Feast of Pope Saint Martin I, Martyr

( If we're holding the traditions )today we celebrate  the Feast of Pope Saint Martin I ( and the proper of the Holy Mass is Missa "Si diligis Me" )



Pope Saint Martin I suffered greatly in defence of the Faith. By his zeal and energy he incurred the hatred of the Monothelites, heretics who denied that Christ had any human will. So great was their influence that, after the plot to murder the Pope was frustrated by Divine Providence, the holy man was dragged to prison. From there he was banished to the Crimea where he died in 655. Although a Roman Pontiff, his feast is kept in the Greek Orthodox Church and in their Liturgy he is saluted as "The infallible and holy exponent of the divine dogmas." His body was brought to Rome and buried in the Church of St. Sylvester.

The Catholic Church offers the total truth. This is why she is hatred by so many people. They prefer any error to the whole truth. This explains why those schismatics and heretics of the 15th century hatred the Church; this also explains why Modernists, Progressivists, Communists and others hate the universal truth. For this they will be punished by the justice of God.
These are the comments that the edifying martyrdom of Pope St. Martin suggests. Let us ask him to give us his fortitute and the love for the whole truth.

Let us pray. Eternal Shepherd, do Thou look favorably upon Thy flock, which we beseech Thee to guard and keep for evermore through the blessed Martin, Thy Martyr and Supreme Pontiff, whom Thou didst choose to be the chief shepherd of the whole Church. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who livest and reignest with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God
Forever and ever. Amen

Feast of Saint Martin de Porres

Homily by Blessed Pope John XXIII given at the canonization of Saint Martin de Porres :

The example of Saint Martin de Porres ’s life is ample evidence that we can strive for holiness and salvation as Christ Jesus has shown us: first, by loving God “with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind; and second, by loving your neighbor as yourself.”
When Martin had come to realize that Christ Jesus “suffered for us and that He carried our sins on His body to the cross, He would meditate with remarkable ardor and affection about Christ on the cross. He had an exceptional love for the great sacrament of the Eucharist and often spent long hours in prayer before the blessed sacrament. His desire was to receive the sacrament in Communion as often as he could.
Saint Martin, always obedient and inspired by his divine teacher, dealt with his brothers and with that profound love which comes from pure faith and humility of spirit. He loved men and because he honestly looked on them as God’s children and as his own brothers and sisters. Such was his humility that he loved them even more than himself, and considered them to be better and more righteous than he was. He did not blame others for their shortcomings. Certain that he deserved more severe punishment for his sins than others did, he would overlook their worst offenses.
Saint Martin de Porres was tireless in his efforts to reform the criminal, and he would sit up with the sick to bring them comfort. For the poor he would provide food, clothing and medicine. He did all he could to care for poor farmhands, blacks, and mulattoes who were looked down upon as slaves, the dregs of society in their time. Common people responded by calling him, “Martin the charitable.”
He excused the faults of others. He forgave the bitterest injuries, convinced that he deserved much severer punishments on account of his own sins. He tried with all his might to redeem the guilty; lovingly he comforted the sick; he provided food, clothing and medicine for the poor; he helped, as best he could, farm laborers and  mulattoes, who were looked upon at that time as akin to slaves: thus he deserved to be called by the name the people gave him: ‘Martin of Charity.’
It is remarkable how even today his influence can still move us toward the things of heaven. Sad to say, not all of us understand these spiritual values as well as we should, not do we give them a proper place in our lives. Many of us, in fact, strongly attracted by sin, may look upon these values as of little moment, even something of a nuisance, or we ignore them altogether. It is deeply rewarding for men striving for salvation to follow in Christ’s footsteps and to obey God’s commandments. If only everyone could learn this lesson from the example that Martin gave us.

All Souls Feast ~~ Commemoration of All The Faithful Departed ~~

Mt 11:25-30
The silence that pervades today’s commemoration of all the faithful departed is not the silence of the grave. It is rather the silence of the Lord’s Resurrection, evoking from the deepest recesses of our hearts respect and wonder. Today is not the feast of the dead, but of the living. It is not the victory of death that we celebrate, but the glorification of life in and through Jesus Christ.
The silence that engulfs our hearts today invites us all to reflect on three things.

First, death is not a curse. Death is not the punishment for our sins. When St. Paul wrote that the wage of sin is death, he meant death to be the total and eternal separation from God. Indeed, the consequence of sin is eternal death. However, the death of our bodies is neither a curse nor a penalty for our iniquities. Rather, our bodies, made from the dust of the earth, are truly destined to die and disintegrate; returning to what it is made of. Even if our first parents did not sin, our bodies will still die someday simply because our earthly bodies are not meant to be eternal. When the Lord comes at the end of time, He will give us glorified bodies like that of His own resurrected body. The death of our earthly bodies, therefore, is our birth unto eternal life and the beginning of our glorious existence.

Second, death is not powerful at all. Death does not break the bond that exists among us. We are related to one another even after the death of our earthly bodies. Our union with Christ and with one another is even more strengthened and highlighted by death. Yesterday’s solemnity and today’s commemoration very well express the communion that prevails in the church, a communion that persists beyond the grave and is fully enjoyed in heaven.

Moreover, death does not hinder us from helping one another. This is the reason why though already demised, our dearly departed can and continue to benefit from the prayers and sacrifices we offer on their behalf. For their turn, once in heaven, their prayers help and guide us too. Thus, we, the Church militant, pray for the souls in purgatory, the Church suffering, while the saints (whether canonized or not), the Church triumphant, pray for us. Death cannot destroy this communion and block this economy of spiritual benefit.

The Resurrection of Christ rendered death powerless so that St. Paul would say, “O death, where is thy sting?”

Third, because death is not a curse for the wicked or a punishment for the sinner, and, though death is not powerful, death is for all of us. We all die. They for whom we now pray and whose grave we visit today have gone ahead of us. We will surely follow them someday. For some of us, perhaps, soon while for others, perhaps, later. But whether soon or later, it is certain that we are always next in line. We do not know when, we do not know where, and we do not know how but we will surely die. We should therefore keep our selves prepared for death anytime, anywhere, and anyhow.

Do you hear a voice that speaks to you today in silence? That is not the voice of the dead. It is the voice of the Risen Lord assuring you, “If you remain in me, you will live forever.”

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Eternal rest give to them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. Amen.