Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 02-06-04, Memorial, St. Paul Miki, companions & martyrs

Reading I
Sir 47:2-11

Like the choice fat of the sacred offerings,
so was David in Israel.
He made sport of lions as though they were kids,
and of bears, like lambs of the flock.
As a youth he slew the giant
and wiped out the people's disgrace,
When his hand let fly the slingstone
that crushed the pride of Goliath.
Since he called upon the Most High God,
who gave strength to his right arm
To defeat the skilled warrior
and raise up the might of his people,
Therefore the women sang his praises,
and ascribed to him tens of thousands
and praised him when they blessed the Lord.
When he assumed the royal crown, he battled
and subdued the enemy on every side.
He destroyed the hostile Philistines
and shattered their power till our own day.
With his every deed he offered thanks
to God Most High, in words of praise.
With his whole being he loved his Maker
and daily had his praises sung;
He set singers before the altar and by their voices
he made sweet melodies,
He added beauty to the feasts
and solemnized the seasons of each year
So that when the Holy Name was praised,
before daybreak the sanctuary would resound.
The LORD forgave him his sins
and exalted his strength forever;
He conferred on him the rights of royalty
and established his throne in Israel.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 18:31, 47 and 50, 51

R (see 47b) Blessed be God my salvation!
God's way is unerring,
the promise of the LORD is fire-tried;
he is a shield to all who take refuge in him.
R Blessed be God my salvation!
The LORD live! And blessed be my Rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
Therefore will I proclaim you, O LORD, among the nations,
and I will sing praise to your name.
R Blessed be God my salvation!
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed,
to David and his posterity forever.
R Blessed be God my salvation!

Gospel
Mk 6:14-29

King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread,
and people were saying,
"John the Baptist has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him."
Others were saying, "He is Elijah";
still others, "He is a prophet like any of the prophets."
But when Herod learned of it, he said,
"It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up."

Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
"It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
Herodias harbored a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers,
and the leading men of Galilee.
His own daughter came in and performed a dance
that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
"Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."
He even swore many things to her,
"I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom."
She went out and said to her mother,
"What shall I ask for?"
Her mother replied, "The head of John the Baptist."
The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request,
"I want you to give me at once on a platter
the head of John the Baptist."
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner
with orders to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter
and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

From: Mark 6:14-29

Opinions About Jesus

[14] King Herod heard of it; for Jesus' name had become known. Some
said, "John the Baptizer has been raised from the dead; that is why
these powers are at work with Him." [15] But others said, "It is
Elijah." And others said, "It is a prophet, like one of the prophets
of old." [16] But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I
beheaded, has been raised."

John the Baptist Beheaded

[17] For Herod had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison for the
sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; because he had married
her. [18] For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have
your brother's wife." [19] And Herodias had a grudge against him, and
wanted to kill him. But she could not, [20] for Herod feared John,
knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When
he heard him, he was much perplexed; and yet he heard him gladly.
[21] But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet
for his courtiers and officers and the leading men of Galilee. [22] For
when Herodias' daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his
guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish,
and I will grant it." [23] And he said to her, "Whatever you ask me, I
will give you, even half of my kingdom." [24] And she went out, and
said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John
the Baptizer." [25] And she came in immediately with haste to the king,
and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the
Baptizer on a platter." [26] And the king was exceedingly sorry; but
because of his oath and his guests he did not want to break his word to
her. [27] And immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard and gave
him orders to bring his head. He went and beheaded him in prison,
[28] and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the
girl gave it to her mother. [29] When his disciples heard of it, they
came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

Commentary:

14. Following the popular custom, St. Mark called Herod "king", but in
strict legal terminology he was only tetrarch, which is the way St.
Matthew (14:1) and St. Luke (9:7) describe him, that is, a governor of
certain consequence. The Herod referred to here was Herod Antipas, the
son of Herod the Great who was king of the Jews at the time of Jesus'
birth.

