MAY 3 - THE FINDING OF THE HOLY CROSS

By Prosper Gueranger 





IT was most just that our divine King should show himself to us with the sceptre of his power, to the end that nothing might be wanting to the majesty of his empire. This sceptre is . the Cross; and Paschal Time was to be the sea~n for its being offered to him in glad homage. A few weeks back, and the Cross was shown to us as the instrument of our Emmanuel's humiliation and as the bed of suffering whereon he died; but has he not since then conquered Death? and what is his Cross now but a trophy of his victory ? Let it then be brought forth to our gaze and let every knee bend before this sacred Wood, whereby our Jesus won the honour and praise we now give him!

On the day of his birth at Bethlehem we sang these words of the Prophet Isaias: A child is bom unto us, atJd a son is given unto us, and his government is upon his shoulder.1 We have seen him carrying this Cross upon his shoulder; as Isaac carried the wood for his own immolation; but now it is no longer a heavy burthen. It is shining with a brightness that ravishes the eyes of the angels; and after having received the veneration of man as long as the world lasts. it will suddenly appear in the clouds of heaven, near the Judge of the living and the dead-a consolation to them that have loved it, but a reproach to such as have treated it with contempt or forgetfulness.

Our Saviour did not think the time between his Resurrection and Ascension a fitting one for glorifying the instrument of his victory. The Cross was not to be brought into notice until it had subjected the world to him whose glory it so eloquently proclaimed. Jesus was three days in the tomb; his Cross is to lie buried. unknown to men, for three centuries: but it is to have its resurrection, and the Church celebrates this resurrection to-day. Jesus would, in his own good time, add to the joy of Easter by miraculously revealing to us this sacred monument of his love for mankind. He entrusts it to our keeping-it is to be our consolationas long as this world lasts: is it not just that we should love and venerate it ?

Never had Satan's pride met with such a humiliation as when he saw the instrument of our perdition made the instrument of our salvation. As the Church expresses it in her Preface for Passion tide : • He that overcame mankind by a Tree, was overcome by a Tree.' Thus foiled, he vented his fury upon this saving Wood, which so bitterly reminded him both of the irresistible power of his conqueror and of the dignity of man who had been redeemed at so great a price. He would fain have annihilated the Cross; but knowing that this was beyond his power, he endeavoured to profane it, and hide it from view. He therefore instigated the Jews to bury it. At the foot of Calvary, not far from the sepulchre, was a deep hole. Into this was the Cross thrown, together with those of the two thieves, the Nails, the Crown of Thorns, and the Inscription or Title written by Pilate. The hole was then filled up with rubbish and earth, and the Sanhedrim exulted in the thought of its having effaced the memory of the Nazarene, who could not save himself from the ignominious death of the Cross.

Forty years after this, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, the instruments of God's vengeance. The Holy Places were desecrated by the idolaters. A small temple to Venus was erected on Calvary, and another to Jupiter over the Holy Sepulchre. By this, the pagans intended derision; whereas, they were perpetuating the knowledge of two spots of most sacred interest. When peace was restored under Constantine, the Christians had but to remove these pagan monuments, and their eyes beheld the holy ground that had been bedewed with the Blood of Jesus, and the glorious Sepulchre. As to the Cross, it was not so easily found. The sceptre of our divine King was to be raised up from its tomb by a royal hand. The saintly Empress Helen, Constantine's mother, was chosen by heaven to pay to Jesus---and that, toe·, on the very spot where he had received his greatest humiliations---the honours which are due to him as the King of the world. Before laying the foundations of the Basilica of the Resurrection, this worthy follower of Magdalen and the other holy women of the sepulchre was anxious to discover the instrument of our salvation. The Jews had kept up the tradition of the site where it had been buried: the Empress had the excavations made accordingly. With what holy impatience she must have watched the works! and with what ecstasy of joy did she behold the redeeming Wood. which. though not at first distinguishable, was certainly one of the three Crosses that were found! She addressed a fervent prayer to the Saviour. who alone could reveal to her which was the trophy of his victory; the bishop. Macarius, united his prayers with hers; and their faith was rewarded by a miracle that left them no doubt as to which was the true Cross.

The glorious work was accomplished, and the Church was put in possession of the instrument of the world's Redemption. Both East and West were fill,ed with joy at the news of this precious discovery, which heaven had set on foot, and which gave the last finish to the triumph of Christianity. Christ completed his victory over the pagan world by raising thus his standard-not a figurative one, but his own real standard-his Cross. which. up to that time. had been a stumbling-block to the Jews, and foolishness to the Gentiles; but before which every Christian is henceforth to bend his knee.

Helen placed the holy Cross in the Basilica which had been built bv her orders, and which covered both the glorious Sepulchre and the hill of the Crucifixion. Another Church was erected on the site where the Cross had lain concealed for three hundred years, and the faithful are enabled, by long flights ofsteps, to go down into the deep grotto which had been its tomb. Pilgrims came from every part of the world to visit the hallowed places where our Redemption had been wrought, and to venerate the sacred Wood of the Cross. But God's merciful providence willed not that the precious pledge of Jesus' love for mankind should be confined to one sanctuary only, however venerable it might be. Immediately after its discovery, Helen had a very large piece cut from the Cross; and this fragment she destined for Rome, the new Jerusalem. The precious gift was enshrined in the Basilica built by her son Constantine in the Sessorian garden, which was afterwards called the Basilica of H oly-Cross-inJerusalem.

By degrees, other places were honoured by the presence of the Wood of the Holy Cross. So far back as the fourth century, we have St Cyril of Jerusalem attesting that many of the pilgrims used to obtain small pieces of it, and thus carried the precious treasure into their respective countries; and St Paulinus of Nola, who lived in the same century, assures us that these many gifts lessened not the size of the original relic. In the sixth century, the holy Queen St Radegonde obtained from the Emperor 1ustin II a large piece from the fragment that was in 'the imperial treasury of Constantinople. It was for the reception of this piece of the True Cross into France that Venantius Fortunatus composed the Vexilla Regis-that beautiful hymn which the Church uses in her Liturgy as often as she celebrates the praise of the Holy Cross. After several times losing and regaining it, Jerusalem was at length for ever deprived of the precious relic. Constantinople was a gainer by Jemsalem's loss. From Constantinople, especially during the Crusades, many churches of the West procured large pieces. These again supplied other places; until at length the Wood of the Cross was to be found in almost every town of any importance. There is scarcely to be found a Catholic who. some time or other in his life. has not had the happiness of seeing and venerating a portion of this sacred object. How many acts of love and gratitude have not been occasioned by this? And who could fail to recognize. in this successive profusion of our Jesus' Cross, a plan of divine providence for exciting us to us appreciation of our Redemption. on which rest all our hopes of eternal happiness ?

How dear. then. to us should this day be, which blends together the recollection of the holy Cross and the joys of the Resurrection of that Jesus who by the Cross has won the throne to which we shall soon see him ascend! Let us thank our Heavenly Father for his having restored to mankind a treasure so immensely precious as is the Cross. Until the day comes for it to appear with himself in the clouds of heaven. Jesus has entrusted it to his Spouse, as a pledge of his second coming. On that day. he will collect together all the fragments by his divine power; and the Tree of Life will then gladden the elect with its dazzling beauty. and invite them to eternal rest beneath its refreshing shade.

