A true lover of Christ and a diligent pursuer of virtue does not hunt after comforts, nor seek sensible sweetnesses, but is rather willing to bear strong trials and hard labours for Christ.
- Bk. II, ch. ix.
God would have thee learn to suffer tribulation without comfort.
- Ibid., ch. xii
____________________
I find happiness only in suffering without consolation. It would, however, be seeking your own satisfaction if you wanted to feel this happiness or a real taste for suffering, for when we like anything we no longer suffer. We must be prepared to suffer without feeling the courage to do so. If Jesus was sorrowful when He suffered, there can be no suffering without sorrow. We deceive ourselves if we hope to suffer nobly and gracefully.
- Letters
__________________
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.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Thoughts and Counsels - December 17
It will be a great consolation for us at the hour of death to know that we are to be judged by Him whom we have loved above all things during life.
-St. Teresa
_________________________
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. Teresa
_________________________
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 December 17, The House of God
God lives in me. It is almost incredible how indifferent I can be to that! How changed my life would be if God no longer consented to His august and abiding presence!
On the way to Chanaan, Jacob lay down on a stone to sleep. The desert was an absolute wilderness. In a dream he saw the desert populated in a strange manner. Angels were circling between God and him. Jacob awoke: "The Eternal is here! The Eternal is here! I did not suspect it. What name shall I give to this corner of the country? Is it not the House of God, the Gate of Heaven?"
Jacob awoke. Do I not continue to sleep? I am the house of God. Does that mean anything to me? I can cry out more justly than the patriarch of the desert: "The Eternal is here." It is not a dream, sacred though it might be, that discloses it to me. Divine Revelation itself assures me of it. But I live as though I suspected nothing of the kind. I know, and act as though I did not know. My solitude is inhabited and I persist in considering it a solitude. If I had enough faith to follow the flight of the angels to God, I would see Jacob's ladder, not ascending toward the stars, but descending to the heaven of my soul where God resides. Jacob desired a remembrance of his signal discovery. He placed the stone, which he had used as a pillow, beside the trail as a monument. Posterity would remember forever.
I, too, must raise a monument in my soul, This is the House of God.
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
On the way to Chanaan, Jacob lay down on a stone to sleep. The desert was an absolute wilderness. In a dream he saw the desert populated in a strange manner. Angels were circling between God and him. Jacob awoke: "The Eternal is here! The Eternal is here! I did not suspect it. What name shall I give to this corner of the country? Is it not the House of God, the Gate of Heaven?"
Jacob awoke. Do I not continue to sleep? I am the house of God. Does that mean anything to me? I can cry out more justly than the patriarch of the desert: "The Eternal is here." It is not a dream, sacred though it might be, that discloses it to me. Divine Revelation itself assures me of it. But I live as though I suspected nothing of the kind. I know, and act as though I did not know. My solitude is inhabited and I persist in considering it a solitude. If I had enough faith to follow the flight of the angels to God, I would see Jacob's ladder, not ascending toward the stars, but descending to the heaven of my soul where God resides. Jacob desired a remembrance of his signal discovery. He placed the stone, which he had used as a pillow, beside the trail as a monument. Posterity would remember forever.
I, too, must raise a monument in my soul, This is the House of God.
"O Eternal God, who deigns continually to inhabit my soul, be not content to abide in me, but make me dwell within my own soul. You are there. It is I who am not there. Make me as eager to come to You and remain near You as You are to come to and dwell in me."_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Fr Peter Phan Comes to St Louis....
...Courtesy of the Aquinas Institute
From an Aquinas Institute web page:
See it for yourself here
From an Aquinas Institute web page:
26 Annual Aquinas Lecture - Asian Christianity Meets Western TheologyHis writings are questionable so who brings him to town?
February 3, 2008
4:30 PM
St. Francis Xavier (College) Church Ballroom
Father Peter C. Phan, S.T.D., Ph.D., DD.
Ignacia Ellacuria Chair of Catholic Social Thought
Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Date: Sunday, February 3, 2008,
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Parking: Available in Laclede Garage, on Laclede Avenue, west of Grand Avenue.
Father Phan will explore and discuss the ways in which the lived spirituality of Asian Christianity influences and is influenced by the western theological tradition.
