Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 04-21-05, Optional, St. Anselm

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 04-21-05 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

April 21, 2005
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Psalm: Thursday 19

Reading I
Acts 13:13-25

From Paphos, Paul and his companions
set sail and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia.
But John left them and returned to Jerusalem.
They continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia.
On the sabbath they entered into the synagogue and took their seats.
After the reading of the law and the prophets,
the synagogue officials sent word to them,
"My brothers, if one of you has a word of exhortation
for the people, please speak."

So Paul got up, motioned with his hand, and said,
"Fellow children of Israel and you others who are God-fearing, listen.
The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors
and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt.
With uplifted arm he led them out,
and for about forty years he put up with them in the desert.
When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan,
he gave them their land as an inheritance
at the end of about four hundred and fifty years.
After these things he provided judges up to Samuel the prophet.
Then they asked for a king.
God gave them Saul, son of Kish,
a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
Then he removed him and raised up David as their king;
of him he testified,
I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.
From this man's descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'"

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 and 27

R (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R Alleluia.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, "My kindness is established forever";
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R Alleluia.
"I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
That my hand may be always with him,
and that my arm may make him strong."
R For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R Alleluia.
"My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,
and through my name shall his horn be exalted.
He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.'"
R For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R Alleluia.


Gospel
Jn 13:16-20

When Jesus had washed the disciples' feet, he said to them:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
I am not speaking of all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.
From now on I am telling you before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me."

[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]

Easter Reflections -- 50 Days of the Easter Season

[Salvation]

Habemus Papam! -- We Have a Pope! -- Pope Benedicit XVI [Photos, Writings, Links]

[Aristotle721]

The Gospel is especially timely given our Holy Father's ascendance to the Chair of Peter.

[Salvation]

Some people are still requesting links to these threads (lots of photos):

(LIVE THREAD) The Papal Conclave, Interregnum, Cardinals, Conclave Facts, Prayer and other links

John Paul II Gallery of Pictures [Photos]

[Salvation]

Last night we had a celebratory Mass at our Church to honor our new Pope, Benedict XVI.

It was uncanny how appropriate the readings were!

[Salvation]

Saint Anselm of Canterbury; Archbishop, Doctor of the Church-1033-1109 a.d.

Anselm of Canterbury

Saint Anselm of Canterbury;Archbishop, Doctor of the Church - 1033-1109 AD

Apr 21, Feast of St Anselm, Benedictine [his life; what a follower of St Benedict accomplished]

[Salvation]

From: Acts 13:13-25


They Cross into Asia Minor

---

[13] Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga
in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem; [14] but
they passed on from Perga and came to Antioch of Pisidia.


Preaching in the Synagogue of Antioch of Pisidia

---

And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.
[15] After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the
synagogue sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of
exhortation for the people, say it." [16] So Paul stood up, and
motioning with his hand said: "Men of Israel, and you that fear God,
listen. [17] The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made
the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with
uplifted arm He led them out of it. [18] And for about forty years
He bore with them in the wilderness. [19] And when He had destroyed
seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave them their land as an
inheritance, for about four hundred and fifty years. [20] And after
that He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. [21] Then they
asked for a king; and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the
tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. [22] And when He had removed him,
He raised up David to be their king; of whom He testified and said, "I
have found in David the son of Jesse a man after My heart, who will do
all My will.' [23] Of this man's posterity God has brought Israel a
Savior, Jesus, as He promised. [24] Before His coming John had
preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. [25] And
as John was finishing his course, he said, 'What do you suppose that I
am? I am not He. No, but after me One is coming, the sandals of whose
feet I am not worthy to untie.'"

---

Commentary:


15. Sabbath services in synagogues went right back to the post-exilic
period (after the Babylonian Captivity, which lasted from 586 to 539
B.C.), and by now they had a very settled form. They consisted of
readings from Sacred Scripture, preaching and public prayers. No one
was especially appointed to preside over these services; the president
or ruler of the synagogue could ask any member of the community to take
the ceremony (cf. 18:8); he supervised the preparations and made sure
that everything was done properly.


16-41. Paul's address here is an excellent example of the way he used
to present the Gospel to a mixed congregation of Jews and proselytes.
He lists the benefits conferred by God on the chosen people from
Abraham down to John the Baptism (verses 16-25); he then shows how all
the messianic prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus (verses 26-37), and,
by way of conclusion, states that justification comes about through
faith in Jesus, who died and then rose from the dead (verse 38-41).


