Memorial of Saints (January 23)

St. Emerentiana, according to Tradition, was a foster sister of St. Agnes - one of the illustrious virgin-martyrs of the early Church. When St. Agnes was martyred because of her faith in Christ, Emerentiana prayed at the grave of her foster sister. It was while praying at the grave of St. Agnes that Emerentiana, who was just in her teenage years, was seen by an anti-Christian mob and was stoned to death (died ca. 304 A.D.).

St. Asclas was a Christian from Egypt who was arrested for his faith and tortured under the rule of governor Arrian. St. Asclas was able to miraculously convince Arrian to acknowledge the God of the Christians in writing. However, Arrian had eventually subjected Asclas to further torture and had him drowned in the river Antinoe (died ca. 3rd century).

St. Agathangelus was the deacon of St. Clement, bishop of Ancrya, Galatia. Both Clement and Agathangelus devoted themselves to the education of the young and the poverty-stricken. During the persecution of Christians, both were tortured and executed by the sword (died ca. 308 A.D.).

St. John the Almsgiver was from a noble family in Cyprus. He married early in life, but after his wife and child passed away, he entered into religious life. Because of John's holiness and charity, he was named patriarch of Alexandria in 608 A.D. He earned the title "Almsgiver" because of his well known concern and financial aid to the poor (died ca. 619 A.D.).

St. Ildephonsus of Toledo became a monk at Agalia, near Toledo in Spain. He soon became the abbot of that monastery and had occasion to attend the two councils in Toledo in 653 A.D. and 655 A.D. In 657 A.D., he was named archbishop of Toledo. Known for his devotion to the Mother of God, he also wrote several theological treatises - one of which was dedicated to Mary (died ca. 667 A.D.).

St. Barnard was raised in the court of Charlemagne. He restored the monastery at Ambronay in 800 A.D. Eventually he decided to join the Benedictines there and soon became Ambronay's abbot. Because of his gifts of leadership, he was also named archbishop of Vienne. As the prelate of Vienne, he founded the abbey of Romans in 837 A.D. (died ca. 841 A.D.).

St. Lufthildis was very charitable to the poor. Unmarried and a virgin, her charity was misunderstood by her stepmother, who always mistreated her. So she left home to become a hermitess at Cologne, Germany. Numerous miracles were known to have occured at her tomb (died ca. 850 A.D.).

St. Maimbod, also known as Mainbouef, was an Irish missionary. Tradition narrates that Maimbod was martyred by pagans while preaching near Kaltenbrunn in Alsace, northeastern France (died ca. 880 A.D.).

Blessed Henry Suso was a German Dominican mystic who wrote and preached much in his time. He wrote "Book of Eternal Wisdom" and an autobiography. In 1343 A.D., he was elected prior of Diessenhafen and lived in the Dominican house at Ulm, Germany, where he died on January 25, 1365 A.D.

A Hymn to God the Father

Poems are used as an alternative to the hymns in the Night Prayer section of the breviary. The poem for Monday's Night Prayer, A Hymn to God the Father, is attributed to John Donne

The poem is as follows:

Wilt Thou forgive that sin where I begun,
Which was my sin, though it were done before?
Wilt Thou forgive that sin through which I run,
And do run still, though still I do deplore?
When Thou hast done, Thou hast not done,
For I have more.

Wilt Thou forgive that sin which I have won
Others to sin? and made my sin their door?
Wilt Thou forgive that sin which I did shun
A year or two, but wallowed in a score?
When Thou hast done, Thou hast not done,
For I have more.

I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun
My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;
But swear by Thy self, that at my death Thy Son
Shall shine as he shines now and heretofore;
And, having done that, Thou hast done,
I fear no more.

