Catholic Caucus, Daily Mass Readings, 11-10-05, Memorial of St. Leo the Great, Pope & Doctor/Church

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St. Leo the Great on the Papacy"

St. Leo the Great on Authority

THE CHRISTMAS HOMILY OF SAINT LEO THE GREAT ON THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY - I

Saint Leo the Great - Defender of Rome and Codifier of Orthodoxy

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From: Wisdom 7:22b-8:1

Wisdom, a Reflection of Eternal Light

[22b] For in her there is a spirit that is intelligent, holy, unique,
manifold, subtle, mobile, clear, unpolluted, distinct, invulnerable,
loving the good, keen, irresistible, [23] beneficent, humane,
steadfast, sure, free from anxiety, all-powerful, overseeing all, and
penetrating through all spirits that are intelligent and pure and most
subtle. [24] For wisdom is more mobile than any motion; because of her
pureness she pervades and penetrates all things. [25] For she is a
breath of the power of God, and a pure emanation of the glory of the
Almighty; therefore nothing defiled gains entrance into her. [26] For
she is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working
of God, and an image of his goodness. [27] Though she is but one, she
can do all things, and while remaining in herself, she renews all
things; in every generation she passes into holy souls and makes them
friends of God, and prophets;

Commentary:

7:22—8:1. Somehow, mysteriously, Wisdom is the same thing as the
Spirit of God who gives life to and enlightens all other beings and
who transcends them. In vv. 22-24 there are so many terms from the
language of Greek philosophy (especially Plato and the Stoics) that
the author must mean them to be recognized as such. However, even
though he borrows this terminology, he clearly maintains his
independence; nothing he says undermines his belief in there being
only one God. He does attribute to divine Wisdom properties that Greek
philosophy conferred on the “soul of the cosmos”, the nous and the
logos, but he clearly does not mean to associate himself with that
sort of thinking; he is simply using these terms to emphasize the
excellence of divine Wisdom.

The sacred writers of the New Testament (St John and St Paul,
particularly) have things to say somewhat along the lines of these
verses when dealing with the mysteries of the Holy Spirit and Jesus
Christ (cf. Jn 1:5, 9; 15:26; Col 1:5—6; Heb 1:3; etc.). Sacred texts
like these were among the first to be used when, later on, Christian
theology about the incarnate Word and the Holy Spirit began to take
shape: we can see this from the writings of the Fathers. For example,
v. 26 is used in a work attributed to St Augustine dealing with the
unity of Father and Son: “A 'reflection', because the pure light of the
Father is in the Son; 'a clear mirror', for the Father can be seen in
the Son” ("Solutiones diversarum quaestionum", 18).

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: Luke 17:20-25

The Coming of the Kingdom of God

[20] Being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God was coming,
He (Jesus) answered them, "The Kingdom of God is not coming with signs
to be observed; [21] nor will they say, `Lo, here it is!' or `There!'
for behold, the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you."

The Day of the Son of Man

[22] And He said to His disciples, "The days are coming when you will
desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see
it. [23] And they will say to you, `Lo, there!' or `Lo, here!' Do not
go, do not follow them. [24] For as the lightning flashes and lights
up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in His
day. [25] But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this
generation."

Commentary:

20-21. Like many Jews of their time, the Pharisees imagined the
establishment of the Kingdom of God in terms of external, political
authority; whereas Jesus teaches that it is something eminently
spiritual, supernatural, which has been happening since Jesus' coming,
although its climax will be after His Second Coming or Parousia at the
end of the world; its effect is to be seen, above all, in men's hearts,
although it is also something visible and external, just as the Church
has a visible dimension.

The presence of the Kingdom of God in each soul is something one
perceives through the affections and inspirations communicated by the
Holy Spirit. St. Therese of Lisieux says this about her own
experience: "The Doctor of doctors teaches us without the sound of
words. I have never heard Him speak, and yet I know He is within my
soul. Every moment He is guiding and inspiring me, and, just at the
moment I need them, `lights' till then unseen are granted me. Most
often it is not at prayer that they come but while I go about my daily
duties" ("The Story of a Soul", Chapter 8).

22. After the Apostles receive the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost
they will devote their whole lives to preaching boldly the message of
Jesus Christ, and winning all people over to the Lord. This will lead
them to experience many severe contradictions; they will suffer so much
that they will yearn to see even "one of the days of the Son of Man",
that is, one of the days of the victory of Jesus Christ. But this day
will not arrive until the Lord's Second Coming.

23-36. These words of our Lord are a prophecy about the last coming of
the Son of Man. We should remember that prophecy often involves events
on different levels, many symbols, a terminology of its own; the
"chiaroscuro" which they create gives us insight into future events,
but the concrete details only become clear when the events actually
occur. Our Lord's last coming will be something sudden and unexpected;
it will catch many people unprepared. Jesus illustrates this by giving
examples from sacred history: as in the time of Noah (cf. Genesis
6:9-19:7) and that of Lot (cf. Genesis 18:16-19:27) divine judgment
will be visited on men without warning.

