of the species (generation). As a result of original sin, however, the appetite for pleasure in these matters, because of its intensity and because of the lack of full control by reason, often makes demands that go beyond the limits placed by reason enlightened by faith. It is for this reason that St. Paul speaks of the combat between the flesh and the spirit. ?I am delighted with the law of God according to the inner man, but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law that is in my members? (Rom. 7:21-23). For this reason Christian mortification has always recommended that one deprive himself at times of certain lawful pleasures, not because they are in any way wrong, but to strengthen the will to refrain from pleasures that are not lawful, and to make reparation for the many times and ways that this concupiscence has led one to seek pleasures that are contrary to the guidance of reason enlightened by faith.

Lack of control in this particular weakness not only distances one from God, but causes one to lose the taste for divine things, as St. Paul explains: ?The sensual man does not perceive the things that are of the Spirit of God? (1 Cor. 2:14). And as St. Thomas points out, lust causes spiritual blindness, and gluttony causes dullness of the spiritual sense. (For a detailed consideration of this see Vol. 50, n.3)

Concupiscence of the eyes is another name for avarice or greed. It is an inordinate desire for or attachment to the goods and riches of this world, so that instead of possessing them, one can be possessed by them. Either we master them, i.e. use and share them with detachment, or they master us, i.e. our attachment to them causes us to disregard the rights of God and neighbor. St. Paul wrote of this to Timothy.

?They (those seeking riches) are letting themselves be captured by foolish and harmful desires which drag men down to ruin and destruction. The love of money is the root of all evil. Some men in their passion for it have strayed from the faith, and have involved themselves in many troubles? (1 Tim. 6:9).

However, just as the appetites of the body for pleasure are not obstacles to salvation when sought and enjoyed in keeping with the intention of the Creator, so neither is the world as such. Many Christians living in the world, some with considerable possessions, live truly saintly lives. Fathers of families must work to secure the good of this world and their increase as needed for the well being of their families. Yet, because of the particular weakness of human nature of which we are speaking, attachment to the goods of this world can become a formidable obstacle to spiritual growth. Today?s society has in many respects created a culture without God; and without the inspiration and motivation that comes from God?s grace, the selfish inclinations of our human nature tend to take over, and cause one to seek this world?s goods not as a means to an end, but as an end in itself, so that they become the prime concern of one?s existence, leaving one with little concern about the rights of God and the needs of others. How often does it happen that the more one acquires, the more he desires, and the laws of God do not stand in the way. And this, even though as a rule, the more one has the greater his anxiety about guarding it and his fear of losing it. To such a one, wealth may bring prestige and renown, but it does not bring peace of mind and true happiness.

The Christian spirit of detachment from the goods of this world is inseparable from trust in the providence of God, who is the ultimate source of all the goods of this world, and who provides for the needs of those who trust in Him. Our Lord, in the sermon on the mount, chides those who are lacking in this trust. ?Do not be anxious, asking: ?What shall we eat?? or ?What shall we drink?? or ?What are we to wear??. . . for your heavenly Father knows you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things will be given you besides" (Mt. 6:31-34).

And for those not wanting in the goods of this world, but in the detachment from them, St. Basil, doctor of the Church, has this admonition. ?If you acknowledge your possessions as coming from God, is He unjust because He apportions them unequally? Why do you receive more and another less, unless it be that you have the merit of stewardship?? But none have expressed the need of trust combined with sharing more beautifully than St. Leo the Great.

?No act of devotion on the part of the faithful gives God more pleasure than that which is lavished on the poor. Where He finds charity with its loving concern, there He recognizes a reflection of His own fatherly care. In these acts of giving do not fear the lack of means. A generous spirit is itself a great wealth. There can be no shortage of material for generosity when it is Christ who feeds and Christ who is fed. In all this activity there is present the hand of Him who multiplies the bread by breaking it, and increases it by giving it away? (Rom. Brev.).