The Liturgy gives us the following history of the great event we are celebrating to·day:

After the great victory gained over Maxentius by the Emperor Constantine, under the standard of our Lord's Cross; which had been miraculously shown to him. Helen, his mother, was told in a dream to repair to Jerusalem and search for the true Cross. Upon her arrival. she ordered to be taken down a marble statue of Venus. which had been erected by the Pagans some hundred and eighty years before, in order that all memory of our Lord's Passion might be obliterated. She did the same service for the place where reposed the Saviour's crib, as also for the site of the Resurrection: removing from the former an idol of Adonis, and from the latter an idol of Jupiter. The place where the Cross was supposed to be having been excavated, three crosses were discovered at a great depth below the surface; and with them, though not attached, the Title that had been fastened to our Lord's Cross. The doubt as to which of the three crosses the title belonged was removed by a miracle. After having prayed to God, ",1acarius, the bishop of Jerusalem, applied each of the crosses to a woman who was afflicted with a dangerous malady. The first two produced no result; the third was then applied and the woman was restored to perfect health. The holy Cross being thus found, Helen built a magnificent church in Jerusalem, in which she placed a portion of the Cross, enshrined in a silver case: the remaining part she took to her son Constantine, and it was put in the Church called Holy-Cross in- Jerusalem, which was built on the site of the Sessorian palace. She also took to her son the Nails wherewith the most holy Body of Christ Jesus had been fastened to the Cross.    Constantine passed a law that from that time forward a cross should never be used as an instrument of punishment; and thus what hitherto had been an object of reproach and derision became one of veneration and glory.

Both the Eastern and Western Churches abound in liturgical compositions in honour of the holy Cross. We offer our readers a selection from these, beginning with the glorious verses of Venantius Fortunatus:

The standard of our King comes forth; the mystery of the Cross shines upon us-that Cross on which Life suffered death. and by his Death gave life. He was pierced with the cruel spear, that by the Water and the Blood which flowed from the wound he might cleanse us from sin. Here on the Cross was fulfilled the prophecy foretold in David's truthful words: 'God hath reigned from the Tree.' o fair and shining Tree! beautified by the scarlet of the King. and chosen as the noble trunk that was to touch such sacred limbs. o blessed Tree! on whose arms hung the ransom of the world! It was the balance wherein was placed the Body of Jesus. and thereby hell lost its prey. Hail, 0 Cross! our only hope, that bringest us the Paschal joy. Increase the grace of the good and cleanse sinners from their guilt. May every spirit praise thee, o Holy Trinity, thou fount of salvation! and by the Cross, whereby thou gavest us victory, give us too our recompense. Amen.

The Roman Church has the following Responsories and Antiphons in her Office for this feast. They are full of unction, and breathe a fragrance of antiquity:

~. Holy Church celebrates the glorious day whereon wa, found the triumphant Wood,· On which our Redeemer broke the bonds of death, and overcame the crafty serpent, alleluia. V. Hanging on this Wood, the Word of the Father found the way of our salvation. • On which our Redeemer broke the bonds of death. and overcame the crafty serpent, alleluia. R. This is the noblest of all trees, and is placed in the midst of Paradise: • On it the Author of our salvation vanquished. by his own Death, the death of all men, alleluia. V. It is the Cross, dazzling in its exceeding beauty, which Helen. the mother of Constantine, sought with all the ardour of her soul. • On it the Author of our salvation vanquished. by his own Death, the death of all men, Alleluia. R. Man's faith in Christ was strengthened, when the sacred pledge was revealed to him by heaven: • The divine prodigies that were prefigured of old in the rod of Moses, were renewed, alleluia. V. The dead rose again by the contact of the Cross. and the wondrous works of God were made manifest. • The divine prodigies that were prefigured of old in the rod of Moses, were renewed, alleluia. ANT. Save us, 0 Saviour Christ, by the power of the Cross! 0 thou that didst save Peter on the waters, have mercy on us, alleluia. . ANT. Behold- the Cross of the Lord; fiee, 0 ye his enemies, for the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath conquered, alleluia. ANT. 0 Tree loftier than all cedars I whereon hung the Life of the world, and Christ triumphed, and death conquered death for ever, alleluia. ANT. 0 Cross I brighter than all stars, honoured throughout the world, beloved by men, holiest of holy things, that alone wast worthy to bear the ransom of the world I 0 sweet Wood I o sweet nails I that bore so sweet a weight I save the people assembled here this day to sing thy praise! Alleluia, alleluia.

Our Latin Churches of the Middle Ages are fervent in their hymns in honour of the holy Cross. The first we select is the celebrated sequence of Adam of Saint-Victor:

SEQUENCE

Let us proclaim the praises of the Cross, we who have so special a reason to exult in it; for it is in the Cross that we triumph, and gain the victory of life over our fierce enemy.      Let our sweet melodies reach the heavens, for our faith tells us that this sweet Wood is worthy of sweet songs. Oh! let not our life be out of tune with our voice. When our voice is not a reproach to the life we lead, then is our music sweet. Let the servants of the Cross praise the Cross, whereby they have been blessed with the gifts of life. Let each and all thus sing: Hail, thou saving Tree, thou salvation of the world! Oh how honoured and how grand was this altar of. salvation. that was crimsoned with the Blood of the spotless Lamb, who purified the world from its old iniquity I This is the ladder of sinners, whereby Christ. the King of heaven. draws all things to himself. Its very shape shows that it takes in the four parts of the earth. The Cross is not a new mystery. nor does the honour that is paid it date from modern times. It was the Cross that made the bitter waters sweet; it was with the Cross that Moses struck the rock. and made the waters flow. There was no protection in the house of him who marked not the door-posts with the Cross. But he that so marked them neither felt the destroying sword. nor lost his first-born son. The poor woman of Sarephta found her salvation whilst picking sticks. Without the Wood of faith. there is nor oil nor meal. These were blessings of the Cross. hidden under scriptural figures. but now made manifest to the world. Kings have embraced the faith, and enemies are put to flight. With the Cross alone. under the leader Christ. one man routs a thousand. Rome beheld Maxentius and all his fleet drowned in the deep. The Thracians were dispersed. the Persians slaughtered, and the leader of the hostile troops vanquished. The Cross ever gives courage and victory to its soldiers; cure all disease and sickness; check, the devil; sets captives free; gives newness of life; restores all things to their former dignity. Hail, 0 Cross, triumphant Wood, the world's true salvation! ~o tree can yield such shade or flower or fruit as thine. o Medicine of Christian life! keep the healthy strong, and give health to the sick. What man cannot, of his own strength, he can do in thv name. o thou that madest the Cross thus sacred. hear the prayers of them that celebrate the praises of thy Cross. We are 'the servants- of thy Cross-Oh! take us, after this life. to the courts of true light. Grant that we who honour the instrument of thy sufferings, may    escape the sufferings of hell: and when the day of thy wrath comes, give us to enjoy eternal bliss. Amen.

The following hymn is taken from the ancient Roman French Breviaries for this feast:

HYMN

Hail, holy Cross! Hail, thou the world's glory! our true hope, that bringest us true joy, the standard of salvation, our protection in danger, the living Tree, that bearest him who is the life of all ! o sweet glory of the world ! we who were redeemed on thee, tire not in praising and hymning thee as the adorable and life giving Cross. We were made slaves by a tree; by thee, 0 Tree, were we made freedmen. Thou. 0 Christ, didst slay original sin on thy Cross: by thy holy Cross, cleanse us from our own guilty stains, have pity on our human frailty, and grant pardon to them that have fallen. By the sign of the Cross. protect, save, bless, sanctify thy whole people; avert from them every malady of body and mind; let no danger prevail against this sign. Praise to God the Father from the Cross of his Son ! praise coequal be to the Holy Ghost I May the Finding of the Cross be a joy to the angel citizens of heaven, and a glory to the world! Amen.

