Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 05-12-05, Opt. Sts.Nereus & Achilleus, St. Pancras

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 05-12-05 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

May 12, 2005
Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter

Psalm: Thursday 22

Reading I
Acts 22:30; 23:6-11

Wishing to determine the truth
about why Paul was being accused by the Jews,
the commander freed him
and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene.
Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.

Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees,
so he called out before the Sanhedrin,
"My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees;
I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead."
When he said this,
a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees,
and the group became divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection
or angels or spirits,
while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.
A great uproar occurred,
and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party
stood up and sharply argued,
"We find nothing wrong with this man.
Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"
The dispute was so serious that the commander,
afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them,
ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst
and take him into the compound.
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage.
For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem,
so you must also bear witness in Rome."

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

R. (1) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.


Gospel
Jn 17:20-26

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
"I pray not only for these,
but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
so that they may all be one,
as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us,
that the world may believe that you sent me.
And I have given them the glory you gave me,
so that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me,
that they may be brought to perfection as one,
that the world may know that you sent me,
and that you loved them even as you loved me.
Father, they are your gift to me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me,
that they may see my glory that you gave me,
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world also does not know you,
but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
I made known to them your name and I will make it known,
that the love with which you loved me
may be in them and I in them."

[Salvation]

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

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Alleluia Ping!

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[murphE]

St. Pancras is the patron saint of first Holy Communicants. I only know this because my daughter just happened to receive first Holy Communion on May 12th, a few years ago. = )

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Easter Reflections -- 50 Days of the Easter Season

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I believe you are correct. Here is info I got:

Little is known about St. Pancras (or Pancratius). At age 14, it is believed he was beheaded during Diocletian’s persecutions in 304. His feast is May 12, and he is the patron saint for children.

[COBOL2Java]

My parents' parish in Glendale, NY is St. Pancras (the kids in the parochial school call it "Saint Pancreas" :-).

St. Pancras died ca. 304 AD. Not much is known of him, but he is said to have been martyred at the age of 14 by the Emperor Diocletian. It is known that when St. Augustine of Canterbury (a Benedictine monk) went to England to become Archbishop of Canterbury, the first church he erected was in honor of St. Pancras.

Above the altar at my parents' church is an image of St. Pancras. He is rendered as a young man, arms crossed across his chest, holding a palm branch.

[Salvation]

From: Acts 22:30, 23:6-11


Speech before the Sanhedrin

---

[30] But on the morrow, desiring to know the real reason why the Jews
accused him, he (the tribune) unbound him, and commanded the chief
priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set
him before them.


[6] But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other
Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a
son of Pharisees; with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the
dead I am on trial." [7] And when he had said this, a dissension arose
between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.
[8] For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor
spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. [9] Then a great
clamor arose; and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up
and contended, 'We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or
an angel spoke to him?" [10] And when the dissension became violent,
the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn in pieces by them,
commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them
and bring him into the barracks.


[11] The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage,
for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must bear
witness also at Rome."

---

Commentary:


30. This does not seem to have been a regular session of the Sanhedrin;
it is an informal one arranged by Lysias (Acts 23:26) to enable
documentation to be prepared, now that "evidence" cannot be extracted
from Paul by torture.


6-9. From St Luke's Gospel (cf. 20:27) we know that the Sadducees,
unlike the Pharisees, did not believe in a future resurrection of the
dead. This is the only place in the New Testament where it says that
they also denied the existence of angels and spirits; however, this is
confirmed by Jewish and secular sources.


In the course of his trial, Paul brings up a subject which sets his
judges at each other. Personal advantage is not his main reason for
doing this. He is obviously very shrewd, but he really does not expect
to get an impartial hearing from the Sanhedrin. Therefore he tries to
stir their consciences and awaken their love for the truth and thereby
elicit some sympathy for Christians. Although Christian belief in the
Resurrection was not the same thing as the Pharisees' belief, the two
had this in common: they believed in the resurrection of the dead.


