Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 08-13-04, Opt. St. Pontian & St. Hippolytus

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 08-13-04 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

August 13, 2004
Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Psalm: Friday 35 Reading I Responsorial Psalm Gospel

Reading I
Ez 16:1-15, 60, 63 or 16:59-63

The word of the LORD came to me:
Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations.
Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem:
By origin and birth you are of the land of Canaan;
your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.
As for your birth, the day you were born your navel cord was not cut;
you were neither washed with water nor anointed,
nor were you rubbed with salt, nor swathed in swaddling clothes.
No one looked on you with pity or compassion
to do any of these things for you.
Rather, you were thrown out on the ground as something loathsome,
the day you were born.

Then I passed by and saw you weltering in your blood.
I said to you: Live in your blood and grow like a plant in the field.
You grew and developed, you came to the age of puberty;
your breasts were formed, your hair had grown,
but you were still stark naked.
Again I passed by you and saw that you were now old enough for love.
So I spread the corner of my cloak over you to cover your nakedness;
I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you;
you became mine, says the Lord God.
Then I bathed you with water, washed away your blood,
and anointed you with oil.
I clothed you with an embroidered gown,
put sandals of fine leather on your feet;
I gave you a fine linen sash and silk robes to wear.
I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms,
a necklace about your neck, a ring in your nose,
pendants in your ears, and a glorious diadem upon your head.
Thus you were adorned with gold and silver;
your garments were of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth.
Fine flour, honey, and oil were your food.
You were exceedingly beautiful, with the dignity of a queen.
You were renowned among the nations for your beauty, perfect as it was,
because of my splendor which I had bestowed on you,
says the Lord God.

But you were captivated by your own beauty,
you used your renown to make yourself a harlot,
and you lavished your harlotry on every passer-by,
whose own you became.

Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were a girl,
and I will set up an everlasting covenant with you,
that you may remember and be covered with confusion,
and that you may be utterly silenced for shame
when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord God.

or

Thus says the LORD:
I will deal with you according to what you have done,
you who despised your oath, breaking a covenant.
Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were a girl,
and I will set up an everlasting covenant with you.
Then you shall remember your conduct and be ashamed
when I take your sisters, those older and younger than you,
and give them to you as daughters,
even though I am not bound by my covenant with you.
For I will re-establish my covenant with you,
that you may know that I am the LORD,
that you may remember and be covered with confusion,
and that you may be utterly silenced for shame
when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord God.

Responsorial Psalm
Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

R (1c) You have turned from your anger.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R You have turned from your anger.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R You have turned from your anger.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R You have turned from your anger.

Gospel
Mt 19:3-12


Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying,
"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?"
He said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning
the Creator made them male and female and said,
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?
So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate."
They said to him, "Then why did Moses command
that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?"
He said to them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts
Moses allowed you to divorce your wives,
but from the beginning it was not so.
I say to you, whoever divorces his wife
(unless the marriage is unlawful)
and marries another commits adultery."
His disciples said to him,
"If that is the case of a man with his wife,
it is better not to marry."
He answered, "Not all can accept this word,
but only those to whom that is granted.
Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so;
some, because they were made so by others;
some, because they have renounced marriage
for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever can accept this ought to accept it."

[Salvation]

For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

[Salvation]

Alleluia Ping!

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[Salvation]

Sorry, everyone, I'm not finding any "Saint of the Day" thread on either

Saint Pontian

or

Saint Hippolytus

Maybe someone can put one together.
Salvation

[Salvation]

From: Matthew 19:3-12


Marriage and Virginity

---

[3] And Pharisees came up to Him (Jesus) and tested Him by asking, "Is
it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?" [4] He answered, "Have
you not read that He who made them from the beginning made them male
and female, [5] and said, `For this reason a man shall leave his father
and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one'?
[6] So they are no longer two but one. What therefore God has joined
together, let no man put asunder." [7] They said to Him, "Why then did
Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her
away?" [8] He said to them, "For your hardness of heart Moses allowed
you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
[9] And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity,
and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries a divorced
woman commits adultery."


[10] The disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of a man with his
wife, it is not expedient to marry." [11] But He said to them, "Not
all men can receive this precept, but only those to whom it is given.
[12] For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are
eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who
have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. He
who is able to receive this, let him receive it."