From the liturgical compositions produced by the Greek Church in honour of the holy Cross. we select the following Canon, or hymn. It was written by St Theodore the Studite:  

HYMN

This is a day of joy I At Christ's Resurrection death disappeared, and life was seen in all its splendour. Adam, who rises again, exults with joy. Let us, therefore, rejoice and sing our hymn of triumph. . The day for the adoration of the precious Cross has arrived. Come, all. ye faithful I It is exposed before us, and it sends forth the bright rays of Christ's Resurrection. Filled. therefore. with spiritual joy, let us embrace and kiss it. o Cross of my Lord. thy glory is immense! Show me now the divine face of thy beauty. Vouchsafe that I who venerate thee may sing thy praises. speak with thee as though thou wert ·a living thing, and I embrace thee. Let heaven and earth unite in singing its praise, for the most holy Cross is shown to all, the Cross on which Christ was fastened and sacrificed. Let us joyfully approach and kiss it. The saintly Moses of old prefigured thy Cross, 0 Christ. when, dividing the waters with his rod, he led the Israelite people through the Red Sea, and sang a canticle of praise to thee in celebration of the going forth from Egypt. Thy Cross, 0 Lord, which we kiss to-day, was prefigured by Moses, when he stretched forth his arms; by it, we put our spiritual Amalec to flight; by it also we are saved. To-day there is joy in heaven and on earth, because there shines upon the world the sign of the thrice blessed Cross. Its sight is a source of unceasing grace to us. What return shall we make to thee, 0 Christ, for thy having permitted us to adore thy venerable Cross, on which thy most· holy Blood was shed, and to which thy Flesh was fastened with nails? We kiss it and give thee thanks. The angelic hosts exult with joy because of the adoration of thy Cross; for on it, 0 Christ, thou didst wound the demon troop and save mankind. The Church has been made a second Paradise, which, like the first, possesses a Tree of Lifethy Cross, 0 Lord-by whose contact we are made immortal. The prophecy of the Psalmist is fulfilled: for lo ! we adore the footstool of thy divine feet, thy venerable Cross, the much loved Wood. The Wood which Jeremias saw put in thy bread is thy Cross, 0 merciful Redeemer! We kiss it, and honour thy chains, and tomb, and spear, and nails. On this day a sweet odour IS exhaled from the thurible of heaven-the Cross, perfumed with a life-giving ointment. Let us inhale this fragrance of heaven; let us ever venerate it with faith. Tell us, 0 Eliseus! what is the wood thou didst put in the water? It is the Cross of Christ, which drew us from the depths of spiritual death. Let us ever venerate it with faith. Jacob prefigured thy Cross of old, 0 Christ, when he adored the top of Joseph's mysterious rod. He foresaw that it was to be the venerable sceptre of thy kingdom. Let us now adore it with ever faithful hearts. The great prophet Daniel, when cast into the lions' den, stretched forth his hands in the form of a Cross; he was saved from the jaws of the wild beasts, and for ever blessed Christ our God. Let all the trees of the forest sing a glad hymn, for on this day they beheld one of themselves, the Tree of the Cross, being honoured with kisses and embraces. This is the Tree whose head was lifted up by Christ, as holy David foretold. I, whose death was caused by a tree, have found thee, 0 Tree of Life, 0 Cross that bearest Christ' Thou art my invincible defence, my power protecting me against Satan. I venerate thee this day, and exclaim: 'Sanctify me by thy glory" Rejoice and be glad, O Church of God, that adorest this day the thrice blessed Wood of the most holy Cross, round which the very angels stand ministering in awe.

Christ Crucified is the power and wisdom of God.! Thus spoke thine Apostle, 0 Jesus! and we are witnesses of the truth of his words. The Synagogue thought to dishonour thee by nailing thee to a Cross, for it was written in the Law: Cursed is he that hangeth on a tree. But, lo! this gibbet, this tree of infamy. is become the trophy of thy grandest glory! Far from dimming the splendour of thy Resurrection, the Cross enhances the brilliance of thy magnificent triumph. Thou wast attached to the Wood-thou tookest on thyself the curse that was due to us,. thou wast crucified between two thieves; thou wast reputed a"s an impostor, and thine enemies insulted thee ill- thine agony on this bed of suffering. Hadst thou been but man, 0 Son of David! all this would have disgraced thy name and memory; the Cross would have been the ruin of thy past glory: but thou art the Son of God, and it is the Cross that proves it. The whole world venerates thy Cross. It was the Cross that brought the world into submission to thee. The honours that are now paid it more than make amends for the insults that were once offered it. Men are not wont to venerate a cross; but if they do, it is the Cross on which their God died. Oh! blessed be he that hung upon the Tree! And do thou, de~rest crucified Jesus! in return for the homage we pay to thy Cross, fulfil the promise thou madest us: And I, ill be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things unto myself.l

That thou mightest the more effectually draw us, thou this day permittedst us to find the very Wood, whereon thou didststretch forth thy divine arms to embrace us. Thou hast deigned to give us this holy instrument of thy victory which is to shine near .thee in the heavens on the day of judgement; thou hast mercifully confided it to (,lUr keeping, in order that we might thence derive a salutary fear of divine Justice, which demanded thy.death on this Wood in atonement for our sins. Thou also gavest us this most precious relic, that it might excite us to a devoted love for thee, o divine Victim! who, that we might be blessed, didst take upon thyself the maledictions due to our sins. The whole world is offering thee to-day its fervent thanks for so inestimable a gift. Thy Cross, by being divided into countless fragments, ~ in all places, consecrating and protecting by its· presence every country of the Christian world.

Oh..! that we had St Helen's spirit, dear Jesus. and knew. as she did. the breadth. and length. and height, and depth of the mystery of thy Cross.2 Her love of the mystery made her so earnest in her search for the Cross. And how sublime is the spectacle offered to us by this holy Empress! She adorns thy glorious Sepulchre; she raises thy Cross from its grave; who was there, that ever proclaimed with such solemnity as this, the Paschal Mystery? The Sepulchre cries out to us: • He is risen: he is not here!' The Cross exclaims: • I held him captive but for a few passing hours: he is not here! He is resplendent in the glory of his Resurrection!' o ~ross! 0 Sepulchre ! how brief was the period of his humiliation. and how grand the kingdom he won by you! We will adore in you the place where his feet stood.1 making you the instruments of our Redemption. and thereby endearing you to our respectful love for ever. Glory. then. be to thee. 0 Cross! dear object of this day's festival! Continue to protect this world where our Jesus has left thee. Be its shield against Satan. Help us to remember that union of sacrifice and triumph which will support us in all our crosses. for it is by thee. 0 Cross! that Christ conquers. and reigns, and commands. CHRISTUS VINCIT, CHRISTUS REGNAT, CHRISTUS IMPERAT.

 Saint Athanasius & the Church of our times (republished) 

“What happened over 1600 years ago is repeating itself today, but with two or three differences: Alexandria is the whole Universal Church, the stability of which is being shaken, and what was undertaken at that time by means of physical force and cruelty is now being transferred to a different level. Exile is replaced by banishment into   the silence of being ignored; killing, by assassination of character."  
Mgr. Rudolf Graber, Bishop of Regensburg, Athanasius and the Church of  Our Times, p. 23                                                              

Sermon about Saint Athanasius of Alexandria

Bp Dr. Dr. h. c. Rudolf Graber

On May 2^nd the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Athanasius. Saint Athanasius was the great Bishop of Alexandria, who resisted the Arians, who denied the full deity of the Son of God who became incarnate in Jesus Christ, and because we live in a time very similar to his time I would like to speak today about Saint Athanasius. Bishop Graber, of Regensburg in Germany said: “What happened over 1600 years ago [at the time of the Arian heresy] is repeating itself  today”.

Saint Athanasius life is a very simple one. He was a deacon at the council of Nicea with his bishop, the Patriarch of Alexandria. Deacons in the early Church were aids and helpers to bishops. And he accompanied in the year 325 the Patriarch of Alexandria to the council of Nicea.

