Happy Feast Day!

Wishing all the members of the Fraternity and our friends every blessing on this feast of St Genesius. May he intercede for all your needs.

Novena to St Genesius Day 9

Called to be Prophets

As St Genesius stood on stage in the moments after his conversion he testified before the Roman Emperor that Jesus Christ was God. This would lead to his martyrdom. At the heart of our Christian life is our love of Jesus, a love that comes from faith and leads to a deeper faith, which leads to a greater love. Like Genesius, as servants and prophets of the Lord, we are to stand before the world and declare that God exists; that Jesus Christ is God, and if we embrace him, we shall have life in his name. In an age when men and women wish to see the world revolve around them, best seen in the rising cult of celebrity, we testify to the fact that it does not: the world was made for us, yes, but everything revolves around God, and it is only when we acknowledge that and turn to praise him and abandon ourselves to him will we be glorified. The irony of the age, as taught by Jesus, is that those who seek to be first will be the last, but it is the humble, the poor in spirit, who will be first, the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Our true flourishing is in Christ. Genesius understood this, that was why he could abandon his ambition to be rich and famous. 

NOVENA PRAYERS

Prayer to St Genesius

Holy St Genesius,

martyr for Christ,

by the grace of the Holy Spirit

through your acting 

you came to discover

the truth of the Christian faith.

In your first profession of that faith

you were baptized through the shedding 

of your blood,

offering your life for the praise and glory

of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Pray for those who dedicate their lives

to the theatrical and cinematic arts.

Like you may they find the presence

of the Lord in their work 

and generously open their hearts

to his teaching,

living it in the midst of the challenges 

and demands of their calling.

In this novena, I remember most especially…., commending him/her to your care.

Let us pray: 

Eternal Father, in your love you call all men and women to come to know you and to share in your divine life. Through the intercession of your martyr, Genesius, who responded so generously to the grace of conversion, grant that the same grace may be given to those who as yet do not know you, and may be renewed in those who do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for healing through the intercession of St Genesius

Lord Jesus,

you took pity on the blind Bartimaeus

and healed him;

you raised Lazarus from the dead

and freed Mary Magdalen from seven

devils to count her among your disciples.

You made the blind see, the deaf hear,

the dumb speak, the lame walk,

you cleansed lepers and cast out demons.

You preached the Good News to the poor 

and bless those who are faithful to you.

Through the intercession of your 

faithful martyr, Genesius, 

grant your healing and consolation to the sick. 

Give them the strength to carry their Cross 

in union with you.

(We remember in particular _________.)

Help us to remain faithful to you in health 

and in suffering, conformed to your Cross; 

open our hearts to your will 

so your grace may transform our lives. 

Novena to St Genesius Day 8

Called to be Prophets

One of the dark aspects of human existence has been the way vulnerable life has been treated. Too often in history the weak and powerless have been mistreated, oppressed and killed because those who were stronger sought to take advantage of that weakness. Our age is no different despite our belief that we are better and more enlightened than past ages. We may may technologically more advanced, but in many areas we are less enlightened than our ancestors: chronology is no guarantee of authentic progress. The very existence and defence of abortion, euthanasia and various technologies that manipulate and destroy human life, be it embryonic or post-natal is a sure sign that we are as brutal, if not more so, than the tyrants of the past. Being a Christian today, responding to our call to be prophets, means that we must testify to the sacredness of human life particularly when it is at its weakest and most vulnerable, The Servant of God, Cardinal Terence Cooke, a man who suffered from cancer for many years, teaches us that human dignity increases when it s vulnerable and burdened - he learned this lesson from Christ himself who revealed his divine strength on the cross. As Pope St John Paul II teaches us human beings are not objects, we are not to be used for the benefit of another person. As disciples of Christ, his prophets in the world, we are to testify to the unique value of every human life, to the Gospel of Life.

NOVENA PRAYERS

Prayer to St Genesius

Holy St Genesius,

martyr for Christ,

by the grace of the Holy Spirit

through your acting 

you came to discover

the truth of the Christian faith.

In your first profession of that faith

you were baptized through the shedding 

of your blood,

offering your life for the praise and glory

of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Pray for those who dedicate their lives

to the theatrical and cinematic arts.

Like you may they find the presence

of the Lord in their work 

and generously open their hearts

to his teaching,

living it in the midst of the challenges 

and demands of their calling.

In this novena, I remember most especially…., commending him/her to your care.

