Saturday Quote of the Week

When we speak about wisdom, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about virtue, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about justice, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about peace, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about truth and life and redemption, we are speaking of Christ.

--St. Ambrose of Milan

Rose Prince: Incorruptible

Rose Prince
August 21, 1915 – August 19, 1949
Her body remains incorrupt in the cemetery of Lejac, Carrier First Nation

Rose Prince was born on Saturday August 21, 1915 in a small house on a hill in the Carrier Nak'azdli First Nation and behind the convent near Fort James. She was the third of nine brothers and sisters.

Her father, Jean-Marie was the son of the Chief Joseph, Chief of the Carriers of Fort Saint James. His father was the eldest son of Simeon La Prince, who was the son of the great Carrier Chief Kwah. Her father was devout Catholic and went frequently to church. He led the prayers and singing in the church and translated for the parish priest. He was known as the, “Church Chief.”

Her mother, Agathe was one of two children born to Anazel. Anazel died when Agathe was very young. A priest took her to live at Williams Lake and was taken care by the Sisters of the Child Jesus. A cousin of Rose, Evalie Murdock, remembers Agathe’s great beauty. One day, she remembers, “I saw her standing on the hill. She didn’t have her kerchief on her head and her hair was loose. She was standing there with a long dress on. Oh, she was so pretty! I always remember her that way.” .... Miracles have been attributed to her through visiting her grave and taking earth from her grave.
Mabel George, who attended Lejac Residential School when Rose was there, says praying to her is like talking to an old friend and tells of the miracles attributed to Rose. She said a young man had his body cured from a disease after his parents visited her grave. A man was cured of cancer after his wife prayed to her for a week. Another man was able to walk again after three weeks. This was when a Father mixed earth from her grave with holy water and anointed the skin covering his back, and prayed for him through the intercession of Rose Prince. One hour later he fell asleep and woke up the following morning, and was able to walk again.
There is an annual pilgrimage in July to the cemetery where she is buried in Lejac, British Columbia, Canada.
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Heavenly Father, you shared so deeply with Rose Prince, of the Carrier Nak'azdli Nation, your gift of serenity and shared with her your love for your creation: grant through her intercession that we may share your serenity and your peace of soul, and may we too rejoice in the beauty of creation that surrounds us on every side. And finally, through her intercession we plead for this favour:Which we ask with confidence in your loving kindness, grant this through Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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The incorruption of bodies is a miracle that reflects the victory of Jesus Christ over death (Acts 13:34-35,37). Among Catholics such bodily incorruption has a very particular meaning. The Church accepts this as a sign from God, which witnesses to a life of great holiness. That is, God might preserve from corruption the bodies of those that had kept their souls in purity, and has freed them from the defilements of the flesh. Thus, these bodies are wondrously preserved from corruption, which is a sign of the presence in this world of God’s Kingdom.Some Saints, or would be Saints have uncorrupted bodies after they have died. The incorruption of the body is when the body does not decay at a normal rate. Many times, years after death, these bodies are found to be lifelike. Also, reported with some uncorrupted bodies is the presence of pleasant penetrating fragrances about them, such as jasmine and honey.

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Saint Brendan of Birr

St. Brendan of Birr, Abbot (AC) Feast Day - November 29

(A Brendan I didn't know existed, whose feast day happens to be today.)

Died c. 562. Born into the family of Fergus MacRoy, Saint Brendan of Birr a contemporary of Saint Brendan the Voyager, and his fellow-disciple under Saint Finian at Clonard Abbey. An ancient, but incomplete, manuscript says that the 12 apostles of Ireland, who were together at Finian's school, saw a wonderful flower from the Land of Promise. Although today's saint was chosen by lot to go in search of that land, he was too old or frail for adventuring. Brendan of Clonfert went in his stead.

His abbey of Birr was somewhere near Parsonstown, Offaly. He was the great friend and adviser of Saint Columba. He intervened at a synod of Meltown (Meath) to end Columba's excommunication. Later, Columba had a vision of Saint Brendan's soul being carried by angels to heaven at the moment of his death. Columba immediately said a special Requiem Mass for Brendan at Iona many days before he had confirmation of his mentor's death.

From the Gospels of MacRegal (9th century), we know that Brendan's school at Birr was endured through that time. This book, now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, is a wonderful example of Irish illumination (Anderson, Benedictines, D'Arcy, Farmer, Healy, Kenney, Montague, Ryan).
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Saint Bonaventure, Franciscan Mystic and Scholar

Bonaventure, Franciscan, theologian, doctor of the Church, was both learned and holy. Because of the spirit that filled him and his writings, he was at first called the Devout Doctor; but in more recent centuries he has been known as the Seraphic Doctor after the “Seraphic Father” Francis because of the truly Franciscan spirit he possessed. Today is his feast day.

St. Bonaventure, pray for us.