Posted on 06/08/2014 7:30:20 PM PDT by Salvation
June 9, 2014
Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 1 Kgs 17:1-6
Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab:
“As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve,
during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word.”
The LORD then said to Elijah:
“Leave here, go east
and hide in the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.
You shall drink of the stream,
and I have commanded ravens to feed you there.”
So he left and did as the LORD had commanded.
He went and remained by the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.
Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning,
and bread and meat in the evening,
and he drank from the stream.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 121:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
R. (see 2) Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
May he not suffer your foot to slip;
may he slumber not who guards you:
Indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,
the guardian of Israel.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade;
he is beside you at your right hand.
The sun shall not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your life.
The LORD will guard your coming and your going,
both now and forever.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Gospel Mt 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Saint Ephrem, Deacon & Doctor of the Church
Optional Memorial
June 9th
The Dormition of St. Ephrem, from Iveron Monastery on the Holy Mountain
Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven. -- Saint Ephraem
Saint Ephrem was born in Mesopotamia and ordained as a deacon of Edessa in whatis now Turkey, he vigorously combated the heresies of his time by writing poems and hymns about the Mysteries of Christ and the Blessed Virgin. He had a great devotion to Our Lady, and was in large part responsible for introducing hymns to public worship.
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
Collect:
Pour into our hearts O Lord, we pray, the Holy Spirit,
at whose prompting the Deacon Saint Ephrem
exulted in singing of your mysteries
and from whom he received the strength
to serve you alone.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
First Reading: Colossians 3:12-17
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Gospel Reading: Luke 6:43-45
"For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Prayer for Strength in Weakness
Lord Jesus Christ, King of kings, you have power over life and death. You know even things that are uncertain and obscure, and our very thoughts and feelings are not hidden from you. Cleanse me from my secret faults, and I have done wrong and you saw it. You know how weak I am, both in soul and in body. Give me strength, O Lord, in my frailty and sustain me in my sufferings. Grant me a prudent judgement, dear Lord, and let me always be mindful of your blessings. Let me retain until the end your grace that has protected me till now.
St Ephrem of Syria, Deacon, Poet and Doctor
Related Links on the Vatican Website:
PRINCIPI APOSTOLORUM PETRO, Encyclical of Pope Benedict XV on St. Ephrem, October 5, 1920
Benedict XVI, General Audience, Paul VI Audience Hall, Wednesday, November 28, 2007, Saint Ephrem
Related Links on New Advent website:
Saint Ephraim the Syrian
- Nisibene Hymns
- Miscellaneous Hymns -- On the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh, For the Feast of the Epiphany, and On the Faith ("The Pearl")
- Homilies -- On Our Lord, On Admonition and Repentance, and On the Sinful Woman
Feast Day: June 9
Born: 306 at Nisibis, Mesopotamia (in modern Syria)
Died: 9 June 373 at Edessa (in modern Iraq)
Patron of: Spiritual directors and spiritual leaders
St. Ephrem
Feast Day: June 09
Born: 306 :: Died: 373
Ephrem was born at Nisibis in Mesopotamia (which is now Syria) and was born in a pagan family. Pagans are people who believe in false gods. When he was a teenager, he heard St. James preach about how Jesus had died for us so we could be saved. At the age of eighteen Ephrem asked to be baptized and joined the Catholic Church.
Ephrem then went into the hills found himself a cave near the city of Edessa in Syria and became a hermit. His clothes were just patched rags and he ate any fruit, vegetable or edible leaves that he could find.
Ephrem became angry easily but prayed sincerely about it. He slowly learnt to control his temper. People who met him thought he was just naturally very calm. He often went to preach in Edessa and Nisibis. When he spoke about God's judgment, the people wept.
He would tell them that he was a great sinner. He really meant it, too, because although his sins were small, they seemed very big to him. When St. Basil met him, he asked, "Are you Ephrem, the famous servant of Jesus?" Ephrem answered quickly, "I am Ephrem who walks unworthily on the way to salvation." Then he asked for and received advice from St. Basil on how to grow in the spiritual life.
Ephrem was made deacon of Edessa and spent his time writing spiritual books. He wrote in several languages - Syriac, Greek, Latin and Armenian. These works are so beautiful and spiritual that they have been translated into many languages and are read even today.
Ephrem also wrote hymns for public worship and introduced singing during the Mass. These hymns became very popular. As the people sang them, they learned much about the faith. That is why he is called "the harp of the Holy Spirit." Because he was such a great teacher through his writings, in 1920 he was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church.
