Posted on 05/24/2016 9:17:47 PM PDT by Salvation
"The Son of Man came... to give his life"
“If it is possible, let this cup pass from me” (Mt 26,39). Why did you rebuke Simon Peter when he said: “No such thing shall ever happen to you, Lord!” (Mt 16,22) when you yourself now say: “If it is possible, let this cup pass from me”? He well knew what he was saying to his Father and that it was indeed possible for the cup to pass from him, but he had come to drink it on behalf of all so that with this cup he might pay the debt that the deaths of prophets and martyrs could not pay... He who had described himself being put to death in the prophets and had foreshadowed the mystery of his death through the just, did not refuse to drink it when the time had come to bring this death to fulfilment. If he had not wanted to drink it but to push it aside he would not have compared his body to the Temple in the words: “Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn 2,19), nor would he have said to the sons of Zebedee: “Are you able to drink the cup that I shall drink?” and again: “There is a baptism with which I must be baptized” (Lk 12,50)...
“If it is possible, let this cup pass from me.” He said this because of the frailty he had put on, not in semblance but in reality. Because he had made himself small and had truly put on our weakness it was necessary for him to be afraid and shaken by his weakness. Having taken flesh, having put on weakness, eating when he was hungry, worn out by work, overcome by sleep, everything arising from the flesh had to happen when the time came for his death...
To comfort his disciples by his Passion Jesus felt what they felt. He took their fear on himself to show them, through his own likeness of soul, that we should not boast about death before we have undergone it. For if he who feared nothing was afraid and begged to be delivered even while knowing it to be impossible, how much more ought not the others to persevere in prayer before the temptation so as to be delivered from it when it came... He did not conceal his own fear so as to give courage to those who are afraid of death, that they might know that this fear does not lead to sin so long as they do not remain in it. “No, Father,” Jesus said, “but may your will be done: may I die to give life to many."
St. Thalassios the Libyan
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28) "Blessed are you among women, |
Saint Bede the Venerable,
Priest & Doctor of the Church
Optional Memorial
May 25th
Saint Bede the Venerable was born in England, he entered the Benedictine monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul. His writings were so full of sound doctrine that he was called "Venerable" while still alive.. He wrote commentaries on Holy Scripture and treatises on theology and history. Known as the fahter of English history, he was the first to date events anno Domini, or A.D. He died at Jarrow, England.
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
The Venerable Bede — Joanna Bogle, Voices Eastertide 2009
Collect:
O God, who bring light to your Church
through the learning of the Priest Saint Bede,
mercifully grant that your servants
may always be enlightened by his wisdom and helped by his merits.
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: 1 Corinthians 2:10b-16
For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what person knows a man's thoughts except the spirit of the man which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit.The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. "For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
Gospel: Matthew 7:21-29
"Not every one who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you evildoers.'"Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it."