Let us pray: 

Eternal Father, in your love you call all men and women to come to know you and to share in your divine life. Through the intercession of your martyr, Genesius, who responded so generously to the grace of conversion, grant that the same grace may be given to those who as yet do not know you, and may be renewed in those who do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for healing through the intercession of St Genesius

Lord Jesus,

you took pity on the blind Bartimaeus

and healed him;

you raised Lazarus from the dead

and freed Mary Magdalen from seven

devils to count her among your disciples.

You made the blind see, the deaf hear,

the dumb speak, the lame walk,

you cleansed lepers and cast out demons.

You preached the Good News to the poor 

and bless those who are faithful to you.

Through the intercession of your 

faithful martyr, Genesius, 

grant your healing and consolation to the sick. 

Give them the strength to carry their Cross 

in union with you.

(We remember in particular _________.)

Help us to remain faithful to you in health 

and in suffering, conformed to your Cross; 

open our hearts to your will 

so your grace may transform our lives. 

Novena to St Genesius Day 7

Called to be Prophets

"A man can have no greater love that to lay down his life for his friends", so Jesus tells us. True love, by its very nature, is sacrificial, it is prepared to offer all for the one loved. We see in Jesus the ultimate example of this as he went to the cross for all of us. In this sacrificial offering we see the prophetic nature of love, it is the most eloquent testimony of all, nothing can overcome it, not even death, as we see in the Resurrection of the Lord. As disciples of Christ we are to try and live lives immersed in Christian love, a love which will make demands of us, but in doing so will transform us and conform us more and more to Christ, making us eligible to share in his victory and his glory. We live in an age when love is all the rage, it is invoked on every platform, by every cause. However, much of what passes for love today may not be love at all, and so we find ourselves in situations where love is invoked to defy truth, reality, even God himself. For this reason we must immerse ourselves even more in the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ so to be transformed into authentic witnesses of true love. That will require great endurance, suffering and loss, but our testimony will prove prophetic and even intercessory if we offer it for those who persecute us. 

NOVENA PRAYERS

Prayer to St Genesius

Holy St Genesius,

martyr for Christ,

by the grace of the Holy Spirit

through your acting 

you came to discover

the truth of the Christian faith.

In your first profession of that faith

you were baptized through the shedding 

of your blood,

offering your life for the praise and glory

of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Pray for those who dedicate their lives

to the theatrical and cinematic arts.

Like you may they find the presence

of the Lord in their work 

and generously open their hearts

to his teaching,

living it in the midst of the challenges 

and demands of their calling.

In this novena, I remember most especially…., commending him/her to your care.

Let us pray: 

Eternal Father, in your love you call all men and women to come to know you and to share in your divine life. Through the intercession of your martyr, Genesius, who responded so generously to the grace of conversion, grant that the same grace may be given to those who as yet do not know you, and may be renewed in those who do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for healing through the intercession of St Genesius

Lord Jesus,

you took pity on the blind Bartimaeus

and healed him;

you raised Lazarus from the dead

and freed Mary Magdalen from seven

devils to count her among your disciples.

You made the blind see, the deaf hear,

the dumb speak, the lame walk,

you cleansed lepers and cast out demons.

You preached the Good News to the poor 

and bless those who are faithful to you.

Through the intercession of your 

faithful martyr, Genesius, 

grant your healing and consolation to the sick. 

Give them the strength to carry their Cross 

in union with you.

(We remember in particular _________.)

Help us to remain faithful to you in health 

and in suffering, conformed to your Cross; 

open our hearts to your will 

so your grace may transform our lives. 

Novena to St Genesius Day 6

Called to be Prophets

One of the titles given to Pope St John Paul II is that of "Witness of Hope". His biographer George Weigel, had asked the Pontiff what he would like to remembered as, and St John Paul replied "As a witness to hope". Hope is considered by some to be the forgotten virtue, and yet it is one we need most today. When the darkness surrounds you, and the light cannot be seen, it is hope that keeps the soul fresh and at peace, reminding it that the dawn is never far off. Though we hear so much of progress, as our society is redesigned and human nature redefined and reshaped, in reality there are many crumbling beneath the burden of despair. Our brave new world is not a better world, it is more brutal and despite the enthusiasm and optimism, there is a shadow moving over the hearts and souls of our people. Though despised and persecuted, dismissed or mocked, Christianity is the only thing that can offer hope and light because it offers Christ. His disciples are prophets of hope, who go out into the midst of the world to share that hope which sustains them. 

NOVENA PRAYERS

Prayer to St Genesius

Holy St Genesius,

martyr for Christ,

by the grace of the Holy Spirit

through your acting 

you came to discover

the truth of the Christian faith.

In your first profession of that faith

you were baptized through the shedding 

of your blood,

offering your life for the praise and glory

of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Pray for those who dedicate their lives

to the theatrical and cinematic arts.

