Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 6
34.	And Jesus going out saw a great multitude: and he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.	Et exiens vidit turbam multam Jesus : et misertus est super eos, quia erant sicut oves non habentes pastorem, et cœpit docere multa.	και εξελθων ειδεν ο ιησους πολυν οχλον και εσπλαγχνισθη επ αυτοις οτι ησαν ως προβατα μη εχοντα ποιμενα και ηρξατο διδασκειν αυτους πολλα
35.	And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came to him, saying: This is a desert place, and the hour is now past:	Et cum jam hora multa fieret, accesserunt discipuli ejus, dicentes : Desertus est locus hic, et jam hora præteriit :	και ηδη ωρας πολλης γενομενης προσελθοντες αυτω οι μαθηται αυτου λεγουσιν οτι ερημος εστιν ο τοπος και ηδη ωρα πολλη
36.	Send them away, that going into the next villages and towns, they may buy themselves meat to eat.	dimitte illos, ut euntes in proximas villas et vicos, emant sibi cibos, quos manducent.	απολυσον αυτους ινα απελθοντες εις τους κυκλω αγρους και κωμας αγορασωσιν εαυτοις αρτους τι γαρ φαγωσιν ουκ εχουσιν
37.	And he answering said to them: Give you them to eat. And they said to him: Let us go and buy bread for two hundred pence, and we will give them to eat.	Et respondens ait illis : Date illis vos manducare. Et dixerunt ei : Euntes emamus ducentis denariis panes, et dabimus illis manducare.	ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτοις δοτε αυτοις υμεις φαγειν και λεγουσιν αυτω απελθοντες αγορασωμεν δηναριων διακοσιων αρτους και δωμεν αυτοις φαγειν
38.	And he saith to them: How many loaves have you? go and see. And when they knew, they say: Five, and two fishes	Et dicit eis : Quot panes habetis ? ite, et videte. Et cum cognovissent, dicunt : Quinque, et duos pisces.	ο δε λεγει αυτοις ποσους αρτους εχετε υπαγετε και ιδετε και γνοντες λεγουσιν πεντε και δυο ιχθυας
39.	And he commanded them that they should make them all sit down by companies upon the green grass.	Et præcepit illis ut accumbere facerent omnes secundum contubernia super viride fœnum.	και επεταξεν αυτοις ανακλιναι παντας συμποσια συμποσια επι τω χλωρω χορτω
40.	And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties.	Et discubuerunt in partes per centenos et quinquagenos.	και ανεπεσον πρασιαι πρασιαι ανα εκατον και ανα πεντηκοντα
41.	And when he had taken the five loaves, and the two fishes: looking up to heaven, he blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave to his disciples to set before them: and the two fishes he divided among them all.	Et acceptis quinque panibus et duobus pisces, intuens in cælum, benedixit, et fregit panes, et dedit discipulis suis, ut ponerent ante eos : et duos pisces divisit omnibus.	και λαβων τους πεντε αρτους και τους δυο ιχθυας αναβλεψας εις τον ουρανον ευλογησεν και κατεκλασεν τους αρτους και εδιδου τοις μαθηταις αυτου ινα παραθωσιν αυτοις και τους δυο ιχθυας εμερισεν πασιν
42.	And they all did eat, and had their fill.	Et manducaverunt omnes, et saturati sunt.	και εφαγον παντες και εχορτασθησαν
43.	And they took up the leavings, twelve full baskets of fragments, and of the fishes.	Et sustulerunt reliquias, fragmentorum duodecim cophinos plenos, et de piscibus.	και ηραν κλασματων δωδεκα κοφινους πληρεις και απο των ιχθυων
44.	And they that did eat, were five thousand men.	Erant autem qui manducaverunt quinque millia virorum.	και ησαν οι φαγοντες τους αρτους πεντακισχιλιοι ανδρες

34. And Jesus, when he came out, saw many people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

PSEUDO-JEROME; Little indeed is the rest of the saints here on earth, long is their labor, but afterwards, they are bidden to rest from their labors. But as in the ark of Noah, the animals that were within were sent forth, and they that were without rushed in, so is it in the Church, Judas went, the thief came to Christ. But as long as men go back from the faith, the Church can have no refuge from grief; for Rachel weeping for her children would not be comforted. Moreover, this world is not the happiest, in which the new wine is drank, when the new song will be sung by men made anew, when this mortal shall have put in immortality.

