As Cardinal Mercier said : "When prudence is everywhere, courage is nowhere."                                                                                  From Cardinal Sarah : "In order to avoid hearing God's music, we have chosen to use all the devices of this world. But heaven's instruments will not stop playing just because some people are deaf."                                                                                              Saint John-Paul II wrote: "The fact that one can die for the faith shows that other demands of the faith can also be met."                                                 Cardinal Müller says, “For the real danger to today’s humanity is the greenhouse gases of sin and the global warming of unbelief and the decay of morality when no one knows and teaches the difference between good and evil.”                                                  St Catherine of Siena said, “We've had enough exhortations to be silent. Cry out with a thousand tongues - I see the world is rotten because of silence.”                                                  Chesterton said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.”                                                Brethren, Wake up!

FEAST OF SS ELIZABETH AND ZACHARY, PARENTS OF OUR HOLY PATRON

The Virgin and Child, with Saints Elizabeth and Zachary,
and the Infant Baptist, by Andrea Mantegna, 1490
Tomorrow, Sunday 23rd September, is the feast of the parents of Saint John the Baptist. They will, of course, be ignored this years by the sacred liturgy, but hopefully not by us in our prayers!

 The date of today's feast is interesting. Holy Mother Church has no knowledge of the date of the death, the heavenly birthday, of these two confessors, so today is in fact the day of the conception of Saint John, nine months to the day before his nativity on 23rd June. Pray today particularly for Christian Motherhood.

 Mantegna's painting is wonderful also in showing Elizabeth and Zachary as so very elderly, compared to the youthful Mary. They both appear to have lost their teeth! Nothing is impossible to God. Pray for all parents who are struggling to have children.

COLLECT
O GOD, by whose grace Zachary and Elizabeth became the parents of the herald of your Son, grant us though their intercession the grace to love you above all things, and so inherit what you have promised. Through our Lord Jesus Christ you Son, who live and reign with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
Our Lady of Philermo, pray for us.
Saint John the Baptist, pray for us.
Blessed Zachary and Elizabeth, pray for us.
Posted on Saturday, September 22, 2018
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