Glad to see that you and yours are praying for the Christians in the Middle East... Thank you for that!!

21 posted on 06/08/2015 11:21:32 PM PDT by Deagle (ui)

That is what I can do at the present time.

22 posted on 06/09/2015 7:10:31 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 5
13.	You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing any more but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men.	Vos estis sal terræ. Quod si sal evanuerit, in quo salietur ? ad nihilum valet ultra, nisi ut mittatur foras, et conculcetur ab hominibus.	υμεις εστε το αλας της γης εαν δε το αλας μωρανθη εν τινι αλισθησεται εις ουδεν ισχυει ετι ει μη βληθηναι εξω και καταπατεισθαι υπο των ανθρωπων
14.	You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid.	Vos estis lux mundi. Non potest civitas abscondi supra montem posita,	υμεις εστε το φως του κοσμου ου δυναται πολις κρυβηναι επανω ορους κειμενη
15.	Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house.	neque accedunt lucernam, et ponunt eam sub modio, sed super candelabrum, ut luceat omnibus qui in domo sunt.	ουδε καιουσιν λυχνον και τιθεασιν αυτον υπο τον μοδιον αλλ επι την λυχνιαν και λαμπει πασιν τοις εν τη οικια
16.	So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.	Sic luceat lux vestra coram hominibus : ut videant opera vestra bona, et glorificent Patrem vestrum, qui in cælis est.	ουτως λαμψατω το φως υμων εμπροσθεν των ανθρωπων οπως ιδωσιν υμων τα καλα εργα και δοξασωσιν τον πατερα υμων τον εν τοις ουρανοις

23 posted on 06/09/2015 7:44:29 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)

13. “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”

Chrys.: When He had delivered to His Apostles such sublime precepts, so much greater than the precepts of the Law, that they might not be dismayed and say, How shall we be able to fulfil these things? He sooths their fears by mingling praises with His instructions, saying, “Ye are the salt of the earth.” This shews them how necessary were these precepts for them. Not for your own salvation merely, or for a single nation, but for the whole world is this doctrine committed to you. It is not for you then to flatter and deal smoothly with men, but, on the contrary, to be rough and biting as salt is. When for thus offending men by reproving them ye are reviled, rejoice; for this is the proper effect of salt to be harsh and grating to the depraved palate. Thus the evil-speaking of others will bring you no inconvenience, but will rather be a testimony of your firmness.

Hilary: There may be here seen a propriety in our Lord’s language which may be gathered by considering the Apostle’s office, and the nature of salt. This, used as it is by men for almost every purpose, preserves from decay those bodies which are sprinkled with it; and in this, as well as in every sense of its flavour as a condiment, the parallel is most exact.

The Apostles are preachers of heavenly things, and thus, as it were, salters with eternity; rightly called “the salt of the earth,” as by the virtue of their teaching, they, as it were, salt and preserve bodies for eternity.

Remig.: Moreover, salt is changed into another kind of substance by three means, water, the heat of the sun, and the breath of the wind. Thus Apostolic men also were changed into spiritual regeneration by the water of baptism, the heat of love, and the breath of the Holy Spirit. That heavenly wisdom also, which the Apostles preached, dries161 up the humours of carnal works, removes the foulness and putrefaction of evil conversation, kills the work of lustful thoughts, and also that worm of which it is said “their worm dieth not.” [Isa 66:24]

Remig.: The Apostles are “the salt of the earth,” that is, of worldly men who are called the earth, because they love this earth.

Jerome: Or, because by the Apostles the whole human race is seasoned.

Pseudo-Chrys.: A doctor when he is adorned with all the preceding virtues, then is like good salt, and his whole people are salted by seeing and hearing him.

Remig.: It should be known, that in the Old Testament no sacrifice was offered to God unless it were first sprinkled with salt, for none can present an acceptable sacrifice to God without the flavour of heavenly wisdom.

Hilary: And because man is ever liable to change, He therefore warns the Apostles, who have been entitled “the salt of the earth,” to continue steadfast in the might of the power committed to them, when He adds, “If the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted?”

Jerome: That is, if the doctor have erred, by what other doctor shall he be corrected?

Aug., Serm. in Mont., i, 6: If you by whom the nations are to be salted shall lose the kingdom of heaven through fear of temporal persecution, who are they by whom your error shall be corrected? Another copy has, “If the salt have lost all sense,” shewing that they must be esteemed to have lost their sense, who either pursuing abundance, or fearing lack of temporal goods, lose those which are eternal, and which men can neither give nor take away.

Hilary: But if the doctors having become senseless, and having lost all the savour they once enjoyed, are unable to restore soundness to things corrupt, they are become useless; and “are thenceforth fit only to be cast out and trodden by men.”