Like you may they find the presence

of the Lord in their work 

and generously open their hearts

to his teaching,

living it in the midst of the challenges 

and demands of their calling.

In this novena, I remember most especially…., commending him/her to your care.

Let us pray: 

Eternal Father, in your love you call all men and women to come to know you and to share in your divine life. Through the intercession of your martyr, Genesius, who responded so generously to the grace of conversion, grant that the same grace may be given to those who as yet do not know you, and may be renewed in those who do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for healing through the intercession of St Genesius

Lord Jesus,

you took pity on the blind Bartimaeus

and healed him;

you raised Lazarus from the dead

and freed Mary Magdalen from seven

devils to count her among your disciples.

You made the blind see, the deaf hear,

the dumb speak, the lame walk,

you cleansed lepers and cast out demons.

You preached the Good News to the poor 

and bless those who are faithful to you.

Through the intercession of your 

faithful martyr, Genesius, 

grant your healing and consolation to the sick. 

Give them the strength to carry their Cross 

in union with you.

(We remember in particular _________.)

Help us to remain faithful to you in health 

and in suffering, conformed to your Cross; 

open our hearts to your will 

so your grace may transform our lives. 

Novena to St Genesius Day 5

Called to be Prophets

Too often faith is associated with misery, Christians can be portrayed as staid, gloomy people, old fashioned, out of touch. The reality is very different of course, but there are followers of Christ who do not embrace fully his prophetic call to joy. As a people redeemed we are meant to be joyful, one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is joy, and those immersed in the presence of the Spirit in this life are to manifest that reality by a joy that exists not only in happy moments, but even in difficulties and trials. This joy emerges from trust: we do not fear, we are not anxious because we have put our trust in Christ, in his saving work and his promises. One of the great Christians of the last century was G. K. Chesterton and he revealed the nature of this joy in his witness and his writing. Indeed many of his fans call him the "Apostle of Joy", and how fitting that title is. Let us pray that his cause will be opened and he will be beatified because we need joyful examples of Christian living to inspire us to be prophets of joy ourselves.

NOVENA PRAYERS

Prayer to St Genesius

Holy St Genesius,

martyr for Christ,

by the grace of the Holy Spirit

through your acting 

you came to discover

the truth of the Christian faith.

In your first profession of that faith

you were baptized through the shedding 

of your blood,

offering your life for the praise and glory

of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Pray for those who dedicate their lives

to the theatrical and cinematic arts.

Like you may they find the presence

of the Lord in their work 

and generously open their hearts

to his teaching,

living it in the midst of the challenges 

and demands of their calling.

In this novena, I remember most especially…., commending him/her to your care.

Let us pray: 

Eternal Father, in your love you call all men and women to come to know you and to share in your divine life. Through the intercession of your martyr, Genesius, who responded so generously to the grace of conversion, grant that the same grace may be given to those who as yet do not know you, and may be renewed in those who do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for healing through the intercession of St Genesius

Lord Jesus,

you took pity on the blind Bartimaeus

and healed him;

you raised Lazarus from the dead

and freed Mary Magdalen from seven

devils to count her among your disciples.

You made the blind see, the deaf hear,

the dumb speak, the lame walk,

you cleansed lepers and cast out demons.

You preached the Good News to the poor 

and bless those who are faithful to you.

Through the intercession of your 

faithful martyr, Genesius, 

grant your healing and consolation to the sick. 

Give them the strength to carry their Cross 

in union with you.

(We remember in particular _________.)

Help us to remain faithful to you in health 

and in suffering, conformed to your Cross; 

open our hearts to your will 

so your grace may transform our lives. 

Novena to St Genesius Day 4

Called to be Prophets

In an age of mediocrity the most prophetic are those who strive for excellence. We live in a time when excellence is promoted in so many areas of life, but yet when it comes to faith, to the Christian life, there isn't the same drive to achieve excellence, or more correctly, holiness. Many drift along, usually with the assistance of an unhealthy dose of presumption, thinking that we are okay just as we are because God loves us. However, the love of God, which we should never take for granted, ought to urge us to a greater commitment to the Christian way: as St Paul reminds us the love of God compels us, urges us out to live lives of virtue, heroic virtue. Christian prophets today are those who attest to this call to heroism. Discipleship is about imitating the Master and the Master tells to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect.

NOVENA PRAYERS

Prayer to St Genesius

Holy St Genesius,

martyr for Christ,

by the grace of the Holy Spirit

through your acting 

you came to discover

the truth of the Christian faith.

