You’re so welcome.

Wednesday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407), priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church
Homily 44 on Saint Matthew's Gospel

“On rich soil, it produced fruit”

      “A sower went out to sow.” From whence did he go out? He who is present everywhere and fills the entire universe? How did he go out? Not in a physical sense but through a disposition of providence in our regard: he came near by clothing himself in our flesh. Since we are unable to go to him, our sins preventing our access, it is he who comes to us. And why did he go out? To destroy the ground where thistles were rampant? To punish the farm laborers for them? Not at all. He comes to cultivate this piece of land, take care of it and sow the word of holiness in it. For the seed he speaks of is, in fact, his own teaching; the field is the human soul; the sower, he himself…

     It would be quite right to rebuke a farmer who sowed his seed so widely… But when it is a question of matters of the soul then stones can be turned into fruitful earth, the path can remain undisturbed by every passer-by and become a fertile field, thorns can be pulled up and allow the seed to grow peacefully. If it hadn’t been possible, he would not have broadcast his seed. And if the transformation never took place, that isn’t the sower’s fault but the fault of those who didn’t want to let themselves be changed. The sower carried out his work. If his seed has been wasted then the author of so great a blessing isn’t to blame.

     Take good note that there are several ways of losing the seed… It is one thing to let the seed of God’s word dry out without tribulation or hassle, it’s another to see it perish beneath the shock of temptation… So that nothing similar should happen to us let us engrave the word in our minds, fervently, deeply. Then the devil may well go pulling out all around us, we shall have enough strength to keep him from pulling out anything in us.

It is interesting that no one has responded to your posts tonight. What audience are you trying to reach?

Am I "no one"?
What's your problem?

'Our eighth struggle is against the demon of pride, a most sinister demon, fiercer than all that have been discussed up till now. He attacks the perfect above all and seeks to destroy those who have mounted almost to the heights of holiness. Just as a deadly plague destroys not just one member of the body, but the whole of it, so pride corrupts the whole soul, not just part of it. Each of the other passions that trouble the soul attacks and tries to overcome the single virtue which is opposed to it, and so it darkens and troubles the soul only partially. But the passion of pride darkens the soul completely and leads to its utter downfall.

In order to understand more fully what is meant by this, we should look at the problem in the following way. Gluttony tries to destroy self-control; unchastity, moderation; avarice, voluntary poverty; anger, gentleness; and the other forms of vice, their corresponding virtues. But when the vice of pride has become master of our wretched soul, it acts like some harsh tyrant who has gained control of a great city, and destroys it completely, razing it to its foundations. The angel who fell from heaven because of his pride bears witness to this. He had been created by God and adorned with every virtue and all wisdom, but he did not want to ascribe this to the grace of the Lord. He ascribed it to his own nature and as a result regarded himself as equal to God. The prophet rebukes this claim when he says: 'You have said in your heart: "I will sit on a high mountain; I will place my throne upon the clouds and I will be like the Most High." Yet you are a man, and not God' (cf. Isa. 14:13-14). And again, another prophet says, 'Why do you boast of your wickedness, O mighty man?' and he continues in this same vein (Ps. 52:1). Since we are aware of this we should feel fear and guard our hearts with extreme care from the deadly spirit of pride. When we have attained some degree of holiness we should always repeat to ourselves the words of the Apostle: "Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me' (1 Cor. 15:10), as well as what was said by the Lord: 'Without Me you can do nothing' (John 15:5). We should also bear in mind what the prophet said: 'Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it' (Ps. 127:1), and finally: 'It does not depend on-man's will or effort, but on God's mercy (Rom. 9:16).'

St. John Cassian

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Abuse duly reported.

Pride is the FIRST and most egregious of the seven deadly sins. It leads to the rest, wouldn’t you say?

Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 13
1.	THE same day Jesus going out of the house, sat by the sea side.	In illo die exiens Jesus de domo, sedebat secus mare.	εν δε τη ημερα εκεινη εξελθων ο ιησους απο της οικιας εκαθητο παρα την θαλασσαν
2.	And great multitudes were gathered unto him, so that he went up into a boat and sat: and all the multitude stood on the shore.	Et congregatæ sunt ad eum turbæ multæ, ita ut naviculam ascendens sederet : et omnis turba stabat in littore,	και συνηχθησαν προς αυτον οχλοι πολλοι ωστε αυτον εις το πλοιον εμβαντα καθησθαι και πας ο οχλος επι τον αιγιαλον ειστηκει
3.	And he spoke to them many things in parables, saying: Behold the sower went forth to sow.	et locutus est eis multa in parabolis, dicens : Ecce exiit qui seminat, seminare.	και ελαλησεν αυτοις πολλα εν παραβολαις λεγων ιδου εξηλθεν ο σπειρων του σπειρειν
4.	And whilst he soweth some fell by the way side, and the birds of the air came and ate them up.	Et dum seminat, quædam ceciderunt secus viam, et venerunt volucres cæli, et comederunt ea.	και εν τω σπειρειν αυτον α μεν επεσεν παρα την οδον και ηλθεν τα πετεινα και κατεφαγεν αυτα
5.	And other some fell upon stony ground, where they had not much earth: and they sprung up immediately, because they had no deepness of earth.	Alia autem ceciderunt in petrosa, ubi non habebant terram multam : et continuo exorta sunt, quia non habebant altitudinem terræ :	αλλα δε επεσεν επι τα πετρωδη οπου ουκ ειχεν γην πολλην και ευθεως εξανετειλεν δια το μη εχειν βαθος γης
6.	And when the sun was up they were scorched: and because they had not root, they withered away.	sole autem orto æstuaverunt ; et quia non habebant radicem, aruerunt.	ηλιου δε ανατειλαντος εκαυματισθη και δια το μη εχειν ριζαν εξηρανθη
7.	And others fell among thorns: and the thorns grew up and choked them.	Alia autem ceciderunt in spinas : et creverunt spinæ, et suffocaverunt ea.	αλλα δε επεσεν επι τας ακανθας και ανεβησαν αι ακανθαι και απεπνιξαν αυτα
8.	And others fell upon good ground: and they brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.	Alia autem ceciderunt in terram bonam : et dabant fructum, aliud centesimum, aliud sexagesimum, aliud trigesimum.	αλλα δε επεσεν επι την γην την καλην και εδιδου καρπον ο μεν εκατον ο δε εξηκοντα ο δε τριακοντα
9.	He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.	Qui habet aures audiendi, audiat.	ο εχων ωτα ακουειν ακουετω

1. The same day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the seaside.
2. And great multitudes were gathered together to him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3. And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow,
4. And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5. Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6. And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8. But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold.
9. Who has ears to hear, let him hear.

CHRYS; When He had rebuked him that told Him of His mother and His brethren, He then did according to their request; He departed out of the house, having first corrected his brethren for their weak desire of vainglory; He then paid the honor due to His mother, as it is said, The same day Jesus went forth out of the house, and sat down by the seaside.

AUG; By the words, The same day, he sufficiently shows that these things either followed immediately upon what had gone before, or that many things could not hare intervened; unless indeed 'day' here after the Scripture manner signifies a period.

RABAN; For not only the Lord's words and actions, but His journeying also, and the places in which He works His mighty works and preaches, are full of heavenly sacraments. After the discourse held in the house, wherein with wicked blasphemy He had been said to have a demon, He went out and taught by the sea, to signify that having left Judea because of their sinful unbelief, He would pass to the salvation of the Gentiles. For the hearts of the Gentiles, long proud and unbelieving, are rightly likened to the swelling and bitter waves of the sea And who knows not that Judea was by faith the house of the Lord.

JEROME; For it must be considered, that the multitude could not enter into the house to Jesus, nor be there where the Apostles heard mysteries; therefore the Lord in mercy to them departed out of the house, and sat near the sea of this world, that great numbers might be gathered to Him, and that they might hear on the seashore what they were not worthy to hear within; And great multitudes were gathered to him, so that he went into a ship, and sat down, and all the people stood on the shore.

CHRYS; The Evangelist did not relate this without a purpose, but that he might show the Lord's will therein, who desired so to place the people that He should have none behind Him, but all should be before His face.

HILARY; There is moreover a reason in the subject of His discourse why the Lord should sit in the ship, and the multitude stand on the shore. For He was about to speak in parables, and by this action signifies that they who were without the Church could have no understanding of the Divine Word. The ship offers a type of the Church, within which the word of life is placed, and is preached to those without, and who as being barren sand cannot understand it.