BEDE; But when Christ goes to the deserts of the Gentiles, many bands of the faithful leaving the walls of their cities, that is their old manner of living, follow Him.

35. And when the day was now far spent, His disciples came to him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
36. Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
37. He answered and said to them, Give you them to eat. And they say to him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
38. He said to them, How many loaves have you? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
39. And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies on the green grass.
40. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
41. And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, He looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
42. And they did all eat, and were filled.
43. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
44. And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

THEOPHYL. The Lord, placing before them, first, what is most profitable, that is, the food of the word of God, afterwards also gave the multitude food for their bodies; in beginning to relate which the Evangelist says, And to when on, the day was now far spent, his disciples came to him, and said, This is a desert place.

BEDE; The time being far spent, points out that it was evening. Wherefore Luke says, But the day had begun to decline.

THEOPHYL. See now , how those who are disciples of Christ grow in love to man, for they pity the multitudes, and come to Christ to intercede for them. But the Lord tried them, to see whether they would know that His power was great enough to feed them.

Wherefore it goes on, He answered and said to them, Give you them to eat.

BEDE; By these words He calls on His Apostles, to break bread for the people, that they might be able to testify that they had no bread, and thus the greatness of the miracle might become more known.

THEOPHYL. But the disciples thought that He did not know what was necessary for the feeding of so large a multitude, for their answer shows that they were troubled. For it goes on, And they said to him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?

AUG. This in the Gospel of John is the answer of Philip, but Mark gives it as the answer of the disciples, wishing it to be understood that Philip made this answer as a mouthpiece of the others; although he might put the plural number for the singular, as is usual. It goes on, And he said to them, How many loaves have you? go and see. The other Evangelists pass over this being done by the Lord. It goes on, And when they knew, they say, Five, a two fishes. This, which was suggested by Andrew, as we learn from John, the other Evangelists, using the plural for the singular, have put into the mouth of the disciples.

It goes on, And he commanded them enter to make all sit do down by companies upon the green grass,

and they sat down in ranks by hundreds and by fifties. But we need not be perplexed, though Luke says that they were ordered to sit down by fifties , and Mark by hundreds and fifties, for, one was mentioned a part, the other the whole. Mark, who mentions the hundreds, fills up what the other has left out.

THEOPHYL. We are given to understand that they lay down in parties, separate from one another, for what is translated by companies, is repeated twice over in the Greek, as though it were by companies and companies. It goes on, And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them, and the two fishes divided he among them all.

CHRYS. Now it was with fitness that He looked up to heaven, for the Jews, when receiving manna in the desert, presumed to say of God, Can he give bread? To prevent this therefore before He performed the miracle, He referred to His Father what He was about to do.

THEOPHYL. He also looks up to heaven that He may teach us to seek our food from God, and not from the devil, as they do who unjustly feed on other man labors. By this also He intimated to the crowd, that He could not be opposed to God, since He called upon God. And He gives the bread to His disciple's to set before the multitude, that by handling the bread they might see that it was an undoubted miracle. It goes on: And they did all eat, and were filled:

and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments.

Twelve baskets of fragments remained over and above, that each of the Apostles, carrying a basket on his shoulder, might recognize the unspeakable Worker of the miracle. For it was a proof of overflowing power not only to feed so many men, but also to leave such a superabundance of fragments. Even though Moses gave manna, yet what was given to each was measured by his necessity, and what was over and above was overrun with worms. Elias also fed the woman, but gave her just what was enough for her; but Jesus, being the Lord, makes his gifts with superabundant profusion.

BEDE; Again, in a mystical sense, the Savior refreshes the hungry crowds at the day's decline, because, either, now that the end of the world approaches, or now that the Sun of justice has set in death for us, we are saved from wasting away in spiritual hunger. He calls the Apostles to Him at the breaking of bread, intimating that daily by them our hungry souls are fed, that is, by their letters and examples. By the five loaves are figured the Five Books of Moses, by the two fishes the Psalms and Prophets.

