All was made by Him, in Him and for Him.
By Him. In the activity of the Trinity, the Three Persons cannot be separated. When we say that the Father creates, we understand by this the Three Divine Persons; when we say that the Holy Spirit sanctifies, we mean not only the Holy Spirit but the Blessed Trinity. (The Incarnation alone is proper to the Son.) Our Lord rightly declared, All power has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (Matt. xxviii, 18.) All things were made by Him; and without Him was made nothing that was made, (John i, 3.)
I will contemplate this majestic power of the beloved Word.
In Him. As St. Paul says so magnificently at the beginning of his Epistle to the Ephesians, it is in Jesus Christ that all have been predestinated and willed. God did not conceive of us at first as mere man to be divinized later, nor divine life being lost, as man redivinized through Christ. No, from the very first He predestinated and willed us to be an integral part of Christ; we exist only because we have life in Him; without Him we are nothing.
I will thank the Word for having associated me so intimately with Himself, membrum de membro, a living part of Christ, portio Christi.
For Him. The Father has created all things and has divinized man solely for the honor of His Son. We are not the principal object of His effort, but we exist for the glorification of His Son. Everything exists for Him, all is for Him.
I will rejoice with the Word on thus being the center and the culminating point of the Father's eternal thought.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Gospel for the Epiphany of our Lord
From: Matthew 2:1-12
The Adoration of the Magi
[1] Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, [2] "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East, and have come to worship Him." [3] When Herod the kind heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; [4] and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. [5] They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: [6] `And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.'"
[7] Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; [8] and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the Child, and when you have found Him bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him." [9] When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. [10] When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; [11] and going into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshipped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. [12] And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
__________________
Commentary:
1. "King Herod": four different Herods are mentioned in the New Testament. The first is Herod the Great, referred to in this passage and in the next; the second, his son, Herod Antipas, who had St. John the Baptist beheaded (Matthew 14:1-12) and who abused our Lord during His passion (Luke 23:7-11); the third, Herod Agrippa I, a nephew of Herod the Great, who executed the Apostle St. James the Greater (Acts 12:1-3), imprisoned St. Peter (Acts 12:4-7), and died suddenly and mysteriously (Acts 12:20-23). The fourth, Herod Agrippa II, was Herod Agrippa's son. It was before him that St. Paul answered Jewish accusations when he was a prisoner in Caesarea (Acts 25:23).
Herod the Great, who appears here, was the son of non-Jewish parents. He came to power with the aid and as a vassal of the Romans. He was a consummate politician and among other things he rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem on a lavish scale. Herod the Great had a persecution complex; everywhere he saw rivals to his throne. He was notorious for his cruelty: he killed over half of his ten wives, some of his children and many people of standing. This information derives largely from the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, who wrote towards the end of the first century, and it confirms the cruel picture drawn in the Gospels.
"Wise men": these were learned men, probably from Persia, who devoted themselves to the study of the stars. Since they were not Jews, they can be considered to be the very first Gentiles to receive the call to salvation in Christ. The adoration of the wise men forms part of the very earliest documented tradition: the scene is already depicted at the beginning of the second century in the paintings in the catacombs of St. Priscilla in Rome.
2. The Jews had made known throughout the East their hope of a Messiah. The wise men knew about this expected Messiah, king of the Jews. According to ideas widely accepted at the time, this sort of person, because of his significance in world history, would have a star connected with his birth. God made use of these ideas to draw to Christ these representatives of the Gentiles who would later be converted.
"The star had been hidden from them so that, on finding themselves without their guide, they would have no alternative but to consult the Jews. In this way the birth of Jesus would be known to all" (St. John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St. Matthew", 7).
St. John Chrysostom also points out that "God calls them by means of the things they are most familiar with; and He shows them a large and extraordinary star so that they would be impressed by its size and beauty" ("Hom. on St. Matthew", 6). God called the wise men in the midst of their ordinary occupations, and He still calls people in that way. He called Moses when he was shepherding his flock (Exodus 3:1-3), Elisha the prophet ploughing his land with oxen (1 Kings 19:19-20), Amos looking after his herd (Amos 7:15).... "What amazes you seems natural to me: that God has sought you out in the practice of your profession! That is how He sought the first, Peter and Andrew, James and John, beside their nets, and Matthew, sitting in the custom-house. And--wonder of wonders!--Paul, in his eagerness to destroy the seed of the Christians" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 799).
"Like the Magi we have discovered a star--a light and a guide in the sky of our soul. `We have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.' We have had the same experience. We too noticed a new light shining in our soul and growing increasingly brighter. It was a desire to live a fully Christian life, a keenness to take God seriously" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 32).
4. In all Jewish circles at the time of Jesus, the hope was widespread that the Messiah would come soon. The general idea was that he would be a king, like a new and even greater David. Herod's worry is therefore all the more understandable: he governed the Jews with the aid of the Romans and cruelly and jealously guarded his crown. Due to his political ambition and his lack of a religious sense, Herod saw a potential King-Messiah as a dangerous rival to his own worldly power.
In the time of our Lord, both Herod's monarchy and the occupying Romans (through their procurators) recognized the Sanhedrin as the representative body of the Jewish people. The Sanhedrin was, therefore, the nation's supreme council which ruled on day-to-day affairs, both religious and civil. The handling of the more important questions needed the approval of either the king (under Herod's monarchy) or the Roman procurator (at the time of the direct Roman occupation of Palestine).
Following Exodus 24:1-9 and Numbers 11:16, the Sanhedrin was composed of 71 members presided over by the high priest. The members were elected from three groupings: 1) the chief priests, that is, the leaders of the principal priestly families; it was these families who appointed the high priest (the chief priests also included anybody who had formerly held the high priesthood); 2) the elders, or the leaders of the most important families; 3) the scribes, who were teachers of the Law or experts on legal and religious matters; the majority of these scribes belonged to the party or school of the Pharisees.
In this passage of St. Matthew only the first and third of the above groups are mentioned. This is understandable since the elders would have no authority in the matter of the birth of the Messiah--a purely religious question.
5-6. The prophecy referred to in this passage is Micah 5:1. It is worth noting that Jewish tradition interpreted this prophecy as predicting the Messiah's exact place of birth and as referring to a particular person. The second text thus teaches us once more that the prophecies of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
8. Herod tried to find out exactly where the Child was--not, of course, to adore Him, as he said, but to dispose of Him. Such was Herod's exclusively political view of things. Yet neither his shrewdness nor his wickedness could prevent God's plans from being fulfilled. Despite Herod's ambition and his scheming, God's wisdom and power were going to bring salvation about.
9. "It might happen at certain moments of our interior life--and we are nearly always to blame--that the star disappears, just as it did to the wise kings on their journey.... What should we do if this happens? Follow the example of those wise men and ask. Herod used knowledge to act unjustly. The Magi used it to do good. But we Christians have no need to go to Herod nor to the wise men of this world. Christ has given His Church sureness of doctrine and a flow of grace in the Sacraments. He has arranged things so that there will always be people to guide and lead us, to remind us constantly of our way" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 34).
11. The gifts they offered--gold, frankincense and myrrh--were those most valued in the East. People feel the need to give gifts to God to show their respect and faith. Since they cannot give themselves as a gift, which is what they would wish, they give instead what is most valuable and dear to them.
The prophets and the psalmists foretold that the kings of the earth would pay homage to God at the time of the Messiah (Isaiah 49:23). They would offer Him their treasures (Isaiah 60:5) and adore Him (Psalm 72:10-15). Through this action of the wise men and the offering of their gifts to Jesus, these prophecies begin to be fulfilled.
The Council of Trent expressly quotes this passage when it underlines the veneration that ought to be given to Christ in the Eucharist: "The faithful of Christ venerate this most holy Sacrament with the worship of latria which is due to the true God.... For in this Sacrament we believe that the same God is present whom the eternal Father brought into the world, saying of Him, `Let all God's angel worship Him' (Hebrews 1:6; cf. Psalm 97:7). It is the same God whom the Magi fell down and worshipped (cf. Matthew 2:11) and, finally, the same God whom the Apostles adored in Galilee as Scriptures says (Matthew 28:17)" (Decree, "De SS. Eucharista", Chapter 5).