Jerome: The illustration is taken from husbandry. Salt, though it be necessary for seasoning of meats and preserving flesh, has no further use. Indeed we read in Scripture of vanquished cities sown with salt by the victors, that nothing should thenceforth grow there.

Gloss. ap. Anselm: When then they who are the heads have fallen away, they are fit for no use but to be cast out from the office of teacher.

Hilary: Or even cast out from the Church’s store rooms to be trodden under foot by those that walk.

Aug.: Not he that suffers persecution162 is trodden under foot of men, but he who through fear of persecution falls away. For we can tread only on what is below us; but he is no way below us, who however much he may suffer in the body, yet has his heart fixed in heaven.

14. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.”

Gloss: As the doctors by their good conversation are the salt with which the people is salted; so by their word of doctrine they are the light by which the ignorant are enlightened.

Pseudo-Chrys.: But to live well must go before to teach well; hence after He had called the Apostles “the salt,” He goes on to call them “the light of the world.”

Or, for that salt preserves a thing in its present state that it should not change for the worse, but that light brings it into a better state by enlightening it; therefore the Apostles were first called salt with respect to the Jews and that Christian body which had the knowledge of God, and which they keep in that knowledge; and now light with respect to the Gentiles whom they bring to the light of that knowledge.

Aug.: By the world here we must not understand heaven and earth, but the men who are in the world; or those who love the world for whose enlightenment the Apostles were sent.

Hilary: It is the nature of a light to emit its rays whithersoever it is carried about, and when brought into a house to dispel the darkness of that house. Thus the world, placed beyond the pale of the knowledge of God, was held in the darkness of ignorance, till the light of knowledge was brought to it by the Apostles, and thenceforward the knowledge of God shone bright, and from their small bodies, whithersoever they went about, light is ministered to the darkness.

Remig.: For as the sun sends forth his beams, so the Lord, the Sun of righteousness, sent forth his Apostles to dispel the night of the human race.

Chrys.: Mark how great His promise to them, men who were scarce known in their own country that the fame of them should reach to the ends of the earth. The persecutions which He had foretold, were not able to dim their light, yea they made it but more conspicuous.

Jerome: He instructs them what should be the boldness of their preaching, that as163 Apostles they should not be hidden through fear, like lamps under a corn-measure, but should stand forth with all confidence, and what they have heard in the secret chambers, that declare upon the house tops.

Chrys.: Thus shewing them that they ought to be careful of their own walk and conversation, seeing they were set in the eyes of all, like a city on a hill, or a lamp on a stand.

Pseudo-Chrys.: This city is the Church of which it is said, “Glorious things are spoken of thee, thou city of God.” [Ps 87:3] Its citizens are all the faithful, of whom the Apostle speaks, “Ye are fellow-citizens of the saints.” [Eph 2:19] It is built upon Christ the hill, of whom Daniel thus, “A stone hewed without hands” [Dan 2:34] became a great mountain.

Aug.: Or, the mountain is the great righteousness, which is signified by the mountain from which the Lord is now teaching.

Pseudo-Chrys.: “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” though it would; the mountain which bears makes it to be seen of all men; so the Apostles and Priests who are founded on Christ cannot be hidden even though they would, because Christ makes them manifest.

Hilary: Or, the city signifies the flesh which He had taken on Him; because that in Him by this assumption of human nature, there was as it were a collection of the human race, and we by partaking in His flesh become inhabitants of that city. He cannot therefore be hid, because being set in the height of God’s power, He is offered to be contemplated of all men in admiration of his works.

Pseudo-Chrys.: How Christ manifests His saints, suffering them not to be hid, He shews by another comparison, adding, “Neither do men light a lamp to put it under a corn-measure,” but on a stand.

Chrys.: Or, in the illustration of the city, He signified His own power, by the lamp He exhorts the Apostles to preach with boldness; as though He said, ‘I indeed have lighted the lamp, but that it continue to burn will be your care, not for your own sakes only, but both for others who shall receive its light and for God’s glory.’

Pseudo-Chrys.: The lamp is the Divine word, of which it is said, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet.” [Ps 119:105] They who light this lamp are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Aug.: With what meaning do we suppose the words, “to put it under a corn-measure,” were said? To express concealment simply, or that the “corn-measure” has a special 164 signification? The putting the lamp under the corn-measure means the preferring bodily ease and enjoyment to the duty of preaching the Gospel, and hiding the light of good teaching under temporal gratification. The corn-measure aptly denotes the things of the body, whether because our reward shall be measured out to us, [2 Cor 5:10] as each one shall receive the things done in the body; or because worldly goods which pertain to the body come and go within a certain measure of time, which is signified by the corn-measure, whereas things eternal and spiritual are contained within no such limit.

