Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 07-21-04, Optional-St. Lawrence of Brandisi, priest & doctor-c

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 07-21-04 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

July 21, 2004
Wednesday of Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Psalm: Wednesday 32 Reading I Responsorial Psalm Gospel

Reading I
Jer 1:1, 4-10


The words of Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah,
of a priestly family in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin.

The word of the LORD came to me thus:

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.
"Ah, Lord God!" I said,
"I know not how to speak; I am too young."

But the LORD answered me,
Say not, "I am too young."
To whomever I send you, you shall go;
whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Have no fear before them,
because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.

Then the LORD extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying,

See, I place my words in your mouth!
This day I set you
over nations and over kingdoms,
To root up and to tear down,
to destroy and to demolish,
to build and to plant.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15 and 17

R (see 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother's womb you are my strength.
R I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R I will sing of your salvation.

Gospel
Mt 13:1-9

While Jesus was speaking to the crowds,
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
"A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."

[Salvation]

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

[Salvation]

Alleluia Ping!

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Alleluia Ping List.

[Salvation]

From: Matthew 13:1-9


Parable of the Sower

---

[1] That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.
[2] And great crowds gathered about Him, so that He got into a boat and
sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach. [3] And He told them
many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. [4] And as
he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and
devoured them. [5] Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not
much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of
soil, [6] but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had
no root they withered away. [7] Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the
thorns grew up and choked them. [8] Other seeds fell on good soil and
brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
[9] He who has ears, let him hear."

---

Commentary:


3. Chapter 13 of St. Matthew includes as many as seven of Jesus'
parables, which is the reason why it is usually called "the parable
discourse" or the "parabolic discourse". Because of their similarity
of content and setting these parables are often called the "Kingdom
parables", and also the "parables of the Lake", because Jesus taught
them on the shore of Lake Gennesaret. Jesus uses these elaborate
comparisons (parables) to explain certain features of the Kingdom of
God which He has come to establish (cf. Matthew 3:2)--its tiny, humble
origins; its steady growth; its worldwide scope; its salvific force.
God calls everyone to salvation but only those attain it who receive
God's call with good dispositions and who do not change their attitude;
the value of the spiritual benefits the Kingdom brings--so valuable
that one should give up everything to obtain them; the fact that good
and bad are all mixed together until the harvest time, or the time of
God's judgment; the intimate connection between earthly and heavenly
aspects of the Kingdom, until it reaches its point of full development
at the end of time.


On Jesus' lips, parables are exceptionally effective. By using
parables He keeps His listeners' attention, whether they are uneducated
or not, and by means of the most ordinary things of daily life He sheds
light on the deepest supernatural mysteries. He used the parable
device in a masterly way; His parables are quite unique; they carry the
seal of His personality; through them He has graphically shown us the
riches of grace, the life of the Church, the demands of the faith and
even the mystery of God's own inner life.


Jesus' teaching continues to provide every generation with light and
guidance on moral conduct. By reading and reflecting on His parables
one can savor the adorable humanity of the Savior, who showed such
kindness to the people who crowded around to hear Him--and who shows
the same readiness to listen to our prayers, despite our dullness, and
to reply to our healthy curiosity when we try to make out His meaning.


3-8. Anyone who has visited the fertile plain to the west of the Lake
of Gennesaret will appreciate Jesus' touching description in the
parable of the sower. The plain is crisscrossed by paths; it is
streaked with rocky ground, often with the rocks lying just beneath the
surface, and with the courses of rivulets, dry for most of the year but
still retaining some moisture. Here and there are clumps of large
thorn bushes. When the agricultural worker sows seed in this mixed
kind of land, he knows that some seed will fare better than others.


9. Jesus did not explain this parable there and then. It was quite
usual for parables to be presented in the first instance as a kind of
puzzle to gain the listener's attention, excite his curiosity and fix
the parable in his memory. It may well be that Jesus wanted to allow
his more interested listeners to identify themselves by coming back to
hear Him again--as happened with His disciples. The rest--who listened
out of idle curiosity or for too human reasons (to see Him work
miracles)--would not benefit from hearing a more detailed and deeper
explanation of the parable.

---

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. Lawrence was born on July 22, 1559 in Brindisi. At the age of 16
he joined the Capuchin Friars and was sent to the University of
Padua to study theology. During his time at the university, Lawrence
also gained fluent knowledge of the Bible and learned six foreign
languages. His native language was Italian, but he also learned how
to speak French, German, Greek, Spanish, Syriac and Hebrew. After
finishing his university education, Lawrence was ordained and began
to put his skills and knowledge to use through the order. He taught
theology to the other friars and served as a linguist, and military
chaplain. He became famous throughout Europe as an effective and
forceful preacher. He wrote many works explaining the faith, some
fifteen volumes of which still exist, and often served as a diplomat to
various countries.