And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Related Links on the Vatican Website:
Mary proclaims the greatness of the Lord working in her: From a homily by Saint Bede the Venerable, priest (Lib. 1, 4: CCL 122, 25-26. 30)
| Mark | |||
| English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
| Mark 10 |
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| 32. | And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem: and Jesus went before them, and they were astonished; and following were afraid. And taking again the twelve, he began to tell them the things that should befall him. | Erant autem in via ascendentes Jerosolymam : et præcedebat illos Jesus, et stupebant : et sequentes timebant. Et assumens iterum duodecim, cœpit illis dicere quæ essent ei eventura. | ησαν δε εν τη οδω αναβαινοντες εις ιεροσολυμα και ην προαγων αυτους ο ιησους και εθαμβουντο και ακολουθουντες εφοβουντο και παραλαβων παλιν τους δωδεκα ηρξατο αυτοις λεγειν τα μελλοντα αυτω συμβαινειν |
| 33. | Saying: Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be betrayed to the chief priests, and to the scribes and ancients, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles. | Quia ecce ascendimus Jerosolymam, et Filius hominis tradetur principibus sacerdotum, et scribis, et senioribus, et damnabunt eum morte, et tradent eum gentibus : | οτι ιδου αναβαινομεν εις ιεροσολυμα και ο υιος του ανθρωπου παραδοθησεται τοις αρχιερευσιν και γραμματευσιν και κατακρινουσιν αυτον θανατω και παραδωσουσιν αυτον τοις εθνεσιν |
| 34. | And they shall mock him, and spit on him, and scourge him, and kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. | et illudent ei, et conspuent eum, et flagellabunt eum, et interficient eum : et tertia die resurget. | και εμπαιξουσιν αυτω και μαστιγωσουσιν αυτον και εμπτυσουσιν αυτω και αποκτενουσιν αυτον και τη τριτη ημερα αναστησεται |
| 35. | And James and John the sons of Zebedee, come to him, saying: Master, we desire that whatsoever we shall ask, thou wouldst do it for us: | Et accedunt ad eum Jacobus et Joannes filii Zebedæi, dicentes : Magister, volumus ut quodcumque petierimus, facias nobis. | και προσπορευονται αυτω ιακωβος και ιωαννης οι υιοι ζεβεδαιου λεγοντες διδασκαλε θελομεν ινα ο εαν αιτησωμεν ποιησης ημιν |
| 36. | But he said to them: What would you that I should do for you? | At ille dixit eis : Quid vultis ut faciam vobis ? | ο δε ειπεν αυτοις τι θελετε ποιησαι με υμιν |
| 37. | And they said: Grant to us, that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. | Et dixerunt : Da nobis ut unus ad dexteram tuam, et alius ad sinistram tuam sedeamus in gloria tua. | οι δε ειπον αυτω δος ημιν ινα εις εκ δεξιων σου και εις εξ ευωνυμων σου καθισωμεν εν τη δοξη σου |
| 38. | And Jesus said to them: You know not what you ask. Can you drink of the chalice that I drink of: or be baptized with the baptism wherewith I am baptized? | Jesus autem ait eis : Nescitis quid petatis : potestis bibere calicem, quem ego bibo, aut baptismo, quo ego baptizor, baptizari ? | ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτοις ουκ οιδατε τι αιτεισθε δυνασθε πιειν το ποτηριον ο εγω πινω και το βαπτισμα ο εγω βαπτιζομαι βαπτισθηναι |
| 39. | But they said to him: We can. And Jesus saith to them: You shall indeed drink of the chalice that I drink of: and with the baptism wherewith I am baptized, you shall be baptized. | At illi dixerunt ei : Possumus. Jesus autem ait eis : Calicem quidem, quem ego bibo, bibetis ; et baptismo, quo ego baptizor, baptizabimini : | οι δε ειπον αυτω δυναμεθα ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτοις το μεν ποτηριον ο εγω πινω πιεσθε και το βαπτισμα ο εγω βαπτιζομαι βαπτισθησεσθε |
| 40. | But to sit on my right hand, or on my left, is not mine to give to you, but to them for whom it is prepared. | sedere autem ad dexteram meam, vel ad sinistram, non est meum dare vobis, sed quibus paratum est. | το δε καθισαι εκ δεξιων μου και εξ ευωνυμων ουκ εστιν εμον δουναι αλλ οις ητοιμασται |
| 41. | And the ten hearing it, began to be much displeased at James and John. | Et audientes decem, cœperunt indignari de Jacobo et Joanne. | και ακουσαντες οι δεκα ηρξαντο αγανακτειν περι ιακωβου και ιωαννου |
| 42. | But Jesus calling them, saith to them: You know that they who seem to rule over the Gentiles, lord it over them: and their princes have power over them. | Jesus autem vocans eos, ait illis : Scitis quia hi, qui videntur principari gentibus, dominantur eis : et principes eorum potestatem habent ipsorum. | ο δε ιησους προσκαλεσαμενος αυτους λεγει αυτοις οιδατε οτι οι δοκουντες αρχειν των εθνων κατακυριευουσιν αυτων και οι μεγαλοι αυτων κατεξουσιαζουσιν αυτων |
