Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 01-12-05

January 12, 2005
Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

Psalm: Wednesday 5

Reading I
Heb 2:14-18

Since the children share in blood and Flesh,
Jesus likewise shared in them,
that through death he might destroy the one
who has the power of death, that is, the Devil,
and free those who through fear of death
had been subject to slavery all their life.
Surely he did not help angels
but rather the descendants of Abraham;
therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God
to expiate the sins of the people.
Because he himself was tested through what he suffered,
he is able to help those who are being tested.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9

R (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R Alleluia.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.

R The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R Alleluia.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations"
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R Alleluia.

Gospel
Mk 1:29-39

On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon"s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.

When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

Rising very early before dawn,
he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you."
He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come."
So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons
throughout the whole of Galilee.

From: Hebrews 2:14-18

Jesus, Man's Brother, was Crowned with Glory and Honor
Above the Angels (Continuation)

[14] Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself
likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might
destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, [15] and
deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong
bondage. [16] For surely it is not with angels that he is concerned
but with the descendants of Abraham. [17] Therefore he had to be made
like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful
and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make
expiation for the sins of the people. [18] For because he himself has
suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

Commentary:

14. As in the prologue of St John's Gospel (In 1:12-13), "flesh" and
"blood" apply to human nature in its weakened condition. Jesus has
assumed man's nature: "He has taken it on without sin but with all its
capacity to suffer pain, given that he took a flesh similar to sinful
flesh; he 'shared therefore in flesh and blood', that is, he took on a
nature in which he could suffer and die--which could not occur in a
divine nature" (St Thomas, "Commentary on Heb.", 2, 4).

Christ chose to submit to death, which is a consequence of sin, in
order to destroy death and the power of the devil. The Council of Trent
teaches that, as a result of original sin, man "incurred the wrath and
indignation of God, and consequently incurred death [...] and, together
with death, bondage in the power of him who from that time had the
empire of death" ("De Peccato Originali", Can. 3; cf. Rom 5:12;
6:12-14; 7:5; etc.). To explain this power of the devil, St Thomas
comments: "A judge has one kind of power of death: he can punish people
with death; a criminal has a different kind of power of death--a power
he usurps by killing another [...]. God has the first kind of dominion
over death; the devil has the second kind, for he seduces man to sin
and leads him to death" ("Commentary on Heb.", 2, 4).

Addressing Christ and his cross, the Church sings, "O altar of our
victim raised, / 0 glorious passion ever praised, / by which our Life
to death was rendered, / that death to life might thence be mended"
(Hymn "Vexilla Regis"). The death of Christ, the only one who could
atone for man's sin, wipes out sin and makes death a way to God. "Jesus
destroyed the demon", St Alphonsus writes; "that is, he destroyed his
power, for the demon had been lord of death on account of sin, that is,
he had power to cause temporal and eternal death to all the children of
Adam infected by sin. And this was the victory of the Cross that Jesus,
the author of life, by dying obtained Life for us through that death"
("Reflections on the Passion", Chap. 5, 1).

15. Christ has freed men not from physical but from spiritual death and
therefore from fear of death, because he has given us certainty of
future resurrection. Man's natural fear of death is easily explained by
his fear of the unknown and his instinctive aversion to what death
involves; but it can also be a sign of excessive attachment to this
life. "Because it does not want to renounce its desires, the soul fears
death, it fears being separated from the body" (St Athanasius, "Oratio
Contra Gentes", 3).

The fear of death which some people in the Old Testament had can be
explained by their not knowing what fate awaited them, and by the
possibility of being completely cut off from God. But physical death is
not something to be feared by those who sincerely seek God: "To me to
live is Christ, and to die is gain," St Paul explains (Phil 1:21).
"Don't be afraid of death. Accept it from now on, generously...when God
wills it, where God wills it, as God wills it. Don't doubt what I say:
it will come in the moment, in the place and in the way that are best:
sent by your Father-God. Welcome be our sister death!" ([St] J. Escriva,
"The Way", 739).