However, it is useful to recall here that everyone will find himself
before the divine Judge immediately when he dies, at the Particular
Judgment. Thus Jesus' teaching has also a present urgency about it:
HERE AND NOW a disciple should scrutinize his own conduct, for the
Lord can call him when he least expects.

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.

Thursday, November 10, 2005
St. Leo the Great, Pope, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:

Wisdom 7:22 -- 8:1
Psalm 119:89-91, 130, 135, 175
Luke 17:20-25

I have found David My servant, with My holy oil I have anointed him; for My hand shall help him, and My arm shall strengthen him. The enemy shall have no advantage over him, and the son of iniquity shall not hurt him.

-- Psalm 88: 21-23

Great, thank you. How are you?

A little on the tired side. I prepared the food for 132 individuals yesterday for our fourth in a five week series of Faith-Formation 101.

Topic was "Why Do Catholics Do That?"

Everything from numbers in the church, to Nativity scenes to Holy Water and genuflecting were discussed. It was great!

I'm going back over to church this morning to start putting in the names and addresses of those who call for Thanksgiving meals -- We usually deliver 800-1000 meals at Thanksgiving. At Christmas we have a sit-dwon meal with equally huge numbers. So obviously, service to those in need in our community is part of our parish mission statement.

Thanks for that icon.

Oops!
sit-dwon
sit-down

Catholic Culture

Collect:
God of power and mercy, protect us from all harm. Give us freedom of spirit and health in mind and body to do your work on earth. 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.

Recipes:

Activities:

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Prayers:

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November 10, 2005

Memorial of St. Leo the Great, pope and doctor

Old Calendar: St. Andrew Avellino, priest; Sts.Tryphon, Respicius and Nympha, virgins and martyrs

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Leo the Great, pope and doctor, during whose pontificate the Council of Chalcedon (451) defined that Christ is one divine person with two natures, divine and human. It was a confirmation of his Epistola Dogmatica (Tomus) to the Patriarch Flavian of Constantinople. He vigorously defended the unity of the Church. He detained the onrush of the barbarians under Attila. His feastday was formerly April 11.

Before the reform of the Roman Calendar in 1969, this was the memorial of St. Andrew Avellino who was born in Sicily and died at Naples. As a cleric he went to Naples to study law, and was meanwhile raised to the priestly dignity. Today was also the commemoration of Sts. Tryphon, Respicius and Nympha. Tryphon, a Phrygian, was martyred with his companion Respicius at Nicaea (c.250). Nympha was a virgin of Palermo, martyred in the fourth century.

St. Leo the Great

Leo I, Pope and Doctor of the Church, ruled from 440 to 461. He is surnamed "the Great" and ranks among the most illustrious sovereigns that ever sat on the throne of St. Peter. Of his life, we know little; with him the man seems to disappear before the Pope. He saw most clearly that one of his greatest tasks was to vindicate the primacy of the Roman bishop, St. Peter's successor, and to raise the prestige of the Holy See before the entire world. Hardly any Pope in history has occupied a like position in the ecclesiastical and political world.

As a writer, too, his name is famous. His sermons, which occur frequently in the Divine Office, belong to the finest and most profound in patristic literature. The Council of Chalcedon was held under his direction (451). The Breviary tells us: Leo I, an Etruscan, ruled the Church at the time when Attila, King of the Huns, who was called the Scourge of God, invaded Italy. After a siege of three years, he took, sacked and burned Aquileia, and then hurried on toward Rome. Inflamed with anger, his troops were already preparing to cross the Po, at the point where it is joined by the Mincio.

Here Attila was stopped by Leo (452). With God-given eloquence, the Pope persuaded him to turn back, and when the Hun was asked by his servants why, contrary to custom, he had so meekly yielded to the entreaties of a Roman bishop, he answered that he had been alarmed by a figure dressed like a priest that stood at Leo's side; this individual was holding a drawn sword and acted as if he would kill him if he advanced farther. As a result Attila retreated to Pannonia.

Meanwhile, Leo returned to Rome, and was received with universal rejoicing. Some time later, the Vandal Genseric entered the city, and again Leo, by the power of his eloquence and the authority of his holy life, persuaded him to desist from atrocity and slaughter (455). Leo was also active in matters liturgical. The so-called Leonine sacramentary, a compendium of Missal prayers, contains many of his compositions; some liturgists give him credit for the beautiful offices of Advent.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.

Symbols: Image of the Virgin; pick-axe; model of St. Maria Maggiore; horse; Attila kneeling.

Things to Do:

Learn more about the Nestorian heresy and the Council of Chalcedon;
Just as St. Leo triumphed over the pagan invaders, pray for the civilized barbarians who would persuade us that religion should be eliminated from education and that the State, in its laws and institutions should simply ignore our Lord Jesus Christ;
Read Pope John XXIII's Encyclical on St. Leo.
The name Leo means "lion", so a cake in the shape of a lion would be an appropriate name-day dessert.