Ephrem died in June, 373, at Edessa (which is now in Iraq).
Monday, June 9
Liturgical Color: Green
Today is the feast of Mary, Virgin Mother
of Divine Grace. We receive increased
grace when we follow God's plan for us.
Mary provides the ultimate model of how
we can grow closer to God by
cooperating with His Divine Will.
Day 176 - How is the universal priesthood different from the ordained priesthood?
How is the universal priesthood of all the faithful different from the ordained priesthood?
Through Baptism Christ has made us into a kingdom of "priests to his God and Father" (Rev 1:6). Through the universal priesthood, every Christian is called to work in the world in God's name and to bring blessings and grace to it. In the Upper Room during the Last Supper and when he commissioned the apostles, however, Christ equipped some with a sacred authority to serve the faithful; these ordained priests represent Christ as pastors (shepherds) of his people and as head of his Body, the Church.
Using the same word, "priest", for two related things that nevertheless "differ essentially and not only in degree" (Second Vatican Council, LG 10, 2) often leads to misunderstandings. On the one hand, we should observe with joy that all the baptized are "priests" because we live in Christ and share in everything he is and does. Why, then, do we not call down a permanent blessing on this world? On the other hand, we must rediscover God's gift to his Church, the ordained priests, who represent the Lord himself among us. (YOUCAT question 259)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (1546-1553) and other references here.
Part 2: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (1066 - 1690)
Section 2: The Seven Sacraments of the Church (1210 - 1690)
Chapter 3: The Sacraments at the Service of Communion (1533 - 1666)
Article 6: The Sacrament of Holy Orders (1536 - 1600)
II. THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS IN THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION ⇡
Two participations in the one priesthood of Christ ⇡
Christ, high priest and unique mediator, has made of the Church "a kingdom, priests for his God and Father."20 The whole community of believers is, as such, priestly. The faithful exercise their baptismal priesthood through their participation, each according to his own vocation, in Christ's mission as priest, prophet, and king. Through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation the faithful are "consecrated to be ... a holy priesthood."21
20.
Rev 1:6; cf. Rev 5:9-10; 1 Pet 2:5,9.
21.
LG 10 § 1.
The ministerial or hierarchical priesthood of bishops and priests, and the common priesthood of all the faithful participate, "each in its own proper way, in the one priesthood of Christ." While being "ordered one to another," they differ essentially.22 In what sense? While the common priesthood of the faithful is exercised by the unfolding of baptismal grace a life of faith, hope, and charity, a life according to the Spirit the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. It is directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all Christians. The ministerial priesthood is a means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads his Church. For this reason it is transmitted by its own sacrament, the sacrament of Holy Orders.
22.
LG 10 § 2.
In the person of Christ the Head... ⇡
In the ecclesial service of the ordained minister, it is Christ himself who is present to his Church as Head of his Body, Shepherd of his flock, high priest of the redemptive sacrifice, Teacher of Truth. This is what the Church means by saying that the priest, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, acts in persona Christi Capitis:23 It is the same priest, Christ Jesus, whose sacred person his minister truly represents. Now the minister, by reason of the sacerdotal consecration which he has received, is truly made like to the high priest and possesses the authority to act in the power and place of the person of Christ himself (virtute ac persona ipsius Christi).24
Christ is the source of all priesthood: the priest of the old law was a figure of Christ, and the priest of the new law acts in the person of Christ.25
23.
Cf. LG 10; 28; SC 33; CD 11; PO 2; 6.
24.
Pius XII, encyclical, Mediator Dei: AAS, 39 (1947) 548.
25.
St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III,22,4c.
Through the ordained ministry, especially that of bishops and priests, the presence of Christ as head of the Church is made visible in the midst of the community of believers.26 In the beautiful expression of St. Ignatius of Antioch, the bishop is typos tou Patros: he is like the living image of God the Father.27
26.
Cf. LG 21.
27.
St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Trall. 3,1:SCh 10,96; cf. Ad Magn. 6,1:SCh 10,82-84.
This presence of Christ in the minister is not to be understood as if the latter were preserved from all human weaknesses, the spirit of domination, error, even sin. The power of the Holy Spirit does not guarantee all acts of ministers in the same way. While this guarantee extends to the sacraments, so that even the minister's sin cannot impede the fruit of grace, in many other acts the minister leaves human traces that are not always signs of fidelity to the Gospel and consequently can harm the apostolic fruitfulness of the Church.