---

Commentary:


4-5. "Marriage and married love are by nature ordered to the
procreation and education of children. Indeed children are the supreme
gift of marriage and greatly contribute to the good of the parents
themselves. God Himself said: `It is not good that man should be
alone' (Genesis 2:18), and `from the beginning (He) made them male and
female' (Matthew 19:4); wishing to associate them in a special way with
his own creative work, God blessed man and woman with the words: `Be
fruitful and multiply' (Genesis 1:28). Without intending to
underestimate the other ends of marriage, it must be said that true
married life and the whole structure of family life which results from
it is directed to disposing the spouses to cooperate valiantly with the
love of the Creator and Savior, who through them will increase and
enrich His family from day to day" (Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes",
50).


9. Our Lord's teaching on the unity and indissolubility of marriage is
the main theme of this passage, apropos of which St. John Chrysostom
comments that marriage is a lifelong union of man and woman (cf. "Hom.
on St. Matthew", 62). On the meaning of "except for unchastity", see
the note on Matthew 5:31-32).


11. "Not all men can receive this precept": our Lord is fully aware
that the demands involved in His teaching on marriage and His
recommendation of celibacy practised out of love of God run counter to
human selfishness. That is why He says that acceptance of this
teaching is a gift from God.


12. Our Lord speaks figuratively here, referring to those who, out of
love for Him, renounce marriage and offer their lives completely to
Him. Virginity embraced for the love of God is one of the Church's
most precious charisms (cf. 1 Corinthians 7); the lives of those who
practise virginity evoke the state of the blessed in Heaven, who are
like the angels (cf. Matthew 22:30). This is why the Church's
Magisterium teaches that the state of virginity for the sake of the
Kingdom of Heaven is higher than the married state (cf. Council of
Trent, "De Sacram. Matr.", can. 10; cf. also Pius XII, "Sacra
Virginitas"). On virginity and celibacy the Second Vatican Council
teaches: "The Church's holiness is also fostered in a special way by
the manifold counsels which the Lord proposes to His disciples in the
Gospel for them to observe. Towering among these counsels is that
precious gift of divine grace given to some by the Father (cf. Matthew
19:11; 1 Corinthians 7:7) to devote themselves to God alone more easily
in virginity or celibacy [...]. This perfect continence for love of
the Kingdom of Heaven has always been held in high esteem by the Church
as a sign and stimulus of love, and as a singular source of spiritual
fertility in the world" ("Lumen Gentium", 42; cf. "Perfectae
Caritatis", 12). And, on celibacy specifically, see Vatican II's
"Presbyterorum Ordinis", 16 and "Optatam Totius", 10.


However, both virginity and marriage are necessary for the growth of
the Church, and both imply a specific calling from God: "Celibacy is
precisely a gift of the Spirit. A similar though different gift is
contained in the vocation to true and faithful married love, directed
towards procreation according to the flesh, in the very lofty context
of the sacrament of Matrimony. It is obvious that this gift is
fundamental for the building up of the great community of the Church,
the people of God. But if this community wishes to respond fully to
its vocation in Jesus Christ, there will also have to be realized in
it, in the correct proportion, that other gift, the gift of celibacy
`for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven'" (John Paul II, "Letter To All
Priests", 1979).

---

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.

[Salvation]

FEAST OF THE DAY

St. Pontian was ordained bishop of Rome in 231 but was banished
from his diocese to the island of Sardinia four years later by Emperor
Maximinus. While exiled on Sardinia, he resigned his office so a new
pope could be elected. On the island, he was treated harshly working
in the mines and died in the year 235. After his death, his body was
taken back to Rome and buried along the Via Tiburtina.

During his lifetime, St. Hippolytus was an adamant advocate for
orthodoxy. He held back no punches and censured everyone who
did not live up to his standard. He had vocal disagreements with
several popes. Hippolytus is one of the most important theologian
and religious writer from before the age of Constantine. His writings
are the fullest source for information on liturgy and the structure of
the Church in the second and third centuries. In the year 235,
Hippolytus was banished to Sardinia with St. Pontian. He died after
harsh treatment working in mines later that year. After his death, his
body was taken back to Rome and buried along the Via Tiburtina.