He places his lamp upon a stand, who subdues his body to the ministry of the word, setting the preaching of the truth highest, and subjecting the body beneath it. For the body itself serves to make doctrine shine more clear, while the voice and other motions of the body in good works serve to recommend it to them that learn.

Pseudo-Chrys.: Or, men of the world may be figured in the “corn-measure” as these are empty above, but full beneath, so worldly men are foolish in spiritual things, but wise in earthly things, and therefore like a corn-measure they keep the word of God hid, whenever for any worldly cause he had not dared to proclaim the word openly, and the truth of the faith. The stand for the lamp is the Church which bears the word of life, and all ecclesiastical persons. [margin note: Phil 2:15]

Hilary: Or, the Lord likened the Synagogue to a corn-measure, which only receiving within itself such fruit as was raised; contained a certain measure of limited obedience.

Ambrose. non occ.: And therefore let none shut up his faith within the measure of the Law, but have recourse to the Church in which the grace of the sevenfold Spirit shines forth.

Bede, in Loc. quoad sens.: Or, Christ Himself has lighted this lamp, when He filled the earthen vessel of human nature with the fire of His Divinity, which He would not either hide from them that believe, nor put under a bushel that is shut up under the measure of the Law, or confine within the limits of any one oration. The lampstand is the Church, on which He set the lamp, when He affixed to our foreheads the faith of His incarnation.

Hilary: Or, the lamp, i.e. Christ Himself, is set on its stand when He was suspended on the Cross in His passion, to give light for ever to those that dwell in the Church; “to give light,” He says, “to all that are in the house.”

Aug.: For it165 is not absurd if any one will understand “the house” to be the Church.

Or, “the house” may be the world itself, according to what He said above, “Ye are the light of the world.”

Hilary: He instructs the Apostles to shine with such a light, that in the admiration of their work God may be praised, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works.”

Pseudo-Chrys.: That is, teaching with so pure a light, that men may not only hear your words, but see your works, that those whom as lamps ye have enlightened by the word, as salt ye may season by your example. For by those teachers who do as well as teach, God is magnified; for the discipline of the master is seen in the behavior of the family.

And therefore it follows, “and they shall glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Aug., Serm. in Mont., i, 7: Had He only said, “That they may see your good works,” He would have seemed to have set up as an end to be sought the praised of men, which the hypocrites desire; but by adding, “and glorify your Father,” he teaches that we should not seek as an end to please men with our good works, but referring all to the glory of God, therefore seek to please men, that in that God may be glorified.

Hilary: He means not that we should seek glory of men, but that though we conceal it, our work may shine forth in honour of God to those among whom we live.

Catena Aurea Matthew 5

24 posted on 06/09/2015 7:45:17 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)

Savior With the Apostles

Early 14th century
Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

25 posted on 06/09/2015 7:45:45 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)

Saint Ephrem, Deacon & Doctor of the Church

Saint Ephrem, Deacon & Doctor of the Church
Optional Memorial
June 9th

The Dormition of St. Ephrem, from Iveron Monastery on the Holy Mountain

Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven. -- Saint Ephraem

Saint Ephrem was born in Mesopotamia and ordained as a deacon of Edessa in whatis now Turkey, he vigorously combated the heresies of his time by writing poems and hymns about the Mysteries of Christ and the Blessed Virgin. He had a great devotion to Our Lady, and was in large part responsible for introducing hymns to public worship.

Collect:
Pour into our hearts O Lord, we pray, the Holy Spirit,
at whose prompting the Deacon Saint Ephrem
exulted in singing of your mysteries
and from whom he received the strength
to serve you alone.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: Colossians 3:12-17
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Gospel Reading: Luke 6:43-45
"For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Prayer for Strength in Weakness

Lord Jesus Christ, King of kings, you have power over life and death. You know even things that are uncertain and obscure, and our very thoughts and feelings are not hidden from you. Cleanse me from my secret faults, and I have done wrong and you saw it. You know how weak I am, both in soul and in body. Give me strength, O Lord, in my frailty and sustain me in my sufferings. Grant me a prudent judgement, dear Lord, and let me always be mindful of your blessings. Let me retain until the end your grace that has protected me till now.

St Ephrem of Syria, Deacon, Poet and Doctor

The Man with a Withered Hand

Today's Reading: Luke 6:1-11

1 On a sabbath, while he was going through the grain fields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath?" 3 And Jesus answered, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the showbread, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?" 5 And he said to them, "The Son of man is lord of the sabbath."