THEOPHYL. Or the two fishes are the discourses of fishermen that is, their Epistles and Gospel.

BEDE; There are five senses in the outward man which shows that by the five thousand men are meant those who, living in the world, know how to make a good use of external things.

GREG. The different ranks in which those who ate lie down, mark out the divers churches which make up the one Catholic. But the Jubilee rest is contained in the mystery of the number fifty, and fifty must be doubled before it reaches up to a hundred. As then the first step is to rest from doing evil, that afterwards the soul may rest more fully from evil thoughts, some lie down in parties of fifty, others of a hundred.

BEDE; Again, those men lie down on grass and are fed by the food of the Lord, who have trodden under foot their concupiscences by continence, and apply themselves diligently to hear and fulfill the words of God. The Savior, however, does not create a new sort of food; for when He came in the flesh He preached no other things than were predicted, but showed how pregnant with mysteries of grace were the writings of the Law and the Prophets. He looks up to heaven, that He may teach us that there we must look for grace. He breaks and distributes to the disciples that they may place the bread before the multitudes, because He has opened the mysteries of prophecy to holy doctors, who are to preach them to the whole world. What is left by the crowd is taken up by the disciples, because the more sacred mysteries, which cannot be received by the foolish, are not to be passed by with negligence, but to be inquired into by the perfect. For by the twelve baskets, the Apostles and the following Doctors are typified, externally indeed despised by men, but inwardly full of healthful food. For all know that carrying baskets is a part of the work of shaves.

PSEUDO-JEROME; Or, in the gathering of the twelve baskets full of fragments, is signified the time, when they shall sit on thrones, judging all who are left of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the twelve tribes of Israel, when the remnant of Israel shall be saved.

Catena Aurea Mark 6

Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes

AD 504
St. Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna

This is a Catholic Caucus. Please post another thread if you wish to opine.

Saint André Bessette, Religious

Saint André Bessette, Religious
Optional Memorial
January 6th

Unknown Artist

Saint André Bessette (1845-1937), born near Quebec, entered the Congregation of the Holy Cross as a Brother. He performed humble tasks for over forty years and entrusted all of the poor and sick who flocked to his cell to the care of St. Joseph. During his life he built a chapel to the spouse of the Virgin Mary. After his death, the shrine grew into the great basilica known as St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal.

Canonized on October 17, 2010

"Bro. André Bessette, a native of Quebec in Canada, and a religious of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, experienced suffering and poverty at a very early age. They led him to have recourse to God through prayer and an intense inner life. As porter of the College of Notre Dame in Montreal, he demonstrated boundless charity and strove to relieve the distress of those who came to confide in him. With very little education, he had nevertheless understood where the essential of his faith was situated. For him, believing meant submitting freely and through love to the divine will. Wholly inhabited by the mystery of Jesus, he lived the beatitude of pure of heart, that of personal rectitude. It is thanks to this simplicity that he enabled many people to see God. He had built the Oratory of St Joseph of Mount Royal, whose faithful custodian he remained until his death in 1937. He was the witness of innumerable cures and conversions. "Do not seek to have your trials removed", he said, "ask rather for the grace to bear them well". For him, everything spoke of God and of God's presence. May we, in his footsteps, seek God with simplicity in order to discover him ever present in the heart of our life! May the example of Bro. André inspire Canadian Christian life!" -- excerpt from the Homily of Pope Benedict XVI for the Canonization of New Saints, October 17, 2010

Collect:
Lord our God, friend of the lowly,
Who gave your servant, Saint André Bessette,
a great devotion to Saint Joseph
and a special commitment to the poor and afflicted.
help us through his intercession
to follow his example of prayer and love
and so come to share with him in your glory.
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. +Amen.

Readings are taken from holy men and women (for religious)

Information: Bl. Andre Bessett

Feast Day: January 6

Born: 9 August 1845 near Montreal, Canada

Died: 6 January 1937

Beatified: 23 May 1982 by Pope John Paul II

Canonized: 17 October 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI

Information: Epiphany of the Lord

Feast Day: January 6

Interactive Saints for Kids

Blessed Andre Bessette

Feast Day: January 06
Born: 1845 :: Died: 1937

Alfred Bessette was born not far from Montreal in Canada and he was the eighth of twelve children. When Alfred was nine, his father, a wood cutter, died in an accident at work. Three years later, Alfred's mother died of tuberculosis, leaving the children orphans. Each one of them was then placed in a different home.

