Historical Events in Church Annals for September 13:

604 A.D.


Election of Pope Sabinian as the 65th successor of Peter. After a vacancy of six months this holy man from Blaera, Italy was chosen to lead the Church. He regulated the ringing of the bells to indicate to the people the canonical hours for meditation and prayer. He decreed that sanctuary lamps be always kept lighted in the churches and chapels where the Blessed Sacrament was present in the Tabernacle.

606 A.D.


Death of Saint Eulogius, Patriarch of Alexandria who worked closely with Pope Saint Gregory the Great in fighting the various heresies of the age, especially the Eutychian heresy.

630 A.D.


Death of Saint Amatus, Bishop and Confessor. This Benedictine monk was born in Grenoble, France and, encouraged by Saint Eustace, founded monasteries and became the first abbot of one of the monasteries where he remained until his death on this day.

1549 A.D.


Pope Paul III publishes the suspension of the eighth session of the Council of Trent due to intereference by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and an outbreak of typhus. No other reform decrees would be issued until this landmark Council would be reconvened in 1551 by Paul's successor Pope Julius III and last through 25 sessions when it would be finally closed by Julius' successor Pope Paul IV in December 1563.

     This weekend is strictly the liturgy of Ordinary Time as we observe the TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME followed by Monday's special feast of THE HOLY CROSS. For the liturgies, readings and meditations for this weekend, click on LITURGY

Friday September 11:
Twenty-Third Friday in Ordinary Time

Green vestments

First Reading: 1 Corinthians 9: 16-19, 22-27
Psalms: Psalm 84: 2-6, 8, 12
Gospel Reading: Luke 6: 39-42

Saturday September 12:
Twenty-Third Saturday in Ordinary Time
Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday

Green or White vestments

First Reading: 1 Corinthians 10: 14-22
Psalms: Psalm 116: 12-13, 17-18
Gospel Reading: Luke 6: 43-49

     Honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary is a custom first promoted by the Benedictine Monk Saint Alcuin back in the days of Charlemagne (see archives December 23, no. 25 issue). He composed different formulas for Votive Masses for each day of the week, with two set aside to honor Our Lady on Saturday. This practice caught on with great enthusiasm and eventually the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday became the Common of the Blessed Virgin. This Mass was a favorite with retired priests and those whose sight was failing for most had memorized this Mass and were able to say it by heart without having to read the Lectionary or Sacramentary. One reason Saturday was dedicated to Mary was that Saturday held a special meaning in Mariology. First of all, as Genesis accounts for, God rested on the seventh day. In the Old Testament, the Sabbath was Saturday. Jesus, Son of God rested in the womb and then, when He became incarnate, in the loving arms of Mary from birth until she held His lifeless body at the foot of the Cross. Thus the God-head rested in Mary. It was also on Saturday after Good Friday that Jesus gave His Mother a special gift and reward for keeping her faith in His Divinity intact by making an exceptional appearance to her. Thus, because of these reasons, the devotion spread by St. Alcuin and other liturgies that evolved within the Church, Saturday took on a special Marian significance. Saturday took on even more significance in honoring Mary when Our Lady imparted to visionary Lucia in her third apparition at Fatima on July 13, 1917, "Our Lord wishes that devotion to my Immaculate Heart be established in the world. If what I tell you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace; the war will end...I ask the consecration of the world to my Immaculate Heart and Communion of reparation on the First Saturday of each month...If my requests are granted, Russia will be converted and there will be peace...In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph, and an era of peace will be conceded to humanity." As we draw nearer to that wonderful event, it is more important than ever to honor Mary's request on the First Saturday as well as each Saturday that her feast is commemorated in the Church calendar, not to mention responding to her call daily with the Rosary and attending Daily Mass, nourished by her Divine Son present body and blood, soul and Divinity in the Blessed Sacrament. It is in the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary where she remains in the background in the liturgy of the Word so that her Divine Son's words and His Presence take the spotlight as He should while Mary remains the chief intercessor before the Holy Trinity as she should and serves as the ideal for all Catholics to strive for, as we should. The Dictionary of Mary states quite succinctly, "Through these liturgical acts, (honoring Mary on Saturday) Christians exalt the person of Mary in the action that renews the sacrifice of Christ and in the action that prolongs His prayer."