6 On another sabbath, when he entered the synagogue and taught, a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come and stand here." And he rose and stood there. 9 And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?" 10 And he looked around on them all, and said to him, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Today's Commentary:

Have you not read: The question is intentionally sarcastic and would be taken as an insult by the well educated Pharisees.

is it lawful: Jesus unmasks his opponents with a question: Is the Sabbath day for good or harm? The implied answer is obvious (for good) and designed to expose the malice of the Pharisees (6:7). For regardless of what Jesus does, they are already planning to harm him. In the end, it is the Pharisees who violate the Sabbath and walk straight into their own trap.

31 posted on 06/09/2015 5:49:54 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Catholic Spiritual Direction.com

Mystery of Love

June 9, 2015 by Dan Burke

Presence of God – O Jesus, help me to penetrate the mystery of Your infinite love, which constrained You to become our Food and Drink.

MEDITATION

All God’s activity for man’s benefit is a work of love; it is summed up in the immense mystery of love which causes Him, the sovereign, infinite Good, to raise man to Himself, making him, a creature, share in His divine nature by communicating His own life to him. It was precisely to communicate this life, to unite man to God, that the Word became Incarnate. In His Person the divinity was to be united to our humanity in a most complete and perfect way; it was united directly to the most sacred humanity of Jesus, and through it, to the whole human race. By virtue of the Incarnation of the Word and of the grace He merited for us, every man has the right to call Jesus his Brother, to call God his Father and to aspire to union with Him. The way of union with God is thus opened to man. By becoming incarnate and later dying on the Cross, the Son of God not only removed the obstacles to this union, but He also provided all we need to gain it, or rather, He Himself became the Way. Through union with

Jesus, man is united to God.

It is not surprising that the love of Jesus, surpassing all measure, impelled Him to find a means of uniting Himself to each one of us in the most intimate and personal manner; this He found in the Eucharist. Having become our Food, Jesus makes us one with Him, and thus makes us share most directly in His divine life, in His union with the Father and with the Trinity.

By assuming our flesh in the Incarnation, the Son of God united Himself once and for all with the human race. In the Eucharist, He continues to unite Himself to each individual who receives Him. Thus we can understand how the Eucharist, according to the mind of the Fathers of the Church, may really be “considered as a continuation and extension of the Incarnation; by it the substance of the Incarnate Word is united to every man” (cf Mirae Caritatis paragraph 7).

COLLOQUY

“O eternal Trinity! O fire and abyss of charity! How could our redemption benefit You? It could not, for You, our God, have no need of us. To whom then comes this benefit? Only to man. O inestimable charity! Even as You, true God and true Man, gave Yourself entirely to us, so also You left Yourself entirely for us, to be our food, so that during our earthly pilgrimage we would not faint with weariness, but would be strengthened by You, our celestial Bread. O man, what has your God left you? He has left you Himself, wholly God and wholly Man, concealed under this whiteness of bread. O fire of love! Was it not enough for You to have created us to Your image and likeness, and to have re-created us in grace through the Blood of Your Son, without giving Yourself wholly to us as our Food, O God, Divine Essence? What impelled You to do this? Your charity alone. It was not enough for You to send Your Word to us for our redemption; neither were You content to give Him to us as our Food, but in the excess of Your love for Your creature, You gave to man the whole divine essence. And not only, O Lord, do You give Yourself to us, but by nourishing us with this divine Food, You make us strong with Your power against the attacks of the demons, insults from creatures, the rebellion of our flesh, and every sorrow and tribulation, from whatever source it may come.

“O Bread of Angels, sovereign, eternal purity, You ask and want such transparency in a soul who receives You in this sweet Sacrament, that if it were possible, the very angels would have to purify themselves in the presence of such an august mystery. How can my soul become purified? In the fire of Your charity, O eternal God, by bathing itself in the Blood of Your only-begotten Son. O wretched soul of mine, how can you approach such a great mystery without sufficient purification? I will take off, then, the loathsome garments of my will and clothe myself, O Lord, with Your eternal will!” (St. Catherine of Siena).

32 posted on 06/09/2015 5:52:59 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Daily Readings for:June 09, 2015
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Pour into our hearts O Lord, we pray, the Holy Spirit, at whose prompting the Deacon Saint Ephrem exulted in singing of your mysteries and from whom he received the strength to serve you alone. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o Bannock

o Bannocks

o Quarter Bannock

ACTIVITIES

o Religion in the Home for Preschool: June

o St. Columba Oat Cakes

o St. Columba, Abbot

PRAYERS

o June Devotion: The Sacred Heart

o Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

o Prayer of St. Ephrem

o Novena to the Sacred Heart

LIBRARY

o Principi Apostolorum Petro (On St. Ephrem the Syrian) | Pope Benedict XV

o St. Ephrem | Pope Benedict XVI

· Ordinary Time: June 9th

· Optional Memorial of St. Ephrem, deacon and doctor

Old Calendar: Saints Primus and Felician, martyrs; St. Columba

St. Ephrem, called "the Harp of the Holy Spirit," is the great classic Doctor of the Syrian church. As deacon at Edessa, he vigorously combated the heresies of his time, and to do so more effectively wrote poems and hymns about the mysteries of Christ, the Blessed Virgin and the saints. He had a great devotion to Our Lady. He was a commentator on Scripture and a preacher as well as a poet, and has left a considerable number of works, which were translated into other Eastern languages as well as into Greek and Latin. He died in 373. Benedict XV proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church in 1920.