In your first profession of that faith

you were baptized through the shedding 

of your blood,

offering your life for the praise and glory

of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Pray for those who dedicate their lives

to the theatrical and cinematic arts.

Like you may they find the presence

of the Lord in their work 

and generously open their hearts

to his teaching,

living it in the midst of the challenges 

and demands of their calling.

In this novena, I remember most especially…., commending him/her to your care.

Let us pray: 

Eternal Father, in your love you call all men and women to come to know you and to share in your divine life. Through the intercession of your martyr, Genesius, who responded so generously to the grace of conversion, grant that the same grace may be given to those who as yet do not know you, and may be renewed in those who do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for healing through the intercession of St Genesius

Lord Jesus,

you took pity on the blind Bartimaeus

and healed him;

you raised Lazarus from the dead

and freed Mary Magdalen from seven

devils to count her among your disciples.

You made the blind see, the deaf hear,

the dumb speak, the lame walk,

you cleansed lepers and cast out demons.

You preached the Good News to the poor 

and bless those who are faithful to you.

Through the intercession of your 

faithful martyr, Genesius, 

grant your healing and consolation to the sick. 

Give them the strength to carry their Cross 

in union with you.

(We remember in particular _________.)

Help us to remain faithful to you in health 

and in suffering, conformed to your Cross; 

open our hearts to your will 

so your grace may transform our lives. 

Novena to St Genesius Day 3

Called to be Prophets

One of the greatest prophetic acts in the world today is to resist the redefinition of human sexuality and participating in the permissiveness of the age. Today the servants of Christ find themselves in the midst of a war, on a battlefield where they seem to be surrounded and fear they must be ready to surrender. Even within the Church there are factions which promote a disintegration of Christ's moral teachings so as to be more pastoral and understanding, to reach out in compassion to those who find the way of chastity too much to live. Genesius before his conversion may well have been such a man. The moral life of theatre folk in ancient Rome was not very edifying, and even the morally compromised Romans kept their distance from actors lest they be tainted with what they saw as a disreputable stain.  Genesius conversion was to change every aspect of his life, and though he did not live long enough to struggle with the moral implications of his new found faith, the fact that he was prepared to lay down his life for Christ reveals his total commitment to the Lord's teaching. Being a Christian means being a prophet when it comes to chastity and moral living. Among these modern prophets is Blessed Paul VI who saw where the sexual revolution of the 1960s would lead us. Ironically as we now face the numerous problems that revolution has spawned, many are in denial, refusing to admit that the very forces that are disintegrating western society are the very ones unleashed by that revolution. May St Genesius, and Blessed Paul VI help us to proclaim the dignity of man and woman, a dignity that can only be preserved, integrated, cherished and promoted through moral and chaste lives.

NOVENA PRAYERS

Prayer to St Genesius

Holy St Genesius,

martyr for Christ,

by the grace of the Holy Spirit

through your acting 

you came to discover

the truth of the Christian faith.

In your first profession of that faith

you were baptized through the shedding 

of your blood,

offering your life for the praise and glory

of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Pray for those who dedicate their lives

to the theatrical and cinematic arts.

Like you may they find the presence

of the Lord in their work 

and generously open their hearts

to his teaching,

living it in the midst of the challenges 

and demands of their calling.

In this novena, I remember most especially…., commending him/her to your care.

Let us pray: 

Eternal Father, in your love you call all men and women to come to know you and to share in your divine life. Through the intercession of your martyr, Genesius, who responded so generously to the grace of conversion, grant that the same grace may be given to those who as yet do not know you, and may be renewed in those who do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for healing through the intercession of St Genesius

Lord Jesus,

you took pity on the blind Bartimaeus

and healed him;

you raised Lazarus from the dead

and freed Mary Magdalen from seven

devils to count her among your disciples.

You made the blind see, the deaf hear,

the dumb speak, the lame walk,

you cleansed lepers and cast out demons.

You preached the Good News to the poor 

and bless those who are faithful to you.

Through the intercession of your 

faithful martyr, Genesius, 

grant your healing and consolation to the sick. 

Give them the strength to carry their Cross 

in union with you.

(We remember in particular _________.)

Help us to remain faithful to you in health 

and in suffering, conformed to your Cross; 

open our hearts to your will 

so your grace may transform our lives. 