SUNDAY September 13:
TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIMES

Green vestments

First Reading: Exodus 32: 7-11, 13-14
Psalms: Psalm 51: 3-4, 12-13, 17, 19
Second Reading: 1 Timothy 1: 12-17
Gospel Reading: Luke 15: 1-32

Though it is superceded by the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 13 is the feast of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church:

Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

      One of the great Doctors of the Church in the 4th Century was Saint John Chyrsostom who was born into a Christian family in Antioch in 349. Shortly after his father died and his mother, a woman of great virtue, raised John in the faith. Baptized at the age of 18, John was tutored by the great Greek public orator of his day Libanius, but in 374 John gave it all up in search of a higher calling and retreated to the mountains to live the life of a hermit. Poor health forced him to return to Antioch where he was ordained a priest in 381. Utilizing all he had learned under the Greek master while incorporating the dogma of the true faith his fame soon spread and the faithful flocked to his Masses. This caught the attention of Pope Saint Siricus who appointed him to the influential bishopric as Patriarch of Constantinople. Throughout his life John was a fierce defender of the true faith against Arianism and received the name Chyrsostom which means "golden-mouthed" in Greek. Like fellow Saints Athanasius and Basil of his time, John was not only greatly cherished by the people, but also falsely accused by the Arians, in particular the Bishop of Alexandria who forced John's exile. John knew, like Basil, that the people would not stand for this and thus he called the Arian bishop's bluff by refusing to show up for the mock trial that whould condemn him. Regardless, the Arian bishops unanimously decided to exile him. However John refused, claiming they had no authority and the Arians appealed to the Roman Empress Eudoxia who was moved to side with the Arians after hearing one of St. John's sermons denouncing the pomp and luxury promulgated by the Roman rulers. It wasn't until 403 that John was allowed to return by the Emperor Arcadius. However that was short-lived for, always loyal to Christ, John objected vehemently to the unveiling of a statue of the Empress Eudoxia who had exiled him. He did not object because of the exile edict, but rather the pagan nature attributed to the statue. Once again exiled, he would not return until posthumously carried back by the Emperor's son Theodosius II thirty years after the saint's death. While John spent his last years in exile orchestrating the missionary efforts of Lebanon, Syria and Persia as well as helping in the conversion of the Goths, he continued his campaign to be reinstituted as the rightful Patriarch of Constantinople. He wrote the new pontiff Pope Saint Innocent I who had been elected the 40th Vicar of Christ on December 22, 401. Though Innocent was in favor as well as the Constantinople citizens who would accept no one else other than John as their bishop, the new Roman Emperor Theodosius was stronger and more influential. Thus he sent John even farther away. John lived a total of 63 years, dying on the feast of the Holy Cross on September 14, 407 while enroute to the village of Comana near the Black Sea to preach. He received his Heavenly reward with the words "Glory be to God for everything. Amen" on his lips. He was pronounced a Doctor of the Church by Pope Saint Leo the Great at the Council of Chalcedon in 451, 44 years after his death.

Monday September 14:
Feast of the Holy Cross

Red vestments

First Reading: Numbers 21: 4-9
Psalms: Psalm 78: 1-2, 34-38
Second Reading: Philippians 2: 6-11
Gospel Reading: John 3: 13-17

      In the Latin Roman Rite this feast is celebrated on September 14th each year to celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on which Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior, died. Historians record that the true cross was unearthed by the Empress Saint Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine the Great in the year 326. With Constantine as emperor his mother had the funds and the visa so-to-speak to conduct an extensive expedition for the true cross for it was the sign of the cross in the sky that enabled her son to be victorious - "In hoc signo vinces." Though she was nearly 80 years old her mission was to uncover Christ's cross so that all the world could give it the reverence and veneration it deserved. On arriving in Jerusalem there was no visible sign of any evidence because the heathens had constructed pagan temples over anything Christian to show their disdain. This was the signal to Helena where to look and so she sought out where stones had been piled high, leading her to many discoveries including the sepulchre where Jesus was buried, finding the tools of torture as well after she had the pagan temples destroyed. In the process her expedition nearby uncovered three crosses with the nail holes still visible and, after more digging, discovered the crude rough iron nails that had pierced the hands and feet of our Savior, as well as the two thieves. Helena grappled with which of the three was the true cross and sought out the holy bishop Saint Macarius, who suggested to Helena that the three crosses be taken to a very influential lady who lay very ill in the city. His reasoning and faith was that God would reveal which was the true cross when it touched and healed the sick woman. Helena did just this as Macarius prayed for the miracle they sought. God answered their prayers when the third cross was placed near the woman after the first two had failed. Almost immediately the woman regained full health. Helena was so overcome with joy and gratitude that she ordered a church be built on the spot where she discovered the cross and placed the major portion of the cross in an elegant silver casing inside the church for protection, entrusting it to St. Macarius. Because this pine wood cross was shredding some, Helena took a healthy piece back with her back to Rome, placing it in another church she had delegated to be built there which was renamed Of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem or the Church of Santa Croce in Rome where it is still preserved today. Helena died peacefully in her son Constantine's arms on August 18, 326. St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Macarius' successor, stated that pieces of the true cross were spreading throughout the world which later confirmed what St. Paulinus of Nola wrote: though pieces of the sacred wood were slivered off the main cross almost daily and given to the devout, the cross seemed never to diminish in size. Today these relics are indeed on every continent and we have personally seen many times crosses that contain a sliver of the true cross. As a relic the sliver of the cross is often carried beneath a covered canopy in procession. When it is presented for exposition it is customary to genuflect in veneration, and kissing the relic is a total indication of respect and veneration.