The Aquinas Lecture will be followed by a celebration of the Evening Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas at 5:00 p.m. in the Aquinas Institute Chapel at 23 South Spring Avenue, and a small reception in Ascension Commons (also at Aquinas Institute).
The Aquinas Lecture Is Free And Open To The Public.
See it for yourself here
Roman Catholic Womenpriests: St Louis Ordinations
Someone has posted a short video of fake "ordinations" of Elsie McGrath and Rose Hudson last month...
Any guesses on the poster of this video?
Gospel for Sunday, 3rd Week of Advent
From: Matthew 11:2-11
The Mission of John the Baptist. Jesus' Reply
[2] Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples [3] and said to him, " Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?" [4] And Jesus answered them. "Go and tell John what you hear and see: [5] the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. [6] And blessed is he who takes no offense at me."
[7] As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? [8] Why then did you go out? To see a mana clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who wear soft raiment are in kings' houses. [9] Why then did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. [10] This is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.'
[11] "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
___________________
Commentary:
2. John knew that Jesus was the Messiah (cf. Mt 3:13-17). He sent his disciples to Jesus so that they could shed their mistaken notions about the kind of Messiah to expect, and come to recognize Jesus.
3-6. Jesus replies to the Baptist's disciples by pointing to the fact that they are witnessing the signs which the ancient prophecies said would mark the advent of the Messiah and his Kingdom (cf. Is 35:5, 61:1; etc). He says, in effect, that he is the prophet who "was to come".
The miracles reported in the Gospel (chapters 8 and 9) and the teaching given to the people (chapters 5-7) prove that Jesus of Nazareth is the expected Messiah.
6. Jesus here corrects the mistaken idea which many Jews had of the Messiah,
casting him in the role of a powerful earthly ruler--a far cry from the humble attitude of Jesus. It is not surprising that he was a stumbling block to Jews (cf. Is 8:14-15; 1 Cor 1:23).
11. With John the Old Testament is brought to a close and we are on the threshold of the New. The Precursor had the honor of ushering Christ in, making him known to men. God had assigned him the exalted mission of preparing his contemporaries to hear the Gospel. The Baptist's faithfulness is recognized and proclaimed by Jesus. The praise he receives is a reward for his humility: John, realizing what his role was, had said, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (Jn 3:30).
St John the Baptist was the greatest in the sense that he had received a mission unique and incomparable in the context of the Old Testament. However, in the Kingdom of heaven (the New Testament) inaugurated by 'Christ, the divine gift of grace makes the least of those who faithfully receive it greater than the greatest in the earlier dispensation. Once the work of our redemption is accomplished, God's grace will also be extended to the just of the Old Alliance. Thus, the greatness of John the Baptist, the Precursor and the last of the prophets, will be enhanced by the dignity of being made a son of God.
___________________________
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 Mission of John the Baptist. Jesus' Reply
[2] Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples [3] and said to him, " Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?" [4] And Jesus answered them. "Go and tell John what you hear and see: [5] the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. [6] And blessed is he who takes no offense at me."
[7] As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? [8] Why then did you go out? To see a mana clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who wear soft raiment are in kings' houses. [9] Why then did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. [10] This is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.'
[11] "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
___________________
Commentary:
2. John knew that Jesus was the Messiah (cf. Mt 3:13-17). He sent his disciples to Jesus so that they could shed their mistaken notions about the kind of Messiah to expect, and come to recognize Jesus.
3-6. Jesus replies to the Baptist's disciples by pointing to the fact that they are witnessing the signs which the ancient prophecies said would mark the advent of the Messiah and his Kingdom (cf. Is 35:5, 61:1; etc). He says, in effect, that he is the prophet who "was to come".
The miracles reported in the Gospel (chapters 8 and 9) and the teaching given to the people (chapters 5-7) prove that Jesus of Nazareth is the expected Messiah.
6. Jesus here corrects the mistaken idea which many Jews had of the Messiah,
casting him in the role of a powerful earthly ruler--a far cry from the humble attitude of Jesus. It is not surprising that he was a stumbling block to Jews (cf. Is 8:14-15; 1 Cor 1:23).
