Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 01-05-05, Memorial, St. John Neumann, bishop

January 5, 2005
Memorial of Saint John Neumann, bishop

Psalm: Wednesday 4

Reading I
1 Jn 4:11-18

Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.

This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify
that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him and he in God.
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
In this is love brought to perfection among us,
that we have confidence on the day of judgment
because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love,
but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment,
and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 72:1-2, 10, 12-13

R (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
R Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Gospel
Mk 6:45-52

After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat
and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,
while he dismissed the crowd.
And when he had taken leave of them,
he went off to the mountain to pray.
When it was evening,
the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore.
Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,
for the wind was against them.
About the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
He meant to pass by them.
But when they saw him walking on the sea,
they thought it was a ghost and cried out.
They had all seen him and were terrified.
But at once he spoke with them,
"Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!"
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down.
They were completely astounded.
They had not understood the incident of the loaves.
On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

From: 1 John 4:11-18

God is Love. Brotherly Love, the Mark of Christians

[11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
[12] No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in
us and his love is perfected in us.

[13] By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has
given us of his own Spirit. [14] And we have seen and testify that the
Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. [15] Whoever
confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in
God. [16] So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love,
and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. [17] In
this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence for the day
of judgment, because as he is so are we in this world. [18] There is no
fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with
punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love.

Commentary:

11-12. The Apostle underlines here the theological basis of brotherly
love: the love which God has shown us by the incarnation and redemptive
death of his Son, places us in his debt: we have to respond in kind; so
we "ought" to love our neighbor with the kind of gratitude and
disinterest that God showed by taking the initiative in loving us.

Moreover, by loving one another we are in communion with God. The
deepest desire of the human heart, which is to see and to possess God,
cannot be satisfied in this life, because "no man has ever seen God"
(v. 12); our neighbor, on the other hand, we do see. So, in this life,
the way to be in communion with God is by brotherly love. "Love of God
is the first thing in the order of commands", St Augustine explains,
"and love of neighbor is the first thing in the order of practice
[...]. You, who do not yet see God, will, by loving your neighbor,
merit to see him. Love of neighbor cleanses our eyes to see God, as
John clearly says, If you do not love your neighbor, whom you see, how
can you love God, whom you do not see (cf. 1 Jn 4:20)" ("In Ioann.
Evang.", 17, 8).

13. Having the gift of the Holy Spirit is the sure sign of being in
communion with God. Since the Holy Spirit is the love of the Father and
of the Son, his presence in the soul in grace is necessarily something
dynamic, that is, it moves the person to keep all the commandments (cf.
3:24), particularly that of brotherly love. This interior impulse shows
that the third Person of the Blessed Trinity is at work within us; it
is a sign of union with God.

The Holy Spirit's action on the soul is a marvelous and deep mystery.
"This breathing of the Holy Spirit in the soul," says St John of the
Cross, "whereby God transforms it into himself, is so sublime and
delicate and profound a delight to it that it cannot be described by
mortal tongue, nor can human understanding, as such, attain to any
conception of it" ("Spiritual Canticle", stanza 39).

14-15. Once more (cf. v. 1:4) St John vividly reminds his readers that
he and the other Apostles have seen with their own eyes the Son of God,
made man out of love for us. They were eyewitnesses of his redemptive
life and death. And in the Son, sent by the Father as Savior of the
world, the unfathomable mystery of God is revealed--that his very being
is Love.

"It is 'God, who is rich in mercy' (Eph 2:4) whom Jesus Christ has
revealed to us as Father: it is his very Son who, in himself, has
manifested him and made him known to us (cf. Jn 1:18; Heb 1:1f)" (John
Paul II, "Dives In Misericordia", 1).

16. "Knowing" and "believing" are not theoretical knowledge but
intimate, experienced attachment (cf. notes on 2:3-6; 4:1-6; Jn 6:69;
17:8). Therefore when St John says that they knew and believed "the
love God has for us" he is not referring to an abstract truth but to
the historical fact of the incarnation and death of Christ (v. 14), the
supreme manifestation of the Father's love.