QUOTE OF THE DAY

Christ, like a skillful physician, understands the weakness of men. He
loves to teach the ignorant and the erring he turns again to his own
true way. He is easily found by those who live by faith and to those of
pure eye and holy heart, who desire to knock at the door, he opens
immediately. -St. Hyppolytus (Treatise on Christ and Antichrist)


TODAY IN HISTORY

533 Election of Pope John I
587 Death of St. Radegund, Queen of the Franks
622 Death of St. Maximus the Confessor
1173 Death of St. Narses the Gracious


TODAY'S TIDBIT

The foundation of the daily praying of the Liturgy of the Hours is
Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer. These times of prayer are the
hinges for the rest of the day. Morning Prayer opens the day and
Evening Prayer closes the day. Morning and Evening Prayer are composed
of a hymn, two psalms, an Old or New Testament canticle, a short
biblical reading, the Canticle of Zecharia or Mary, responsories
intercessions and a concluding prayer. People who take promises or
vows to say the Liturgy of the Hours are usually committed to say
Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, one of the sections of Daytime Prayer,
the Office of Readings and Night Prayer.


INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for the pope, for his health and for his intentions.

[NYer]

Friday August 13, 2004   Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading (Ezekiel 16:1-15, 60, 63)    Gospel (St. Matthew 19:3-12)

In both of the readings today, we hear about marriage. In the first reading, we hear Our Lord saying to Israel that when He passed by and saw that Israel was now old enough for love He put the corner of His cloak over her to cover her nakedness. That is an Old Testament way of saying, “I have taken you for my own to be married.” When someone would cover a person with their cloak, they would enter that way into a marriage. It was a statement of intent and it was a statement that this is the relationship that is going to be. And so God entered into this marriage covenant with Israel. Remember with all covenants that there are three elements: They are all permanent, faithful, and life giving. So God always is faithful to His covenant. Saint Paul, we recall, in his Second Letter to Timothy says, Even if we are unfaithful, He will still remain faithful because He cannot deny Himself. That is why He is talking to Israel now, saying, Even though you have given yourself over to harlotry, I’m going to forgive your sin; and you will be silent with shame when I forgive your for everything that you have done, because He remains faithful to the promise that He has made even if we do not.

That becomes, then, the foundation for what it is that He is talking about in the Gospel. Our Lord tells us that anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. The apostles immediately recognized that this could be a pretty difficult thing to do – to get married and actually be that way for life, imagine! So they asked the Lord about that, and He makes very clear exactly what He means. Not only is it for life, but the reason why this can be done now (and He tells us that not everyone can accept this, but those who can ought to do so) is because in Christ we have the ability to live according to the way God created us, that is, He tells us, It was not so in the beginning. And so what Moses allowed for the people was, He says, because of their hardness of heart, because of their sinfulness, because of their brokenness; they were not able to live according to the way God intended for them. But in Christ, with His grace and the redemption that is ours, we can live according to the way God intended from the very beginning. That does not matter whether you are married or single or priest or religious; all of us, because of Baptism, can live according to the way God intended. Not merely according to the vocation which is ours, but in every single aspect of our lives. It is possible for us. Now we are still affected by sin, but in Christ, as we grow in holiness, we can actually live according to the way God desires for us.

The problem is that people do not believe that. We know in our heads that it is theoretically true, but when we try to do it on the practical level we do not see that it is possible because it requires an awful lot of effort on our part. It requires really wanting to live according to the way God created us to live; it means rejecting everything that is contrary to that. And that, by itself, is not easy. The devil is smart enough to provide all kinds of things we really like, and therefore we do not want to get rid of them. He has set things up so that we live in an exceedingly selfish society, which is exactly the opposite of how God created us to live, but it is kind of hard to be unselfish when everybody around you is being selfish. It is easier to be just like everyone else, to fit in. In a dog-eat-dog world, why would you want to be eaten if you can be the one who is going to chomp on the other? That is not what we are called to be. That is not what God created us for. And so while it is easy to fit in, and while we think that we have to protect ourselves and therefore we cannot do what God wants because if we do somebody is going to hurt us, we need to step back and look at it in a very, very serious way and ask ourselves, “If I know that God has set things up in such a way that I can live according to the way He intends, that I can overcome sin, that I can actually live according to the way Adam and Eve were able to live in the Garden, how do I want to live?” That does not mean with original justice and original integrity, we do not have that, but by God’s grace we can live the way He wants us to live. And so look around the world and ask yourself, “Do I want to live like this?” Or go back to the first couple of chapters of Genesis and ask, “Do I want to live like that?”