11. With John the Old Testament is brought to a close and we are on the threshold of the New. The Precursor had the honor of ushering Christ in, making him known to men. God had assigned him the exalted mission of preparing his contemporaries to hear the Gospel. The Baptist's faithfulness is recognized and proclaimed by Jesus. The praise he receives is a reward for his humility: John, realizing what his role was, had said, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (Jn 3:30).
St John the Baptist was the greatest in the sense that he had received a mission unique and incomparable in the context of the Old Testament. However, in the Kingdom of heaven (the New Testament) inaugurated by 'Christ, the divine gift of grace makes the least of those who faithfully receive it greater than the greatest in the earlier dispensation. Once the work of our redemption is accomplished, God's grace will also be extended to the just of the Old Alliance. Thus, the greatness of John the Baptist, the Precursor and the last of the prophets, will be enhanced by the dignity of being made a son of God.
___________________________
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 Sunday, 3rd Week of Advent
From: James 5:7-10
A Call for Constancy
[7] Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it receives the early and the late rain. [8] You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. [9] Do not grumble, brethren, against one another, that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the doors. [10] As an example of suffering and patience, brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
____________________
Commentary:
7-11. Just before he ends his letter, St James again (cf. 1:2-4, 12) exhorts his readers to be patient, perhaps in case some are tempted to avenge themselves: on the rich. He uses the simile of the farmer, who patiently waits for the earth; to yield the fruits of his work: in the same kind of way the oppressed will be rewarded for all their afflictions when the Lord comes. St James encourages them also by reminding them of the patience and long-suffering of the prophets and of Job.
Christian hope, and the patience it induces, enables people to put up with injustice in this present life; but it is not an easy way out of one's responsibilities nor an invitation to be passive. A Christian should strive to make this world a place of justice and peace, but should realize it is a transient place, and not make these temporal ideals an absolute goal. "God did not create us to build a lasting I city here on earth. [...]. Nevertheless, we children of God ought not to remain aloof from earthly endeavors, for God has placed us here to sanctify them and , make them fruitful with our blessed faith, which alone is capable of bringing true peace and joy to all men wherever they may be [...]. We urgently need to christianize society. We must imbue all levels of mankind with a supernatural outlook, and each of us must strive to raise his daily duties, his job or profession, to the order of supernatural grace. In this way all human occupations will be lit up by a new hope that transcends time and the inherent transience of earthly realities" ([St] J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 210).
7-9. St James' words show how vividly the early Christians realized that the Christian life should be a time for watchfulness and for looking forward to the Parousia of the Lord, when our redemption will be finally sealed (cf. Lk 21:28). Jesus did not choose to reveal the precise moment of his coming (cf. Mt 24:36); he stressed. rather, the need to be watchful, to make sure it found us ready (cf. Mt 24:42, 44; 25:13). Therefore, every Christian should live in the expectation of that event which surely will come, though he knows not when. This is also what the Apostle means when he says "the coming of the Lord is at hand" and "the Judge is standing at the doors", for he may come at any moment.
10-11. The lives of the prophets are a very good model of patience and endurance in the adversity .Some of them in particular (Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah) underwent great suffering on account of their obedience to God. "You have seen the purpose of the Lord ": this is the interpretation of St Bede and St Augustine, referring to the example of patience set by Jesus in his passion and death on the cross. Most commentators prefer the other possible translation, "You have seen the outcome the Lord gave him", referring to Job, who bore patiently the trials God sent to him (cf. Job 42:10ff), because, for one thing, it avoids having to give the term "Lord", which appears twice in the same verse (v.11), two different meanings--Jesus Christ and God one and three.
___________________________
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 Call for Constancy
[7] Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it receives the early and the late rain. [8] You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. [9] Do not grumble, brethren, against one another, that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the doors. [10] As an example of suffering and patience, brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
____________________
Commentary:
7-11. Just before he ends his letter, St James again (cf. 1:2-4, 12) exhorts his readers to be patient, perhaps in case some are tempted to avenge themselves: on the rich. He uses the simile of the farmer, who patiently waits for the earth; to yield the fruits of his work: in the same kind of way the oppressed will be rewarded for all their afflictions when the Lord comes. St James encourages them also by reminding them of the patience and long-suffering of the prophets and of Job.
