Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 2-05-03, Memorial of St. Agatha, virgin and martyr

Reading I
Heb 12:4-7, 11-15

Brothers and sisters:
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children:
My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord
or lose heart when reproved by him;
for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;
he scourges every son he acknowledges.
Endure your trials as "discipline";
God treats you as his sons.
For what "son" is there whom his father does not discipline?
At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain,
yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who are trained by it.

So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.
Make straight paths for your feet,
that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.

Strive for peace with everyone,
and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God,
that no bitter root spring up and cause trouble,
through which many may become defiled.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18a

R (see 17) The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him,
For he knows how we are formed;
he remembers that we are dust.
R The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
But the kindness of the Lord is from eternity
to eternity toward those who fear him,
And his justice toward children's children
among those who keep his covenant.
R The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Gospel
Mk 6:1-6

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, "Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?"
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house."
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.

From: Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15

The Example of Christ (Continuation)

[4] In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the
point of shedding your blood.

Perseverance in Affliction

[5] And have you forgotten the exhortation which addresses you as
sons?--"My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor
lose courage when you are punished by him. [6] For the Lord disciplines
him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." [7] It is
for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons;
for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

[11] For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant;
later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have
been trained by it.

Striving for Peace; Purity; Reverent Worship

[12] Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,
[13] and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may
not be put out of joint but rather be healed. [14] Strive for peace
with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the
Lord. [15] See to it that no one fail to obtain the grace of God; that
no "root of bitterness" spring up and cause trouble, and by it the
many become defiled.

Commentary:

4-13. Following Christ's example, Christians should struggle to avoid
sin; they should put up with tribulation and persecution because if
such adversity arises it means that the Lord permits it for our good.
The letter's tone of encouragement seems to change here to one of
reproach. It is as if the writer were saying, "Christ gave his life for
your sins, contending even to the point of dying for you; how is it
that you do not put up with suffering, out of love for him? It is true
that you are being persecuted: God is disciplining you as a Father
disciplines his children. But you are children of God and therefore
your attitude should be one of abandonment to his will even when it
seems hard. That is the way a Father brings up his children."

The main point is that the only important thing is fidelity to God, and
that the sin of apostasy is the greatest of all misfortunes. "Don't
forget, my son, that for you on earth there is but one evil, which you
must fear and avoid with the grace of God: sin" (St J. Escriva, "The Way",
386).

5-11. Suffering, the sacred writer teaches, is a sign of God's paternal
love for us; it proves that we really are his children.

This teaching is supported by the quotation from Proverbs 3: 12, taken
from a long discourse in which a father exhorts his son to acquire
true wisdom. In the present passage the father is identified with God
and we with the sons whom he is addressing.

By being incorporated into Christ through Baptism a person becomes a
child of God: this is the very basis of the Christian life and it
should be a source of serenity and peace in every difficulty we meet in
the course of life. The term "discipline" which appears so much in this
passage does not convey the full richness of the original Greek word,
"paideia", which has to do with the educational upbringing of child by
parent, of pupil by teacher, and also the punishment meted out in this
context. Here the focus is largely on the second aspect. However, it
should be remembered that in ancient times education and instruction
always involved the idea of punishment. God, therefore, should not be
seen as a cruel or pitiless father, but as a good father who brings up
his children in an affectionate yet firm way. Adversity and suffering
are a sign that this divine teaching method is at work: God uses them
to educate us and discipline us. "You suffer in this present life,
which is a dream, a short dream. Rejoice, because your Father-God
loves you so much, and if you put no obstacles in his way, after this
bad dream he will give you a good awakening" (J. Escriva, "The Way",
692). If we were illegitimate children he would not bother to educate
us; but because we are true sons he disciplines us, to make us worthy
of bearing his name. "Everything that comes to us from God," an ancient
ecclesiastical writer reminds us, "and that we initially see as
beneficial or disadvantageous, is sent to us by a father who is full
of tenderness and by the wisest of physicians, with our good in mind"
(Cassian, "Collationes", VII, 28).

When the soul has this kind of attitude, that is, when the trials the
Lords sends are willingly accepted, "with peaceful fruit of
righteousness" and it yields fruit of holiness which fills it with
peace: "Jesus prays in the garden: "Pater mi" (Mt 26:39), "Abba,
Pater!" (Mk 14:36). God is my Father, even though he may send me
suffering. He loves me tenderly, even while wounding me. Jesus suffers,
to fulfill the Will of the Father.... And I, who also wish to fulfill
the most holy Will of God, following in the footsteps of the Master,
can I complain if I too meet suffering as my traveling companion?