JEROME; Jesus is in the midst of the waves; He is beaten back and forth by the waves, and, secure in His majesty, causes His vessel to come nigh the land, that the people not being in danger, not being surrounded by temptations which they could not endure might stand on the shore with a firm step, to hear what was said.

RABAN; Or, that He went into a ship and sat on the sea, signifies that Christ by faith should enter into the hearts of the Gentiles, and should gather together the Church in the sea, that is in the midst of the nations that spoke against Him. And the crowd that stood on the sea shore, neither in the ship nor in the sea, offers a figure of those that receive the word of God, and are by faith separated from the sea, that is from the reprobate, but are not yet imbued with heavenly mysteries. It follows; And he spoke many things to them in parables.

CHRYS; He had not done thus on the mount; He had not framed His discourse by parables. For there were the multitudes only, and a mixed crowd but here the Scribes and Pharisees. But He speaks in parables not for this reason only, but to make His sayings plainer, and fix them more fully in the memory, by sayings things before the eyes.

JEROME; And it is to be noted, that He spoke not all things to them in parables, but many things for had He spoken all things in parables, the people would have departed without benefit. He mingles things plain with things dark, that by those things which they understand they may be incited to get knowledge of the things they understand not. The multitude also is not of one opinion, but of divers wills in divers matters, whence He speaks to them in many parables, that each according to their several dispositions parables receive some portion of His teaching.

CHRYS; He first sets forth a parable to make His hearers more attentive; and because He was about to speak enigmatically, He attracts the attention by this first parable, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow his seed.

JEROME; By this sower is typified the Son of God, who sows among the people the word of the Father.

CHRYS; Whence then went out He who is everywhere present, and how went He out? Not in place; but by His incarnation being brought nearer to us by the garb of the flesh. Forasmuch as we because of our sins could not enter in to Him, He therefore came forth to us.

RABAN; Or, He went forth when having left Judea he passed by the Apostles to the Gentiles.

JEROME; Or, He was within while He was yet in the house, and spoke sacraments to His disciples. He went therefore forth from the house, that He might sow seed among the multitudes.

CHRYS When you hear the words, the sower went out to sow, do not suppose that is a tautology. For the sower goes out oftentimes for other ends; as, to break up the ground, to pluck up noxious weeds, to root up thorns, or perform any other species of industry, but this man went forth to sow. What then becomes of that seed? three parts of it perish, and one is preserved; but not all in the same manner, but with a certain difference, as it follows, And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside.

JEROME; This parable Valentinus lays hold of to establish his heresy, bringing in three different natures: the spiritual, the natural or the animal, and the earthly. But there are here four named, one by the wayside, one stony, one thorny, and a fourth the good ground.

CHRYS; Next, how is it according to reason to sow seed among thorns, or on stony ground, or by the wayside? Indeed in the material seed and soil of this world it would not be reason able; for it is impossible that rock should become soil, or that the way should not be the way, or that thorns should not be thorns. But with minds and doctrines it is otherwise; there it is possible that the rock be made rich soil, that the way should be no more trodden upon, and that the thorns should be extirpated. That the most part of the seed then perished, came not of him that sowed, but of the soil that received it, that is the mind. For He that sowed put no difference between rich and poor, wise or foolish, but spoke to all alike; filling up his own part, though foreseeing all things that should come to pass, so that He might say, What ought I to have done that I have not done? He does not pronounce sentence upon them openly and say, this the indolent received and have lost it, this the rich and have choked it, this the careless and have lost it, because He would not harshly reprove them, that He might not alienate them altogether. By this parable also He instructs His disciples, that though the greater part of those that heard them were as perished, yet that they should not therefore be remiss in the Lord Himself who foresaw all things, did not on account desist from sowing.

JEROME; Note that this is the first parable that has been given with its interpretation but we must beware where the Lord expounds His own teachings, that we do not presume to understand any thing either more or less, or any way otherwise than as so expounded by Him.

RABAN; But those things which He silently left to our understanding should be shortly noticed. The wayside is the mind trodden and hardened by the continual passage of evil thoughts; the rock, the hardness of the self-willed mind; the good soil, the gentleness of the obedient mind; the sun, the heat of a raging persecution. The depth of soil, is the honesty of a mind trained by heavenly discipline. But in thus expounding them we should add, that the same things are not always put in one and the same allegorical signification.