It is pretty evident, I think, for all of us, which is the better way, but we have to choose it and we have to work at it. It is not going to be an easy task; it is something that is going to take years. But it is something that is within our capacity with God’s help – not by our own doing – but with God’s help we are able to do this. It means living a life of prayer, it means getting rid of whatever in our life leads us away from God and stands between us and Him, and it means making the changes in our lives to be virtuous and to do whatever we need to do to live according to what God intended, whether that is in a relationship of marriage, or whether that is in any other aspect of our lives. That is what Our Lord is laying out for us, that we can live according to the way God intended from the beginning – and that is only through the grace of Christ. So we need to unite ourselves with Him, with His Cross, with the grace that flows from the Cross which is available in the Eucharist, and in so doing we can change the way that we live so we can live according to the way God intended from the beginning.

[Askel5]

Roman Missal -- Douay Texts

He who made man from the beginning, Made them male and female

.......................... †JMJ† ..........................
-- Friday, 19th Week in Ordinary Time --
....................... † AMDG † .......................


FIRST READING – Ez 16:1-15, 60, 63 or 16:59-63
And thy renown went forth among the nations for thy beauty:
for thou wast perfect through my beauty,
which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God.
But trusting in thy beauty,
thou playedst the harlot because of thy renown,
and thou hast prostituted thyself to every passenger, to be his.
(NAB: You are perfect because of my splendor, which I bestowed on you,
you became a harlot.)

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations.
And thou shalt say: Thus saith the Lord God to Jerusalem:
Thy root, and thy nativity is of the land of Chanaan,
thy father was an Amorrhite, and thy mother a Cethite.
And when thou wast born, in the day of thy nativity
thy navel wits not cut, neither wast thou washed with water for thy health,
nor salted with salt, nor swaddled with clouts.
No eye had pity on thee to do any of these things for thee,
out of compassion to thee:
but thou wast cast out upon the face of the earth
in the abjection of thy soul, in the day that thou wast born.

And passing by thee,
I saw that thou wast trodden under foot in thy own blood.
and I said to thee when thou wast in thy blood:

Live: I have said to thee: Live in thy blood.

I caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field:
and thou didst increase and grow great, and advancedst,
and camest to woman's ornament: thy breasts were fashioned,
and thy hair grew: and thou wast naked, and full of confusion.

And I passed by thee, and saw thee:
and behold thy time was the time of lovers:
and I spread my garment over thee, and covered thy ignominy.
And I swore to thee, and I entered into a covenant with thee,
saith the Lord God: and thou becamest mine.

And I washed thee with water, and cleansed away thy blood from thee:
and I anointed thee with oil. And I clothed thee with embroidery,
and shed thee with violet coloured shoes: and I girded thee about with fine linen,
and clothed thee with fine garments.

I decked thee also with ornaments, and put bracelets on thy hands,
and a chain about thy neck. And I put a jewel upon thy forehead
and earrings in thy ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head.

And thou wast adorned with gold, and silver,
and wast clothed with fine linen, and embroidered work,
and many colours: thou didst eat fine hour,
and honey, and oil, and wast made exceeding beautiful:
and wast advanced to be a queen.

And thy renown went forth among the nations for thy beauty:
for thou wast perfect through my beauty,
which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God.

But trusting in thy beauty,
thou playedst the harlot because of thy renown,
and thou hast prostituted thyself to every passenger, to be his.

Thou hast borne thy wickedness, and thy disgrace,
saith the Lord God.
For thus saith the Lord God: I will deal with thee,
as thou hast despised the oath, in breaking the covenant:
And I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth:
and I will establish with thee an everlasting covenant.

And thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed:
when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thy elder and thy younger:
and I will give them to thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant.
And I will establish my covenant with thee:
and thou shalt know that I am the Lord,
That thou mayest remember, and be confounded,
and mayest no more open thy mouth because of thy confusion,
when I shall be pacified toward thee
for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.

---------------

2 "Make known to Jerusalem"... That is, by letters, for the prophet was then in Babylon.

11 "I decked thee also with ornaments"... That is, with spiritual benefits, giving you a law with sacrifices, sacraments, and other holy rites.


REPONSORIAL PSALM – Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6
Convérsus est furor tuus, et consolátus es me.
Thy wrath is turned away, and thou hast comforted me
(NAB: You have turned from your anger.)