"It will be a sure sign of my sonship, because God is treating me as he
treated his own divine Son. Then I, as he did, will be able to groan
and weep alone in my Gethsemani; but, as I lie prostrate on the ground,
acknowledging my nothingness, there will rise up to the Lord a cry from
the depths of my soul: "Pater mi, Abba, Pater,... fiat!" (St J. Escriva,
"The Way of the Cross", I, 1).

12-13. This exhortation follows logically from the previous one. It
seems to evoke the world of athletic competition referred to at the
beginning of the chapter. Verse 12 is like a shout of encouragement to
a runner who is beginning to flag in the middle of a race.

The author uses a quotation from Isaiah (Is 35:3) in which drooping
hands and weak knees indicate moral decline (cf. 2 Sam 2:7; 4:1; Jer
47:3). He then goes on to use words from Proverbs 4:26 to encourage
right living: "make straight steps with your feet": if the Christian
perseveres in his efforts even if he is somewhat "lame", that is, even
if he is someone whose faith is weak and is in danger of apostasy, he
will be able to return to fitness in spite of everything.

However, this exhortation can be taken as addressed not only to those
who need to mend their ways but also to Christians in general, who
should be exemplary and never in any way be a stumbling-block to their
weaker brethren.

14. These words echo what our Lord says in the Sermon on the Mount:
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God".
Jesus promises those who promote peace that they will be sons of God
and therefore share in God's inner life, which makes man holy. The
Apostles and disciples of the Lord often repeat this teaching (cf. Jas
3:18; Rom 12:18; 1 Pet 3:11). Being at peace with God, which comes from
docility to his plans (v. 11), necessarily leads one to foster and
maintain peace with others. Peace with God and with one's neighbor is
inseparable from the search for holiness. Christ brings about the
fulfillment of the ancient promises which foretold a flowering of peace
and righteousness in the messianic times (cf. Ps 72:3; 85:1 1-12; Is
9:7; etc.).

"Holiness": it is not just a matter of avoiding sin. one needs to
cultivate virtue and to desire to attain holiness with the help of
grace. Holiness or Christian perfection is the common goal of all
Christ's disciples. Salvation and holiness are really one and the same
thing, for only saints can obtain entry into the presence of God: only
those who are holy can see the Holy One.

"You must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5:48).
These words of our Lord are always echoing through the Church; today
more than ever. "Today, once again, I set myself this goal and I also
remind you and all mankind: this is God's will for us, that we be
saints.

"In order to bring peace, genuine peace, to souls; in order to
transform the earth and to seek God our Lord in the world and through
the things of the world personal sanctity is indispensable" (St J.
Escriva, "Friends of God", 294).

15. Theodoret-comments on this passage as follows: "Do not be concerned
only about yourselves; rather let each of you look after the other;
strengthen the waverer and assist him who needs your helping hand"
("Interpretatio Ep. ad Haebreos, ad loc."). A Christian needs to be
concerned not only about his own soul, his own salvation; on his
conscience should also lie the salvation of his brothers and sisters
in the faith. He should be like a gardener who cares for his plants
and makes sure no weeds or diseases spread through his garden. In the
Old Testament, the man who denies his faith is described as a root
bearing poisonous and bitter fruit (cf. Deut 29:18). Anyone who is
indifferent to a brother's infidelity endangers those around him, for
bad example can spread like an epidemic. This passage is reminiscent
of St Paul's reproach to the Corinthians: "Do you not know that a
little leaven leavens the whole lump?" (1 Cor 5:6).

Hence the need to be ever vigilant to ensure that no one through his
own fault loses the gifts God has given him; "the true apostle is on
the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to
unbelievers to draw them towards the faith, or to the faithful to
instruct them, strengthen them, incite them to a more fervent life;
'for Christ's love urges us on' (2 Cor 5:14), and in the hearts of all
should the Apostle's words find echo: 'Woe to me if I do not preach the
Gospel' (1 Cor 9:16)" (Vatican II, "Apostolicam Actuositatem", 6).

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: Mark 6:1-6

No Prophet Is Honored In His Own Country

[1] He (Jesus) went away from there and came to His own country; and
His disciples followed Him. [2] And on the Sabbath He began to teach
in the synagogue; and many who heard Him were astonished saying, "Where
did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to Him? What
mighty works are wrought by His hands! [3] Is not this the carpenter,
the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judah and Simon, and
are not His sisters here with us?" And they took offense at Him. [4]
And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his
own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house." [5] And He
could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands upon a few
sick people and healed them. [6] And He marvelled because of their
unbelief.

