Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 02-21-04, Optional, St. Peter Damian

Reading I
Jas 3:1-10

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters,
for you realize that we will be judged more strictly,
for we all fall short in many respects.
If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man,
able to bridle the whole body also.
If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us,
we also guide their whole bodies.
It is the same with ships:
even though they are so large and driven by fierce winds,
they are steered by a very small rudder
wherever the pilot's inclination wishes.
In the same way the tongue is a small member
and yet has great pretensions.

Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze.
The tongue is also a fire.
It exists among our members as a world of malice,
defiling the whole body
and setting the entire course of our lives on fire,
itself set on fire by Gehenna.
For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature,
can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species,
but no man can tame the tongue.
It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With it we bless the Lord and Father,
and with it we curse men
who are made in the likeness of God.
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.
My brothers and sisters, this need not be so.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 12:2-3, 4-5, 7-8

R (8a) You will protect us, Lord.
Help, O LORD! for no one now is dutiful;
faithfulness has vanished from among the children of men.
Everyone speaks falsehood to his neighbor;
with smooth lips they speak, and double heart.
R You will protect us, Lord.
May the LORD destroy all smooth lips,
every boastful tongue,
Those who say, "We are heroes with our tongues;
our lips are our own; who is lord over us?"
R You will protect us, Lord.
The promises of the LORD are sure,
like tried silver, freed from dross, sevenfold refined.
You, O LORD, will keep us
and preserve us always from this generation.
R You will protect us, Lord.

Gospel
Mk 9:2-13

Jesus took Peter, James, and John
and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them,
and his clothes became dazzling white,
such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,
and they were conversing with Jesus.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
"Rabbi, it is good that we are here!
Let us make three tents:
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
then from the cloud came a voice,
"This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."
Suddenly, looking around, the disciples no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.

As they were coming down from the mountain,
he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone,
except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
So they kept the matter to themselves,
questioning what rising from the dead meant.
Then they asked him,
"Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"
He told them, "Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things,
yet how is it written regarding the Son of Man
that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt?
But I tell you that Elijah has come
and they did to him whatever they pleased,
as it is written of him."

From: James 3:1-10

Controlling One's Tongue

[1] Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that
we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness. [2] For we all
make many mistakes, and if any one makes no mistakes in what he says he
is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. [3] If we put
bits into the mouths of horses that they may obey us, we guide their
whole bodies. [4] Look at the ships also; though they are so very
great and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small
rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. [5] So the tongue is a
little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set
ablaze by a small fire!

[6] And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among
our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of
nature, and set on fire by Hell. [7] For every kind of beast and bird,
of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by
humankind, [8] but no human being can tame the tongue--a restless evil,
full of deadly poison. [9] With it we bless the Lord and Father, and
with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. [10] From
the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not
to be so.

Commentary:

1-18. There is now an apparently sudden change of subject; but in fact
the themes dealt with in the letter from this point onwards are
practical applications of the principle outlined in the second section
(consistently between faith and works). Firstly, it deals with control
of the tongue, prudent speech; after warning of occupational hazards of
teachers (verses 1-2), it denounces the sins the tongue can cause
(verses 2-12), and goes on to describe the characteristics of true and
false wisdom.

1-2. St. James draws attention to the responsibility that goes with
holding a position of authority: all those who are teachers, in
addition to answering to God for their own actions, are responsible to
some degree for the actions of their disciples. That is why the Church
has always encouraged prayer for those whose job it is to guide their
brethren: "Nor should (lay people) fail to commend to God in their
prayers those who have been placed over them, who indeed keep watch as
having to render an account for our souls, that they may do this with
joy and not with grief (cf. Hebrews 13:17)") (Vatican II, "Lumen
Gentium", 37).

"We all make many mistakes": Sacred Scripture repeatedly draws
attention to the sinful condition of man and the frequency with which
he offends God (cf., e.g., Psalm 19:13; 51:3ff; Proverbs 20:9; 1 John
1:8). The Council of Trent recalls these words of St. James when it
teaches that no one can go through life without committing some venial
sin, "except by a special privilege granted by God, as the Church
teaches happened in the case of the Blessed Virgin" ("De
Iustificatione", Canon 23; Chapter 16).

The great Saints, from whom we can learn much, have attained holiness
because they recognized that they were sinners. "I shall love you,
Lord, and shall give thanks to You and confess Your name," St.
Augustine exclaims, because "You have forgiven me such great sins and
evil deeds [...]: for what might I have not done, seeing that I loved
evil solely because it was evil? I confess that You have forgiven all
alike--the sins I committed on my own motion, the sins I would have
committed but for Your grace [...]. If any man has heard Your voice
and followed it and done none of the things he finds me here recording
and confessing, still he must not scorn me: for I am healed by the same
Doctor who preserved him from falling into sickness, or at least into
such grievous sickness. But let him love You even more--seeing me
rescued out of such sickness of sin, and himself saved from falling
into such sickness of sin, by the one same Savior" ("Confessions", 2,
7).