St. Gregory of Nazianzen has also commented on this verse, as follows: "Let us remain in adoration; and to Him, who, in order to save us, humbled Himself to such a degree of poverty as to receive our body, let us offer not only incense, gold and myrrh (the first as God, the second as king, and the third as one who sought death for our sake), but also spiritual gifts, more sublime than those which can be seen with the eyes" ("Oratio", 19).
12. The involvement of the wise men in the events at Bethlehem ends with yet another act of respectful obedience and cooperation with God's plans. Christians also should be receptive to the specific grace and mission God has given them. They should persevere in this even if it means having to change any personal plans they may have made.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
The Adoration of the Magi
[1] Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, [2] "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East, and have come to worship Him." [3] When Herod the kind heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; [4] and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. [5] They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: [6] `And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.'"
[7] Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; [8] and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the Child, and when you have found Him bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him." [9] When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. [10] When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; [11] and going into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshipped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. [12] And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
__________________
Commentary:
1. "King Herod": four different Herods are mentioned in the New Testament. The first is Herod the Great, referred to in this passage and in the next; the second, his son, Herod Antipas, who had St. John the Baptist beheaded (Matthew 14:1-12) and who abused our Lord during His passion (Luke 23:7-11); the third, Herod Agrippa I, a nephew of Herod the Great, who executed the Apostle St. James the Greater (Acts 12:1-3), imprisoned St. Peter (Acts 12:4-7), and died suddenly and mysteriously (Acts 12:20-23). The fourth, Herod Agrippa II, was Herod Agrippa's son. It was before him that St. Paul answered Jewish accusations when he was a prisoner in Caesarea (Acts 25:23).
Herod the Great, who appears here, was the son of non-Jewish parents. He came to power with the aid and as a vassal of the Romans. He was a consummate politician and among other things he rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem on a lavish scale. Herod the Great had a persecution complex; everywhere he saw rivals to his throne. He was notorious for his cruelty: he killed over half of his ten wives, some of his children and many people of standing. This information derives largely from the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, who wrote towards the end of the first century, and it confirms the cruel picture drawn in the Gospels.
"Wise men": these were learned men, probably from Persia, who devoted themselves to the study of the stars. Since they were not Jews, they can be considered to be the very first Gentiles to receive the call to salvation in Christ. The adoration of the wise men forms part of the very earliest documented tradition: the scene is already depicted at the beginning of the second century in the paintings in the catacombs of St. Priscilla in Rome.
2. The Jews had made known throughout the East their hope of a Messiah. The wise men knew about this expected Messiah, king of the Jews. According to ideas widely accepted at the time, this sort of person, because of his significance in world history, would have a star connected with his birth. God made use of these ideas to draw to Christ these representatives of the Gentiles who would later be converted.
"The star had been hidden from them so that, on finding themselves without their guide, they would have no alternative but to consult the Jews. In this way the birth of Jesus would be known to all" (St. John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St. Matthew", 7).
St. John Chrysostom also points out that "God calls them by means of the things they are most familiar with; and He shows them a large and extraordinary star so that they would be impressed by its size and beauty" ("Hom. on St. Matthew", 6). God called the wise men in the midst of their ordinary occupations, and He still calls people in that way. He called Moses when he was shepherding his flock (Exodus 3:1-3), Elisha the prophet ploughing his land with oxen (1 Kings 19:19-20), Amos looking after his herd (Amos 7:15).... "What amazes you seems natural to me: that God has sought you out in the practice of your profession! That is how He sought the first, Peter and Andrew, James and John, beside their nets, and Matthew, sitting in the custom-house. And--wonder of wonders!--Paul, in his eagerness to destroy the seed of the Christians" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 799).
"Like the Magi we have discovered a star--a light and a guide in the sky of our soul. `We have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.' We have had the same experience. We too noticed a new light shining in our soul and growing increasingly brighter. It was a desire to live a fully Christian life, a keenness to take God seriously" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 32).
4. In all Jewish circles at the time of Jesus, the hope was widespread that the Messiah would come soon. The general idea was that he would be a king, like a new and even greater David. Herod's worry is therefore all the more understandable: he governed the Jews with the aid of the Romans and cruelly and jealously guarded his crown. Due to his political ambition and his lack of a religious sense, Herod saw a potential King-Messiah as a dangerous rival to his own worldly power.
In the time of our Lord, both Herod's monarchy and the occupying Romans (through their procurators) recognized the Sanhedrin as the representative body of the Jewish people. The Sanhedrin was, therefore, the nation's supreme council which ruled on day-to-day affairs, both religious and civil. The handling of the more important questions needed the approval of either the king (under Herod's monarchy) or the Roman procurator (at the time of the direct Roman occupation of Palestine).
Following Exodus 24:1-9 and Numbers 11:16, the Sanhedrin was composed of 71 members presided over by the high priest. The members were elected from three groupings: 1) the chief priests, that is, the leaders of the principal priestly families; it was these families who appointed the high priest (the chief priests also included anybody who had formerly held the high priesthood); 2) the elders, or the leaders of the most important families; 3) the scribes, who were teachers of the Law or experts on legal and religious matters; the majority of these scribes belonged to the party or school of the Pharisees.
In this passage of St. Matthew only the first and third of the above groups are mentioned. This is understandable since the elders would have no authority in the matter of the birth of the Messiah--a purely religious question.
5-6. The prophecy referred to in this passage is Micah 5:1. It is worth noting that Jewish tradition interpreted this prophecy as predicting the Messiah's exact place of birth and as referring to a particular person. The second text thus teaches us once more that the prophecies of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
8. Herod tried to find out exactly where the Child was--not, of course, to adore Him, as he said, but to dispose of Him. Such was Herod's exclusively political view of things. Yet neither his shrewdness nor his wickedness could prevent God's plans from being fulfilled. Despite Herod's ambition and his scheming, God's wisdom and power were going to bring salvation about.
9. "It might happen at certain moments of our interior life--and we are nearly always to blame--that the star disappears, just as it did to the wise kings on their journey.... What should we do if this happens? Follow the example of those wise men and ask. Herod used knowledge to act unjustly. The Magi used it to do good. But we Christians have no need to go to Herod nor to the wise men of this world. Christ has given His Church sureness of doctrine and a flow of grace in the Sacraments. He has arranged things so that there will always be people to guide and lead us, to remind us constantly of our way" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 34).
11. The gifts they offered--gold, frankincense and myrrh--were those most valued in the East. People feel the need to give gifts to God to show their respect and faith. Since they cannot give themselves as a gift, which is what they would wish, they give instead what is most valuable and dear to them.
The prophets and the psalmists foretold that the kings of the earth would pay homage to God at the time of the Messiah (Isaiah 49:23). They would offer Him their treasures (Isaiah 60:5) and adore Him (Psalm 72:10-15). Through this action of the wise men and the offering of their gifts to Jesus, these prophecies begin to be fulfilled.
The Council of Trent expressly quotes this passage when it underlines the veneration that ought to be given to Christ in the Eucharist: "The faithful of Christ venerate this most holy Sacrament with the worship of latria which is due to the true God.... For in this Sacrament we believe that the same God is present whom the eternal Father brought into the world, saying of Him, `Let all God's angel worship Him' (Hebrews 1:6; cf. Psalm 97:7). It is the same God whom the Magi fell down and worshipped (cf. Matthew 2:11) and, finally, the same God whom the Apostles adored in Galilee as Scriptures says (Matthew 28:17)" (Decree, "De SS. Eucharista", Chapter 5).
St. Gregory of Nazianzen has also commented on this verse, as follows: "Let us remain in adoration; and to Him, who, in order to save us, humbled Himself to such a degree of poverty as to receive our body, let us offer not only incense, gold and myrrh (the first as God, the second as king, and the third as one who sought death for our sake), but also spiritual gifts, more sublime than those which can be seen with the eyes" ("Oratio", 19).
12. The involvement of the wise men in the events at Bethlehem ends with yet another act of respectful obedience and cooperation with God's plans. Christians also should be receptive to the specific grace and mission God has given them. They should persevere in this even if it means having to change any personal plans they may have made.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
2nd Reading for the Epiphany of the Lord
From: Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
St Paul's Mission
(I am) [2] Assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, [3a] how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, [5] which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; [6] that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
________________
Commentary:
1-21. Christ's saving work on behalf of the Gentiles, calling them to be, with the Jews, living stones in the edifice of the Church, leads the Apostle once again to overflow in prayer (vv. 14-21). But first he considers his own position and what Christ has done in him by making him a minister or servant of the Mystery of Christ (vv. 2-13). He witnesses to the revelation he himself has received, which made this Mystery known to him (vv. 2-5); and he goes on to give a summary of the Mystery, emphasizing the call of the Gentiles to the Church through the preaching of the Gospel (v. 6); he then explains that his mission is precisely to preach the Mystery of Christ to the Gentiles (vv. 7-13).