The pride of life is an inordinate desire for one?s own glory and exaltation apart from God, a desire for freedom and independence that leads to disobedience to the order established by God, and to rebellion against what interferes with one having his own way. This was the sin of the angels, and of our first parents. All who share their fallen nature have inherited that same rebellious tendency. This wound of our nature makes it difficult for us to obey, to admit mistakes, to accept correction, humiliation, failure, etc.

Of the three sources of worldliness that we have considered, pride is the most subtle, the most deeply rooted, the most damaging, and the most difficult to eradicate. For that reason the proud man is more difficult to convert than the sensual man, or one attached to the goods of this world. It is the greatest of all obstacles to grace, and causes souls to seek their own will rather than God?s, their own glory rather than God?s, their own version of truth rather than God?s. Is there any wonder why St. Gregory the great calls it ?the queen and mother of all vices?? Is there any wonder why St. Peter warns that ?God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble?? (1 Pet. 5:5)

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

One temptation in reading about the three main sources of worldliness, is that we might begin to visualize someone we know who is especially worldly in one or other of those areas. But the fact is that all of us have all three of those weaknesses in varying degrees, and the warfare of the Christian life is the struggle to overcome them. One may make progress against those weaknesses and keep them under control, but the underlying concupiscence will always remain part of our fallen nature. And if one begins to let up on his vigilance, not cooperating with graces received, those weaknesses - no matter how much progress one has made - will again make themselves felt. God has his own way of keeping us aware of our basic human frailty, and of our need of His grace.

The more we make progress against this threefold concupiscence of our fallen nature, the clearer becomes our spiritual vision, and the less our will is impeded in choosing the path that Christ marked out for us. That is why St. Paul admonishes:

?Be not conformed to the world, but be transformed in the newness of your mind, that you may discern what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God? (Rom. 12:2).

St Simon Stock

Born in the County of Kent, England, about 1165; died in the Carmelite monastery at Bordeaux, France, 16 May, 1265. On account of his English birth he is also called Simon Anglus.

It is said that when twelve years old he began to live as a hermit in the hollow trunk of an oak, and later to have become an itinerant preacher until he entered the Carmelite Order which had just come to England. According to the same tradition he went as a Carmelite to Rome, and from there to Mt. Carmel, where he spent several years. All that is historically certain is that in 1247 he was elected the sixth general of the Carmelites, as successor to Alan, at the first chapter held at Aylesford, England.

Not withstanding his great age he showed remarkable energy as general and did much for the benefit of the order, so that he is justly regarded as the most celebrated of its generals. During his occupancy of the office the order became widely spread in southern and western Europe, especially in England; above all, he was able to found houses in the university cities of that era, as in 1248 at Cambridge, in 1253 at Oxford, in 1260 at Paris and Bologna. This action was of the greatest importance both for the growth of the institution and for the training of its younger members. Simon was also able to gain at least the temporary approbation of Innocent IV for the altered rule of the order which had been adapted to European conditions. Nevertheless the order was greatly oppressed, and it was still struggling everywhere to secure admission, either to obtain the consent of the secular clergy, or the toleration of other orders. In these difficulties, as Guilelmus de Sanvico (shortly after 1291) relates, the monks prayed to their patroness the Blessed Virgin. "And the Virgin Mary revealed to their prior that they were to apply fearlessly to Pope Innocent, for they would receive from him an effective remedy for these difficulties". The prior followed the counsel of the Virgin, and the order received a Bull or letter of protection from Innocent IV against these molestations. It is an historical fact that Innocent IV issued this papal letter for the Carmelites under date of 13 January, 1252, at Perugia.