Christian hope, and the patience it induces, enables people to put up with injustice in this present life; but it is not an easy way out of one's responsibilities nor an invitation to be passive. A Christian should strive to make this world a place of justice and peace, but should realize it is a transient place, and not make these temporal ideals an absolute goal. "God did not create us to build a lasting I city here on earth. [...]. Nevertheless, we children of God ought not to remain aloof from earthly endeavors, for God has placed us here to sanctify them and , make them fruitful with our blessed faith, which alone is capable of bringing true peace and joy to all men wherever they may be [...]. We urgently need to christianize society. We must imbue all levels of mankind with a supernatural outlook, and each of us must strive to raise his daily duties, his job or profession, to the order of supernatural grace. In this way all human occupations will be lit up by a new hope that transcends time and the inherent transience of earthly realities" ([St] J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 210).
7-9. St James' words show how vividly the early Christians realized that the Christian life should be a time for watchfulness and for looking forward to the Parousia of the Lord, when our redemption will be finally sealed (cf. Lk 21:28). Jesus did not choose to reveal the precise moment of his coming (cf. Mt 24:36); he stressed. rather, the need to be watchful, to make sure it found us ready (cf. Mt 24:42, 44; 25:13). Therefore, every Christian should live in the expectation of that event which surely will come, though he knows not when. This is also what the Apostle means when he says "the coming of the Lord is at hand" and "the Judge is standing at the doors", for he may come at any moment.
10-11. The lives of the prophets are a very good model of patience and endurance in the adversity .Some of them in particular (Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah) underwent great suffering on account of their obedience to God. "You have seen the purpose of the Lord ": this is the interpretation of St Bede and St Augustine, referring to the example of patience set by Jesus in his passion and death on the cross. Most commentators prefer the other possible translation, "You have seen the outcome the Lord gave him", referring to Job, who bore patiently the trials God sent to him (cf. Job 42:10ff), because, for one thing, it avoids having to give the term "Lord", which appears twice in the same verse (v.11), two different meanings--Jesus Christ and God one and three.
___________________________
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 Sunday, 3rd Week of Advent
From: Isaiah 35:1-6a;10
Promise of Redemption
[1] The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus [2] it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
[3] Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. [4] Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." [5] Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; [6a] then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy.
[10] And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
____________________
Commentary:
35:1-10 The focus now changes with this hymn celebrating Zion, the holy city. It presents a picture of the restored Jerusalem in language reminiscent of that of chapters 11 and 12. God who manifested his presence and protection during the exodus, when Israel came up out of Egypt, will do so again in wonderful ways as the redeemed flock back home to Zion. He will show them the route and give them a highway and be with them in a sort of solemn procession to where he dwells (v. 8). Just as in Babylon there was a "Holy Way" lined with statues of lions and dragons that led to the temple of Marduk, the redeemed will have a truly "Holy Way" to take them to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. The joy of the returnees is compounded by the instant cure of the blind, deaf and lame (cf. 29:18-19), which is an anticipation of what will happen in the messianic era.
The miracles worked by Jesus demonstrate that the moment of true redemption foreseen indistinctly by the prophets has come to pass (cf. Mt 11:2-6). St Justin, showing the Jew Tryphon that this prophecy found fulfillment in Christ, points out: "Christ is the stream of living water that flows from God; he sprang up in the desert wastes of igno- rance of God; that is, in the parched earth of all the nations. He, who was born among your people, cured those who were blind from birth, and the deaf and the lame: by his word alone, they leapt and heard and saw once more. He raised the dead and gave them new life, and by all his good works prompted men to see Him for who he is. [...] He did all these things to convince those who were to believe in him, whatever bodily defects they might have, that if they obeyed the teachings that he gave them, he would raise them up again at his Second Coming and make them whole and perfect and immortal as He is" ("Dialogus Cum Tryphone", 69,6).
The Church uses this passage from Isaiah in the Advent liturgy (3rd Sunday, Cycle A) to encourage the faithful in joyous hope that God will come and bring salvation.
___________________________
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.
Promise of Redemption
[1] The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus [2] it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
[3] Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. [4] Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." [5] Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; [6a] then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy.