16. "It is not with angels that he is concerned": the original text
says literally "he did not take angels with his hand", " did not catch
hold of", "did not take [the nature of angels]"; meaning that Christ
took to himself a human nature, not an angelic nature. St John
Chrysostom explains the text in this way: "What does he mean by 'take
with his hand'; why does he not say 'took on/assumed' but instead uses
the expression 'took with his hand'? The reason is this: this verb has
to do with those who are in pursuit of their enemies and are doing all
they can to catch those who are in flight from them and to seize those
who resist. In other words, humankind had fled from him and fled very
far, for it says 'we were very far from God and were almost without God
in the world' (Eph 2:12). That is why he came in pursuit of us and
'seized us for himself'. The Apostle makes it clear that he did all
this entirely out of love for men, in his charity and solicitude for
us" ("Hom. on Heb.", 2).

"This single reflection, that he who is true and perfect God became
man, supplies sufficient proof of the exalted dignity conferred on the
human race by the divine bounty; since we may now glory that the Son of
God is bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, a privilege not given
to angels" ("St Pius V Catechism", I, 4, 11).

17. This is the first mention of the central theme of the epistle, the
priesthood of Christ. Because he is God and man, Jesus is the only
Mediator between God and men, who have lost God's friendship and divine
life on account of sin; he exercises this mediation as High Priest; his
Love saves men by bridging the abyss which separates the sinful stock
of Adam from God whom it has outraged.

It first refers clearly to our Lord's human nature: he is in no way
different from men (except that he is not guilty of sin: cf. Heb 4:15).
"These words mean that Christ was reared and educated and grew up and
suffered all he had to suffer and finally died" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on
Heb.", 5). "He partook of the same food as we do," writes Theodoret of
Cyrus, "and he endured work; he experienced sadness in his soul and
shed tears; he underwent death" ("Interpretatio Ep. Ad Haebr.", II).

Christ the Priest is able perfectly to understand the sinner and make
satisfaction to divine Justice. "In a judge what one most desires is
mercy," St Thomas writes, "in an advocate, reliability. The Apostle
implies that both things were found in Christ by virtue of his Passion.
Mankind desires mercy of him as judge, and reliability of him as
advocate" ("Commentary on Heb.", 2, 4).

Christ's priesthood consists in making expiation by a sacrifice of
atonement and a peace-offering for the sins of men: he takes our place
and atones on our behalf: "Christ merited justification for us [...]
and made satisfaction for us to God the Father" (Council of Trent, "De
Iustificatione", Chap. 7).

18. Suffering can link a person to Christ in a special and mysterious
way. "The Redeemer suffered in place of man and for man. Every man has
his own share in the Redemption. Each one is also called to share in
that suffering through which the Redemption was accomplished. He is
called to share in that suffering through which all human suffering has
also been redeemed. In bringing about the Redemption through suffering,
Christ has also raised human suffering to the level of the Redemption.
Thus each man, in his suffering, can also become a sharer in the
redemptive suffering of Christ" (John Paul II, "Salvifici Doloris",
19).

Christ's main purpose in undergoing his passion was the Redemption of
mankind, but he also suffered in order to strengthen us and give us an
example. "By taking our weaknesses upon himself Christ has obtained for
us the strength to overcome our natural infirmity. On the night before
his passion, by choosing to suffer fear, anguish and sorrow in the
garden of Gethsemane he won for us strength to resist harassment by
those who seek our downfall; he obtained for us strength to overcome
the fatigue we experience in prayer, in mortification and in other
acts of devotion, and, finally, the fortitude to bear adversity with
peace and joy" (St Alphonsus, "Reflections on the Passion", Chap. 9,
1).

A person who suffers, and even more so a person who does penance,
should realize that he is understood by Christ. Christ will then
console him and help him bear affliction: "You too some day may feel
the loneliness of our Lord on the Cross. If so, seek the support of him
who died and rose again. Find yourself a shelter in the wounds in his
hands, in his feet, in his side. And your willingness to start again
will revive, and you will take up your journey again with greater
determination and effectiveness" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way of the Cross",
XII, 2).

