Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 02-08-19, OM, St. Jerome Emiliani, St. Josephine Bakhita

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 02-08-19 | Revised New American Bible

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February Devotion: The Holy Family

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of February has been primarily asociated with the Holy Family, probably due to the feast of Our Lord's presentation at the temple, celebrated on February 2. At the very outset of Christ's work on earth, God showed the world a family in which, as Pope Leo XIII teaches, "all men might behold a perfect model of domestic life, and of all virtue and holiness." The harmony, unity, and holiness which characterized this holy Family make it the model for all Christian families.

INVOCATION
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph most kind, Bless us now and in death's agony.

FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE HOLY FAMILY
Grant unto us, Lord Jesus, ever to follow the example of Thy holy Family, that in the hour of our death Thy glorious Virgin Mother together with blessed Joseph may come to meet us and we may be worthily received by Thee into everlasting dwellings: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Roman Missal

CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY FAMILY
O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, who having come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou defend us, guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace, and concord in Christian love: in order that, by conforming ourselves to the divine pattern of Thy family, we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness.

Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by thy kindly intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings.

O Saint Joseph, most holy guardian of Jesus and Mary, assist us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal necessities; that so we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and thee, for all eternity.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be, three times.

IN HONOR OF THE HOLY FAMILY
O God, heavenly Father, it was part of Thine eternal decree that Thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, should form a holy family with Mary, His blessed mother, and His foster father, Saint Joseph. In Nazareth home life was sanctified, and a perfect example was given to every Christian family. Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may fully comprehend and faithfully imitate the virtues of the Holy Family so that we may be united with them one day in their heavenly glory. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Holy Family Chaplet

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with me in my last hour.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul
in peace with you.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Amen.

Say 3 Our Father's, 3 Hail Mary's, and 3 Glory be's.

PRAYER TO
THE HOLY FAMILY
===================================================================== ================

GOD our Heavenly Father, You call all peoples to be united as one family in worshipping You as the one and true God. You willed that Your Son become man, giving Him a virgin mother and a foster father to form the Holy Family of Nazareth.

WE pray: may the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, image and model of every human family unit walk in the spirit of Nazareth and grow in the understanding of its particular mission in society and the Church. May our families be living cells of love, faithfulness and unity, thus reflecting God's covenant with humanity and Christ's redeeming love for His Church.

JESUS, Mary and Joseph protect our families from all evil; keep us, who are away from home, one in love with our dear ones.

Parent's Prayer

Jesus, Son of God, Son of Man, and Son of Mary, I thank you for the gift of life you have entrusted to my care. Help me be a parent both tender and wise, both loving and forgiving.

Mary, Holy Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and our Motherly Queen of Heaven, nourish our family with your heavenly grace. Help us to remain faithful to The Most Holy Trinity, in all our sorrows and joys.

Joseph, Earthly father to our Lord God, guardian and spouse of Mary, keep our family safe from harm. Help us in all times of discouragement or anxiety.

Holy Family of Nazareth, help our family to walk in your footsteps. May we be peace-loving and peace-giving.
Amen.

 

Imitating the Holy Family: Four Traits that Make It Possible
[Catholic Caucus] On the Holy Family [Angelus]
Biblical Teachings on Marriage and Family. A Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
Recovering God's Plan for Marriage and Family: A Sermon on the Feast of the Holy Family

"Why were you looking for me?" (On the Feast of The Holy Family)
U.S. Postal Service Issues Holy Family Forever Stamp
On Prayer in the Life of the Holy Family
The Holy Family - held together by Love through all their problems [Ecumenical]
Feast of the Holy Family: The Christian Family is a Domestic Church
Chesterton on "The Human Family and the Holy Family"
Joseph, Mary and Jesus: A Model Family
ADVICE TO PARENTS by Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
The Holy Family
St. Joseph as Head of the Holy Family (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)

Feast of the Holy Family
Feast of the Holy Family (Dom Guéranger OSB)
The Feast of the Holy Family
The Holy Family vs. The Holy Innocents: A Christmas season reflection [Catholic Caucus]
Vatican creche to place Holy Family in Joseph's carpentry workshop
The Redemption and Protection of the Family [Feast of the Holy Family]
Study Backs Tradition of Loreto House - Stones in Altar Match Those in Nazareth, It Says
Unraveling Jesus' mystery years in Egypt
Gaudi's Church of the Holy Family to be ready for worship in 2008
Imitating the Holy Family; Four Traits that Make It Possible
Lots of Graphics: Post your favorite image of the St. Mary and Child, the Holy Family...

