Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 09-26-05, Optional, Sts. Cosmas and Damian

September 26, 2005
Monday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Psalm: Monday 42

Reading I
Zec 8:1-8

This word of the LORD of hosts came:

Thus says the LORD of hosts:

I am intensely jealous for Zion,
stirred to jealous wrath for her.
Thus says the LORD:
I will return to Zion,
and I will dwell within Jerusalem;
Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city,
and the mountain of the LORD of hosts,
the holy mountain.

Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women,
each with staff in hand because of old age,
shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem.
The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Even if this should seem impossible
in the eyes of the remnant of this people,
shall it in those days be impossible in my eyes also,
says the LORD of hosts?
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Lo, I will rescue my people from the land of the rising sun,
and from the land of the setting sun.
I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem.
They shall be my people, and I will be their God,
with faithfulness and justice.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23

R. (17) The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
“The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The children of your servants shall abide,
and their posterity shall continue in your presence.
That the name of the LORD may be declared in Zion;
and his praise, in Jerusalem,
When the peoples gather together,
and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

Gospel
Lk 9:46-50

An argument arose among the disciples
about which of them was the greatest.
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child
and placed it by his side and said to them,
“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you
is the one who is the greatest.”

Then John said in reply,
“Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name
and we tried to prevent him
because he does not follow in our company.”
Jesus said to him,
“Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”

Luke 9:46-50:

Humility and Tolerance

[46] And an argument arose among them (the disciples) as to which of
them was the greatest. [47] But when Jesus perceived the thoughts of
their hearts, He took a child and put him by His side, [48] and said to
them, "Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever
receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for he who is least among you all
is the one who is great."

[49] John answered, "Master, we saw a man casting out demons in Your
name, and we forbade him, because he does not follow with us." [50] But
Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him; for he that is not against you
is for you."

Commentary:

46-48. Jesus takes a child in His arms to give His Apostles example and
to correct their too-human ambitions, thereby teaching all of us not to
make ourselves important. "Don't try to be a grown-up. A child,
always a child, even when you are dying of old age. When a child
stumbles and falls, nobody is surprised; his father promptly lifts him
up. When the person who stumbles and falls is older, the immediate
reaction is one of laughter. Sometimes this first impulse passes and
the laughter gives way to pity. But older people have to get up by
themselves.

"Your sad experience of each day is full of stumbles and falls.--What
would become of you if you were not continually more of a child? Don't
want to be grown-up. Be a child; and when you stumble, may you be
lifted by the hand of your Father-God" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 870).

49-50. Our Lord corrects the exclusivist and intolerant attitude of the
Apostles. St. Paul later learned this lesson, as we can see from what
he wrote during his imprisonment in Rome: "Some indeed preach Christ
from envy and rivalry, but others from good will [...]. What then?
Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is
proclaimed; and in that I rejoice" (Philippians 1:15, 18). "Rejoice,
when you see others working in good apostolic activities. And ask God
to grant them abundant grace and that they may respond to that grace.
Then, you, on your way: convince yourself that it's the only way for
you" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 965).

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.

Catholic Culture

Collect:
Lord, we honor the memory of Sts. Cosmas and Damian. Accept our grateful praise for raising them to eternal glory and for giving us your fatherly care. We ask 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:

Prayers:

September 26, 2005

Optional Memorial of Sts. Cosmas and Damian, martyrs

Old Calendar: Sts. Cyprian and Justina, martyrs; Isaac Jogues, John de Brebeuf and Companions, Martyrs (USA)

The only thing we know about Sts. Cosmas and Damian is that they suffered martyrdom in Syria during the Roman persecution of Diocletian, around 303 A.D. Tradition says they were twin brothers and medical doctors, and have been honored since the 6th century. These brothers never charged a fee for their medical services. Their names are in the Roman Canon of the Mass. This feast is highly celebrated in Italian communities.

Sts. Cosmas and Damian

This is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church, and these two martyrs have been honored in the East and West in many ways, including the building of churches in their honor in Rome and Constantinople. Along with St. Luke, they are the patron saints of doctors. Little is known of their true history, but the legend that has come down to us is of very early origin.

Sts. Cosmas and Damian were venerated in the East as the "moneyless ones" because they practiced medicine gratis. According to the legend, they were twin brothers, born in Arabia, who studied in Syria and became skilled physicians. They were supposed to have lived on the Bay of Alexandretta in Cilicia, in what is now Turkey.

Since they were prominent Christians, they were among the first arrested when the great persecution under Diocletian began. Lysias, the governor of Cilicia, ordered their arrest, and they were beheaded. Their bodies, it was said, were carried to Syria and buried at Cyrrhus.