At this council, Arius the Heretic was condemned and the Faith in Our Lord’s Divinity was proclaimed. Far from being over, the Heresy was only beginning, because the Emperor Constantine had a soft spot in his heart for the heresy and the heretics, and much worse the Emperors after him were down right, Arians. And what they eventually did was to exile the Catholic bishops from their sees and put in their places Arian bishops. So, Saint Athanasius was made the Patriarch of Alexandria shortly after the council of Nicea, but then shortly after, was send into exile by the Emperor. He was exiled, because he would not be an Arian, and he would not compromise the Faith even one iota. For just in our times we have people who although not completely modernists would like to see some compromise with modernism, so in his times there were people who were not completely Arians, but wanted to see some compromise with the Arians. And they suggested change in the doctrine of the council of Nicea by adding one iota to the word consubstantial, which would have changed its meaning substantially, i.e. in such a way that the Son would be similar to the Father, but not of the same substance as the Father. And Athanasius would not compromise this one iota. And therefore he would spend most of his time in the desert with St. Anthony of Egypt. Many times they wish to kill him. He had to flee for his life many times, and whenever he went into the city he had to go in disguise, that how great the persecution was.

One time they came to him and they did not recognize him. And his pursuers said: “Have you seen Athanasius?” And he said to them: “I don’t think he is far from here.” And they went on their way looking for him.

And in the end St. Athanasius was finally restored to his See. He ended in victory. He died as the patriarch of Alexandria, which is in Egypt, in possession of his see. So, after a long life of persecution he resisted and victory was given to him. But this took 40 or 50 years of Arian heresy. Indeed, 40 or 50 years.

Similarities between his time and ours

There are great similarities between his time and ours, but there are great dissimilarities as well.

The similarities are these:

– There was a worldwide Heresy. Arianism was everywhere. St. Jerome says that the whole world was Arian. In the Eastern part of the Empire, which is now Turkey and Egypt and the Middle East, which was at that time completely Catholic, most of the See were infected by Arian bishops. In the West, less so, but it was a worldwide spread heresy, and it was a terrible heresy, namely that Christ was not God.

– You have the similarity that the Episcopal Sees were held by bishops who adhered to heresy. And in our own time we have our Episcopal Sees in the hands of those who adhere to the heresies of Vatican II and everything that flowed from it.

– You have the similarity that there is the persecution of the True Faith, that those who hold to the handed down faith were held at in social ridicule. And in worst cases were opened to direct persecution.

– There is the similarity that there was the social recognition of the false religion. Arianism was the social recognized religion. And the Catholic Faith was held in contempt.

– And you have also the similarity of the absolute intransigency of Catholics against Heresy. The victors of these times were the ones who were absolutely intransigent not the compromiser, not the soft peddlers they are all forgotten, by history. They are all to be considered as erred. The victors are the ones that did not compromise one iota. Nothing! Saint Athanasius said: “If the whole world would become Arian, then it will be Athanasius against the world.” That was his solemn resolve. For the Faith is the Faith and even if everyone should loss the Faith Athanasius, will not loss the Faith. They are the saints, they are the victors.

The differences between his time and ours are also great.

– The great, great difference is, that the heresy of his time did not affect the pope. The popes for the most part at that time held, out against Arianism very clearly and condemned it, whereas in our times the very pushers and promoters of the heresy are those who inhabited the Vatican and are apparent popes. What the emperor was at the time of Athanasius, the promoter of the heresy, Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis are in our own times, where the Emperor, was placing the Arian bishops in their Sees, Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis. has given us heretical bishops. That is the big difference.

In the times of Saint Athanasius there was Pope Liberius, who was questionable, but he never officially did teach heresy. He signed a formula, which was highly questionable, but he did so under pressure of Exile. The Emperor send him to exile and in order to come back he signed this formula, but this was not a teaching of heresy, or teaching of error.

– But in our times we have the official teaching of heresy in the name of the Church, that the Church is not the only one church, but that the Church of Christ consists of all who look with Faith to Jesus - that the other religions are means of Salvation. Now, the Pope is the principle of unity of the Catholic Church, just as Christ is the principle of unity. It is Christ’s Church, and in order to belong to the Church you must belong to Jesus Christ, and if you belong to Christ you belong to the Church. Just as a father of a family is the principle of Unity of the Family. It is a family, and therefore, because he is the principle of Unity, he is the principle of Identity. You identify the Catholic Church by the members, who are united to the pope. You can’t separate the Catholic Church from the pope. And hence this is a major difference. And whereas Athanasius had to resist Arianism and resist the heretics, in our own day we must resist the heresy in the very Bosom of the Vatican. So, in order to be an Athanasius today you must resist the heresy, which comes forth apparently in the name of the Church. Thus, in order to be an Athanasius today it is necessary to say that the organization which is giving us these Heresies is not the church.

– And the other big difference is that although the Heresy in St. Athanasius times was widely spread, it was not absolutely universal. There were many bishops who held to the orthodox Faith, St. Hilary for example, whereas, in our own times we look around, and we cannot find one single Bishop, who hold firmly to the true Faith. Not a single one. We cannot find him. St. Athanasius said: “Even if the Church of Christ should be reduced to a handful, then that should be the Church of Christ.” Although it was not realized in his time, it is in our own time.

What should we learn from St. Athanasius?

– Firmness of Faith in face of pressure and persecution

We must trust in God: What seemed hopeless for many years for St. Athanasius ended in Victory for him, and the true Faith. For years it seemed hopeless, it seemed that the Catholic Church would sink. But it ended in victory. And we must trust in God. He permitted the Arian Heresy for a reason and many Saints were drawn from that heresy, St. Gregory of Nanzianzen, St. Chrystostom, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Basil. All heresy produces Saints. So, also God will produce his Saints from this time. God will accomplish what he wills to accomplish. We must trust in God as St. Athanasius trusted in God.

– We must also learn from St. Athanasius to be absolute intransigent in matter of Faith. There are many today who want to compromise with the modernists.

God permitted the Arian Heresy for a reason and through it he raised up many great Saints, and God is permitting our own crisis for a reason and we must trust in God’s providence and we must sanctify ourselves and to preserve ourselves from the heresy and the moral corruption of today. “And even if the whole world should become modernist, I will not become modernist. And I will be against the whole world.” Amen

Feast of Saint Mark, Evangelist

Taken from the liturgical year by Dom Prosper Gueranger

THE cycle of holy Mother Church brings befor.c us to-day the Lion, who, together with the Man. the Ox, and the Eagle, stands before the throne of God.1 It was on this day that :Mark ascended from earth to heaven, radiant with his triple aureole of Evangelist, Apostle and Martyr.

As the preaching made to Israel had its four great representatives-Isaias, Jeremias, Ezechiel, and Daniel -so, likewise. would God have the New Covenant to be embodied in the four Gospels. which were to make known to the world the life and teachings of his divine Son. The holy Fathers tell us that the Gospels are like the four streams which watered the garden of pleasure. and that this garden was a figure of the future Church. The first of the Evangelists-the first to register the actions and words of our Redeemer-is Matthew, whose star will rise in September; the second is :\lark, whose brightness gladdens us to-day; the third is Luke, whose rays will shine upon us in October; the fourth is John. whom we have already seen in Bethlehem, at the crib of our Emmanuel.

Mark was the beloved disciple of Peter; he was the brilliant satellite of the sun of the Church. He wrote his Gospel at Rome. under the eyes of the Prince of the Apostles. The Church was already in possession of the history given by Matthew; but the faithful of Rome wished their own Apostle to narrate what he had witnessed. Peter refused to write it himself, but he bade his disciple take up his pen, and the Holy Ghost guided the hand of the new Evangelist. Mark follows the account given by Matthew; he abridges it, and yet he occasionally ad<;ls a word, or an incident, which plainly prove to us that Peter, who had seen and heard all, was his living and venerated authority. One would have almost expected that the new Evangelist would pass over in silence the history of his master's fall, or at least have said as little as possible about it; but no-the Gospel written by Mark is more detailed on 'Peter's denial than is that of Matthew; and as we read it, we cannot help feeling that the tears elicited by Jesus' look when in the house of Caiphas, were flowing down the Apostle's cheeks as he described the sad event. Mark's work being finished, Peter examined it and gave it his sanction; the several Churches joyfully received this second account of the mysteries of the world's redemption, and the name of Mark was made known throughout the whole earth.

