Friday, March 18, 2005

From Select Treatises of St. Athanasius
Translated by Venerable John Henry Newman

And the same of He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father, and I and the Father are One, for this the Son says, and not the Word, as they would have it, as is plain from the Gospel; for according to John when the Lord said, I and the Father are One, the Jews took up stones to stone Him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from My Father, for which of those works do ye stone Me? The Jews answered Him, saying, For a good work we stone Thee not, but for blasphemy, and because that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If He called them gods unto whom the Word of God came, and the Scriptures cannot be broken, say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not. But If I do, though ye believe not Me, believe the works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father [John x. 32-38.]. And yet, as far as the surface of the words intimated, He said neither "I am God," nor "I am Son of God," but I and the Father are One.The Jews, then, when they heard One, thought like Sabellius, that He said that He was the Father, but our Saviour shews their sin by this argument; "Though I said God, you should have remembered what is written, I said, Ye are gods." Then to clear up I and the Father are One, He has explained the Son's oneness with the Father in the words, Because I said, I am the Son of God. For if He did not say it in the letter , still He has explained as to the sense are One of the Son. For nothing is one with the Father, but what is from Him. What is That which is from Him but the Son? And therefore He adds, that ye may know that I am in the Father and the Father in Me. For, when expounding the One, He said that the union and the inseparability lay, not in This being That, with which It was One, but in His being in the Father and the Father in the Son. For thus He overthrows both Sabellius, in saying, not, I am "the Father," but, the Son of God; and Arius, in saying, are One.
The Feast of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
is today. There is information on him here.
It is also the feast of Blessed Fra Angelico, O.P. Priest.

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

On March 16, 1841...
Venerable John Henry Newman wrote a letter dealing with the unexpected storm that arose over Remarks on certain Passages of the Thirty-nine Articles, otherwise known as Tract 90:

Mr. Vice-Chancellor,—I write this respectfully to inform you, that I am the author, and have the sole responsibility, of the Tract on which the Hebdomadal Board has just now expressed an opinion, and that I have not given my name hitherto, under the belief that it was desired that I should not. I hope it will not surprise you if I say, that my opinion remains unchanged of the truth and honesty of the principle maintained in the Tract, and of the necessity of putting it forth. At the same time I am prompted by my feelings to add my deep consciousness that every thing I attempt might be done in a better spirit, and in a better way; and, while I am sincerely sorry for the trouble and anxiety I have given to the members of the Board, I beg to return my thanks to them for an act which, even though founded on misapprehension, may be made as profitable to myself as it is religiously and charitably intended.—I say all this with great sincerity, and am, Mr. Vice-Chancellor, your obedient Servant,
JOHN HENRY NEWMAN.
The Feast of St. John Sordi, O.S.B., Bishop and Martyr
is today. There is information on him here.
It is also the feast of Blessed John Amias, Priest and Martyr, Blessed Robert Dalby, Priest and Martyr, and Blessed William Hart, Priest and Martyr .

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

Zadok...
reminds us that tommorow is an anniversary of a remarkable incident in the life of St. Philip.
The Catholic Carnival...
is up.
The Feast of St. Louise De Marillac, V.S.C., Widow and Foundress
is today. There is information on her here.
It is also the feast of St. Clement Maria Hofbauer, C.SS.R., Priest, and Blessed William Hart, Priest and Martyr.
To any Vincentians or Redemptorists out there, blessed feast day !

Monday, March 14, 2005

Fr. Michael...
has posted a homily.
The Feast of St. Leobinus of Chartres, O.S.B., Bishop
is today. There is information on him here

Sunday, March 13, 2005

From Faith and Prejudice and Other Unpublished Sermons
by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.

When Lazarus was ill, our Lord might have gone to him, and have recommended the fitting medicine, and the treatment which would cure him. He did nothing of the kind—He let him die—so much so that St. Martha said when He at length came, "Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died" (John 11). But our Lord had a reason. He wished to show His power over nature. He wished to triumph over death. So, instead of hindering Lazarus from dying by the art of medicine, He triumphed over death by a miracle.

No one has power over nature but He who made it. None can work a miracle but God. When miracles are wrought it is a proof that God is present. And therefore it is that, whenever God visits the earth, He works miracles. It is the claim He makes upon our attention. He thereby reminds us that He is the Creator. He who did, alone can undo. He who made, alone can destroy. He who gave nature its laws, alone can change those laws.
God's grace...
does incredible things.
If it were not Sunday...
today would be the feast of St. Heldrad, O.S.B., Abbot, who, among other things, greatly expanded the library at his monastery. (A man after my own heart !)
It is also the feast of St. Roderick, Priest and Martyr
Music at Noon Mass
Processional Hymn: "Ah, Holy Jesus"
Recessional Hymn: "O Sacred Head, Surrounded"

The students come back from spring break tommorow, so the choir will begin singing at Mass again next Sunday.