2-12. The sacred writer focuses on sins of the tongue, possibly because
of their frequency. In the Wisdom books of the Old Testament these
sins are referred to particularly often (cf., e.g., Proverbs 10:11-21;
Sirach 5:9-15; 28:13-26).

He basically makes three points--first, a positive point, by way of
summing up what follows: "If any one makes no mistakes in what he says
he is a perfect man" (verse 2). Then with three graphic comparisons
(typical of this Letter) he shows how difficult it is to control the
tongue (verses 3-6), but controlled it must be, otherwise great harm
will be done (verses 7-12).

"A perfect man" (verse 2): this does not mean that he cannot commit
other sins; it implies that if one succeeds in restraining one's tongue
one has self-control, which means that one is putting up good
resistance to temptation.

3-6. Three simple, easy-to-understand examples (used also by other
ancient writers in Greco-Latin and Jewish literature) show how
something small--a horse's bit, a boat's rudder, a small fire--can have
very big effects; the tongue has a similar influence in social life.

The "St. Pius V Catechism", recalling this teaching, says: "From these
words we learn two truths. The fact is that sins of the tongue are
very prevalent [...]. The other truth is that the tongue is a source
of innumerable evils. Through the fault of the evil-speaker are often
lost the property, the reputation, the life, and salvation of the
injured person, or of him who inflicts the injury. The injured person,
unable to bear patiently the contumely, avenges it without restraint.
The offender, on the other hand, deterred by a perverse shame and a
false idea of what is called honor, cannot be induced to make
reparation to him whom he has offended" (III, 9, 1). It should be
remembered that if one unfairly damages another's reputation one has an
obligation to make reparation by doing what one can to restore his or
her good name.

"Do you know what damage you may cause by throwing stones with your
eyes blindfolded? Neither do you know the harm you cause--and at times
it is very great--by letting drop uncharitable remarks that to you seem
trifling, because your eyes are blinded by thoughtlessness or passion"
([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 455).

6. St. James uses this graphic language to emphasize that if one does
not control one's tongue it can cause much evil, affecting one's entire
life. In itself very useful, the tongue can wreak havoc, so it is not
surprising that the enemies of our sanctification seek to get control
of it: "though their voices sound like cracked bells, that have not
been cast from good metal and have a very different tone from the
shepherd's whistle call, they so distort speech, which is one of the
most precious talents ever bestowed on men by God, a most beautiful
gift for the _expression of deep thoughts of love and friendship towards
the Lord and His creatures, that one comes to understand why St. James
says that the tongue is `an unrighteous world' (James 3:6). So great
is the harm it can do--lies, slander, dishonor, trickery, insults,
tortuous insinuations" ([St] J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 298).

9-12. The sacred writer uses further examples, equally simple and
familiar to his readers, to stress the need for control of the tongue.
Experience shows that it is as easy to put it to a good purpose as to
an evil one. Besides, misuse of the tongue is a sign that one's heart
is not in the right place: as our Lord already warned us, "out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34).

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.

From: Mark 9:2-13

The Transfiguration

[2] And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and
led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was
transfigured before them, [3] and His garments became glistening,
intensely white, as no fuller on earth bleach them. [4] And there
appeared to them Elijah with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus.
[5] And Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is well that we are here; let
us make three booths, one for You and one for Moses and one for
Elijah." [6] For he did not know what to say, for they were exceedingly
afraid. [7] And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the
cloud, "This is My beloved Son; listen to Him." [8] And suddenly
looking around they no longer saw any one with them but Jesus only.

[9] And as they were coming down the mountain, He charged them to tell
no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man should have risen from
the dead. [10] So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what
the rising from the dead meant. [11] And they asked Him, "Why do the
scribes say that first Elijah must come?" [12] And He said to them,
"Elijah does come first to restore all things; and how is it written of
the Son of Man, that He should suffer many things and be treated with
contempt? [13] But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him
whatever they pleased, as it is written of him."

Commentary:

2-10. We contemplate in awe this manifestation of the glory of the Son
of God to three of His disciples. Ever since the Incarnation, the
divinity of our Lord has usually been hidden behind His humanity. But
Christ wishes to show, to these favorite disciples, who will later be
pillars of the Church, the splendor of His divine glory, in order to
encourage them to follow the difficult way that lies ahead, fixing
their gaze on the happy goal which is awaiting them at the end. This
is why, as St. Thomas comments (cf. "Summa Theologia", III, q. 45, a.
1), it was appropriate for Him to give them an insight into His glory.
The fact that the Transfiguration comes immediately after the first
announcement of His passion, and His prophetic words about how His
followers would also have to carry His cross, shows us that "through
many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).