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February, 2019

The Holy Father's Prayer Intention

Human Trafficking, For a generous welcome of the victims of human trafficking, of enforced prostitution, and of violence.

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'When he dismisses you, retire in peace and at once send up some tender sighs to God: "O Father! O my good Father!" Tell Him of the trouble, the anguish, and the inquietude that your confessor's words give you. Immediately your soul will be sweetly drawn into the depths of that divine solitude where the soul is absorbed in God. Your anguish, your fears, your scruples, will be consumed in the furnace of divine love. Repose there, and if your divine Spouse invite you to sleep, sleep in peace, and do not awaken without His permission. This holy sleep is a heritage which our heavenly Father gives to His well-loved children: it is a sleep of faith and love wherein we learn the science of the saints, and during which the bitterness of adversities is dissipated.'

St. Paul of the Cross

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The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:  And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.  Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.  Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.  Hail Mary . . .  And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.  Hail Mary . . .  Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.  Let us pray:  Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.  "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)   "Blessed are you among women,  and blessed is the fruit of your womb" (Lk 1:42).

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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3726489/posts

Saint of the Day — Saint Josephine Bakhita

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A Saint for Africa, and for the West
From Slave to Saint: The Story of St. Josephine Bakhita [Catholic Caucus]
Josephine Bakhita - an African Saint [from Sudan]
From Slave to Saint: The Story of St. Josephine Bakhita
A Saint For Those Who Are Prisoners of Their Past [St. Josephine Bakhita] (Catholic Caucus)
St. Josephine Bakhita Was a Humble Witness to God's Love

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Information: St. Jerome Emiliani

Feast Day: February 8

Born: 1481, Venice

Died: 8 February 1537, Somasca

Canonized: 1767 by Pope Clement XIII

Patron of: orphans

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CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Friday, February 8

Liturgical Color: Green

St. Josephine Bakhita died on this day in 1947.
She was abducted and sold as a slave in Sudan
where she was badly abused. Never losing her
faith, she gained her freedom and became a nun.
She lived her remaining life in humble service to
God.

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https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2019-02-08

Ordinary Time: February 8th

Optional Memorials of St. Jerome Emiliani, priest; St. Josephine Bakhita, virgin

MASS READINGS
February 08, 2019 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER
O God, Father of mercies, who sent Saint Jerome Emiliani as a helper and father to orphans, grant through his intercession, that we may preserve faithfully the spirit of adoption, by which we are called, and truly are, your children. 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.

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O God, who led Saint Josephine Bakhita from abject slavery to the dignity of being your daughter and a bride of Christ, grant, we pray, that by her example we may show constant love for the Lord Jesus crucified, remaining steadfast in charity and prompt to show compassion. 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.

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Collect for Feast of St. John of Matha
Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes
Prayer to St. Jerome Emiliani
Somascans’ Prayer
Prayer in Honor of St. Josephine Bakhita
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A Theologian of Humility | Mariapia Bonanate
Order of the Most Holy Trinity | Helen Walker Homan
St. Josephine Bakhita Was a Humble Witness to God’s Love | Unknown
» Enjoy our Liturgical Seasons series of e-books!

Old Calendar: St. John of Matha, confessor

St. Jerome Emiliani was born in Venice in 1486. He converted to Christianity after a rather dissolute youth, and dedicated himself to the service of the poor, the sick, and abandoned children. He founded a congregation (Somaschi) which looked after the education of children, especially orphans. He died of the plague while serving the afflicted.

Saint Josephine was a young Sudanese girl sold into slavery and brought to Italy where, while serving as a nanny, she was sent to live with the Canossian Sisters of the Institute of the Catechumens in Venice. There she was baptized, and, having reached majority age, was granted her freedom by Italian law. In 1896 she joined the Canossian Daughters of Charity where she served humbly for the next twenty five years. She died after a long and painful illness, during which she would cry out to the Lord: “Please loosen the chains... they are so heavy!” Her dying words were “Our Lady! Our Lady!”