Thy wrath is turned away, and thou hast comforted me

Behold, God is my saviour,
I will deal confidently, and will not fear:
O because the Lord is my strength, and my praise,
and he is become my salvation.
You shall draw waters with joy
out of the saviour's fountains:
Thy wrath is turned away, and thou hast comforted me

Praise ye the Lord, and call upon his name:
make his works known among the people:
remember that his name is high.
Thy wrath is turned away, and thou hast comforted me

Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath done great things:
shew this forth in all the earth.
Rejoice, and praise, O thou habitation of Sion:
for great is he that is in the midst of thee, the Holy One of Israel.
Thy wrath is turned away, and thou hast comforted me


ALLELUIA – 1 Thess 2:13
Accípte verbum Dei, non ut verbum Hóminum, sed,
sicut est vere, verbum Dei.
R. Alleluia, alleluia
[Therefore, we also give thanks to God without ceasing: because,]
that when you had received of us the word of the hearing of God,
you received it not as the word of men, but (as it is indeed) the word of God,
who worketh in you that have believed.
R. Alleluia, alleluia


GOSPEL – Mt 19:3-12
Moses by reason of the hardness of your heart
permitted you to put away your wives:
but from the beginning it was not so.

And there came to him the Pharisees tempting him, and saying:
Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
Who answering, said to them:

Have ye not read, that he who made man from the beginning,
Made them male and female?
And he said: For this cause shall a man leave father and mother,
and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be in one flesh.

Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh.
What therefore God hath joined together,
let no man put asunder.

They say to him:
Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorce, and to put away?

He saith to them:
Because Moses by reason of the hardness of your heart
permitted you to put away your wives:
but from the beginning it was not so.

And I say to you, that whosoever shall put away his wife,
except it be for fornication, and shall marry another,
committeth adultery:
and he that shall marry her that is put away,
committeth adultery.

His disciples say unto him:
If the case of a man with his wife be so, it is not expedient to marry.

Who said to them:
All men take not this word, but they to whom it is given.
For there are eunuchs, who were born so from their mother's womb:
and there are eunuchs, who were made so by men:

and there are eunuchs,
who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven.
He that can take, let him take it.


----------------------

9 "Except it be"... In the case of fornication, that is, of adultery, the wife may be put away: but even then the husband cannot marry another as long as the wife is living.

[Salvation]

The Word Amaong Us

Friday, August 13, 2004

Meditation
Matthew 19:3-12



What God has joined together, no human being must separate. (Matthew 19:6)

These words can sound quite harsh to us, especially if we have been through a divorce, or if the marriage of a family member or close friend has broken apart. On one hand, we can say that Jesus knows what he is talking about and is confident in God’s power to heal even the most difficult of marriages. But on the other hand, experience tells us that divorce is a traumatic reality that can leave deep and lasting wounds.

Think about the pain that divorced couples feel. A relationship that began with high ideals, joy, and optimism has degenerated into rejection, distrust, anger, and self-pity. What was once “one flesh” has been torn apart, leaving deep wounds not only in the couple but in other family members as well. How can Jesus possibly sit in merciless condemnation of these people? He doesn’t. God didn’t send his Son into the world to condemn, but to save (John 3:17). Jesus doesn’t want to crush people by telling them only where they may have gone wrong. He wants to meet all of us wherever we are in our life journey and offer us healing and restoration.

If you are divorced, know that Jesus loves you just as much as ever. He shares your pain and suffers with you. Think about his encounter with the woman at the well (John 4:4-42). He didn’t condemn this woman, even though she had been married five times and was currently living with a man who was not her husband. Instead, he brought her to repentance, healed her, and sent her back to her village to tell other people about him.

Whether married, divorced, or single, we all need to know God’s healing. Our Father wants to mend the wounds in every marriage as well as the wounds of those who have been affected by divorce. Jesus wants to reconcile us, transform us, and use us to proclaim his kingdom—no matter what we have done in the past. He wants to put his arms around us and give us his blessing (Mark 10:16).

“Lord Jesus, help us to overcome all disunity. Pour out your grace on every family that has been through divorce. Heal them and restore their hope. Let your love flow in all of us and flow out of us so that we might be your witnesses.”

[Salvation]

What God has joined together, no human being must separate. (Matthew 19:6)

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

All Issues > Volume 20, Number 5

<< Friday, August 13, 2004 >>

Pope St. Pontian St. Hippolytus

Ezekiel 16:59-63

Isaiah 12:2-6

Matthew 19:3-12

View Readings

ALL NEW IN JESUS?