Novena to St Genesius Day 2

Called to be Prophets

Life is indeed a great drama, a comedy perhaps. In terms of our faith, one of the great dramas in the Church, if not the greatest, is the Sacred Liturgy, where the Church worships God, not in her own terms, but through Christ her Saviour. In the teaching of the Church, in the Liturgy the Church enters into the prayer of Jesus Christ, the God-Man, to his Eternal Father, and in doing so, she is led into the heart of the Holy Trinity and into the Divine Conversation.  The Liturgy can then be seen as a prophetic action, since it is otherworldly, transcendent. As a great drama, the Liturgy teaches in a prophetic way, drawing our attention away from ourselves to God, teaching us to make his concerns our own and preparing us for the heavenly Liturgy which is already present on earth in the Church's worship. In participating in this sacred action we are transformed, nourished and prepared to be sent out as apostles and evangelists. However, if the prophetic dimension of the Liturgy is to be respected, acknowledged and experienced, fidelity to the Church's liturgical life and traditions are paramount. The Liturgy is not what we make it, if it is then it comes the handicraft of human beings and loses its divine dimensions and so ceases to be the Liturgy. The truly prophetic disciple is the one who embrace the liturgy as it is and seeks to embrace the mystery. The Liturgy is Christ's action and work, we enter into it when we enter into him and abandon ourselves to him. As men and women called to be prophets in the modern world, we make the Sacred Liturgy the centre of our lives and live it with fidelity. 

NOVENA PRAYERS

Prayer to St Genesius

Holy St Genesius,

martyr for Christ,

by the grace of the Holy Spirit

through your acting 

you came to discover

the truth of the Christian faith.

In your first profession of that faith

you were baptized through the shedding 

of your blood,

offering your life for the praise and glory

of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Pray for those who dedicate their lives

to the theatrical and cinematic arts.

Like you may they find the presence

of the Lord in their work 

and generously open their hearts

to his teaching,

living it in the midst of the challenges 

and demands of their calling.

In this novena, I remember most especially…., commending him/her to your care.

Let us pray: 

Eternal Father, in your love you call all men and women to come to know you and to share in your divine life. Through the intercession of your martyr, Genesius, who responded so generously to the grace of conversion, grant that the same grace may be given to those who as yet do not know you, and may be renewed in those who do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for healing through the intercession of St Genesius

Lord Jesus,

you took pity on the blind Bartimaeus

and healed him;

you raised Lazarus from the dead

and freed Mary Magdalen from seven

devils to count her among your disciples.

You made the blind see, the deaf hear,

the dumb speak, the lame walk,

you cleansed lepers and cast out demons.

You preached the Good News to the poor 

and bless those who are faithful to you.

Through the intercession of your 

faithful martyr, Genesius, 

grant your healing and consolation to the sick. 

Give them the strength to carry their Cross 

in union with you.

(We remember in particular _________.)

Help us to remain faithful to you in health 

and in suffering, conformed to your Cross; 

open our hearts to your will 

so your grace may transform our lives. 

Novena to St Genesius Day 1

Called to be Prophets

The theme of this year's novena is "Called to be Prophets", leading us to reflect on the role of the Christian, the artist and the Christian artist as prophets in the modern world. Art prides itself on its call to stand apart from the world, from authority, from mores and norms, to explore and critique the world and society. In this standing apart it forms a fraternal connection with Christianity, though it is doubtful that many in the arts would see or accept this connection. The Christian is one who is not to accept the world as it is, he or she, as a disciple of Christ, offers something new, something different, the very Word of God, his redeeming work, through their daily lives. The faithful, believing Christian, the "intentional disciple" is a true artist, truly creative, truly human, in that they become a new and vital personality in the midst of the world, and this is a prophetic action. Genesius, standing on stage, converted, offering to the Emperor Diocletian the chance to embrace Christ, represents this prophetic call. May we see in him an inspiration, an example and an intercessor to help us respond to this call, one offered to us on the day of our baptism.

NOVENA PRAYERS

Prayer to St Genesius

Holy St Genesius,

martyr for Christ,

by the grace of the Holy Spirit

through your acting 

you came to discover

the truth of the Christian faith.

In your first profession of that faith

you were baptized through the shedding 

of your blood,

offering your life for the praise and glory

of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Pray for those who dedicate their lives

to the theatrical and cinematic arts.

Like you may they find the presence

of the Lord in their work 

and generously open their hearts

to his teaching,

living it in the midst of the challenges 

and demands of their calling.

In this novena, I remember most especially…., commending him/her to your care.

Let us pray: 

Eternal Father, in your love you call all men and women to come to know you and to share in your divine life. Through the intercession of your martyr, Genesius, who responded so generously to the grace of conversion, grant that the same grace may be given to those who as yet do not know you, and may be renewed in those who do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for healing through the intercession of St Genesius

Lord Jesus,

you took pity on the blind Bartimaeus

and healed him;

you raised Lazarus from the dead

and freed Mary Magdalen from seven

devils to count her among your disciples.