Alfred went to live with his aunt and uncle. Now because his family had been so poor and he was often sick, Alfred had very little education. His uncle made sure that Alfred worked for a living. So for the next thirteen years he tried learning different trades like farming, shoemaking and baking. He even worked in a factory in Connecticut. But his health always failed him.

When Alfred was twenty-five, he joined the order of Holy Cross and chose the name Brother Andre. At first they refused him because his health was not good but then the Bishop favored Andre and he was accepted.

He spent the next forty years as a general maintenance man, Sacristan, laundry worker and messenger. The remaining years of his life were spent as the doorkeeper for the order's college called Notre Dame in Montreal.

Here, Brother Andre's healing power became known. When people came to ask him for a cure, he would tell them to first thank God for their suffering because it was so valuable. Then he would pray with them. Most of them were cured. Brother Andre always refused credit for the healing. He insisted it had been the person's faith and the power of St. Joseph and soon the trickle of sick people at his door became a flood.

Brother Andre had a great love for the Eucharist and for St. Joseph. On his windowsill, facing Mount Royal, was a small statue of Saint Joseph that Andre honored. When he was young, he dreamt he saw a big church, but he couldn't tell where it was. Gradually, he came to realize that God wanted a church in honor of St. Joseph. That church was to be built on top of Mount Royale in Montreal, Canada.

For many years the Church tried to buy land on Mount Royal then Brother Andre and his helpers climbed the steep hill and planted medals of Saint Joseph on it. Soon the owners agreed to sell the land to the Church.

Prayer and the sacrifices of Brother Andre and many other people made the dream come true. The magnificent church honoring St. Joseph was built and is a proof of Brother Andre's great faith. Pilgrims come to Mount Royale all year and from distant places. They want to honor St. Joseph and show their trust in his loving care, as Brother Andre did.

Brother Andre died peacefully on January 6, 1937. By that time he was receiving 80,000 letters each year from the sick who sought his prayers and healing. Nearly a million people climbed Mount Royale to St. Joseph's Oratory for his funeral.

They came in spite of sleet and snow to say good-bye to their dear friend. He was proclaimed "blessed" on May 23, 1982, by Pope John Paul II.

Blessed Andre Bessette believed not in himself but in the power of God's love for him. In him we can see that God reveals his power shining through our human weakness.

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Tuesday, January 6

Liturgical Color: White

Today is the optional memorial of St. André
Bessette, religious. Through the intercession
of St. Joseph, André was able to cure many
of the sick that came seeking his help. He
died in 1937.

Readings at Mass

These readings are for the Vigil Mass on the evening before the feast:

First reading

Isaiah 60:1-6 ©

Arise, shine out, Jerusalem, for your light has come,

the glory of the Lord is rising on you,

though night still covers the earth

and darkness the peoples.

Above you the Lord now rises

and above you his glory appears.

The nations come to your light

and kings to your dawning brightness.

Lift up your eyes and look round:

all are assembling and coming towards you,

your sons from far away

and your daughters being tenderly carried.

At this sight you will grow radiant,

your heart throbbing and full;

since the riches of the sea will flow to you,

the wealth of the nations come to you;

camels in throngs will cover you,

and dromedaries of Midian and Ephah;

everyone in Sheba will come,

bringing gold and incense

and singing the praise of the Lord.

Psalm

Psalm 71:1-2,7-8,10-13 ©

All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.

O God, give your judgement to the king,

to a king’s son your justice,

that he may judge your people in justice

and your poor in right judgement.

All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.

In his days justice shall flourish

and peace till the moon fails.

He shall rule from sea to sea,

from the Great River to earth’s bounds.

All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.

The kings of Tarshish and the sea coasts

shall pay him tribute.

The kings of Sheba and Seba

shall bring him gifts.

Before him all kings shall fall prostrate,

all nations shall serve him.

