Do not lose the key of knowledge

Jesus in the key of knowledge that opens God's kingdom for us
What does Jesus mean when he says they have taken away the key of
knowledge? The religious lawyers and scribes held the "office of the
keys" since they were the official interpreters of the Scriptures. Unfortunately their interpretation of the Scriptures became so
distorted and difficult to understand that others were "shut off" to
the Scriptures. They not only shut themselves to heaven--they also
hindered others from understanding God's word. Through pride and envy,
they rejected not only the prophets of old, but God's final prophet
and Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the "key of David" (see
Isaiah 22:22; Revelations 3:7) who opens heaven for those who accept
him as Lord and Savior. He is the "Wisdom of God" and source of
everlasting life. [Luke 11:47-54]

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March 21st - St. Enda, Abbot, and St. Fanchea

THE little which is recorded of St. Fanchea (whose day is January 1,
March 21 on some calendars) is of a very fabulous character, and is
nearly all contained in the Life of St. Enda, her brother. Fanchea,
who along with other Irish maidens had consecrated herself to God,
knew that Enda had taken part in a raid against his enemies, one of
whom had been slain in the fight. The shouts of the victors as they
returned from their expedition penetrated the convent walls. Fanchea
recognized her brother’s voice, but at the same time received a
supernatural intimation that he was called to serve God in great
sanctity of life. She accordingly reproved him for the deed of blood
upon which he had been engaged, and when he promised to settle
peacefully at home if she would give him one of her maidens in
marriage, she pretended to be ready to comply. But it pleased God that
the maiden in question should die at that very time, and when she
brought her brother to see the bride that had been promised him, he
found only a corpse, pale and rigid in death. Enda thereupon gave
himself up to a monastic life; but even so thoughts of warlike
exploits still recurred, and his sister impressed it upon him that
when these temptations came he ought to put his hand to his shaven
head to remind himself that he now wore, not a regal diadem, but the
tonsure (corona) of his Master, Christ.

Finally, still by her advice, Enda left Ireland and went to Rome,
whither, after a long interval, Fanchea, with some of her nuns, set
out to visit him, only spreading her cloak upon the sea, and being
wafted over the waters. In Rome she asked Enda to return to Ireland
for the good of his people. He promised to do so after a year, but she
herself on reaching home surrendered her soul to God before he could
follow her. It has been stated that St. Fanchea built a nunnery at
Ross Oirthir, or Rossory, in Fermanagh, and that her remains were
deposited and long venerated at Killaine, but the evidence does not
seem very satisfactory.

All that we are told of St. Enda’s history previous to his settlement
at Aranmore is quite legendary, except perhaps for an important stay
at Candida Casa, the monastery founded by St. Ninian in Galloway.
After his alleged visit to Rome, where he was ordained priest, Enda
landed at Drogheda and built churches on both sides of the river
Boyne. Afterwards he crossed Ireland and went to see Oengus, King of
Munster, who was married to another of his sisters, and lived at
Cashel. From his brother-in-law he asked for the isle of Aran that he
might found a religious establishment there. Oengus urged him to
choose a more fertile place nearer at hand, but when St. Enda
persisted that Aran was to be the place of his resurrection and that
it was good enough for him, Oengus yielded, declaring that he
willingly gave it to God and to Enda, whose blessing he craved in
return.

To this island St. Enda brought his disciples, and the fame of his
austerity and sanctity led many others to join them. The saint built,
on the eastern side of Aranmore, a great monastery at Killeany, over
which he presided, and half the land was apportioned to it, whilst the
rest of the island was divided between ten other smaller houses which
he founded and over which he set superiors. We are told that not only
did he live a most penitential life himself, but that he exacted a
very strict discipline from all under his charge. A legend relates
that every night he tested his brethren by putting them in turn into a
curragh, or wicker-work canoe, and setting it afloat without the hide
covering which rendered it watertight. If a man was free from sin, the
water could not get in. All the monks--including the abbot
himself--escaped a wetting, except Gigniat the cook, who when
questioned admitted that he had added a little to his own portion of
food from that of Kieran, son of the artificer. St. Enda ordered him
to leave the island, saying, “There is no room here for a thief; I
will not permit this at all”.

With St. Finnian of Clonard, St. Enda was a father of monarchism in
Ireland. With him organized monasticism, properly speaking, seems to
have begun. One of his best-known disciples was St. Kieran of
Clonmacnois, just referred to.

The Latin Life of Enda has been printed by Colgan and in the Acta
Sanctorum, March, vol. iii, but more critically by Plummer in his VSH,
vol. ii, pp. 60-75, and cf. J. Healy, Ireland’s Ancient Schools and
Scholars, pp. 163-187. See J. Ryan, Irish Monasticism (1931), pp.
106-107. Fanchea’s name is variously written Faenche, Faenkea,
Fainche, Fuinche, etc.


“Sanctity consists in the accomplishment
of the duties God lays upon us.
In this way, one who fulfills well the duties of his station
and, much more, one who fulfills them well for God,
will become a real saint – nothing more is needed.”
--Blessed Louis-Édouard Cestac (1801-1868)

Saint Quote:
I have never sacrificed, nor do sacrifice to any other than to one
God, and to our Lord Jesus Christ, his Son, who was born and suffered
for us.
-- Saint Crispina

Bible Quote:
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
(Matthew 10:28)

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Splinters from the Cross:

Little headaches, little heartaches
Little griefs of every day,
Little trials and vexations
How they throng around our way!

One great cross, immense and heavy,
So it seems to our weak will,
Might be borne with resignation,
But these many small ones kill,
Yet all life is formed of small things,
Little leaves, make up the trees,
Many tiny drops of water blending,
Make the mighty seas.

Let us not then by impatience
Mar the beauty of the whole,
But for love of Jesus bear all
In the silence of our soul.
Asking Him for grace sufficient
To sustain us through each loss,
And to treasure each small offering
As a splinter from Thine Cross.

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