Tuesday in the Octave
of Corpus Christi
SAINT BONIFACE
Luke,
Chapter 1, verse 13:
13
But the angel said
to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been
heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.
To a
Pious Jew and especially a Levi priest the knowledge that God is so holy we
dare not even say His name. Notice frequently in the bible the angels will use
the term, “Do not be afraid”, and this is because at times we knowing our
sinfulness may not feel worthy. Feeling
unworthy is a tool the evil one often uses to discourage us from doing good
works.
I have
felt this fear of being unworthy often. In the mid-seventies while still a
youth in my 20’s I was chosen to be a lay Eucharistic minister while working at
the South Pole in Antarctica by the priest that had come 900 miles to bring our
Lord to us catholic boys working I didn’t feel worthy; come on this is Richard
you know; but the Priest convinced me that it was the only way and I did want
to bring “Our Lord” to my fellow brothers in Christ.
We must remember that the
evil one will sow fear in our hearts trying to convince us we are unworthy and
if we listen we become like the man who out of fear buried his talent in the
ground.
Saint Boniface[2]
A Benedictine monk was chosen by divine Providence to become Germany's great apostle and patron. In 724 he turned his attention to the Hessian people. near the village of Geismar on the Eder, he felled a giant oak that the people honored as the national sanctuary of the god Thor. Boniface used the wood to build a chapel in honor of St. Peter. This courageous act assured the eventual triumph of the Gospel in Germany. Conversions were amazingly numerous. In 732 Boniface devoted his time and talent to the organization of the Church in Germany. He installed bishops, set diocesan boundaries, promoted the spiritual life of the clergy and laity, held national synods (between 742 and 747), and in 744 founded the monastery of Fulda, which became a center of religious life in central Germany. The final years of his busy life were spent, as were his earlier ones, in missionary activity. Word came to him in 754 that a part of Frisia had lapsed from the faith. He took leave of his priests and, sensing the approach of death, carried along a shroud. He was 74 years of age when with youthful enthusiasm he began the work of restoration, a mission he was not to complete. A band of semi-barbarous pagans overpowered and put him to death when he was about to administer confirmation to a group of neophytes at Dockum. Patron: Brewers; Tailors; Germany; Prussia.
Things to
Do
·
One
tradition about Saint Boniface says that he used the customs of the locals to
help convert them. There was a game in which they threw sticks called kegels at
smaller sticks called heides. Boniface bought religion to the game, having the
heides represent demons, and knocking them down showing purity of spirit. You
might use your ingenuity to imitate this game for your children and tell them
the story of St. Boniface. Sounds like
bowling maybe go bowling in honor of St. Boniface.
·
St.
Boniface was the uncle of St.
Walburga.
·
St.
Boniface, although an Englishman, planted the seeds of the Catholic Faith in
Germany (at that time "Germany" included the domains of the Frankish
monarchs, present-day Belgium and the Netherlands), and now Germany calls St.
Boniface her patron. Bake some special
German cookies or treat and learn some of the religious customs that come from
this country.
Amoris Lætitia[3]
The
Experiences and Challenges of Families-The
Current Reality of the Family-(45-49)
·
“A great number of children are born outside of
wedlock, many of whom subsequently grow up with just one of their parents or in
a blended or reconstituted family. We need to care for families living in dire
poverty and that have great limitations. The problems faced by poor households
are often all the more trying. For example, if a single mother has to raise a
child by herself and needs to leave the child alone at home while she goes to
work, the child can grow up exposed to all kinds of risks and obstacles to
personal growth. In such difficult situations of need, the Church must be
particularly concerned to offer understanding, comfort and acceptance, rather
than imposing straightaway a set of rules that only lead people to feel judged
and abandoned by the very Mother Church called to show them God’s mercy.
·
The sexual exploitation of children is yet another
scandalous and perverse reality in present-day society. Societies experiencing
violence due to war, terrorism or the presence of organized crime are
witnessing the deterioration of the family, above all in large cities, where,
on their outskirts, the so-called phenomenon of ‘street-children’ is on the
rise.” The sexual abuse of children is all the more scandalous when it occurs
in places where they ought to be most safe, particularly in families, schools,
communities and Christian institutions.
·
Migration is another sign of the times to be faced
and understood in terms of its negative effects on family life. In accompanying
migrants, the Church needs a specific pastoral program addressed not only to
families that migrate but also to those family members who remain behind. This
pastoral activity must be implemented with due respect for their cultures, for
the human and religious formation from which they come and for the spiritual
richness of their rites and traditions, even by means of a specific pastoral
care. Migration is particularly dramatic and devastating to families and
individuals when it takes place illegally and is supported by international networks
of human trafficking. Extreme poverty and other situations of family breakdown
sometimes even lead families to sell their children for prostitution or for
organ trafficking. Every effort should be encouraged, even in a practical
way, to assist families and Christian communities to remain in their native
lands.
·
Families who lovingly accept the difficult trial of
a child with special needs are greatly to be admired. People with disabilities
are a gift for the family and an opportunity to grow in love, mutual aid and
unity.
·
Most families have great respect for the elderly,
surrounding them with affection and considering them a blessing. Care and
concern for the final stages of life is all the more necessary today, when
contemporary society attempts to remove every trace of death and dying. The
elderly who are vulnerable and dependent are at times unfairly exploited simply
for economic advantage. Euthanasia and assisted suicide are serious threats to
families worldwide; in many countries, they have been legalized. The Church,
while firmly opposing these practices, feels the need to assist families who
take care of their elderly and infirm members.
Daily Devotions
·
Please
pray for me and this ministry
·
Please
Pray for Senator
McCain and our country; asking Our Lady of Beauraing to
intercede.
Comments
Post a Comment