9. They are referring to his vision on the road to Damascus. They are
not going as far as to say that it was Jesus who spoke to Paul, but
they do not rule out the possibility that he had a genuine spiritual
experience.


11. The Lord is Jesus. These words of consolation to Paul show him that
God will guide him all along, right up to his court appearance in Rome.

---

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.

[murphE]

Beautiful church!

[Salvation]

Thanks for the additional information.

[Salvation]

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI Basilica of Saint Giovanni in Laterano Saturday, 7 May 2005

[Salvation]

From: John 17:20-26

The Priestly Prayer of Jesus (Continuation)

---

(Jesus lifted His eyes to Heaven and said,) [20] "I do not pray for
these (My disciples) only, but also for those who believe in Me through
their word, [21] that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in
Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may
believe that Thou hast sent Me. [22] The glory which Thou hast given Me
I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, [23] I in
them and Thou in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the
world may know that Thou hast sent Me and hast loved them even as Thou
hast loved Me. [24] Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast
given Me, may be with Me where I am, to behold My glory which Thou hast
given Me in Thy love for Me before the foundation of the world. [25] O
righteous Father, the world has not known Thee, but I have known Thee;
and these know that Thou hast sent Me. [26] I made known to them Thy
name, and I will make it known, that the love with which Thou hast
loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

---

Commentary:

20-23. Since it is Christ who is praying for the Church His prayer is
infallibly effective, and therefore there will always be only one true
Church of Jesus Christ. Unity is therefore an essential property of
the Church. "We believe that the Church founded by Jesus Christ and
for which He prayed is indefectibly one in faith, in worship and in the
bond of hierarchical communion" ([Pope] Paul VI, "Creed of the People
of God", 21). Moreover, Christ's prayer also indicates what the basis
of the Church's unity will be and what effects will follow from it.

The source from which the unity of the Church flows is the intimate
unity of the Three Divine Persons among whom there is mutual love and
self-giving. "The Lord Jesus, when praying to the Father `that they
may all be one...even as we are one' (John 17:21-22), has opened up new
horizons closed to human reason by implying that there is a certain
parallel between the union existing among the Divine Persons and the
union of the sons of God in truth and love. It follows, then, that if
man is the only creature on earth that God has wanted for its own sake,
man can fully discover his true self only in a sincere giving of
himself" (Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 24). The unity of the Church
is also grounded on the union of the faithful with Jesus Christ and
through Him with the Father (verse 23). Thus, the fullness of
unity--"consummati in unum"--is attained through the supernatural grace
which comes to us from Christ (cf. John 15:5).

The fruits of the unity of the Church are, on the one hand, the world
believing in Christ and in His divine mission (verses 21, 23); and, on
the other hand, Christians themselves and all men recognizing God's
special love for His faithful, a love which is a reflection of the love
of the Three Divine Persons for each other. And so, Jesus' prayer
embraces all mankind, for all are invited to be friends of God (cf. 1
Timothy 2:4). "Thou hast loved them even as Thou hast loved Me": this,
according to St. Thomas Aquinas, "does not mean strict equality of love
but similarity and like-motivation. It is as if He were saying: the
love with which You have loved Me is the reason and the cause of Your
loving them, for, precisely because You love men do You love those who
love Me" ("Commentary on St. John, in loc."). Besides noting this
theological explanation, we should also ponder on how expressively
Christ describes His ardent love for men. The entire discourse of the
Last Supper gives us a glimpse of the depth of Jesus' feelings--which
infinitely exceeds anything we are capable of experiencing. Once again
all we can do is bow down before the mystery of God-made-man.

20. Christ prays for the Church, for all those who, over the course of
centuries, will believe in Him through the preaching of the Apostles.
"That divine mission, which was committed by Christ to the Apostles, is
destined to last until the end of the world (cf. Matthew 28:20), since
the Gospel, which they were charged to hand on, is, for the Church, the
principle of all its life for all time. For that very reason the
Apostles were careful to appoint successors in this hierarchically
constituted society" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 20).

