FEAST OF ST. JAMES-ST CHRISTOPHER
Tobit, Chapter 4, Verse 21
Tobit is
advising his son to be a mensch.
That is to say a person with high integrity and honesty.
The other day,
while going through my personal notes, I ran across some records I had taken on
a lecture on “life’s most important learning’s” I would like to share.
·
Be a Mensch.
·
Never stop learning.
·
Love and be loved.
·
Don’t be afraid to take risks.
·
Set the example.
·
Take care of your health.
·
Take care of your family.
·
Watch your mouth.
·
One person can make a difference.
·
Life is a test/challenge; live it!
In other words,
a mensch has Self-control which is the ability to control one's emotions,
behavior, and desires in the face of external demands in order to function in
society. (Matt DeLisi)
A great example
of a man who conquered self-control is George Washington. Washington was a
self-made man who learned to govern himself before he governed our great
country. Washington was a passionate man by nature, yet he was famous for his
reserve and graciousness to others. Washington worked on himself very hard to
control his temper and to not be sensitive to criticism. Washington disciplined
his passionate nature with iron will and self-control. Washington wrote, “Every
action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect, to those that are
present” and, “Labor to keep alive in your breast the little spark of celestial
fire called conscience.” He strove to be a man of unquestionable dignity and
manners. He was modest and wore clothes that were fine and neat but never
showy. He was consciously groomed and was seldom discourteous to anyone, of
higher or lower station in life. He knew his strengths as well as his
weaknesses; there was no hubris in him. He understood the nature of his
countrymen as well as he understood his own. He knew we are all flawed, that we
must always be alert to the danger of ungoverned appetites, and must strive to
control and improve our nature. And through the constant application of his
self-control, he became, in fact, the father of our country. He imprinted
his character on this nation, and in that sense, we are all his
descendants, a people famous for our constant struggle to improve. We are never
so removed from the failings of our nature that we cannot stand more
improvement, but neither are we so removed from Washington’s magnificent
example that we dare not dream we can achieve it.[1]
Courage is the
ability and willingness to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty or
intimidation. Physical courage is courage in the face of physical pain,
hardship, death or threat of death, while moral courage is the ability to act
rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal or discouragement.
JAMES, by birth a Galilean, a son
of Zebedee and Salome, was brother to St. John the apostle, with whom he was
called by Jesus to follow Him. He was present at the transfiguration on Mount
Tabor, at the raising of the daughter of Jairus from the dead, and other like
miracles, and at the bloody sweat in the Garden. After the sending of the Holy
Ghost he preached the doctrines of Jesus in Judea, Samaria, and in Jerusalem,
where Herod caused him to be beheaded in the year 44. His body was brought to
Compostella, in Spain, where it is venerated by vast numbers of the faithful,
who make pilgrimages to his grave. St. James was the first of the apostles who
shed his blood for Christ.
The 12th and 13th centuries are considered to have been the golden age of the pilgrimage to Santiago. Subsequently the years of the Renaissance and Reformation in Europe led to a decrease in the number of pilgrims. However, pilgrims still made their way to Santiago throughout the centuries. In 1884, following academic and medical research, Pope Leon XIII issued the Bull, Deus Omnipotens, which proclaimed that the relics in Santiago were those of St. James. This is recognized as the start of the modern development of the pilgrimage. It was thought that in the 20th Century the growth of mechanized means of transport such as cars and airplanes might lead to a reduction in the number of pilgrims travelling to Santiago on foot or on horseback. This was not to be the case and in the last 30 years in particular there has been a huge growth in interest and in the number of pilgrims travelling on foot, on horseback or by bicycle. Pilgrims were encouraged by the visits by Pope John Paul II in 1982 and in 1989 when World Youth Day was held in Santiago. The number of pilgrims continues to grow. In 1985 1,245 pilgrims arrived in Santiago. In the 2010 Holy Year 272,703 pilgrims qualified for the Compostela.
Things to
Do[4]
·
It
is traditional in Spain to make a yearly pilgrimage to St. James of Compostela
on July 24. Read more about this
custom. From Catholic Culture's Library: Pilgrimage To The
Stars
and Cycling through
time on the Camino de Santiago.
·
Santiago
de Compostela, the capital of Galicia and final destination of the famous
pilgimage way is certainly among Spain's most beautiful cities. You can take a
virtual tour and learn all about this area of the world here.
·
Watch
this Spanish
news broadcast
of the faithful bringing flowers for Our Lady of the Pillar on October 12
during the celebration of the feast at the cathedral, notice the open devotion
and enthusiam offered to Our Lady. Tradition says that Mary appeared to St.
James before her Assumption. Read more about the apparition here.
·
Plan
your own pilgrimage to a nearby shrine. Pope John Paul II said, "To go in
a spirit of prayer from one place to another, from one city to another, in the
area marked especially by God's intervention, helps us not only to live our
life as a journey, but also gives us a vivid sense of a God who has gone before
us and leads us on, who himself set out on man's path, a God who does not look
down on us from on high, but who became our traveling companion." Read this letter and try to
incorporate its spirit into your pilgrimage.