| 43. | But it is not so among you: but whosoever will be greater, shall be your minister. | Non ita est autem in vobis, sed quicumque voluerit fieri major, erit vester minister : | ουχ ουτως δε εσται εν υμιν αλλ ος εαν θελη γενεσθαι μεγας εν υμιν εσται υμων διακονος |
| 44. | And whosoever will be first among you, shall be the servant of all. | et quicumque voluerit in vobis primus esse, erit omnium servus. | και ος εαν θελη υμων γενεσθαι πρωτος εσται παντων δουλος |
| 45. | For the Son of man also is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a redemption for many. | Nam et Filius hominis non venit ut ministraretur ei, sed ut ministraret, et daret animam suam redemptionem pro multis. | και γαρ ο υιος του ανθρωπου ουκ ηλθεν διακονηθηναι αλλα διακονησαι και δουναι την ψυχην αυτου λυτρον αντι πολλων |
Saint Gregory VII, Pope, Religious
Optional Memorial
May 25th
unknown artist
Saint Gregory VII was a monk of Cluny (named Hildebrand before ascending to the papacy in 1073), he fought against the abuse of lay investiture, a major source of evils from which the Church was suffering. His energetic stance as Pope Gregory VII earned for him the enmity of the Emperor Henry IV. He was exiled to Salerno, where he died in 1085.
Principle Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
Collect:
Give to your Church, we pray, O Lord,
that spirit of fortitude and zeal for justice
which you made to shine forth in Pope Saint Gregory the Seventh,
so that, rejecting evil, she may be free
to carry out in charity whatever is right.
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: Acts 20:17-18a, 28-32, 36
From Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them:
"You yourselves know how I lived among you all the time. Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of His own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.
And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:13-19
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Saint Mary Magdalene de'Pazzi, virgin
Optional Memorial
May 25th
from a prayer cardOur prayer must be humble, fervent, resigned, persevering, and deeply reverent, for we must reflect that we are in the presence of a God and speaking with a Lord before Whom the Angels tremble out of respect and fear.
St. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi
Saint Mary Magdalen de'Pazzi was born in Florence and joined the Carmelites when she was nineteen. She practiced great mortification for the salvation of sinners; her constant exclamation was, "To suffer, not to die!" With apostolic zeal, she urged the renewal of the entire ecclesiastical community.
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
Collect:
O God, lover of virginity,
who adorned with heavenly gifts
the Virgin Saint Mary Magdalene de'Pazzi,
setting her on fire with your love,
grant, we pray, that we, who honor her today,
may imitate her example of purity and love.
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: 1 Corinthians 7:25-35
Now concerning the unmarried, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. I think that in view of the present distress it is well for a person to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek marriage. But if you marry, you do not sin, and if a girl marries she does not sin. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. I mean, brethren, the appointed time has grown very short; from now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the form of this world is passing away.I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman or girl is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.
Gospel Reading: Mark 3:31-35
Jesus' mother and His brethren came; and standing outside they sent to Him and called Him. And a crowd was sitting about Him; and they said to Him, "Your mother and Your brethren are outside, asking for You." And He replied, "Who are My mother and My brethren?" And looking around on those who sat about Him, He said, "Here are My mother and My brethren! Whoever does the will of God is My brother, and sister, and mother."
LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF FLORENCE ON THE OCCASION OF THE FOURTH CENTENARY OF THE DEATH OF ST. MARY MAGDALENE DE’ PAZZI
To His Eminence
Cardinal Ennio Antonelli
Archbishop of FlorenceOn the occasion of the Fourth Centenary of the death of St Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi, I am pleased to unite myself to the beloved Florentine Church who wishes to remember her illustrious daughter, particularly dear as a symbolic figure of a living love that recalls the essential mystical dimension of every Christian life.