The apostolic origin and basis of the Church is what is termed its
"apostolicity", a special characteristic of the Church which we confess
in the Creed. Apostolicity consists in the Pope and the Bishops being
successors of Peter and the Apostles, holding the authority of the
Apostles and proclaiming the same teaching as they did. "The sacred
synod teached that the bishops have by divine institution taken the
place of the Apostles as pastors of the Church, in such wise that
whoever listens to them is listening to Christ and whoever despises
them despises Christ and Him who sent Christ (cf. Luke 10:15)" (Vatican
II, "Lumen Gentium", 20).

21. Union of Christians with Christ begets unity among themselves.
This unity of the Church ultimately redounds to the benefit of all
mankind, because since the Church is one and unique, she is seen as a
sign raised up for the nations to see, inviting all to believe in
Christ as sent by God come to save all men. The Church carries on this
mission of salvation through its union with Christ, calling all mankind
to join the Church and by so doing to share in union with Christ and
the Father.

The Second Vatican Council, speaking of the principles of ecumenism,
links the Church's unity with her universality: "Almost everyone,
though in different ways, longs for the one visible Church of God, a
Church truly universal and sent forth to the whole world that the world
may be converted to the Gospel and so be saved, to the glory of God"
("Unitatis Redintegratio", 1). This universality is another
characteristic of the Church, technically described as "catholicity".
"For many centuries now the Church has been spread throughout the
world, and it numbers persons of all races and walks of life. But the
universality of the Church does not depend on its geographical
distribution, even though this is a visible sign and of motive of
credibility. The Church was catholic already at Pentecost: it was born
catholic from the wounded heart of Jesus, as a fire which the Holy
Spirit enkindled.

"In the second century the Christians called the Church catholic in
order to distinguish it from sects, which, using the name of Christ,
were betraying His doctrine in one way or another. `We call it
catholic', writes St. Cyril, `not only because it is spread throughout
the world, from one extreme to the other, but because in a universal
way and without defect it teaches all the dogmas which men ought to
know, of both the visible and the invisible, the celestial and the
earthly. Likewise because it draws to true worship all types of men,
governors and citizens, the learned and the ignorant. And finally,
because it cures and heals all kinds of sins, whether of the soul or of
the body, possessing in addition--by whatever name it may be
called--all the forms of virtue, in deeds and in words and in every
kind of spiritual life' ("Catechesis", 18, 23)" ([St] J. Escriva, "In Love
with the Church", 9).

Every Christian should have the same desire for this unity as Jesus
Christ expresses in His prayer to the Father. "A privileged instrument
for participation in pursuit of the unity of all Christians is prayer.
Jesus Christ Himself left us His final wish for unity through prayer to
the Father: `that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe
that Thou hast sent Me' (John 17:21).

"Also the Second Vatican Council strongly recommended to us prayer for
the unity of Christians, defining it `the soul of the whole ecumenical
movement' ("Unitatis Redintegratio", 8). As the soul to the body, so
prayer gives life, consistency, spirit, and finality to the ecumenical
movement.

"Prayer puts us, first and foremost, before the Lord, purifies us in
intentions, in sentiments, in our heart, and produces that `interior
conversion', without which there is no real ecumenism. (cf. "Unitatis
Redintegratio", 7).

"Prayer, furthermore, reminds us that unity, ultimately, is a gift from
God, a gift for which we must ask and for which we must prepare in
order that we may be granted it" ([Pope] John Paul II, "General
Audience", 17 January 1979).