1-4. What led to St Paul's imprisonment was Jewish charges that he had preached against the Law and had brought Gentiles into the temple (they thought Trophimus, a citizen of Ephesus, was a Gentile: cf. Acts 21:28f). He did not mind so much the chains or the imprisonment or the Romans being his judges and jailers: what he wanted to make clear was that he was imprisoned for preaching to the Gentiles the salvation won by Jesus Christ.
He is very conscious of being an instrument specially chosen by God: he has been given the grace to reveal the "Mystery" (cf. Rom 1:15; 2 Cor 12:2f). He is clearly referring to the vision he had on the road to Damascus (cf. Acts 9:2) and possibly to later revelations as well. His encounter with the risen Christ, who identifies himself with his Church (cf. Acts 9:5), is the origin and basis of his grasp of God's eternal plan, the "Mystery", which is one of the central teachings in this letter. The fact that Christ revealed himself to Paul and chose him to be the preacher of the Gospel to the Gentiles is something which Paul sees as part of the systematic implementation--the "oikonomia"--of God's plan.
5. In the Old Testament the promise made to Abraham revealed that in his offspring all the nations of the earth would be blessed (cf. Gen 12:3; Sir 44:21); but how this would happen was not revealed. The Jews always thought that it would come about through their exaltation over other nations. Through the revelation Jesus made to him, St Paul has discovered that God has chosen another way--that of bringing the Gentiles into the Church, the body of Christ, on equal terms with the Jews. This is the "Mystery", the plan of God as revealed by the mission Christ gave his apostles or envoys (cf. Mt 28:19), of whom St Paul is one (cf. 3:8). Once again, as in 2:20, prophets are mentioned together with apostles; this may mean either the Old Testament prophets who announced the coming Messiah, or the New Testament prophets, that is, the Apostles themselves and other Christians who had insight, through revelation, into God's saving plans for the Gentiles and who proclaimed them under the inspiration of the Spirit. The context and other passages in Ephesians and elsewhere in the New Testament (cf. Eph 4:11; 1 Cor 12:28f; Acts 11:27; etc.) would suggest that he is referring to New Testament prophets. The Holy Spirit has revealed the Mystery to them "that they might preach the Gospel, stir up faith in Jesus the Messiah and Lord, and bring together the Church" (Vatican II, "Dei Verbum", 17). St Paul does not see himself as the only person to whom it has been given to know the Mystery revealed in Jesus Christ. All that he is saying is that, by the grace of God, it has been made known to him and that its preaching has been entrusted to him in a special way, just as it was given to St Peter to preach it to the Jews (cf. Gal 2:7).
St Paul attributes to the Holy Spirit the revelation of the Mystery, recalling, no doubt, how he himself came to know it after his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (cf. Acts 9:17). It is the Spirit also who acts in the apostles and prophets (cf. Acts 2:17), and it is he who on an on-going basis vivifies the Church, enabling it to proclaim the Gospel. "The Holy Spirit is the soul of the Church. It is he who explains to the faithful the deep meaning of the teaching of Jesus and of his mystery. It is the Holy Spirit who, today just as at the beginning of the Church, acts in every evangelizer who allows himself to be possessed and led by him. The Holy Spirit places on his lips the words which he could not find himself, and at the same time the Holy Spirit predisposes the soul of the hearer to be open and receptive to the Good News and to the Kingdom being proclaimed" (Paul VI, "Evangelii Nuntiandi", 75).
__________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
St Paul's Mission
(I am) [2] Assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, [3a] how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, [5] which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; [6] that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
________________
Commentary:
1-21. Christ's saving work on behalf of the Gentiles, calling them to be, with the Jews, living stones in the edifice of the Church, leads the Apostle once again to overflow in prayer (vv. 14-21). But first he considers his own position and what Christ has done in him by making him a minister or servant of the Mystery of Christ (vv. 2-13). He witnesses to the revelation he himself has received, which made this Mystery known to him (vv. 2-5); and he goes on to give a summary of the Mystery, emphasizing the call of the Gentiles to the Church through the preaching of the Gospel (v. 6); he then explains that his mission is precisely to preach the Mystery of Christ to the Gentiles (vv. 7-13).
1-4. What led to St Paul's imprisonment was Jewish charges that he had preached against the Law and had brought Gentiles into the temple (they thought Trophimus, a citizen of Ephesus, was a Gentile: cf. Acts 21:28f). He did not mind so much the chains or the imprisonment or the Romans being his judges and jailers: what he wanted to make clear was that he was imprisoned for preaching to the Gentiles the salvation won by Jesus Christ.
He is very conscious of being an instrument specially chosen by God: he has been given the grace to reveal the "Mystery" (cf. Rom 1:15; 2 Cor 12:2f). He is clearly referring to the vision he had on the road to Damascus (cf. Acts 9:2) and possibly to later revelations as well. His encounter with the risen Christ, who identifies himself with his Church (cf. Acts 9:5), is the origin and basis of his grasp of God's eternal plan, the "Mystery", which is one of the central teachings in this letter. The fact that Christ revealed himself to Paul and chose him to be the preacher of the Gospel to the Gentiles is something which Paul sees as part of the systematic implementation--the "oikonomia"--of God's plan.
5. In the Old Testament the promise made to Abraham revealed that in his offspring all the nations of the earth would be blessed (cf. Gen 12:3; Sir 44:21); but how this would happen was not revealed. The Jews always thought that it would come about through their exaltation over other nations. Through the revelation Jesus made to him, St Paul has discovered that God has chosen another way--that of bringing the Gentiles into the Church, the body of Christ, on equal terms with the Jews. This is the "Mystery", the plan of God as revealed by the mission Christ gave his apostles or envoys (cf. Mt 28:19), of whom St Paul is one (cf. 3:8). Once again, as in 2:20, prophets are mentioned together with apostles; this may mean either the Old Testament prophets who announced the coming Messiah, or the New Testament prophets, that is, the Apostles themselves and other Christians who had insight, through revelation, into God's saving plans for the Gentiles and who proclaimed them under the inspiration of the Spirit. The context and other passages in Ephesians and elsewhere in the New Testament (cf. Eph 4:11; 1 Cor 12:28f; Acts 11:27; etc.) would suggest that he is referring to New Testament prophets. The Holy Spirit has revealed the Mystery to them "that they might preach the Gospel, stir up faith in Jesus the Messiah and Lord, and bring together the Church" (Vatican II, "Dei Verbum", 17). St Paul does not see himself as the only person to whom it has been given to know the Mystery revealed in Jesus Christ. All that he is saying is that, by the grace of God, it has been made known to him and that its preaching has been entrusted to him in a special way, just as it was given to St Peter to preach it to the Jews (cf. Gal 2:7).
St Paul attributes to the Holy Spirit the revelation of the Mystery, recalling, no doubt, how he himself came to know it after his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (cf. Acts 9:17). It is the Spirit also who acts in the apostles and prophets (cf. Acts 2:17), and it is he who on an on-going basis vivifies the Church, enabling it to proclaim the Gospel. "The Holy Spirit is the soul of the Church. It is he who explains to the faithful the deep meaning of the teaching of Jesus and of his mystery. It is the Holy Spirit who, today just as at the beginning of the Church, acts in every evangelizer who allows himself to be possessed and led by him. The Holy Spirit places on his lips the words which he could not find himself, and at the same time the Holy Spirit predisposes the soul of the hearer to be open and receptive to the Good News and to the Kingdom being proclaimed" (Paul VI, "Evangelii Nuntiandi", 75).
__________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
1st Reading for the Epiphany of the Lord
From: Isaiah 60:1-6
A Radiant New Jerusalem
[1] Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. [2] For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. [3] And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
[4] Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried in the arms. [5] Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. [6] A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come.