What is certain is that they were venerated very early and became patrons of medicine, known for their miracles of healing. The Emperor Justinian was cured by their intercession and paid special honor to the city of Cyrrhus where their relics were enshrined. Their basilica in Rome, adorned with lovely mosaics, was dedicated in the year 530. They are named in the Roman Martyrology and in the Canon of the Mass, testifying to the antiquity of their feast day.

The great honor in which they are held and the antiquity of their veneration indicate some historical memory among the early Christians who came out of the great persecutions with a new cult of Christian heroes. Cosmas and Damian were not only ideal Christians by their practice of medicine without fee, they also symbolized God's blessing upon the art of healing and that respect for every form of science, which is an important part of Christian tradition.

Excerpted from The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens

Patron: Apothecaries; barbers; blind; chemists; druggists; hairdressers; hernias; marital harmony; midwives; physicians; pharmacists; relief from pestilence; surgeons; Gaeta, Italy.

Symbols: A phial; phials and jars; vases; arrows; surgical instruments; lancet; red vestments; box of ointment; rod of Aesculapius (rod with serpent wrapped around, symbol of medicine); cylinder; stake and fagots; arrows; cross; swords; millstones.

Things to Do:

Contemplate how these brothers imitated Christ by healing the WHOLE person, both body and soul.
A Christian is generous: with his time, with his talents, with his money. Sts. Cosmas and Damian practiced medicine free, looking upon this as a Christian service to others. I may not be able to imitate them in this, but my own spirit of generosity should be a clear part of my Christian witness.
Pray for those in the medical field.
Find out more about the miracles attached to the relics of Cosmas and Damian.
If you are close to Cambridge, MA drop in on the annual Italian festival of the healing of Saints Cosmas and Damian which has been held for the past 77 years.

Sts. Cyprian and Justina

Cyprian and Justina, Christians of Antioch were martyred at Nicomedia, September 26, 304 during the persecution of Decius. Already in the same century, quite a colorful legend arose about them. The legend says that at the beginning of St. Cyprian's life he was anything but saintly. Much of his early training had taken place in North African Carthage, in modern Tunisia. He had been one of the leading sorcerers of the ancient world; he was a model and guide for many in the arts of darkness, and had ensnared many souls for evil. One time, as he was attempting by demonic means to seduce a young Christian virgin, Justina, on behalf of a lustful youth, Aglaidas, it backfired. St. Justina in her simplicity traced on herself the symbol of the Cross, at which the evil spirit fled. Cyprian's pride was stung. After many other unsuccessful attempts, Cyprian recognized the power of Christ and His Gospel. He not only renounced his old ways and was baptized, but soon thereafter became a deacon, then a priest, and finally a bishop.

American Catholic’s Saint of the Day

September 26, 2005

Sts. Cosmas and Damian

(d. 303?)

Nothing is known of their lives except that they suffered martyrdom in Syria during the persecution of Diocletian.

A church erected on the site of their burial place was enlarged by the emperor Justinian. Devotion to the two saints spread rapidly in both East and West. A famous basilica was erected in their honor in Constantinople. Their names were placed in the canon of the Mass, probably in the sixth century.

Legend says that they were twin brothers born in Arabia, who became skilled doctors. They were among those who are venerated in the East as the "moneyless ones" because they did not charge a fee for their services. It was impossible that such prominent persons would escape unnoticed in time of persecution: They were arrested and beheaded.

Comment:

For a long time, it seems, we have been very conscious of Jesus' miracles as proofs of his divinity. What we sometimes overlook is Jesus' consuming interest in simply healing people's sickness, whatever other meaning his actions had. The power that "went out from him" was indeed a sign that God was definitively breaking into human history in final fulfillment of his promises; but the love of God was also concrete in a very human heart that was concerned about the suffering of his brothers and sisters. It is a reminder to Christians that salvation is for the whole person, the unique body-spirit unity.

Quote:

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Homily of the Day

Title:	Death or Life - Your Choice
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Monday, September 26, 2005

Zechariah 8:1-8 / Lk 9:46-50

In Old Testament times, the Israelites had a long line of men they called prophets, but whose role had nothing to do with predicting the future. They were spokesmen for God, who spoke with God's authority. But all too often the Israelites didn't like or were afraid to trust what they said. Such was the case in the days of the prophet Zechariah.