Later Carmelite writers give more details of such a vision and revelation. Johannes Grossi wrote his "Viridarium" about 1430, and he relates that the Mother of God appeared to Simon Stock with the scapular of the order in her hand. This scapular she gave him with the words: "Hoc erit tibi et cunctis Carmelitis privilegium, in hoc habitu moriens salvabitur" (This shall be the privilege for you and for all the Carmelites, that anyone dying in this habit shall be saved). On account of this great privilege many distinguished Englishmen, such as King Edward II, Henry, Duke of Lancaster, and many others of the nobility secretly work (clam portaverunt) the Carmelite scapular under their clothing and died with it on. In Grossi's narrative, however, the scapular of the order must be taken to mean the habit of the Carmelites and not as the small Carmelite scapular. As was the custom in medieval times among the other orders, the Carmelites gave their habit or at least their scapular to their benefactors and friends of high rank, that these might have a share in the privilege apparently connected with their habit or scapular by the Blessed Virgin. It is possible that the Carmelites themselves at that period wore their scapular at night in a smaller form just as they did at a later date and at the present time: namely, in about the form of the scapular for the present third order. If this is so they could give laymen their scapular in this form. At a later date, probably not until the sixteenth century, instead of the scapular of the order the small scapular was given as a token of the scapular brotherhood.

Today the brotherhood regards this as its chief privilege, and one it owes to St. Simon Stock, that anyone who dies wearing the scapular is not eternally lost. In this way the chief privilege and entire history of the little Carmelite scapular is connected with the name of St. Simon Stock. There is no difficulty in granting that Grossi's narrative, related above, and the Carmelite tradition are worthy of belief, even though they have not the full value of historical proof . That Simon himself was distinguished by special veneration of and love for the Virgin is shown by the antiphonies "Flos Carmeli" and "Ave Stella Matutina", which he wrote, and which have been adopted in the breviary of the Calced Carmelites. Besides these antiphonies other works have been incorrectly attributed to him. The first biographical accounts of Simon belong to the year 1430, but these are not entirely reliable. However, he was not at this time publicly venerated as a saint; it was not until 1435 that his feast was put in the choral books of the monastery at Bordeaux. It was introduced before 1458 into Ireland and, probably at the same time, into England; by a decree of the General Chapter of 1564 its celebration was commanded for the entire order.

St Brendan of Clonfert (480-578AD)

St. Brendan is best known as "the Navigator" because of the book. The Navigation of St. Brendan Abbot. an 11th-century epic of his voyages in the Atlantic Ocean. But it was not his travels that made him a saint (although he journeyed forth in the name of the Gospel); it was his work as a monastic founder.

The son of Findlugh, Brendan (also called Brandon) was apparently a native of Tralee in Co. Kerry. As a small child, he was raised, it is said, by St. Ita (or Deirdre), the remarkable abbess of Killeedy who was foster mother to several Irish saints, and ranks second only to St. Brigid among the women saints of Erin. Where Ita left off, Bishop Ere took over, supervising Brendan's theological education.

We next find the future voyager as a monk of the monastery of Ardfert. He was its superior, and perhaps even its founder. He is reputed to have set up several, monasteries. Atop Brandon (i.e., Brendan) Hill in Kerry, for instance, there are still ruins of a St. Brendan's Chapel surrounded by ancient stone monastic huts. Some say that Brendan also built monasteries in Scotland and Wales. But his principal monastic establishment (around 560) was Clonfert Abbey in Co. Galway. At Clonfert, his biographers report, he ruled as many as 3,000 monks!

Many of the old Irish monks left Ireland in search of more deserted spots across the main. Brendan certainly visited one of these self-exiled ascetics, St. Columba, who had crossed the Irish Sea to lona, to become the apostle of Scotland. Brendan may also have visited Wales, and even Brittany in France.  But the Navigation records the holy abbot's longest trip, a westward voyage on the open Atlantic in search of "The Land of Promise", he and his monks built a large seaworthy coracle - - a type of boat still used in Ireland, consisting of a wooden or wicker frame covered with leather. Brendan and 14 or more companion monks then set sail from western Ireland, and touched en route upon many lands.

Among the islands they encountered, one was covered with birds, another with sheep, another with grapevines, and yet another spouted fire. They saw pillars of crystal float by. They halted on Easter to celebrate Mass on a small barren island, and then built a breakfast fire. When the fire was kindled, the island suddenly started moving. The travelers quickly clambered aboard their boat and watched the supposed islet speed away.

They had landed on a sleeping whale! Eventually the monks reached their paradisal, subtropical destination in the western Atlantic. Then they sailed back to Ireland.