[10] And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
____________________
Commentary:
35:1-10 The focus now changes with this hymn celebrating Zion, the holy city. It presents a picture of the restored Jerusalem in language reminiscent of that of chapters 11 and 12. God who manifested his presence and protection during the exodus, when Israel came up out of Egypt, will do so again in wonderful ways as the redeemed flock back home to Zion. He will show them the route and give them a highway and be with them in a sort of solemn procession to where he dwells (v. 8). Just as in Babylon there was a "Holy Way" lined with statues of lions and dragons that led to the temple of Marduk, the redeemed will have a truly "Holy Way" to take them to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. The joy of the returnees is compounded by the instant cure of the blind, deaf and lame (cf. 29:18-19), which is an anticipation of what will happen in the messianic era.
The miracles worked by Jesus demonstrate that the moment of true redemption foreseen indistinctly by the prophets has come to pass (cf. Mt 11:2-6). St Justin, showing the Jew Tryphon that this prophecy found fulfillment in Christ, points out: "Christ is the stream of living water that flows from God; he sprang up in the desert wastes of igno- rance of God; that is, in the parched earth of all the nations. He, who was born among your people, cured those who were blind from birth, and the deaf and the lame: by his word alone, they leapt and heard and saw once more. He raised the dead and gave them new life, and by all his good works prompted men to see Him for who he is. [...] He did all these things to convince those who were to believe in him, whatever bodily defects they might have, that if they obeyed the teachings that he gave them, he would raise them up again at his Second Coming and make them whole and perfect and immortal as He is" ("Dialogus Cum Tryphone", 69,6).
The Church uses this passage from Isaiah in the Advent liturgy (3rd Sunday, Cycle A) to encourage the faithful in joyous hope that God will come and bring salvation.
___________________________
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, December 15, 2007
Gospel for Saturday, 2nd Week of Advent
From: Matthew 17:9a, 10-13
The Transfiguration (Continuation)
[9] And as they were coming down the mountains, [10] (And) the disciples asked Him (Jesus), "Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come?" [11] He replied, "Elijah does come, and he is to restore all things; [12] but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will suffer at their hands." [13] Then the disciples understood that He was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
______________________
Commentary:
10-13. Malachi 4:5 (3:23 in the Hebrew) speaks of the coming of Elijah the prophet before "the great and terrible day of the Lord", the Judgment Day. When Jesus says that Elijah has already come, He is referring to St. John the Baptist, whose mission it was to prepare the way for the First Coming of the Lord, the same as Elijah will have to do prior to His last coming. The scribes failed to grasp the meaning of the prophecy of Malachi; they thought it referred simply to the coming of the Messiah, the First Coming of Christ.
___________________________
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 Transfiguration (Continuation)
[9] And as they were coming down the mountains, [10] (And) the disciples asked Him (Jesus), "Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come?" [11] He replied, "Elijah does come, and he is to restore all things; [12] but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will suffer at their hands." [13] Then the disciples understood that He was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
______________________
Commentary:
10-13. Malachi 4:5 (3:23 in the Hebrew) speaks of the coming of Elijah the prophet before "the great and terrible day of the Lord", the Judgment Day. When Jesus says that Elijah has already come, He is referring to St. John the Baptist, whose mission it was to prepare the way for the First Coming of the Lord, the same as Elijah will have to do prior to His last coming. The scribes failed to grasp the meaning of the prophecy of Malachi; they thought it referred simply to the coming of the Messiah, the First Coming of Christ.
___________________________
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, December 14, 2007
Just for Today, December 15
All self-seekers and self-lovers are bound in fetters, full of desires, full of cares, unsettled, and seeking always their own ease, and not the things of Jesus Christ: but oftentimes devising and framing that which shall not stand. For all shall come to nothing that proceeds not from God.
Take this short and perfect word: Forsake all, and thou shalt find all, leave thy desires, and thou shalt find rest. Consider this well, and when thou shalt put it in practice, thou shalt understand all things.
(Disciple.) Lord, this is not the work of one day, nor children's sport; yea, in this one short sentence is included the whole perfection of a religious man.
- Bk. III, ch. xxxii.
___________________
"How did you come to enjoy such serene and unbroken peace?"