16-29. It is interesting that the extensive account of the death of
John the Baptist is inserted here in the Gospel narrative. The reason
is St. John the Baptist's special relevance in the history of
salvation: he is the Precursor, entrusted with the task of preparing
the way for the Messiah. Besides, John the Baptist had a great
reputation among the people: they believed him to be a prophet (Mark
11:32); some even thought he was the Messiah (Luke 3:15; John 1:20);
and they flocked to him from many places (Mark 1:5). Jesus Himself
said: "Among those born of women there has risen no one greater than
John the Baptist" (Matthew 11:11). Later, the Apostle St. John will
speak of him in the Gospel: "There was a man sent from God, whose name
was John" (John 1:6); but the sacred text points out that, despite
this, he was not the light, but rather the witness to the light (John
5:35). We are told here that he was a righteous man and preached to
everyone what had to be preached: he had a word for people at large,
for publicans, for soldiers (Luke 3:10-14); for Pharisees and Sadducees
(Matthew 3:7-12); for King Herod himself (Mark 6: 18-20). This humble,
upright and austere man paid with his life for the witness he bore to
Jesus the Messiah (John 1:29 and 36-37).

26. Oaths and promises immoral in content should never be made, and, if
made, should never be kept. This is the teaching of the Church, which
is summed up in the "St. Pius X Catechism", 383, in the following way:
"Are we obliged to keep oaths we have sworn to do unjust and unlawful
things? Not only are we not obliged: we sin by making such oaths, for
they are prohibited by the Law of God or of the Church.

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.

FEAST OF THE DAY

St. Paul Miki was born in Japan of a wealthy family and as a youth
realized he had a call to the religious life. After joining the Jesuits, he
began to set out and preach, spreading the Faith which St. Francis
Xavier brought to Japan almost fifty years earlier. Paul was a very
successful preacher, and when the political climate changed and
became hostile to Christianity, he decided not to flee the country but
to stay and continue his ministry to his fellow countrymen.

As a preacher, Paul was a very visible member of the Christian
community and he was soon arrested. He and twenty-five
companions were sentenced to crucifixion and endured a month-long
public derision while being driven the 600 miles to the city of
Nagasaki. While awaiting their death on the cross, the martyrs sang
the Te Deum. Paul Miki became the first Jesuit martyr of Japan when
a guard pierced his body with a lance while it was hanging on the
cross. St. Paul Miki, and the people who were martyred with him,
were canonized by Pius IX in 1862. One of the other martyrs was St.
Felipe de Jesus, the first martyr from the Americas to be beatified.
Paul Miki and his companions are the protomartyrs of the Far East.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the doctrine
of Christ. I thank God it is for this reason that I die. I believe that I am
telling the truth before I die. I know you believe me and I want to say
to you all once again: Ask Christ to help you become happy. I obey
Christ. After Christ's example, I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate
them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on
my fellow men as a fruitful rain. -St. Paul Miki

TODAY IN HISTORY

337 St Julius I begins his reign as Pope
679 Death of Amandus, the founder of Belgian monasticism. During
his 95 years, he established eight abbeys, five in the Southern Netherlands.
1922 Cardinal Achille Ratti elected Pope Pius XI

TODAY'S TIDBIT

Christianity in Japan has had a difficult past. Acceptance of the Faith
rested on the leader of the country. If he was favorable to
Christianity, it was allowed to thrive, if he was not favorable to
Christianity, it was persecuted. Part of the reason that many rulers
fought against Christianity was because they saw it as something
foreign staining their culture and heritage.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray, through the intercession of St. Paul Miki for the Church
in Asia, especially for strengthening where it is still persecuted.

The Word Among Us

Friday, February 06, 2004

Meditation
Mark 6:14-29

King Herod was so amazed by news of Jesus that he believed John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. What an unwitting testimony this was to John—that he could be mistaken for the Savior of the world! Wouldn’t you like that to happen to you? Wouldn’t you love to be so like Jesus that people start to wonder if Jesus has come back to the earth?