On one of his diplomatic missions, the emperor asked Lawrence to
rally the German princes to fight the Turks. He was successful and
was asked to lead the army into battle, even though he would take
no weapon other than a crucifix. The Turks were completely
defeated.

In 1602, St. Lawrence became the master general of his order. He
worked, preached and wrote to spread the Good News. He went on
important peace missions to Munich, Germany, and Madrid, Spain.
The rulers of those places listened to him and the missions were
successful. Lawrence became sick and died in Lisbon in 1619. He
was proclaimed a saint by Pope Leo XIII in 1881. In 1956, the
Capuchin order complied fifteen volumes containing his sermons,
letters and writings. He was honored as "apostolic doctor" by Pope
John XXIII in 1959.


QUOTE OF THE DAY

God is love, and all his operations proceed from love. Once he wills
to manifest that goodness by sharing his love outside himself, then
the Incarnation becomes the supreme manifestation of his goodness
and love and glory. So, Christ was intended before all other
creatures and for his own sake. For him all things were created and
to him all things must be subject, and God loves all creatures in and
because of Christ. Christ is the first-born of every creature, and the
whole of humanity as well as the created world finds its foundation
and meaning in him. Moreover, this would have been the case even
if Adam had not sinned. -St. Lawrence of Brindisi


TODAY IN HISTORY

1619 Death of St. Lawrence of Brindisi


TODAY'S TIDBIT

The Capuchins order is an independent branch of the Franciscan
order started in 1525. The order, made up of mendicant friars, set
out to restore a literal observance of the rule of St. Francis.


INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for all people who are working for peace in the world.

[Salvation]

**On one of his diplomatic missions, the emperor asked Lawrence to rally the German princes to fight the Turks. He was successful and was asked to lead the army into battle, even though he would take no weapon other than a crucifix. The Turks were completely defeated.**

Looks like we could use a modern St. Lawrence of Brandisi in Iraq.

[Salvation]

Wednesday, July 21, 2004
St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest, Doctor of the Church (Feast)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Wisdom 8:9-16 Psalm 67:2-5, 7-8 Luke 9:1-6 The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing.  -- Lateran Council IV

[Salvation]

American Cathlic's Saint of the Day

July 21, 2004

St. Lawrence of Brindisi

(1559-1619)

At first glance perhaps the most remarkable quality of Lawrence of Brindisi is his outstanding gift of languages. In addition to a thorough knowledge of his native Italian, he had complete reading and speaking ability in Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian, Spanish and French.

He was born on July 22, 1559, and died exactly 60 years later on his birthday in 1619. His parents William and Elizabeth Russo gave him the name of Julius Caesar, Caesare in Italian. After the early death of his parents, he was educated by his uncle at the College of St. Mark in Venice.

When he was just 16 he entered the Capuchin Franciscan Order in Venice and received the name of Lawrence. He completed his studies of philosophy and theology at the University of Padua and was ordained a priest at 23.

With his facility for languages he was able to study the Bible in its original texts. At the request of Pope Clement VIII, he spent much time preaching to the Jews in Italy. So excellent was his knowledge of Hebrew, the rabbis felt sure he was a Jew who had become a Christian.

In 1956 the Capuchins completed a 15-volume edition of his writings. Eleven of these 15 contain his sermons, each of which relies chiefly on scriptural quotations to illustrate his teaching.

Lawrence’s sensitivity to the needs of people—a character trait perhaps unexpected in such a talented scholar—began to surface. He was elected major superior of the Capuchin Franciscan province of Tuscany at the age of 31. He had the combination of brilliance, human compassion and administrative skill needed to carry out his duties. In rapid succession he was promoted by his fellow Capuchins and was elected minister general of the Capuchins in 1602. In this position he was responsible for great growth and geographical expansion of the Order.

Lawrence was appointed papal emissary and peacemaker, a job which took him to a number of foreign countries. An effort to achieve peace in his native kingdom of Naples took him on a journey to Lisbon to visit the king of Spain. Serious illness in Lisbon took his life in 1619.

Comment:

His constant devotion to Scripture, coupled with great sensitivity to the needs of people, present a lifestyle which appeals to Christians today. Lawrence had a balance in his life that blended self-discipline with a keen appreciation for the needs of those whom he was called to serve.