22-23. Jesus possess glory, a manifestation of divinity, because He is
God, equal to the Father (cf. note on John 17:1-5). When He says that
He is giving His disciples this glory, He is indicating that through
grace He makes us partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Glory
and justification by grace are very closely united, as we can see from
Sacred Scripture: "Those whom He predestined He also called, and those
whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also
glorified" (Romans 8:30). The change grace works in Christians makes
us ever more like Christ, who is the likeness of the Father (cf. 2
Corinthians 4:4; Hebrews 1:2-3): by communicating His glory Christ
joins the faithful to God by giving them a share in supernatural life,
which is the source of the holiness of Christians and of the Church:
"Now we can understand better how [...] one of the principal aspects of
her holiness is that unity centered on the mystery of the one and
triune God. `There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called
to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one
baptism; one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all
and in all' (Ephesians 4:4-6)" ([St] J. Escriva, "In Love with the Church", 5).

24. Jesus concludes His prayer by asking that all Christians attain the
blessedness of Heaven. The word He uses, "I desire", not "I pray",
indicates that He is asking for the most important thing of all, for
what His Father wants--that all may be saved and come to a knowledge of
the truth (cf. 1 Timothy 2:4): which is essentially the mission of the
Church--the salvation of souls.

As long as we are on earth we share in God's life through knowledge
(faith) and love (charity); but only in Heaven will we attain the
fullness of this supernatural life, when we see God as He is (cf. 1
John 3:2), face to face (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:9-12). Therefore, the
Church has her sights fixed on eternity, she is eschatological: that
is, by having in this world all the resources necessary for teaching
God's truth, for rendering Him true worship and communicating the life
of grace, she keeps alive people's hope of attaining the fullness of
eternal life: "The Church, to which we are all called in Christ Jesus,
and in which by the grace of God we acquire holiness, will receive its
perfection only in the glory of Heaven, when will come the time of the
renewal of all things (Acts 3:21). At that time, together with the
human race, the universe itself, which is so closely related to man and
which attains its destiny through him, will be perfectly reestablished
in Christ (cf. Ephesians 1:10; Colossians 1:20; 2 Peter 3:10-13)"
(Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 48).

25-26. God's revelation of Himself through Christ causes us to begin to
share in the divine life, a sharing which will reach its climax in
Heaven: "God alone can give us right and full knowledge of this reality
by revealing Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in whose eternal
life we are by grace called to share, here below in the obscurity of
faith and after death in eternal light" ([Pope] Paul VI, "Creed of the
People of God").

Christ has revealed to us all we need to know in order to participate
in the mutual love of the Divine Persons--primarily, the mystery of who
He is and what His mission is and, with that, the mystery of God
Himself ("I made known to them Thy name"), thus fulfilling what He had
announced: "No one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom
the Son chooses to reveal Him" (Matthew 11:27).

Christ continues to make known His Father's love, by means of the
Church, in which He is always present: "I am with you always, to the
close of the age" (Matthew 28:20).

---

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, May 12, 2005
St. Leopold Mandic, Capuchin, Priest (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11 John 17:20-26 Even though I had committed but one little sin, I should have ample reason to repent of it all my life. -- St Francis of Assisi

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Collect: Father, we honor Saints Nereus and Achilleus for their courage in dying to profess their faith in Christ. May we experience the help of their prayers at the throne of your mercy. 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: » Ave Maria Dear » Beautiful, Glorious » Mary Garden » May, the Month of Mary more » Namedays » Salve Regina » Stella Matutina » 'Tis Said of Our Dear Lady » What is a Nameday? less Prayers: » Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven) » May Pilgrimages » Roman Ritual Blessing Before and After Meals: Easter Season (2nd Plan) » May Devotion: Blessed Virgin Mary more » Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Litany of Loretto) » Prayer Cards for Easter Grace at Meals » Prayers for the Easter Season » Roman Ritual Blessing Before and After Meals: Easter (1st Plan) less