This priesthood is ministerial. "That office ... which the Lord committed to the pastors of his people, is in the strict sense of the term a service."28 It is entirely related to Christ and to men. It depends entirely on Christ and on his unique priesthood; it has been instituted for the good of men and the communion of the Church. The sacrament of Holy Orders communicates a "sacred power" which is none other than that of Christ. The exercise of this authority must therefore be measured against the model of Christ, who by love made himself the least and the servant of all.29 "The Lord said clearly that concern for his flock was proof of love for him."30
28.
LG 24.
29.
Cf. Mk 10:43-45; 1 Pet 5:3.
30.
St. John Chrysostom, De sac. 2, 4:PG 48, 636; cf. Jn 21:15-17.
... "in the name of the whole Church" ⇡
The ministerial priesthood has the task not only of representing Christ Head of the Church before the assembly of the faithful, but also of acting in the name of the whole Church when presenting to God the prayer of the Church, and above all when offering the Eucharistic sacrifice.31
31.
Cf. SC 33N; LG 10.
"In the name of the whole Church" does not mean that priests are the delegates of the community. The prayer and offering of the Church are inseparable from the prayer and offering of Christ, her head; it is always the case that Christ worships in and through his Church. The whole Church, the Body of Christ, prays and offers herself "through him, with him, in him," in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to God the Father. The whole Body, caput et membra, prays and offers itself, and therefore those who in the Body are especially his ministers are called ministers not only of Christ, but also of the Church. It is because the ministerial priesthood represents Christ that it can represent the Church.
Daily Readings for:June 09, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)
Collect: Pour into our hearts O Lord, we pray, the Holy Spirit, at whose prompting the Deacon Saint Ephrem exulted in singing of your mysteries and from whom he received the strength to serve you alone. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
RECIPES
o Bannock
o Bannocks
ACTIVITIES
o Religion in the Home for Preschool: June
PRAYERS
o June Devotion: The Sacred Heart
o Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
LIBRARY
o Principi Apostolorum Petro (On St. Ephrem the Syrian) | Pope Benedict XV
o St. Ephrem | Pope Benedict XVI
· Ordinary Time: June 9th
· Optional Memorial of St. Ephrem, deacon and doctor
Old Calendar: Saints Primus and Felician, martyrs; St. Columba
St. Ephrem, called "the Harp of the Holy Spirit," is the great classic Doctor of the Syrian church. As deacon at Edessa, he vigorously combated the heresies of his time, and to do so more effectively wrote poems and hymns about the mysteries of Christ, the Blessed Virgin and the saints. He had a great devotion to Our Lady. He was a commentator on Scripture and a preacher as well as a poet, and has left a considerable number of works, which were translated into other Eastern languages as well as into Greek and Latin. He died in 373. Benedict XV proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church in 1920.
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of Sts. Primus and Felician as well as St. Columba. St. Ephrem's feast is celebrated on June 18.
Primus and Felician are two Roman martyrs of the via Nomentana. Their relics, transferred in the seventh century within the city, are at present in the church of St. Stephen on the Coelian Hill.
St. Columba, or Columkill, apostle of the Picts, was of illustrious Irish descent. He was brought up in the company of many saints at the school of St. Finian of Clonard. Being an ordained priest, and having founded many churches in Ireland, he went to Scotland with twelve companions, and there converted many of the northern Picts to the faith of Christ. He founded the monastery of Iona which became the nursery of saints and apostles. He also evangelized the northern English. He died on June 9, 597 at the foot of the altar at Iona while blessing his people, and was buried, like St. Brigid, beside St. Patrick at Downpatrick in Ulster.
St. Ephrem
Ephrem was of Syrian descent and son of a citizen of Nisibis. While yet a young man be betook himself to the holy bishop James, by whom he was baptized, and he soon made such progress in holiness and learning as to be appointed master in the school of Nisibis in Mesopotamia. After the death of the bishop James, Nisibis was captured by the Persians, and Ephrem went to Edessa, where he settled first among the monks in the mountains. Later, to avoid the company of those who flocked to him, he adopted the eremitical life. He was made deacon of the church of Edessa, but refused the priesthood out of humility. He was rich in all virtues and strove to acquire piety and religion by the following of true wisdom. He placed all his hope in God, despised all human and transitory things, and was ever filled with the earnest desire of those which are divine and eternal.
