Saints: April 2012 Archives

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.