"By forgetting myself, and never seeking myself in anything."
-Novssima Verba
__________________
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.
Take this short and perfect word: Forsake all, and thou shalt find all, leave thy desires, and thou shalt find rest. Consider this well, and when thou shalt put it in practice, thou shalt understand all things.
(Disciple.) Lord, this is not the work of one day, nor children's sport; yea, in this one short sentence is included the whole perfection of a religious man.
- Bk. III, ch. xxxii.
___________________
"How did you come to enjoy such serene and unbroken peace?"
"By forgetting myself, and never seeking myself in anything."
-Novssima Verba
__________________
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.
Meditation for December 15, Pray Always
If God continually inhabits my soul, should I not dwell within my soul to keep Him company?
What will become of all my duties which are not formal prayers? What will become of my class preparation and my classes if I am teaching, or my administrative duties if I am charged with them, my sweeping, my peeling of vegetables if I am entrusted with household tasks, my bandaging if I am a nurse...?
It is all very simple. God does not ask me to make continual acts of prayer, but to be always in the state of prayer.
To make acts of prayer only, would mean to perform one exercise after another in which my sole occupation would be to think of God. There can be no question of that; I would fail in the duties of my state.
When I am at prayer, I must exert myself to occupy my thoughts with God. At other times my essential duty is not to think of God, but to execute my work as well as possible for the glory of God. That is living in the state of prayer, in the state of elevation toward God. I am united to Him, not by my memory but by my will. And if to do well what I am doing, I must force myself not to think of God, I need not hesitate.
At prayer, I must think of God as perfectly as possible for it is the thought of God that excites love of God.
Outside of prayer, it is not important to think of God but to act for God. To do this I must make the good intention and not be disturbed if, seeking God alone in everything, I do not think of Him for some time. As I become more accustomed to the invisible world, the thought of God will become more familiar to me. Patience and perfect peace!
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
What will become of all my duties which are not formal prayers? What will become of my class preparation and my classes if I am teaching, or my administrative duties if I am charged with them, my sweeping, my peeling of vegetables if I am entrusted with household tasks, my bandaging if I am a nurse...?
It is all very simple. God does not ask me to make continual acts of prayer, but to be always in the state of prayer.
To make acts of prayer only, would mean to perform one exercise after another in which my sole occupation would be to think of God. There can be no question of that; I would fail in the duties of my state.
When I am at prayer, I must exert myself to occupy my thoughts with God. At other times my essential duty is not to think of God, but to execute my work as well as possible for the glory of God. That is living in the state of prayer, in the state of elevation toward God. I am united to Him, not by my memory but by my will. And if to do well what I am doing, I must force myself not to think of God, I need not hesitate.
At prayer, I must think of God as perfectly as possible for it is the thought of God that excites love of God.
Outside of prayer, it is not important to think of God but to act for God. To do this I must make the good intention and not be disturbed if, seeking God alone in everything, I do not think of Him for some time. As I become more accustomed to the invisible world, the thought of God will become more familiar to me. Patience and perfect peace!
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Archbishop Burke on "The Golden Compass"
...Recently, the pastors in our nation have cautioned the faithful, especially parents, regarding the film "The Golden Compass." Through George Henry, superintendent of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, parents and teachers were warned that the author of the books ("His Dark Materials," by Philip Pullman) from which the movie is drawn is an avowed atheist who has a particular hatred of the Catholic Church.From his weekly column here.
As archbishop, I caution all Catholics regarding the atheistic and antiCatholic nature of Pullman’s writings, upon which "The Golden Compass" is based. If you wish further and more in-depth information, I recommend the publication of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, "The Golden Compass: Agenda Unmasked," which can be obtained through the League’s website, www.catholicleague.org. I also commend the book by Peter Vere and Sandra Miesel, "Pied Piper of Atheism: Philip Pullman and Children’s Fantasy," published by Ignatius Press (www.ignatius.com).
Before concluding, I wish also to correct an erroneous statement made in a commentary in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, titled "After ruckus over its roots, ‘Compass’ film mollifies some" (Dec. 8, 2007, p. A23). The commentary claims that the Catholic bishops of our nation viewed the film and praised it. The statement is false. A most defective review of the film was published by Catholic News Service. The review has by now been removed from the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The review was not based on a viewing of the film by bishops and was not endorsed by the bishops....