He was led by the Spirit of God to Caesarea in Cappadocia, where he saw Basil, the mouthpiece of the Church, and they obtained benefit from their mutual intercourse. In order to refute the many errors which troubled the Church at that time, and to expound the mysteries of Jesus Christ, he wrote many books in the Syrian tongue, almost all of which have been translated into Greek. St. Jerome bears witness that he attained such fame that his writings were read publicly in the churches after the reading from the Holy Scriptures.
On account of his works, so full of the light of heavenly doctrine, he was greatly honored even during his lifetime as a Doctor of the Church. He composed a poem in praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints for which he was called by the Syrians "the Harp of the Holy Ghost." He was noted for his great and tender devotion towards the immaculate Virgin. He died, rich in merits, at Edessa in Mesopotamia, on the fourteenth of the Kalends of July, in the reign of Valens. Pope Benedict XV, at the instance of many Cardinals of the holy Roman Church, patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, abbots and religious communities, declared him by a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites to be a Doctor of the Universal Church.
Excerpted from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.
Patron: Spiritual directors; spiritual leaders.
Symbols: cowl with small cross; pillar of light; scourge.
Often portrayed: In monastic habit; lying on a funeral slab; with a scroll and vine, as a deacon.
Things to Do:
Sts. Primus and Felician
At an advanced age the brothers Primus and Felician were beheaded at Nomentum (or Mentana). According to the legendary Acts of their martyrdom, they were thrown into prison by Diocletian. Felician was separated from his brother and subjected to cruel tortures. Then the magistrate called for Primus. "See," he said, "your brother has acted much more wisely than you; he listened to the emperor's wishes and now enjoys the greatest honor with him. If you follow his example, like consideration and favor will be shown you." Primus retorted: "What has happened to my brother, an angel has told me. Oh, that I, even as I am one in mind and heart with him, may not be separated from him in death!"
Both were then thrown to the lions, but the beasts crouched at their feet, fawning with head and tail. Of the twelve thousand persons who witnessed this marvel, five hundred together with their families embraced the faith. Finally the two brothers were beheaded.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Things to Do:
St. Columba of Iona, Abbot
St. Columba is a saint who still, after fourteen hundred years, exerts an appeal upon our imaginations. Born in Ireland, in Donegal in the year 521, he was of the blood royal, and might indeed have become High King of Ireland had he not chosen to be a priest. His vital, vigorous personality has given rise to many legends, and it is a little hard to sift fact from what is more probably fiction. We do know that he was a man of tremendous energy, probably somewhat headstrong in his youth, but with his tendency to violence curbed by a gentle magnanimity.
It seems certain that he left Ireland as an act of penance, although it is less certain how far this was connected with his quarreling over a copy of the Gospels he had made, a dispute that led to a bloody battle. He came from Ireland to Scotland, to the colony of Dalriada founded on the west coast by his fellow Irish Scots who were at that time somewhat oppressed by the dominant Picts. With twelve companions he founded his monastery on Iona in the year 563. These Celtic monks lived in communities of separate cells, but Columba and his companions combined their contemplative life with extraordinary missionary activity. Amongst his many accomplishments, Columba was a splendid sailor. He sailed far amongst the islands and traveled deep inland, making converts and founding little churches. In Ireland he had already, it is said, founded a hundred churches.
Of all the Celtic saints in Scotland, Columba's life is much the best documented, because manuscripts of his life, written by St Adamnan, one of his early successors as abbot of Iona, have survived. Iona itself remains a place of the greatest beauty, a serene island set in seas that take on brilliant colors in the sunshine, recalling the life and background of this remarkable man whose mission led to the conversion of Scotland and of the north of England, and indeed carried its influence far further afield. It later became the site of a Benedictine Abbey and of a little cathedral. These were dismantled by the Scottish reformers in 1561, and part of Columba's prophecy was fulfilled:
In Iona of my heart, Iona of my love,
Instead of monks' voices shall be lowing of cattle,
But ere the world come to an end
Iona shall be as it was.
When Dr Samuel Johnson visited the island in 1773 he observed, 'That man is little to be envied, whose patriotism would not gain force upon the plain of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of Iona!'
Columba was a poet as well as a man of action. Some of his poems in both Latin and Gaelic have come down to us, and they reveal him as a man very sensitive to the beauty of his surroundings, as well as always, in St Adamnan's phrase, 'gladdened in his inmost heart by the joy of the Holy Spirit.' He died in the year 597.
Courtesy of the Catholic Information Network
Patron: Against floods; bookbinders; floods; Ireland; poets; Scotland.
Symbols: Coracle; white horse; Celtic cross; devils fleeing.