__________________
Commentary:
60:1-64:11 In the central section of Third Isaiah, the restored Jerusalem has a wonderful radiance; it is the dwelling place of the glory of the Lord, and from it all the nations will hear about God's salvation. These are chapters that shine with hope and joy. In the opening verses, Jerusalem, the Lord's spouse, is invited to leap with joy, for the glory of the Lord will light up the holy city, which will become a beacon for the nations (60:1-22). From there, too, the Lord's herald proclaims the good news of salvation to the poor, the oppressed and all who labor under some burden (61:1-11). The holy city will radiate righteousness for all the nations to see (62:1-12). Finally, the Lord, depicted as a conqueror, enthroned in a glorious Jerusalem, is proclaimed as the sovereign lord who wilt judge and reward and punish (63:1-64:11).
60:1-22. These verses are a magnificent hymn to Jerusalem, completely restored, idealized; the prophet does not need to identify it by name. The most remarkable feature of the city is its radiance, mentioned at the start and end of the poem (vv. 1-3 and 19-22): it stems from the glory of the Lord, who has made the city's temple his dwelling-place. The city acts as a magnet for all the nations, not only because it ins- tructs them by means of the Law and by the word of God, as we heard at the start of the book (2:2-4; cf. Mic 4:1-3) but also because they are in awe of its splendor. The central verses of the poem rejoice in the pilgrimages that make their way to the holy city: first, those of Israelites, who had been scattered across the world: the pilgrims are most happy and they bear rich gifts for the Lord (vv. 4-9). Foreigners will come, too, and they will bring precious materials to reconstruct and embellish the city they previously destroyed. The obeisance they must do corresponds to the harm they did earlier (vv. 10-14). But the most important event is the arrival of the Lord who will bring gifts in abundance, the most precious being peace (vv. 15-10) and light (vv. 19-22). This picture of the new Jerusalem (one would expect) must have raised the spirits of those engaged in the final stages of the rebuilding of the temple.
This poem clearly has resonances with the eschatological description of the heavenly Jerusalem in the Revelation to John (cf. Rev 21:9-27). Some of the wording is virtually the same: cf. v. 3 with Rev 21:24 ("By its light shall the nations work; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it"); v. 11 with Rev 21:25-26 ("its gates shall never be shut by day--and there will be no night there"); v. 14 with Rev 3:9 ("I will make them come and bow down before your feet"); v. 19 with Rev 21:23 ("the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb") and 22:5 ("night shall be no more; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and ever"). The hopes harbored by the early Christians (and the consolation to which the new people of God look forward) are in continuity with the hope felt by the ancient people of Israel. The message of Isaiah and that of the book of Revelation were each (in different historical contexts) calling for firm faith in the Savior of all. The New Testament fills out the Old by openly declaring that God saves us through his Son, Jesus Christ.
60:4-9. The pilgrimage described here comes from all corners of the earth, and yet it is a familial one. It is made up of people who were scattered throughout the known world, and not just those exiled in Babylon. Those from the west come by sea (v. 5), bearing the sort of goods normally transported by sea, particularly by Greek and Phoeni- cian merchants. Those from the east, from the Arabian peninsula (Kedar and Nebaioth) and further afield will travel in caravans bringing precious commodities typical of the area--silver, gold etc. (v. 6).
The visit of the Magi, who came bearing presents to adore Jesus, is in line with the sort of commerce that was current at the time, and it is probably connected with this text of Isaiah. Certainly, when this passage is read in the liturgy on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, the implication is that those rich gifts brought to the temple in honor of the Lord prefigure those that the Magi offered to him who is truly the "Lord your God", "the Holy One of Israel" (v. 9). "Today, the wiseman finds lying in a manger the One he had searched for as a brilliant light shining among the stars. Today, the wise man sees wrapped in swaddling clothes the One he long sought to find, unveiled, in the heavens. Today, to his great surprise, the wise man discerns in what he studies: heaven on earth, earth in the heavens, man in God, and God in man; what the whole universe could not contain inhabits the body of a child. And seeing all this, he believes and doubts no more; and he announces it to all, using his mystical powers: incense for God, gold for the King, and myrrh for the One who will die. Today, the Gentile who was once last is first, because the faith of the wise man sanctifies the belief of all the peoples" (St Peter Chrysologus, "Semones", 160).
And Eusebius of Caesarea comments: "The conversion of the Gentiles glorifies the Church of God in a special way. The prophecy, 'I will glorify my glorious house' [60:7], is fulfilled. This promise was made to the old Jerusalem, the mother of the new city, who, as has already been said, was the community of all among the ancient people who lived righteous lives--the prophets and patriarchs, all just men, those to whom the coming of Christ was first proclaimed" ("Commentaria in Isaiam", 60, 6-7).
__________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
A Radiant New Jerusalem
[1] Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. [2] For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. [3] And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
[4] Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried in the arms. [5] Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. [6] A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come.
__________________
Commentary:
60:1-64:11 In the central section of Third Isaiah, the restored Jerusalem has a wonderful radiance; it is the dwelling place of the glory of the Lord, and from it all the nations will hear about God's salvation. These are chapters that shine with hope and joy. In the opening verses, Jerusalem, the Lord's spouse, is invited to leap with joy, for the glory of the Lord will light up the holy city, which will become a beacon for the nations (60:1-22). From there, too, the Lord's herald proclaims the good news of salvation to the poor, the oppressed and all who labor under some burden (61:1-11). The holy city will radiate righteousness for all the nations to see (62:1-12). Finally, the Lord, depicted as a conqueror, enthroned in a glorious Jerusalem, is proclaimed as the sovereign lord who wilt judge and reward and punish (63:1-64:11).
60:1-22. These verses are a magnificent hymn to Jerusalem, completely restored, idealized; the prophet does not need to identify it by name. The most remarkable feature of the city is its radiance, mentioned at the start and end of the poem (vv. 1-3 and 19-22): it stems from the glory of the Lord, who has made the city's temple his dwelling-place. The city acts as a magnet for all the nations, not only because it ins- tructs them by means of the Law and by the word of God, as we heard at the start of the book (2:2-4; cf. Mic 4:1-3) but also because they are in awe of its splendor. The central verses of the poem rejoice in the pilgrimages that make their way to the holy city: first, those of Israelites, who had been scattered across the world: the pilgrims are most happy and they bear rich gifts for the Lord (vv. 4-9). Foreigners will come, too, and they will bring precious materials to reconstruct and embellish the city they previously destroyed. The obeisance they must do corresponds to the harm they did earlier (vv. 10-14). But the most important event is the arrival of the Lord who will bring gifts in abundance, the most precious being peace (vv. 15-10) and light (vv. 19-22). This picture of the new Jerusalem (one would expect) must have raised the spirits of those engaged in the final stages of the rebuilding of the temple.
This poem clearly has resonances with the eschatological description of the heavenly Jerusalem in the Revelation to John (cf. Rev 21:9-27). Some of the wording is virtually the same: cf. v. 3 with Rev 21:24 ("By its light shall the nations work; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it"); v. 11 with Rev 21:25-26 ("its gates shall never be shut by day--and there will be no night there"); v. 14 with Rev 3:9 ("I will make them come and bow down before your feet"); v. 19 with Rev 21:23 ("the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb") and 22:5 ("night shall be no more; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and ever"). The hopes harbored by the early Christians (and the consolation to which the new people of God look forward) are in continuity with the hope felt by the ancient people of Israel. The message of Isaiah and that of the book of Revelation were each (in different historical contexts) calling for firm faith in the Savior of all. The New Testament fills out the Old by openly declaring that God saves us through his Son, Jesus Christ.
60:4-9. The pilgrimage described here comes from all corners of the earth, and yet it is a familial one. It is made up of people who were scattered throughout the known world, and not just those exiled in Babylon. Those from the west come by sea (v. 5), bearing the sort of goods normally transported by sea, particularly by Greek and Phoeni- cian merchants. Those from the east, from the Arabian peninsula (Kedar and Nebaioth) and further afield will travel in caravans bringing precious commodities typical of the area--silver, gold etc. (v. 6).
The visit of the Magi, who came bearing presents to adore Jesus, is in line with the sort of commerce that was current at the time, and it is probably connected with this text of Isaiah. Certainly, when this passage is read in the liturgy on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, the implication is that those rich gifts brought to the temple in honor of the Lord prefigure those that the Magi offered to him who is truly the "Lord your God", "the Holy One of Israel" (v. 9). "Today, the wiseman finds lying in a manger the One he had searched for as a brilliant light shining among the stars. Today, the wise man sees wrapped in swaddling clothes the One he long sought to find, unveiled, in the heavens. Today, to his great surprise, the wise man discerns in what he studies: heaven on earth, earth in the heavens, man in God, and God in man; what the whole universe could not contain inhabits the body of a child. And seeing all this, he believes and doubts no more; and he announces it to all, using his mystical powers: incense for God, gold for the King, and myrrh for the One who will die. Today, the Gentile who was once last is first, because the faith of the wise man sanctifies the belief of all the peoples" (St Peter Chrysologus, "Semones", 160).