     The Nine Day Novena for Life sponsored by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops continues with Day Three. The Novena stretches from the Vigil of the feast of the Birth of Mary to September 15 - the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. It is appropriate that these liturgical feasts fall during the same time Congress will once again consider the important legislation impacting the lives of unborn children in trying to rescind Clinton's veto of the ban on partial-birth abortion. Below is the daily prayer for the Novena for Life and click on NOVENA FOR LIFE:

God, come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me. (Glory Be).

Holy Mother of God, hear the prayers of the Church for all mothers, especially those wearied by life and overcome by the suffering they bear for their children. (Hail Mary).

O Mother of the Word Incarnate, intercede for them from your place in Heaven, that the mercy of your Divine Son might lighten their burden and give them strength. (Hail Mary, Glory Be).

     At times, it seems that life is threatened on all sides. This month, as Congress once again considers important legislation impacting the lives of unborn children, join with others across the nation in prayer. For the nine days between September 7 and September 15 we pray for the intercession of Mary, the Mother of our Life, our Faith and our Hope.

God, come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Holy Mother of God, hear the prayers of the Church for all mothers, especially those wearied by life and overcome by the suffering they bear for their children.

Hail Mary...

O Mother of the Word Incarnate, intercede for them from your place in heaven, that the mercy of your divine Son might lighten their burden and give them strength.

Hail Mary... Glory Be...

      "As we contemplate this Mother, whose heart ‘a sword has pierced' (cf. Lk 2:35), our thoughts go to all the suffering women in the world, suffering either physically or morally. In this suffering a woman's sensitivity plays a role, even though she often succeeds in resisting suffering better than a man. It is difficult to enumerate these sufferings; it is difficult to call them all by name. We may recall her maternal care for her children, especially when they fall sick or fall into bad ways; the death of those most dear to her; the loneliness of mothers forgotten by their grown-up children; the loneliness of widows; the sufferings of women who struggle alone to make a living; and women who have been wronged or exploited. Then there are the sufferings of consciences as a result of sin, which has wounded the woman's human or maternal dignity: the wounds of consciences which do not heal easily. With these sufferings too we must place ourselves at the foot of the Cross."

Pope John Paul II (Mulieris Dignitatem, 21)

Day 5- Friday, September 11, 1998 - 23rd Friday in Ordinary Time

Pray for Families

      I know of a family which prays each night. Since the kids were little they are gathered from their games and their grumbling to the couch in the living room. There they pray for those whom they love and those they have a hard time loving. They pray for the unborn and for little babies. They pray for the sick and the dying. They pray for the Church and for their priest. Many a night it was the knowledge of those prayers that gave me hope and peace and a good night's sleep.

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 5: 7-9

Day 6 - Saturday, September 12, 1998 - 23rd Saturday in Ordinary Time

Prayer for Life Begins in the Home

      I know of another family which used to pray for unborn children every Friday night. They chose Friday because that's when Christ, innocent and without sin, was sent to the cross. There's no prayer more powerful than that said over little folded hands asking God to "take care of all the babies who You've made."

Scripture Reading: Colossians 3: 12-17

Day 7 - Sunday, Sept. 13, 1998 - 24th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

      Sunday is a time to take stock. We look all around us at Church and see them: all the people whose kids never seem to scream and who look like they haven't a problem in the world! But what if we really knew them? We would see the ‘secret sufferings' that mirror our own. That's the meaning of Sunday, after all. It is the gathering of those who have looked at the their own brokenness through the lens of the cross, and live! Sunday is the perfect day to pray for all God's broken children and especially those who are tempted to break the lives of others.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 31: 2-6

Click here to go to SECTION THREE or to return to SECTION ONE or click here to return to the graphics front page of this issue.

September 11, 1998 volume 9, no. 178   DAILY CATHOLIC