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 1:29-39

The Curing of Peter's Mother-In-Law

[29] And immediately He (Jesus) left the synagogue, and entered the
house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. [30] Now Simon's
mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told Him of
her. [31] And He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and
the fever left her; and she served them.

Jesus Cures Many Sick People

[32] That evening, at sundown, they brought to Him all who were sick or
possessed with demons. [33] And the whole city was gathered together
about the door. [34] And He healed many who were sick with various
diseases, and cast out many demons; and He would not permit the demons
to speak, because they knew Him.

Jesus Goes To a Lonely Place To Pray

[35] And in the morning, a great while before day, He rose and went out
to a lonely place, and there He prayed. [36] And Simon and those who
were with Him followed Him, [37] and they found Him and said to Him,
"Everyone is searching for you." [38] And He said to them, "Let us go
on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I
came out." [39] And He went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their
synagogues and casting out demons.

Commentary:

34. Demons possess a supernatural type of knowledge and therefore they
recognize Jesus as the Messiah (Mark 1:24). Through the people they
possess they are able to publish this fact. But Our Lord, using His
divine powers, orders them to be silent. On other occasions He also
silences His disciples (Mark 8:30; 9:9), and He instructs people whom
He has cured not to talk about their cure (Mark 1:4; 5:43; 7:36;
8:26). He may have acted in this way to educate the people away from a
too human and political idea of the Messiah (Matthew 9:30). Therefore,
He first awakens their interest by performing miracles and gradually,
through His preaching, gives them a clearer understanding of the kind
of Messiah He is.

Some Fathers of the Church point out that Jesus does not want to
accept, in support of the truth, the testimony of him who is the father
of lies.

35. Many passages of the New Testament make reference to Jesus
praying. The evangelists point to Him praying only on specially
important occasions during His public ministry: Baptism (Luke 3:1), the
choosing of the Twelve (Luke 6:12), the first multiplication of the
loaves (Mark 6:46), the Transfiguration (Luke 9:29), in the garden of
Gethsemane prior to His passion (Matthew 26:39) etc. Mark for his part,
refers to Jesus' prayer at three solemn moments: at the beginning of
His public ministry (1:35), in the middle of it (6:46), and at the end,
in Gethsemane (14:32).

Jesus' prayer is prayer of perfect praise to the Father; it is prayer
of petition for Himself and for us; and it also a model for His
disciples. It is a prayer of perfect praise and thanksgiving because
He is God's beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased (cf. Mark
1:11). It is a prayer of petition because the first spontaneous
movement of a soul who recognizes God as Father is to ask Him for
things. Jesus' prayer, as we see in very many passages (e.g. John
17:9ff) was a continuous petition to the Father for the work of
redemption which He, Jesus, had to achieve through prayer and
sacrifice.

Our Lord wants to give us an example of the kind of attitude a
Christian should have; he should make a habit of addressing God as son
to Father in the midst of and through his everyday activities--work,
family life, personal relationships, apostolate--so as to give his life
a genuinely Christian meaning, for, as Jesus will point out later on,
"apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

"You write: `To pray is to talk with God. But about what?' About
what? About Him, about yourself: joys, sorrows, successes and
failures, noble ambitions, daily worries, weaknesses! And acts of
thanksgiving and petitions: and love and reparation. In a word: to get
to know Him and to get to know yourself: `to get acquainted!'"
([St] J. Escriva, "The Way").

38. Jesus tells us here that His mission is to preach, to spread the
Good News. He was sent for this purpose (Luke 4:43). The Apostles, in
turn, were chosen by Jesus to be preachers (Mark 3:14; 16:15).
Preaching is the method selected by God to effect salvation: "it
pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who
believe" (1 Corinthians 1:21). This is why St. Paul says to Timothy:
"Preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince,
rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and teaching" (2 Timothy
4:1-2). Faith comes from hearing, we are told in Romans 10:17, where
St. Paul enthusiastically quotes Isaiah: "How beautiful are the feet
of those who preach good news!" (Romans 10:15; Isaiah 52:7).