And Eusebius of Caesarea comments: "The conversion of the Gentiles glorifies the Church of God in a special way. The prophecy, 'I will glorify my glorious house' [60:7], is fulfilled. This promise was made to the old Jerusalem, the mother of the new city, who, as has already been said, was the community of all among the ancient people who lived righteous lives--the prophets and patriarchs, all just men, those to whom the coming of Christ was first proclaimed" ("Commentaria in Isaiam", 60, 6-7).
__________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Just for Today, January 6
To some I speak things common, to others things more particular; to some I sweetly appear in signs and figures, to other in great light I reveal mysteries.
-Bk. III, ch. xliii.
__________________
Since Christmas Celine had begun to share my most intimate thoughts. Our Lord wished us to make progress together, and so united us in a bond closer than mere ties of blood by making our very souls sisters. I love to recall our conversations at that time, as we sat in the belvedere looking out at the starry sky. I believe that we received many graces; as the author of the Imitation says: To some I sweetly appear in signs and figures, to others in great light I reveal mysteries. He revealed Himself to our hearts, and the veil that hid Him was almost transparent. To doubt would have been impossible; whilst yet on earth we had found, through love, Him whom we sought, so that faith and hope were in abeyance.
-The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme)
__________________
For a List of Abbreviations, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
-Bk. III, ch. xliii.
__________________
Since Christmas Celine had begun to share my most intimate thoughts. Our Lord wished us to make progress together, and so united us in a bond closer than mere ties of blood by making our very souls sisters. I love to recall our conversations at that time, as we sat in the belvedere looking out at the starry sky. I believe that we received many graces; as the author of the Imitation says: To some I sweetly appear in signs and figures, to others in great light I reveal mysteries. He revealed Himself to our hearts, and the veil that hid Him was almost transparent. To doubt would have been impossible; whilst yet on earth we had found, through love, Him whom we sought, so that faith and hope were in abeyance.
-The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme)
__________________
For a List of Abbreviations, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
Thoughts and Counsels - January 6
Prayer is a pasturage, a field, wherein all the virtues find their nourishment, growth, and strength.
-St Catherine of Siena
________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
-St Catherine of Siena
________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
Meditation for January 6, The Epiphany
The gifts of the Magi are preserved, it is believed, at the monastery of Mount Athos in Greece. Whether it be fact or legend does not matter here; let us consider now their symbolic value. We are shown twelve little triangles in gold filigree work and seventy-two grains of incense and myrrh.
Twelve and seventy-two, may that not have been a figure of the twelve Apostles and the seventy-two disciples? For us, however, the interest of these eighty-four little objects lies elsewhere; they are not massive ingots or great quantities of perfume, but simply thin filigree and tiny grains.
We dream sometimes of giving Our Lord substantial worthwhile gifts, but certainly, the three vows which are symbolized by the gold, incense and myrrh, are not negligible. How we ought to bless God for having allowed us to offer them to Him. But the sacrifices God asks of us through our Rule and vows are slight in themselves. Is it just because it is a question of little things that we often sin by omission? While waiting for important occasions that never come, we neglect the little offerings. The filigree is too fine, the grains of myrrh and incense almost imperceptible!
Poor tactics! Therefore the lesson that comes to us from Mount Athos is very significant.
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Twelve and seventy-two, may that not have been a figure of the twelve Apostles and the seventy-two disciples? For us, however, the interest of these eighty-four little objects lies elsewhere; they are not massive ingots or great quantities of perfume, but simply thin filigree and tiny grains.
We dream sometimes of giving Our Lord substantial worthwhile gifts, but certainly, the three vows which are symbolized by the gold, incense and myrrh, are not negligible. How we ought to bless God for having allowed us to offer them to Him. But the sacrifices God asks of us through our Rule and vows are slight in themselves. Is it just because it is a question of little things that we often sin by omission? While waiting for important occasions that never come, we neglect the little offerings. The filigree is too fine, the grains of myrrh and incense almost imperceptible!
Poor tactics! Therefore the lesson that comes to us from Mount Athos is very significant.
"O Jesus, You wished to appear in Your crib as a Tiny Babe in order not to frighten me, but to make me understand that if I have only little things to offer, You will not be offended. You understand my nothingness and my inability to offer You anything but trifles. Grant me enough simplicity to dare to offer You these trifles, enough generosity not to refuse them to You and enough love to make these trifles really valuable._________________
"Divine Little One, grant me the virtue of fidelity in little things and deign to see in it my thirst for a greater love of You."
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Gospel for Jan 5, Memorial: St. John Neumann, Bishop
Old Calendar: St. Telesphorus, pope and martyr
From: John 1:43-51
The Calling of the First Disciples (Continuation)
[43] The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." [44] Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. [45] Philip found Nathaniel, and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." [46] Nathaniel said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." [47] Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to Him, and said to him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" [48] Nathaniel said to Him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." [49] Nathaniel answered Him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! [50] Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these." [51] And He said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see Heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
____________________
Commentary:
43. "Follow Me" is what Jesus usually says to all His disciples (cf. Mt 4:19; 8:22; 9:9). During Jesus' lifetime, His invitation to follow Him implied being with Him in His public ministry, listening to His teaching, imitating His lifestyle, etc. Once the Lord ascended into Heaven, following Him obviously does not mean going with Him along the roads of Palestine; it means that "a Christian should live as Christ lived, making the affections of Christ his own, so that he can exclaim with St Paul: "It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me'" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 103). In all cases our Lord's invitation involves setting out on a journey: that is, it requires one to lead a life of striving always to do God's will even if this involves generous self-sacrifice.
45-51. The Apostle Philip is so moved that he cannot but tell his friend Nathanael (Bartholomew) about his wonderful discovery (verse 45). "Nathanael had heard from Scripture that Jesus must come from Bethlehem, from the people of David. This belief prevailed among the Jews and also the prophet had proclaimed it of old, saying: `But you, O Bethlehem, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler of Israel' (Micah 5:2). Therefore, when he heard that He was from Nazareth, he was troubled and in doubt, since he found that the announcement of Philip was not in agreement with the words of the prophecy" (St. John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St. John", 20, 1).
A Christian may find that, in trying to communicate his faith to others, they raise difficulties. What should he do? What Philip did--not trust his own explanation, but invite them to approach Jesus personally: "Come and see" (verse 46). In other words, a Christian should bring his fellow-men, his brothers into Jesus' presence through the means of grace which He has given them and which the Church ministers--frequent reception of the sacraments, and devout Christian practices.
Nathanael, a sincere person (verse 47), goes along with Philip to see Jesus; he makes personal contact with our Lord (verse 48), and the outcome is that he receives faith (the result of his ready reception of grace, which reaches him through Christ's human nature: verse 49).
As far as we can deduce from the Gospels, Nathanael is the first Apostle to make an explicit confession of faith in Jesus as Messiah and as Son of God. Later on St. Peter, in a more formal way, will recognize our Lord's divinity (cf. Matthew 16:16). Here (verse 51) Jesus evokes a text from Daniel (7:13) to confirm and give deeper meaning to the words spoken by His new disciple.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
From: John 1:43-51
The Calling of the First Disciples (Continuation)
[43] The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." [44] Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. [45] Philip found Nathaniel, and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." [46] Nathaniel said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." [47] Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to Him, and said to him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" [48] Nathaniel said to Him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." [49] Nathaniel answered Him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! [50] Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these." [51] And He said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see Heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
____________________
Commentary:
43. "Follow Me" is what Jesus usually says to all His disciples (cf. Mt 4:19; 8:22; 9:9). During Jesus' lifetime, His invitation to follow Him implied being with Him in His public ministry, listening to His teaching, imitating His lifestyle, etc. Once the Lord ascended into Heaven, following Him obviously does not mean going with Him along the roads of Palestine; it means that "a Christian should live as Christ lived, making the affections of Christ his own, so that he can exclaim with St Paul: "It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me'" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 103). In all cases our Lord's invitation involves setting out on a journey: that is, it requires one to lead a life of striving always to do God's will even if this involves generous self-sacrifice.