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. John of Matha, who came from Provence, France and was ordained a priest in Paris. He retired to a solitary life conscious that God was calling him to a special mission, and spent three years in prayer and recollection. He then founded the Trinitarian Order for the ransom of Christians held by the Mohammedans. A great number of houses were founded and innumerable prisoners set free. St. John spent the last two years of his life in Rome, where he died.

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St. Jerome Emiliani
A careless and irreligious soldier for the city-state of Venice, Jerome was captured in a skirmish at an outpost town and chained in a dungeon. In prison Jerome had a lot of time to think, and he gradually learned how to pray. When he escaped, he returned to Venice where he took charge of the education of his nephews—and began his own studies for the priesthood.

In the years after his ordination, events again called Jerome to a decision and a new lifestyle. Plague and famine swept northern Italy. Jerome began caring for the sick and feeding the hungry at his own expense. While serving the sick and the poor, he soon resolved to devote himself and his property solely to others, particularly to abandoned children. He founded three orphanages, a shelter for penitent prostitutes and a hospital.

Around 1532 Jerome and two other priests established a congregation dedicated to the care of orphans and the education of youth. Jerome died in 1537 from a disease he caught while tending the sick. He was canonized in 1767. In 1928 Pius XI named him the universal patron of orphans and abandoned children.

— Excerpted from Saint of the Day, Leonard Foley, O.F.M.

Patron: Abandoned people; orphans.

Symbols: Ball and chain; man shackled with a ball and chain who is attending the sick; man wearing a ball and chain, and receiving an apparition of Mary and the Child Jesus.

Things to Do:

Read more about St. Jerome: Life of St. Jerome

Meditate on these words: “Before dying, Jerome gives to his own a testament that is not only the synthesis of his spiritual experience, but also an itinerary of Christian life: Follow the way of the Crucified, despise the world, love one another, serve the poor. The life of love for the poor is born from a community of people who live the commandment of the reciprocal love, after having decided to have, as a goal, only God. The cross becomes the expression of this dedication and love, on the example of Jesus Christ.”

We suggest you visit the Somascan Fathers and Brothers’ website where you can read St. Jerome’s letters written in 1535 as well as other documents and you can also learn more about this religious community.

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St. Josephine Bakhita
For many years, Josephine Bakhita was a slave, but her spirit was always free and eventually that spirit prevailed. Born in Olgossa in the Darfur region of southern Sudan, Josephine was kidnapped at the age of seven, sold into slavery and given the name Bakhita, which means fortunate. She was resold several times, finally in 1883 to Callisto Legnani, Italian consul in Khartoum, Sudan.

Two years later he took Josephine to Italy and gave her to his friend Augusto Michieli. Soon Bakhita became babysitter to Mimmina Michieli, whom she accompanied to Venice’s Institute of the Catechumens, run by the Canossian Sisters. While Mimmina was being instructed, Josephine felt drawn to the Catholic Church. She was baptized and confirmed in 1890, taking the name Josephine.

When the Michielis returned from Africa and wanted to take Mimmina and Josephine back with them, the future saint refused to go. During the ensuing court case, the Canossian sisters and the patriarch of Venice intervened on Josephine’s behalf. The judge concluded that since slavery was illegal in Italy, she had actually been free since 1885.

Josephine entered the Institute of Saint Magdalene of Canossa in 1893 and made her profession three years later. In 1902, she was transferred to the city of Schio (northeast of Verona), where she assisted her religious community through cooking, sewing, embroidery and welcoming visitors at the door. She soon became well loved by the children attending the sisters’ school and the local citizens. She once said, “Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!”

The first steps toward her beatification began in 1959. She was beatified in 1992 and canonized eight years later.

— Excerpted from Saint of the Day, Leonard Foley, O.F.M.

“Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know him. What a great grace it is to know God!”. — St. Josephine Bakhita

Things to Do:

Visit these websites for more about the life of St. Josephine: Josephine Bakhita (Vatican’s biography); Josephine Bakhita - an African Saint (Has links to information about the Faith in Africa and the persecution which continues).

The Canossian Daughters of Charity are called to contemplate, experience and share God’s love for every person and to participate in Christ’s mission of salvation in a life of total dedication to God, communion and humble service with Mary, mother of love beneath the cross. Learn more about the Canossian Daughters of Charity, the order in which St. Josephine became a professed religious.