While with affection I greet you, Your Eminence, and the entire diocesan community, I give thanks to God for the gift of this Saint, which every generation rediscovers as uniquely close by knowing how to communicate an ardent love for Christ and the Church.Born in Florence on 2 April 1566 and baptized at the "beautiful St John" font with the name Caterina, St Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi showed a particular sensitivity to the supernatural from childhood and was attracted by intimate colloquy with God.
As was the custom for children of noble families, her education was entrusted to the Dames of Malta, in whose monastery she received her First Holy Communion on 25 March 1576, and just some days later she consigned herself to the Lord for ever with a promise of virginity.Returning to her family, she deepened her prayer life with the help of the Jesuit Fathers, who used to come to the palace. She cleverly did not allow herself to be conditioned by the worldly demands of an environment that, although Christian, was not sufficient to satisfy her desire to become more similar to her crucified Spouse.
In this context she reached the decision to leave the world and enter the Carmel of St Mary of the Angels at Borgo San Frediano, where on 30 January 1583 she received the Carmelite habit and the name of Sr Mary Magdalene.
In March of 1584, she fell gravely ill and asked to be able to make her profession prior to the time, and on 27 May, Feast of the Trinity, she was carried into the choir on her pallet, where she pronounced before the Lord her vows of chastity, poverty and obedience for ever.
From this moment an intense mystical season began which was also the source of the Saint's great ecstatic fame. The Carmelites of St Mary of the Angels have five manuscripts in which are recorded the extraordinary experiences of their young Sister.
"The Forty Days" of the summer of 1584 are followed by "The Colloquies" of the first half of the following year. The apex of the mystical knowledge that God granted of himself to Sr Mary Magdalene is found in "Revelations and Intelligences", eight days of splendid ecstacies from the vigil of Pentecost to the Feastday of the Trinity in 1585. This was an intense experience that made her able at only 19 years of age to span the whole mystery of salvation, from the Incarnation of the Word in the womb of Mary to the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
Five long years of interior purification followed - Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi speaks of it in the book of "The Probation" - in which her Spouse, the Word, takes away the sentiment of grace and leaves her like Daniel in the lions' den, amid many trials and great temptations.
This is the context in which her ardent commitment to renew the Church takes place, after which, in the summer of 1586, splendours of light from on high came to show her the true state of the post-Tridentine era.
Like Catherine of Siena, she felt "forced" to write some letters of entreaty to the Pope, Curial Cardinals, her Archbishop and other ecclesial personages, for a decisive commitment to "The Renovation of the Church", as the title of the manuscript that contains them says. It consists of 12 letters dictated in ecstasy, perhaps never sent, but which remain as a testimony of her passion for the Sponsa Verbi.
With Pentecost of 1590 her difficult trial ended. She promised to dedicate herself with all her energy to the service of the community and in particular to the formation of novices. Sr Mary Magdalene had the gift to live communion with God in an ever more interior form, so as to become a reference point for the whole community who still today continue to consider her "mother".
The purified love that pulsated in her heart opened her to desire full conformity with Christ, her Spouse, even to sharing with him the "naked suffering" of the Cross. Her last three years of life were a true Calvary of suffering for her. Consumption began to clearly manifest itself: Sr Mary Magdalene was obliged to withdraw little by little from community life to immerse herself ever more in "naked suffering for love of God".
She was oppressed by atrocious physical and spiritual pain which lasted until her death on Friday, 25 May 1607. She passed away at 3 p.m., while an unusual joy pervaded the entire monastery.
Within 20 years of her death the Florentine Pontiff Urban VIII had already proclaimed her Blessed. Pope Clement IX inscribed her in the Roll of Saints on 28 April 1669.
Her body has remained incorrupt and is the destination of constant pilgrimages. The monastery where the Saint lived is today the seat of the Archiepiscopal Seminary of Florence, which venerates her as their Patron, and the cell where she died has become a chapel in whose silence one can still feel her presence.
St Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi continues to be an inspiring spiritual figure for the Carmelites Nuns of the Ancient Observance. They see in her the "Sister" who has travelled the entire way of transforming union with God and who finds in Mary the "star" of the way to perfection.
This great Saint has for everyone the gift of being a spiritual teacher, particularly for priests, to whom she always nourished a true passion.
I truly hope that the present jubilee celebrations commemorating her death will contribute to making this luminous figure ever better known, who manifests to all the dignity and beauty of the Christian vocation. As, while she was alive, grasping the bells she urged her Sisters with the cry: "Come and love Love!", may the great Mystic, from Florence, from her Seminary, from the Carmelite monasteries that draw their inspiration from her, still make her voice heard in all the Church, spreading to every human creature the proclamation to love God.
With this wish, I entrust you, Venerable Brother, and the Florentine Church to the heavenly protection of St Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi and heartily impart to all a special Apostolic Blessing.
From the Vatican, 29 April 2007
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI
Wednesday
May 25, 2016
Respect for Women
As we close out May, it is not too late to pray for the intentions of Pope Francis for this month. Please act on these intentions:
Universal Intention: Respect for Women – Pray that in every country of the world, women may be honored and respected and that their essential contribution to society may be highly esteemed.
Evangelization Intention: Holy Rosary – pray that families, communities, and groups may pray the Holy Rosary for evangelization and peace.
Become part o this worldwide ministry of prayer for the Pope and his intentions by visiting apostleshipofprayer.org
Year of Mercy Calendar for Today: “A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.”
May 25, 2016 (Readings on USCCB website)
O God, who bring light to your Church through the learning of the Priest Saint Bede, mercifully grant that your servants may always be enlightened by his wisdom and helped by his merits. 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.
Give to your Church, we pray, O Lord, that spirit of fortitude and zeal for justice which you made to shine forth in Pope Saint Gregory the Seventh, so that, rejecting evil, she may be free to carry out in charity whatever is right. 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.
O God, lover of virginity, who adorned with heavenly gifts the Virgin Saint Mary Magdalene de'Pazzi, setting her on fire with your love, grant, we pray, that we, who honor her today, may imitate her example of purity and love. 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.
Old Calendar: Monday after Pentecost; St. Gregory VII, pope and confessor; St. Urban I, pope and martyr; St. Madeline Sophie Barat, religious
St. Bede was born in England. A Benedictine, he was "the most observant and the happiest of all monks." His writings were so full of sound doctrine that he was called "Venerable" while still alive. He wrote commentaries on Holy Scripture and treatises on theology and history. He died at Jarrow, England.
St. Gregory VII was a monk of Cluny. Before ascending to the papacy, he fought against the abuse of lay investiture, the source of the evils from which the Church was suffering. His energetic stance as Pope Gregory VII earned for him the enmity of the Emperor Henry IV. He was exiled to Salerno where he died.
St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi was born in Florence and joined the Carmelites when she was nineteen. She practiced great mortification for the salvation of sinners; her constant exclamation was, 'To suffer, not to die!' With apostolic zeal, she urged the renewal of the entire ecclesiastical community.
Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar, today was the feast of St. Urban I, a Roman, successor of Callistus in the papal chair (222-230) and St. Madeline Sophie Barat, foundress in France of the Society of the Sacred Heart. Their feasts are no longer celebrated in the United States.
St. Bede
Bede occupies an important niche in Church history by bridging the gap between patristic and early medieval times, the era when the Germanic nations had just been Christianized. Through him Christian tradition and Roman culture came to the Middle Ages. He is also honored as the "father of English history." His writings were read publicly in churches while he was still alive; but since he could not be called "Saint," the title of Venerable was attached to his name, a usage which continued down through the centuries.