45-51. The Apostle Philip is so moved that he cannot but tell his friend Nathanael (Bartholomew) about his wonderful discovery (verse 45). "Nathanael had heard from Scripture that Jesus must come from Bethlehem, from the people of David. This belief prevailed among the Jews and also the prophet had proclaimed it of old, saying: `But you, O Bethlehem, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler of Israel' (Micah 5:2). Therefore, when he heard that He was from Nazareth, he was troubled and in doubt, since he found that the announcement of Philip was not in agreement with the words of the prophecy" (St. John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St. John", 20, 1).
A Christian may find that, in trying to communicate his faith to others, they raise difficulties. What should he do? What Philip did--not trust his own explanation, but invite them to approach Jesus personally: "Come and see" (verse 46). In other words, a Christian should bring his fellow-men, his brothers into Jesus' presence through the means of grace which He has given them and which the Church ministers--frequent reception of the sacraments, and devout Christian practices.
Nathanael, a sincere person (verse 47), goes along with Philip to see Jesus; he makes personal contact with our Lord (verse 48), and the outcome is that he receives faith (the result of his ready reception of grace, which reaches him through Christ's human nature: verse 49).
As far as we can deduce from the Gospels, Nathanael is the first Apostle to make an explicit confession of faith in Jesus as Messiah and as Son of God. Later on St. Peter, in a more formal way, will recognize our Lord's divinity (cf. Matthew 16:16). Here (verse 51) Jesus evokes a text from Daniel (7:13) to confirm and give deeper meaning to the words spoken by His new disciple.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Just for Today, January 5
Love feels no burden, values no labours, would willingly do more than it can; complains not of impossibility, because it conceives that it may and can do all things. It is able, therefore, to do anything, and it performs and effects many things, where he that loves not, faints and lies down.
-Bk. III, ch. v.
________________
For the first time in my life I was to pay a visit without my sisters, and the visit was to be to a bishop! I, who never spoke unless someone asked me a question, had now to explain my reasons for wanting to enter Carmel, and show that my vocation was genuine. What it cost me to overcome my shyness! But how true it is that: love complains not of impossibility, because it conceives that it may and can do all things.
Nothing but love of Our Lord could have made me face these difficulties and those that were to follow, for I was to pay dearly for my happiness. Looking back today, the cost seems trifling, and if it had still to be paid I would willingly go through trials a thousand times worse.
-The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme)
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
-Bk. III, ch. v.
________________
For the first time in my life I was to pay a visit without my sisters, and the visit was to be to a bishop! I, who never spoke unless someone asked me a question, had now to explain my reasons for wanting to enter Carmel, and show that my vocation was genuine. What it cost me to overcome my shyness! But how true it is that: love complains not of impossibility, because it conceives that it may and can do all things.
Nothing but love of Our Lord could have made me face these difficulties and those that were to follow, for I was to pay dearly for my happiness. Looking back today, the cost seems trifling, and if it had still to be paid I would willingly go through trials a thousand times worse.
-The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme)
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
Thoughts and Counsels - January 5
Place before your eyes as models for imitation, not the weak and cowardly, but the fervent and courageous.
-St. Ignatius
________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
-St. Ignatius
________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
Meditation for January 5, The Poverty of the Crib
St. Therese of the Child Jesus writes that as a postulant she delighted in having nice things for her use and in never being without anything she needed.
"And Jesus," she said, "suffered that patiently because He does not like to disclose everything at once to the soul. He is accustomed to give His light little by little."
She did not realize then that it was more perfect to want for even necessary things in religious life; she was not yet so far advanced in perfection as to desire the least agreeable to nature, either through charity for others, or to free her soul from every attachment to the comforts of this life.
Later, God attracted the attention of Therese to the riches and advantages of poverty.
"I was seized," she says, "with a veritable love for the ugliest and most worn things. I experienced joy when I saw a pretty little pitcher taken from my cell and replaced by a clumsy one badly cracked."
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
"And Jesus," she said, "suffered that patiently because He does not like to disclose everything at once to the soul. He is accustomed to give His light little by little."
She did not realize then that it was more perfect to want for even necessary things in religious life; she was not yet so far advanced in perfection as to desire the least agreeable to nature, either through charity for others, or to free her soul from every attachment to the comforts of this life.
Later, God attracted the attention of Therese to the riches and advantages of poverty.
"I was seized," she says, "with a veritable love for the ugliest and most worn things. I experienced joy when I saw a pretty little pitcher taken from my cell and replaced by a clumsy one badly cracked."
"O Jesus, model of perfect detachment; Jesus, born in a stable; so often without shelter during your public life; utterly indifferent as to food and clothing; grant that I may be entirely detached from objects given me to use. Permit me, when I may choose, to seek without undue eagerness, but with courage and simplicity, what is poorest, and when nothing is wanting to me, let me manage voluntarily to deprive myself of necessities._________________
"Jesus, who loves poverty, make me poor, truly poor, in spirit and in truth."
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Phoenix Diocese Urges Catholics Not to Attend Fushek Services
The Diocese of Phoenix is urging Catholics not to attend a suspended priest's non-denominational services, but Dale Fushek's magnetism keeps filling the Mesa Convention Center while he awaits trial on misdemeanor sex charges.Maybe St Louis' new priestesses could learn from him? He certainly draws a crowd...Anyway, since Fushek is suspended, he should not be engaging in public activities like this - it only fosters more dissent and disobedience and division.
The former longtime pastor of St. Timothy's Catholic Church in Mesa, Fushek's latest service at his Praise and Worship Center is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Sunday at the Mesa Convention Center. His last service on Dec. 23 drew an estimated 700 people and his first service on Thanksgiving drew about 500.
"We're actually encouraging Catholics to refrain from attending. We would hope that they don't," said Jim Dwyer, a spokesman for the Diocese. "I think most leaders in the church would say your devotion should be to Christ, not an individual leader..."
Archdiocese Organizes Trip to New York for Mass with Pope Benedict XVI
The Archdiocese of St. Louis is organizing a trip to New York April 17-21 for the visit there by Pope Benedict XVI.For the schedule and more information,
The pilgrimage will include attending a papal Mass at Yankee Stadium Sunday, April 20.
"The first pastoral visit of Pope Benedict XVI to our nation is, indeed, a historic event," said Archbishop Raymond Burke in announcing the pilgrimage.
The Archdioceses of Washington, D.C., and New York "have graciously offered the possibility of participation by faithful of the Archdiocese of St. Louis," he said. The pope will be in Washington for two days before going to New York.
"Having received the invitation of the archbishop of New York, Cardinal Edward Egan, I wanted to organize, with the help of Msgr. Henry J. Breier and Ms. Jennifer Stanard, a pilgrimage of archdiocesan faithful to meet the Holy Father when he visits New York," Archbishop Burke said.
He said all of the seminarians at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Shrewsbury will have the opportunity to meet the pope in New York when he gathers with seminarians from across the nation.
Msgr. Breier, secretary to the archbishop, said that tickets are limited and that the archdiocese has asked for 100. "We wish we could get more so more people could go," said Msgr. Breier, who will lead the pilgrimage...
Worth Reading...
Conservative Activists Warn "Aggressive Cover-up" of Pro-abortion, Pro-gay Romney Legacy
BOSTON, January 3, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A number of Massachusetts conservative leaders are warning pro-life and pro-family voters to pay close attention to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's decisions as governor on marriage, life, children, and family, saying that a number of conservatives are covering up a pro-abortion, pro-gay legacy to sustain his candidacy...
Gospel for Jan 4, Memorial: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Married Woman, Religious
From: John 1:35-42
The Calling of the First Disciples
[35] The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; [36] and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" [37] The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. [38] Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" And they said to Him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are You staying?" [39] He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. [40] One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. [41] He first found his brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah' (which means Christ). [42] He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "So you are Simon, the son of John? You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter).
___________________
Commentary:
35-39. Through these words of the Baptist, these two disciples are moved by grace to approach the Lord. John's testimony is an example of the special graces God distributes to attract people to Himself. Sometimes He addresses a person directly by stirring his soul and inviting him to follow Him; at other times, as in the present case, He chooses to use someone close to us who knows us, to bring us to meet Christ.