St. Andrew Avellino

As a young priest Andrew served at an ecclesiastical court. While making a defense, a small lie slipped by his lips; soon afterward he accidentally read the words, "A lying mouth kills the soul" (Wis. 1:11). Deeply moved, he resigned his position and dedicated himself solely to the service of God and the welfare of souls. In 1566 he entered the Order of Theatines and chose the name Andrew out of love for the Cross of Christ. He labored most zealously as a shepherd of souls. With fatherly love and prudence he spent countless hours hearing confessions. He frequently visited the towns and villages in the neighborhood of Naples to preach the saving message of the Gospel.

By means of miracles God Himself often glorified the love of neighbor burning in the heart of His holy priest. Once as he was returning home from a round of duties, the rain and wind extinguished the lantern he was carrying. He and his companion, however, were not soaked by the downpour. In fact, rays of light proceeded from his body and guided them through the dense darkness. Many came to him to settle cases of conscience, his letters number thousands. Worn out by work and enfeebled by age, he suffered a stroke at the foot of the altar just as he was beginning holy Mass and died as he repeated for the third time, "I will go unto the altar of God." He is venerated as patron against sudden death.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.

Patron: Against sudden death; apoplexics; apoplexy; for a holy death; Naples, Sicily; stroke victims; strokes.

Things to Do: What is our attitude on speaking the truth? Think about the seriousness of lying and examine your conscience about your attitude toward the truth. The words, "A lying mouth kills the soul," might well resound in our ears all through the day. And in what condition is my love toward Christ and His Cross? Would I choose the name Andrew out of love for the Cross? What a beautiful death — to die at the altar! Pray for an equally happy death, well prepared, and with the mercy of the last sacraments.

Sts. Tryphon, Respicius and Nympha

St. Tryphon, whose relics were preserved at Cattaro, in Dalmatia, had an oratory at Rome in which the Greeks celebrated his feast on February 1. For unknown reasons hagiographers have joined his commemoration with that of St. Respicius, who appears to have been a Roman martyr. St. Nympha was venerated at Porto in Sicily; her body, translated to Rome, was buried in the church of SS. Tryphon and Respicius. Due to lack of evidence this feast was removed from the General Roman Calendar in 1969.

Patron: St. Trypon is the patron of gardeners.

Wow. You are one hardworking person. No wonder you're tired!

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	The Spirit Is Already within You
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Thursday, November 10, 2005

Wisdom 7:22-8:1 / Lk 17:20-25

In every age there has been an ample chorus of voices proclaiming the imminent arrival of the end of the world. The volume only gets louder at the end of a century, to say nothing of a millennium. And people watch with fascination for signs and wonders and portents.

It has always been so, hence Jesus takes special pains to remind us in the gospel that we already have what we’re looking for so anxiously: “The reign of God is already in your midst,” He says. Look no further.

The Holy Spirit already dwells within every one of us, only waiting for us to open our hearts and our lives to the Spirit’s healing and guidance. Life could take on a very different shape now, if we could bring ourselves to doing that with confidence and trust. That is the challenge that confronts us repeatedly across the whole span of our lives: To trust in the Holy Spirit’s presence, to open our hearts, and to keep them open. That task will never be complete in this life, but for some it has not yet begun.

May we not find ourselves in that sorry company.

(Blushing)

I should have said "assembled the food"! We had deli sandwich stuff and veggie trays. Although yesterday I did make the dessert. (Next week they get store-bought pumpking pie.) LOL!

The Word Among Us

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Meditation
Luke 17:20-25

The End Times. It’s a topic that usually evokes some fear, some curiosity, and maybe a little bit of anticipation. There seems to be no end to the books that try to explain or predict, or fictionalize the time when Jesus will return in glory. And still the questions linger. When will it happen? What signs should we look for? What if we aren’t ready?

The Holy Spirit wants to give us the gift of discernment so that we won’t be fearful or misled. If we want to be ready, we simply have to keep our eyes open. And we can begin today, because as Jesus himself said, “The kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:21).

If we want to be able to recognize God’s movement in the world on such a grand scale, perhaps we should begin by looking for God’s actions in the world on a smaller scale. Every day, we have millions of opportunities to see God intervening in our lives and in the lives of those around us. That’s because he is revealing his kingdom here in our midst every single day.

When a friend you’d been missing suddenly calls or e-mails, do you think it’s just a coincidence? When you are running late for an appointment, and then on the way you pass a traffic accident that you could have been involved in, do you chalk it up to good luck? How about when you feel confused or troubled, and you open the Scriptures or hear a song that answers your need exactly? Is that just happenstance?

Of course not! God is constantly bringing his kingdom into our world, even in the smallest details of our lives! It’s not just at “the end times” where we will see God working powerfully in the world. As we keep our eyes and hearts open, God will show us how deeply involved he really is in our lives. He will make us attuned to life in his kingdom and show us how exciting it can be. Then, when we think about Jesus’ coming in glory, we won’t feel half as anxious. We’ll know that we’ve begun to live in his kingdom already!

“Holy Spirit, open my eyes! Release the gift of discernment more fully in my life so that I can see the ways the kingdom of God is already at hand.”

Wisdom 7:22–8:1; Psalm 119:89-91,130,135,175

(Next week they get store-bought pumpking pie.) LOL!

*************

We probably will too! We're going next-door for Thanksgiving. :)

Faith-sharing bump.