Matthew begins his Gospel with the human genealogy of the Son of God, and has thus realized the prophetic type of the Man,' Mark fulfils that of the Lion, for he commences with the preaching of John the Baptist, whose office as precursor of the Messias had been foretold by Isaias, where he spoke of the voice of one crying in the wilderness-as the Lion that makes the desert echo with his roar.

Mark, having written his Gospel, was next to labour as an Apostle.. Peter sent him first to Aquileia, where he founded an important Church: but this was not enough for an Evangelist. When the time designed by God came, and Egypt, the source of countless errors, was to receive the truth, and the haughty and noisy Alexandria was to be raised to the dignity of the second Church of Christendom-the second see of Peter-Mark was sent by his master to effect this great work. By his preaching, the word of salvation took root, grew up, and produced fruit in that most infidel of nations; and the authority of Peter was thus marked, though in different degrees, in the three great cities of the Empire: Rome, Alexandria and Antioch.

St Mark may be taIled the first founder of the monastic life byhis instituting, in Alexandria itself, what were called the Therapeutes. To him. also. may be justly attributed the origin of that celebrated Christian school of Alexandria which was so flourishing even in the second century.

But glorious as were these works of Peter's disciple, the Evangelist and Apostle Mark was also to receive the dignity of martyr. The success of his preaching excited against him the fury of the idolaters. They were keeping a feast in honour of Serapis; and this gave them an opportunity which they were not likely to lose. They seized Mark, treated him most cruelly, and cast him into prison. It was there that our Risen Lord appeared to him during the night, and addressed him in these words, which afterwards formed the arms of the. Republic of Venice: • Peace be to thee, Mark, my Evangelist " To which the disciple answered: • Lord '-for such were his feelings of delight and gratitude that he could say but that one word, as it was with Magdalen, when she saw Jesus on the morning of the Resurrection. On the following day Mark was put to death by the pagans. He had fulfilled his mission on earth, and heaven opened to receive the Lion, who was to occupy the place allotted to him near the throne of the Ancient of days, as shown to the Prophet of Patmos in his sublime vision.1

In the ninth century the West was enriched with the relics of St Mark. They were taken to Venice; and, under the protection of the sacred Lion, there began for that city a long period of glory. Faith 4t so great a patron achieved wonders; and from the midst of islets and lagoons there sprang into existence a city of beauty and power. Byzantine art raised up the imposing and gorgeous church, which was the palladium of the Queen of the Seas; and the new Republic stamped its coinage with the Lion of St Mark. Happy would it have been for Venice had she persevered in her loyalty to Rome and in the ancient severity of her morals.

SAINT MARK'S PROCESSION

This day is honoured in the Liturgy by what is called Saint Mark's Procession. The term, however, is not a correct one, inasmuch as a procession was a privilege peculiar to April 25 previously to the institution of our Evangelist's feast, which even so late as the sixth century had no fixed day in the Roman Church. The real name of this procession is The Greater Litanies. The word Litany means Supplication, and is applied to the religious rite of singing certain chants whilst proceeding from place to place in order to propitiate heaven. The two Greek words Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy on us) were also called Litany, as likewise were the invocations which were afterwards added to that cry for mercy, and which now form a liturgical prayer used by the Church on certain solemn occasions.

The Greater Litanies (or processions) are so called to distinguish them from the Minor Litanies, that is, processions of less importance as far as the solemnity and concourse of the faithful were concerned. We gather from an expression of St Gregory the Great that it was an ancient custom in the Roman Church to celebrate, once each year, a Greater Litany, at which all the clergy and people assisted. This holy Pontiff chose April 25 as the fixed day for this procession, and appointed the Basilica of St Peter as the Station.

Several writers on the Liturgy have erroneously confounded this institution with the processions prescribed by St Gregory for times of public calamity. It existed long before his time, and all that he did was to fix it on April 25. It is quite independent of the feast of St Mark, which was instituted at a much later period. If April 25 occur during Easter week, the procession takes place on that day (unless it be Easter Sunday), but the feast of the Evangelist is not kept till after the octave.

The question naturally presents itself-why did St Gregory choose April 25 for a procession and Station in which everything reminds us of compunction and penance, and which would seem so out of keeping with the joyous season of Easter? The first to give a satisfactory answer to this difficulty was Canon Moretti, a learned liturgiologist of the eighteenth century. In a dissertation of great erudition, he proves that in the fifth, and probably even in the fourth, century, April 25 was observed at Rome as a day of great solemnity. The faithful went, on that day, to the Basilica of St Peter, in order to celebrate the anniversary of the first entrance of the Prince of the Apostles into Rome, upon which he thus conferred the inalienable privilege of being the capital of Christendom. It is from that day that we count the twenty-five years, two months and some days that St Peter reigned as Bishop of Rome.1 The Sacramentary of St Leo gives us the Mass of this solemnity, which afterwards ceased to be kept. St Gregory, to whom we are mainly indebted for the arrangement of the Roman Liturgy, was anxious to perpetuate the memory of a day which gave to Rome her grandest glory. He therefore ordained that the Church of St Peter should be the Station of the Great Litany, which was always to be celebrated on that auspicious day. April 25 comes so frequently during the octave of Easter that it could not be kept as a feast, properly so called, in honour of St Peter's entrance into Rome; St Gregory, therefore, adopted the only means left of commemorating the great event.

But there was a striking contrast resulting from this institution, of which the holy Pontiff was fully aware, but which he could not avoid: it was the contrast between the joys of Paschal Time and the penitential sentiments wherewith the faithful should assist at the procession and Station of the Great Litany. Laden as we are with the manifold graces of this holy season, and elated with our Paschal joys, we must sober our gladness by reflecting on the motives which led the Church to cast this hour of shadow over our Easter sunshine. After all,. we are sinners, with much to regret and much to fear; we have to avert those scourges which are due to the crimes of mankind; we have, by humbling ourselves and invoking the intercession of the Mother of God and the Saints, to obtain the health of our bodies, and the preservation of the fruits of the earth; we have to offer atonement to divine justice for our own and the world's pride, sinful indulgences, and insubordination. Let us enter into ourselves, and humbly confess that our own share in exciting God's indignation is great; and our poor prayers, united with those of our holy Mother the Church, will obtain mercy for the$uilty, and for ourselves who are of the number.

A day, then, like this, of reparation to God's offended majesty, would naturally suggest the necessity of joining some exterior penance to the interior dispositions of contrition which filled the hearts of Christians. Abstinence from flesh meat has always been observed on this day at Rome; and when the Roman Liturgy was established in France by Pepin and Charlemagne, the Great Litany of April 25 was, of course, celebrated, and the abstinence kept by the faithful of that country. A Council of Aix-Ia-Chapelle, in 836, enjoined the additional obligation of resting from servile work on this day: the same enactment is found in the Capitularia of Charles the Bald. As regards fasting, properly so called, being contrary to the spirit of Paschal Time, it would seem never to have been observed on this day, at least not generally. Amalarius, who lived in the ninth century, asserts that it was not then practised even in Rome.

During the procession, the. Litany of the Saints is sung, followed by several versicles and prayers. The Mass of the Station is celebrated according to the Lenten Rite. that is, without the Gloria in excelsis, and in purple vestments. We have inserted the Litany of the Saints in the following volume, for the Rogation Days.

