Hey Y’all,

“Tempus Fugit” so they say, “time is flying” is a real experience.  We use such a phrase to remind us of life’s fleeting nature, or to motivate us away from procrastination, or shake us up from our doldrums.  But today, celebrating the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, we are also celebrating “tempus fugerat” (time has done flown), and “tempus fugiet” (time will fly into the future).  You see, our Church uses these feast days to motivate us toward holiness, to ground us in ancient and time-tested faith, and to point us toward Divine union and a heavenly goal.  So let’s think about some timely feasts coming up this week. 

Today – Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome.  This feast is about the Pope’s Church, the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, called Saint John Lateran.  It is the oldest Basilica in Rome, a city full of Basilicas, churches, parishes, and just holy places in general.  Since it’s foundation in 324, it has been through a lot.  In that way this Basilica mirrors the Church.  It also reflects our lives as Christians.  The Basilica has endured.  The Church will persevere.  And we, as Christians, can take hope in the firm foundation of being dedicated to Christ and His Church.

Tomorrow- Memorial of St Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church.  This feast takes us back in time to A.D. 440 or 450, or 460.  These were years when Pope Leo worked against religious heresies and navigated the Church through social upheaval.  The Roman Empire would fall just a few years later.  Reflecting on Leo’s life and his papacy, we can see how to be a Christian in the chaos of a decaying world.

Tuesday- Memorial of St Martin of Tours, Bishop. Remembering Martin of Tours, we travel in time to the middle to late 300s A.D.  He was born into a pagan family, Martin became a Roman soldier at the age of 15. He was converted to Christ, and became a conscientious objector, leaving military service, and taking up the life of a monastic.  Later, Martin founded a monastery in France and because of his holiness, the people of Tours declared him their Bishop by popular acclaim.  Martin was a reluctant Bishop.  He led well but his preference for the seclusion of the monastery and his spiritual concern to avoid any cooperation with evil were ever present. We can follow Martin’s example of conversion to all that leads to charity, grace and peace.

Wednesday – Memorial of St Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr.  Josaphat was a Basilian monk, priest, and archeparch of the Ruthenian Uniate Church who was elevated to Archbishop of Polotsk in 1618.  He was martyred by being beaten to death by a mob during an anti-Roman Catholic riot in 1623.  He was killed by Orthodox Belarusians – in other words he was killed by other Christians.  So we should follow Josaphat’s faith in the Church in the widest sense of the word.

Now… I haven’t run out of time, but I have run out of space.  So I can only mention the other Saints we’ll remember in this week in fleeting time. 

Thursday – remember St Francis Xavier Cabrini, a.k.a. Mother Cabrini

Friday – discover St. Lawrence O’Toole, or St Serapion of Algiers, or St Nikola Tavelic

So in this month of November, considering how are maturing in time, let’s not let time get away from us.  Let’s take up our place with all souls and all saints.       

Fr. Reynold