Catholic Cauicus: Daily Mass Readings, 05-02-05, Memorial,St Athanasius, bishop and doctor/Church

May 2, 2005
Memorial of Saint Athanasius, bishop and doctor of the Church

Psalm: Monday 21

Reading I
Acts 16:11-15

We set sail from Troas, making a straight run for Samothrace,
and on the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi,
a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
We spent some time in that city.
On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river
where we thought there would be a place of prayer.
We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there.
One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,
from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened,
and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention
to what Paul was saying.
After she and her household had been baptized,
she offered us an invitation,
"If you consider me a believer in the Lord,
come and stay at my home," and she prevailed on us.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 15:26—16:4a

Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.

"I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.
I have told you this so that when their hour comes
you may remember that I told you."

From: Acts 16:11-15

They Go Over Into Macedonia

[11] Setting sail therefore from Troas we made a direct voyage to
Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, [12] and from there to
Philippi, which is the leading city of the district of Macedonia, and a
Roman colony.

The Conversion of Lydia

We remained in this city some days; [13] and on the Sabbath day we went
outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place
of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come
together. [14] One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city
of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshipper of God.
The Lord opened her heart to give heed to what was said by Paul.
[15] And when she was baptized, with her household, she besought us,
saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my
house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.

Commentary:

12. Philippi was a prosperous city, founded by the father of Alexander
the Great (in the 4th century B.C.). Nearby, in 42 B.C., there took
place the battle in which those who assassinated Julius Caesar were
defeated. Octavius raised Philippi to the status of a "colonia" and
endowed it with many privileges.

Very few Jews lived in the city, as can be seen from the fact that it
had no synagogue (for there to be a synagogue there had to be at least
ten Jewish men living in a place). The text refers only to a group of
women who met on the riverside to pray--a location probably chosen for
the purpose of ritual purification.

14. Lydia was probably a surname taken from the region this woman came
from. She was not a Jew by birth but a "God-fearer" (cf. note on Acts
2:5-11). God chose her from this group of women to enlighten her with
the light of faith, opening her heart to understand the words of the
Apostle. Origen explains that "God opens our mouth, our ears and our
eyes to make us say, hear and see divine things" ("In Ex. Hom.", III,
2). This shows that we can and ought to address God using the words of
the Church's liturgy: "Open my lips, Lord, to bless your holy name;
clean my heart from all evil thoughts; enlighten my understanding and
inflame my will...so that I merit to be admitted to Your presence"
("Liturgy of the Hours", Introductory Prayer).

When Christians address God, they ask Him for the grace to pray
well--not only at times of prayer but also in the course of everyday
activities: "Lord, be the beginning and end of all that we do and say.
Prompt our actions with Your grace, and complete them with Your
all-powerful help" ("ibid.", Morning Prayer, Monday, First Week).

This episode shows faith to be a gift from God, stemming from His
goodness and wisdom: for "no one can give his assent to the Gospel
message in a truly salvific way except it be by the light and
inspiration of the Holy Spirit: He it is who gives to all the power
necessary for affirming and believing the truth" (Vatican I, "Dei
Filius", Chapter 3).

15. St. Luke's succinct account shows that Lydia's good dispositions
allow St. Paul's preaching to bear fruit very quickly. Her whole
family receives Baptism and she insists on the Apostles' staying in her
house. "Look at her wisdom, how full of humility her words are: 'If
you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord.' Nothing could be more
persuasive. Who would not have been softened by these words. She did
not simply request or entreat: she left them free to decide and yet by
her insistence obliged them to stay at her house. See how she
straightaway bears fruit and accounts her calling a great gain" (St.
John Chrysostom, "Hom. on Acts", 35).

It is worth reflecting on the fact that Christianity began in Europe
through a housewife's response to God's calling. Lydia set about her
mission to Christianize the whole world from within, starting with her
own family. Commenting on the role of women in the spread of
Christianity, Monsignor Escriva says: "The main thing is that like
Mary, who was a woman, a virgin and a mother, they live with their eyes
on God repeating her words 'fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum' (Luke 1:38)
'let it be done to me according to your word'. On these words depends
the faithfulness to one's personal vocation--which is always unique and
non-transferable--which will make us all cooperators in the work of
salvation which God carries out in us and in the entire world"
("Conversations", 112).

