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The Church gives us Saint Pachomius (+346), the Egyptian monk and abbot famous for being the "founder" of community-focussed monasticism (cenobitic) thus offering an new pattern of following Christ as a monk that up until Pachomius, one did alone. 200 years later Saint Benedict brought this version of monastic life in general acceptance in the west, drawing on what this sainted abbot first done. He's known, too,  for his writings titled "Koinonia" (in Latin, Communio).  He wrote: 

"Brothers, as long as you have breath in your bodies, strive for your salvation. Before the hour comes in which we shall weep for ourselves, let us practice virtue eagerly."

In our catechesis on Christian prayer, we now consider Saint Peter's miraculous liberation from imprisonment on the eve of his trial in Jerusalem. Saint Luke tells us that as "the Church prayed fervently to God for him" (Acts 12:5), Peter was led forth from the prison by an Angel of light. The account of Peter's rescue recalls both Israel's hasty exodus from bondage in Egypt and the glory of Christ's resurrection. Peter was sleeping, a sign of his surrender to the Lord and his trust in the prayers of the Christian community. The fulfillment of this prayer is accompanied by immense joy, as Peter rejoins the community and bears witness to the Risen Lord's saving power. Peter's liberation reminds us that, especially at moments of trial, our perseverance in prayer, and the prayerful solidarity of all our brothers and sisters in Christ, sustains us in faith. As Peter's Successor, I thank all of you for the support of your prayers and I pray that, united in constant prayer, we will all draw ever closer to the Lord and to one another.

Pope Benedict XVI

10 May 2012

Do we have perseverance in prayer? 
Are we in prayerful solidarity with others?

What really sustains our prayer?

Work is often treated as a four letter word; something to be avoided. Understanding what the value of work is today is rather complex due to the ideology we've been subjected to since at least the 19th century as a result of industrialism, Communism and Socialism. 

One of the many beautiful things John Paul II wrote about is the human person and how the person is meant to thrive, not just exist. His ideas about what and who the person is understood in what he taught about subjectivity, meaning that there is "the ground on which the dynamic relation, or rather inter-relation, between the person and the action is actualized. The failure to recognize man´s subjectivity would deprive us of the level on which can be grasped all the aspects of this interrelation."

The Church gives us an inspired, perhaps even truly brilliant preacher, as a model of grace. Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort was ordained a priest in 1700; proficient in the thinking of the Church Fathers on the Virgin Mary, Montfort's mission was to preach on Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, in a period of time of great theological error in France. He's famous for preaching on the Rosary and he created a series of meditations that led to a Consecration to the Blessed Mother. His preaching of Mary was really a work of preaching on the Paschal Mystery. The collect for the Mass tells us that Louis-Marie 'walked the way of salvation and the love of Christ" by "meditating on the mysteries [God's] love" which led to "the building up of [God's] Church."

Shout for joy! with cries of gladness
Gather those who were dispersed.
Here the blind are given vision;
Here the comfortless find mirth.

In his faith, blind Bartimaeus
Shouted out his need to see---
Jesus, Light from Light, restored him,
Gave him sight, and set him free.

Each of us, in our baptism,
Has received the gift of sight
Through the Christ, our High Priest Jesus: Filled with joy, we seek God's light!

The figure of Saint George is widely acknowledged across cultures. His cult, as it were, comes from Palestine; he is a heavenly patron among the Greeks and Latins. Since about AD 800 Saint George has been a patron of England and he is known elsewhere as one of the "14 Holy Helpers."

Aside from legendary activity, George adhered to the Lord's words and His person in that he's known to have imitated the Passion as we see below in the opening collect for Holy Mass. No doubt his preaching, protecting and safeguarding the sacred Mysteries led people to Christ.

Let us pray that through Saint George's intercession, and the power of the Lord's Holy Name, the dragon of temptation and sin may be driven away by heavenly powers so as to be united in deeper communion with Christ.

And so we pray with the Church, 

Extolling your might, O Lord, we humbly implore you, that, as Saint George imitated the Passion of the Lord, so he may lend us ready help in our weakness.

O God, for whose honor the Bishop Saint Stanislaus fell beneath the swords of his persecutors, grant, we pray, that we may persevere strong in faith even until death.

Today is a Solemnity in the Church with the feast of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Church prays:

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that by Saint Joseph's intercession your Church may constantly watch over the unfolding of the mysteries of human salvation, whose beginnings you entrusted to his faithful care.

A magnificent prayer to pay attention to during lectio.

"Today is the day to celebrate fatherhood. To be a father is not an easy challenge - there are many difficulties that go with it. We can look to St. Joseph, who quietly - as I would say, one of the 'silent fathers' - handled whatever needed to be handled...it is important [that fathers] pray for discernment, to pray for patience, to pray for these qualities, which can make one a good father."

I've always been impressed by the saints and blesseds of the Passionist order. So many have them exemplify what the Christian of today face, Saint Gabriel Possenti and in my opinion help us to strive to be holy.

A lot of westerners are not too aware of Saints Cyril and Methodius. However, there's a Polish parish in the Hartford and Bridgeport dioceses and a seminary in Michigan that bear the names of these rather famous saints. So, they are not too obscure but they're not that well-known as they ought to be. In 1985, Blessed John Paul II paid tribute to these two saints in an Encyclical, Slavorum Apostoli, to show the vividness of their witness.