Much of this narrative is fantasy, but it may well be based on a real pre-Leif Ericsson voyage to North America. In 1976-77 explorer Tim Severin and a few colleagues built a large leather boat of the same coracle type and made the journey from Ireland to Newfoundland. En route they noted islands full of birds and sheep, and vines, as well as firespouting volcanic islands that could have been those described in the Navigation. The pillars of crystal mentioned could easily have been icebergs.

Severin's trip therefore proved that an ocean voyage in such a boat was possible. Interestingly enough, there are modern stories of sailors disembarking on quiescent whales. But only archaeological evidence can prove if Brendan or other early Irish navigators actually reached North America.

Especially because of the wide circulations of the Brendan saga, the Irish monastic founder became known throughout Europe. All the old maps showed his fabulous "Land of Promise," (also called "San Brendan," "The Fortunate Isle," or " Hy-Brasil"), indicated now here, now there in the Atlantic.

Brendan spent his last years at home. He died while visiting his sister Brig, a nun, in Annaghdown. Fearing that after his death his devotees might try to make off with his remains, the Saint had arranged before dying to have his body carried back to Clonfert secretly, concealed in a luggage cart bound for the monastery. He was buried in Clonfert cathedral.

Freedom,truth, gift, communion, dignity, love, person, meaning: these are all themes which are continually found throughout the writings of Pope John Paul II.  They were there even before he became pope.  As Cardinal Karol Wojtyla he was influential in the writing of several documents from Vatican II, not the least of which was Gaudium et Spes ? the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World ? from which he never tired of quoting in his many encyclicals and apostolic letters.

?Man is the only creature on earth which God willed for itself, [and he] cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.? (Gaudium et Spes 24)

We must first know the purpose of our existence and what we were created for if we are to live a fully meaningful life.  Pope John Paul II explored the purpose of our existence in his Theology of the Body, which consists of 129 general Wednesday audiences delivered by him during the first five years of his pontificate.

Prior to his election as pope, John Paul II wrote a book, Love and Responsibility.  In Love and Responsibility Karol Wojtyla presented the Catholic Church?s teaching on love and sexuality in a way that makes sense to modern man.  Wojtyla stressed the dignity of the person and showed how important it is to live our sexuality in a way which upholds and affirms the other person.  Indeed, the true lover will never use another person or treat her as a means to an end.

In his Theology of the Body John Paul II dug deep into the meaning of being a human person based on Scripture.  As a person with a body and soul, made in the image and likeness of God, we find the meaning of life through finding out what it means to image God and what our bodies have to do with it. We not only image God through the gift of free-will, but also through being in communion with others.

?Tobe human means to be called to interpersonal communion.?  Why?  BecauseGod himself is a communion of persons in the Trinity.  John Paul II explained, ?Man became the ?image and likeness? of God not only through his own humanity, but also through the communion of persons which man and woman form right from the beginning.? (TOB, Nov. 14, 1979)

Blessed Damien of Molokai (1840-1889)

When Joseph de Veuster was born in Tremelo, Belgium, in 1840, few people in Europe had any first hand knowledge of leprosy (Hansen's disease). By the time he died at the age of 49, people all over the world knew about this disease because of him. They knew that human compassion could soften the ravages of this disease. Forced to quit at age 13 to work on the family farm, six years later Joseph entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, taking the name of a fourth-century physician and martyr. When his brother Pamphile, a priest in the same congregation, fell ill and was unable to go to the Hawaiian as assigned, Damien quickly volunteered in his place. In May 1864, two months after arriving in his new mission, Damien was ordained a priest in Honolulu and assigned to the island of Hawaii.

In 1873, he went to the Hawaiian government's leper colony on the island of Molokai, set up seven years earlier. Part of a team of four chaplains taking that assignment for three months each year, Damien soon volunteered to remain permanently, caring for the people's physical, medical and spiritual needs. In time, he became their most effective advocate to obtain promised government support.