What happened at the Transfiguration? To understand this miraculous
event in Christ's life, we must remember that in order to redeem us by
His passion and death our Lord freely renounced divine glory and became
man, assuming flesh which was capable of suffering and which was not
glorious, becoming like us in every way except sin (cf. Hebrew 4:15).
In the Transfiguration, Jesus Christ willed that the glory which was
His as God and which His soul had from the moment of the Incarnation,
should miraculously become present in His body. "We should learn from
Jesus' attitude in these trials. During His life on earth He did not
even want the glory that belong to Him. Though He had the right to be
treated as God, He took the form of a servant, a slave (cf. Philippians
2:6)" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 62). Bearing in
mind WHO became man (the divinity of the person and the glory of His
soul), it was appropriate for His body to be glorious; given the
PURPOSE of His Incarnation, it was not appropriate, usually, for His
glory to be evident. Christ shows His glory in the Transfiguration in
order to move us to desire the divine glory which will be given us so
that, having this hope, we too can understand "that the sufferings of
this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be
revealed to us" (Romans 8:18).

2. According to Deuteronomy (19:15), to bear witness to anything the
evidence of two or three much concur. Perhaps this is why Jesus wanted
three Apostles to be present. It should be pointed out that these
three Apostles were specially loved by Him; they were with Him also at
the raising of the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:37) and will also be
closest to Him during His agony at Gethsemane (Mark 14:33). Cf. note
on Matthew 17:1-13.

7. This is how St. Thomas Aquinas explains the meaning of the
Transfiguration: "Just as in Baptism, where the mystery of the first
regeneration was proclaimed, the operation of the whole Trinity was
made manifest, because the Son Incarnate was there, the Holy Spirit
appeared under the form of a dove, and the Father made Himself known in
the voice; so also in the Transfiguration, which is the sign of the
second regeneration [the Resurrection], the whole Trinity appears--the
Father in the voice, the Son in the man, the Holy Spirit in the bright
cloud; for just as in Baptism He confers innocence, as signified by the
simplicity of the dove, so in the Resurrection will He give His elect
the clarity of glory and the refreshment from every form of evil, as
signified by the bright cloud" ("Summa Theologiae", III, q. 45, 1.4 ad
2). For, really, the Transfiguration was in some way an anticipation
not only of Christ's glorification but also of ours. As St. Paul says,
"it is the same Spirit Himself bearing witness with our spirit that we
are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and
fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we
may also be glorified with Him" (Romans 8:16-17).

10. That the dead would rise was already revealed in the Old Testament
(cf. Daniel 12:2-3; 2 Maccabees 7:9; 12:43) and was believed by pious
Jews (cf. John 11:23-25). However, they were unable to understand the
profound truth of the death and Resurrection of the Lord: they expected
a glorious and triumphant Messiah, despite the prophecy that He would
suffer and die (cf. Isaiah 53). Hence the Apostles' oblique approach;
they too do not dare to directly question our Lord about His
Resurrection.

11-13. The scribes and Pharisees interpret the messianic prophecy in
Malachi (3:1-2) as meaning that Elijah will appear in person,
dramatically, to be followed by the all-triumphant Messiah, with no
shadow of pain or humiliation. Jesus tells them that Elijah has indeed
come, in the person of John the Baptist (Matthew 17:13) and has
prepared the way of the Messiah, a way of pain and suffering.

Verse 12 is a question which Jesus puts to His disciples, but they
should really have asked it themselves, had they realized that Christ's
Resurrection presupposed the Messiah's suffering and death. Since
they fail to ask it, Jesus does, to teach them that He like Elijah
(that is, John the Baptist) must experience suffering before entering
His glory.

The Word Among Us

Saturday, February 21, 2004

Meditation
James 3:1-10

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” This familiar saying actually rings quite hollow to anyone who has been the victim of gossip or slander. Let’s face it: Words can hurt. A loose tongue may cause only mild irritation, but it can also destroy reputations and wreck lives. James shows the power of the tongue when he compares it to the rudder of a ship which, when turned ever so slightly, can direct the entire vessel. Our tongues, like the rudder, have the same kind of power to move us in new and exciting directions or to places we really don’t want to go.

How many times have we said things that have changed the tone and direction of a relationship or damaged someone’s reputation? We may even want to take it back, but it’s too late. It’s like trying to put toothpaste back into a tube. The damage has already been done, and no matter how repentant we are, some of that damage will always go unrepaired.