HYMN

Already throughout the whole earth there brightly gleams the light which shines from the Father's throne: the light which is the fount and source and splendour of the golden light : the light that never fails, beautifies heaven, and expels darkness from the world. Blessed Mark, the Evangelical teacher, received into his heart a lovely ray of this sparkling sacred light. He became as a lamp refiecting that great light and dispelling the gloom of this world by his brilliant flame. He was one of the seven fair pillars, and one of the seven golden candlesticks whose bright. ness shines as a star throughout the universe.. He was one of the foundations that support the lofty structure of the Church. He was one of the favoured living creatures seen of old by the holy prophet Ezechiel, and by John, the disciple that leaned on Jesus' breast. Mark was prefigured under the type of a lion, whose wild roar is heard in the wilderness. He was sent by blessed Peter to Aquileia, that city of ancient fame. There he sowed the seed of the divine word, and with joy garnered into heaven a hundredfold of fruit. There he speedily raised a Christian Church. He gave it solidity of unshaken faith by building it on that faultless Rock, against which the billows and storms and floods vent their rage in vain. The soldier of Christ returned. wearing a wreath of fair lilies, with palm and laurel and roses: and thus crowned, he joyfully entered Rome, led thither by Christ. This done, he sets out for Alexandria, and, filled with the Holy Ghost, traverses the ever fertile land of Egypt. preaching that the only begotten Son of the Father Almighty had come into the world for the world's salvation. A cruel mob, enraged against the soldier of Christ, prepared various torments for him: he was bound with chains, pierced with arrows, and after his holy flesh had been torn by scourges, he was thrust into a dismal dungeon. Mark was the first that taught Alexandria to know the true God. He there built a church, which he dedicated to Christ, consecrated by the shedding of his own blood, and fortified by the solidity of holy faith. Glory, praise and empire be to the Father! To thee, 0 Jesus, who reignest in heaven above, and to the. Holy Ghost, be honour and power! To the undivided Trinity be adoration paid for endless ages! Amen.

The Greek Church celebrates the memory of the holy Evangelist in the Menrea: we extract the following stanzas:

HYMN

(Die XXV Aprilis)

Let us, 0 ye faithful, worthily honour the sacred writer, the great patron of Egypt. Let us thus celebrate his praise: 0 Mark, filled with heavenly wisdom, lead us, by thy teaching and prayers, to the life where tempests rage not: lead us, for thou art an Apostle. Thou wast the companion of the Vessel of Election in his travels, and with him thou didst traverse Macedonia. Coming afterwards to Rome, thou wast Peter's willing interpreter: and after bravely fighting God's battles, thou didst rest in Egypt. By thy Gospel, refreshing as purest snow, thou gayest life to souls that were parched with thirst. Therefore does Alexandria unite with us, this day, ill solemnly celebrating thy feast, o holy Mark, and in venerating thy relics. 'Most blessed Mark ! thou didst drink of the torrent of delight. As a most rich river of peace, gushing from Paradise, thou didst water the face of the earth with the streams of thy evangelical preaching and sprinkle the deep-rooted trees of the Church with divino teaching. Most praiseworthy Mark! Theretofore Moses drove the Egyptians into the depths of the sea: but thou, wise servant of the Lord, didst draw them forth from the sea of error by the divine power of him who once dwelt in that land, and with a high arm destroyed the works of their hands. o saintly Mark! thou pen of a wise scrivener that writeth swiftly! thou didst write admirably of the Incarnation of Christ and gloriously proclaim the words of eternal life: in that same may there be written the names of them that celebrate and honour thy blessed memory. Pray to the Lord that this may be. o praiseworthy Mark! thy Gospel has preached Christ throughout the whole earth, enligntening it as a sun with the rays of faith, whereas before it was covered with the darkness of idolatry. Pray now to God that he grant peace and abundant mercy unto our souls. o Mark, Apostle and messenger of God! thou didst preach the Gospel to the land where the folly of impiety once reigned and dispel the darkness of the Egyptians by the light of thy words. Pray now to God, that he grant us peace and abundant mercy. Disciple and adopted son of Peter, the master of wisdoID, thou, 0 most praiseworthy Mark, wast made the interpreter of the mysteries of Christ. and co-heir with him in glory. Thy sound went forth into all the earth, and as David sang in his prophecy. the power of thy words, reaching wonderfully unto the ends of the earth, brought us the tidings of salvation and regeneration. o most holy Mark! thou didst pour forth the sweetness of piety by thy words, for as the mountain of God, bright on all sides with light, thou wast admirably resplendent with the grace of the divine Sun. o blessed Apostle! thou wast a fountain springing from the house of the Lord, giving to thirsting souls the abundant waters of the Holy Ghost, and teaching them to change their barrenness for good works. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, admirably initiated thee into the knowledge he possessed, that thou mightest write the holy Gospel, and become a minister of grace; for thou hast made the light of the knowledge of God to beam upon us. With the grace of the Holy Ghost received from on high, thou, 0 Apostle and most praiseworthy Mark, didst destroy the sophisms of human eloquence; as a fisherman thou didst cast the net by preaching the holy Gospel, and didst draw all nations unto the Lord. Thou wast the worthy disciple of the Prince of the Apostles; by uniting with him in declaring Christ to be the Son of God, thou didst confirm on the Rock of truth them that were tossed about by error. oconfirm me too upon this Rock, o thou wise Apostle! guide thou the feet of my soul, that, being delivered from the snares of the enemy, I may without hindrance praise thee: for thou gavest light to all men by thy preaching of the holy Gospel.

Thou, 0 Mark, art the mystic Lion, who, with the Man, the Ox and the Eagle, art yoked to the chariot whereon the King of kings pursues his triumphant course through the earth. Ezechiel, the prophet of the Ancient Testament, and John, the prophet of the New Law, saw thee standing nigh the throne of Jehovah. How magnificent is thy glory! Thou art the historian of the Word made Flesh, and thou publishest to all generations his claims to the love and adoration of mankind. The Church reveres thy writings, and bids us receive them as inspired by the Holy Ghost.

It was thou that, on the glad day of Easter, didst announce to us the Resurrection of our Lord: pray for us, 0 holy Evangelist, ti:at this divine mystery may work its effects within us; and that our hearts, like thine own, may be firm in their love of our Risen Jesus, that so we may faithfully follow in him that new life which he gave us by his Resurrection. Ask him to give us his peace, as he did to his Apostles when he showed himself to them in the Cenacle, and as he did to thee when he appeared to thee in thy prison.

Thou wast the beloved disciple of Peter; Rome was honoured by thy presence: pray for the successor of Peter, thy master; pray for the Church of Rome, against which the wildest storm is now venting its fury. Pray to the Lion of the Tribe of J uda: he seems to sleep; and yet we know that he has but to show himself, and the victory is gained.

Apostle of Egypt! what has become of thy flourishing Church of Alexandria, Peter's second see, the hallowed scene of thy martyrdom? Its very ruins have perished. The scorching blast of heresy made Egypt a waste, and God, in his anger, let loose upon her the torrent of Mahometanism. Twelve centuries have passed since then, and she is still a slave to error and tyranny: is it to be thus with her till the coming of the Judge? Pray, we beseech thee, for the countries thou didst so zealously evangelize, but whose deserts are now the image of her loss of faith.

And can Venice be forgotten by thee, who art her dearest patron? Her people still call themselves thine for the faith; bless her with prosperity; obtain for her that she may be purified by her trials, and return to the God who had chastised her in his justice. A nation that is loyal to the Church must prosper: let Venice, then, return to her former fidelity to Rome, and who knows but that the sovereign Ruler of the world, being appeased by thy powerful intercession, may make thy Venice what she was before she rebelled against the Holy See. and tarnished the glories she won at Lepanto!