"He who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him": St Thomas
Aquinas explains "that in some way the loved one is to be found in the
lover. And so, he who loves God in some way possesses him, as St John
says (1 Jn 4:16) [...]. Also, it is a property of love that the lover
becomes transformed into the loved one; so, if we love vile and
perishable things, we become vile and perishable, like those who
'became detestable like the things they loved" (Hos 9:10). Whereas, if
we love God, we are made divine, for the Apostle says, 'He who is
united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him' (1 Cor 6:17)" ("In Duo
Praecepta", prol., 3).

17-18. The perfection of charity shows itself in serene confidence in
God and consequent absence of fear. Love is perfected "in us", as a
gratuitous gift from God, but it can also be said that it grows "with"
us, thanks to our free response to grace.

Confidence for the day of judgment (cf. also the note on 2:28) is
something we should have also in this life; a basis for it is to be
found in the daring statement, "...because as he is so are we in this
world". This is not just a reference to imitating Christ's virtues or
qualities: it means the profound identification with Christ which the
Christian should attain: "it is no longer I who live, but Christ who
lives in me" (Gal 2:20).

The fear which is incompatible with charity is servile fear, which
sees God only as one who punishes those who transgress his commandments.
But filial fear, which "is" compatible with charity, is what gives a
Christian a deep horror of sin because it is something which cuts him
off from the love of God his Father. In the early stages of Christian
life, fear of God is very helpful (cf., e.g., Ps 111:10; Sir 1:27): the
Council of Trent teaches that sinners "by turning from a salutary fear
of divine justice to a consideration of God's mercy, are encouraged to
hope, confident that God will be well-disposed to them for Christ's
sake" ("De Iustificatione", 6).

18. "The solution is to love", Monsignor Escriva says. "St John the
Apostle wrote some words which really move me: 'qui autem timet, non
est perfectus in caritate.' I like to translate them as follows, almost
word for word: the fearful man doesn't know how to love. You,
therefore, who do love and know how to show it, you musn't be afraid of
anything. So, on you go!" ("The Forge", 260).

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 6:45-52

Jesus Walks on Water

[45] Immediately he (Jesus) made his disciples get into the boat and go
before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the
crowd. [46] And after he had taken leave of them, he went into the
hills to pray. [47] And when evening came the boat was out on the sea,
and he was alone on the land. [48] And he saw that they were distressed
in rowing, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of
the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by
them, [49] but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was
a ghost, and cried out; [50] for they all saw him, and were terrified.
But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; have
no fear." [51] And he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased.
And they were utterly astounded, [52] for they did not understand about
the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Commentary:

48. The Romans divided the night into four parts or watches, whose
length varied depending on the season. St Mark (13:35) gives the
popular names for these watches: evening, midnight, cockcrow, morning.
Therefore, it is towards dawn that Jesus comes to the disciples.

He wishes to teach us that even when we are in very pressurized and
difficult situations, he is nearby, ready to help us; but he expects us
to make an effort, to strengthen our hope and temper our resolve (cf.
note on Mt 14:24-33); as an early Greek commentator puts it: "The Lord
allowed his disciples to enter danger to make them suffer, and he did
not immediately come to their aid: he left them in peril for the whole
night, to teach them to be patient and not to be accustomed to
receiving immediate succor in tribulation" (Theophylact, "Enarratio In
Evangelium Marci, in loc.").

52. The disciples do not yet see Jesus' miracles as signs of his
divinity. They witness the multiplication of the loaves and the fish
(Mk 6:33-44) and the second multiplication of the loaves (Mk 8:17), but
their hearts and minds are still hardened; they fail to grasp the full
import of what Jesus is teaching them through his actions--that he is
the Son of God. Jesus is patient and understanding with their defects,
even when they fail to grasp what he says when he speaks about his own
passion (Lk 18:34). Our Lord will give them further miracles and
further teaching to enlighten their minds, and, later, he will send the
Holy Spirit to teach them all things and remind them of everything he
said (cf. Jn 14:26).

St Bede the Venerable comments on this whole episode (Mk 6:45-52) in
this way: "In a mystical sense, the disciples' effort to row against
the wind point to the efforts the Holy Church must make against the
waves of the enemy world and the outpourings of evil spirits in order
to reach the haven of its heavenly home. It is rightly said that the
boat was out on the sea and He alone on the land, because the Church
has never been so intensely persecuted by the Gentiles that it seemed
as if the Redeemer had abandoned it completely. But the Lord sees his
disciples struggling, and to sustain them he looks at them
compassionately and sometimes frees them from peril by clearly coming
to their aid" ("In Marci Evangelium Expositio, in loc.").

