Daily Updates

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Augustine of Canterbury. He was sent by St. Gregory the Great to the Anglo-Saxons and is the great Apostle of England and the first Archbishop of Canterbury. He died in 604. His feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on May 27.

Historically today is the feast of St. Bernard of Montjoux, an Italian churchman, founder of the Alpine hospices of Saint Bernard. His life was spent working among the people of the Val d’Aosta. He is the patron of mountaineers.

St. Bernard of Montjoux
Bernard may have been the son of Count Richard of Menthon. It seems more likely though that he was of Italian birth. Nothing is really known of his parentage and early life.

Tradition reports that a marriage was being arranged for young Bernard and he fled so as to be free to give his life to God. We do know that he was ordained to the priesthood and that he was appointed Vicar General of the diocese of Aosta, Italy. For approximately forty-two years he traveled throughout the country, visiting the remotest Alpine villages. He would sometimes extend his missionary journeys into the neighboring dioceses of Geneva, Novara and Tarentaise. Bernard had the reputation for enforcing clerical discipline and he built several schools.

He is probably most famous for the hospices he built on the summits of passes over the Alps. Many pilgrims from France and Germany would travel over the Alps on their way to Rome, but it was always a possibility that one would die from freezing along the way. In the 9th century a system of hospices had been attempted, but had lapsed long before Bernard’s time. Bernard’s hospices in the 11th century were placed under the care of clerics and laymen and were well equipped for the reception of all travelers. Eventually these caretakers became Augustinian a monastery was built close by, still exists today

At some point in time Bernard traveled to Rome to receive formal recognition of the hospices and community and to obtain permission to accept novices. Bernard lived to the age of eighty-five and is believed to have died on May 28, 1081 at St. Lawrence Monastery in Novara, Italy.

A now-famous breed of dogs, known for its endurance in high altitude and cold, was named in honor of this saint. Bernard’s life has been the focus of many romantic plays and stories. Many of us may remember childhood stories of St. Bernard dogs coming to the rescue of stranded or injured victims on Alpine slopes. The dogs almost always seem to have a cask of Brandy attached to their collars and when the victims were revived by a good drink the dogs would lead them to safety.

However romance was not what Bernard’s life was about. He was strongly committed to the ideals taught by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount. Bernard dedicated his life to bring the message of Christ to all and to correct the abuses of clerical life which he saw. He was deeply concerned for the care of the poor and disadvantaged. Living his life in the Alps he knew the dangers present and did what he could to relieve them. He is a model, not of romance, but of deep love and compassion, in imitation of God whom he loved and served with all his heart reprimanded.

— Excerpted from Christ in the Desert

Patron: Alpinists; mountain climbers; mountaineers; skiers; travelers in the mountains.

Symbols: Man in a mountain setting holding a bishop’s crozier; white dog.

Things to Do:

• Read History of the Grand St Bernard pass for background.
• If you like dogs you might find this history of the Saint Bernard Dog interesting.

 

MASS READINGS

May 28, 2020 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

May your Spirit, O Lord, we pray, imbue us powerfully with spiritual gifts, that he may give us a mind pleasing to you and graciously conform us to your will. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2020-05-28

Meditation: John 17:20-26

I pray . . . that they may all be one. (John 17:20-21)Imagine yourself in that upper room with Jesus. He knows he will not be in this world much longer. He knows the pressures his disciples will face in his absence. As he looks around the room, he sees Simon the Zealot and Matthew the tax collector. Would they be able to stay united once he was gone? Even the brothers James and John, or Peter and Andrew, might go separate ways. And what about the people who would come to believe through their word?

In those last hours, what was at the forefront of Jesus’ mind and heart? Unity.

It can feel like an unattainable goal for us today. Granted, we can’t single-handedly resolve two thousand years of division in the Church. Disunity seems to be part of our human nature. In Jesus’ time, it was division between Gentiles and Jews. Then there was the division between the Church in the East and the West. Then came the division between Protestants and Catholics. On top of all that, there is even division between brothers and sisters in one family or parish. How can we possibly become one?

Remember, Jesus prays for you. The quest for unity is not limited to theological dialogues or occasional joint prayer services. It starts with Jesus helping you love the people right in front of you. Even if you don’t agree with them, you can still perceive the grace of God in their lives. Because unity on a grand scale starts with everyday unity with the people you know.

Think about Jesus looking at the faces of each of his disciples. Now place yourself there too. But not just you—imagine someone you are not at peace with. Maybe you and your spouse see things differently on a sensitive issue. Whenever the topic arises, a wall seems to cut you off from one another.

Jesus is gazing into your eyes. He is praying that you be united. Can you come to agreement? Can you exchange views and understand each other’s position? What might Jesus pray for you—and for the other person? How might he encourage you to be one?

Don’t give in to discouragement. Remember, Jesus himself is praying for you!

“Lord, make us one!”

Acts 22:30; 23:6-11
Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11