“I now say to you, whoever divorces his wife (lewd conduct is a separate case) and marries another commits adultery.” —Matthew 19:9

Jesus came into the world and freed all human beings from sin by His death on the cross. He destroyed the devil’s works (1 Jn 3:8) by rising from the dead. Jesus gave us all the capacity of becoming sharers in the divine nature (2 Pt 1:4). Jesus made us adopted sons and daughters of God. “This means that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old order has passed away; now all is new!” (2 Cor 5:17)

Jesus has radically transformed everything, including all relationships. For example, marriage is no longer subject to divorce but is indissoluble. Those who have been united by the Lord in marriage cannot be separated (Mt 19:6). God has created an objective, unbreakable bond in marriage.

In Jesus, those single for His kingdom are not cursed or merely unmarried (Mt 19:12). Now single life in Jesus can be the greatest vocation of all, the vocation of Jesus, the most definitive sign of God’s heavenly kingdom (Lk 20:35ff).

Jesus has also revolutionized relationships with parents and children and especially with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Are you letting Jesus make all things new in all your relationships? (see 2 Cor 5:17) Are you accepting God’s grace to unfold your Baptism? Are you letting Jesus be Lord of your relationships by letting Him do anything He wants in your relationships? Let all your relationships be immersed in the newness of Jesus.

Prayer: Father, may I not be B.C., but A.D. to the full.

Promise: “I will reestablish My covenant with you, that you may know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be covered with confusion...when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord God.” —Ez 16:62-63

Praise: St. Hippolytus wrote many commentaries on Scripture. He and St. Pontian died in exile as martyrs.

[Salvation]

American Cathlic's Saint of the Day

August 13, 2004

Sts. Pontian and Hippolytus

(d. 235)

Two men died for the faith after harsh treatment and exhaustion in the mines of Sardinia. One had been pope for five years, the other an antipope for 18. They died reconciled.

Pontian. Pontian was a Roman who served as pope from 230 to 235. During his reign he held a synod which confirmed the excommunication of the great theologian Origen in Alexandria. Pontian was banished to exile by the Roman emperor in 235, and resigned so that a successor could be elected in Rome. He was sent to the “unhealthy” island of Sardinia, where he died of harsh treatment in 235. With him was Hippolytus (see below) with whom he was reconciled. The bodies of both martyrs were brought back to Rome and buried with solemn rites as martyrs.

Hippolytus. As a presbyter in Rome, Hippolytus (the name means “a horse turned loose”) was at first “holier than the Church.” He censured the pope for not coming down hard enough on a certain heresy—calling him a tool in the hands of one Callistus, a deacon—and coming close to advocating the opposite heresy himself. When Callistus was elected pope, Hippolytus accused him of being too lenient with penitents, and had himself elected antipope by a group of followers. He felt that the Church must be composed of pure souls uncompromisingly separated from the world, and evidently thought that his group fitted the description. He remained in schism through the reigns of three popes. In 235 he was also banished to the island of Sardinia. Shortly before or after this event, he was reconciled to the Church, and died with Pope Pontian in exile.

Hippolytus was a rigorist, a vehement and intransigent man for whom even orthodox doctrine and practice were not purified enough. He is, nevertheless, the most important theologian and prolific religious writer before the age of Constantine. His writings are the fullest source of our knowledge of the Roman liturgy and the structure of the Church in the second and third centuries. His works include many Scripture commentaries, polemics against heresies and a history of the world. A marble statue, dating from the third century, representing the saint sitting in a chair, was found in 1551. On one side is inscribed his table for computing the date of Easter, on the other a list of how the system works out until the year 224. Pope John XXIII installed the statue in the Vatican library.

Comment:

Hippolytus was a strong defender of orthodoxy, and admitted his excesses by his humble reconciliation. He was not a formal heretic, but an overzealous disciplinarian. What he could not learn in his prime as a reformer and purist, he learned in the pain and desolation of imprisonment. It was a fitting symbolic event that Pope Pontian shared his martyrdom.

Quote:

“Christ, like a skillful physician, understands the weakness of men. He loves to teach the ignorant and the erring he turns again to his own true way. He is easily found by those who live by faith; and to those of pure eye and holy heart, who desire to knock at the door, he opens immediately. He does not disdain the barbarian, nor does he set the eunuch aside as no man. He does not hate the female on account of the woman’s act of disobedience in the beginning, nor does he reject the male on account of the man’s transgression. But he seeks all, and desires to save all, wishing to make all the children of God, and calling all the saints unto one perfect man” (Hippolytus, Treatise on Christ and Antichrist).

[TotusTuus]

Apparently, you found some ;-)

[Smartass]

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