March 27th - St. John Damascene
- From: "Trudie" <richarra@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:10:36 -0500
March 27th - St. John Damascene, Doctor of the Church
(676-780)
Saint John was born in the late 7th century, and is the most remarkable of the
Greek writers of the 8th century. His father was a civil authority who was
Christian amid the Saracens of Damascus, whose caliph made him his minister.
This enlightened man found in the public square one day, amid a group of sad
Christian captives, a priest of Italian origin who had been condemned to
slavery; he ransomed him and assigned him to his young son to be his tutor.
Young John made extraordinary progress in grammar, dialectic, mathematics,
music, poetry, astronomy, but above all in theology, the discipline imparting
knowledge of God. John became famous for his encyclopedic knowledge and
theological method, later a source of inspiration to Saint Thomas Aquinas.
When his father died, the caliph made of him his principal counselor, his Grand
Vizier. Thus it was through Saint John Damascene that the advanced sciences made
their apparition among the Arab Moslems, who had burnt the library of Alexandria
in Egypt; it was not the Moslems who instructed the Christians, as was believed
for some time in Europe. Saint John vigorously opposed the ferocious Iconoclast
persecution instigated by the Emperor of Constantinople, Leo the Isaurian. He
distinguished himself, with Saint Germain, Patriarch of Constantinople, in the
defense of the veneration of sacred images.
The Emperor, irritated, himself conjured up a plot against him. A letter was
forged, signed with Saint John's name, and addressed to himself, the Emperor of
Constantinople, offering to deliver up the city of Damascus to him. That letter
was then transmitted by the Emperor to the Caliph of Damascus, advising him as a
"good neighbor" should do, that he had a traitor for minister. Although Saint
John vigorously defended himself against the charge, he was condemned by the
Caliph to have his right hand cut off. The severed hand, by order of the Caliph,
was attached to a post in a public square. But Saint John obtained the hand
afterwards, and invoked the Blessed Virgin in a prayer which has been preserved;
he prayed to be able to continue to write the praises of Her Son and Herself.
The next morning when he awoke, he found his hand joined again to the arm,
leaving no trace of pain, but only a fine red line like a bracelet, marking the
site of the miracle.
The Saint was reinstated afterwards to the favor of the local prince, but he
believed that heaven had made it clear he was destined to serve the Church by
his writings. He therefore distributed his property and retired soon thereafter
to the monastery of Saint Sabas near Jerusalem, where he spent most of his
remaining years in apologetic writings and prayer. Occasionally he left to
console the Christians of Syria and Palestine and strengthen them, even going to
Constantinople in the hope of obtaining martyrdom there. However, he was able to
return to his monastery. There he died in peace at the age of 104, and was
buried near the door of the monastery church, in the year 780.
Sources: Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin (Bloud
et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 5; The Catholic Encyclopedia, edited by C. G.
Herbermann with numerous collaborators (Appleton Company: New York, 1908).
Quote:
"Do not be always wanting everything to turn out as you think it
should, but rather as God pleases, then you will be undisturbed and
thankful in you prayer."
-Abba Nilus
Bible Quote
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in a field. Which a man
having found, hid it, and for joy thereof goeth, and selleth all that he hath,
and buyeth that field. (Matthew 13:44
<<>><<>><<>>
The traditional Seven Offerings of the Most Precious Blood of Christ:
Opening prayer:
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in
atonement for my sins, and in supplication for the holy souls in Purgatory and
for the needs of Holy Church.
I. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus of Thy
well-beloved Son, my Saviour and my God, for my dear Mother the holy Church,
that she may enlarge her borders and be magnified among all the nations of the
earth; for the safety and well-being of her visible head, the sovereign Roman
Pontiff; for the cardinals, bishops, and pastors of souls, and for all the
ministers of Thy sanctuary.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as It was in the
beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Blessing and thanksgiving be evermore to Jesus, Who with His Blood hath saved
us!
II. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy
well-beloved Son, my Saviour and my God, for peace and union among all Catholic
kings, princes and leaders, for the humiliation of the enemies of our holy
Faith, and for the welfare of all Christian people.
Blessing and thanksgiving be evermore to Jesus, Who with His Blood hath saved
us!
III. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy
well-beloved Son, my Saviour and my God, for the repentance of unbelievers, for
the uprooting of heresy, and for the conversion of sinners.
Blessing and thanksgiving be evermore to Jesus, Who with His Blood hath saved
us!
IV. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy
well-beloved Son, my Saviour and my God, for all my kindred, friends, and
enemies; for the poor, the sick, and wretched, and for all for whom Thou, my
God, knoweth that I ought to pray, or wouldeth have me pray.
Blessing and thanksgiving be evermore to Jesus, Who with His Blood hath saved
us!
V. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy
well-beloved Son, my Saviour and my God, for all who, this day, are passing to
the other life; that Thou wouldeth save them from the pains of hell, and admit
them quickly to the possession of Thy glory.
Blessing and thanksgiving be evermore to Jesus, Who with His Blood hath saved
us!
VI. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy
well-beloved Son, my Saviour and my God, for all those who love this great
treasure, for those who join with me in adoring it and honoring it, and who
strive to spread devotion to it.
Blessing and thanksgiving be evermore to Jesus, Who with His Blood hath saved
us!
VII. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Thy
well-beloved Son, my Saviour and my God, for all my wants, spiritual and
temporal, in aid of the holy souls in purgatory, and chiefly for those who most
loved this precious Blood, the price of our redemption, and who were most devout
to the sorrows and pains of most holy Mary, our dear Mother.
Blessing and thanksgiving be evermore to Jesus, Who with His Blood hath saved
us!
(Conclusion) Glory be to the Blood of Jesus; now and forever, and throughout
all
ages! Amen. +
<><><><>
The fourth glorious mystery prayer of the Eucharistic Rosary,
to be offered before the Blessed Sacrament:
The Death and Assumption of Mary, offered for filial
devotion to Mary:
O Jesus, no longer could Thou leavest here below Thy
blessed Mother; already she didst hear Thy voice calling her,
and amid the transports of an ineffable communion, Thy love
didst take away her soul from the land of exile. But her
virginal body, like that of her divine Son, must not know
corruption; so Thou didst raise her from the dead, and,
brilliant as the sun, assume her soaring on angels' wings to
the seat of eternal glory.
O Jesus, our resurrection and our life, we adore Thee and we
pray that, through the intercession of Thy holy Mother, we
may die in the arms of her who is also our own Mother, after
having received in a fervent communion the pledge of our
glorious resurrection.
Imprimatur: + John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York,
Sept 19, 1908.
.
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