To one degree or another, we are all guilty of sinning with our tongue. James says that only a perfect person is capable of controlling his or her tongue all the time. But that doesn’t mean there is no hope. With God’s grace we can learn to control what we say. As we cooperate with his Spirit, we can learn the art of taking every thought captive and bringing it into line with the thoughts of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). It may be a lifelong process, but it’s never too late to start.

How do we begin? First, by understanding the awesome power we are trying to control and then by asking, “Why do I want to say what I am about to say? Would I want the same things to be said about me? Do I understand the consequences of my words?” It’s vital to remember that the person about whom we are speaking is a human being made in the likeness of God. An imperfect person? Yes, but still a creature of God deserving of all the respect that we would want to be given to us.

“Father, free me from the drive to speak unkindly about others. May my tongue never harm another person. Cleanse my heart, Lord, so that only praise of you and blessings for my brothers and sisters come from my mouth.”

One Bread, One Body

All Issues > Volume 20, Number 2

<< Saturday, February 21, 2004 >>

St. Peter Damian

James 3:1-10

Psalm 12

Mark 9:2-13

View Readings

TREMBLING AT HIS WORD

“A cloud came, overshadowing them, and out of the cloud a voice, ‘This is My Son, My Beloved. Listen to Him.’ ” —Mark 9:7

I have been writing One Bread, One Body daily for about twenty years. I have been teaching divine revelation, especially the Scripture, for about thirty years. Today the Lord says to me and many of you: “Not many of you should become teachers...you should realize that those of us who do so will be called to the stricter account” (Jas 3:1).

Our speech and other forms of communication are very important, for faith comes through hearing, and what is heard is word of Christ (Rm 10:17). The Lord holds us strictly accountable for every word we speak because He holds us accountable to obey every word we hear from Him. As I write page after page, we read and hear page after page in order to obey word after word from Jesus, Who is the incarnate, eternal Word. Let us be men and women of the Word by abiding in God’s word (Jn 8:31) through speaking, hearing, and obeying His word. Although God’s teachers are “judged more strictly,” if hearers of God’s word disobey and do not repent, they are judged strictly enough to go to hell, to separate themselves from God forever. Therefore, let us be people the Lord approves, the lowly and afflicted ones who tremble at His word (Is 66:2). Let us speak, hear, and obey God’s word now as if it is the first, last, or only time to give and receive His word. Abide in God’s word.

Prayer: Father, I offer my tongue, ears, heart, and the rest of my body as a living sacrifice to You (Rm 12:1; 6:13).

Promise: “If a person is without fault in speech he is a man in the fullest sense because he can control his entire body.” —Jas 3:2

Praise: St. Peter wrote 170 letters, 53 sermons, and seven biographies that have survived over a thousand years.

FEAST OF THE DAY

St. Peter Damian was born around the year 988 and was the
youngest child of a large family. At a young age, both of Peter's
parents died and the children of the family were left orphans. For a
while Peter was taken care of by one of his older brothers, but when
another of his brothers saw that Peter was being treated poorly Peter
was brought under better care.

Another brother, who was a priest, cared for Peter, and Peter was
allowed to receive an education and develop his love of God. After
an excellent career as a student, Peter became a professor and
continued to live an austere, holy life while giving almost all he had to
the poor. Through discernment, Peter realized that he was called to
serve God as a monk and joined the Benedictine order. When the
abbot of the monastery died, Peter was chosen to serve as his
successor. Peter ruled the monastery with wisdom and sanctity.
During his time as abbot, Peter founded five hermitages and served
as a representative of the pope in several local disputes.

In 1057, Peter reluctantly left the abbey in order follow the orders of
Pope Stephen IX who wanted Peter to serve as bishop of Optia.
Stephen died less than one year after appointing Peter bishop, but
the next pope saw Peter as valuable as Stephen did, Peter was
asked to do many tasks for the pope and served as his ambassador
many times. Around the year 1062, Peter retired from all his
positions of authority and devoted the rest of his life to God in prayer.

During his lifetime, Peter wrote many letters of encouragement and
teaching, and for the wisdom contained in these, Peter was declared
a Doctor of the Church. After a short sickness, Peter died while
praying the Divine Office, on February 22, 1072.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Let us faithfully transmit to posterity the example of virtue which we
have received from our forefathers. -St. Peter Damian

TODAY IN HISTORY

1109 Death of Anselm of Canterbury, 76, priest and theologian.
Regarded as the most original thinker in the Church since Augustine.
1173 Pope Alexander III canonized Thomas Becket (1118-70)
1864 1st US Catholic parish church for blacks dedicated (Baltimore)

TODAY'S TIDBIT

A vow is a solemn promise made to God with sufficient knowledge
and freedom, which has as its object a moral good that is possible
and better than its voluntary omission. Three common vows that are
taken are those of poverty, chastity and obedience that are taken by
people who profess themselves to the religious life.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for all who have terminal illnesses.

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