The Feast is a Celebration of Mary's Motherhood of Jesus. The English Title "Mother of God" is a translation of the Latin Title Dei Genetrix, which means "She Who Generated God", as the corresponding Greek Title Θεοτόκος (Theotokos) means "She Who Gave Birth to God". This Title was dogmatically adopted at The First Council of Ephesus, in 431 A.D., as a way to assert that Jesus is God, and that his Mother can therefore be called Mother of God. The Title that The Feast Celebrates is, thus, not only Mariological, but also Christological.
Ave Maris Stella
(Hail, Star of the Sea)
is the Hymn at Vespers for
The Feast of The Maternity of The Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Second Vatican Council stated: "Clearly, from earliest times, The Blessed Virgin is honoured under the Title of Mother of God." and, at an early stage, The Church in Rome celebrated on
1 January a Feast that it called The Anniversary (Natale) of The Mother of God. When this was overshadowed by The Feasts of The Annunciation and The Assumption, adopted from Constantinople at the start of the 7th-Century A.D., 1 January began to be Celebrated simply as The Octave Day of Christmas, the "eighth day", on which, according to Luke 2:21, The Child was Circumcised and given the name "Jesus".
In the 13th- or 14th-Century, 1 January began to be Celebrated in Rome, as already in Spain and Gaul, as The Feast of The Circumcision of The Lord and The Octave of The Nativity, while still oriented towards Mary and Christmas, with many Prayers, Antiphons and Responsories glorifying The Maternity of Mary. Pope Saint John XXIII's 1960 Rubrical and Calendrical Revision removed the mention of The Circumcision of Jesus and called 1 January, simply, The Octave of The Nativity.
The Feast of "The Maternity of The Blessed Virgin Mary" was established in Portugal, in 1914, for Celebration on 11 October, and was extended to the entire Catholic Church by Pope Pius XI in 1931. The 1969 Revision of The Liturgical Year and The Calendar states: "1 January, The Octave Day of The Nativity of The Lord, is The Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God, and also The Commemoration of the conferral of The Most Holy Name of Jesus." It removed the 11 October Feast, even for Portugal, stating: "The Maternity of The Blessed Virgin Mary is Celebrated on 1 January in The Solemnity of Mary, The Mother of God." (The 11 October Feast is now Celebrated only by some Traditionalist Catholic individuals and groups.)
Ave Maris Stella
(Hail, Star of the Sea)
is the Hymn at Vespers for
The Feast of The Maternity of The Blessed Virgin Mary.
In his Apostolic Letter, Marialis Cultus, Pope Paul VI explained: "This Celebration is meant to Commemorate the part played by Mary in this Mystery of Salvation. It is meant also to exalt the singular dignity which this Mystery brings to The "Holy Mother . . . through whom we were found worthy to receive The Author of Life."
Roman Catholic Mariology is the systematic study of the person of The Blessed Virgin Mary and of her place in the economy of Salvation, within the Theology of The Catholic Church.
In the Catholic perspective, Mary has a precise place in the plan of Salvation and a special place within Tradition and Devotion. She is seen as having a singular dignity, and receives a higher level of Veneration than all other Saints. Roman Catholic Mariology thus studies not only her life, but also the Veneration of her in daily life, Prayer, Hymns, Art (where she has been a favourite topic), Music, and Architecture in Modern and Ancient Christianity throughout the ages.
The development of Mariology is on-going and, since the beginning, it has continued to be shaped by Theological analyses, writings of Saints, and Papal statements, e.g. while two Marian Dogmas are ancient, the other two were defined in the 19th- and 20th-Centuries; and Papal teachings on Mary have continued to appear in recent times.
"Silencium". More melodramatic music that, to Zephyrinus's ears, captures the Mediaeval era perfectly. Composed by John Harle, who wrote the Theme Music for "A History of Britain" (see, above), narrated and introduce by Simon Scharma. Available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/Cc9pUwuaqNs
Henry was an energetic and sometimes ruthless Ruler, driven by a desire to restore the lands and privileges of his Royal Grandfather, King Henry I. During the early years of the younger Henry's Reign, he restored the Royal Administration in England, re-established hegemony over Wales, and gained full control over his lands in Anjou, Maine and Touraine, all in France.
Henry's desire to reform the relationship with The Church led to conflict with his former friend, Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. This controversy lasted for much of the 1160s and resulted in Becket's murder in 1170. Henry soon came into conflict with King Louis VII of France, and the two Rulers fought what has been termed a "Cold War" over several decades.
