If I have not charity

"If I have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling
cymbal." Charity means to care enough about other people to really
want to do something for them. A smile, a word of encouragement, a
word of love, goes winged on its way, simple though it may seem, while
the mighty words of an orator fall on deaf ears. Use up the odd
moments of your day in trying to do some little thing to cheer up
another person. Boredom comes from thinking too much about yourself.
Lk 21:20-28

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12 December – Saint Pope Callistus II
Also known as
Calixt II
Calixtus II
Guido of Burgundy

Memorial
12 December
1 February on some calendars

(c 1065-1124)
Bishop of Rome 1 February 1119-13 December 1124) Born in c1065
Quingey, France as Guy or Guido and died on 13 December 1124 in Rome,
Italy of natural causes.

Guy or Guido in Italian, as he was called before his elevation to the
Papacy, was the son of Count William of Burgundy and both by his
father’s and mother’s side, was closely connected with nearly all the
Royal Houses of Europe. He was the uncle of the Queen of France,
cousin of the King of England, related to the German Emperor. His
brother Hugh had been appointed Archbishop of Besançon and he himself
was named Archbishop of Vienne in 1088 and afterwards appointed
Cardinal and Papal Legate in France by Pope Paschal II.

When appointed Papal Legate in France by Pope Paschal II, Guido
strenuously opposed Paschal’s “Privilege,” extorted by Henry V, which would have surrendered most of the political positions held by Church
officials in the Empire. After protesting the “Privilege” at the
Lateran Synod of 1112, he called and presided over a Synod of French
and Burgundian Bishops at Vienne, which denounced lay investiture of
the clergy as heretical and excommunicated Henry V as hostile to the
welfare of the Church. When Gelasius II, who succeeded Pascal, refused
to confirm the “Privilege,” the angry Henry V set up Archbishop
Burdinus of Braga as antipope Gregory VIII and installed him in Rome.
Gelasius was forced to spend his brief, harassed Pontificate in exile
and died at Cluny within a year. Some of the Cardinals who had come to
Cluny now elected Guido, who was crowned in Vienne on 1 February 1119.

Callistus took immediate steps to establish peace with the imperial
government, since both sides were tired of the long investiture
struggle. Henry V favourably received a Papal Embassy and temporarily
withdrew his support from Gregory VIII. A meeting between Pope and
Emperor was arranged.

After presiding over a Synod at Toulouse (1119), which was mainly
concerned with reform of the French Church, Callistus proceeded to
Reims, where he held a great Council (1119), attended by some 400
Prelates and by Louis VI of France. Negotiations with Henry V broke
down after he came to Mousson with a large army and Papal plans to
meet with the Emperor were abandoned. The Emperor was excommunicated
again (October 1119).

Callistus then went to Rome, where he was enthusiastically received by
the people, who had meanwhile driven out the antipope. He allied
himself with the Normans, who aided in the capture of antipope Gregory
VIII. Gregory, who had taken refuge at Sutri, was held prisoner and subsequently other enemies of the Pope in Italy were overcome too.

Callistus then sent a new embassy to Henry V. A preliminary
understanding with a truce was arranged at Würzburg in 1121. The
following year, the famous Concordat of Worms (1122) was arrived at,
in a Synod held in that City. Because of the Pope’s patience and perseverance, the Concordat was a reasonably satisfactory arrangement
for both sides, although a complete victory for neither, bringing
peace to both Empire and Church, to the great relief of Christendom.

The First Lateran Council (1123), convoked by Callistus, solemnly
confirmed the Concordat of Worms and issued Decrees against clerical
marriage and simony. It provided penalties against violators of the
Truce of God and against forgers of Ecclesiastical documents and
renewed Indulgences for crusading.

During his Pontificate, Callistus also secured from Henry I of
England, the acceptance of his candidate, Thurstan, for the
Archbishopric of York, transferred metropolitan rights in Spain from
the ancient See of Merida to the popular See of Santiago de Compostela
and settled the old French rivalry over metropolitan disagreements
between Aries and Vienne, in favour of the latter.

Callistus died in 1124 and after some dispute Honorius II was selected
as his successor. As to the great influence of the reign of Callistus
II on the policy of the Church, there can be no dispute. Owing mainly
to him, the concessions so weakly made by Pope Paschal II were
recalled and on his own accession to the Papal throne, his firmness
and strength of character secured a settlement of the controversy
between Church and State which, although not entirely satisfactory,
was at least sufficient to assure a much needed peace.

Through his exertions he put an end to the wholesale bestowal of
Ecclesiastical offices by laymen; he re-established the freedom of
canonical elections and secured recognition of the principle that Ecclesiastical jurisdiction can come, only from the Church, while on
the other hand, he conceded to the secular authorities, the influence
to which they were rightly entitled, in the election of Prelates who
were at the same time the most powerful and richest subjects of the
State.

Callistus II was not very remarkable for his literary productions, yet
a few works have come down to us which are ascribed to his pen. They
are: “De Miraculis Sancti Jacobi Apostoli,” “De obitu et Vita Sanctorum,”,”Vita Caroli Magni Imperatoris.” Many letters attributed
to him are preserved.

https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/12/


The Use and Abuse of the Sacraments

Have we kept these promises, which were made4 on our behalf and which
we repeated from time to time before the Altar as we grew older?
Every gift of God demands our gratitude and our co-operation.
It is our own grave loss, if we remain cold and indifferent, in spite
of the precious favours which we received from God.
God is infinitely good and merciful but, precisely because of this, He
demands generous co-operation on our part.
If we abuse His graces, He will leave us to our own devices.
We shall no longer be aware of His inspirations and His appeals to us
to advance in virtue.
What is to happen to us then?
We shall be like an arid plain on which only weeds and thorns can grow.
Our lives will be meaningless and purposeless, for God and everlasting happiness are the only goals worthy of our pursuit.”
by Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Saint Quote:
My daughter, I see more Pharisees among Christians than there were
around Pilate.
-- St. Margaret of Cortona


“Rejoice in the Lord always” Philippians 4:4

“The very Son of God,
Older than the ages,
the Invisible,
the Incomprehensible,
the Incorporeal,
the Beginning of beginning,
the Light of light,
the Fountain of Life and Immortality,
the Image of the Archetype,
the Immovable Seal,
the Perfect Likeness,
the Definition and Word of the Father:
He it is, Who comes to His Own Image
and takes our nature, for the Good of our nature
and unites Himself to an intelligent soul
for the good of the soul,
to purify like by Like.”
--St Gregory of Nazianzen (330-390)

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