Commentary:

1-3. Jesus is here described by His occupation and by the fact that He
is the son of Mary. Does this indicate that St. Joseph is dead
already? We do not know, but it is likely. In any event, the
description is worth underlining: in the Gospels of St. Matthew and St.
Luke we are told of the virginal conception of Jesus. St. Mark's
Gospel does not deal with our Lord's infancy, but there may be an
allusion here to His virginal conception and birth, in His being
described as "the son of Mary."

"Joseph, caring for the Child as he had been commanded, made Jesus a
craftsman, transmitting his own professional skill to him. So the
neighbors of Nazareth will call Jesus both "faber" and "fabri filius":
the craftsman and the son of the craftsman" (St J. Escriva, "Christ Is
Passing By", 55). This message of the Gospel reminds us that our vocation
to work is not marginal to God's plans.

"The truth that by means of work man participates in the activity of
God Himself, his Creator, was 'given particular prominence by Jesus
Christ'--the Jesus at whom many of His first listeners in Nazareth 'were
astonished, saying, "Where did this man get all this? What is the
wisdom given to Him?... Is not this the carpenter?'" (Mark 6:23). For
Jesus not only proclaimed but first and foremost fulfilled by His deeds
the 'Gospel', the word of eternal Wisdom, that had been entrusted to
Him. Therefore this was also 'the gospel of work', because 'He who
proclaimed it was Himself a man of work', a craftsman like Joseph of
Nazareth (cf. Matthew 13:55). And if we do not find in His words a
special command to work--but rather on one occasion a prohibition
against too much anxiety about work and life--(Matthew 6:25-34)--at the
same time the eloquence of the life of Christ is unequivocal: He
belongs to the `working world', He has appreciation and respect for
human work. It can indeed be said the 'He looks with love upon human
work' and the different forms that it takes, seeing in each one of these
forms a particular facet of man's likeness with God, the Creator and

Father" (John Paul II, "Laborem Exercens", 26).

St. Mark mentions by name a number of brothers of Jesus, and refers in
general to His sisters. But the word "brother" does not necessarily
mean son of the same parents. It can also indicate other degrees of
relationship--cousins, nephews, etc. Thus in Genesis 13:8 and 14:14
and 16 Lot is called the brother of Abraham (translated as "kinsman" in
RSV), whereas we know that he was Abraham's nephew, the son of
Abraham's brother Haran. The same is true of Laban, who is called the
brother of Jacob (Genesis 29:15) although he was his mother's brother
(Genesis 29:15); there are other instances: cf. 1 Chronicles 23:21-22,
etc. This confusion is due to the poverty of Hebrew and Aramaic
language: in the absence of distinct terms, the same word, brother, is
used to designate different degrees of relationship.

>From other Gospel passages we know that James and Joses, who are
mentioned here, were sons of Mary of Clophas (John 19:25). We know
less about Judas and Simon: it seems that they are the Apostles Simon
the Cananaean (Matthew 10:4) and Judas the son of James (Luke 6:16),
the author of the Catholic Epistle, in which he describes himself as
"brother" of James. In any event, although James, Simon and Judas are
referred to as brothers of Jesus, it is nowhere said they were "sons of
Mary"--which would have been the natural thing if they had been our
Lord's brothers in the strict sense. Jesus always appears as an only
son: to the people of Nazareth, He is "the son of Mary" (Matthew
13:55). When He was dying Jesus entrusted His mother to St. John (cf.
John 19:26-27), which shows that Mary had no other children. To this
is added the constant belief of the Church, which regards Mary as the
ever-virgin: "a perfect virgin before, while, and forever after she
gave birth" (Paul IV, "Cum Quorumdam").

5-6. Jesus worked no miracles here: not because He was unable to do so,
but as punishment for the unbelief of the townspeople. God wants man
to use the grace offered him, so that, by cooperating with grace, he
become disposed to receive further graces. As St. Augustine neatly
puts it, "He who made you without your own self, will not justify you
without yourself" ("Sermon" 169).

The Word Among Us

Wednesday, February 05, 2003

Meditation
Hebrews 12:4-7,11-15

Who wants to talk about discipline? Who especially wants to talk about God as a disciplinarian? Yet this is a necessary part of who God is and the role he plays as our heavenly Father. We can so easily look at God as a kindly old fellow who just wants us to be comfortable—more like a pleasant uncle than a father. But while God wants to comfort us in our difficulties, he is also interested in our personal growth and development, just like any good earthly father. For this reason, God will correct our faults and discipline us so that we can learn good habits and bear fruit in this world.