True Benedictine that he was, his life revolved around prayer and work. On the vigil of the Ascension he felt death approaching and asked to be fortified with the last sacraments. After reciting the Magnificat antiphon of the feast's second Vespers, he embraced his brethren, had himself placed upon a coarse penitential garment on the earth, and breathed forth his soul while saying softly: "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost."
How St. Bede loved the Bible! Anyone who intends to live with the Church must keep the Scriptures near — day in, day out. St. Bede explained the Bible to others. At times you too will have this privilege. Use it.
— Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
Patron: Lectors; historians.
Symbols: Pitcher of water and light from Heaven; scroll; pen and inkhorn; volume of ecclesiastical history.
Often portrayed as: Monk writing at a desk; old monk dying amidst his community; old monk with a book and pen; old monk with a jug.
Things to Do:
St. Gregory VII
Gregory VII — his name had been Hildebrand before becoming Pope — was born about the year 1020. For two years he was a Benedictine monk of Cluny (1047-1049), then he became a cardinal, and finally, in 1073, Pope. A strong character with a remarkable personality, he easily takes a place with the greatest popes in the Church's history.
His life was one long struggle to purify and unify the Church, and to make her free and independent of secular powers. He enacted strict prohibitions against simony (the purchasing of ecclesiastical preferments), clerical concubinage, and lay investiture (appointment to ecclesiastical offices by civil authorities). On this later score he soon became involved in a dispute with the Emperor Henry IV which caused him untold trouble and which finally resulted in banishment and death. But his stand cleansed the Church and restored its status. Gregory died in exile with these words on his lips: "I loved justice and hated iniquity, therefore I die in exile."
Concerning him the Protestant historian Gregorovius wrote: "In the history of the papacy, there will always be two shining stars to reveal the spiritual greatness of the popes. The one is Leo, before whom the terrible destroyer Attila drew back; the other is Gregory, before whom Henry IV knelt in the garb of a penitent. Each of these world renowned men, however, engenders a different reaction. Where Leo inspires highest reverence for pure moral greatness, Gregory fills one with admiration because of an almost superhuman personality. The monk who won without weapons has more right to be admired than Alexander, Caesar, or Napoleon.
"The battles fought by medieval popes were not waged with weapons of iron and lead, but with moral weapons. It was the application and operation of such lofty, spiritual means that occasionally raised the Middle Ages above our own. Alongside Gregory, Napoleon appears as a bloody barbarian. . . . Gregory's accomplishment is a distinctly medieval phenomenon, to study it will always be exciting. The history of the Christian world would lose one of its rarest pages if this stalwart character, this artisan's son in the tiara, were missing."
— Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
Things to do:
St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
Mary Magdalen of Pazzi, a highly gifted mystic, had made a vow of chastity at the age of ten. She entered the convent of the Discalced Carmelite nuns in Florence, because the practice of receiving holy Communion almost daily was observed there. For five years her only food was bread and water. She practiced the most austere penances and for long periods endured complete spiritual aridity. Her favorite phrase was: "Suffer, not die!" Her body has remained incorrupt to the present day; it is preserved in a glass coffin in the church of the Carmelite nuns at Florence.
Purity of soul and love of Christ are the chief virtues which the Church admires in St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi. These virtues matured her spiritually and enabled her to take as a motto, "Suffer, not die!" Purity and love are also the virtues which the Church today exhorts us to practice in imitation of the saint. We may never attain her high degree of holiness, but we can at least strive to suffer patiently out of love for Christ.
— Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
Patron: Bodily ills; sexual temptation; sick people.
Things to Do:
St. Urban
St. Urban, who succeeded Pope St. Callistus (cf. October 14), reigned from 222 to 230. During his pontificate the Church enjoyed peace, because Emperor Alexander Severus forbade the persecution laws to be enforced. Of special interest is a decree ascribed to Pope Urban regarding use made of the gifts offered at Mass. "The gifts of the faithful that are offered to the Lord can only be used for ecclesiastical purposes, for the common good of the Christian community, and for the poor; for they are the consecrated gifts of the faithful, the atonement offering of sinners, and the patrimony of the needy" (Breviary).