Local Priest Named to Vatican’s U.N. Staff
Father Philip J. Bene, pastor of Cure of Ars Parish in Shrewsbury, has been named to the diplomatic staff of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations.Congratulations to Fr. Bene!
Father Bene, who has served as a canon lawyer in the Church’s Marriage Tribunal in St. Louis, will serve as an attache working with two committees, legal and social. The social committee deals with human rights matters, he said....
St Louis Seminary to Expand?
SaintLouisCatholic blog is reporting that architectural plans have been submitted to His Excellency for his approval to expand Kenrick Glennon Seminary to accomodate increasing numbers of seminarians.
As thetimman rightly states, priestly vocations are the fruit of orthodoxy, and fatherly leadership, especially combined with fervent prayer and God's abundant grace. And this growth is obvious in dioceses where fidelity to the teachings of Christ and His Church is the norm rather than the exception.
May God be praised for blessing the faithful of St Louis with a kind and faithful shepherd and may He guide and protect our bishops and priests, and especially each of those men following the path of our Lord and studying to be an alter Christus.
More at the St Louis Catholic blog here.
As thetimman rightly states, priestly vocations are the fruit of orthodoxy, and fatherly leadership, especially combined with fervent prayer and God's abundant grace. And this growth is obvious in dioceses where fidelity to the teachings of Christ and His Church is the norm rather than the exception.
May God be praised for blessing the faithful of St Louis with a kind and faithful shepherd and may He guide and protect our bishops and priests, and especially each of those men following the path of our Lord and studying to be an alter Christus.
More at the St Louis Catholic blog here.
Archbishop Dolan Named Chairman Of Catholic Relief Services
WASHINGTON (December 13, 2007)–Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been appointed chairman of the board of directors of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the official overseas relief and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). After consultation with the CRS board, Cardinal Francis George, president of the USCCB, confirmed Dolan’s appointment December 10. Archbishop Dolan succeeds Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg, Florida, who has served as a member of the board for the past 12 years and as board chair since 2001....
Gallup Bishop Pelotte Takes Medical Leave
"Jesus of Nazareth" Gets a Special Reviewer: The Vicar of the Man Who Wrote It
From Chiesa:
Here is how cardinal Camillo Ruini explained to the priests of Rome the book by Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI. Including its political applications, which are never sacred and definitive, but always must be "re-elaborated, reformulated, and corrected."The article contains the text of
by Sandro Magister
The meaning of Jesus for usRead more here.
by Camillo Ruini
Gospel for Dec 14, Memorial: St. John of the Cross, priest and doctor
From: Matthew 11:16-19
Jesus Reproaches People for their Unbelief
(Jesus spoke to the crowds), [16] "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates. [17] `We piped to you, and you did not dance, we wailed and you did not mourn.' [18] For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon'; [19] the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds."
______________________
Commentary:
16-19. Making reference to a popular song or a child's game of His time, Jesus reproaches those who offer groundless excuses for not recognizing Him. From the beginning of human history the Lord has striven to attract all men to Himself: "What more was there to do for My vineyard, that I have not done in it?" (Isaiah 5:4), and often He has been rejected: "When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?" (Isaiah 5:4).
Our Lord also condemns calumny: some people do try to justify their own behavior by seeing sin where there is only virtue. "When they find something which is quite obviously good," St. Gregory the Great says, "they pry into it to see if there is not also some badness hidden in it" ("Moralia", 6, 22). The Baptist's fasting they interpret as the work of the devil; whereas they accuse Jesus of being a glutton.
The evangelist has to report these calumnies and accusations spoken against our Lord; otherwise, we would have no notion of the extent of the malice of those who show such furious opposition to Him who went about doing good (Acts 10:38). On other occasions Jesus warned His disciples that they would be treated the same as He was (cf. John 15:20).
The works of Jesus and John the Baptist, each in their own way, lead to the accomplishment of God's plan for man's salvation: the fact that some people do not recognize Him does not prevent God's plan being carried into effect.
___________________________
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.
