Homily Third Wednesday of Easter – “Feast of St. Anselm (2021)”
Homily Third Wednesday of Easter – “Feast of St. Anselm (2021)”
“Faith seeking understanding” is the definition of Theology. We celebrate the feast of the man who came up with this definition. He is also known as a Doctor of the Church. The name of this man is St. Anselm.
Anselm was born in Lombardy in France. Anselm desired to be a priest at young age, and he entered the monastery at Bec in Normandy because of the reputation of the Abbot who was named Lanfranc. Anselm was a great student of Theology. He became an expert on the writings of St. Augustine. He also wrote Proslogion, which was an argument for the existence of God.
Anselm was not to be a scholar his whole life. Lanfranc was named Archbishop of Canterbury. When he died, the clergy wanted Anselm to succeed him. King William the II resisted. He kept the see open for four years rather than have Anselm come. He knew that Anselm would be a champion of the church’s rights. William wanted to hold sway over the church.
William and Anselm argued back and forth. Anselm was sent into exile on the continent. He continued to write and was an influential figure in the church attending several councils. When King William died and Henry I succeeded him Anselm went back to England to be Archbishop only to be exiled again. They fought over who should have the power to bestow church benefices.
Finally, Henry and Anselm were able to make peace. King Henry grew to like and trust Anselm. He even made him guardian of his son while he was outside the country. Anselm did not yield his principals and ultimately, he was able to keep his bishopric and his integrity.
Reflection Questions:
- Do I engage in Theological reflection? What would that mean?
- Have I ever compromised my principles to achieve some goal? Have I ever lost influence because I would not let go of what I believe?
Dear Parishioners,
This week you will probably be getting a letter about our COVID Blues raffle. This is a 50/50 like drawing and will be held at our Parish Council Meeting on Wednesday, June 2nd on Facebook Live at 7:00 pm. There will be 3 winners. First Prize: 35% of the proceeds, plus mirrors from Fr. Lee’s bar at the former rectory. Second Prize: 10% of Proceeds, plus a Renoir print of WOMAN AND CHILD and Third Prize: 5% of Proceeds, plus artwork from the former rectory. There will be a White Elephant Prize of a Schlitz beer can that was found in the walls of the former Convent.
It was an especially harsh winter which led to damage of our roofs and gutters. We hope that the monies we make will help defray some of the expenses we have incurred. Snow removal costs were higher than expected as well.
Since there is no major fund raiser for us this spring, we thought we could have some fun and raise some money for Sacred Heart. Please participate and help us out.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark