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To: All
Doctors of the Catholic Church

Saint Athanasius of Alexandria

Byzantine icon of Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, author unknown

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Studied the classics and theology in Alexandria, Egypt. Deacon, secretary, and student of bishop Alexander of Alexandria. Attended the Council of Nicea in 325 where he fought for the defeat of Arianism and acceptance of the divinity of Jesus. Formulated the doctrine of homo-ousianism which says that Christ is the same substance as the Father; Arianism taught that Christ was different from and a creation of the Father, a creature and not part of God. Bishop of Alexandria c.328; he served for 46 years. When the dispute over Arianism spilled over from theology to politics, Athanasius got exiled five times, spending more than a third of his episcopate in exile. Biographer of Saint Anthony the Abbot and Saint Potamon of Heraclea. Confessor of the faith and Doctor of the Church, he fought for the acceptance of the Nicene Creed.

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For the Son of God became man so that we might become God. Saint Athanasius

Brethren, how fine a thing it is to move from festival to festival, from prayer to prayer, from holy day to holy day. The time is now at hand when we enter on a new beginning: the proclamation of the blessed Passover, in which the Lord was sacrificed. We feed as on the food of life, we constantly refresh our souls with his precious blood, as from a fountain. Yet we are always thirsting, burning to be satisfied. But he himself is present for those who thirst and in his goodness invites them to the feast day. Our Savior repeats his words: If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He quenched the thirst not only of those who came to him then. Whenever anyone seeks him he is freely admitted to the presence of the Savior. The grace of the feast is not restricted to one occasion. Its rays of glory never set. It is always at hand to enlighten the mind of those who desire it. Its power is always there for those whose minds have been enlightened and who meditate day and night on the holy Scriptures, like the one who is called blessed in the holy psalm: Blessed is the man who has not followed the counsel of the wicked, or stood where sinners stand, or sat in the seat of the scornful, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. Moreover, my friends, the God who first established this feast for us allows us to celebrate it each year. He who gave up his Son to death for our salvation, from the same motive gives us this feast, which is commemorated every year. This feast guides us through the trials that meet us in this world. God now gives us the joy of salvation that shines out from this feast, as he brings us together to form one assembly, uniting us all in spirit in every place, allowing us to pray together and to offer common thanksgiving, as is our duty on the feast. Such is the wonder of his love: he gathers to this feast those who are far apart, and brings together in unity of faith those who may be physically separated from each other. – from an Easter letter by Saint Athanasius

The Word who became all things for us is close to us, our Lord Jesus Christ who promises to remain with us always. He cries out, saying: See, I am with you all the days of this age. He is himself the shepherd, the high priest, the way and the door, and has become all things at once for us. In the same way, he has come among us as our feast and holy day as well. The blessed Apostle says of him who was awaited: Christ has been sacrificed as our Passover. It was Christ who shed his light on the psalmist as he prayed: You are my joy, deliver me from those surrounding me. True joy, genuine festival, means the casting out of wickedness. To achieve this one must live a life of perfect goodness and, in the serenity of the fear of God, practice contemplation in one’s heart. This was the way of the saints, who in their lifetime and at every stage of life rejoiced as at a feast. Blessed David, for example, not once but seven times rose at night to win God’s favor through prayer. The great Moses was full of joy as he sang God’ s praises in hymns of victory for the defeat of Pharaoh and the oppressors of the Hebrew people. Others had hearts filled always with gladness as they performed their sacred duty of worship, like the great Samuel and the blessed Elijah. Because of their holy lives they gained freedom, and now keep festival in heaven. They rejoice after their pilgrimage in shadows, and now distinguish the reality from the promise. When we celebrate the feast in our own day, what path are we to take? As we draw near to this feast, who is to be Our guide? Beloved, it must be none other than the one whom you will address with me as our Lord Jesus Christ. He says: I am the way. As blessed John tells us: it is Christ who takes away the sin of the world. It is he who purifies our souls, as the prophet Jeremiah says: Stand upon the ways; look and see which is the good path, and you will find in it the way of amendment for your souls. In former times the blood of goats and the ashes of a calf were sprinkled on those who were unclean, but they were able to purify only the body. Now through the grace of God’s Word everyone is made abundantly clean. If we follow Christ closely we shall be allowed, even on this earth, to stand as it were on the threshold of the heavenly Jerusalem, and enjoy the contemplation of that everlasting feast, like the blessed apostles, who in following the Savior as their leader, showed, and still show, the way to obtain the same gift from God. They said: See, we have left all things and followed you. We too follow the Lord, and we keep his feast by deeds rather than by words. – from an Easter letter by Saint Athanasius

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

The Word of God, incorporeal, incorruptible, and immaterial, entered our world. Out of his loving-kindness for us he came to us, and we see this in the way he revealed himself openly to us. Taking pity on mankind’s weakness, and moved by our corruption, he could not stand aside and see death have the mastery over us. He did not want creation to perish and his Father’s work in fashioning man to be in vain. He therefore took to himself a body, no different from our own, for he did not wish simply to be in a body or only to be seen. By dying for others, he immediately banished death for all mankind. The corruption of death no longer holds any power over mankind, thanks to the Word, who has come to dwell among us through his one body. – from a talk by Saint Athanaius

Mary, Mother of Grace, it becomes you to be mindful of us, as you stand near him who granted you all graces, for you are the Mother of God and our Queen. Help us for the sake of the King, the Lord God and Master who was born of you. For this reason, you are called full of grace. Remember us, most holy Virgin, and bestow on us gifts from the riches of your graces, Virgin full of graces. – Saint Athanasius


35 posted on 05/02/2015 8:46:08 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 14:7-14

Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me? (John 14:9)

Many superhero movies have a scene in which the masked hero unveils himself to his family, his friends, or the woman he loves. Usually, the people are shocked to discover that this ordinary person is also a secret crime fighter with special powers. But when they start to piece together all of the facts, the truth seems obvious.

Today’s Gospel reading has a similar plot line, but with a different twist. During the Last Supper, Jesus takes off his “mask” and tells the apostles who he really is: “I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:11). But the twist is that his big revelation is met with doubt—and by Philip, no less, someone who has been with Jesus from the beginning (John 1:43).

You might expect Jesus to be disappointed in Philip and the others, but that’s not how he reacts. Rather, he walks them through the facts and helps them piece it all together: the miracles they have seen him perform and the words they have heard him speak. Then he goes on to tell them that they too will be able to do superhero-like feats as they grow in their faith and trust in him. He tells them that they are destined to be heroic proclaimers of God’s mercy and grace-filled witnesses to the power and love of their Father.

Just as Jesus revealed himself to the apostles at the Last Supper, he reveals himself to us every time we gather for Mass. He teaches us through the Scripture readings, and he moves our hearts at Communion. He shows us that he is present among our brothers and sisters, and he urges us to become like him in the way we love each other.

So when you go to Mass tomorrow, pay close attention to the readings. See if you can discern Jesus’ voice in them. Is he saying something to you personally? When you pray, “Lord, have mercy,” let him convince you that he has taken away your sins. When you go to receive him in the form of bread and wine, ask him to open your eyes to his presence more clearly—and to make you more like him!

“Open my eyes, Lord, to your love and your presence!”

Acts 13:44-52; Psalm 98:1-4


36 posted on 05/02/2015 8:48:57 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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