The Church identifies preaching the Gospel as one of the main tasks of
bishops and priests. St. Pius X went so far as saying that "for a
priest there is no duty more grave or obligation more binding (to
dispel ignorance)" ("Acerbo Nimis"). In this connection Vatican II
states: "The people of God is formed into one in the first place by
the Word of the living God (cf. 1 Peter 1:23; Acts 6:7; 12:24), which
is quite rightly sought from the mouths of priests (2 Corinthians
11:7).

For since nobody can be saved who has not first believed (Mark 16:16),
it is the first task of priests as co-workers of the bishops to preach
the Gospel of God to all men (2 Corinthians 11:7). In this way they
carry out the Lord's command `Go into all the world and preach the
Gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15) (cf. Malachi 2:7; 1 Timothy
4:11-13; etc.) and thus set up and increase the people of God"
("Presbyterorum Ordinis").

Jesus' preaching is not just limited to words: He backs up His
teaching with His authority and with deeds. The Church also has been
sent to preach salvation and to effect the work of salvation which it
proclaims--a work done through the Sacraments and especially through
the renewal of the sacrifice of Calvary in the Mass (Vatican II,
"Sacrosanctum Concilium", 6).

In the Church of God all of us should listen devoutly to the preaching
of the Gospel and we all should feel a responsibility to spread the
Gospel by our words and actions. It is the responsibility of the
hierarchy of the Church to teach the Gospel authentically--on the
authority of Christ.

FEAST OF THE DAY

St. Margaret was born in Troyes, France in 1620 and was raised in a
devout Catholic family. When Margaret was nineteen, her mother
died and she was asked to take on many of the duties of caring for
the family that her mother had done. When Margaret was twenty,
she realized that God was calling her to the religious life, she left her
family and joined a congregation in Troyes dedicated to serving the
poor and education. At the age of thirty-two, Margaret met the
governor of Montreal and was asked to immigrate to the New World
to continue her ministry in education and care for the poor.

Margaret accepted the invitation and founded her first school in
Montreal in 1657. As part of her duties, Margaret also cared for
young women who immigrated to the New World seeking to marry
and start families until they were settled. Several times, Margaret
returned to France seeking other young women to join her in her
ministry. She was successful and this first group became the
foundation for the Congregation of Notre Dame. Margaret and the
sisters donated much to the education in the area in both theoretical
and technical areas.

The Congregation gained full approval in 1698 two years before its
founder died. The Congregation spread throughout Canada and the
United States under the successors to St. Margaret. St. Margaret
died in 1700 and was beatified in 1950. Pope John Paul II canonized
Margaret in 1982 and she is the first canonized Canadian saint.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

To remain humble, we should often reflect on the greatness and
humiliations of the Blessed Virgin. -St. Margaret Bourgeoys

TODAY IN HISTORY

1777 Mission Santa Clara de Assisi founded in California by Junipero Serra

TODAY'S TIDBIT

The Community of Notre Dame started by St. Margaret is still
operating in by much the same Rule and with much of the same
mission that it had when it started. It runs several educational
institutions in North America and also has several convents.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for all people involved in education.

Mk 1:29-39
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
29	And immediately going out of the synagogue they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.	et protinus egredientes de synagoga venerunt in domum Simonis et Andreae cum Iacobo et Iohanne
30	And Simon's wife's mother lay in a fit of a fever: and forthwith they tell him of her.	decumbebat autem socrus Simonis febricitans et statim dicunt ei de illa
31	And coming to her, he lifted her up, taking her by the hand; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.	et accedens elevavit eam adprehensa manu eius et continuo dimisit eam febris et ministrabat eis
32	And when it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all that were ill and that were possessed with devils.	vespere autem facto cum occidisset sol adferebant ad eum omnes male habentes et daemonia habentes
33	And all the city was gathered together at the door.	et erat omnis civitas congregata ad ianuam
34	And he healed many that were troubled with divers diseases. And he cast out many devils: and he suffered them not to speak, because they knew him.	et curavit multos qui vexabantur variis languoribus et daemonia multa eiciebat et non sinebat loqui ea quoniam sciebant eum
35	And rising very early, going out, he went into a desert place: and there he prayed.	et diluculo valde surgens egressus abiit in desertum locum ibique orabat
36	And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.	et persecutus est eum Simon et qui cum illo erant
37	And when they had found him, they said to him: All seek for thee.	et cum invenissent eum dixerunt ei quia omnes quaerunt te
38	And he saith to them: Let us go into the neighbouring towns and cities, that I may preach there also; for to this purpose am I come.	et ait illis eamus in proximos vicos et civitates ut et ibi praedicem ad hoc enim veni
39	And he was preaching in their synagogues and in all Galilee and casting out devils.	et erat praedicans in synagogis eorum et omni Galilaea et daemonia eiciens