Night Prayer always reminds the faithful of the sins committed during the day. It could be a sin committed by word or by an action. It can also be a sin of omission - the good the person was not able to do. Examination of one's conscience helps in seeing all the sins of commission and omission during the day. One can also examine one's thoughts and feelings. Getting to the root of one's ill thoughts or feelings can help in understanding what vice can be replaced with a good habit of thought. Also, getting at the root of one's feelings of anger, envy or pride can save one from being controlled by these vices.

This poem for Monday's Night Prayer makes all aware of sin in its many dimensions. The first stanza of the poem speaks of both original sin and personal sin. It makes one realize the strong influence of sin, for even when God forgives, it seems that "[He] hast not done", "for I have more". It appears as if man's basic sinfulness overtakes God's mercy and forgiveness.

The second stanza of the poem helps one to realize that one's sins can also lead others to sin. Also, the sin that one has avoided for a long time, can suddenly become a sin again committed many times over. Everyone knows that God forgives, but it feels that "[He] hast not done" because sins multiply in a way that overtakes the forgiveness and mercy of God. In this regard, one can remember what St. Paul said about the law of sin in his soul in one of his epistles: how he is influenced to do what he should not do.

The third stanza of the poem teaches all not to fear dying in sin, but to have access to Jesus' forgiveness. With trust in Christ's mercy - the Divine Mercy - Christ will brightly shine His great mercy to finally conquer the darkness of all sins. And there is no need to fear losing the salvation of one's souls if the direction of one's primordial commitment is to confess one's sins, to do penance and to amend and reform one's life to build the City of God.

Memorial of Saints (January 22)

Bl. Laura Vicuña was 10 years old when she defended her purity from the improper advances of a man - a hacienda owner in Mercedes, Chile. Educated by the Salesian Sisters since 8 years old, Laura learned to value holiness and chastity. After the incident with the hacienda owner, whom she and her mother worked for, they fled from him and from a possible life of concubinage. In 1904 A.D., Laura was beaten into unconsciousness when she refused to go back to the hacienda owner's house. She died a week later (died ca. 1904 A.D.).

St. Vincent Saragossa was a deacon martyred during the persecution of Christians under Dacian, governor of Spain, and under the reign of the Roman Emperor Maximian. Tradition relates his martyrdom as something gruesome - starved to death, racked and roasted on a gridiron. Vincent is the patron saint of Portugal (died ca. 304 A.D.).

St. Vincent Pallotti is the founder of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate - composed of priests, nuns and lay people. Known for his missionary spirit, Vincent organized trade schools for poor boys, worked among the poor, and was a sought-after confessor. St. Vincent brought back many to the Church (died ca. 1850 A.D.).

St. Anastasius was a soldier in the Persian army. Converted to Christianity, he left the army and was baptized in Jerusalem. He then decided to become a monk at Jerusalem in 621 A.D. Traveling to Palestine, he was arrested for preaching against pagan gods. Ordered to recant his Christian faith, Anastasius refused. Unshaken, he was tortured, strangled and then beheaded - the 69th martyr in the reign of King Chosroës in Bethsalre, Assyria (died ca. 628 A.D.).

St. Blesilla got married but her husband died seven months after. She contracted a fever but was cured. This experience led her to live a life of great austerity and holiness. She died suddenly at Rome when only twenty years of age (died ca. 383 A.D.).

St. Dominic of Sora was a Benedictine monk whose birthplace was in Foligno, Etruria, Italy. Nothing much is known of his life save for his building many monasteries in various parts of Italy (died ca. 1031 A.D.).

St. Berhtwald was also a Benedictine monk like Dominic of Sora. He became a bishop of Ramsbury in 1005 A.D. and was reputed to have the gift of visions and prophecies. He was also generous to Glastonbury and Malmesbury abbeys (died ca. 1045 A.D.).

St. Valerius of Saragossa was the bishop who educated St. Vincent the deacon. He was imprisoned because of the persecutions at that time in Spain and in the whole Roman Empire under Emperor Maximian. Nothing much is known of Valerius save for his return from exile (died ca. 304 A.D.).