Soon the settlement had new houses and a new church, school and orphanage. Morale improved considerably. A few years later he succeeded in getting the Franciscan Sisters of Syracuse, led by Mother Marianne Kope, to help staff this colony in Kalaupapa.

Damien contracted Hansen's disease and died of its complications. As requested, he was buried in Kalaupapa, but in 1936 the Belgian government succeeded in having his body moved to Belgium. Part of Damien's body was returned to his beloved Hawaiian brothers and sisters after his beatification in 1995.

When Hawaii became a state in 1959, it selected Damien as one of its two representatives in the Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol.

Comment:

Some people thought Damien was a hero for going to Molokai and others thought he was crazy. When a Protestant clergyman wrote that Damien was guilty of immoral behavior, Robert Louis Stevenson vigorously defended him in an "Open Letter to Dr. Hyde."

Quote:

During the beatification homily, Pope John Paul II said: "Holiness is not perfection according to human criteria; it is not reserved for a small number of exceptional persons. It is for everyone; it is the Lord who brings us to holiness, when we are willing to collaborate in the salvation of the world for the glory of God, despite our sin and our sometimes rebellious temperament."

Though I take it up as the fourth in this series, surely the Resurrection of Jesus Christ provides the first and most obvious reason to be both a Christian and a Catholic, for it is Christ’s Resurrection which bears ultimate witness to the truth of the relationship between man and God which He both revealed and accomplished. Question: How do we know Christ’s teachings are true? Answer: Because He rose from the dead.

Christ himself argued that we should believe in Him because of the works He did. His miracles were a proof that He came from God and, therefore, that His words were true. Indeed, when he drove the money-lenders out of the temple, claiming that it was his Father’s house, he replied to those who challenged his authority by referring them to a stupendous miracle still to come: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again” (Jn 2:19). In several places, Scripture makes clear that He was talking about “the temple of His body” (cf. Jn 2:21)—that is, His own Resurrection from the dead.

The Resurrection, then, is the culmination of all the signs which validate Christ’s authority, the truth of His teaching, the reliability of His message, the reality of His Divine sonship, into which he would incorporate all of his followers. But note that there is a double significance to this formidable proof. In the first place, again, it is the guarantee of the Divine authority behind all of Christ's sayings and everything He instituted. Apostles, bishops, priests, sacraments, the Church: all are guaranteed by the Resurrection to be Divine institutions, established by the One who proved He came from God. The first great significance of the Resurrection, then, is that it directly or indirectly guarantees not only the truth of Christ’s own words but the authority of the Church, the inspiration of the Scriptures, and the efficacy of the whole order of grace.

This is, if you will, the Resurrection’s macrocosmic significance. But what of its microcosmic significance? What of the significance of the Resurrection in that microcosm of the Christian mystery which is my own personal life, my own being? St. Paul addressed this question specifically when he rebuked those who denied the resurrection of the dead:

For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Cor 15:16-22)

In other words, Christ’s Resurrection is the guarantee of our own resurrection, our own personal immortality, not just as disembodied souls but as complete human persons, body and soul united to God. An inkling of what this means may be gained by reflecting on the aging process. As we get older, we sometimes look in the mirror with surprise. We don’t think of ourselves as “old”. We think of ourselves as simply ourselves—the same as ever, the same self we were aware of when we first reflected as children, not necessarily the young self, but certainly the very same self. We find it strange, even a little disturbing, that the body can betray through change, growth, and decomposition this self, this me whom I permanently understand myself to be.

In Christ’s Resurrection, this “permanent me” is guaranteed to enjoy the fullness of life forever: Elevated, purified of sin, perfected, living in unlimited love—but always essentially myself. No other philosophy or religion offers so much or, to put it differently, no other philosophy or religion captures so perfectly what we instinctively understand about ourselves, about our difference from the rest of nature, about the essentially permanent and potentially glorious character of our own being. The reason is simple, for no other philosopher or theologian boasts a resurrection, and when it comes to being Christian and Catholic, all the difference is made by that single, solitary, concrete and miraculous historical fact.

by Dr Jeff Mirus Catholic Culture

"Let us not here omit to notice, that the putting out of all the lights in the church is a symbol of the abrogation of the old Law, which ended with the rending of the veil of the temple; and that the new fire represents the preaching of the new Law, whereby our Lord Jesus Christ, the light of the world, fulfilled all the figures of the ancient Covenant."