Oftentimes, God uses the natural consequences of our sins to correct us. St. Paul speaks of this process as reaping what we sow (Galatians 6:7-9). This discipline is for our own good. Tasting the bitter fruit of our misguided actions can help us see where we have gone wrong. Seeing the damage our sins have caused can move us to turn back to God. And if we do return, God will show us that he is disciplining us in love, not in anger or rejection.

Of course, not all suffering is the result of our failure. Tragedy may befall those who are making every effort to do God’s will. Enemies may rise up unprovoked and attack those who have done them no harm. Yet God, in his fatherly love, can use these kinds of suffering also. The pain of sickness or injustice can drive us to cast ourselves on his mercy in ways we hadn’t before. Suffering can reveal to us areas of shallowness in our goals and activities, and help us to refocus on what is truly important. Our own hardships can help us grow in compassion for the suffering of others. In these ways and more, God’s loving discipline may be at work, calling us to a deeper intimacy with him. Is God trying to teach, correct, or discipline you? Trust in his wisdom and love.

“Father, give me a discerning heart to see how you are present in my difficulties and how I can cooperate with you. Give me the grace to repent when I have sinned, and the strength to endure suffering patiently. Above all, let these situations teach me how to abide with you continually.”

One Bread, One Body

<< Wednesday, February 5, 2003 >>

St. Agatha

Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15

Psalm 103

Mark 6:1-6

View Readings

A BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW?

“See to it that no man falls away from the grace of God; that no bitter root springs up through which many may become defiled.” —Hebrews 12:15

There is bitterness, and there is something worse than bitterness, that is, a “bitter root.” A bitter root springs up and produces such evils as hatred, racism, unforgiveness, resentment, deception, violence, and cruelty. Because a bitter root is so productive of things which are destructive, it defiles many (Heb 12:15). This in turn can contribute to people choosing to fall “away from the grace of God” (Heb 12:15).

Since a root of bitterness is so dangerous and potentially damning, we must avoid bitterness so that there is no chance of it ever becoming rooted. We can avoid bitterness by accepting God’s grace to forgive all those who have sinned against us in any way. Even if we have contaminated ourselves with bitterness, we can stop bitterness from being rooted by letting God do the miracle of forgiveness in our lives. If we have already allowed bitterness to take root in our lives, we must forgive so that we uproot bitterness before it produces even more evil. Where there is forgiveness, bitterness cannot exist.

Therefore, forgive everyone for every wrong committed against you. Then you will immediately be free from the cancer of bitterness.

Prayer: Father, may I avoid bitterness “like the plague.”

Promise: “Strive for peace with all men, and for that holiness without which no one can see the Lord.” —Heb 12:14

Praise: St. Agatha was said to have worn “the glow of a pure conscience and the crimson of the Lamb’s blood for her cosmetics.”

Catholic Online Saints

St. Agatha
Feastday: February 5

Although we have evidence that Agatha was venerated at least as far back as the sixth century, the only facts we have about her are that she was born in Sicily and died there a martyr.

In the legend of her life, we are told that she belonged to a rich, important family. When she was young, she dedicated her life to God and resisted any men who wanted to marry her or have sex with her. One of these men, Quintian, was of a high enough rank that he felt he could force her to acquiesce. Knowing she was a Christian in a time of persecution, he had her arrested and brought before the judge - - himself. He expected her to give in to when faced with torture and possible death, but she simply affirmed her belief in God by praying: "Jesus Christ, Lord of all, you see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am. I am your sheep: make me worthy to overcome the devil."

Legend tells us that Quintian imprisoned her in a brothel in order to get her to change her mind. Quintian brought her back before him after she had suffered a month of assault and humiliation in the brothel, but Agatha had never wavered, proclaiming that her freedom came from Jesus. Quintian sent her to prison, instead of back to the brothel -- a move intended to make her more afraid, but which probably was a great relief to her. When she continued to profess her faith in Jesus, Quintian had her tortured. He refused her any medical care but God gave her all the care she needed in the form of a vision of St. Peter. When she was tortured again, she died after saying a final prayer: "Lord, my Creator, you have always protected me from the cradle; you have taken me from the love of the world and given me patience to suffer. Receive my soul."

Because one of the tortures she supposedly suffered was to have her breasts cut off, she was often depicted carrying her breasts on a plate. It is thought that blessing of the bread that takes place on her feast may have come from the mistaken notion that she was carrying loaves of bread.

Because she was asked for help during the eruption of Mount Etna she is considered a protector against the outbreak of fire. She is also considered the patroness of bellmakers for an unknown reason -- though some speculate it may have something to do with the fact that bells were used as fire alarms.

Prayer:
Saint Agatha, you suffered sexual assault and indignity because of your faith. Help heal all those who are survivors of sexual assault and protect those women who are in danger. Amen

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