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of Sts. Primus and Felician as well as St. Columba. St. Ephrem's feast is celebrated on June 18.

Primus and Felician are two Roman martyrs of the via Nomentana. Their relics, transferred in the seventh century within the city, are at present in the church of St. Stephen on the Coelian Hill.

St. Columba, or Columkill, apostle of the Picts, was of illustrious Irish descent. He was brought up in the company of many saints at the school of St. Finian of Clonard. Being an ordained priest, and having founded many churches in Ireland, he went to Scotland with twelve companions, and there converted many of the northern Picts to the faith of Christ. He founded the monastery of Iona which became the nursery of saints and apostles. He also evangelized the northern English. He died on June 9, 597 at the foot of the altar at Iona while blessing his people, and was buried, like St. Brigid, beside St. Patrick at Downpatrick in Ulster.

St. Ephrem
Ephrem was of Syrian descent and son of a citizen of Nisibis. While yet a young man be betook himself to the holy bishop James, by whom he was baptized, and he soon made such progress in holiness and learning as to be appointed master in the school of Nisibis in Mesopotamia. After the death of the bishop James, Nisibis was captured by the Persians, and Ephrem went to Edessa, where he settled first among the monks in the mountains. Later, to avoid the company of those who flocked to him, he adopted the eremitical life. He was made deacon of the church of Edessa, but refused the priesthood out of humility. He was rich in all virtues and strove to acquire piety and religion by the following of true wisdom. He placed all his hope in God, despised all human and transitory things, and was ever filled with the earnest desire of those which are divine and eternal.

He was led by the Spirit of God to Caesarea in Cappadocia, where he saw Basil, the mouthpiece of the Church, and they obtained benefit from their mutual intercourse. In order to refute the many errors which troubled the Church at that time, and to expound the mysteries of Jesus Christ, he wrote many books in the Syrian tongue, almost all of which have been translated into Greek. St. Jerome bears witness that he attained such fame that his writings were read publicly in the churches after the reading from the Holy Scriptures.

On account of his works, so full of the light of heavenly doctrine, he was greatly honored even during his lifetime as a Doctor of the Church. He composed a poem in praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints for which he was called by the Syrians "the Harp of the Holy Ghost." He was noted for his great and tender devotion towards the immaculate Virgin. He died, rich in merits, at Edessa in Mesopotamia, on the fourteenth of the Kalends of July, in the reign of Valens. Pope Benedict XV, at the instance of many Cardinals of the holy Roman Church, patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, abbots and religious communities, declared him by a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites to be a Doctor of the Universal Church.

Excerpted from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.

Patron: Spiritual directors; spiritual leaders.

Symbols: cowl with small cross; pillar of light; scourge.
Often portrayed: In monastic habit; lying on a funeral slab; with a scroll and vine, as a deacon.

Things to Do:

Learn more about St. Ephrem here.
Read some of the writings of St. Ephrem.
Read Pope Benedict XV's Encyclical on St. Ephrem.

Sts. Primus and Felician
At an advanced age the brothers Primus and Felician were beheaded at Nomentum (or Mentana). According to the legendary Acts of their martyrdom, they were thrown into prison by Diocletian. Felician was separated from his brother and subjected to cruel tortures. Then the magistrate called for Primus. "See," he said, "your brother has acted much more wisely than you; he listened to the emperor's wishes and now enjoys the greatest honor with him. If you follow his example, like consideration and favor will be shown you." Primus retorted: "What has happened to my brother, an angel has told me. Oh, that I, even as I am one in mind and heart with him, may not be separated from him in death!"

Both were then thrown to the lions, but the beasts crouched at their feet, fawning with head and tail. Of the twelve thousand persons who witnessed this marvel, five hundred together with their families embraced the faith. Finally the two brothers were beheaded.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Things to Do:

Read The Lives of Saints Prime and Felician from the Golden Legend.

St. Columba of Iona, Abbot
St. Columba is a saint who still, after fourteen hundred years, exerts an appeal upon our imaginations. Born in Ireland, in Donegal in the year 521, he was of the blood royal, and might indeed have become High King of Ireland had he not chosen to be a priest. His vital, vigorous personality has given rise to many legends, and it is a little hard to sift fact from what is more probably fiction. We do know that he was a man of tremendous energy, probably somewhat headstrong in his youth, but with his tendency to violence curbed by a gentle magnanimity.