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: John 15:26-16:4a

A Hostile World (Continuation)

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [26] "But when the Counsellor comes,
whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who
proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness to Me; [27] and you also
are witnesses, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

The Action of the Holy Spirit

[1] "I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away.
[2] They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming
when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.
[3] And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor
Me. [4a] But I have said these things to you, that when their hour
comes you may remember that I told you of them."

Commentary:

26-27. Just before the Ascension our Lord will again charge the
Apostles with the mission to bear witness to Him (cf. Acts 1:8). They
have been witnesses to the public ministry, death and resurrection of
Christ, which is a condition for belonging to the Apostolic College, as
we see when Matthias is elected to take the place of Judas (cf. Acts
1:21-22). But the public preaching of the Twelve and the life of the
Church will not start until the Holy Spirit comes.

Every Christian should be living witness to Jesus, and the Church as a
whole is a permanent testimony to Him: "The mission of the Church is
carried out by means of that activity through which, in obedience to
Christ's command and moved by the grace and love of the Holy Spirit,
the Church makes itself fully present to all men and peoples in order
to lead them to the faith, freedom and peace of Christ by the example
of its life and preaching, by the sacraments and other means of grace"
(Vatican II, "Ad Gentes", 5).

2-3. Fanaticism can even bring a person to think that it is permissible
to commit a crime in order to serve the cause of religion--as happened
with those Jews who persecuted Jesus to the point of bringing about His
death, and who later persecuted the Church. Paul of Tarsus was a
typical example of misguided zeal (cf. Acts 22:3-16); but once Paul
realized he was wrong he changed and became one of Christ's most
fervent apostles. As Jesus predicted, the Church has often experienced
this sort of fanatical, diabolical hatred. At other times this false
zeal, though not so obvious, takes the form of systematic and unjust
opposition to the things of God. "In the moments of struggle and
opposition, when perhaps `the good' fill your way with obstacles, lift
up your apostolic heart: listen to Jesus as He speaks of the grain of
mustard seed and of the leaven. And say to Him: `edissere nobis
parabolam': explain the parable to me.'

"And you will feel the joy of contemplating the victory to come: the
birds of the air lodging in the branches of your apostolate, now only
in its beginnings, and the whole of the meal leavened" ([St] J. Escriva,
"The Way", 695).

In these cases, as our Lord also pointed out, those who persecute God's
true servants think they are serving Him: they confuse God's interest
with a deformed idea of religion.

4. Here Jesus prophesies not only His own death (cf. Matthew 16:21-23)
but also the persecution His disciples will suffer. He forewarns them
of the contradictions they will experience so that they will not be
scandalized or depressed when they do arise; in fact, difficulties will
give them an opportunity to demonstrate their faith.

Catholic Culture

Collect:
Father, you raised up St. Athanasius to be an outstanding defender of the truth of Christ's divinity. By his teaching and protection may we grow in your knowledge and love. 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.

Prayers:

May 02, 2005

Memorial of St. Athanasius, bishop and doctor

Old Calendar: St. Athanasius

St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria and a great defender of the orthodox faith, throughout his life opposed the Arian heresy. By denying the Godhead of the Word the Arians turned Christ into a mere man, only higher in grace than others in the eyes of God. St. Athanasius took part in the Council of Nicea in 325 and until the end remained a champion of the faith as it was defined by the Council. In him the Church venerates one of her great Doctors. He was subjected to persecutions for upholding the true teaching concerning the person of Christ and was sent into exile from his see no less than five times. He died at Alexandria in 373 after an episcopate of forty-six years.

St. Athanasius

A champion of orthodoxy! He did not die a martyr, but his life was martyrdom in the truest sense. Athanasius was the Church's greatest hero in the battle against Arianism (a heresy that denied Christ's divinity). Even as a young deacon at the Council of Nicea (325), he was recognized as "Arius' ablest enemy" and the foremost defender of the Church's faith. After the death of his bishop (328), "the entire Catholic congregation with one accord, as one soul and body, voiced the wish of the dying bishop Alexander that Athanasius should succeed him. Everyone esteemed him as a virtuous, holy man, an ascetic, a true bishop."

There followed fifty years of constant conflict. Under five emperors and by exile on five different occasions, he gave testimony to the truth of the Catholic position. His allegiance to the Church never wavered, his courage never weakened. As consolation in the face of horrendous calumnies and cruel persecution, Athanasius looked to the unwavering love of his Catholic people. Even time brought no mitigation in Arian hatred. For five years he hid in a deep, dry cistern to be safe from their raging wrath and their attempts to assassinate him. The place was known only to one trusted friend who secretly supplied necessary food.