...The soldiers may watch, as best they will, over that grave: they cannot hold Jesus prisoner, as soon as the moment fixed for His Resurrection comes. The holy angels are there, profoundly adoring the lifeless Body of Him, whose Blood is to reconcile all things, both on earth, and in heaven.(1)-{Col. i. 20.} This Body, though for a brief interval separated from the Soul, is still united to the Person of the Son of God; so likewise the Soul, during its separation from the Body, has not for an instant lost its union with the Word. The Divinity remains also united with the Blood which lies sprinkled on Calvary, and which, at the moment of the Resurrection of the Man-God, is to enter once more into His sacred veins.

...The sight of this tomb, wherein His Body lies lifeless and cold, teaches us something far more important than the power of death: it reveals to us the immense, the incomprehensible love of God for man. He knew that we were to gain by His humiliations; the greater His humiliations, the greater our exaltation: this was His principle, and it led Him to what seems like an excess! Let us, then, love this sacred sepulcher, which is to give us life. We have thanked Him for having died for us upon the cross; let us thank Him, but most feelingly, for having humbled Himself, for our sake, even to the tomb!

Blessing of the New Fire and Incense

• Blessing of the New Fire

Our Lord said of Himself: 'I am the light of the world.' (1)- {St. John viii. 12} Light, then is an image of the Son of God. Stone, also, is one of the types under which the Scriptures speak to us of the Messias. St. Peter (1)-{1 St. Peter ii. 6}, and St. Paul, (2)-{Eph. ii. 20}, quoting the words of the prophet Isaias, (3)-{Is. xxviii. 16}, speak of Jesus as the Corner-Stone. The spark which is struck from the flint represents our Lord rising from His rock-hewn sepulcher, through the stone that had been rolled against it.

...Let us not here omit to notice, that the putting out of all the lights in the church is a symbol of the abrogation of the old Law, which ended with the rending of the veil of the temple; and that the new fire represents the preaching of the new Law, whereby our Lord Jesus Christ, the light of the world, fulfilled all the figures of the ancient Covenant.

The Church also blesses the five grains of incense, which are to be used in this morning's Service. They represent the perfumes prepared by Magdalene and her holy companions for embalming the Body of Jesus. The prayer said by the bishop, when blessing the incense, not only shows us the connection there is between it and the light, but it also teaches us what is the power these several sacred objects have against the wicked spirits.

The Paschal Candle

• Blessing of the Paschal Candle and The Prophecies

...The Church has provided a torch, which is to spread its light upon us during the whole of this long vigil. It is of an unusual size. It stands alone, and is of a pillar-like form. It is the symbol of Christ. Before being lighted, its scriptural type is the pillar of a cloud, which hid the Israelites when they went out from Egypt; under this form, it is the figure of our Lord, when lying lifeless in the tomb. When lighted, we must see in it both the pillar of fire which guided the people of God, and the glory of our Jesus risen from His grave. Our holy mother the Church would have us enthusiastically love this glorious symbol, and speaks its praise to us in all the magnificence of her inspired eloquence...

...Whilst these rites (Baptism of the catechumens) are being administered to the catechumens, the rest of the faithful are listening to appropriate passages from the Scripture, which are being read from the ambo, and which are the complement to the lenten instructions.

These lessons are twelve in number... In order to fix the attention, and excite the devotion of her children to what she reads to them, the Church, after each lesson, recites a prayer, which sums up the doctrine expressed in the preceding prophecy... Frequent genuflections, and the somber-colored vestments, strongly contrast with the beautiful flame of the Paschal torch, which sheds it silent beams of light upon the faithful. Their hearts are still throbbing with the emotions excited within them by the Exsultet: they are impatient to see their Jesus' Resurrection fulfilled in the Baptism of the catechumens.