It seems certain that he left Ireland as an act of penance, although it is less certain how far this was connected with his quarreling over a copy of the Gospels he had made, a dispute that led to a bloody battle. He came from Ireland to Scotland, to the colony of Dalriada founded on the west coast by his fellow Irish Scots who were at that time somewhat oppressed by the dominant Picts. With twelve companions he founded his monastery on Iona in the year 563. These Celtic monks lived in communities of separate cells, but Columba and his companions combined their contemplative life with extraordinary missionary activity. Amongst his many accomplishments, Columba was a splendid sailor. He sailed far amongst the islands and traveled deep inland, making converts and founding little churches. In Ireland he had already, it is said, founded a hundred churches.

Of all the Celtic saints in Scotland, Columba's life is much the best documented, because manuscripts of his life, written by St Adamnan, one of his early successors as abbot of Iona, have survived. Iona itself remains a place of the greatest beauty, a serene island set in seas that take on brilliant colors in the sunshine, recalling the life and background of this remarkable man whose mission led to the conversion of Scotland and of the north of England, and indeed carried its influence far further afield. It later became the site of a Benedictine Abbey and of a little cathedral. These were dismantled by the Scottish reformers in 1561, and part of Columba's prophecy was fulfilled:

In Iona of my heart, Iona of my love,
Instead of monks' voices shall be lowing of cattle,
But ere the world come to an end
Iona shall be as it was.

When Dr Samuel Johnson visited the island in 1773 he observed, 'That man is little to be envied, whose patriotism would not gain force upon the plain of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of Iona!'

Columba was a poet as well as a man of action. Some of his poems in both Latin and Gaelic have come down to us, and they reveal him as a man very sensitive to the beauty of his surroundings, as well as always, in St Adamnan's phrase, 'gladdened in his inmost heart by the joy of the Holy Spirit.' He died in the year 597.

Courtesy of the Catholic Information Network

Patron: Against floods; bookbinders; floods; Ireland; poets; Scotland.

Symbols: Coracle; white horse; Celtic cross; devils fleeing.

Things to Do:

Read a longer life of St. Columba or read St. Adamnan's life of St. Columba.
In traditional lore, in Scotland on June 9, the feast of St. Columba is one of the luckiest days of the year when it falls on Thursday. The saying goes:

Day of Colum Cille the beloved
Day to put the loom to use
Day to put sheep to pasture
Day to put coracle on the seas
Day to bear, day to die
Day to make prayer efficacious
Day of my beloved, the Thursday. (Carmina Gadelica)

The healing herb, St. John's Wort, which flowers around summer solstice, is his herb. In Norway, this is considered the day the salmon start leaping.

33 posted on 06/09/2015 8:09:31 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Doctors of the Catholic Church

Saint Ephrem of Syria

icon of Saint Ephrem of Syria, author unknown Also known as

Ephrem of Edessa
Ephrem the Syrian
Ephraem…
Ephraim…
Ephraem Syrus
Deacon of Edessa
Harp of the Holy Spirit
Jefrem Sirin
Sun of the Syrians

Memorial

9 June
28 January (Eastern Orthodox; Eastern Catholic)
8 June (Scottish Episcopal)
10 June (Wales; Episcopal Church in the USA)
18 June (Maronite Church)
formerly 1 February
7th Saturday before Easter (Syriac Orthodox Church)

Profile

May have been the son of a pagan priest. Brought to the faith by Saint James of Nisibis, and baptized at age 18. Helped to evangelize Nisibis, Mesopotamia. May have attended the Council of Nicaea in 325. Deacon. Preacher. Had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 363 Nisibis was ceded to Persia; a great persecution of Christians began, and Eprem led an exodus of the faithful to Edessa. Founded a theological school in Edessa. Wrote homilies, hymns and poetry. Helped introduce the use of hymns in public worship. Fought Gnosticism and Arianism by his writings, including poems and hymns. Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1920.

Born

c.306 at Nisibis, Mesopotamia (in modern Syria)

Died

9 June 373 at Edessa (in modern Iraq) of natural causes
tomb in Armenian monastery, Der Serkis, west of Edessa

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Name Meaning

fruitful (hebrew)

Patronage

Representation

hermit sitting on a column
deacon‘s vestments and thurible
man composing hymns with a lyre
man in a cave with a book
man with a cross on his brow, pointing upwards
man with Saint Basil the Great
vine and scroll