Henry expanded his Empire, often at Louis' expense, taking Brittany, and pushing East into Central France and South into Toulouse. Despite numerous Peace Conferences and Treaties, no lasting agreement was reached. By 1172, he controlled England, large parts of Wales, the Eastern half of Ireland and the Western half of France, an area that would later come to be called The Angevin Empire.
Henry and Eleanor had eight children. As they grew up, tensions over the future inheritance of The Empire began to emerge, encouraged by King Louis of France and his son, King Philip II. In 1173, Henry's heir apparent, "Young Henry", rebelled in protest; he was joined by his brothers, Richard and Geoffrey, and by their mother, Eleanor.
France, Scotland, Flanders, and Boulogne, allied themselves with the Rebels. The Great Revolt was only defeated by his vigorous military action and talented local commanders, many of them "new men" appointed for their loyalty and administrative skills. Young Henry and Geoffrey revolted again in 1183, resulting in Young Henry's death.
The Norman invasion of Ireland provided lands for his youngest son, John, but Henry struggled to find ways to satisfy all his sons' desires for land and immediate power. King Philip successfully played on Richard's fears that King Henry would make John king, and a final Rebellion broke out in 1189. Decisively defeated by Philip and Richard, and suffering from a bleedingulcer, King Henry retreated to Chinon, in Anjou, France, where he died.
Henry's Empire quickly collapsed during the Reign of his youngest son King John. Many of the changes Henry introduced during his long Rule, however, had long-term consequences. Henry's legal changes are generally considered to have laid the basis for The English Common Law, while his intervention in Brittany, Wales and Scotland shaped the development of their societies and governmental systems.
Historical interpretations of Henry's Reign have changed considerably over time. In the 18th-Century, scholars argued that Henry was a driving force in the creation of a genuinely English Monarchy and, ultimately, a unified Britain. During the Victorian expansion of The British Empire, historians were keenly interested in the formation of Henry's own Empire, but they also expressed concern over his private life and treatment of Thomas à Becket. Late-20th-Century historians have combined British and French historical accounts of Henry, challenging earlier Anglo-centric interpretations of his Reign.
English: Chinon Castle. France.
One of King Henry II's four centres of power in the 12th-Century.
Français: Vue du château de Chinon de la rive gauche de la Vienne.
On distingue à droite la tour de l'Horloge et à gauche la tour du moulin.
During The Middle Ages, Chinon, France, developed, especially under King Henry II (Henry Plantagenêt, Count of Anjou, and Crowned King of England in 1154). The Castle was rebuilt and extended, becoming his Administrative Centre and a favourite Residence. It was where Court was frequently held during The Angevin Empire.
On Henry's death at the Castle in 1189, Chinon first passed to his eldest surviving son from his marriage with Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard I the Lionheart. On Richard's death in 1199, it then passed to the youngest of Henry's children, John Lackland. King John would lose the Castle in a siege in 1205 to the French King, Philip II Augustus, from which date it was included in the French Royal Estates as The Royal Duchy of Touraine.
During most of the Early-Middle Ages, the Town of Poitiers, France, took advantage of its defensive tactical site and of its location, which was far from the centre of Frankish power. As the Seat for an Évêché (Bishop) since the 4th-Century A.D., the Town was a centre of some importance and the Capital of the Poitou County. At the height of their power, the Counts of Poitiers governed a large domain, including both Aquitaine and Poitou.
The Town was often referred to as "Poictiers", a name commemorated in Warships of The Royal Navy, after The Battle of Poi(c)tiers.
[Editor: Two Ships of The British Royal Navy have been named HMS Poictiers. Poictiers is an alternative spelling for Poitiers, and, in this instance, commemorates the English victory there.
The first HMS Poictiers was a 74-Gun Third-Rate, launched in 1809. She participated in an action where she rescued HMS Frolic by capturing the USS Wasp in 1812. Poictiers was broken up in 1857.
The second HMS Poictiers was a 2,380 ton Battle-Class Destroyer, launched in April 1946, but broken up soon after.]
The first decisive victory of a Christian army over a Muslim power, The Battle of Tours, was fought by Charles Martel's men in the vicinity of Poitiers on 10 October 732 A.D. For many historians, it was one of the World's pivotal moments.
During The Hundred Years' War, The Battle of Poitiers, an English victory, was fought near the Town on 19 September 1356. Later in the War, in 1418, under duress, The Royal Parliament moved from Paris to Poitiers, where it remained in exile until The Plantagenets finally withdrew from the Capital in 1436. During this interval, in 1429 Poitiers was the site of Joan of Arc's formal inquest.