Editor's Note: For the Twelve Prophecies, Blessing of the Font and Litany of Saints, see the links below:

• The Twelve Prophecies
• Blessing of the Baptismal Font
• Litany of the Saints

Holy Mass

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - Easter Vigil

...During this time [when the Kyrie eleison is being sung] the bishop [or priest] is reciting, at the foot of the altar, the usual psalm and prayers; and then, ascending to the altar, he offers the homage of incense to the Most High. Hence, an Introit, which on other occasions, is sung by the choir during the procession from the secretarium to the altar, is not needed.

The censing of the altar is finished: and then - Oh, glorious triumph of our risen Jesus! - the priest sings forth, in a transport of joy: Gloria in excelsis Deo! The hitherto silent bells peal to the glad angelic hymn. The enthusiasm of our holy faith has mastered every heart, making it beat with emotion. The people take up the heavenly canticle, and continue it to the end; and then the bishop [the priest] sings the collect.

The Communion over, the bishop [or priest if there is no bishop present] ends the holy Sacrifice with a prayer, in which he beseeches God to unite us all to each other in a spirit of fraternal charity, seeing that we all participate in the celebration of the Pasch... The signal for departure being given by the deacon, in the bishop's departure being given by the deacon, in the bishop's name, the faithful leave the church, and return to their homes, there to remain till they reassemble for the holy Sacrifice, which is again to be offered up in a still more solemn celebration of this the Feast of feasts, the Pasch of the Resurrection.

Evening Vespers

The description we have been giving of the magnificent ceremonies of Baptism, has made us forget the sepulcher wherein reposes the Body of our crucified Jesus. Let us return thither in thought, for the hour of His Resurrection has not yet come. Let us devote a few moments to meditation on the mystery of the three days, during which the Soul of our Redeemer was separated from His Body. We went, this morning, to visit the tomb, where lies our buried Jesus; we adored that sacred Body, which Magdalene and her companions are preparing to honor, by anointing it early on the morrow. Now let us offer the tribute of our profound adoration to the Soul of our divine Master. It is not in the tomb, where His Body is: let us follow it to the place where it lives during these hours of separation.

In the center of the earth there are four immense regions, into which no one living can ever enter: it is only by divine revelation that we know of their existence. The farthest from us is the hell of the damned, the frightful abode where satan and his angels and the reprobate are suffering eternal torments. It is here that the prince of darkness is ever forming his plots against God and His creatures. Nearer to us, is the limbo wherein are detained the souls of children, who departed this world before being regenerated. The opinion which has met most favor from the Church is that these souls suffer no torment; and that, although they can never enjoy the beatific vision, yet are they enjoying a natural happiness, and one that is proportionate to their desires. Above the abode of these children, is the place of expiation, where souls that have departed this life in the state of grace cleanse themselves from any stains of lesser sins, or satisfy for the debt of temporal punishment still due to divine justice. And lastly, still nearer to us, is the limbo where are kept from heaven the saints who died under the old Law. Here are our first parents, Abel, Noe, Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets; the just Gentiles, such as that great saint of Arabia, Job; and those holy personages who were closely connected with our Lord, such as Joachim and Anne, the parents of His blessed Mother, Joseph her spouse and His own foster-father, and John His precursor, together with his holy parents Zachary and Elizabeth.

Until such time as the gate of Heaven shall have been opened by the Blood of the Redeemer, none of the just can ascend thither. How holy soever they might have been during this life, they must descend into limbo after death. We meet with innumerable passages of the old Testament, where mention is made of hell (that is, that portion of the regions in the center of the earth which we call limbo) as being the abode of even the holiest of God's servants: it is the abode of even the holiest of God's servants: it is only in the new Testament that Heaven is spoken of as being the bode of men. The limbo of the just is not one of torment, beyond that of expectation and captivity. The souls that dwell there are confirmed in captivity. The souls that dwell there are confirmed in grace, and are sure of enjoying, at some future period, an infinite happiness; they resignedly bear this long banishment, which is a consequence of Adam's sin; and, as they see the time drawing nigh for their deliverance, their joy is beyond all we can imagine.