Consider how John lived. Forget the wild clothes and the strange diet. What’s important is the time he spent in prayer, letting Scripture sink into his heart and learning the freedom and joy of repentance. How else could he have been so powerful in calling so many people to believe in the mercy of God? Because of this close relationship with God, John could recognize Jesus as the promised Messiah and as the one sent to baptize with the Holy Spirit. John knew that, as important as it was, his water baptism for forgiveness was only a preparation for this more important baptism that Jesus would offer: an immersion into the life of God himself, an immersion that brought along with it godly power to live as Jesus lived.

Just as he called John, God is calling each of us to prepare people for the experience of Christ in their lives. And he knows that we can do this only as, like John, we come to mirror Jesus, relying on the power of the Spirit to change us. For John, that meant prayer and repentance, but it also meant an untiring determination to obey God’s calling to the best of his ability. It meant putting aside his own plans for his life and being willing to follow God’s call, however radical it may seem.

All this may sound like a lot, but it really isn’t—especially compared with all that we receive from God. As we do our part, the Holy Spirit will do his part, making us so much like Jesus that, just as Herod did, people will wonder if Christ has come back to the earth.

“Holy Spirit, please come and dwell in my heart. Transform me and teach me how to be like Jesus, so that others may know the awesome and loving God that we have. Come, Spirit, and help me to bear Christ to the world.”

One Bread, One Body

<< Friday, February 6, 2004 >>

St. Paul Miki & Companions

Sirach 47:2-11

Psalm 18:31, 47, 50-51

Mark 6:14-29

View Readings

PRIDE: THE SIN OF SINS

“King Herod came to hear of Jesus, for His reputation had become widespread.” —Mark 6:14

King Herod heard about Jesus. This could have been the opportunity for Herod to believe in Jesus (see Rm 10:17) and be saved from self-destruction. But Herod jumped to the wrong conclusion that Jesus was actually John the Baptizer raised from the dead (Mk 6:16). Herod was prone to believe this falsehood because he carried guilt from murdering John to save face and look good before the guests at his birthday party (Mk 6:26). Herod murdered John because Herod was proud, and this led him astray in other ways.

Herod had an exceptional opportunity to meet and love Jesus shortly before His crucifixion and death. But Herod was still on his ego-trip. Herod tried to use Jesus as a pawn in his own proud posturings (Lk 23:8, 11). Jesus would have no part in it and refused to speak to Herod (Lk 23:9). Herod was face to face with Jesus moments before His crucifixion and death, but there was no communication because of Herod’s pride.

Jesus became a human being, died on the cross, and rose from the dead to have a deep, personal relationship with you forever. Will you accept, love, and worship Jesus on His terms, or will you be damned forever in pride?

Prayer: Father, may I learn from Jesus to be “gentle and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29).

Promise: “The Lord forgave him his sins and exalted his strength forever; He conferred on him the rights of royalty.” —Sir 47:11

Praise: St. Paul Miki and his twenty-five companions were martyred because of the prideful boasting of a Spanish sea captain. They humbly accepted their sentence, fixed their eyes on Jesus (Heb 3:1), and received the everlasting crown of glory from Him.

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	You Have Not Drawn Near to an Untouchable Mountain!
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Friday, February 6, 2004

Mk 6:14-29

It’s hard to imagine what it would be like trying to get to know God and to give our heart to Him if Jesus had never come on this earth as one of us. How would we ever dare to call God our Father? How would we be so sure that He would forgive us and give us second chances when inevitably we sin? How would we know what we’re supposed to look like and be like without Jesus as our model? It’s so easy to forget what life without Jesus would be like, because from the very first moment of our lives he HAS been there as our brother and our Savior.

St. Paul could remember a time in his life when he’d never even heard of Jesus, and when the weight of facing a fearsome judge-God burdened his soul mightily. So he reassures us in today’s epistle: “You have not drawn near to an untouchable mountain and a blazing fire, and gloomy darkness and storm and trumpet blast, and a voice speaking words such that those who heard begged that they be not addressed to them.” No, as Paul tells us, we have drawn near “to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant...”

Jesus is God’s own special word to us. And that word says, “I love you, and I always will.” Trust that love, and let the peace of Christ, which is beyond all understanding, fill your mind and your heart now and always.