You made the blind see, the deaf hear,

the dumb speak, the lame walk,

you cleansed lepers and cast out demons.

You preached the Good News to the poor 

and bless those who are faithful to you.

Through the intercession of your 

faithful martyr, Genesius, 

grant your healing and consolation to the sick. 

Give them the strength to carry their Cross 

in union with you.

(We remember in particular _________.)

Help us to remain faithful to you in health 

and in suffering, conformed to your Cross; 

open our hearts to your will 

so your grace may transform our lives. 

Happy Feast Day

On this feast of St Genesius, on behalf of the Council of the Fraternity, I wish you all a very happy feast day. May our Holy Patron watch over you, intercede for your needs and assist you on the path of holiness.

The annual Feast Day Mass will be held tonight in St Mary's Church, James Street, Drogheda, at 7.30pm. All are welcome.

Happy Feast Day

 

Today in the Fraternity we celebrate the feast of St Genesius, transferred from yesterday, the actual day, because it was a Sunday.  Interestingly according to some martyrologies, today, the 26th is designated the feast day, so we're covered!

 

The feast day Mass will be celebrated in St Mary's Church, James Street, Drogheda, at 7.30pm, and all are welcome to attend.  The Mass will be offered for all our members, their intentions, the intentions of those who made the novena, and of course for our Fraternity's mission.

 

For your meditation today, the prayer of St Genesius from the Acts:

 

There is no king other than He whom I saw;
I adore and worship Him;
and even if I am slain a thousand times for worshiping Him,
I will belong to Him, as I have now begun to be.
he torments will not be able to take Christ from my mouth,
nor to take Him from my heart.
For I greatly repent of having sinned,
since formerly I shuddered at the holy name in use among holy men,
and, proud soldier that I was,
I have come rather late to adore the true King.’

Happy feast day to you all!

Day 9: Using The Present Moment

 

One of the Cure of Ars' most ardent desires was to enter a monastery.  A few times during his years as parish priest, St John Vianney expressed the desire to go and live a life of prayer in solitude and weep for his sins.  This holy man was all too aware of his sins and as he reflected on them there was always a tone of regret in his musings.

 

We find this regret also in Genesius.  As he is tortured, knowing he is to die he says: "I have come rather late to adore the true King".  We all know that regret - why did I leave it so late?  why did I do that?  People who mature in faith in the later years of their lives lament the wasted years when they could have done so much.  A priest I know regrets the Holy Hours he never made in the early years of his priesthood, but with confidence he says: "But now, some days I do two to make up for the ones I missed".

 

It is good to express such regret - it is part of conversion and repentance.  However, that regret must be balanced by faith and hope, knowing that the merciful God forgives and can still accomplish his work in us.  Like the workmen hired at the eleventh hour, the Lord will find work for the latecomers and they too can make a difference.  While we must not leave off conversion until we are older - we must follow now, those who come late must never despair, but rather make good use of the time they have.

 

And this is what Genesius did.  After his conversion, his task was to witness, to endure and to offer his life for Christ, and he did so wholeheartedly.  We may not be asked to do this, but what we have to do for Christ, let us do with the love, generosity and joy of a martyr.

 

Novena prayers to be found here

Day 8: Seeing Christ

 

One of the arguments Christian apologists use to defend the existence of Christ and the reality of the  resurrection is the martyrdom of the Apostles and other witnesses to the Lord's rising.  Surely, we are told, these people would not have died for a lie: they gave their lives in testimony to the fact that they saw the Risen Lord with their own eyes.

 

There is a similar claim made by St Genesius in his trial.  He says: "There is no other King other than he whom I saw; I adore and worship him".  This seems almost a Pauline moment - like St Paul, Genesius has seen the Lord and that has led him to believe and now he will die for that Lord. 

 

Central to our Christian faith is the person of Jesus Christ and to be a Christian is to be in a relationship with Christ, to be his disciples.  He is our King and our Lord to whom we owe ultimate allegiance in love.  Pope Benedict XVI once said that each successive generation must discover Christ for themselves and encounter him in a personal way: "see him", as St Genesius suggests.  In that "vision" we will come to know him, love him and be prepared to offer even our very lives for him.

 

Of course most of us will never have an actual vision of the Lord, but it is in a life of prayer, nourished by the Gospels and the Sacraments that we will come to "see" Christ, encounter him, and sense his presence.  This is why it is important for those who call themselves Christian to actually live the Gospel and foster an authentic spiritual life, one grounded in Christ and the Church.

 

Novena prayers to be found here.