The two disciples already had a keen desire to see the Messiah; John's words move them to try to become friends of our Lord: it is not merely natural curiosity but Christ's personality which attracts them. They want to get to know Him, to be taught by Him and to enjoy His company. "Come and see" (John 1:39; cf. 11:34)--a tender invitation to begin that intimate friendship they were seeking. Time and personal contact with Christ will be needed to make them more secure in their vocation. The Apostle St John, one of the protagonists in this scene, notes the exact time it took place: "it was about the tenth hour", roughly four in the afternoon.
Christian faith can never be just a matter of intellectual curiosity; it affects one's whole life: a person cannot understand it unless he really lives it; therefore, our Lord does not at this point tell them in detail about His way of life; He invites them to spend the day with Him. St Thomas Aquinas comments on this passage saying that our Lord speaks in a lofty, mystical way because what God is (in Himself or in grace) can only be understood through experience: words cannot describe it. We grow in this understanding by doing good works (they immediately accepted Christ's invitation and as a reward "they saw"), by recollection and by applying our mind to the contemplation of divine things, by desiring to taste the sweetness of God, by assiduous prayer. Our Lord invited everyone to do all this when He said, "Come and see", and the disciples discovered it all when, in obedience to our Lord, "they went" and were able to learn by personal experience, whereas they could not understand the words alone (cf. "Commentary on St John, in loc".).
40-41. The Evangelist now gives us the name of one of the two disciples involved in the previous scene; he will mention Andrew again in connection with the multiplication of the loaves (John 6:8) and the last Passover (John 12:22).
We cannot be absolutely sure who the second disciple was; but since the very earliest centuries of the Christian era he has always been taken to be the Evangelist himself. The vividness of the account, the detail of giving the exact time, and even John's tendency to remain anonymous (John 19:16; 20:2; 21:7,20) seem to confirm this.
"St John the Apostle, who pours into his narrative so much that is first-hand, tells of his first unforgettable conversations with Christ. `"Master where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They went and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.'
"This divine and human dialogue completely changed the life of John and Andrew, and Peter and James and so many others. It prepared their hearts to listen to the authoritative teaching which Jesus gave them beside the Sea of Galilee" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ is Passing By", 108).
Those hours spent with our Lord soon produce the first results of apostolate. Andrew, unable to contain his joy, tells Simon Peter the news that he has found the Messiah, and brings him to Him. Now, as then, there is a pressing need to bring others to know the Lord.
"Open your own hearts to Jesus and tell Him your story. I don't want to generalize. But one day perhaps an ordinary Christian, just like you, opened your eyes to horizons both deep and new, yet as old as the Gospel. He suggested to you the prospect of following Christ earnestly, seriously, of becoming an apostle of apostles. Perhaps you lost your balance then and didn't recover it. Your complacency wasn't quite replaced by true peace until you freely said 'yes' to God, because you wanted to, which is the most supernatural of reasons. And in its wake came a strong, constant joy, which disappears only when you abandon Him" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 1).
42. What was it like when Jesus looked at someone? From what He says here, He seems both imperious and tender. On other occasions His glance is enough to invite a person to leave everything and follow Him, as in the case of Matthew (Matthew 9:9); or He seems to be full of love, as in His meeting with the rich young man (Mark 10:21), or He seems angry or sad, because of the Pharisees' unbelief (Mark 2:5), or compassionate, towards the widow of Nain (Luke 7:13). He is able to move Zacchaeus' heart to conversion (Luke 19:5); and He Himself is moved by the faith and generosity of the poor widow who gave in alms everything she had (Mark 12:41-44). His penetrating look seems to lay the soul bare to God and provoke one to self-examination and contrition--as happened to the adulterous woman (John 8:10) and to Peter who, after denying Christ (Luke 22:61) wept bitterly (Mark 14:72).
"You shall be called Cephas": naming something is the same as taking possession of the thing named (cf. Genesis 17:5; 22:28; 32:28; Isaiah 62:2). Thus, for example, Adam when he was made lord of creation, gave names to creating things (Genesis 2:20). "Cephas" is the Greek transcription of an Aramaic word meaning stone, rock: therefore, St. John, writing in Greek, has to explain the meaning of the word Jesus used. Cephas was not a proper name, but our Lord put it on Peter to indicate his role as His vicar, which He will later on reveal (Matthew 16:16-18): Simon was destined to be the stone, the rock, of the Church.
The first Christians regarded this new name as so significant that they used it without translating it (cf. Galatians 2:9, 11, 14); later its translation "Peter" (Petros, Petrus) became current, pushing the Apostle's old name--Simon--into the background.
"Son of John": ancient manuscripts include variants, such as "son of Jona".
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
The Calling of the First Disciples
[35] The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; [36] and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" [37] The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. [38] Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" And they said to Him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are You staying?" [39] He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. [40] One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. [41] He first found his brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah' (which means Christ). [42] He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "So you are Simon, the son of John? You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter).
___________________
Commentary:
35-39. Through these words of the Baptist, these two disciples are moved by grace to approach the Lord. John's testimony is an example of the special graces God distributes to attract people to Himself. Sometimes He addresses a person directly by stirring his soul and inviting him to follow Him; at other times, as in the present case, He chooses to use someone close to us who knows us, to bring us to meet Christ.
The two disciples already had a keen desire to see the Messiah; John's words move them to try to become friends of our Lord: it is not merely natural curiosity but Christ's personality which attracts them. They want to get to know Him, to be taught by Him and to enjoy His company. "Come and see" (John 1:39; cf. 11:34)--a tender invitation to begin that intimate friendship they were seeking. Time and personal contact with Christ will be needed to make them more secure in their vocation. The Apostle St John, one of the protagonists in this scene, notes the exact time it took place: "it was about the tenth hour", roughly four in the afternoon.
Christian faith can never be just a matter of intellectual curiosity; it affects one's whole life: a person cannot understand it unless he really lives it; therefore, our Lord does not at this point tell them in detail about His way of life; He invites them to spend the day with Him. St Thomas Aquinas comments on this passage saying that our Lord speaks in a lofty, mystical way because what God is (in Himself or in grace) can only be understood through experience: words cannot describe it. We grow in this understanding by doing good works (they immediately accepted Christ's invitation and as a reward "they saw"), by recollection and by applying our mind to the contemplation of divine things, by desiring to taste the sweetness of God, by assiduous prayer. Our Lord invited everyone to do all this when He said, "Come and see", and the disciples discovered it all when, in obedience to our Lord, "they went" and were able to learn by personal experience, whereas they could not understand the words alone (cf. "Commentary on St John, in loc".).
40-41. The Evangelist now gives us the name of one of the two disciples involved in the previous scene; he will mention Andrew again in connection with the multiplication of the loaves (John 6:8) and the last Passover (John 12:22).
We cannot be absolutely sure who the second disciple was; but since the very earliest centuries of the Christian era he has always been taken to be the Evangelist himself. The vividness of the account, the detail of giving the exact time, and even John's tendency to remain anonymous (John 19:16; 20:2; 21:7,20) seem to confirm this.
"St John the Apostle, who pours into his narrative so much that is first-hand, tells of his first unforgettable conversations with Christ. `"Master where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They went and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.'
"This divine and human dialogue completely changed the life of John and Andrew, and Peter and James and so many others. It prepared their hearts to listen to the authoritative teaching which Jesus gave them beside the Sea of Galilee" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ is Passing By", 108).
Those hours spent with our Lord soon produce the first results of apostolate. Andrew, unable to contain his joy, tells Simon Peter the news that he has found the Messiah, and brings him to Him. Now, as then, there is a pressing need to bring others to know the Lord.
"Open your own hearts to Jesus and tell Him your story. I don't want to generalize. But one day perhaps an ordinary Christian, just like you, opened your eyes to horizons both deep and new, yet as old as the Gospel. He suggested to you the prospect of following Christ earnestly, seriously, of becoming an apostle of apostles. Perhaps you lost your balance then and didn't recover it. Your complacency wasn't quite replaced by true peace until you freely said 'yes' to God, because you wanted to, which is the most supernatural of reasons. And in its wake came a strong, constant joy, which disappears only when you abandon Him" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 1).