Things to Do:
Day of Colum Cille the beloved
Day to put the loom to use
Day to put sheep to pasture
Day to put coracle on the seas
Day to bear, day to die
Day to make prayer efficacious
Day of my beloved, the Thursday. (Carmina Gadelica)
The healing herb, St. John's Wort, which flowers around summer solstice, is his herb. In Norway, this is considered the day the salmon start leaping.
Matthew | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
Matthew 5 |
|||
1. | AND seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him. | Videns autem Jesus turbas, ascendit in montem, et cum sedisset, accesserunt ad eum discipuli ejus, | ιδων δε τους οχλους ανεβη εις το ορος και καθισαντος αυτου προσηλθον αυτω οι μαθηται αυτου |
2. | And opening his mouth, he taught them, saying: | et aperiens os suum docebat eos dicens : | και ανοιξας το στομα αυτου εδιδασκεν αυτους λεγων |
3. | Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. | Beati pauperes spiritu : quoniam ipsorum est regnum cælorum. | μακαριοι οι πτωχοι τω πνευματι οτι αυτων εστιν η βασιλεια των ουρανων |
4. | Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. | Beati mites : quoniam ipsi possidebunt terram. | μακαριοι οι πενθουντες οτι αυτοι παρακληθησονται |
5. | Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. | Beati qui lugent : quoniam ipsi consolabuntur. | μακαριοι οι πραεις οτι αυτοι κληρονομησουσιν την γην |
6. | Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. | Beati qui esuriunt et sitiunt justitiam : quoniam ipsi saturabuntur. | μακαριοι οι πεινωντες και διψωντες την δικαιοσυνην οτι αυτοι χορτασθησονται |
7. | Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. | Beati misericordes : quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequentur. | μακαριοι οι ελεημονες οτι αυτοι ελεηθησονται |
8. | Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. | Beati mundo corde : quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt. | μακαριοι οι καθαροι τη καρδια οτι αυτοι τον θεον οψονται |
9. | Blesses are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God. | Beati pacifici : quoniam filii Dei vocabuntur. | μακαριοι οι ειρηνοποιοι οτι αυτοι υιοι θεου κληθησονται |
10. | Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. | Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter justitiam : quoniam ipsorum est regnum cælorum. | μακαριοι οι δεδιωγμενοι ενεκεν δικαιοσυνης οτι αυτων εστιν η βασιλεια των ουρανων |
11. | Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: | Beati estis cum maledixerint vobis, et persecuti vos fuerint, et dixerint omne malum adversum vos mentientes, propter me : | μακαριοι εστε οταν ονειδισωσιν υμας και διωξωσιν και ειπωσιν παν πονηρον ρημα καθ υμων ψευδομενοι ενεκεν εμου |
12. | Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you. | gaudete, et exsultate, quoniam merces vestra copiosa est in cælis. Sic enim persecuti sunt prophetas, qui fuerunt ante vos. | χαιρετε και αγαλλιασθε οτι ο μισθος υμων πολυς εν τοις ουρανοις ουτως γαρ εδιωξαν τους προφητας τους προ υμων |
Also known as
Profile
May have been the son of a pagan priest. Brought to the faith by Saint James of Nisibis, and baptized at age 18. Helped to evangelize Nisibis, Mesopotamia. May have attended the Council of Nicaea in 325. Deacon. Preacher. Had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 363 Nisibis was ceded to Persia; a great persecution of Christians began, and Eprem led an exodus of the faithful to Edessa. Founded a theological school in Edessa. Wrote homilies, hymns and poetry. Helped introduce the use of hymns in public worship. Fought Gnosticism and Arianism by his writings, including poems and hymns. Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1920.
Born
Name Meaning
Additional Information
Readings
Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven. - Saint Ephraem
Remember me, you heirs of God, you brethren of Christ; supplicate the Savior earnestly for me, that I may be freed through Christ from him that fights against me day by day. - Saint Ephrem, The Fear at the End of Life
You victorious martyrs who endured torments gladly for the sake of the God and Savior, you who have boldness of speech toward the Lord himself, you saints, intercede for us who are timid and sinful men, full of sloth, that the grace of Christ may come upon us, and enlighten the hearts of all of us that so we may love him. - Saint Ephrem, from Commentary on Mark
Lord, shed upon our darkened souls the brilliant light of your wisdom so that we may be enlightened and serve you with renewed purity. Sunrise marks the hour for men to begin their toil, but in our souls, Lord, prepare a dwelling for the day that will never end. Through our unremitting zeal for you. Lord, set upon us the sign of your day that is not measured by the sun. In your sacrament we daily embrace you and receive you into our bodies; make us worthy to experience the resurrection for which we hope. Teach us to find our joy in your favor! Savior, your crucifixion marked the end of your mortal life; teach us to crucify ourselves and make way for our life in the Spirit. - from a sermon by Saint Ephrem
Saint Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church
He began to teach them. (Matthew 5:2)
For years, scholars and theologians have debated the structure and meaning of the Sermon on the Mount. Did Jesus really give this “sermon” in one sitting as Matthew presents it here? Many experts are not sure. Some point to the similarities with—and differences from—Luke’s “sermon on the plain” (Luke 6:17-49) to show how flexible these sayings are.