A Sister seeing St. Josephine so peaceful and always in prayer, asked, “Do you wish to go to heaven?” “I wish neither to go nor to stay. God knows where to find me, when He wants me.” To another who asked how she was going on, she answered, “I am going slowly, step by step, because I have two heavy bags to carry - one containing my own sins, the other Christ’s merits. When I get to the other side, I will open my bags and say, ‘Eternal Father, now judge!’ and to St Peter, ‘You can close that door of yours, for I’m going to stay.’”

Pray for those suffering persecution in Sudan. Read what Bishop Macram Max Gassis says in this article, Sudan: Country of Terrorism, Religious Persecution, Slavery, Rape, Genocide, and Man-Made Starvation and this statement from the Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Regional Conference.

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St. John of Matha
John of Matha, the founder of the Trinitarian Order, was born at Faucon, on the borders of Provence, in France. He was trained as a young noble in horsemanship and the use of arms, decided to study for the priesthood, and was ordained in Paris. After some years in solitude, he conceived the idea of founding an order to ransom Christian captives from the Muslims and went to Rome to obtain the blessing of Pope Innocent III.

Houses of the order were established at Cerfroid and Rome and in Spain. He was very successful in the work of ransoming captives and his order spread. Very little is known for certain about his life, and in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, to bolster his reputation, certain members of his order fabricated stories about him, filled his life with miracles and amazing adventures, and connected the beginnings of his order with St. Felix of Valois.

The Trinitarian Order had not preserved any archives of their order and had little knowledge of the life of their founder. Another order, the Order of Mercy, was founded for the same reason as their own, and they compiled a fictitious record of the beginnings of their order. This takes nothing away from the achievements of St. John of Matha, but it does obscure the true story of his life and work.

We do know that he received approval of his order from Pope Innocent III in 1198 and that he died in Rome in 1213. His relics were taken to Madrid in 1655, and he was recognized as a saint in 1694. At his death, there were thirty-five houses of the order throughout Europe. The Trinitarians were one of the first religious orders to combine monastic discipline with pastoral work and one of the first to become international in its work. The order flourishes today in several countries and in 1906 made a foundation in the United States.

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

Patron: Against lightning; against pestilence; archers; automobile drivers; automobilists; bachelors; Baden, Germany; boatmen; bookbinders; Brunswick, Germany; bus drivers; cab drivers; epilepsy; epileptics; floods; fruit dealers; fullers; gardeners; hailstorms; holy death; lightning; lorry drivers; mariners; market carriers; Mecklenburg, Germany; motorists; pestilence; porters; Rab Croatia; sailors; Saint Christopher’s Island; Saint Kitts; storms; sudden death; taxi drivers; toothache; Toses, Girona, Catalonia, Spain; transportation; transportation workers; travellers; truck drivers; truckers; watermen.

Symbols: Branch; giant; torrent; tree; man with Christ on his shoulders.

Things to Do:

Like Mother Teresa of Calcutta, St. John of Matha saw a critical need for the Church at the time and set about doing something about it. He devoted all of his time, his efforts, and his resources to ransom his fellow Christians from slavery, and his work continued into modern times, until slavery was abolished. Like him, we should look around us and see what good has to be done and then courageously put our hand to the task.

Read a longer biography of St. John.

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Pictures and more links in the url above in #29

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Meditation: Hebrews 13:1-8

Saint Jerome Emiliani (Optional Memorial)

Let . . . love continue. (Hebrews 13:1)

For the past three weeks, we have been puzzling over some of Scripture’s most challenging theological subjects in the Letter to the Hebrews. But now that we have come to the last section of the letter, one thing becomes abundantly clear: love is what matters most.

It’s easy to miss unless you look at the original Greek text. First, there is an exhortation to continue brotherly love or philadelphia. Next, there is a reminder not to forget hospitality, or philoxenia, which is love of strangers. The passage goes on to talk about honoring marriage, which, of course, is all about marital love. And finally, it talks about remaining free from the love of material things. Love is all over this passage!

All of these areas of love are equally important, and in many cases they can be intertwined. We might welcome guests into our home, for example, but forget to let our spouse and children know in advance—or forget to consider the impact on our budget. Or we might spend a lot of time caring for one particular family member at the expense of another—or at the expense of reaching out to people who don’t have any family to speak of. No matter what area of our lives we are contemplating, the central question should always be: “Is love present?”

When you need to make a decision, ask, “Will I be showing love well if I do this?” Even if it’s a choice between two good and honorable options, you can ask, “Which of these will make love grow the most?” By thinking this way, you are inviting the Holy Spirit into your decision making and asking him how you can best reveal God’s character to the people around you.

How can you love a little bit more today? How can the Holy Spirit help you be guided by the “love” test? No matter what the situation, it always comes down to love—the love that drove Jesus to the cross, the love that will keep us close to him, and the love that compels us to reach out to other people.

“Jesus, help me to love as you have loved: completely and generously.”

Psalm 27:1, 3, 5, 8-9

Mark 6:14-29

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For #30

http://wau.org/meditations/current/

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Daily Gospel Commentary

Saint Cyprian (c.200-258)
Bishop of Carthage and martyr
Exhortation to martyrdom, 13 ; CSEL 3, 346 (©Ancient Christian writers; breviary 14/10)

John the Baptist, martyr for the truth

"The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that will be revealed in us" (Rm 8:18). Who then does not labor in every way to arrive at such a glory as to become a friend of God, as to rejoice at once with Christ, as to re­ceive the divine rewards after earthly torments and punishments?

If it is glorious for the soldiers of this world to return to their fatherland triumphant after vanquishing the enemy, how much better and greater is the glory for one who, after over­coming the devil, returns triumphant to heaven, and after laying him low who had formerly deceived us, brings back the trophies of victory there whence Adam, the sinner, had been ejected? To offer the Lord the most acceptable gift of an uncorrupted faith, an unshaken virtue of the mind, an illustrious praise of devotion?... To become co-heir of Christ, to be made equal to the angels, to rejoice with the patriarchs, with the apostles, with the prophets in the possession of the heavenly kingdom? What persecution can conquer these thoughts, what torments can overcome them?...

The lands are shut off in persecutions, heaven is open... How great a dignity and, how great a security it is to go forth hence happy, to go forth glorious in the midst of difficulties and affliction! For a moment to shut the eyes with which men and the world are seen; to open them immediately that God and Christ may be seen!... If persecution should come upon such a soldier of God, virtue made ready for battle will not be able to be overcome him. Or if the summons should come beforehand, the faith which was prepared for martyr­dom will not be without its reward... In persecution God crowns loyal military service; in peace purity of conscience is crowned.

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Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for February 8, 2019:

Marriage responds to the deepest longings of the heart for love. How can you go out of your way to show your spouse love today?

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https://www.regnumchristi.org/en/daily-meditation/

February 8, 2019 – Grace’s Last Stand and Ultimate Victory

Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Mark 6:14-29

King Herod heard about it, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.” But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.” Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak, he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. Herodias’s own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish, and I will grant it to you.” He even swore (many things) to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. So, he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you and all that you taught as it has been passed down to us through your Church. I hope in you, knowing that you will never send me out of your presence. Only by sin could I cut myself away from your loving hands. Although I am weak, I trust that you will keep me close. Lord, I love you and long for my love for you to grow, for you deserve so much better than my measly offering. Yet I know, too, that you are pleased with my desire for you.

Petition: Grant me, O Lord, an honest and sincere heart.

“It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up”: The verdict of conscience always makes itself known. Herod’s guilt regarding John the Baptist’s murder is projected into the present as a haunting memory. Those who have radically rejected God, though they might possess great power or wealth, great intelligence or ability, are ultimately the most insecure people on earth. When true goodness appears in their life, it presents itself as a threat. It condemns them and alienates them from themselves. All this is but a reflection of their state of soul before God. Such is the power of man’s conscience: it imposes its painful sentence long before the person ever reaches the ultimate tribunal of justice. Like Christ, we can only remain silent before the Herods of the world, praying that they break their resistance to grace.