Quote:

“God is love, and all his operations proceed from love. Once he wills to manifest that goodness by sharing his love outside himself, then the Incarnation becomes the supreme manifestation of his goodness and love and glory. So, Christ was intended before all other creatures and for his own sake. For him all things were created and to him all things must be subject, and God loves all creatures in and because of Christ. Christ is the first-born of every creature, and the whole of humanity as well as the created world finds its foundation and meaning in him. Moreover, this would have been the case even if Adam had not sinned” (St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Doctor of the Universal Church, Capuchin Educational Conference, Washington, D.C.).

[Salvation]

My apologies to all for the spelling error in the title: St. Lawrence of Brindisi

[Salvation]

St. Lawrence of Brindisi

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Meditation
Jeremiah 1:1,4-10



Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. (Jeremiah 1:5) How could Jeremiah possibly refuse God’s call? If God had formed him specifically for a prophetic ministry, how could he object? And yet it did take a little work before he was ready to embrace the very thing for which God had created him.

The truth is, God has been just as meticulous in designing us for a mission. However, like Jeremiah, we can all be tempted to give God a whole host of reasons why we can’t fulfill it. We may consider ourselves too weak, too young, too old, too ignorant, too busy, or too afraid. But if we follow Jeremiah and bring the truths of faith into our reasoning process, then whatever obstacles we may see will lose their grip over us.

In his Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius of Loyola imagined Jesus to be like a valiant general, who called his officers together to discuss a dangerous mission. He imagined Jesus telling his officers, “This mission is going to be difficult, but it has to be done. Anybody who follows me will have to put up with the same difficulties I’ll be facing: dangerous paths, watchful nights, and hard work. But if you share the hardships with me, you will also share in the victory. So what do you say? Can I count on you?” If soldiers in a typical army are willing to follow a respected commander, reasoned Ignatius, how much more should we be willing to follow Jesus, who is worthy of infinitely more esteem, honor, and love?

Whether God is asking us to build a stronger relationship with him, to evangelize, to intercede, or to minister to the poor, we don’t have to throw out an endless succession of objections. Instead, we can lean on the truths that the gospel tells us about our Commander. We can let these truths overcome our hesitations and heal our doubts. Using our intellects in service to the gospel, we can activate our faith and experience a mighty release of God’s grace in our lives, empowering us far beyond what we ever thought we could do.

“Lord, reveal your great love to us so that we can step forward regardless of our weaknesses. We want to embrace the mission you have given us so that we can build your kingdom.”

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	Are You Too Young?
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, PhD.
Date:	Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Jeremiah 1:1,4-10 / Matthew 13:1-9

Most of life’s tasks hit us in the face without warning and without preparation. I was never married before — what do I do? I was never a parent before, never a kid before, or a teacher before, or a pastor before, or old before! Why didn’t they give us a class for this?

At every new stage of life, if we’re paying attention, we have an astonished sense of wonder at the immensity of what life is calling us to do and to be. And we hear echoing in our own souls the plaintive cries of Jeremiah, "I’m too young; I don’t know the word."

In relation to the tasks at hand, we are always too young and they are always new. But we need to hear what God spoke to Jeremiah as he had these same feelings: "Have no fear, for I am with you to deliver you."

It’s hard to remember, but it’s true: He is with us!

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

All Issues > Volume 20, Number 4

<< Wednesday, July 21, 2004 >>

St. Lawrence of Brindisi

Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10

Psalm 71

Matthew 13:1-9

View Readings

THE RADICAL NEWNESS OF LIFE AFTER BAPTISM

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you.” —Jeremiah 1:5

For the next two weeks at daily Mass, the Church reads to us from the prophet Jeremiah. Initially, Jeremiah balked at accepting God’s call to prophesy. He tried the excuse that he was too young (Jer 1:6). God did not accept this excuse (Jer 1:7). Throughout much of Jeremiah’s life, he continued to have problems answering God’s call, although he was for the most part faithful to the Lord.

Many Christians can relate to Jeremiah because they too are ambivalent in responding to God’s calls. However, Jesus said that every baptized person is greater than Jeremiah (Mt 11:11). Jeremiah never had a new nature, never was a son of God, and never received the body and the blood of Jesus. We live in a covenant whose glory is far beyond anything Jeremiah had ever known (see 2 Cor 3:10). Therefore, we should not relate so much to Jeremiah’s ambivalence as to Jesus’ faithfulness. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old order has passed away; now all is new!” (2 Cor 5:17) Live your Baptism radically and fully.

Prayer: Father, may the study of the book of Jeremiah help me appreciate profoundly the radical newness of Baptism.

Promise: “Part of it, finally, landed on good soil and yielded grain a hundred- or sixty- or thirtyfold. Let everyone heed what he hears!” —Mt 13:8-9

Praise: St. Lawrence was known throughout Europe for leading troops into battle armed only with a crucifix.