May 12, 2005 Optional Memorial of Sts. Nereus and Achilleus, martyrs; Optional Memorial of St. Pancras, martyr Old Calendar: Saints Nereus, Achilleus, Domitilla and Pancras Nereus and Achilleus were Roman soldiers in the household of Flavia Domitilla. They were instructed and converted by St. Peter. These two soldiers in turn inspired St. Domitilla to consecrate her virginity to God. Thereupon, Aurelianus, the fiancee of Domitilla, reported all three to the Roman authorities as being Christians. They were martyred out of hatred for Christianity. Pancras, a noble Phrygian youth, came to Rome at the age of fourteen, and was martyred in 275 because he refused to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods. Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar, St. Domitilla's feast was also celebrated on this day. St. Nereus, Achilleus and Domitilla It was under the persecution of Domitian—during which John the Evangelist was condemned to be burned alive in the cauldron of boiling oil—that Flavia Domitilla was honored with banishment and death for the sake of our Redeemer, whom she had chosen for her Spouse. She was of the imperial family, being a niece of Flavius Clemens, who adorned the consular dignity by martyrdom. She was one of the Christians belonging to the court of the Emperor Domitian, who show us how rapidly the religion of the poor and humble made its way to the highest classes of Roman life. A few years previous to this, St Paul sent to the Christians of Philippi the greetings of the Christians of Nero's palace. There is still extant, not far from Rome, on the Ardeatine Way, the magnificent subterranean cemetery which Flavia Domitilla ordered to be dug on her praedium, and in which were buried the two martyrs, Nereus and Achilleus, whom the Church honors today together with the noble virgin who owes her crown to them. Nereus and Achilleus were in Domitilla's service. Hearing them one day speaking of the merit of virginity, she there and then bade farewell to all worldly pleasures, and aspired to the honor of being the Spouse of Christ. She received the veil of consecrated virgins from the hands of Pope St Clement: Nereus and Achilleus had been baptized by St Peter himself. The bodies of these three Saints reposed, for several centuries, in the Basilica, called the Fasciola, on the Appian Way; and we have a Homily which St Gregory the Great preached in this Church on their feast. The holy Pontiff dwelt on the vanity of the earth's goods; he encouraged his audience to despise them by the example of the three martyrs whose relics lay under the very altar around which they were that day assembled. "These Saints," said he, "before whose tomb we are now standing, trampled with contempt of soul on the world and its flowers. Life was then long, health was uninterrupted, riches were abundant, parents were blessed with many children; and yet, though the world was so flourishing in itself, it had long been a withered thing in their hearts." — The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B. Things to Do: Even though Nereus and Achilleus died for Christ about 1800 years ago, Christians are still suffering and dying for their faith in this century. Offer a prayer for the persecuted Church and for the modern martyrs. These two Roman soldiers threw away their "shields, their armour, and their blood-stained javelins" and gave their lives for Christ. Examine how much you are willing to sacrifice for the love of Christ and offer up a small sacrifice today. St. Pancras Pancratius was the descendant of a noble Phrygian family. As a youth of fourteen, he came to Rome while Diocletian and Maximian were in power (about 304). He was baptized by the Pope and given instructions in the Christian religion. Arrested for his action, he steadfastly refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods and was condemned to death. With manly courage, he bared his neck for the sword and received the martyr's crown. During the night his body was removed by the pious matron Octavilla, anointed with sweet smelling balsam and interred on the Via Aurelia. Pancratius is the patron saint of fidelity to oaths. The basilica that Pope Symmachus erected over his remains about the year 500 later became a station church (since 1798 his relics have been lost). On the first Sunday after Easter the saint exhorted the catechumens gathered at his station church to remain loyal to their baptismal vows. The saint warns us to proceed slowly and prudently before taking an oath or vow. But once our word is given we must remain true to our pledge, true unto death itself, whether it concerns baptismal vows, ordination vows, profession vows, or marriage vows. — The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch Patron: Against false witness; against perjury; children; cramps; headaches; fidelity to oaths; treaties. Things to Do: Make sure that you have at least one crucifix in your home as a reminder of the great mystery of salvation.

[Smartass]

Psalm 5:3

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning,O Lord;
in the morning will I direct my prayer
unto Thee, and will look up.