Read PRAYER - The great means of obtaining Salvation and all the graces which we desire of God by Saint Alphons of Liguory

Solemnity of the Saint - The Patronage of Saint Joseph

(by Fr. Prosper Gueranger 1870)

The Easter mysteries are superseded today by a special subject, which is offered for our consideration. The holy Church invites us to spend this Sunday in honouring the Spouse of Mary, the Foster-Father of the Son of God. And yet, as we offered him the yearly tribute of our devotion on the 19th of March, it is not, properly speaking, his Feast that we are to celebrate today. It is a solemn expression of gratitude offered to Joseph, the Protector of the Faithful, the refuge and support of all that invoke him with confidence. The innumerable favours he has bestowed upon the world entitle him to this additional homage. With a view to her children's interests, the Church would, on this day, excite their confidence in this powerful and ever ready helper.

Devotion to St. Joseph was reserved for these latter times. Though based on the Gospel, it was not to be developed in the early ages of the Church. It is not that the Faithful were, in any way, checked from showing honour to him who had been called to take so important a part in the mystery of the Incarnation; but Divine Providence had its hidden reasons for retarding the Liturgical homage to be paid, each year, to the Spouse of Mary. As on other occasions, so here also; the East preceded the West in the special cultus of St. Joseph: but, in the 15th Century, the whole Latin Church adopted it, and, since that time, it has gradually gained the affections of the Faithful. We have treated upon the glories of St. Joseph, on the 19th of March; the present Feast has its own special object, which we will at once proceed to explain.

The goodness of God and our Redeemer's fidelity to His promises have ever kept pace with the necessities of the world; so that, in every age, appropriate and special aid has been given to the world for its maintaining the supernatural life. An uninterrupted succession of seasonable grace has been the result of this merciful dispensation, and each generation has had given to it a special motive for confidence in its Redeemer. Dating from the 13th century, when, as the Church herself assures us, the world began to grow cold (Frigescente mundo. Collect for the feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis), each epoch has had thrown open to it a new source of graces. First of all came the Feast of the Most Blessed Sacrament, with its successive developments of Processions, Expositions, Benedictions and the Forty Hours. After this, followed the devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, (of which St. Bernardine of Sienna was the chief propagator,) and that of Via Crucis or Stations of the Cross, with its wonderful fruit of compunction. The practice of frequent Communion was revived in the 16th century, owing principally to the influence of St. Ignatius and the Society founded by him. In the 17th, was promulgated the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was firmly established in the following century. In the 19th, devotion to the Holy Mother of God has made such progress, as to form one of the leading supernatural characteristics of the period. The Rosary and Scapular, which had been handed down to us in previous ages, have regained their place in the affections of the people; Pilgrimages to the Sanctuaries of the Mother of God, which had been interrupted by the influence of Jansenism and rationalism, have been removed; the Archconfraternity of the Sacred Heart of Mary has spread throughout the whole world; numerous miracles have been wrought in reward for the fervent faith of individuals; in a word, our present century has witnessed the triumph of the Immaculate Conception, a triumph which had been looked forward to for many previous ages.

Now, devotion to Mary could never go on increasing as it has done, without bringing with it a fervent devotion to St. Joseph. We cannot separate Mary and Joseph, were it only for their having such a close connection with the mystery of the Incarnation: Mary, as being the Mother of the Son of God; and Joseph, as being guardian of the Virgin's spotless honour, and Foster-Father of the Divine Babe. A special veneration for St. Joseph was the result of increased devotion to Mary. Nor is this reverence for Mary's Spouse to be considered only as a just homage paid to his admirable prerogatives: it is, moreover, a fresh and exhaustless source of help to the world, for Joseph has been made our Protector by the Son of God Himself. Hearken to the inspired words of the Church's Liturgy: "Thou, O Joseph! art the delight of the Blessed, the sure hope of our life, and the pillar of the world (Caelitum, Joseph, decus atque nostrae; Certa spes vitae, columenque mundi. Hymn for Lauds of the Patronage of St. Joseph.)! Extraordinary as is this power, need we be surprised at its being given to a man like Joseph, whose connections with the Son of God on earth were so far above those of all other men? Jesus deigned to be subject to Joseph here below; now that He is in heaven, He would glorify the creature, to whom he consigned the guardianship of His own childhood and His Mother's honour. He has given him a power, which is above our calculations. Hence it is, that the Church invites us, on this day, to have recourse, with unreserved confidence, to this all-powerful Protector. The world we live in is filled with miseries which would make stronger hearts than ours quake with fear: but, let us invoke St. Joseph with faith, and we shall be protected. In all our necessities, whether of soul or body, in all the trials and anxieties we may have to go through, let us have recourse to St. Joseph, and we shall not be disappointed. The king of Egypt said to his people, when they were suffering from famine: go to Joseph (Gen. xli. 55.)! the King of Heaven says the same to us: the faithful guardian of Mary has greater influence with God, than Jacob's son had with Pharaoh.

As usual, God revealed this new spiritual aid to a privileged soul, that she might be the instrument of its propagation. It was thus that were instituted several Feasts, such as those of Corpus Christi, and of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the 16th century, St. Teresa, (whose Writings were to have a world-wide circulation,) was instructed by heaven as to the efficacy of devotion to St. Joseph: she has spoken of it in the Life, (written by herself,) of Teresa of Jesus. When we remember, that it was by the Carmelite Order, (brought into the Western Church, in the 13th century,) that this devotion was established among us, we cannot be surprised that God should have chosen St. Teresa, who was the Reformer of that Order, to propagate the same devotion in this part of the world. The holy solitaries of Mount Carmel, devoted as they had been, for so many centuries, to the love of Mary, were not slow in feeling the connection that exists between the honour paid to the Mother of God and that which is due to her virginal Spouse. The more we understand St. Joseph's office, the clearer will be our knowledge of the divine mystery of the Incarnation. As when the Son of God assumed our human nature, He would have a Mother; so also, would He give to this Mother a protector. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, these are the three whom the ineffable mystery is continually bringing before our minds.

The words of St. Teresa are as follows: "I took for my patron and lord the glorious St. Joseph, and recommended myself earnestly to him. I saw clearly that he rendered me greater services than I knew how to ask for. I cannot call to mind that I have ever asked him at any time for any thing which he has not granted; and I am filled with amazement when I consider the great favours which God hath given me through this blessed Saint; the dangers from which he hath delivered me, both of body and soul. To other Saints, our Lord seems to have given grace to succour men in some special necessity; but to this glorious Saint, I know by experience, to help us in all: and our Lord would have us understand that, as He was Himself subject to Him upon earth, for St. Joseph having the title of father, and being His guardian, could command Him, so now in heaven He performs all his petitions. I have asked others to recommend themselves to St. Joseph, and they too know this by experience; and there are many who are now of late devout to him, having had experience of this truth. (The Life o St. Teresa:--Translated by David Lewis. 1870: page 34)"

We might quote several other equally clear and fervent words from the writings of this seraphic Virgin. The Faithful could not remain indifferent with such teaching as this. The seed thus soon produced its fruit; slowly, it is true, but surely. Even in the first half of the 17th century, there prevailed amidst the devout clients of St. Joseph a presentiment, that the day would come, when the Church, through her Liturgy, would urge the Faithful to have recourse to him as their powerful Protector. In a book published in the year 1645, we find these almost prophetic words: "O thou bright sun, thou father of our days! speed thy onward course, and give us that happy day, whereon are to be fulfilled the prophecies of the Saints. They have said, that in the latter ages of the world, the glories of St. Joseph will be brought to light; that God will draw aside the veil, which has hitherto prevented us from seeing the wondrous sanctuary of Joseph's soul; that the Holy Ghost will inspire the Faithful to proclaim the praises of this admirable Saint, and to build Monasteries, Churches and Altars in his " honour; that, throughout the entire kingdom of the Church Militant, he shall be considered as the special Protector, for he was the Protector of the very founder of that kingdom, namely, our Lord Jesus Christ; that the Sovereign Pontiffs will, by a secret impulse from heaven, ordain that the Feast of this great Patriarch be solemnly celebrated through the length and breadth of the spiritual domain of St. Peter; that the most learned men of the world will use their talents in studying the divine gifts hidden in St. Joseph, and that they will find in him treasures of grace incomparably more precious and plentiful, than were possessed by every the choicest of the elect of the Old Testament, during the whole four thousand years of its duration. (La gloire de saint Joseph; par le P. Jean Jacquinot, de la Compagnie de Jesus. Dijon: 1645)"