Day 7: The Father's Merciful Hand

 

In an event which was mysterious, there is one in the conversion of St Genesius which stands out.  He describes it here himself:

But when the water touched my naked body, and when I replied to the question that I believed, I saw a hand coming over me from heaven, and radiant angels standing above me who read from a book all the sins which I had committed from my infancy; but then they washed them in the very water in which I was bathed in your sight, and afterwards showed it to me whiter than snow.

 

Is he describing a vision?  There is an element of the Book of Revelation here particularly in his describing what seems to be the book of his own life.  In this vision he sees the effects of Baptism - our sins washed away in the waters of life and the soul made pure.  But it is the hand coming from heaven which is most intriguing and constitutes our meditation for this "moment".

 

Here I believe is the merciful hand of God the Father, the "Father of mercies", who in his love reaches out to his children to impart forgiveness and grace, and to hold our hands and lead us into his kingdom.  All of us live under the merciful hand of God.  Some may fear it, but in reality we must rejoice in it for it is the tender hand of a loving Father who wishes to caress and heal.  St Therese of the Child Jesus explores this vision of the Father's hand and sees that it lifts her up to heaven, up into his lap.

 

To realise that we are the children of God is the greatest insight.  To take hold of his merciful hand and walk with him is the best way to live. 

 

 

Novena prayers are to be found here

Day 6: Proclaiming Faith

 

In his Letter, St Peter advises us to be ready to give a reason for our hope (1 Peter 3:15) - to be prepared to explain our faith and why it makes a difference in our lives.  Scripted into his play, Genesius has such a moment.  The author tells us: "When they had completed the sacramental mysteries, and when he had put on white garments, the play seemed to continue with his being taken off by soldiers, and brought before the Emperor to be interrogated about being Christian".  Though pagans, Genesius and his troupe understood that being a Christian was no mere private opinion or state, it is public, and even in time of persecution Christians take their place in the public square and proclaim their faith.

 

This is an insight many Christians seem to have forgotten.  Living in such a secularised world, and an aggressive one at that, we may be tempted to keep our faith to ourselves be out of fear or a misplaced sense of being tolerant or indeed a genuine desire not to offend anyone. But we must not fall for that temptation.  For one thing secularism, like other movements opposed to Christianity, will soon tire of certain citizens holding personal opinions opposed to the accepted view.  The experience of St Thomas More and Catholics under Elizabeth I of England is a case in point: though told the monarch would not intrude into their conscience, they soon found that that monarch would and did.  The concept of "thought crime" is not new.

 

We are called to proclaim the faith without fear, and to explain what we believe and why we believe it.  In the world there are many who are tired of a purely materialist and consumerist view of existence, they are looking for meaning.  It is for their sake that we proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ even if it means offending those who are opposed to us.  Our example in this is the Lord Jesus himself, and we should reflect on how he continued to preach in the face of the anger of those who wanted to silence him: he will inspire us and guide us.  Of course we do so in charity, but also with zeal and with joy.

 

Novena prayers are to be found here

Day 5: Embracing A Graced Life

 

‘I desire to receive the grace of Christ, through which I may be reborn and freed from the ruin of my iniquities.’  These words are some of the most famous from the Acts of St Genesius, and they invite much prayer and meditation.  At this point in his drama at first reading we may not be sure if this is his acting or an actual expression of Genesius's desire: has the Holy Spirit already struck?  Have those lessons in the catechism class where he was doing his "research" produced unexpected fruit?  The author of the Acts is sure the conversion has occurred for he writes: "Genesius replied, no longer pretending or making it up, but from a pure heart".

 

These words of Genesius bring us to reflect in the sacrament of Baptism - the most life changing event in our lives when we become the children of God, incorporated into Christ and into his Church.  Genesius offers us some insights into the sacrament.  It is, first of all, an encounter within which we receive the grace of Christ.  Too often we lament how hard it is to be Christian - to live the moral teaching of the Church.  We are all too familiar with Christians and even Christian ministers telling us that we cannot live to such high ideals: we have to compromise, we have to lower the bar, we are told.  Such an attitude serves as a practical denial, in part, of grace: of that supernatural help which God gives us through the sacraments in general and Baptism in particular.  Grace is offered to help us not only reach these standards and live these ideal; we need only accept it.

 

It is in this context - the context of grace, that we are reborn and freed from "the ruin of [our] iniquities".  Baptism is an act of rebirth, born to a new life, a stronger life, a graced life, a Christian life in which God confers on us the help we need to overcome Original Sin and human weakness.  Conquering it will take time, and it may be a struggle, but we have a mighty hero to help us - Christ, and powerful weapons to defend us - grace.  We need only realise this, embrace grace and live.