Jesus Reproaches People for their Unbelief
(Jesus spoke to the crowds), [16] "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates. [17] `We piped to you, and you did not dance, we wailed and you did not mourn.' [18] For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon'; [19] the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds."
______________________
Commentary:
16-19. Making reference to a popular song or a child's game of His time, Jesus reproaches those who offer groundless excuses for not recognizing Him. From the beginning of human history the Lord has striven to attract all men to Himself: "What more was there to do for My vineyard, that I have not done in it?" (Isaiah 5:4), and often He has been rejected: "When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?" (Isaiah 5:4).
Our Lord also condemns calumny: some people do try to justify their own behavior by seeing sin where there is only virtue. "When they find something which is quite obviously good," St. Gregory the Great says, "they pry into it to see if there is not also some badness hidden in it" ("Moralia", 6, 22). The Baptist's fasting they interpret as the work of the devil; whereas they accuse Jesus of being a glutton.
The evangelist has to report these calumnies and accusations spoken against our Lord; otherwise, we would have no notion of the extent of the malice of those who show such furious opposition to Him who went about doing good (Acts 10:38). On other occasions Jesus warned His disciples that they would be treated the same as He was (cf. John 15:20).
The works of Jesus and John the Baptist, each in their own way, lead to the accomplishment of God's plan for man's salvation: the fact that some people do not recognize Him does not prevent God's plan being carried into effect.
___________________________
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, December 13, 2007
Just for Today, December 14
See thou have God before thine eyes, and do not contend with complaining words. And if at present thou seem to be overcome, and to suffer a confusion which thou hast not deserved, do not repine at this, and do not lessen thy crown by impatience. Rather look up to Me in heaven, who am able to deliver thee from all confusion and wrong, and to repay everyone according to his works.
- Bk. III, ch. xxxvi.
_________________
You (the Prioress) were ill at the time with bronchitis, and we had been rather anxious about you. One morning I came to the infirmary to return the keys of the Communion grille, as I was sacristan. I was secretly pleased at having an opportunity of seeing you, but another Sister, fearing lest I should wake you, came forward to take the keys herself. I assured her, as politely as I could, that I was just as anxious as she was not to disturb you, but that it was my right to return the keys. Today I understand how much more perfect it would have been to have yielded, but not realizing it then, I insisted on going in.
The very thing we wanted to avoid then happened, for the noise made you open your eyes. The Sister made a long speech, the gist of it being that it was my fault that you had been disturbed. I was longing to defend myself, but suddenly had a bright idea. I saw that if I began to excuse myself I would only lose my peace of mind, but that I had too little virtue to refrain from doing so. The only thing left was to run away, which I promptly did. My heart was beating so fast that I was obliged to sit on the stairs and enjoy the fruits of victory for a few minutes. Although this was an odd way of showing my bravery, I thought it better not to engage in combat when defeat was certain.
- Histoire d'une Ame (The Story of a Soul)
__________________
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. xxxvi.
_________________
You (the Prioress) were ill at the time with bronchitis, and we had been rather anxious about you. One morning I came to the infirmary to return the keys of the Communion grille, as I was sacristan. I was secretly pleased at having an opportunity of seeing you, but another Sister, fearing lest I should wake you, came forward to take the keys herself. I assured her, as politely as I could, that I was just as anxious as she was not to disturb you, but that it was my right to return the keys. Today I understand how much more perfect it would have been to have yielded, but not realizing it then, I insisted on going in.
The very thing we wanted to avoid then happened, for the noise made you open your eyes. The Sister made a long speech, the gist of it being that it was my fault that you had been disturbed. I was longing to defend myself, but suddenly had a bright idea. I saw that if I began to excuse myself I would only lose my peace of mind, but that I had too little virtue to refrain from doing so. The only thing left was to run away, which I promptly did. My heart was beating so fast that I was obliged to sit on the stairs and enjoy the fruits of victory for a few minutes. Although this was an odd way of showing my bravery, I thought it better not to engage in combat when defeat was certain.
- Histoire d'une Ame (The Story of a Soul)
__________________
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 - November 14
Today God invites you to do good; do it therefore today. Tomorrow you may not have time, or God may no longer call you to do it.
-St. Alphonsus
_________________________
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. Alphonsus
_________________________
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)
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