St. Urban's body was transferred to the Church of St. Praxedes in the year 818, where it remains to this day. Some hagiographers hold that his grave is in the Church of St. Cecilia in Rome. Vintagers honor Pope St. Urban as their patron.
— Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
Symbols: Vine and grapes; fallen idol beneath broken column; scourge; stake; severed head.
St. Madeleine Sophie Barat
Under the guidance of her brother Madeleine Sophie Barat became at an early age proficient in Latin, Greek, Spanish and Italian. The brother, nine years her senior, was a stern disciplinarian. If her work was bad, she was punished — sometimes by a box on the ears - but if she did well, no word of praise was uttered. She was never allowed to relax from this discipline — even walks were forbidden unless they were strictly necessary for exercise; and when, in a moment of mistaken tenderness, she gave her brother a present, he threw it on the fire. She was ten when the French Revolution occurred in 1789. Afterwards, and still under the influence of her brother, she met Father Varin who desired to found a female counterpart of the Jesuits which should do for girls' education what they did for boys' education. On November 21st, 1800, Madeleine with three companions dedicated herself to the Sacred Heart and so the New Congregation was begun. From the first house at Amiens it was to spread in the lifetime of its foundress all over Europe and to Africa and America, and its boarding schools have become famous.
Madeleine's energy in extending the work was seconded by her reliance on God which enabled her to succeed in times of great difficulty. 'Too much work is a danger to an imperfect soul,' she said, 'but for one who loves our Lord it is an abundant harvest.'
— Excerpted from The Saints edited by John Coulson
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Born around the time England was finally completely Christianized. Raised from age seven in the abbey of Saints Peter and Paul at Wearmouth-Jarrow, and lived there the rest of his life. Benedictine monk. Spiritual student of the founder, Saint Benedict Biscop. Ordained in 702 by Saint John of Beverley. Teacher and author, he wrote about history, rhetoric, mathematics, music, astronomy, poetry, grammar, philosophy, hagiography, homiletics, and Bible commentary.
He was known as the most learned man of his day, and his writings started the idea of dating this era from the incarnation of Christ. The central theme of Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica is of the Church using the power of its spiritual, doctrinal, and cultural unity to stamp out violence and barbarism. Our knowledge of England before the 8th century is mainly the result of Bede’s writing. He was declared a Doctor of the Church on 13 November 1899 by Pope Leo XIII.
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Readings
He alone loves the Creator perfectly who manifests a pure love for his neighbour. – Saint Bede the Venerable
On Tuesday before the feast of the Ascension, Bede’s breathing became labored and a slight swelling appeared in his legs. Nevertheless, he gave us instruction all day long and dictated cheerfully the whole time. It seemed to us, however, that he knew very well that his end was near, and so he spent the whole night giving thanks to God. At daybreak on Wednesday he told us to finish the writing we had begun. We worked until nine o’clock, when we went in procession with the relics as the custom of the day required. But one of our community, a boy named Wilbert, stayed with him and said to him, “Dear master, there is still one more chapter to finish in that book you were dictating. Do you think it would be too hard for you to answer any more questions?” Bede replied: “Not at all; it will be easy. Take up your pen and ink, and write quickly,” and he did so. At three o’clock, Bede said to me, “I have a few treasures in my private chest, some pepper, napkins, and a little incense. Run quickly and bring the priest of our monastery, and I will distribute among them these little presents that god has given me.” When the priests arrived he spoke to them and asked each one to offer Masses and prayers for him regularly. They gladly promised to do so. The priests were sad, however, and they all wept, especially because Bede had said that he thought they would not see his face much longer in this world. Yet they rejoiced when he said, “If it so please my Maker, it is time for me to return to him who created me and formed me out of nothing when I did not exist. I have lived a long time, and the righteous Judge has taken good care of me during my whole life. The time has come for my departure, and I long to die and be with Christ. My soul yearns to see Christ, my King, in all his glory.” He said many other things which profited us greatly, and so he passed the day joyfully till evening. When evening came, young Wilbert said to Bede, “Dear master, there is still one sentence that we have not written down.” Bede said, “Quick, write it down.” In a little while, Wilbert said, “There; now it is written down.” Bede said, “Good. You have spoken the truth; it is finished. Hold my head in your hands, for I really enjoy sitting opposite the holy place where I used to pray; I can call upon my Father as I sit there.” And so Bede, as he lay upon the floor of his cell, sang, “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.” And when he had named the Holy Spirit, he breathed his last breath. – from a letter on the death of Saint Bede written by the monk Cuthbert