The Word Among Us

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Meditation
Hebrews 2:14-18

Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested. (Hebrews 2:18)

Anyone who has tried to follow Jesus for even one day has had to deal with temptation. Sin is pervasive; it seeps in whenever we let our guard down. Even when we have our guard up, it can seem overpowering! In these situations, Jesus’ words of warning to his disciples ring true in our hearts as well: “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

Let’s face it: The entire fight against sin can be very discouraging—which is why this passage from Hebrews can be so exciting. Jesus is able to help those who are being tempted! What can we do? Scripture gives us three strategies: avoiding temptation, fleeing from it, and resisting it.

The surest way to know victory over temptation is to avoid it. This means being led by the Spirit in a way that doesn’t give the devil a foothold. It means keeping out of harm’s way as we walk through our day (Psalm 17:4; Proverbs 4:14-15; 13:14; 1 Timothy 6:20).

There are times, however, when God will allow us to face temptation in order to test us and refine us. In a situation when temptation overtakes us, we should respond like the patriarch Joseph, fleeing the false sense of comfort and fulfillment that temptation offers (Genesis 39:8-12; 2 Timothy 2:22; 1 Corinthians 10:12-13).

Even when there is nowhere to run, we still can resist temptation, taking confidence that if we do, the devil himself will flee (James 4:7; Luke 4:13; Revelation 12:10-11). This is not because we possess power of our own but rather because the Spirit of God resides within us and will fight for us as we lean on him.

Temptation always comes to us in the form of a lie, or a truth that has been twisted out of proportion. But we can dismantle these lies by immersing ourselves in Scripture. Whether we are avoiding temptation or fleeing it or resisting it, we can be assured that the Holy Spirit is with us—as he was with Jesus—to strengthen us and protect us. Founded on him, we can stand fast no matter what comes at us!

“Lord, teach me to rely on you and to carry your word in my heart at all times, that I might not sin against you.”

One Bread, One Body

<< Wednesday, January 12, 2005 >>

St. Marguerite Bourgeoys
(Canada)

Hebrews 2:14-18

Psalm 105:1-4, 6-9

Mark 1:29-39

View Readings

SHOCK-THERAPY?

“Therefore He had to become like His brothers in every way, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest before God on their behalf, to expiate the sins of the people.” —Hebrews 2:17

Jesus “had a full share” in our human nature (Heb 2:14). He is truly and fully man. That Jesus, the Word, became flesh (Jn 1:14) is the most shocking event in the history of the human race. Bishop Sheen said that the difference between a human being and an amoeba is much less than the difference between God and man. Therefore, if a human being emptied himself of his humanity (see Phil 2:7) and became an amoeba, this would not be nearly as extreme as God becoming man.

Imagine you could become a termite and become a brother or sister to some other termites. Jesus’ refusal to be “ashamed to call” us His brothers and sisters (Heb 2:11; see also 2:17) may be as shocking as His Incarnation.

Finally, Jesus decided to give Himself to us under the appearance of human food and drink, that is, bread and wine. If you had the power to appear as amoeba food or termite food, would you do such a thing?

Jesus incarnate, Brother Jesus, eucharistic Jesus is unimaginably shocking. Because God is Love (1 Jn 4:16), God is shocking. Live in His love (Jn 15:9-10).

Prayer: Father, shock me into love.

Promise: “Rising early the next morning, He went off to a lonely place in the desert; there He was absorbed in prayer.” —Mk 1:35

Praise: St. Marguerite sought out other women who shared her vision to serve Indian children and they became a community of sisters.

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