JEROME; And we are excited to the understanding of His words, by the advice which follows, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

REMIG; These ears to hear, are ears of the mind, to understand namely and do those things which are commanded.

Catena Aurea Matthew 13

The Preaching of Saint John the Baptist

Bacchiacca

c. 1520
Oil on wood, 68,5 x 92 cm
Szépmûvészeti Múzeum, Budapest

Saint Apollinaris, Bishop & Martyr

Saint Apollinaris, Bishop & Martyr
Optional Memorial
July 20th

St. Apollinaris, c. 549 mosaic
detail of apse
Ravenna, church of St. Apollinaris

Saint Appolinaris, probably born in Antioch, is one of the great Christian martyrs of the first century. He was made Bishop of Ravenna by Saint Peter. The date of his consecration is not known, though he was bishop for twenty-six years. His preaching won many converts to the Christian faith; but his very effective evangelization led to his continual persecution, and he was repeatedly driven from Ravenna. Once he was found severely beaten and half dead on the seashore; and for a time he was concealed by the Christians. He was captured again and compelled to walk on burning coals, and he was again driven from the region. Despite this, he returned to Ravenna and continued his work of evangelization. Again he was captured, hacked with knives, had scalding water poured over his wounds, was beaten in the mouth with stones because he persisted in preaching, and then, loaded with chains, he was cast into a dungeon to starve to death; however, after four days he was put on board ship and sent to Greece. There he continued his preaching and miracles. His very presence caused the oracles to be silent, so he was beaten and sent back to Italy. After three years, he returned to Ravenna a fourth time. Vespasian (9-79 AD) was Emperor at this time, and in response complaints he issued a decree of banishment against the Christians. Apollinaris was kept hidden for some time; but as he was passing out of the gates of the city, he was set upon and savagely beaten. He lived for seven days, and foretold that the persecution of Christians would increase, but that the Church would ultimately triumph. It has been suggested that Apollinaris was one of the seventy-two disciples of Christ, but this is not certain.
[Based on the entry in the Catholic Encyclopedia]

Collect:
Direct your faithful, Lord, in the way of eternal salvation,
which the Bishop Saint Apollinaris showed by his teaching and martyrdom,
and grant, through his intercession,
that we may so perserve in keeping your commandments
as to merit being crowned with him.
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: Ezekiel 34:11-16
"For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the fountains, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and upon the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on fat pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; I will feed them in justice.
Gospel Reading: John 10:11-18
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father."

SAINT APOLLINARIS of RAVENNA, First Bishop of Ravenna and Martyr [Apollinarius]

Information: St. Apollinaris of Hierapolis

Feast Day: January 8

Died: 175

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Joseph Barsabbas

Feast Day: July 20
Born/Died: (around the time of Jesus)

The Acts of the Apostles in the Bible, mentions that St. Peter wanted to replace Judas after Jesus' resurrection. Peter, who did not want to show favoritism, asked the community to suggest someone. He wanted a person who had been among the disciples from the time Jesus was baptized by John until the Lord's death and resurrection.

The first Christians suggested two men, who were equally good. One was Joseph, called Barsabbas or Joseph the Just, and the other was Matthias. "One of these men must become a witness with us of Jesus' resurrection," Peter said.

The community prayed. "Lord," they said, "you know the hearts of each of us here. Help us to know the person who should take the place of Judas." Then they "cast lots." The man selected was Matthias and he was added to the company of apostles.

Soon the disciples spread out and went with the mission to preach the good news of salvation to all nations. Joseph Barsabbas preached in many places using his energy to spread the Good News. His love for the Church and his dedication whether he was chosen or not, are his gift to us.

Reflection: When we sometimes feel unappreciated for what we have done, we can pray to the Holy Spirit to free us from the need to be praised.

Wednesday

July 20, 2016

A Revolution That Starts With Us

“The greatest challenge of the day is: how to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us?” - Dorothy Day, Servant of God

Year of Mercy Calendar for Today: “How happy I am to see myself imperfect and be in need of God’s mercy.” St. Therese of Lisieux