[NYer]

Wednesday July 21, 2004   Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading (Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10)   Gospel (St. Matthew 13:1-9)

In the first reading today, we hear the call of the prophet Jeremiah, God calling him to the work that the Lord has appointed him to do. The important thing of seeing this is that each one of us has also been called by God for a specific purpose. We can also say along with the prophet, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. From all eternity, God knew that He was going to create you, which also says something about our despicable law regarding the killing of babies. From all eternity, God knew that He was going to create those babies. He knew that those persons were going to be formed in their mothers’ wombs, and so to suggest that somehow they are not human, or to suggest that somehow they do not have dignity, or that somehow they are not human until they are born, or whatever they want to say is all complete nonsense because these children have been planned by God from all eternity.

Now, for all of us, we have this call from God, and just like the prophet we will probably try to suggest to God that we cannot do what it is that He is asking us to do. And it is true that by ourselves we cannot. Jeremiah, for instance, when he hears the call of God, rejects it and complains because he says he is too young. How can he go out and speak? He does not have the eloquence, for one; and, number two, who is going to listen to him when he is young? But because it is the Lord Who is doing the work and it is His call, God will give the grace. That is exactly what He tells Jeremiah: I place My words in your mouth. This day I have set you over nations and kingdoms. It is God’s Word, it is God’s work. And so it is in us. Perhaps we are not called to be prophets to the nations, but it does not matter what it is that God is calling us to; what matters is that we accept His call and do His work and that we do it with Him. Remember how we struggle with thinking that we have to do this by ourselves – “This is mine to do, therefore, I have to do it with my strength.” It does not work. All it does is exhaust us and we do not accomplish a whole lot. But when we recognize that it is God’s work and it is His strength that we need to be able to do His work, then we will accomplish much because it is He Who will be accomplishing it in us.

What we need to do is to pray so that we can get out of the way, so that we can know what God wants, so that we can do it. God is spreading that seed, as we heard in the Gospel reading, upon each and every one of us; and He expects that it is going to produce thirty or sixty or a hundredfold. It is up to Him as to what He expects from us; it is up to us to cooperate. Imagine on the Day of Judgment having to stand before the Lord without much fruit and hear Him say, “I gave you this call, I planted this seed within your heart, and I expected thirty or sixty or a hundredfold harvest. Where is it?” What are we going to say? “I did it my way”? “I did what I thought was going to be the best”? “I thought this was something that would be pleasing to You”? What are we going to try to explain to Him? It is His work. We are there to do the work, and we have the privilege of being chosen by God for a very specific and set purpose. But that means we have to cooperate with Him. It is not that we are given an assignment and told to go out on our own and do it, but rather we are to cooperate with Him and we are to allow Him to work in us and through us. So we have to make sure we are praying, and we have to make sure we are seeking His Will because it is He Whom we serve. If we are willing to do it His way (that is, if we are willing to seek His Will and get out of the way) then we become the instrument through which His work is done. When we are allowing Him to do the work in us and through us, then it will bear fruit – thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold – and that fruit will last because it will be God doing the work in us and not us trying to do the work that we think might be the best.

[annalex]

Mt 13:1-9
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
1	The same day Jesus going out of the house, sat by the sea side.	in illo die exiens Iesus de domo sedebat secus mare
2	And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went up into a boat and sat: and all the multitude stood on the shore.	et congregatae sunt ad eum turbae multae ita ut in naviculam ascendens sederet et omnis turba stabat in litore
3	And he spoke to them many things in parables, saying: Behold the sower went forth to sow.	et locutus est eis multa in parabolis dicens ecce exiit qui seminat seminare
4	And whilst he soweth some fell by the way side, and the birds of the air came and ate them up.	et dum seminat quaedam ceciderunt secus viam et venerunt volucres et comederunt ea
5	And other some fell upon stony ground, where they had not much earth: and they sprung up immediately, because they had no deepness of earth.	alia autem ceciderunt in petrosa ubi non habebat terram multam et continuo exorta sunt quia non habebant altitudinem terrae
6	And when the sun was up they were scorched: and because they had not root, they withered away.	sole autem orto aestuaverunt et quia non habebant radicem aruerunt
7	And others fell among thorns: and the thorns grew up and choked them.	alia autem ceciderunt in spinas et creverunt spinae et suffocaverunt ea
8	And others fell upon good ground: and they brought forth fruit, some an hundred fold, some sixty fold, and some thirty fold.	alia vero ceciderunt in terram bonam et dabant fructum aliud centesimum aliud sexagesimum aliud tricesimum
9	He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.	qui habet aures audiendi audiat