Additional Information

Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
Catholic Encyclopedia, by Jerome Labourt
Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
New Catholic Dictionary
Principi Apostolorum Petro, by Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, 28 November 2007
books
- Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
other sites in english
- American Catholic
- Archimadrite Ephrem
- Catholic Culture
- Catholic Exchange
- Catholic Ireland
- Catholic News Agency
- Catholic Online
- Christian Biographies, by James E Keifer
- Cradio
- Katherine Rabenstein
- One to One
- Prayer Calendar
- Saints Stories for All Ages
- Syriac Orthodox Resources
- uCatholic
- Wikipedia
- Zenit: Pope Benedict XVI on Saint Ephrem
- Catholic Book Blogger
  - Saint Ephrem: Don’t Worship Idols in Your Heart
  - Saint Ephrem: Turn Temptation into Triumph
  - Saint Ephrem: Don’t Rejoice When Your Enemies Fall
  - Saint Ephrem: Christ Suffered to Keep You from Anger
  - Saint Ephrem: Judge Yourself, Not Your Neighbors
  - Saint Ephrem: Feed the Poor and You Feed Christ
  - Saint Ephrem: Be Poor to Be Rich
  - Saint Ephrem: Take Your Christian Life Seriously
  - Saint Ephrem: Run from Mockery
  - Saint Ephrem: To Deny Free Will Proves That There Is Free Will
  - Saint Ephrem: Live a Godly Life
  - Saint Ephrem: Imitate God, Not Animals
  - Saint Ephrem: Let Creation Be Our Book
  - Saint Ephrem: Make the Sign of the Cross Everywhere
  - Saint Ephrem: Crossing the Bridge to Heaven
images
- Santi e Beati
- Wikimedia Commons
video
- Shalom World
e-books
- Library of Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church, v41, by Saint Ephraem, Syrus
sites en français
- Fête des prénoms
siti in italiano
- Santi e Beati

Readings

Remember me, you heirs of God, you brethren of Christ; supplicate the Savior earnestly for me, that I may be freed through Christ from him that fights against me day by day. – Saint Ephrem, The Fear at the End of Life

You victorious martyrs who endured torments gladly for the sake of the God and Savior, you who have boldness of speech toward the Lord himself, you saints, intercede for us who are timid and sinful men, full of sloth, that the grace of Christ may come upon us, and enlighten the hearts of all of us that so we may love him. – Saint Ephrem, from Commentary on Mark

Lord, shed upon our darkened souls the brilliant light of your wisdom so that we may be enlightened and serve you with renewed purity. Sunrise marks the hour for men to begin their toil, but in our souls, Lord, prepare a dwelling for the day that will never end. Through our unremitting zeal for you. Lord, set upon us the sign of your day that is not measured by the sun. In your sacrament we daily embrace you and receive you into our bodies; make us worthy to experience the resurrection for which we hope. Teach us to find our joy in your favor! Savior, your crucifixion marked the end of your mortal life; teach us to crucify ourselves and make way for our life in the Spirit. – from a sermon by Saint Ephrem

34 posted on 06/09/2015 9:16:45 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for June 9, 2015:

“There are different forms of service but the same Lord.” (1 Cor. 12:5) Equality doesn’t mean sameness. As men and women, we are equal, but have unique talents and personalities. How do your spouse’s gifts serve your family and the community?

35 posted on 06/09/2015 9:29:38 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Regnum Christi

True Leadership

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

June 9, 2015. Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

By Father Shawn Aaron, LC

Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus said to his disciples: "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."

Introductory Prayer: Father of love, source of all blessings, you have led me throughout my life, and you lead me still. Thank you for your paternal care. Jesus, Son of God, you died for me on the cross to pay for my sins and manifest your unconditional love for me. Thank you for showing me the way home to the Father. Holy Spirit, sweet guest of the soul, you heal me and strengthen me and set me on fire from the most intimate depths of my soul. Thank you for your loving presence within me.

Petition: Lord, show me where I can make a difference.

The New Flavor of the Gospel: By calling us “the salt of the earth” Jesus meant that all his disciples, all those who would be called ‘Christians’ down through the centuries, would have the responsibility to work to give the new ‘taste’ of the Gospel to the earth and enlighten the whole world with Jesus’ teaching. Salt enhances the food we eat by accenting the natural flavor already present in the food. In like manner, we are called by God to enhance the world around us with the “saltiness” of our Christian lives. God created the world good, but sin has marred it. Through baptism God gives us the “salt” of his divine life – grace – so that, in turn, this grace of baptism will develop into a life of virtue and Christian charity by which we are called to “season” our environment. Do I have this awareness and desire which springs from my baptism?

Enlightening Minds and Hearts: Without light we are blind. The human eye is rendered useless where light is unable to penetrate. Analogously, all people have the power to know God who is truth, goodness and love. But without the particular light that is Jesus Christ, those faculties are clouded at best. Jesus wants you and me to be his light in contemporary society. By the way we live our life other people must see: They must see Christ. They must see the dignity of the human person and the noble calling each one of us has to live forever with God. They must see that love and mercy triumph over evil, suffering and death. The world needs our light because the world needs Christ.