†

If You Meet God In The Morning,
He'll Go With You Through The Day

[annalex]

Jn 17:20-26
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
20	And not for them only do I pray, but for them also who through their word shall believe in me.	non pro his autem rogo tantum sed et pro eis qui credituri sunt per verbum eorum in me
21	That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.	ut omnes unum sint sicut tu Pater in me et ego in te ut et ipsi in nobis unum sint ut mundus credat quia tu me misisti
22	And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given to them: that, they may be one, as we also are one.	et ego claritatem quam dedisti mihi dedi eis ut sint unum sicut nos unum sumus
23	I in them, and thou in me: that they may be made perfect in one: and the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them, as thou hast also loved me.	ego in eis et tu in me ut sint consummati in unum et cognoscat mundus quia tu me misisti et dilexisti eos sicut me dilexisti
24	Father, I will that where I am, they also whom thou hast given me may be with me: that they may see my glory which thou hast given me, because thou hast loved me before the creation of the world.	Pater quos dedisti mihi volo ut ubi ego sum et illi sint mecum ut videant claritatem meam quam dedisti mihi quia dilexisti me ante constitutionem mundi
25	Just Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee. And these have known that thou hast sent me.	Pater iuste et mundus te non cognovit ego autem te cognovi et hii cognoverunt quia tu me misisti
26	And I have made known thy name to them and will make it known: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.	et notum feci eis nomen tuum et notum faciam ut dilectio qua dilexisti me in ipsis sit et ego in ipsis

[annalex]

Apostle St Paul
El Greco, 1610-14
Museo de El Greco, Toledo

[Salvation]

FEAST OF THE DAY

Saints Nereus and Achilleus were eunuchs belonging to Saint Flavia
Domitilla (niece of St. Flavius Clemens), who were banished with her
to the isle of Pontia by Domitian - after he had executed St. Flavius
Clemens. They returned to Terracina, under Trajan, and were
beheaded. Their relics are kept with those of St. Flavia Domitilla, and
though her servants here on earth, they enjoy equal honor with her in
glory.

Saint Pancras was beheaded in Rome at fourteen years of age, in
304, for having professed his faith. The church and cemetery he was
buried in, which was named after him, was repaired in the fifth
century by Pope Symmachus, and in the seventh century, by Pope
Honorius I. St. Gregory of Tours, calls him the Avenger of Perjuries,
and says that by a perpetual miracle, God visibly punished false
oaths made before his relics. Pope Vitalian sent a portion of his relics
to King Oswi in 656. Italy, England, Italy and France abound with
churches bearing his name.


QUOTE OF THE DAY

If we have obtained the grace of God, none shall prevail against us,
but we shall be stronger than all who oppose us. -St. John Chrysostom


TODAY IN HISTORY

254 Pope St. Stephen I begins his reign


TODAY'S TIDBIT

The patristic period of Church history encompasses the first several
hundred years after the Resurrection. The theologians from this
period are called the Fathers of the Church because of the lasting
contribution made to Church doctrine.


INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for all who have died recently.

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	To Become Perfect Is to Have Changed Often
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Thursday, May 12, 2005

Acts 22:30; 23:6-10 / Jn 17:20-26

Several interesting patterns have shown themselves as we’ve read through the Acts of the Apostles these past seven weeks. On the one hand, there’s the joy that so many people experience as they come to know the Good News of Jesus, and on the other, there’s the anger and violence with which so many react to the preaching of this same Good News.

Why are the reactions so very different from people of similar backgrounds? The answer lies inside, in the fear-driven rigidity and brittleness of the one group and in the hope-driven confidence and openness of the other.

Long ago, Cardinal Newman said that to grow is to change and to become perfect is to have changed often. True enough, but wholesome growth and change are possible only for those who have solid roots in God, the ground of our being. Fear stifles growth and allows only one kind of action, and that is attack.

Don’t waste your life being angry and defending the indefensible. Let faith open your inner doors to the Spirit who brings growth, change, and joy.

 

[Baraonda]

Bump to that.

[Salvation]

Good to see you. Hope everything went well with you today.