42. What was it like when Jesus looked at someone? From what He says here, He seems both imperious and tender. On other occasions His glance is enough to invite a person to leave everything and follow Him, as in the case of Matthew (Matthew 9:9); or He seems to be full of love, as in His meeting with the rich young man (Mark 10:21), or He seems angry or sad, because of the Pharisees' unbelief (Mark 2:5), or compassionate, towards the widow of Nain (Luke 7:13). He is able to move Zacchaeus' heart to conversion (Luke 19:5); and He Himself is moved by the faith and generosity of the poor widow who gave in alms everything she had (Mark 12:41-44). His penetrating look seems to lay the soul bare to God and provoke one to self-examination and contrition--as happened to the adulterous woman (John 8:10) and to Peter who, after denying Christ (Luke 22:61) wept bitterly (Mark 14:72).
"You shall be called Cephas": naming something is the same as taking possession of the thing named (cf. Genesis 17:5; 22:28; 32:28; Isaiah 62:2). Thus, for example, Adam when he was made lord of creation, gave names to creating things (Genesis 2:20). "Cephas" is the Greek transcription of an Aramaic word meaning stone, rock: therefore, St. John, writing in Greek, has to explain the meaning of the word Jesus used. Cephas was not a proper name, but our Lord put it on Peter to indicate his role as His vicar, which He will later on reveal (Matthew 16:16-18): Simon was destined to be the stone, the rock, of the Church.
The first Christians regarded this new name as so significant that they used it without translating it (cf. Galatians 2:9, 11, 14); later its translation "Peter" (Petros, Petrus) became current, pushing the Apostle's old name--Simon--into the background.
"Son of John": ancient manuscripts include variants, such as "son of Jona".
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Just for Today, January 4
In this, most of all, hast Thou shown me the sweetness of Thy love, that when I had no being Thou hast made me; and when I strayed far from Thee, Thou hast brought me back again, that I might serve Thee; and Thou hast commanded me to love Thee. O Fountain of everlasting love, what shall I say to Thee? How can I ever forget Thee, who hast vouchsafed to remember me, even after that I was corrupted and was lost? Thou hast beyond all hope shown mercy to Thy servant, and beyond all my desert bestowed Thy grace and friendship on me.
What return shall I make to Thee for this favour? for it is a favour not granted to all, to forsake all things and renounce the world, and choose a monastic life. Can it be much to serve Thee, whom the whole creation is bound to serve? It ought not to seem much to me to serve Thee; but this seems rather great and wonderful to me, that Thou vouchsafest to receive one so wretched and unworthy into Thy service, and to associate him to Thy beloved servants.
-Bk. III, ch. x.
___________________
Opening the Gospels my eyes fell upon these words: Going up into a mountain he called to him whom he would (Mark iii, 13). These words sum up the mystery of my vocation and of my whole life, and above all the mystery of the special graces bestowed on my soul. He does not choose those who are worthy, but those whom He is pleased to call. As St Paul says, quoting Exodus: I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy (Exod. xxxiii, 19). So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy (Rom. ix, 16).
-The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme)
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
What return shall I make to Thee for this favour? for it is a favour not granted to all, to forsake all things and renounce the world, and choose a monastic life. Can it be much to serve Thee, whom the whole creation is bound to serve? It ought not to seem much to me to serve Thee; but this seems rather great and wonderful to me, that Thou vouchsafest to receive one so wretched and unworthy into Thy service, and to associate him to Thy beloved servants.
-Bk. III, ch. x.
___________________
Opening the Gospels my eyes fell upon these words: Going up into a mountain he called to him whom he would (Mark iii, 13). These words sum up the mystery of my vocation and of my whole life, and above all the mystery of the special graces bestowed on my soul. He does not choose those who are worthy, but those whom He is pleased to call. As St Paul says, quoting Exodus: I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy (Exod. xxxiii, 19). So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy (Rom. ix, 16).
-The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme)
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
Thoughts and Counsels - January 4
Leave to everyone the care of what belongs to him, and disturb not thyself with what is said or done in the world.
-St. Thomas Aquinas
________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
-St. Thomas Aquinas
________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
Meditation for January 4, The Shepherds and the Magi
Jesus between the rich and the poor! He reaches out His hand to save both the one and the other. The poor arrive sooner because they are nearer and have fewer obstacles to overcome. The Magi come from afar; they must cross mountains and traverse extensive plains.
An angel is sent to the shepherds, only a star to the Magi; as though God wanted to show more honor to those who are least in the eyes of the world.
What folly to wish to separate the poor and the rich or to pit them one against the other. Both have access to the cross of the Savior; the poor, to learn to bear their poverty; the rich, to learn to detach themselves from their wealth for the sake of the poor.
Let the poor take courage from the example of our Lord suffering privations. To deny that Christ endured privations would be to deny the whole Gospel, from Bethlehem to Calvary; that does not mean, however, that Christ denounces those who possess more of this world's goods.
First of all, the goods of the earth are of little account, and secondly, those who possess them have a weighty responsibility; the care of their brethren is incumbent upon them and on the last day they must answer for the use of their goods. The account will be exacting as is only just.
But besides this lesson for the human race as a whole, what special lesson does this mystery hold for me?
If the poor are the Savior's favorites, I know how to become one of His elite. The more I am detached, the more Jesus of the manger will recognize me as His own. Even in religious life, where poverty is not only proper but required, one can be rich. And might it not be to purify religious from all dross of attachment to worldly goods that, from time to time, a persecution comes to snatch everything from those who have formally vowed poverty?
I must not wait to be forcibly expelled from my convent to live poor. My poverty must not come from circumstances, but from love.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
An angel is sent to the shepherds, only a star to the Magi; as though God wanted to show more honor to those who are least in the eyes of the world.
What folly to wish to separate the poor and the rich or to pit them one against the other. Both have access to the cross of the Savior; the poor, to learn to bear their poverty; the rich, to learn to detach themselves from their wealth for the sake of the poor.
Let the poor take courage from the example of our Lord suffering privations. To deny that Christ endured privations would be to deny the whole Gospel, from Bethlehem to Calvary; that does not mean, however, that Christ denounces those who possess more of this world's goods.
First of all, the goods of the earth are of little account, and secondly, those who possess them have a weighty responsibility; the care of their brethren is incumbent upon them and on the last day they must answer for the use of their goods. The account will be exacting as is only just.
But besides this lesson for the human race as a whole, what special lesson does this mystery hold for me?
If the poor are the Savior's favorites, I know how to become one of His elite. The more I am detached, the more Jesus of the manger will recognize me as His own. Even in religious life, where poverty is not only proper but required, one can be rich. And might it not be to purify religious from all dross of attachment to worldly goods that, from time to time, a persecution comes to snatch everything from those who have formally vowed poverty?
I must not wait to be forcibly expelled from my convent to live poor. My poverty must not come from circumstances, but from love.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Dr Edward Peters on "Accomodating the Deaf"
To best "accomodate the deaf", let's begin by getting to know themRead the rest at: http://www.canonlaw.info/2008/01/to-best-accomodate-deaf-begin-by.html
I am not deaf and I do not presume to speak for them. But, as one with some exposure to certain issues facing deaf Catholics, I think a response to Rev. Edward McNamara's January 1 Zenit post entitled "Accommodating the Deaf" is needed. One "M.D.", a Canadian, had asked Fr. McNamara whether Catholic churches should have American Sign Language and closed-captioning available at Mass and whether deaf people were allowed to enter religious life. I recognize Fr. McNamara's expertise in liturgical matters and applaud his desire to see deaf Catholics accorded their basic rights, but I found his discussion of these matters markedly wanting.
Priest endures 'painful journey'
Christmas came two days early this week for parishioners of Our Lady of the Rosary Church when their beloved priest, Father Al Gondek, was allowed to return to the parish cleared of allegations that he sexually abused a boy at a summer camp in 1960...
Gondek was placed on administrative leave Oct. 12 by the Diocese of Charlotte after 59-year-old Michael Sowden of Wilmington, Del., said Gondek fondled him while swimming when he was a boy at a summer camp in Maryland...
Sowden's attorney alleged in a news release in October that Sowden was fondled by Gondek while swimming at the camp in 1960. The investigation showed, however, that the camp did not open until 1961 and Gondek was not assigned there until 1962...
When Gondek left Lexington for Washington in October, he was told to pack for two weeks. The weeks turned into months. Prayer got him through those dark hours, he said.
"I was just relieved," he said of getting a call from his superior that the investigation was over. "It's been a painful journey."
He spent his time at the seminary praying and attending three masses each day..."My faith has deepened...," Gondek said, "...My prayer life has sustained me."
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