Feast of All Saints of the University of Oxford

Over the years, the most Catholic of all the colleges was Exeter College, of which I have the profound honour to be a member, providing many of the staff and residents of the Catholic colleges on the continent when the times of persecution came and also many of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, a good proportion of whom saw the logic of their position left the Anglican Church, which then as now, no power on earth can save, and God even in his mercy will not preserve.

St Ralph Sherwin, also of Exeter College was martyred on this day.

His last words Jesu, Jesu, Jesu, esto mihi Jesus!

Psalm 26
1 Dominus inluminatio mea (the first threee words are the University Motto) et salus mea quem timebo Dominus protector vitae meae a quo trepidabo
2 dum adpropiant super me nocentes ut edant carnes meas qui tribulant me et inimici mei ipsi infirmati sunt et ceciderunt
3 si consistant adversus me castra non timebit cor meum si exsurgat adversus me proelium in hoc ego sperabo
4 unam petii a Domino hanc requiram ut inhabitem in domo Domini omnes dies vitae meae ut videam voluntatem Domini et visitem templum eius
5 quoniam abscondit me in tabernaculo in die malorum protexit me in abscondito tabernaculi sui

6 in petra exaltavit me et nunc exaltavit caput meum super inimicos meos circuivi et immolavi in tabernaculo eius hostiam vociferationis cantabo et psalmum dicam Domino
7 exaudi Domine vocem meam qua clamavi miserere mei et exaudi me 8 tibi dixit cor meum exquisivit facies mea faciem tuam Domine requiram
9 ne avertas faciem tuam a me ne declines in ira a servo tuo adiutor meus esto ne derelinquas me neque dispicias me Deus salvator meus
10 quoniam pater meus et mater mea dereliquerunt me Dominus autem adsumpsit me
11 legem pone mihi Domine in via tua et dirige me in semita recta propter inimicos meos
12 ne tradideris me in animas tribulantium me quoniam insurrexerunt in me testes iniqui et mentita est iniquitas sibi
13 credo videre bona Domini in terra viventium
14 expecta Dominum viriliter age et confortetur cor tuum et sustine Dominum

1 The psalm of David before he was anointed. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?
2 Whilst the wicked draw near against me, to eat my flesh. My enemies that trouble me, have themselves been weakened, and have fallen.
3 If armies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear. If a battle should rise up against me, in this will I be confident.
4 One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple.
5 For he hath hidden me in his tabernacle; in the day of evils, he hath protected me in the secret place of his tabernacle.

6 He hath exalted me upon a rock: and now he hath lifted up my head above my enemies. I have gone round, and have offered up in his tabernacle a sacrifice of jubilation: I will sing, and recite a psalm to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, my voice, with which I have cried to thee: have mercy on me and hear me.
8 My heart hath said to thee: My face hath sought thee: thy face, O Lord, will I still seek.
9 Turn not away thy face from me; decline not in thy wrath from thy servant. Be thou my helper, forsake me not; do not thou despise me, O God my Saviour.
10 For my father and my mother have left me: but the Lord hath taken me up.
11 Set me, O Lord, a law in thy way, and guide me in the right path, because of my enemies.
12 Deliver me not over to the will of them that trouble me; for unjust witnesses have risen up against me; and iniquity hath lied to itself.
13 I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
14 Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord.

And of your charity on this day, pray for the repose of the soul of the Revd John Davis, sometime deputy principal of the Anglican theological college, St Stephen's House and who taught theology at Harris Manchester College who died October 2009. 

Comments

AndrewWS said…
He also apparently said, when asked (as one was) whether he would go on the "English Mission" to almost certain martyrdom, "potius hodie quam cras" - rather today than tomorrow. Rather a good motto for all good deeds.