Today is the Feast of St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr.
“Josaphat, apostle and a martyr of Church unity was baptized John Kuncevyk. When he was 16, in 1595, the Ruthenian Church, to which he belonged, was officially united with Rome. As a young apprentice-merchant with a monastic vocation, he devoted his spare time to learning Church Slavonic, in order to assist more intelligently at the Liturgy and to recite some of the Divine Office each day. As soon as possible he entered the monastery of the Holy Trinity at Vilna. Made Archbishop of Polotsk in 1617, he fought tirelessly to preserve the union with Rome against fierce opposition from many of the people and a schismatic hierarchy. He was beaten to death in a riot incited by his opponents in 1623.” https://tridentine-mass.blogspot.com/
St. Josaphat never ceased in working toward conversion and unity from the schismatic Orthodox. One Shepherd, One Faith. He nearly pulled it off, too.
But instead they murdered him for it, and if you’ve not yet begun preparing for the same, start now. Because if you are a serious Catholic, you have a smartphone, unencrypted emails and texts, you are on social media… then you are already on a list. The mob are licking their collective chops to tear us apart. They cannot wait to transform their unfettered rage into physical violence, whilst the defunded police stand down.
St. Josaphat, pray for us.
COLLECT
O Lord, infuse into your Church the Spirit that filled the blessed martyr bishop Josaphat when he gave his life for his flock. May that Spirit move and strengthen us through the prayers of this saint so that we may fearlessly sacrifice our lives for our brothers.
GOSPEL St. John 10:11-16
At that time, Jesus said to the Pharisees, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. But the hireling and he that is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming and leaveth the sheep and flieth: and the wolf casteth and scattereth the sheep, And the hireling flieth, because he is a hireling: and he hath no care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd: and I know mine, and mine know me. As the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father: and I lay down my life for my sheep. And other sheep I have that are not of this fold: them also I must bring. And they shall hear my voice: And there shall be one fold and one shepherd.”
OFFERTORY St. John 13:13
Greater love than this no one has, that one lay down his life for his friends.
SECRET
O Most Merciful God, bless these gifts of ours, and deepen in us that faith which Your blessed martyr bishop Josaphat upheld even at the cost of his life.
COMMUNION St. John 10:14
I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep and mine know me.
POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may the food of heaven which we have taken fill us with the spiritual strength of Your blessed martyr bishop Josaphat, which made him victorious in defending the Church.
Thanks to one of Ann Barnhardt’s posts I was introduced to Pope Leo XIII’s SAPIENTIAE CHRISTIANAE
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIII ON CHRISTIANS AS CITIZENS wherein he emphatically states that all Christians are born for combat.
So I think our response to those “licking their chops ready to tear us apart” should be “Bring it on.”
Gurkha who repelled Taliban attack gets bravery medal: “”But as soon as I opened fire that was gone – [I thought] ‘Before they kill me I have to kill some.”
Check out the video starting at the 1:00 mark…..” I did not care about my life, I just thought I must kill some of them before they kill me.”
https://youtu.be/a8-LRxSl9aw
“Bring it on” is exactly my response. Tired of waiting, TBH.
I have used Facebook to spread the message of Fatima and propogate the Rosary. If I am arrested and killed for having done that, it will be worth it.
And all these centuries later, even after having his martyred body thrown into the river for several days and then being buried in less than ideal conditions —-St Josaphat’s body is still incorrupt.
Please pray for us all, my blessed Father, dear St. Josaphat.
Yes indeed, he is still incorrupt. It is said that a heavenly light guided the searchers to find him in the river.
A like minded “Bring it on” enthusiast to add to the list…Representative elect Malliotakis of Staten Island. Pray she and her fellow “squad members” stay true to their vow to fight AOC and her “useful idiots.”
As a former Brooklynite I would have proud to have supported Representative Malliotakis.
“Rep.-elect Malliotakis to Newsmax: ‘Ready to Take on ‘Socialist Squad’; Bring It On!’: Rep.-elect Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said she and an informal group of fellow Republican freshmen in the House are ready and eager to take on Rep. Alexandria “AOC”… http://dlvr.it/Rlht2J“
Ann Barnhardt is miserably ignorant and misinformed about Orthodoxy. It’s shocking how she speaks with such certainty about a topic she is so ignorant about.
I think you’re on the wrong blog, sir.