All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.

For he shall save the poor when they cry

and the needy who are helpless.

He will have pity on the weak

and save the lives of the poor.

All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.

Second reading

Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6 ©

You have probably heard how I have been entrusted by God with the grace he meant for you, and that it was by a revelation that I was given the knowledge of the mystery. This mystery that has now been revealed through the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets was unknown to any men in past generations; it means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them, in Jesus Christ, through the gospel.

Gospel

Matthew 2:1-12 ©

After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east. ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ they asked. ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.’ When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ‘At Bethlehem in Judaea,’ they told him ‘for this is what the prophet wrote:

And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah,

for out of you will come a leader

who will shepherd my people Israel.’

Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared, and sent them on to Bethlehem. ‘Go and find out all about the child,’ he said ‘and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.’ Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And there in front of them was the star they had seen rising; it went forward, and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.

These readings are for the day of the feast itself:

First reading

Isaiah 60:1-6 ©

Arise, shine out, Jerusalem, for your light has come,

the glory of the Lord is rising on you,

though night still covers the earth

and darkness the peoples.

Above you the Lord now rises

and above you his glory appears.

The nations come to your light

and kings to your dawning brightness.

Lift up your eyes and look round:

all are assembling and coming towards you,

your sons from far away

and your daughters being tenderly carried.

At this sight you will grow radiant,

your heart throbbing and full;

since the riches of the sea will flow to you,

the wealth of the nations come to you;

camels in throngs will cover you,

and dromedaries of Midian and Ephah;

everyone in Sheba will come,

bringing gold and incense

and singing the praise of the Lord.

Psalm

Psalm 71:1-2,7-8,10-13 ©

All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.

O God, give your judgement to the king,

to a king’s son your justice,

that he may judge your people in justice

and your poor in right judgement.

All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.

In his days justice shall flourish

and peace till the moon fails.

He shall rule from sea to sea,

from the Great River to earth’s bounds.

All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.

The kings of Tarshish and the sea coasts

shall pay him tribute.

The kings of Sheba and Seba

shall bring him gifts.

Before him all kings shall fall prostrate,

all nations shall serve him.

All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.

For he shall save the poor when they cry

and the needy who are helpless.

He will have pity on the weak

and save the lives of the poor.

All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.

Second reading

Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6 ©

You have probably heard how I have been entrusted by God with the grace he meant for you, and that it was by a revelation that I was given the knowledge of the mystery. This mystery that has now been revealed through the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets was unknown to any men in past generations; it means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them, in Jesus Christ, through the gospel.

Gospel Acclamation

Mt2:2

Alleluia, alleluia!

We saw his star as it rose

and have come to do the Lord homage.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 2:1-12 ©

After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east. ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ they asked. ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.’ When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ‘At Bethlehem in Judaea,’ they told him ‘for this is what the prophet wrote:

And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah,

for out of you will come a leader

who will shepherd my people Israel.’

Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared, and sent them on to Bethlehem. ‘Go and find out all about the child,’ he said ‘and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.’ Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And there in front of them was the star they had seen rising; it went forward, and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for:January 06, 2015
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Lord our God, friend of the lowly, who gave your servant, Saint Andre Bessette, a great devotion to Saint Joseph and a special commitment to the poor and afflicted, help us through his intercession to follow his example of prayer and love and so come to share with him in your glory. 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.

RECIPES

o Candied Fruit Peel -- Epiphany Gift

o Galette des Rois

o King Cake (New Orleans' Style)

o Maple Tourlouche (Upside Down Cake)

o Tourtière (Meat Pie)

o Twelfth Cake

o Twelfth Night Cake

ACTIVITIES

o Christmas and the Eucharist

o Day Thirteen ~ Activities for the Thirteenth Day of Christmas

o Enthroning the Crib for Epiphany

o Epiphany Crib Scene Figures

o Epiphany Home Blessing Ceremony

o Explanation of Epiphany, or the Manifestation of the Lord

o Posters for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany

o Singing and Acting

o St. Joseph's Oil

o The feasts of Light: Christmas, Epiphany and Candlemas

o Tradition of the Epiphany Mystery Play

o Twelfth Night Cake And Kings Tradition

o What is a Nameday?