This address contains all the main themes of apostolic preaching, that
is, God's saving initiative in the history of Israel (verses 17-22);
reference to the Precursor (verses 24-25); the proclamation of the
Gospel or "kerygma" in the proper sense (verses 26b-31a); mention of
Jerusalem (verse 31b); arguments from Sacred Scripture (verses 33-37),
complementing apostolic teaching and tradition (verses 38-39); and a
final exhortation, eschatological in character, announcing the future
(verses 40-41). In many respects this address is like those of St.
Peter (cf. 2:14ff; 3:12ff), especially where it proclaims Jesus as
Messiah and in its many quotations from Sacred Scripture, chosen to
show that the decisive event of the Resurrection confirms Christ's
divinity.


Paul gives a general outline of salvation history and then locates
Jesus in it as the expected Messiah, the point at which all the various
strands in that history meet and all God's promises are fulfilled. He
shows that all the steps which lead up to Jesus Christ, even the stage
of John the Baptist, are just points on a route. Earlier, provisional
elements must now, in Christ, give way to a new, definitive situation.

---

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]

From: John 13:16-20


Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet

---

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [16] "Truly, truly, I say to you, a
servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater
than he who sent him. [17] If you know these things, blessed are you
if you do them. [18] I am not speaking to you all; I know whom I have
chosen; it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, `He who ate my bread
has lifted his heel against me.' [19] I tell you this now, before it
takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am
He. [20] Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives any man whom I
send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."

---

Commentary:


15-17. Jesus' whole life was an example of service towards men,
fulfilling His Father's will to the point of dying on the Cross. Here
our Lord promises us that if we imitate Him, our Teacher, in
disinterested service (which always implies sacrifice), we will find
true happiness which no one can wrest from us (cf. 16:22; 17:13). "`I
have given you an example', He tells His disciples after washing their
feet, on the night of the Last Supper. Let us reject from our hearts
any pride, any ambition, any desire to dominate; and peace and joy will
reign around us and within us, as a consequence of our personal
sacrifice" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 94).


18. Lifting one's heel against someone means hitting him brutally;
metaphorically, therefore, it means violent enmity. Judas' treachery
fulfills the words of Psalm 41:10 where the psalmist complains bitterly
of a friend's treachery. Once again the Old Testament prefigures
events which find their full _expression in the New.


Through Baptism, the Christian has become a son of God and is called to
share in God's good things, not only in Heaven but also on earth: He
has received grace, he shares in the Eucharistic Banquet..., he shares
with his brethren, other Christians, the friendship of Jesus.
Therefore, if a person sins who has been born again through Baptism, in
some sense his is a sort of treachery similar to Judas'. However, we
have the recourse of repentance: if we trust in God's mercy we can set
about recovering our friendship with God.


"React. Listen to what the Holy Spirit tells you: `"Si inimicus meus
maledixisset mihi, sustinuissem utique"'. If it were the enemy who
insulted me, I could put up with that. But you...`"tu vero homo
unanimis, dux meus, et notus meus, qui simul mecum dulces capiebas
cibos"': you, My friend, My Apostle, who sit at My table and take sweet
food with Me!" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 244).


19. Jesus tells the Apostles in advance about Judas' treachery, so that
when they see Christ's predictions come true, they will realize He has
divine knowledge and that in Him are fulfilled the Scriptures of the
Old Testament (cf. John 2:22). On the words "I am", cf. note on
John 8:21-24.

---

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]

Thursday, April 21, 2005
St. Conrad of Parzham, Capuchin, Religious (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Acts 13:13-25 Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27 John 13:16-20 Spiritual joy arises from purity of the heart and perseverance in prayer. -- St. Francis of Assisi

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Collect: Father, you called St. Anselm to study and teach the sublime truths you have revealed. Let your gift of faith come to the aid of our understanding and open our hearts to your truth. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Activities: » Namedays » What is a Nameday? Prayers: » Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven) » Prayers for the Easter Season » Roman Ritual Blessing Before and After Meals: Easter (1st Plan) » Novena to St. Catherine of Siena