The Son of God has subjected Himself to every thing, save sin, that our human nature has to suffer or undergo: it is by His Resurrection that He is to triumph, it is by His Ascension alone that He is to open the gates of heaven: hence, His Soul, having been separated from His Body by death, was to descend into the depths of the earth, and become a companion with the holy exiles there. He had said of Himself: 'The Son of Man shall be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.' (1)- {St. Matt. xii. 40} What must have been the joy of these countless saints! And how majestic must have been the entrance of our Emmanuel into their abode! No sooner did our Jesus breathe His last upon the cross, than the limbo of the saints was illumined with heavenly splendor. The Soul of the Redeemer, united to the Divinity of the Word, descended thither, and changed it from a place of banishment into a very paradise. Thus did He fulfill the promise He had made to the good thief: 'This day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.'

The happy hour, so long expected by these saints, has come! What tongue could tell their joy, their admiration, and their love, as they behold the Soul of Jesus, who thus comes among them to share and close their exile! He looks complacently on this countless number of His elect, this fruit of four thousand years of His grace, this portion of His Church purchased by His Blood, and to which the merits of His Blood were applied by the mercy of His eternal Father even before it was shed on Calvary! Let us who hope, on our departure from this world, to ascend to Him, who has gone to prepare a place for us in Heaven,(2)-{St. John xiv. 2} joyfully congratulate these our holy ancestors. Let us also adore the condescension of our Emmanuel, Who deigns to spend these three days in the heart of the earth, that so He might sanctify every condition of our nature, and take upon Himself even what was but a transient state of our existence.

But the Son of God would have this His visit to the regions beneath our earth to be a manifestation of His sovereign power. His soul does not, it is true, descend into the hell of satan, but He makes His power felt there. The prince of this world is now forced to bend his knee and humble himself.(1)-{Phil. ii. 10} In this Jesus, whom he has instigated the Jews to crucify, he now recognizes the Son of God. Man is saved, death is conquered, sin is effaced. Henceforth, it is not to the 'bosom of Abraham', but to heaven itself that the souls of the just made perfect shall ascend, there to reign, together with the faithful angels, with Christ their divine Head. The reign of idolatry is to be at an end: the altars, whereon men have offered incense to satan, are to be destroyed. The house of the strong one is to be entered by his divine Adversary, and his goods are to be rifled.(2)-{St. Matt. xii. 20} The hand-writing of our condemnation is snatched from the serpent.(3)-{Col. ii. 14} The cross, which he had so exultingly prepared for the Just One, has been his overthrow; or, as St. Anthony so forcibly expresses it, it is the bait thrown out to the leviathan, which he took, and taking it, was conquered.

The Soul of our Jesus makes its presence felt also by the just who dwell in the abode of expiation. It mercifully alleviates their sufferings, and shortens their purgatory. Many of them re delivered altogether, and numbered with the saints in limbo, where they spend the forty days, between this and the Ascension in the happy expectation of ascending to heaven with their Deliverer. It is not contrary to the principles of faith to suppose, as several learned theologians have taught, that the visit of the Man-God to limbo was a source of blessing and consolation to the abode of unregenerated children, and that they then received a promise that the time would come, when they should be reunited to their bodies, and, after the day of judgment, be placed in a happier land than that in which divine justice now holds them captives.

We adore Thee, O holy Soul of our Redeemer, for having deigned to pass these hours with Thy saints, our fathers, in the heart of the earth. We extol Thy goodness and love shown towards these Thy elect, whom Thou hast made to be Thine own brethren. We give Thee thanks for that Thou didst humble our enemy: oh, give us grace to conquer him! But now, dearest Jesus, it is time for Thee to rise from Thy tomb, and reunite Thy Soul to Thy Body. Heaven and earth await Thy Resurrection; the Church, Thy bride, has already sung the Alleluia of her glad expectation: rise, then, from Thy grave, O Jesus, our Life! Triumph over death, and reign our King for ever!