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, any my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” With these words Mary first acknowledges the special gifts she has been given. Above all other saints, she alone could truly rejoice in Jesus, her savior, for she knew that he who was the source of eternal salvation would be born in time in her body, in one person both her own son and her Lord. “For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” Mary attributes nothing to her own merits. She refers all her greatness to the gift of one whose essence is power and whose nature is greatness, for he fill with greatness and strength the small and the weak who believe in him. She did well to add: “and holy is his name,” to warn those who heard, and indeed all who would receive his words, that they must believe and call upon his name. For they too could share in everlasting holiness and true salvation according to the words of the prophet: “and it will come to pass, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” This is the name she spoke of earlier when she said “and my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” – from a homily by Saint Bede
Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Optional Memorial)
Love one another intensely. (1 Peter 1:22)
Think for a minute about anything you’ve experienced intensely: a thrilling movie, perhaps, or an engrossing discussion. Maybe a hard-fought competition or an emotional situation that left you feeling either completely drained or newly alive. That’s how Peter urges us to love one another.
It sounds intimidating, doesn’t it? At least until we remember that God’s love for us is more intense than any love we could possibly have for other people—and that it’s his love in us that enables us to love intensely.
So what does “intense” love look like? Forgiving someone as often as God has forgiven us, even for a repeated offense. Showing someone kindness in spite of his indifference or hard-heartedness. Looking after an ailing family member with the same devotion that God has for you. Showing a special concern for the poor, the marginalized, and the underprivileged. Now that’s intense!
If your first inclination is to dismiss this command as unattainable, you’re on the right track. But remember, what is impossible for us is more than possible for God. So the best way to start is to ask your heavenly Father to show you his love in a more tangible way. Ask him to help you find glimpses of it during your day: words of encouragement that come to your mind, a sense of wonder at the beauty of nature, a nudge to help a neighbor, anything positive and inspiring. Then, when you find something, thank him right then and there. For that one moment, let his love wash over you and bring you peace.
Receiving God’s love like this can soften your heart. It can humble you and move you to treat other people as God has just treated you.
Remember, too, that change occurs over time, so don’t think you have to be perfect right away. As God’s love increases in you, you will be able to draw from that reservoir to show that love to the people around you. Then, as you stretch yourself to be more loving, God will refill and refresh you. Remember: you can never outdo God in generosity, in love, or in intensity!
“Father, thank you for loving me intensely. Teach me how to be more loving.”
Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20
Mark 10:32-45
Daily Marriage Tip for May 25, 2016:
Life is hectic and prayer rarely just “fits in” to daily schedules without effort. Be intentional and put aside time to pray with your spouse today.
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May 25, 2016 - Wednesday of the Eighth Week of Ordinary Time
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Father John Doyle, LCMark 10:32-45
Introductory Prayer: Once again, Lord, I come to you to pray. Even though I cannot see you, I trust that you are present and very much want to instruct me in your teachings. In the same way that you demonstrate your love for me by spending this time with me, I want to express my love for you by dedicating this time to you with a spirit of faith, confidence and attention. Here I am, Lord, to listen to you and respond with love. Petition: Lord, help me imitate your example of loving service.
Resolution: I will seek to serve others no matter who they are. |
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