SAINT OF THE DAY -- April 21 - Saint Anselm of Canterbury
April 21
St. Anselm
Archbishop of Canterbury(1033 - 1109)
"No one will have any other desire in heaven than what God wills; and
the desire of one will be the desire of all; and the desire of all and
of each one will also be the desire of God."
- Saint Anselm, Opera Omnis, Letter 112
A mild and gentle man and a lover of peace, he would
not back off from conflict and persecution when principles were at
stake.
Indifferent toward religion as a young man, Anselm became one of the
Church's greatest theologians and leaders. He received the title
"Father of Scholasticism" for his attempt to analyze and illumine the
truths of faith through the aid of reason.
At
15, Anselm wanted to enter a monastery, but was refused acceptance
because of his father's opposition. Twelve years later, after careless
disinterest in religion and years of worldly living, he finally
fulfilled his desire to be a monk. He entered the monastery of Bec in
Normandy, three years later was elected prior and 15 years later was
unanimously chosen abbot.
Considered an original and independent
thinker, Anselm was admired for his patience, gentleness and teaching
skill. Under his leadership, the abbey of Bec became a monastic school,
influential in philosophical and theological studies.
During
these years, at the community's request, Anselm began publishing his
theological works, comparable to those of St. Augustine. His best-known
work is the book Cur Deus Homo ("Why God Became Man").
At
60, against his will, Anselm was appointed archbishop of Canterbury in
1093. His appointment was opposed at first by England's King William
Rufus and later accepted. Rufus persistently refused to cooperate with
efforts to reform the Church.
Anselm finally went into voluntary
exile until Rufus died in 1100. He was then recalled to England by
Rufus's brother and successor, Henry I. Disagreeing fearlessly with
Henry over the king's insistence on investing England's bishops, Anselm
spent another three years in exile in Rome.
His care and concern
extended to the very poorest people; he opposed the slave trade. Anselm
obtained from the national council at Westminster the passage of a
resolution prohibiting the sale of human beings.
Comment:
Anselm,
like every true follower of Christ, had to carry his cross, especially
in the form of opposition and conflict with those in political control.
Though personally a mild and gentle man and a lover of peace, he would
not back off from conflict and persecution when principles were at
stake.
Prayer:
O Lord, we bring before you the distress and dangers of peoples and
nations, the pleas of the imprisoned and the captive, the sorrows of
the grief-stricken, the needs of the refugee, the impotence of the
weak, the weariness of the despondent, and the diminishments of the
aging.
O Lord, stay close to all of them. Amen.
Quote:"No one will have
any other desire in heaven than what God wills; and the desire of one
will be the desire of all; and the desire of all and of each one will
also be the desire of God"
-St. Anselm, Opera Omnia, Letter 112.
Readings:
O God, let me know you and love you so that I may find joy in you;
and if I cannot do so fully in this life, let me at least make some
progress every day, until at last that knowledge, love and joy come to
me in all their plenitude.
While I am here on earth let me know you fully; let my love for you
grow deeper here, so that there I may love you fully.
On earth then I shall have great joy in hope, and in heaven complete
joy in the fulfillment of my hope.
O, Lord, through your Son you command us, no, you counsel us
to ask, and you promise that you will hear us so that our joy may be
complete.
Give me then what you promise to give through your Truth.
You, O God, are faithful; grant that I may receive my request, so that
my joy may be complete.
- Saint Anselm
Source: American Catholic Organization
Many great miracles have been associated with
the Rosary throughout history. The tremendous power of the Rosary can
overcome any problem, be it small or large, personal or worldwide.
Miracles continue to the present day.
The Rosary is a powerful prayer!
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Learn to pray the Rosary--The Joyful Mysteries
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If you are a victim of domestic or sexual violence, please know that my husband and I pray for you every single night.
If you need immediate assistance, dial 911.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline:
1-800-799-SAFE OR (1-800-799-7233)
SIGNS OF AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP
Do you:
feel afraid of your partner much of the time?
avoid certain topics fear of angering your partner?
feel that you can’t do anything right for your partner?
believe that you deserve to be hurt or mistreated?
wonder if you’re the one who is crazy?
feel emotionally numb or helpless?
Does your partner:
- humiliate, criticize, or yell at you?
- treat you so badly that you’re embarrassed for your friends or family to see?
- ignore or put down your opinions or accomplishments?
- blame you for his own abusive behavior?
- see you as property or a sex object, rather than as a person?
Does your partner:
have a bad and unpredictable temper?
hurt you, or threaten to hurt or kill you?
threaten to take your children away or harm them?
threaten to commit suicide if you leave?
force you to have sex?
destroy your belongings?
Does your partner:
- act excessively jealous and possessive?
- control where you go or what you do?
- keep you from seeing your friends or family?
- limit your access to money, the phone, or the car?
- constantly check up on you?