“He was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him…”: “Fear the grace of God that passes never to return.” In the lives of all persons, even the wicked, enough goodness is given them to be saved, enough such that God can offer them the truth of salvation within the scope of their freedom. Such graces last for only a time, not forever. These moments cannot be treated as moments that temporarily pacify our conscience, only to permit us to continue in our sin and resistance to living a holy life. Herod feared John, knew he was a holy man and felt the attraction of his words, but he did nothing to respond to it. You cannot play around with God and win. Herod loses and attacked what he knew he should love. This tragedy must teach us to be sincere and never imprison the voice of God in our soul, but to let it reign in our life. We must use our freedom to respond to God’s voice, breaking the chains of human respect or fear of sacrifice that bind us to darkness.

He Was Beheaded in Prison: The last honor Christ could offer a faithful apostle, who has stood firm in the truth against the twisted provocations of evil around him, is––in some sense––a “full” participation in his Paschal Mystery. What began as testimony by proclaiming conversion, John now concludes with testimony to the victorious hope the blessed possess in Christ. This is never clearer than in a martyr’s death as intimated in this passage from the Book of Wisdom:

For though in the sight of men they were punished,

their hope is full of immortality.

Having been disciplined a little,

they will receive great good,

because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;

like gold in the furnace he tried them,

and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them (Wisdom 3:4-6).

May we accept today the hard road of fidelity so as to be “disciplined a little” and be found worthy of the hope that is “full of immortality.”

Conversation with Christ: Let me experience, dear Jesus, the glory of your martyrs through many small acts of fidelity—to my conscience, to my mission and to the service to souls. Heroic and filled with hope, may I accept a sentence of love and not fear any path you set before me today. May I be like one who has died and yet lives the blossom of a holy life that will never end.

Resolution: I will work to be sincere in all I do and use the sacrament of confession as a place of constant conversion and openness to God’s will.

[Salvation]

https://catholicexchange.com/207827-2

February 8, 2019
At his martyrdom, St. Paul Miki forgave his enemies: “I believe that not one of you thinks I want to hide the truth. That is why I declare to you that there is no other way of salvation than the one followed by Christians. Since this way teaches me to forgive my enemies and all who have offended me, I willingly forgive the king and all those who have desired my death. And I pray that they will obtain the desire of Christian baptism.”

Saints inspire us to seek the perfection of God which is not so much as to become perfect in the sense of having no sin, but to be like God in the perfect love of loving even enemies. For when we were his enemies, Christ loved and forgave us to the point of giving up his life for us. Therefore, we learn that perfect love consists in forgiveness of the wrong and evil that others have committed against us. This experience calls many to conversion, and affirms the truth that God exists because forgiving the enemy is a divine act.

[Salvation]

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All Issues > Volume 35, Issue 2

<< Friday, February 8, 2019 >> St. Jerome Emiliani

Hebrews 13:1-8
View Readings Psalm 27:1, 3, 5, 8-9 Mark 6:14-29
Similar Reflections

MARRIAGE MATTERS

“Let marriage be honored in every way and the marriage bed be kept undefiled.” —Hebrews 13:4

When God revealed to the world His Ten Commandments, he set aside two of them to teach the human race about His thoughts on marriage:

“You shall not commit adultery” (Ex 20:14).
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife” or husband (Ex 20:17).
St. Thomas More and St. John the Baptist died as martyrs making a stand for God’s definition of marriage. Surely many others have suffered greatly over the centuries as well for the sake of God’s plan for marriage.

Sadly, numerous people do not hold such obedient, self-sacrificial regard for God’s plan for marriage. Adultery and infidelity abound, both in practice and on the screen. The so-called modern “redefinition” of marriage to include anything other than that of a union before God of one man and one woman does not honor marriage in every way (see Heb 13:4). Contraception and sterilization, pornography, living together before marriage, and fornication are a few of the ways marriage is dishonored.

In the secular culture, those with agendas rebelling against God’s plan for marriage thunder in their secular and social media pulpits. Yet God’s Word declares: “Let marriage be honored in every way” (Heb 13:4). Our legal system does not have the final word. Almighty God “will judge fornicators and adulterers” (Heb 13:4), and all who encourage such behavior. How will God judge your thoughts and actions about marriage on Judgment Day? Repent!

Prayer: Father, may we care only about Your plan.
Promise: “The Lord is my Light and my Salvation.” —Ps 27:1
Praise: St. Jerome Emiliani founded many orphanages, living out his spiritual fatherhood.

[Salvation]