April 21, 2005 Optional Memorial of St. Anselm, bishop & doctor Old Calendar: St. Anselm St. Anselm (1033-1109) was born in Aosta, Italy, and died in Canterbuy, England. St. Anselm's services to the Church are principally the following: First, as Archbishop of Canterbury he defended the rights and liberties of the Church against the encroachments of the English kings, who plundered the Church's lands, impeded the Archbishop's communications with the Holy See, and claimed the right to invest prelates with ring and crosier, symbols of the Church's spiritual jurisdiction. Secondly, as a philosopher and theologian he developed a method of reasoning which prepared the way for the great thinkers of the Middle Ages. Thirdly, he had a great devotion to Our Lady and was the first to establish the feast of the Immaculate Conception in the West. St. Anselm As prior and abbot, Anselm made the Benedictine monastery of Bec the center of a true reformation in Normandy and England. From this monastery he exercised a restraining influence on popes, kings, the worldly great, and entire religious orders. Raised to the dignity of Archbishop of Canterbury and primate of England, he waged an heroic campaign in defense of the rights and liberties of the Church. As a result he was deprived of goods and position and finally banned from the country. He journeyed to Rome, and at the Council of Bari supported Pope Urban II against the errors of the Greeks. His writings bear eloquent testimony to his moral stature and learning, and have earned for him the title of "Father of Scholasticism."— The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch St. Anselm exhibited remarkable versatility in his life; a combination of contemplation, prayer, study, writing, and external activity. This was partly the result of the extraordinary talent that God gave him, but it was likewise the fruit of Anselm's faithful exercise of his talent in the study of natural and supernatural truths. But his chief merit lay in his earnest, conscious effort to live in accordance with what he had learned from the study of divine truths. By this means he was able to ascend to the heights of a life of faith and union with God. There is very much that we can learn from this great teacher. "Lord, I do not presume to fathom the depths of your truths, for my understanding is not equal to the task. Nevertheless, I desire to learn Your truths in some measure—those truths that I believe and love. I do not seek to gain knowledge so that I can believe; rather, I believe so that I may gain knowledge. No matter how persistently my soul gazes, it still beholds nothing of Your beauty; my soul listens intently, and yet it hears nothing of the learning of Your Being; my soul wants to breathe in Your fragrance, and yet perceives none of it. What are You, Lord? Under what image can my heart recognize You? Truly, You are life; You are truth; You are Goodness; You are Holiness; You are eternity; You are everything good! O man, why do you roam about so far in search of good things for soul and body? Love the one Good, in whom all goods are contained, and that will satisfy you!" (St. Anselm. ) Symbols: Benedictine monk admonishing an evildoer; archbishop; ship; with Our Lady appearing before him; with a ship.

[lightman]

Anselm is also Commemorated today by Anglicans and Lutberans. "http://www.missionstclare.com/english/people/apr21.html"

Wonderful how liturgical Western Christians share this commonality through a follower of Benedict!

[Smartass]

THE LAST SEVEN WORDS OF CHRIST

1.   "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

2.   "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

3.   "Woman, behold your son! ... Behold, your Mother."

4.   "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

5.   "I thirst."

6.   "It is finished."

7.   "Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit."

[Ciexyz]

I was looking through the various special magazines put out to honor Pope John Paul II -- all the major weeklies plus several special edition magazines -- and I had to smile at People magazine including a special section on John Paul's fashion over the years -- with photos of all the ornate and elaborate robes that he wore.

Just like People mag, to equate the Pope with making a fashion statement!

[Ciexyz]

Prayers offered up for a successful ordination of Pope Benedict XVI.

[Ciexyz]

The Last Seven Words of Christ

Very lovely. Thanks for posting.

[Ciexyz]

"Catholic Culture" bump.

[annalex]

Jn 13:16-20
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
16	Amen, amen, I say to you: The servant is not greater than his lord: neither is the apostle greater than he that sent him.	amen amen dico vobis non est servus maior domino suo neque apostolus maior eo qui misit illum
17	If you know these things, you shall be blessed if you do them.	si haec scitis beati eritis si feceritis ea
18	I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen. But that the scripture may be fulfilled: He that eateth bread with me shall lift up his heel against me,	non de omnibus vobis dico ego scio quos elegerim sed ut impleatur scriptura qui manducat mecum panem levavit contra me calcaneum suum
19	At present I tell you, before it come to pass: that when it shall come to pass, you may believe that I am he.	amodo dico vobis priusquam fiat ut credatis cum factum fuerit quia ego sum
20	Amen, amen, I say to you, he that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me: and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.	amen amen dico vobis qui accipit si quem misero me accipit qui autem me accipit accipit eum qui me misit

[annalex]