Read: Mark 1:7-11

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Today’s Bible Reading  

 

Adrian, or perhaps more properly, Hadrian, was born in the Greek speaking regions of North Africa (probably Libya Cyrenaica) in the mid AD 630s. At about the age of ten, his family fled the Arab invasions of their homeland and settled in Naples, then an dual Greek & Latin speaking outpost of the Byzantine Empire. The area boasted many distinguished monastery and, as a youth, Adrian, not surprisingly, decided to become a monk.

 

He eventually rose to become the Abbot of Hiridanum (the Isle of Nisida), in the Bay of Naples and, it was while holding this post, that he is thought to have become acquainted with the Emperor Constans II. In AD 663, the Emperor spent the best part of a year in Naples while his troops tried to recover the Imperial lands of Southern Italy taken by the Lombards. Surely he would have become friends with many of the leading churchmen in the city? Adrian certainly served his Imperial Majesty twice in an ambassadorial role during subsequent years. It also seems highly probable that it was Constans who introduced Adrian to Pope Vitalian whilst visiting to Rome from his temporary Neapolitan abode.

 

Adrian quickly became an esteemed advisor to the Pontiff and, three years later, he was offered the Archbishopric of Canterbury. He politely declined the Papal invitation in favour of Theodore of Tarsus, but was persuaded to accompany the latter to England as a trusted counsellor.

 

The two travelled separately. During Adrian’s journey across Europe,he was detained for some time by Ebroin, the Mayor of the Palace of Neaustria (in modern France). King Theodoric III of the Franks suspected that he might again be acting as an Imperial ambassador and thus forced him to spent the winter of AD 668 in Meaux; after which, his departure was finally agreed.

 

Upon his arrival in Britain, Adrian immediately succeeded Benedict Biscop in his temporary appointment as Abbot of St. Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury. The former soon established a flourishing monastic school there, where many future bishops and abbots were educated in Latin, Greek, scripture, theology, Roman law and arithmetic. It was said to have outshone the best educational facilities of Western Europe. He died in Canterbury on 9th January AD 710.

 

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Prayer Before Mass

 

Prayer After Mass

Prayer of St. Gertrude the great dictated by Our Lady to release 1,000 Souls from Purgatory each time it is said. The prayer was extend to include living sinners which would alleviate the indebtedness accrued to them during their lives.

“Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.”

St. Gertrude the Great was born in Germany in 1263. She was a Benedictine Nun, and meditated on the Passion of Christ, which many times brought floods of tears to her eyes. She did many penances, and Our Lady appeared to her many times. Her holy Soul passed away in 1334. November 16 is her Feast Day.

Prayer  for All Souls

 

 

Weekly Guide for Daily prayer

 

 

First Week of Ordinary Time

 

Daily Prayer This Week

 

 

 

 

Meditation: Why did Jesus, the Sinless One, submit himself to John’s baptism? John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:3). In this humble submission we see a foreshadowing of the “baptism” of his bloody death upon the cross. Jesus’ baptism is the acceptance and the beginning of his mission as God’s suffering Servant.  He allowed himself to be numbered among sinners. Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father’s will. Out of love he consented to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins. Do you know the joy of trust and submission to God?

The Father proclaimed his entire delight in his Son and spoke audibly for all to hear. The Holy Spirit, too, was present as he anointed Jesus for his ministry which began that day as he rose from the waters of the Jordan river. Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for all who come to believe in him. At his baptism the heavens were opened and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, signifying the beginning of a new creation.

How can we enter into the mystery of Jesus’ humble self-abasement and baptism? Gregory of Nazianzus, a seventh century Church father tells us: “Let us be buried with Christ by Baptism to rise with him; let us go down with him to be raised with him; and let us rise with him to be glorified with him." Do you want to see changes in your life? And do you want to become a more effective instrument of the gospel?  Examine Jesus’ humility and ask the Holy Spirit to forge this same attitude in your heart. As you do, heaven will open for you as well. The Lord is ever ready to renew us in his Spirit and to anoint us for mission. We are called to be “light” and “salt” to those around us. The Lord wants his love and truth to shine through us that others may see the goodness and truth of God’s message of salvation.  Ask the Lord to fill you with his Holy Spirit that you may radiate the joy of the gospel to those around you.

“Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and inflame my heart with the joy of the gospel. May I find joy in seeking to please you just as you found joy in seeking to please your Father”.