Friday February 6, 2004 Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading (Sirach 47:2-11) Gospel (St. Mark 6:14-29)

In the readings today, we hear about kingship from two different points of view. We hear about the kingship of David and the way that he conducted himself, and we hear about the kingship of Herod and the way that he has conducted himself. In both of these instances, we see two men who are very weak. We know about David and his problem with Bathsheba. We hear now about Herod and his own daughter and the lust that filled his heart as he looked at this young girl doing an erotic dance, and all of the things that that brought up with his promises and everything else.

But with David, there is an entire difference. David was repentant; not only of his sin, but above all, what David wanted more than anything was to be a priest. He wanted to serve God. He got caught up in his own weakness and took care of himself at times; and when he did, he repented of his sins. He certainly had to deal with the consequences of his own sins as well. But with each occasion that he fell, he got back up and turned to the Lord with repentance. Herod, on the other hand, showed absolutely no repentance for anything. Herod was caught up only in his own self and his own power. David, on the other hand, was caught up in the power of God.

What David wanted was to serve the Lord. He wrote songs, as we heard from Sirach, to be able to praise the Lord. He added solemnity to the feasts; He made things more beautiful in the worship. All of the things that would serve the Lord are what David wanted to do. Certainly, again, he had his own weaknesses; it is not that he was perfect by any stretch of the imagination. But yet, because his heart was set on serving God, because he called upon the Name of the Most High, because he sought the strength of the Lord rather than his own strength, his sins were forgiven and he was given great promises by God as to what would happen for him and his posterity after him. We see in the situation with David very clearly what happens when one relies on God’s strength and when one relies on one’s own strength. When it is our own strength, we fall into sin. When it is God’s strength, we can do amazing things.

And so, each one of us needs to realize that we too have a share in the royal office. Each of us is priest, prophet, and king. We share in the kingship of Jesus Christ. We share in the authority of God in that way. Remember that the office of king is an office of service. Each one of us is called to this service – first and foremost to God – and, secondly, to those who are around us. There are two ways that we can do it, two ways that are laid out in the readings today. One, we can try to do it our own way. We can try to do things by our own strength. We can be self-serving and think how wonderful we are and what we can get away with, and we will be just like Herod; or we can even by like David when he fell because he tried to do it his own way with his own strength and he did not look to God. Or we can be like David when he was at his best and we can look to God. We can seek to serve Him, we can seek His strength, we can turn to Him in prayer, we can make sure that we are putting God first, and when we do that we will receive blessings similar to David. Our sins will be forgiven because out of human weakness we fall, but if our hearts are truly set on God and we are seeking Him, we can trust fully in His mercy. If we are seeking the Will of God, we will give glory and honor to Him. It is to seek that desire to live out all three of our offices: priest, prophet, and king.

Keep in mind that what David wanted was what he was not able to have, and he was accepting of that. That is, he wanted to be a priest. The same is true for most everybody here. There may be a desire in that generic sense to be able to serve God in a priestly manner, which each one of us is able to do through that office of priesthood. So we can use that kingship to serve with a desire to serve God as a priest. But not being able to serve precisely at the altar as a priest, each one of us certainly is able to serve God with the same kind of zeal, the same kind of love, the same kind of purity of heart, that we would want from the priests that do serve at the altar. Each one of us is able to offer ourselves in sacrifice to God and to bring our sacrifices to the altar, and in that way to add greater solemnity to the feasts that we already celebrate by bringing our hearts filled with love and our sacrifices to unite with the sacrifice of Christ.

So each one of us does have the same opportunity. We may not be earthly kings – and praise God! we are not because then we do not have to deal with all the stuff that comes with it – but we have the kingship of Jesus Christ, we have the priesthood of Jesus Christ, and we have the prophetic office of Christ which each one of us is able to express and to live in a fullness in service of the Lord if we make that choice. We have laid out before us two ways of doing it: our way or God’s way. One way is going to lead to pure selfishness, to using other people, and ultimately to eternal condemnation. The other way leads to the forgiveness of sin, to the glorification of God, and to eternal life.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.