PRAYERS

o Roman Ritual: Blessing of Chalk on Epiphany

o Blessing of the Home on Epiphany

o Procession to the Royal Crib

o Prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life

o Prayer for a Sick Person

o Epiphany Prayers for the Home (without Home Blessing)

o Summary of Epiphany Blessings

o Christmas Table Blessing 1

o Christmas Table Blessing 2

o Christmas Table Blessing 3

o Christmas Table Blessing 4

o Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Christmas Season (2nd Plan)

o Epiphany Blessing

o St. Joseph Prayer for protection

o Epiphany Prayer from Mozarabic Breviary

o Epiphany Prayer - 2 from Mozarabic Breviary

o Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Christmas (1st Plan)

o Roman Ritual: Blessing of Gold, Incense, and Myrrh on Epiphany

o Epiphany Home Blessing Ceremony

o Epiphany Meal Blessing

o Solemn Announcing of Movable Feastdays on Epiphany

LIBRARY

o Blessed Brother Andre Bessette, C.S.C.: The Miracle Man of Montreal | Unknown

· Christmas: January 6th

· Optional Memorial of St. Andre Bessette, religious; Epiphany (traditional)

Old Calendar: Epiphany of Our Lord

St. André was born near Quebec, and entered the Congregation of the Holy Cross as a Brother. He performed humble tasks for over forty years and entrusted all of the poor and sick who flocked to his cell to the care of St. Joseph. During his life he was able to have a chapel built to the spouse of the Virgin Mary. After his death, the shrine grew into the great basilica known as St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord.

According to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) calendar, the Optional Memorial of St Andre Bessette is celebrated in Canada not on January 6 but on January 7.

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

The Thirteenth Day of Christmas

St. André Bessette
Brother Andr&eqcute; expressed a saint's faith by a lifelong devotion to Saint Joseph.

Sickness and weakness dogged André from birth. He was the eighth of twelve children born to a French Canadian couple near Montreal. Adopted at twelve, when both parents had died, he became a farmhand. Various trades followed: shoemaker, baker, blacksmith-all failures. He was a factory worker in the United States during the boom times of the Civil War.

At twenty-five, he applied for entrance into the Congregation of the Holy Cross. After a year's novitiate, he was not admitted because of his weak health. But with an extension and the urging of Bishop Bourget (see Marie-Rose Durocher, October 6), he was finally received. He was given the humble job of doorkeeper at Notre Dame College in Montreal, with additional duties as sacristan, laundry worker and messenger. "When I joined this community, the superiors showed me the door, and I remained forty years."

In his little room near the door, he spent much of the night on his knees. On his windowsill, facing Mount Royal, was a small statue of Saint Joseph, to whom he had been devoted since childhood. When asked about it he said, "Some day, Saint Joseph is going to be honored in a very special way on Mount Royal!"

When he heard someone was ill, he visited to bring cheer and to pray with the sick person. He would rub the sick person lightly with oil taken from a lamp burning in the college chapel. Word of healing powers began to spread.

When an epidemic broke out at a nearby college, André volunteered to nurse. Not one person died. The trickle of sick people to his door became a flood. His superiors were uneasy; diocesan authorities were suspicious; doctors called him a quack. "I do not cure," he said again and again. "Saint Joseph cures." In the end he needed four secretaries to handle the eighty thousand letters he received each year.

For many years the Holy Cross authorities had tried to buy land on Mount Royal. Brother André and others climbed the steep hill and planted medals of Saint Joseph. Suddenly, the owners yielded. André collected two hundred dollars to build a small chapel and began receiving visitors there-smiling through long hours of listening, applying Saint Joseph's oil. Some were cured, some not. The pile of crutches, canes and braces grew.

The chapel also grew. By 1931 there were gleaming walls, but money ran out. "Put a statue of Saint Joseph in the middle. If he wants a roof over his head, he'll get it." The magnificent Oratory on Mount Royal took fifty years to build. The sickly boy who could not hold a job died at ninety.

