DECEMBER 9 – ST. LEOCADIA, VIRGIN, MARTYR.
ST. LEOCADIA was a native of Toledo, and was apprehended by an order of Dacian, the cruel governor under Diocletian in 304. Hearing of the martyrdom of St. Eulalia, she prayed that God would not prolong her exile, but unite her speedily with, her holy friend in his glory. Her prayer was heard, and she happily expired in prison. Three famous churches in Toledo bear her name, and she is honored as principal patroness of that city. In one of those churches most of the councils of Toledo were held. Her relics were kept in that church with great respect, till, in the incursions of the Moors, they were conveyed to Oviedo, and some years afterward to the abbey of St. Guislain near Mons in Haynault. They were finally carried back to Toledo with great pomp, and placed in the great church there on the 26th of April, 1589.
REFLECTION: Were we not blinded by the world, and the enchantment of its follies. the near prospect of eternity, the uncertainty of the hour of our death, and the repeated precepts of Christ, would produce in us the same fervent dispositions which they did in the primitive Christians.
WORD OF THE DAY
SENTENCES, BOOK OF. The classic work of the theologian Peter Lombard (1100-62). He wrote the four Books of the Sentences (1145-52) and is called the Master of the Sentences, or the Master. This work was the standard textbook in theology for four centuries and greatly influenced St. Thomas Aquinas. Its first part treats of God and the Trinity, Providence, predestination, and evil; Part Two, of creation, angels, the Fall, grace, and sin; Part Three, of the Incarnation, Redemption, the virtues, and commandments; Part Four, of the last things. It set the pace for all future Catholic theology by combining respect for the Church’s authority with profound analysis through the right use of reason.
Modern Catholic Dictionary, Fr. John Hardon SJ (Get the real one at Eternal Life — don’t accept an abridged or edited version of this masterpiece!)
ST. ANDREW NOVENA
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.
(It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayer fifteen times a day from the feast of St. Andrew (Nov. 30th) until Christmas, will obtain what is asked). This formula of the prayer bears an Imprimatur from † Michael Augustine, Archbishop of New York. New York, February 6, 1897.
DAILY ADVENT MEDITATIONS
Deepen your appreciation of the Incarnation and our salvation with The Great Truths Series by Fr. Richard Clarke S.J. Read today’s “Hope & The Dispositions necessary” but consider this:
We must be on the watch to see that our inclinations do not run away with us. Most of the foolish things we do are the result of acting on impulse, of being led by our inclinations, of being influenced by wounded self-love. How many a golden opportunity of merit we have missed because we would not accept patiently what wounded us or hurt our self-esteem!
This article, DECEMBER 9 – ST. LEOCADIA, VIRGIN, MARTYR. is a post from The Bellarmine Forum.
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