Hikers travel the trail across the Castilian plateau. It’s a long walk to Santiago de Compostela on the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James), but the Christian faithful have made the pilgrimage since the bones of St. James the Apostle were unearthed here in the 9th century, spreading the cultural rebirth of Europe. The apparition of St. James was said to aid Christian armies in battles with the Moors, so Spaniards adopted Santiago Matamoros (aka St. James, the Moor-slayer) as their patron saint. Modern hikers follow in the footsteps of El Cid, Louis VII of France, and St. Francis of Assisi to this pilgrimage destination that’s on a par with Rome and Jerusalem. Whether their motives are spiritual or not, the experience of the walk lingers. Most travelers follow a variant of the French Route, which begins in the Basque village of Roncesvalles, in the Pyrenees at the French-Spanish border, and trek 500 miles through the Rioja wine country (see here) and the former kingdoms of northern Spain. Hostels, inns, and restaurants along the entire stretch cater to the pilgrims. Those who lack time or stamina for the 4-plus-week journey by foot walk only the final 62 miles, through rugged but green inland Galicia. At Monte de Gozo, 2 miles from Santiago de Compostela, tired but elated travelers typically get their first glimpse of the twin towers of Santiago’s cathedral. Construction of the majestic Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela began in 1078, on the site of a 9th-century basilica destroyed by the Moors, and Maestro Mateo’s original designs rank among Europe’s finest Romanesque art. The cathedral’s elaborate, two-towered Baroque façade, added in the 18th century, protects the now restored original Porta de Gloria from weathering. The impact of the cavernous interior—as simple as the façade is ornate—is heightened by the golden-cloaked, bejeweled statue of St. James above the main altar, embraced by arriving pilgrims. The cathedral shares the vast Plaza del Obradoiro (“work of gold”) with the Hotel Reyes Católicos (Catholic Kings), built by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel in 1499 as a hospice for pilgrims. Now one of the most renowned paradors in Spain, it has rooms overlooking the square and the cathedral and many more overlooking four courtyard cloisters. Only a short walk away, the Palacio del Carmen has transformed an 18th-century convent into comfortable if less majestic lodging. Where: Santiago de Compostela is 375 miles/603 km northwest of Madrid. The most popular route of the Camino de Santiago starts in Roncesvalle and runs 500 miles/800 km across the northern regions of Spain, from east to west. How: U.S.-based Saranjan, Inc., offers 1- to 2-week tours by minibus, on foot, or on bicycle. Tel 800-858-9594 or 206-720-0623; www.saranjan.com. Cost: 8-day hiking/biking tours from $3,150; all-inclusive. Originate in León. Hotel Reyes Católicos: Tel 34/981582200; www.parador.es; in the U.S., Palace Tours, 800-724-5120; www.palacetours.com. Cost: from $105 (off-peak), from $225 (peak). Palacio del Carmen: Tel 34/981-552444; www.palaciodelcarmen.com. Cost: from $100 (off-peak), from $115 (peak). Best times: late Feb or early Mar for Antroido (carnival); last 2 weeks of Jul for succession of fiestas; Jul 25 for feast day of Santiago, celebrated with fireworks, music, and processions.
Bearer of Christ[6]
St. Christopher's feast day is still July 25, and the proper of the Mass in his honor is found in the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal still authorized for the Tridentine Mass. The confusion over whether St. Christopher is still a saint arose when Pope Paul VI revised the Liturgical Calendar, which includes the feast days of saints that are commemorated at Mass. Due to the proliferation of the number of feast days over the centuries, the Second Vatican Council in its "Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy" proposed, "Lest the feasts of the saints should take precedence over the feasts which commemorate the very mysteries of salvation, many of them should be left to be celebrated by a particular Church, or nation, or family of religious. Only those should be extended to the universal Church which commemorate saints who are truly of universal importance" (No. 111). With this in mind, a special commission — Consilium — examined the calendar and removed those saints whose historical base was more grounded on tradition than provable fact, changed the feast days to coincide with the anniversary of a saint's death or martyrdom whenever possible, and added saints that were recently canonized and had universal Church appeal. Moreover, local conferences of bishops could add to the universal calendar those saints important to the faithful in their own country. In no way did the Church "de-canonize" St. Christopher or anyone else, despite the lack of historical evidence surrounding their lives. St. Christopher is still worthy of our devotion and prayers, and each of us should be mindful that he too is called to be a "bearer of Christ."
Daily Prayer to Saint Ann
O glorious St. Ann, you are filled with compassion for those
who invoke you and with love for those who suffer! Heavily burdened with the
weight of my troubles, I cast myself at your feet and humbly beg of you to take
the present intention which I recommend to you in your special care.
Please recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and place it before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Continue to intercede for me until my request is granted. But, above all, obtain for me the grace one day to see my God face to face, and with you and Mary and all the saints to praise and bless Him for all eternity. Amen.
Please recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and place it before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Continue to intercede for me until my request is granted. But, above all, obtain for me the grace one day to see my God face to face, and with you and Mary and all the saints to praise and bless Him for all eternity. Amen.
Our Father, . . . Hail
Mary . . .
O Jesus, Holy Mary, St.
Ann, help me now and at the hour of my death. Good St. Ann, intercede for me.
NINTH DAY
Good St. Ann, I have
reached the end of this novena in your honor. I have asked and ask again. Good
mother let not your kind ear grow weary of my prayers, though I repeat them so
often.
Bounteous Lady implore
for me from divine Providence all the help I need through life. May your generous
hand bestow on me the material means to satisfy my own needs and to alleviate
the plight of the poor.
Good St. Ann, fortify
me by the sacraments of the Church at the hour of my death. Admit me into the
company of the blessed in the kingdom of heaven, where I may praise and thank
the adorable Trinity, your grandson Christ Jesus, your glorious daughter Mary,
and yourself, dear St. Ann, through endless ages.
Daily Devotions
·
Spend
some time in Eucharistic devotion.
[1]
McCain, John; Salter, Mark (2005-10-25). Character Is Destiny.
[2]
Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
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