Mk 6:45-52
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
45	And immediately he obliged his disciples to go up into the ship, that they might go before him over the water to Bethsaida, whilst he dismissed the people.	et statim coegit discipulos suos ascendere navem ut praecederent eum trans fretum ad Bethsaidam dum ipse dimitteret populum
46	And when he had dismissed them, he went up to the mountain to pray,	et cum dimisisset eos abiit in montem orare
47	And when it was late, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and himself alone on the land.	et cum sero esset erat navis in medio mari et ipse solus in terra
48	And seeing them labouring in rowing, (for the wind was against them,) and about the fourth watch of the night, he cometh to them walking upon the sea, and he would have passed by them.	et videns eos laborantes in remigando erat enim ventus contrarius eis et circa quartam vigiliam noctis venit ad eos ambulans super mare et volebat praeterire eos
49	But they seeing him walking upon the sea, thought it was an apparition, and they cried out.	at illi ut viderunt eum ambulantem super mare putaverunt fantasma esse et exclamaverunt
50	For they all saw him, and were troubled bled. And immediately he spoke with them, and said to them: Have a good heart, it is I, fear ye not.	omnes enim eum viderunt et conturbati sunt et statim locutus est cum eis et dixit illis confidite ego sum nolite timere
51	And he went up to them into the ship, and the wind ceased: and they were far more astonished within themselves:	et ascendit ad illos in navem et cessavit ventus et plus magis intra se stupebant
52	For they understood not concerning the loaves; for their heart was blinded.	non enim intellexerant de panibus erat enim cor illorum obcaecatum

The Word Among Us

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Meditation
1 John 4:19, 5:4

After hearing about John the Baptist’s death at the hands of King Herod, Jesus sought to get away to rest and pray with his disciples. But his plans were foiled when a crowd of people followed him. Despite his grief and fatigue, he responded with compassion and proceeded to teach them and then feed them with the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

We might wonder why Jesus sent his disciples away “immediately” after feeding all the people (Mark 6:45). It is possible that he knew how they might get caught up in the crowd’s enthusiasm and forget their real mission. After all, it’s a natural tendency to want to stay where the excitement is, reliving the miracle and even embellishing it through repeated retellings.

It’s a good thing that they did get in that boat, for that’s where they witnessed an even greater miracle—as well as a lesson about Jesus’ faithfulness. Surrounded by the howling winds and crushing waves of an unexpected storm, Jesus came toward the disciples, walking over the water as if it were clear and solid as glass. Then, getting into the boat with them, he calmed the storm and brought them safely ashore.

In the face of this amazing story, we have to ask ourselves, “If Jesus can walk on water, is there anything he cannot do?” This question takes on an even greater sense of urgency when we are confronted by situations that threaten our peace: prolonged sickness, the possibility of a terrorist attack, financial hardship, or a family catastrophe. Just as he did in the midst of the storm, Jesus wants to speak to us in our “storms” and say, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid” (Mark 6:50). He wants to surround us with his love and give us the courage and strength to endure. He may even calm the waves and bring us safely to the other shore. Whatever he does, we will become more and more convinced that we really “can do all things” through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). Why such confidence? Because Christ himself, who lives in us, can do all things—even walk on water!

“Jesus, fill me with the knowledge of your presence and the confidence to face any circumstance. Let me rest every day under the shadow of your wings so that I can know your protection and victory.”

One Bread, One Body

<< Wednesday, January 5, 2005 >>

St. John Neumann

1 John 4:11-18

Psalm 72

Mark 6:45-52

View Readings

THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT OF LOVE

“Beloved, if God has loved us so, we must have the same love for one another.” —1 John 4:11

St. John Neumann, at the age of forty-one, reflected God’s love for others (1 Jn 4:11), and took to heart the Lord’s command to go and teach all nations (see Mk 16:15). As bishop of Philadelphia, he reorganized the existing parochial school system into a diocesan one, and the number of pupils increased by almost twentyfold shortly thereafter. St. John Neumann could testify that God’s love is brought to perfection in us (1 Jn 4:12) when we give our “all” to bring His Kingdom to a disordered world.