That Athanasius enjoyed God's special protection should have been obvious to all. On one occasion when the emperor's assassins were pursuing him, Athanasius ordered the ship on which he was fleeing to double-back and sail upstream so that he might meet and by-pass his persecutors. Not recognizing the boat upon meeting in semi-darkness, they naively asked whether the ship carrying Athanasius was still far ahead. Calmly and truthfully Athanasius himself called back, "He is not far from here." So his persecutors kept sailing on in the same direction, allowing the saint to complete his escape.

Preserved by divine Providence through a lifetime of trial and danger, he finally died in his own quarters at Alexandria during the reign of the Emperor Valens (373). Athanasius enriched Christian literature with many important works, some pointed toward piety and edification, others polemical and dogmatic in nature. He ruled the Church of Alexandria for forty-six years. — The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Symbols: Bishop arguing with a pagan; bishop holding an open book; bishop standing over a defeated heretic.

Jn 15:26-27
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
26	But when the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall give testimony of me.	cum autem venerit paracletus quem ego mittam vobis a Patre Spiritum veritatis qui a Patre procedit ille testimonium perhibebit de me
27	And you shall give testimony, because you are with me from the beginning.	et vos testimonium perhibetis quia ab initio mecum estis
Jn 16:1-4
1	These things have I spoken to you things have I spoken to you that you may not be scandalized.	haec locutus sum vobis ut non scandalizemini
2	They will put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth a service to God.	absque synagogis facient vos sed venit hora ut omnis qui interficit vos arbitretur obsequium se praestare Deo
3	And these things will they do to you; because they have not known the Father nor me.	et haec facient quia non noverunt Patrem neque me
4	But these things I have told you, that when the hour shall come, you may remember that I told you of them.	sed haec locutus sum vobis ut cum venerit hora eorum reminiscamini quia ego dixi vobis

American Cathlic's Saint of the Day

May 2, 2005

St. Athanasius

(295?-373)

Athanasius led a tumultuous but dedicated life of service to the Church. He was the great champion of the faith against the widespread heresy of Arianism. The vigor of his writings earned him the title of doctor of the Church.

Born of a Christian family in Alexandria, Egypt, and given a classical education, Athanasius entered the priesthood, became secretary to Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria, and eventually was named bishop himself. His predecessor, Alexander, had been an outspoken critic of a new movement growing in the East—Arianism.

When Athanasius assumed his role as bishop of Alexandria, he continued the fight against Arianism. At first it seemed that the battle would be easily won and that Arianism would be condemned. Such, however, did not prove to be the case. The Council of Tyre was called and for several reasons that are still unclear, the Emperor Constantine exiled Athanasius to northern Gaul. This was to be the first in a series of travels and exiles reminiscent of the life of St. Paul.

After Constantine died, his son restored Athanasius as bishop. This lasted only a year, however, for he was deposed once again by a coalition of Arian bishops. Athanasius took his case to Rome, and Pope Julius I called a synod to review the case and other related matters.

Five times Athanasius was exiled for his defense of the doctrine of Christ’s divinity. During one period of his life, he enjoyed 10 years of relative peace—reading, writing and promoting the Christian life along the lines of the monastic ideal to which he was greatly devoted. His dogmatic and historical writings are almost all polemic, directed against every aspect of Arianism.

Among his ascetical writings, his Life of St. Anthony achieved astonishing popularity and contributed greatly to the establishment of monastic life throughout the Western Christian world.

Comment:

Athanasius suffered many trials while he was bishop of Alexandria. He was given the grace to remain strong against what probably seemed at times to be insurmountable opposition. Athanasius lived his office as bishop completely. He defended the true faith for his flock, regardless of the cost to himself. In today’s world we are experiencing this same call to remain true to our faith, no matter what.

Quote:

The hardships Athanasius suffered in exile, hiding, fleeing from place to place remind us of what Paul said of his own life: “[O]n frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure. And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:26—28).

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	Make Christ's Presence Real in the World
Author:	Father Frank E. Jindra
Date:	Monday, May 2, 2005

Acts 16:11-15/Jn 15:26-16:4

“The hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God.”

Jesus spoke these words to His disciples during His last discourse before His own death. His own disciples very quickly learned that they too were subject to death, not unlike what Jesus had to face. In our supposedly modern society, I would not be surprised to find ourselves facing similar problems in the years to come.

