In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You. Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I adore You profoundly, and I offer You the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference’s by which He is offended. And by the infinite merits of his most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners.
Catechism 410-421
410 After his fall, man was not abandoned by God. On the contrary, God calls him and in a mysterious way heralds the coming victory over evil and his restoration from his fall. [304] This passage in Genesis is called the Protoevangelium (“first gospel”): the first announcement of the Messiah and Redeemer, of a battle between the serpent and the Woman, and of the final
victory of a descendant of hers.
411 The Christian tradition sees in this passage an announcement of the “New Adam” who, because he “became obedient unto death, even death on a cross”, makes amends superabundantly for the disobedience, of Adam. [305] Furthermore many Fathers and Doctors of the Church have seen the woman announced in the “Proto-evangelium” as Mary, the mother of Christ, the “new Eve”. Mary benefited first of all and uniquely from Christ’s victory over sin: she was preserved from all stain of original sin and by a special grace of God committed no sin of any kind during her whole earthly life. [306]
412 But why did God not prevent the first man from sinning? St. Leo the Great responds, “Christ’s inexpressible grace gave us blessings better than those the demon’s envy had taken away.” [307] and St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “There is nothing to prevent human nature’s being raised up to something greater, even after sin; God permits evil in order to draw forth some greater good. Thus St. Paul says, ‘Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more’; and the Exsultet sings, ‘O happy fault,. . . which gained for us so great a Redeemer!’“ [308]
IN BRIEF
413 “God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living. . . It was through the devil’s envy that death entered the world” ( Wis 1:13; 2:24).
414 Satan or the devil and the other demons are fallen angels who have freely refused to serve God and his plan. Their choice against God is definitive. They try to associate man in their revolt against God.
415 “Although set by God in a state of rectitude man, enticed by the evil one, abused his freedom at the very start of history. He lifted himself up against God, and sought to attain his goal apart from him” (GS 13 # 1).
416 By his sin Adam, as the first man, lost the original holiness and justice he had received from God, not only for himself but for all human beings.
417 Adam and Eve transmitted to their descendants human nature wounded by their own first sin and hence deprived of original holiness and justice; this deprivation is called “original sin”.
418 As a result of original sin, human nature is weakened in its powers, subject to ignorance, suffering and the domination of death, and inclined to sin (this inclination is called “concupiscence”).
419 “We therefore hold, with the Council of Trent, that original sin is transmitted with human nature, “by propagation, not by imitation” and that it is. . . ‘proper to each’“ (Paul VI, CPG # 16).
420 The victory that Christ won over sin has given us greater blessings than those which sin had taken from us: “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” ( Rom 5:20).
421 Christians believe that “the world has been established and kept in being by the Creator’s love; has fallen into slavery to sin but has been set free by Christ, crucified and risen to break the power of the evil one. . .” (GS 2 # 2).
Today on the liturgical calendar:
Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi
Blessed Iwene Tansi is the first Nigerian priest to be beatified by the Roman Catholic Church. Iwene Tansi was a man of joy, deep prayer and penance and had an extraordinary devotion to fulfilling the will of God. The then Holy Father (Pope John Paul II), while celebrating the beatification Mass of Iwene Tansi at Oba on the 22nd day of March 1998; described Tansi as “a man of God and a man of the people, a message of reconciliation and life to all Nigerians he loved so much”. Blessed Iwene Tansi’s life and virtues have been approved by the Church as heroic and he has been declared: BLESSED; on the 22nd day of March 1998. This is final step before sainthood. Let us join to pray for his canonization.
Son of Tabansi of Igboezunu-Aguleri and Ejikwevi of Nteje; one of five children. Though his parents were non-Christian, they sent the boy to live with and be educated by a Christian uncle. He was baptised on 7 January 1912, and given the name Michael. Studied at Onitsha and Aguleri. Accidentally blinded in his left eye while playing with schoolmates. Taught at Holy Trinity School, Onitsha in 1920. Headmaster of Saint Joseph’s School, Aguleri in 1924. Entered Saint Paul’s Seminary at Igbarium in 1925. Ordained on 19 December 1937 in the archdiocese of Onitsha, Nigeria. From 1937 to 1950 he served as parish priest in Nnewi, then Dunukofia, Akpu/Ajilla, and finally Aguleri, travelling on foot for hours on end to minister to his widely-scattered parishioners. One of his notable ministries was his work with women planning to marry. Pilgrim to Rome in 1950. Travelling to England, he beame an oblate at the monastery of Mount Saint Bernard. He took the name Brother Cyprian, and lived the rest of his life as a Trappist monk at the monastery.
Born September 1903 in Igboezum, Aguleri, Nigeria as Iwemmaduegbunam
Died 20 January 1964 at the Royal Infirmary, Leicester, England; buried in the cemetery of Saint Bernard’s monastery; re-interred in the priest’s cemetery, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Onitsha, Nigeria on 17 October 1986
Name Meaning let human malice not kill me (Iwemmaduegbunam)
Venerated 11 July 1995 by Pope John Paul II
Beatified 22 March 1998 by Pope John Paul II at Oba, Nigeria
Canonized
pending; if you have information relevant to the canonization of Blessed Cyprian, contact:
Mount Saint Bernard Abbey
Coalville, Leicester LE67 5UL, England
Click on the Saint of the Day image in the shownotes to hear more.
Also visit saints.sqpn.com to view other Saints/beati celebrated today.
Mother of Perpetual Help, we call upon your most powerful name. Your very name inspires confidence and hope. May it always be on our lips, especially in time of temptation and at the hour of our death. Blessed Lady, help us whenever we call on you. Let us not be content with merely pronouncing your name. May our daily lives proclaim that you are our Mother and our Perpetual Help.
Numbers 6:24-26
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee; 25 The LORD make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
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