He is buried at the Oratory and was beatified in 1982. On December 19, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI promulgated a decree recognizing a second miracle at Blessed André’s intercession and on October 17, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI formally declared sainthood for Blessed André. — Saint of the Day, Leonard Foley, O.F.M.

Things to Do:

Read more about the life of St. André.
Learn more about the Holy Cross Brothers, the order of which Bl. André was a member. Pray for an increase in vocations and for those who are already living the religious life.
If you live close to St. Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal, make a pilgrimage. If that's not possible make a virtual pilgrimage.
Say a prayer for the sick who were so dear to the heart of Brother André.
Try the recipes offered to sample authentic French Canadian food.

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for January 6, 2015:

“Behold, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem.” (Mt 2:2). The wise still seek Jesus. What gifts of wisdom do you possess? A lesson learned from your childhood? A proverb that steers your life? A virtue to which you’ve struggled to be true?

Regnum Christi

The Power of My Nothingness

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

January 6, 2015. Tuesday after Epiphany

Mark 6:34-44

When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said, "This is a deserted place and it is already very late. Dismiss them so that they can go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat." He said to them in reply, "Give them some food yourselves." But they said to him, "Are we to buy two hundred days´ wages worth of food and give it to them to eat?" He asked them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they had found out they said, "Five loaves and two fish." So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass. The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties. Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; he also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up 12 wicker baskets full of fragments and what was left of the fish. Those who ate of the loaves were 5,000 men.

Introductory Prayer: Lord I am nothing without you in my mission. I believe that there is no difficulty in deepening my union with you that cannot be overcome. I want to know and see with greater clarity that your hand moves mine. You make possible what would otherwise be impossible.

Petition: Lord, increase my confidence and dependence on you.

1. “His Heart Was Moved with Pity for Them, for They Were like Sheep Without a Shepherd”: A heart that loves expands to meet the needs of those it loves. None could love as perfectly as Christ. Will I let Christ move me in this prayer to see what he sees, suffer what he suffers, and love what he loves? Who will teach the vast numbers of those who are lost, especially the young? Who will console the sorrowing who fight the pervasive darkness of despair, and guide with fidelity the hungry souls ready for the fullness of God’s truth? Who can make present the power of the Shepherd to heal and stay the force of evil in so many dark corners of the world? If I open my heart to see what Christ sees, I will follow everyday what he asks of me to remedy a broken world that needs salvation.

2. Give Them Some Food Yourselves: Our Lord insists that we be active protagonists in tackling the most difficult problems in the world. Many only sigh at the world’s miseries as if to say, “Lord, you have a problem. I will pray for them.” Christ looks back and says to us, “This is your mission now. I put it in your hands.” Will we panic? Will we wonder where we will get the time, the resources, the wisdom? Will we imagine ourselves making it all happen? Our Lord asks us to take responsibility, but he does not want us taking control. There is a difference: One is the steward in the mission—us; the other the owner—God. Taking responsibility means making the needs of souls and the Church our own. Not taking control means we never lose sight of the one who controls the plan. I want to do it his way, and not mine.

3. How Many Loaves Do You Have? When Christ chooses us for a mission, he does not select us because he thinks we have what it takes, but rather because he knows he will give us all that we need. Sometimes we are faced with goals that are real, yet beyond our power to accomplish. Anxiety––thinking we need to be superhuman before a superhuman endeavor––inserts all sorts of complexes into the human spirit: shutting down, feeling overwhelmed, uncontrolled anger, unjustly limiting our field of action. What does Christ ask when we face the impossible? Just give what we have––give it all and don’t hold back. Put all our loaves and fishes on the table, and then Christ will work. Believe in the power of our poor nothingness united to Christ.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I believe in the power of my nothingness united to your power and grace. Today I accept the challenge of the mission before me, but only if I take each step depending on you. With you every burden is sweet, and every impossible task is a new encounter with the power of your hand.

Resolution: I will stop sometime in the middle of the day to spiritually place what I am doing into Christ’s hands.