It is considered a simple fact that there were more martyrs during the twentieth century than all the previous nineteen centuries combined. We may not like to hear this, but I think it is a reality that we may face — if not in an actual martyrdom — in a dismissal of ourselves as being of any importance to our society.

Or am I speaking about something that has already happened?

When we look at the things that are going on in our society and the way in which our Christian faith is being dismissed as somehow irrelevant, what other conclusion can be drawn?

But just as Jesus’ disciples did not sit in a corner doing nothing, neither can we allow ourselves to be pushed aside by those in our society today who would say that we should keep our faith only in our churches or in our homes.

On Pentecost the disciples took their faith to the streets. They relied on the Holy Spirit to give them the words needed to turn many people’s hearts back to God. Since we’re coming so close now to the feast of Pentecost for this year, maybe it is time for us to pray for the same kind of thing to open up again for us.

Let the heavens open. Let the new fire fall. Let the people of God awaken. Let them — let us — not worry about what may come, but be more concerned about making Christ’s presence real in our world.

May the fire of the Holy Spirit rekindle in us a new evangelization, and may we not be afraid to be His voice today.

A Voice in the Desert

Monday May 2, 2005 Sixth Week of Easter

Reading (Acts 16:11-15) Gospel (St. John 15:26-16:4a)

In the Gospel reading today, Our Lord tells us that He has told us these things so that we may not fall away. This is quite a statement. He is telling us that He is going to give us the Holy Spirit, and He tells us also that the apostles are going to testify along with the Holy Spirit on behalf of Christ. And even with the Holy Spirit, He tells us that all of these things have been told so that we will not fall away. Again, we see just in our humanness how tenuous our faith really is, that when bad things happen – and there certainly are plenty of them – it makes one doubt, makes one wonder.

Our Lord tells His apostles that they are going to be thrown out of the synagogues and put to death. Now if we were to hear that that was what was going to happen to us, we would begin to wonder, “Is this really even what I want to do? Why would I want to do something that I know is going to end in my own death?” But the apostles, because of the Holy Spirit, were so completely convinced about the truth of what it was they were saying that suddenly these very timid and frightened men became very bold and they were willing to do whatever needed to be done – even to the point of death – to make sure that the Name of Jesus was spread to everyone, because out of charity for others they desired their salvation.

The Lord also, however, tells us something else that is important. When this happens, He said, people are going to think they are actually offering worship to God by putting you to death. Now we recall, of course, Our Lord’s own words from the Cross, when He said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. So too, when these things happen to us, it is not always just the matter of the malice of other people but it is a matter that they really do not have a clue. They think that what they are doing is good; they think that what they are doing is right. The reason is because people like us are a pain to them. After all, we do not live in the same way as they do, we are not interested in the same sorts of things as they are, and, consequently, we are a censure to their conscience. They do not necessarily understand that that is what is happening, but what happens is because we are not living in the same kind of way that so many people are, they will look at us as the troublemakers. They will look at us as the ones who are causing a lack of peace because we are the ones who are different. “After all, if we just allow anarchy,” they seem to think, “everything will be fine.” Anybody with reason can recognize the foolishness of such an idea, except that they will look in the midst of their sin and think that we are the ones who are causing the problem. So they actually will think that what they are doing is a good thing.

Our attitude, when these sorts of things happen, has to be the same as Our Lord’s. We have to be willing to forgive. It does not mean it was okay; it does not mean they were right; it means that in their ignorance and in their sinfulness they really have no clue of what it is they are actually doing. That is something that is extremely difficult. You can understand, then, why Our Lord says that He told us this so that we would not fall away. How easy it is when things are so horrendous, when they are so unjust, to wonder, “Where is God? Why isn’t He intervening? Why has He abandoned me?” We begin to wonder if God even exists. Even with all of the things that have been revealed and all of the things that have happened in our lives, it is still easy for us in our human weakness to fall away. That is why Our Lord has told us these things, so that when they happen we will remember them, that is, we will remember His words; and in so doing, the grace will be there to be able to call upon His Name and remain faithful even to the end.

* This text was transcribed from the audio recording with minimal editing.

The Word among Us

Monday, May 02, 2005

Meditation
John 15:26–16:4

As Jesus prepared his disciples for the time when he would leave them, he promised to send a helper. He told them that this “Counselor,” the Holy Spirit, would be a valuable gift to them, revealing God’s love to their hearts (John 15:26). He also told them that as the Spirit unfolded God’s love to them, they in turn would become witnesses to others of the love that was transforming their hearts and minds (15:27).