Rouen is a City on The River Seine in the North of France. It is the Capital of the Region of Normandy. Formerly one of the largest and most prosperous Cities of Mediaeval Europe,
Rouen was the Seat of The Exchequer of Normandy during The Middle Ages. It was one of the Capitals of The Anglo-Norman dynasties, which ruled both England and large parts of modern France from the 11th- to the 15th-Centuries.
Normandy was conquered by King Philip II of France in 1204 and remained disputed territory until The Treaty of Paris of 1259, when the English Sovereigns ceded their claim, except for The Channel Islands.
The Title of "Duke of Normandy" was then sporadically conferred in the Kingdom of France as an honorific, but non-feudal, Title, the last one having been Louis XVII of France from 1785 to 1789.
Westminster Abbey, formally titled "The Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster", is a large, mainly Gothic Abbey Church in The City of Westminster, London, just to the West of The Palace of Westminster.
It is one of The United Kingdom's most notable Religious buildings and the Traditional Place of Coronation and Burial Site for English, and later, British, Monarchs. Between 1540 and 1556, the Abbey had the status of a Cathedral. Since 1560, however, the building is no longer an Abbey, nor a Cathedral, having instead the status of a Church of England "Royal Peculiar" — a Church responsible directly to The Sovereign. The building itself is the original Abbey Church.
According to a Tradition first reported by Sulcard in about 1080, a Church was founded at the site (then known as Thorn Ey (Thorn Island)) in the 7th-Century A.D., at the time of Mellitus, a Bishop of London. Construction of the present Church began in 1245, on the orders of King Henry III.
Since 1066, when Harold Godwinson and William the Conqueror were Crowned, the Coronations of English and British Monarchs have been held there. There have been at least sixteen Royal Weddings at the Abbey since 1100. Two were of Reigning Monarchs (Henry I and Richard II), although, before 1919, there had been none for some 500 years.
Thomas Becket, also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London, and, later, Thomas à Becket, 21 December circa 1119 – 29 December 1170, was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is Venerated as a Saint and Martyr by both The Catholic Church and The Anglican Communion.
Upon hearing reports of Becket's actions, Henry is said to have uttered words that were interpreted by his men as wishing Becket killed. The King's exact words are in doubt and several versions have been reported. The most commonly quoted, as handed down by oral Tradition, is: "Who will rid me of this troublesome Priest ?", but, according to historian Simon Schama, this is incorrect; he accepts the account of the contemporary biographer Edward Grim, writing in Latin, who gives us: "What miserable drones and traitors have I nourished and brought up in my household, who let their Lord be treated with such shameful contempt by a low-born Cleric" Many variations have found their way into popular culture.
The Angevin Empire and claims of King Henry II of England (Red, Buff, Orange, Yellow).
Blue is the Royal Domain and Vassal States of The French King.
On 29 December 1170, they arrived at Canterbury. According to accounts left by the Monk, Gervase of Canterbury, and eyewitness Edward Grim, they placed their weapons under a tree outside the Cathedral, and hid their Mail Armour under cloaks, before entering to challenge Becket.
The Knights informed Becket he was to go to Winchester to give an account of his actions, but Becket refused. It was not until Becket refused their demands, to submit to the King's Will, that they retrieved their weapons and rushed back inside for the killing. Becket, meanwhile, proceeded to the Main Hall for Vespers.
A Seal of the Abbot of Arbroath, Scotland, showing the murder of Becket.
Arbroath Abbey was founded eight years after the death of Saint Thomas
and Dedicated to him. It became the wealthiest Abbey in Scotland.
Date: Mediaeval Seal. Photo from the 1850s.
Source: Cosmo Innes and Patrick Chalmers (eds.), Liber S. Thome De Aberbrothoc;
The four Knights, wielding drawn Swords, caught up with him in a spot near a door to the Monastic Cloister. Several contemporary accounts of what happened next exist; of particular note is that of Edward Grim, who was himself wounded in the attack. This is part of the account from Edward Grim:
The wicked Knight leapt suddenly upon him, cutting off the top of the crown which the unction of Sacred Chrism had Dedicated to God. Next, he received a second blow on the head, but still he stood firm and immovable. At the third blow, he fell on his knees and elbows, offering himself a living sacrifice, and saying in a low voice: "For the name of Jesus and the protection of The Church, I am ready to embrace death."