Perhaps this sermon really is Matthew’s unique compilation of a number of teachings that Jesus gave over the course of his ministry. Weaving them together as one long sermon that Jesus gives on a hillside, Matthew reminds the readers of Moses, who also brought God’s law to the people on a mountainside. For Matthew, Jesus’ teaching is a new law, just as Jesus is the fulfillment of Moses, the original lawgiver.
Looking at these issues, as well as similar issues raised by other Gospel passages, several things become evident. For one, it seems that the four men who wrote the Gospels were out to do more than just record history. They were prophetic theologians, not newspaper reporters. They were commissioned by God to paint portraits of Jesus that would endure until the end of time. The Spirit worked through these four men, empowering them to give a legacy to the whole Church that a simple biography never could do.
In their own way, these Evangelists took the gospel message to the ends of the earth. They weren’t traveling preachers like Paul or Barnabas, but by putting down on paper all that the Spirit was showing them, they “brought” the story and the person of Jesus to millions upon millions of people. They made it possible for the Spirit to touch generation after generation with the truths of who Jesus is and what he has done for us.
Jesus wants to commission you as well. You may not become a world-traveling missionary, but you can take the gospel into your world and become an ambassador for Christ. Simply by letting the words of the Gospels sink into your heart, you are paving the way for the Spirit to touch everyone you encounter. After all, the more he lives in you, the more he can work through you!
“Jesus, I want to know you more and more. Open the eyes of my heart so that I can hear your voice and receive your wisdom.”
1 Kings 17:1-6; Psalm 121:1-8
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Daily Marriage Tip for June 9, 2014:
Do you tend to talk more than listen? Just for today, try to listen to your spouse as much as you talk to them.
Consecration of Priests to the Holy Spirit
Monday, 09 June 2014 07:00
For Pentecost I translated this passage from the Spiritual Journal of Concepción (Conchita) Cabrera de Armida. In it Our Lord speaks to Conchita concerning his plan for the sanctification of priests by the Holy Spirit through Mary.
“To obtain that which I ask, all priests must make a general consecration and a particular consecration to the Holy Spirit, not only of the diocese and of the nations, but also each one, personally, of their priestly souls, asking Him through the intercession of Mary, that He would descend upon them as in a new Pentecost, and that he would purify them, enamour then, possess them, unify them, sanctify them and transform them in Me.
The Holy Spirit is the great motor of the Church, her soul, her life, the One to whom belong the heartbeats of those who give themselves to Him. Let my priests do this and they will render glory to the Trinity, attaining the end which I pursue, that is, to console my Heart: for their own good and for the salvation of the world.
All depends on their response to that which I ask: be it their faithfulness and their love for Me; be it this transformation, this Union, this making of their will one single will with mine. Mary had an active role by which she caused that these graces should be poured out upon my priests and upon my Church. Let them be grateful sons, let them honour and love her always more, because they are the sons whom she loves more intimately, because, like the Saviour of the world, they have, in a certain sense, life from her life, from her immaculate being, from the maternal warmth of her Heart. I promise that this radical change will come to pass; I will reign above all in my priests, for I am the Universal King of my Church and of hearts.”
Here is the Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit that the Venerable Servant of God, Concepcíon Cabrera de Armida was accustomed to renew:
Consecration to the Holy Spirit
O Holy Spirit,
receive the perfect and total consecration
of all my being.
Deign to be from this moment hence
in every instant of my life
and in my every action:
my Director, my Light, my Guide, my Strength
and all the Love of my heart.
I abandon myself without reserve to all Thy divine actions
and I want always to be docile to Thy inspirations.
Holy Spirit, transform me with Mary and in Mary
into Christ Jesus
for the glory of the Father and the salvation of the world.
Amen.
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