In the Book of Acts, Luke paints a picture of St. Paul as a living testimony to the work of the Holy Spirit. Overcome by the revelation of Christ on the road to Damascus, this man who had joined in taking Stephen’s life became willing to lay down his own life in service to others (Acts 8:1; 9:1-9). Paul preached tirelessly from city to city, telling others about forgiveness and freedom in Jesus Christ. All too often, his thanks were beatings and imprisonments (16:16-34); but because of the encouragement of the Spirit, Paul never gave up his mission of making Jesus known.

As we surrender to the Spirit within us, we too will come to know the love the Father has lavished on us in Jesus Christ. We too can expect to be transformed over time. When trying circumstances arise, do you find yourself responding with an unexpected calm? Do you sometimes find yourself moved to express compassion for someone you formerly found hard to love? Those are signs of the Spirit within you—signs that you are being transformed!

Don’t be afraid to spend time with the Holy Spirit. Let him share the heart and mind of God with you so that you can come to act and think, even to feel and desire, as he does. The promise of becoming a new creation is not theoretical, and it is not reserved only for the great saints of the past.

As Pentecost approaches, let us ask the Holy Spirit to give us a deeper experience of God’s love for us and to make us channels of his love to our friends and families. May we become what St. Basil so beautifully described: “Spirit-bearing souls, illumined by him, who finally become spiritual themselves” (On the Holy Spirit, 23).

“Holy Spirit, set my heart on fire. By your power, let the transforming love of Jesus shine out in my words and actions.”

Acts 16:11-15; Psalm 149:1-6,9

FEAST OF THE DAY

Athanasius was born of a Christian, Egyptian family around the year
297. His parents made sure that Athanasius received a classical
education. A priest named Alexander saw the potential in Athanasius
and personally set out to cultivate it. Alexander encouraged
Athanasius in his studies and employed him as a secretary. When
Alexander was consecrated bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius, who
was quickly discerning that he was called to the priesthood,
accompanied him.

Around the year 315, Athanasius heard about St. Anthony of the
Desert and set out to follow his example in the eremitic lifestyle. This
time with Anthony eventually flowered into a biography of the saint,
which is still in print, and the deepening in faith and piety of St.
Athanasius. Around the year 319, Athanasius left the direction of
Anthony and returned to the city of Alexandria to be ordained.

Athanasius soon gained a widespread reputation for his preaching
and teaching and was used by the bishop as a tool for education and
battling heresy. One of the major heresies that Athanasius attacked
was that of Arianism. For this he was exiled five times from his home
and lived with an almost constant threat of death. In the year 326 the
bishop of Alexandria died and Athanasius, against his will, was
chosen as the new bishop. He served as bishop of Alexandria for 45
years and in that time used his influence, in both word and writing, to
stand up for the orthodoxy of the faith and to defend the divinity of
Christ.

Though he was firm in defense of the Faith, he was meek and
humble, pleasant, beloved by his flock, unwearied in labors, in
prayer, in mortification and in zeal for souls. Athanasius died in 373,
but left behind a large body of writings to continue his instruction of
the faithful. Some of the titles include, On the Incarnation, the
Discourses Against the Arians, and the Life of Anthony. He is
honored as one of the greatest of the Doctors of the Church and is
called the "Doctor of the Incarnation."

QUOTE OF THE DAY

You will not see anyone who is really striving after his advancement
who is not given to spiritual reading. And as to him who neglects it,
the fact will soon be observed by his progress. -St. Athanasius

TODAY IN HISTORY

1810 Birth of Pope Leo XIII
1890 Territory of Oklahoma created

TODAY'S TIDBIT

One of the contributions that St. Athanasius made to the theological
thought of the Church was his work on the theory of erotic theology.
St. Athanasius and several of his contemporaries put forth this idea
using the word erotic not in the sense used by many in modern
times, but in a way that recalls the root of the word, giving the
meaning of "drawing in". St. Gregory of Nyssa, another theologian of
this period in Church history, used an example of a fisherman, who
uses bait to lure his catch closer, to explain the concept. This
theology speaks of our relationship with God as something that
deepens, but is never finished, starting at the time we are born. God
continually draws us in and we respond by seeking to draw even
closer to his presence through contemplation.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray that all people may seek a deeper relationship with God.

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