The Shining Example of the Saints: What about humility? What about not letting your right hand know what your left hand is doing? Jesus reminds us that our lives and actions are meant to direct people’s gaze to God and not towards ourselves: “So that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” The world has needed to see Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta in action. It has needed to see the youthful vigor and the aged frailty of Pope Saint John Paul II. Their light has illumined our path towards God. This side of heaven, we will always need the example of the saints, and that is precisely what you and I are called to be.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, you have given me everything I need to be faithful. Grant me also the courage and the zeal to live what I believe and to testify to your faithful love in my thoughts, words and actions. Mother Most Pure, make my heart only for Jesus.

Resolution: Today I will speak to someone about Jesus, backing up my words with the sincerity with which I live my Christian commitments.

36 posted on 06/09/2015 9:34:15 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Homily of the Day

June 9, 2015

Salt of the Earth

“You are the salt of the earth” Recently one of the shows of the History channel showed how a common product such as salt is used for a lot of things. Salt enhances the flavor in our dishes to give us that desired taste. At the time when refrigeration was not yet a common thing, salt was used to transport ice from the northern continents to higher temperature countries so that they can enjoy their drinks. Salt was also used to preserve produce such as meat and fish. Such a simple product and yet so many important and wonderful uses.

Oftentimes we question our individual roles in the world. Some know immediately what roles they are destined to play. Others, however, seem to be still searching for meaning in their lives, day in and day out. No matter how simple our lifestyle may be, each and everyone of us has a role to play. We do not have to be CEOs or occupy high level positions in government to contribute. Being a father or a mother, a traffic aide, a teacher, or whatever we may be, each one of us has a significant role to play.

Salt is made up of tiny crystals. Each piece adds that flavor. If each particle fails to be salty, then the taste of the dish would fall flat. Jesus addresses this message – about being salty – to all of us. No one should feel that he is not worthy to be part of God’s kingdom.

This was what St. José de Anchieta (1534 – 1597) did for Brazil. Born in the Canary Islands, this Spanish Jesuit missionary became the father of Brazilian literature. He was instrumental in introducing the Catholic faith to the local Indians. He has been recognized as one of the founders of Sao Paulo in 1554 and Rio de Janeiro in 1565. He lived as “salt” for the Gospel message to the people of Brazil. He was declared a saint by Pope Francis on 03 April 2014.

Through the intercession of St. Jose de Anchieta, may we make our contribution to the betterment of society today.

37 posted on 06/09/2015 9:38:55 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 31, Issue 4

<< Tuesday, June 9, 2015 >>

St. Ephrem of Syria

2 Corinthians 1:18-22
View Readings

Psalm 119:129-133, 135

Matthew 5:13-16
Similar Reflections

"THROUGH HIM"

"It is through Him that we address our Amen to God when we worship together." —2 Corinthians 1:20

At every Mass, the Eucharistic prayer comes to a climax when the priest elevates the body and blood of Jesus and proclaims: "Through Him, with Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours, almighty Father, forever and ever." At this climactic moment, the entire assembly responds "Amen." We worship God together by addressing our Amen through Jesus to the Father in the Spirit (2 Cor 1:20).

This is God's plan for worship. Through Jesus (2 Cor 1:20), we worship the Father, addressing our prayer and praise to Him. With Jesus (Eph 2:6; Rm 6:8), we are raised up to heaven in our worship and share in the life of the Father. In Jesus (Phil 3:9), we find our very life and share in the glory of the Father (2 Thes 1:12).

In the Mass, every person, prayer, praise, promise (2 Cor 1:20), and proclamation are all wrapped together and offered to God through, with, and in Jesus. In turn, God the Father shares His life with us through, with, and in Jesus in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Re-dedicate yourself often to God through Jesus in the Mass, even daily if possible. Joyfully immerse yourself in the worship of heaven. Experience the fullness of God — through, with, and in Jesus.

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for lifting us up to the Father in the Mass. I will praise You in eucharistic joy forever.

Promise: "Your light must shine before men so that they may see goodness in your acts and give praise to your heavenly Father." —Mt 5:16

Praise: St. Ephrem was a teacher, Scripture scholar, prolific songwriter and worship leader, and is a Doctor of the Church.

38 posted on 06/09/2015 9:43:08 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Please be one of the many who oppose abortion!

39 posted on 06/09/2015 9:43:54 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Remember me, you heirs of God, you brethren of Christ; supplicate the Savior earnestly for me, that I may be freed through Christ from him that fights against me day by day.

– Saint Ephrem of Syria

40 posted on 06/09/2015 10:29:00 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794