Following Becket's death, the Monks prepared his body for burial. According to some accounts, it was discovered that Becket had worn a hairshirt under his Archbishop's garments — a sign of Penance.
Soon after, The Faithful throughout Europe began Venerating Becket as a Martyr, and on 21 February 1173 — little more than two years after his death — he was Canonised by Pope Alexander III in Saint Peter's Church in Segni, Italy. In 1173, Becket's sister, Mary, was appointed as Abbess of Barking Abbey, as reparation for the murder of her brother. On 12 July 1174, in the midst of the Revolt of 1173–1174, Henry humbled himself with Public Penance at Becket's tomb, as well as at the Church of Saint Dunstan's, Canterbury, which became one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in England.
12th-Century Mediaeval Chant.
Medieval chant from Codex Calixtinus.
Title: "Responsorium in organo: Dum esset Salvator in monte"
Service: Missa Sancti Iacobi
Performers: Ensemble Organum, Director: Marcel Peres
Album: "Compostella - Ad Vesperas Sancti Iacobi : Codex Calixtinus XIIe siècle"
Francis Borgia. Duke of Gandia and Captain-General of Catalonia, was one of the handsomest, richest, and most honoured nobles in Spain, when, in 1539, there was laid upon him the sad duty of escorting the remains of his Sovereign, Queen Isabella, to the Royal Burying-Place at Granada. The coffin had to be opened for him that he might verify the body before it was placed in the tomb, and so foul a sight met his eyes that he vowed never again to serve a Sovereign who could suffer so base a change.
It was some years before he could follow The Call of his Lord; at length, he entered The Society of Jesus, to cut himself off from any chance of dignity or preferment. But his Order chose him to be its Head. The Turks were threatening Christendom, and Pope Saint Pius V sent his nephew to gather Christian Princes into a League for its defence.
The Holy Pope chose Francis to accompany him, and, worn out though he was, the Saint obeyed at once. The fatigues of the embassy exhausted what little life was left. Saint Francis died on his return to Rome, 10 October 1572.
REFLECTION.—Saint Francis Borgia learnt the worthlessness of Earthly greatness at the funeral of Queen Isabella. Do the deaths of friends teach us aught about ourselves ?
The following Text is from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal.
After providing for the settlement of his children, Saint Francis entered The Society of Jesus, where, despising all honours, he made a Vow out of Humility (Collect) to refuse all dignities., But, for obedience sake, he had to accept the Post of General of The Society. He died in 1572.
The Bakerloo Line is named after The Baker Street and Waterloo Railway, which first opened from Baker Street to Kennington Road (now Lambeth North) in 1906.
A writer at The Evening News coined the name "Bakerloo" as an abbreviation for the Railway. The Company quickly accepted it and used it officially from July 1906.
Chancellor of The Exchequer, William Gladstone (Centre Right)
on an inspection tour of the early Underground Railway, May 1862.
In our series of Missals from the Library of The Benedictine Monks of Perpetual Adoration, we have so far looked at magnificent works of art from the 20th-Century (Maria Laach, Regensburg) and from the 18th-Century (The Augustinians).
Today, instead of basking in beauty, we will come face-to-face with the diabolic disorientation of The Church in the Mid- to Late-1960s, when Prayers and practices of half a millennium’s duration, or longer, were being discarded and burned like so much chaff.
Not even The Roman Canon, that ancient pristine shrine of Romanitas, was safe from this barbarian appetite for conquest, this insatiable lust for violating The Sacred under the guise of “Simplification” and “Modernisation.”
More than one million children in Syria have signed a Petition, calling for Peace, as part of a fresh appeal to Political Leaders to end the violence engulfing the Country.
Over 2,000 Schools, from many parts of Syria, are taking part in the initiative, in which youngsters have been drawing pictures and writing messages for the attention of The United Nations in Geneva and The European Union in Brussels.
The Peace for Children Campaign, organised with help from Aid To The Church In Need, involves children of all ages describing in words and pictures the impact of the five-year conflict on them and their loved ones.
Regular Readers will note that Japan and Italy (God, forfend) have dropped out of the regular Reading Statistics.
Poland has re-instated herself in the Top Ten (Thank God), and Canada has overtaken China and is threatening to overtake Ireland !!!
Oh, Ireland. The Rock of The Church !!! What are you doing ???!!!
Prayers still requested for the Faithful Ukraine. Despite the terrors and tribulations that Nation is suffering, the Devotion to The Faith is profound, obvious, and sustaining.