When we, out of love, give all that we have (Lk 21:4) to obtain Jesus our Treasure (Mt 13:44), we will receive the resources, both physical and spiritual, to accomplish Christ’s objectives (see e.g. Eph 1:3; Phil 4:19).

When we have our lives in a right order, a godly order, when we receive and obey our instructions from Christ, Jesus multiplies our faith (see Mt 25:29). Then He multiplies our works done in obedience and love. This is as He has told us: whoever “has faith in Me will do the works I do, and greater far than these” (Jn 14:12).

Therefore, love one another as God has commanded (1 Jn 4:11). Lovingly give Jesus your all. “Serve the needs of all” (Mk 10:44) and see Jesus multiply your deeds of love (Mt 13:33).

Prayer: Father, give me the grace to die to my selfish agenda and work for You and You alone.

Promise: “If we love one another God dwells in us, and His love is brought to perfection in us.” —1 Jn 4:12

Praise: St. John Neumann lovingly gave his all to God and saw his works multiplied in building a greater foundation for the Church in America.

FEAST OF THE DAY

Saint John Nepomucene Neumann was born in 1811 in the city of
Pachitz, ninety miles southwest from Prague in the modern day
Czech Republic. As a youth, John showed his strong intelligence and
decided to apply it to studies for the priesthood. After completing his
preliminary schooling, John entered the seminary at Budweis for his
priestly formation. While in the seminary, John showed a strong
desire to become a missionary in the Americas, studying English and
French on his own with hopes that he would be able to use these
languages in the United States or Canada. After completing his
seminary studies, the bishop of Prague would not ordain him,
although he was near the top of his class in his studies, because the
diocese of Prague could support no new priests. An opportunity to
travel to America and be ordained for a bishop there showed itself to
John and he accepted it.

In 1836, John was ordained in the diocese of Buffalo by Bishop
James Dubois, and in the following four years worked in several
different parishes throughout the diocese. At the age of twenty-nine,
he made a decision to join the Redemptorist order and became the
first of this order to profess vows in the United States. After joining,
John's missionary work expanded outside of New York to much of
Maryland, Virginia, and Ohio. While doing this work, he became very
popular with the German immigrants, partially because he could
speak their language. German speaking immigrants always
remained close to the heart of St. John. John authored two different
catechisms in German and worked to improve the situation of
German immigrants wherever he went.

St. John soon gained renown for his holiness, spiritual writing and
preaching. In 1852, John was consecrated as the fourth bishop of
Philadelphia. As bishop of this diocese, he reorganized the parochial
schools into a diocesan system, increased the enrollment numbers,
and brought many religious communities of both men and women
into the diocese to work in various ministries. The School Sisters of
Notre Dame consider St. John as a secondary founder of the order
for his work in establishing the order in America. During his time as
bishop, John also began the Forty Hours Eucharistic devotion in his
diocese and wrote a rule for Third Order Franciscan women
dedicated to spreading the newly proclaimed dogma of the
Immaculate Conception. St. John worked hard for his people and
showed his great love for them until he died in 1860. St. John
Neumann was declared venerable in 1921, beatified in 1963 and in
1977, he became the first American bishop to be canonized.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Since every man of whatever race is endowed with the dignity of a
person, he has an inalienable right to an education corresponding to
his proper destiny and suited to his native talents, his cultural
background, and his ancestral heritage. At the same time, this
education should pave the way to brotherly association with other
peoples, so that genuine unity and peace on earth may be promoted.
For a true education aims at the formation of the human person with
respect to the good of those societies of which, as a man, he is a
member, and in whose responsibilities, as an adult, he will share. -
St. John Neumann

TODAY IN HISTORY

1964 Following an unprecedented pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Pope
Paul VI met with Greek Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I in
Jerusalem. It was the first such meeting between leaders of the
Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches in over 500 years
(since 1439).

TODAY'S TIDBIT

The Christmas season spans from Evening Prayer on Christmas Eve
to Evening Prayer on the Second Sunday after Christmas (the Feast
of the Baptism of the Lord). The liturgical color for the season is
white and the liturgy focuses on the mystery of the Incarnation and
what is known of Jesus before he began his public ministry.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for the ecumenical efforts seeking to bring the Catholic and
Orthodox Churches closer together.

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.