The Israelites had been at the bottom of the heap for a long time, so long indeed that most of them had given up hope of being anywhere else. In God's name, Zechariah challenged them to reclaim their hopes and to let God lift them up and to do his work in them. Some of them listened and hoped and found a new life, and many of them did not.

Eventually, the same kind of choice confronts every one of us: In the face of the full spectrum of our sins, limits, and frailties, can we find reason to hope and to keep striving, especially after we pass the mid-point in our lives? Can we still imagine the possibility of growing better and more whole? Can we listen with confidence and trust to the Holy Spirit who dwells within us and who calls us to step forward and let go of what is not life-giving?

All of us CAN, but not all of us WILL.

So which do you choose to be? The one who trusts the Spirit and lives? Or the one who hides his face and dies? The choice really is yours! Make it carefully.

A Voice in the Desert

Special Announcement:

Father Robert Altier will speak on

Pope Leo XIII and the St. Michael Prayer

at a special Mass honoring the Archangels and Holy Angels

for the intercession and protection of

our Holy Catholic Church, our families, our children and our country

Wednesday September 28, 2005

St. Michael’s Church, St. Michael, Minnesota

Rosary and Confessions – 6:00 pm

Holy Mass – 7:00 pm

Special Presentation after the Mass

Monday September 26, 2005 Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading (Zechariah 8:1-8) Gospel (St. Luke 9:46-50)

In the Gospel reading today, Our Lord tells all of us: The one who is the least among you is the one who is the greatest. Over the last few days we have heard several times that the reason why God chose us is because we are the least, because we are the worst that He could possibly find. The problem is that in our pride we do not like to think that way. Even if we know it is true, we still buck against it. So the Lord makes very clear that it is in fact not only what we have to accept but it is what we have to live. We have to recognize that we are indeed the least.

This is exactly what Saint Paul told us yesterday, that we have to serve others. He told us that if we are humble we will look at other people as being greater than we and we will not act out of selfishness and we will not act out of vanity. That is not an easy task for us in our fallen nature because pride is at the center of every single sin that we commit and it runs as deep as anything does within us. It is very, very difficult for us to overcome. And so even if in our heads we know that we were chosen because we were the least and the worst, we still do not like to really accept it. The heart is the problem in this case, not the head. We need to get things down inside.

But before we are going to be able to do that, we have to live according to God’s way. Just think about what Our Lord says immediately before He tells us this. He takes a little child and places the child next to Himself and says, Whoever receives this little child receives Me. Well, think of the society we live in. Parents will not even accept children. We live in a society where we contracept, where we sterilize people, where we abort babies, and we are in a situation where married couples – and the very purpose for getting married is to have children; that is the first end purpose of marriage – do not want children. Oh, certainly they want either one or two (three, if the first two have the same sex), but it is not for the child’s sake, it is for their own sake. Children are to be loved for their own sake. They are to be wanted for their own sake. How can we accept the kingdom of God with the simplicity of a child if we do not even want children? We see where the problem is. How can we see that we are the least if we cannot even look at those who by nature are the weakest among us and love them the way we are supposed to?

We have everything completely inverted, and the reason why it is inverted is because our focus is on ourselves. That is where the problem lies. And because the focus is on ourselves, we cannot accept that we are the least because if we are going to be focused on ourselves, we are going to try to convince ourselves that we are the greatest. Why does anyone want to be the greatest? If you are convinced that in this world you are the greatest, unfortunately, the person who thinks he is the greatest in this world is the one who is going to have the deepest place for all eternity in hell. Is that where we want to be? If we want to get caught up in ourselves, that is what we will spend eternity doing: being caught up in ourselves and not caught up in Christ. You see, it is the two eternal realities that begin now.

If we conform ourselves to the Will of God then we will recognize the truth about our own selves, as well as about the reality that God wants us to know. Then we will be able to accept the fullness of what the truth is, whether that is accepting children in marriage, whether that is to be able to accept the kingdom of God with the simplicity of a child, or whether that is to receive a child in His name. It is to recognize the truth about our own selves and to recognize the mercy of God that has been given to us.

Now because our society has gone so far astray, we might actually fall into the trap that the people of Israel did. The Lord had to say, In your eyes this might seem impossible, but should I think it is impossible as well? The Lord is promising us that He will change all of this if we are willing. If we are willing to come before Him and humble ourselves, He will change our hearts. He will turn us around and our hearts will become the dwelling place of God. When they are truly the dwelling place of God, we will be conformed to Christ, to His Will and to His way. No longer, then, will we be caught up in ourselves; from that point forward, our hearts will be the dwelling place of Christ and we will be caught up in Him.

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

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