 

Novena prayers are to be found here

Day 4: Lightening The Load

 

"Ah, my friends, I feel heavy, I want to become light".  According to the Acts, it is with these words that Genesius, acting, expressed his desire to be baptised.  Reading the Acts at this point there is a interesting ambiguity- is Genesius acting or, in his acting, is he expressing a deeper desire?  Actors will tell you that they draw on their own experiences to help them interpret a role and in doing this not only is the distinction between actor and character a little blurred, but in the context of art reflecting life/ imitating life, there is a poignant authenticity.

 

In expressing "heaviness" Genesius the actor reveals a burden which many people experience in life.  On a basic existentialist level we do find at times that there is a weight upon us, and life can certainly add to that weight.  How many of us experience the desire to be free, just to throw everything off and run away?  And some have a real reason to ponder such an action as various situations and circumstances impose suffering and many other difficulties. 

 

In requesting baptism, though he may not have known it at the time, Genesius is pointing to the One who can help us with the heaviness, the load, the suffering.  The Lord Jesus became man and offered his life for us in order to lift the existentialist burden we carry - that imposed by Original Sin.  In him, in the salvation he offers, we find the freedom we desire.  The cross may not be taken away from us, but with Christ we learn how to carry it and we see its significance, and that in itself can lighten the load.

 

Novena prayers can be found here.

Day 3: Building Communion

 

There is a well known saying that we can all identify with: "You can choose your friends, but you cannot choose your relations".  That is meant to console us in the midst of familial difficulties.  We might also hang on to the suggestion that we are called to love our neighbour not necessarily like them for other problematic relationships.  And yet is not the greatest scandal among Christians their lack of unity, not just in terms of denominational relationships, but even within the communion of the Church?

 

One of the more intriguing tit-bits of information gleaned from the Acts of St Genesius is that which reveals he had a difficult relationship with his parents.  That is not unique.  But Genesius's estrangement was based on faith: his parents had become Christians and this led to his rejecting them.  Again this is not unusual - Our Lord tells us in the Gospel that he came to bring division - division between those who believe and those who do not, and that division would even enter into families.

 

Some of the interesting questions which emerge in relation to this are: was Genesius reconciled with his believing parents when he became a believer himself?  When he was in the catechism class, under false pretences, was there a "reconciliation"?  When he revealed his true colours was there another estrangement?  And when he finally accepted faith and proclaimed himself a disciple of Christ knowing he would suffer for it, was there a final reunion?

 

We will only know the answers to these questions in heaven, but we do know that those who truly embrace Christ and seek to live his way faithfully open the door to reconciliation and communion.  When brothers and sisters live in the unity of faith, as the psalm tells us, then there is communion and joy. 

 

In these difficult times one of our priorities as orthodox Christians is to nurture and strengthen our communion with each other.  Ultimately we are one family and we must learn to love each other.  There may be difficulties - we all have faults and bad habits: in one way or another we are all difficult to live with.  But at the end of the day our communion with each other must transcend our human failings and frustrations with each other. In the end we must always remember and act upon the love we should have for each other.  It may seem difficult, we may well have to swallow our pride, but if we remember God gives us his grace to keep us united to each other, then we can let go and be reconciled with our brothers and sisters.

 

Remember, it is said that blood is thicker than water, but for us baptised, the waters of baptism is thicker than blood!

 

Novena prayers are to be found here.

Day 2: The Seed On The Ground

 

The Lord's parable of the sower going out to sow seed is interesting.  The parable is clear, yet its application may not be as clear as we may think.  Instead of only describing categories of people in their response to the Word of God, it is perhaps even more accurate to describe the varying responses to the Word of God in each one of us.

 

In the Acts of St Genesius we are told that the actor Genesius inveigled his way into the Christian community and her catechetical programme.  There he was instructed in the teaching of Christ, we would say the Word of God was poured over him.  He was there only to do research - was he theatre's first "method actor"?   And if we dare put him in the parable we might be tempted to think he was the path where the seed fell and had no hope to germinate.

 

Yet we see later that that is not so.  A seed was indeed planted and it was beginning to grow and it would eventually produce a great harvest of faith and sanctity as we see as he lays down his life for Christ.  Even Genesius was, no doubt, surprised at that as he struggled with faith, trying to resist it. 

 

The lesson is clear: the Word of God has a way of finding its way into the human heart, and so we should never despair of those who struggle with faith or even reject it.  Like St Monica and so many other Saints, we keep the flame of hope alive, we pray and we open our hearts to God's initiative so to help Him bring others to Himself.   It is probably because of this that St Genesius is honoured as one of the patrons of conversion. 

 

Novena prayers are to be found here.