Feast Day of my 2007 Patron

This year, St. Wenceslaus chose me and, initially, for the life of me I really couldn't figure out the connection. I am not Czeck, I am not royalty, nor am I in government. But chosen me he has, and so I placed my hand in his and asked him to help lead me closer to Jesus as we journey through 2007.

I have done some research to learn more about this saint, whose name is so familiar to us in the Christmas song:

"Good King Wenceslaus looked out
On the Feast of Stephen
And the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even!"

The song tells the story of St. Wenceslaus, King of Bavaria (patron St. of Bavaria and Czechoslavalkia)who was out with his Page and saw a poor man gathering firewood to keep warm. They tramped through the snow, King Wenceslaus sending the page to find out what the poor man needed and how to best help him. The song also discusses the Page walking the Saint's footprints in the snow because Wenceslaus led the way to the man who needed their help.

The song is not really based on his life, but just the same, what an image of Christ to us all! But he was more than a song; this man stood as a rock in the face of the persecution of his own time, placing his trust in Christ rather than in the world.

Wenceslaus was born of pagan parents but raised as a Christian by his grandmother, St. Ludmilla. When he was older, St. Ludmilla encouraged him or, rather, somewhat pushed him into a governmental role which he intially resisted. In that time and place, the government was ruled by pagans. (Sound familiar? Although in our culture we call them "Democrats").

St. Ludmilla was murdered by the pagan regime for she was also an outspoken Christian.

Wenceslaus was murdered by his own brother and his brothers' associates on the steps of a Church, having refused to cowtoe to the pagan animosity towards his Christian stance. They cut him to pieces and buried him. His brother later repented and had his remains moved to the Basilica of the Infant of Prague, where they are today.

He was dedicated to Jesus, to teaching the faith in a pagan nation, and is the patron of Bavaria and Czechloslovalkia. He is known for his virtues, especially that of Patience.

In reviewing his story, I see a few parallels...I am a fledgling catechist, I am involved in parish leadership, I just began working formally in a church in the area of faith formation, and I am completely without virtue. So perhaps he has taken pity on my inability to overcome attachment to sin and is going to help me to obtain the Virtues he exemplefied so much? Patience, Humility, Temperance, Fortitude...

And I'll really appreciate it if he helps me with the upcoming presentations I have to give, and an article I have to write for the parish newsletter.

St. Wenceslaus, pray for us!

St. Patrick's Feast Day

In the Catholic Church, throughout the year we celebrate the "Feast Days" of Saints as a way of recognizing their sanctity, their holiness, and as a way of helping us to walk in their footsteps. Saints are held up as an example to us all in how to live, love, and follow Christ, even unto the death.

To the best of my knowledge, though, St. Patrick was not a drunk.

Why, then, does our society insist upon dying beer green and drinking it to excess?

Amazingly, the "holiday" is also celebrated in secular schools, but of course with no attachment to the life of the man in whose name they celebrate, or in the name of the Savior in whose name St. Patrick lived. A thousand years from now, archaeologists are going to dig out our cities and find some preserved "St. Patrick's Day" items and stare in amazement at this odd holiday that takes the name of someone who died in the 5th Century, but doesn't mention him. They'll look at the bizarre rituals of green beer, dyed rivers, obsession with green and shamrocks, and come to the conclusion that, in fact, our culture has no taste.

Of course, that won't be a surprise to them because given the course our own society has taken over the last couple centuries (especilly the 1900's), taste has in fact taken a downturn so they'll perhaps be looking at us through the sterile eyes of Huxley's "Brave New World."

Oh, wait...I think we're almost there even now. And anyway, I digress.

Perhaps the best way to honor St. Patrick is to say his prayer and invoke it against the secularism that continues to drown our true heroes in green oblivion:

Christ shield me this day:
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me


My friends, the way to celebrate the feast day of ANY Saint is through prayer and learning more about them so that one day, we can follow their footsteps straight into Heaven.

St. Thomas Aquinas - My Blog Patron

Today is the Feast Day of St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church, author of the hymn that is my namesake. You may read about his history here.

But on such an auspicious day, I would like to post the words of the hymn I have taken as my anthem, the prayerful words of this great saint which so draws us into the mystery of Jesus Christ's True Presence in the Holy Eucharist.

(taken from chantcd.com)

1. Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore,
Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more,
See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart
Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art.

2. Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived:
How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed;
What God's Son has told me, take for truth I do;
Truth himself speaks truly or there's nothing true.

3. On the cross thy godhead made no sign to men,
Here thy very manhood steals from human ken:
Both are my confession, both are my belief,
And I pray the prayer of the dying thief.

4. I am not like Thomas, wounds I cannot see,
But can plainly call thee Lord and God as he;
Let me to a deeper faith daily nearer move,
Daily make me harder hope and dearer love.

5. O thou our reminder of Christ crucified,
Living Bread, the life of us for whom he died,
Lend this life to me then: feed and feast my mind,
There be thou the sweetness man was meant to find.

6. Bring the tender tale true of the Pelican;
Bathe me, Jesu Lord, in what thy bosom ran---
Blood whereof a single drop has power to win
All the world forgiveness of its world of sin.

7. Jesu, whom I look at shrouded here below,
I beseech thee send me what I thirst for so,
Some day to gaze on thee face to face in light
And be blest for ever with thy glory's sight.
Amen.



Original Latin text:


1. Adoro te devote, latens Deitas,
Quae sub his figuris vere latitas;
Tibi se cor meum totum subjicit,
Quia te contemplans, totum deficit.

2. Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur,
Sed auditu solo tuto creditur;
Credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius,
Nil hoc verbo veritatis verius.

3. In Cruce latebat sola Deitas.
At hic latet simul et humanitas:
Ambo tamen credens, atque confitens,
Peto quod petivit latro paenitens.

4. Plagas, sicut Thomas, non intueor,
Deum tamen meum te confiteor:
Fac me tibi semper magis credere,
In te spem habere, te diligere.

5. O memoriale mortis Domini,
Panis vivus vitam praestans homini:
Praesta meae menti de te vivere,
Et te illi semper dulce sapere.

6. Pie pellicane Iesu Domine,
Me immundum munda tuo Sanguine:
Cuius una stilla salvum facere
Totum mundum quit ab omni scelere.

7. Iesu, quem velatum nunc aspicio,
Oro, fiat illud, quod tam sitio,
Ut te revelata cernens facie,
Visu sim beatus tuae gloriae.
Amen.