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 31, Issue 1

<< Tuesday, January 6, 2015 >>

St. André Bessette

1 John 4:7-10
View Readings

Psalm 72:1-4, 7-8

Mark 6:34-44
Similar Reflections

THE FEAST OF CHRISTMAS

"You give them something to eat." —Mark 6:37

"Beloved, let us love one another because love is of God" (1 Jn 4:7). "The man without love has known nothing of God, for God is Love" (1 Jn 4:8). "Beloved, if God has loved us so, we must have the same love for one another" (1 Jn 4:11). Jesus said: "This is how all will know you for My disciples: your love for one another" (Jn 13:35). If we have not love, we are nothing (1 Cor 13:2).

Do you love Jesus? Then feed His sheep (Jn 21:17), physically and spiritually. Feed people with God's Word, for "not on bread alone is man to live but on every utterance that comes from the mouth of God" (Mt 4:4). "Teach them at great length" (Mk 6:34). Proclaim God's Word "in any and every way" (Phil 1:18), "whether convenient or inconvenient" (2 Tm 4:2). Do your best to feed people with the nourishment of God's Word. Even if your work seems inadequate, the Lord will multiply it to feed the masses (see Mk 6:41ff).

Christmas is a celebration, a feast. Feed the nourishment of God's Word to those who are spiritually starving. Give to others the Word of life, the Bread of Life (Jn 6:35), the Christ of Christmas.

Prayer: Father, may the Christmas cards, greetings, celebrations, and presents I give to others be spiritually nourishing.

Promise: "Love, then, consists in this: not that we have loved God but that He has loved us and has sent His Son as an Offering for our sins." —1 Jn 4:10

Praise: St. André, orphaned at the age of twelve, developed a lifelong devotion to St. Joseph, the foster-father of Jesus. He consistently attributed the many miracles and healings he worked to the intercession of St. Joseph.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: 1 John 4:7-10

Saint André Bessette, Religious

We love because God first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

A farmer goes into the field at planting time. He tills the soil, then carefully works the seed into the ground and waters it, hoping for a bumper crop. In a similar way, our heavenly Father has planted the seed of his divine love into each of us. As he waters and nurtures this seed, he rejoices at the crop it produces—a harvest of love for one another.

It’s funny that, as deep as the gospel message is, it can still be expressed in three simple words: God is love. We can live in love because he has loved us first and planted the seed of his love into our hearts.

But how does this seed grow? John is very clear about this in today’s first reading. Love comes from God, and if we know God and are open to his love, then the seed sprouts, and we are able to love. If we turn away from God’s love, we find it a lot harder to love the people around us. Anyone who has been in love knows that love isn’t something we generate on our own power. It rises up within us, a wonderful gift from God and a taste of his divine love. It only stands to reason that the more we come into contact with his love for us, the more we will be able to love everyone else—even when we don’t feel like it!

God longs to see us love one another. We may struggle with hurts from the past, but we can lay these issues at the feet of Jesus and come to know his peace over time. We may not know how to show our love, but the Holy Spirit can teach us and show us the way.

Your heavenly Father is speaking to you right now. He is asking you to open your heart to his love, which is endless and strong. Let it wash over you now. Release everything to him, and let him fill you!

“Father, I know you have placed the seed of your love and your life in my heart. I trust in the power of that love to shape me and lift me up. May this same love also flow out of me to my brothers and sisters.”

Psalm 72:1-4,7-8
Mark 6:34-44

St. Joseph's Humble Servant - Brother André Bessette of Montreal,
the first Canadian-born male saint

New Canadian Saint
Novena, Exemplifications in Honor of Brother André

Brother André

About the Knights of Columbus ; History of the Knights of Columbus

Knights of Columbus: Celebrating 125 Years of Faith In Action

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be
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St. André Bessette [his *first* feast day...hooray!]
The Day Brother Andre Bessette & Father Solanus Casey, Two Future Modern Day Saints Met
Miracles have a measure
Pope Benedict to Raise Six to Sainthood [Catholic Caucus]
The Seven Crosses of Br. André’s Life
Brother André: Montreal’s Porter and Heaven’s Gatekeeper — A Reflection on St. André of Montreal
The Story of Blessed Andre Bessette (1845 - 1937) (canonization in Rome, tomorrow)
Saintly Man [Brother Andre to be Canonized Sunday]
Brother Andre, Quebec's Humble Healer
Canada’s Brother Andre moves closer to sainthood