These ardent wishes have been fulfilled. It is now more than a century ago, that the Carmelites sought and obtained the approbation of the Holy See for an Office in honour of the Patronage of St. Joseph. A great number of Dioceses obtained permission to use it. A Sunday was selected for the celebration of this new Feast, in order that the Faithful might be, in a way, compelled to keep it; for the Feast of St. Joseph in March is not a day of obligation for the universal Church, and, as it always falls during Lent, it cannot be kept on a Sunday, since the Sundays of Lent exclude a Feast of that rite. That the new Feast might not be attended with the same risk of being unnoticed, it was put upon a Sunday, the third Sunday after Easter, that thus the consolations of such a solemnity might be blended with the Paschal joys. The new Feast went on gradually spreading from one diocese to another; till at last, there was unexpectedly issued an Apostolic Decree, dated September the 10th, 1847, which ordered it to be kept throughout Christendom. The Church was on the eve of severe trials; and her glorious Pontiff, Pius the Ninth, by a sacred instinct, was prompted to draw down on the Flock intrusted to him the powerful protection of St. Joseph, who, assuredly, has never had greater miseries and dangers to avert from the world, than those which threaten the present age.

Let us then, henceforth, have confidence in the Patronage of St. Joseph. He is the Father of the Faithful, and it is God's will, that he, more than any other Saint, should have power to apply to us the blessings of the mystery of the Incarnation, the great mystery whereof he, after Mary, was the chief earthly minister.

GOOD FRIDAY

Listen to Victoria's 'POPULE MEUS' - the Reproaches of Good Friday

REPROACHES V. Popule meus, quid feci tibi? aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi. V. Quia eduxi te de terra Aegypti, parasti crucem Salvatori tuo. R. Agios o Theos! R. Sanctus Deus! R. Agios ischyros! R. Sanctus fortis! R. Agios athanatos, eleison imas. R. Sanctus immortalis, miserere nobis. V. Quia eduxi te per desertum quadraginta annis, et manna cibavi te, et introduxi te in terram satis bonam: parasti Crucem Salvatori tuo. R. Agios o Theos! R. Sanctus Deus! R. Agios ischyros! R. Sanctus fortis! R. Agios athanatos, eleison imas. R. Sanctus immortalis, miserere nobis. V. Quid ultra debui facere tibi, et non feci? Ego quidem plantavi te vineam meam speciosissimam: et tu facta es mihi nimis amara: aceto namque sitim meam potasti: et lancea perforasti latus Salvatori tuo. R. Agios o Theos! R. Sanctus Deus! R. Agios ischyros! R. Sanctus fortis! R. Agios athanatos, eleison imas. R. Sanctus immortalis, miserere nobis.

REPROACHES V. O my people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I afflicted thee? Answer me. V. Because I led thee out of the land of Egypt, thou hast prepared a cross for thy Savior. R. O holy God! R. O holy God! R. O holy strong One! R. O holy strong One! R. O holy immortal one, have mercy on us. R. O holy immortal one, have mercy on us. V. Because I led thee out through the desert forty years: and fed thee with manna, and brought thee into a land exceeding good, thou hast prepared a Cross for thy Savior. R. O holy God! R. O holy God! R. O holy strong One! R. O holy strong One! R. O holy immortal one, have mercy on us. R. O holy immortal one, have mercy on us. V. What more ought I have done for thee, that I have not done? I planted thee, indeed, My most beautiful vineyard: and thou hast become exceeding bitter to Me: for in My thirst thou gavest Me vinegar to drink: and with a lance thou hast pierced the side of thy Savior. R. O holy God! R. O holy God! R. O holy strong One! R. O holy strong One! R. O holy immortal one, have mercy on us. R. O holy immortal one, have mercy on us.

V. Ego propter te flagellavi Aegyptum cum primogenitus suis: et tu me flagellatum tradidisti. R. Popule meus, quid feci tibi? aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi. V. Ego eduxi te de Aegypto, demerso Pharaone in Mare Rubrum: et tu me tradidisti principibus  sacerdotum. R. Popule meus, quid feci tibi? aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi. V. Ego ante te aperui mare: et tu aperuisti lancea latus meum. R. Popule meus, quid feci tibi? aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi. V. Ego ante te praeivi in columna nubis: et tu me duxisti ad praetorium Pilati. R. Popule meus, quid feci tibi? aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi. V. Ego te pavi manna per desertum: et tu me cecidisti alapis et flagellis. R. Popule meus, quid feci tibi? aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi. V. Ego te potavi aqua salutis de petra: et tu me potasti felle, et aceto. R. Popule meus, quid feci tibi? aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi. V. Ego propter te Chananaeorum reges percussi: et tu percussisti arundine caput meum. R. Popule meus, quid feci tibi? aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi. V. Ego dedi tibi sceptrum regale: et tu dedisti capiti meo spineam coronam. R. Popule meus, quid feci tibi? aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi. V. Ego te exaltavi magna virtute: et tu me suspendisti in patibulo Crucis. R. Popule meus, quid feci tibi? aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi. Ant. Crucem tuam * adoramus, Domine: et sanctam resurrectionem tuam laudamus, et glorificamus: ecce enim propter lignum venit gaudium in universo mundo. Deus misereaturr nostri, et benedicat nobis: illuminet vultum suum super nos, et misereatur nostri. Ant. Crucem tuam * adoramus, Domine: et sanctam resurrectionem tuam laudamus, et glorificamus: ecce enim propter lignum venit gaudium in universo mundo.

V. For thy sake I scourged Egypt with its first-born: and thou hast scourged Me and delivered Me up. R. O my people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I afflicted thee? Answer me. V. I led thee out of Egypt having drowned Pharao in the Red Sea: and thou hast delivered Me to the chief priests. R. O my people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I afflicted thee? Answer me. V. I opened the sea before thee: and thou with a spear hast opened My side. R. O my people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I afflicted thee? Answer me. V. I went before thee in a pillar of cloud: and thou hast led Me to the judgement hall of Pilate. R. O my people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I afflicted thee? Answer me. V. I fed thee with manna in the desert; and thou hast beaten Me with whips and scourges. R. O my people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I afflicted thee? Answer me. V. I gave thee the water of salvation from the rock to drink: and thou hast given Me gall and vinegar. R. O my people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I afflicted thee? Answer me. V. For thy sake I struck the kings of the Chanaanites: and thou hast struck My head with a reed. R. O my people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I afflicted thee? Answer me. V. I gave thee a royal sceptre: and thou hast given to My head a crown of thorns. R. O my people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I afflicted thee? Answer me. V. I exalted thee with great strength: and thou hast hanged Me on the gibbet of the Cross. R. O my people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I afflicted thee? Answer me. Ant. We adore Thy Cross, O Lord: and we praise and glorify Thy holy Resurrection: for behold by the wood of the Cross joy has come into the whole world. Ps. 66:2 May God have mercy on us, and bless us: may He cause the light of His countenance to shine upon us, and have mercy on us. Ant. We adore Thy Cross, O Lord: and we praise and glorify Thy holy Resurrection: for behold by the wood of the Cross joy has come into the whole world.