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.

Saint John of Damascus, Priest, Religious, Doctor of the Church

Saint John of Damascus,
Priest, Religious, Doctor of the Church
Optional Memorial
December 4th

Born in Damascus (675-749), he served for a time as finance misnister to the caliph before his ordination in 726. He then dedicated himself to study and writing, producing both works of dogmatic theology as well as many hymns. One of the principal defenders of the use of images in religious worship, he is considered the last Eastern Father of the Church.

Collect:
Grant, we pray, O Lord,
that we may be helped by the prayers
of the Priest Saint John Damascene,
so that the true faith,
which he excelled in teaching,
may always be our light and our strength.
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: II Timothy 1:13-14;2:1-3
Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me[Paul], in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:14-30 [Short reading: Matthew 25:14-23]
"For it {the Kingdom of God} will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' [He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth."]

Related Link on the Vatican Website:

BENEDICT XVI, GENERAL AUDIENCE, Saint Peter's Square, Wednesday, May 6, 2009, St. John Damascus

Related Links on the New Advent Website:

St. John of Damascus

- Exposition of the Faith

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. John Damascene

Feast Day: December 04
Born:676 :: Died:749

St. John was born in the city of Damascus of a good Christian family. His father Mansur was the representative of the Christians in the court of the Muslim caliph.

When his father died, he became the governor of Damascus. At this time, the emperor made a law which forbade Christians from having statues or pictures of Our Lord and the saints.

St. John Damascene knew the emperor was wrong and joined with many others to defend this tradition. The pope himself asked John to let people know that it was a good thing to have statues and holy pictures. They make us think of Our Lord, the Blessed Mother and the saints.

But the emperor would not give in to the Holy Father. He continued to forbid statues to be put in public places. St. John bravely wrote three letters. He told the emperor to give up his wrong ideas.

The emperor became so angry that he wanted revenge. So he wrote a fake letter from John, which said that John had betrayed the caliph. The caliph was hurt when he read the letter and ordered John's hand that wrote the letter to be chopped off. But Mother Mary appeared and John's cut hand was healed by a miracle.

The caliph then realized that John was telling the truth and asked John to forgive him. But John decided he should resign as governor. He gave away all his money to the poor and became a monk.

He kept writing marvelous books to defend the Catholic religion. At the same time he did all kinds of humble work in the monastery. One day he even went to sell baskets in the streets of Damascus.

People who had known him before made fun of him. The man who had once been the great governor of the city was now selling baskets. Imagine how St. John must have suffered.

But he knew that the money he got from selling baskets would be useful at the monastery. He thought of Jesus, the Son of God, who wanted to be born in a stable and he felt happy to be humble like Jesus.

St. John died a peaceful, happy death in the year 749.

Information: St. John Damascus

Feast Day: December 4

Born: 676, Damascus

Died: December 4, 749, Mar Saba, Jerusalem

On St. John Damascene
On St. John Damascene (Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, 6 May 2009)
The Traditional Feast Day of St. John Damascene, Doctor of the Church (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
St. John of Damascus’s Critique of Islam
Orthodox Feast of +John the Righteous of Damascus, Dec. 4
Saint John Damascene[AKA John of Damascus]
St. John of Damascus

Information: St. Barbara

Feast Day: December 4

Patron of: Artillery gunners, stone masons, mathematicians, miners, military engineers, stonecutters, against lightning, anyone who works at risk of sudden and violent death

Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 15
29.	And when Jesus had passed away from thence, he came nigh the sea of Galilee. And going up into a mountain, he sat there.	Et cum transisset inde Jesus, venit secus mare Galilææ : et ascendens in montem, sedebat ibi.	και μεταβας εκειθεν ο ιησους ηλθεν παρα την θαλασσαν της γαλιλαιας και αναβας εις το ορος εκαθητο εκει
30.	And there came to him great multitudes, having with them the dumb, the blind, the lame, the maimed, and many others: and they cast them down at his feet, and he healed them:	Et accesserunt ad eum turbæ multæ, habentes secum mutos, cæcos, claudos, debiles, et alios multos : et projecerunt eos ad pedes ejus, et curavit eos,	και προσηλθον αυτω οχλοι πολλοι εχοντες μεθ εαυτων χωλους τυφλους κωφους κυλλους και ετερους πολλους και ερριψαν αυτους παρα τους ποδας του ιησου και εθεραπευσεν αυτους
31.	So that the multitudes marvelled seeing the dumb speak, the lame walk, and the blind see: and they glorified the God of Israel.	ita ut turbæ mirarentur, videntes mutos loquentes, claudos ambulantes, cæcos videntes : et magnificabant Deum Israël.	ωστε τους οχλους θαυμασαι βλεποντας κωφους λαλουντας κυλλους υγιεις χωλους περιπατουντας και τυφλους βλεποντας και εδοξασαν τον θεον ισραηλ
32.	And Jesus called together his disciples, and said: I have compassion on the multitudes, because they continue with me now three days, and have not what to eat, and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.	Jesus autem, convocatis discipulis suis, dixit : Misereor turbæ, quia triduo jam perseverant mecum, et non habent quod manducent : et dimittere eos jejunos nolo, ne deficiant in via.	ο δε ιησους προσκαλεσαμενος τους μαθητας αυτου ειπεν σπλαγχνιζομαι επι τον οχλον οτι ηδη ημεραι τρεις προσμενουσιν μοι και ουκ εχουσιν τι φαγωσιν και απολυσαι αυτους νηστεις ου θελω μηποτε εκλυθωσιν εν τη οδω
33.	And the disciples say unto him: Whence then should we have so many loaves in the desert, as to fill so great a multitude?	Et dicunt ei discipuli : Unde ergo nobis in deserto panes tantos, ut saturemus turbam tantam ?	και λεγουσιν αυτω οι μαθηται αυτου ποθεν ημιν εν ερημια αρτοι τοσουτοι ωστε χορτασαι οχλον τοσουτον
34.	And Jesus said to them: How many loaves have you? But they said: Seven, and a few little fishes.	Et ait illis Jesus : Quot habetis panes ? At illi dixerunt : Septem, et paucos pisciculos.	και λεγει αυτοις ο ιησους ποσους αρτους εχετε οι δε ειπον επτα και ολιγα ιχθυδια
35.	And he commanded the multitude to sit down upon the ground.	Et præcepit turbæ ut discumberent super terram.	και εκελευσεν τοις οχλοις αναπεσειν επι την γην
36.	And taking the seven loaves and the fishes, and giving thanks, he brake, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the people.	Et accipiens septem panes, et pisces, et gratias agens, fregit, et dedit discipulis suis, et discipuli dederunt populo.	και λαβων τους επτα αρτους και τους ιχθυας ευχαριστησας εκλασεν και εδωκεν τοις μαθηταις αυτου οι δε μαθηται τω οχλω
37.	And they did all eat, and had their fill. And they took up seven baskets full, of what remained of the fragments.	Et comederunt omnes, et saturati sunt. Et quod superfuit de fragmentis, tulerunt septem sportas plenas.	και εφαγον παντες και εχορτασθησαν και ηραν το περισσευον των κλασματων επτα σπυριδας πληρεις

29. And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh to the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.
30. And great multitudes came to him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:
31. Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

JEROME; Having healed the daughter of this Chananean, the Lord returns into Judaea, as it follows, And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh to the sea of Galilee.

REMIG; This sea is called by various names; the sea of Galilee, because of its neighborhood to Galilee; the sea of Tiberias, from the town of Tiberias. And going up into a mountain, he sat down there.

CHRYS; It should be considered that sometimes the Lord goes about to heal the sick, sometimes He sits and waits for them to come; and accordingly here it is added, And there came great multitudes to him, having with them those that were dumb, lame, blind, maimed, and many others.

JEROME; What the Latin translator calls 'debiles' (maimed), is in the Greek which is not a general term for a maimed person, but a peculiar species, as he that is lame in one foot is called ' claudus,' so he that is crippled in one hand is called.

CHRYS; These showed their faith in two points especially, in that they went up the mountain, and in that they believed that they had need of nothing beyond but to cast themselves at Jesus' feet; for they do not now touch the hem even of His garment, but have attained to a loftier faith; And cast them down at Jesus' feet. The woman's daughter He healed with great slackness, that he might show her virtue; but to these He administers healing immediately, not because they were better than that woman, but that He might stop the mouths of the unbelieving Jews; as it follows, and he healed them all.

But the multitude of those that were healed, and the ease with which it was done, struck them with astonishment. Insomuch that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak.

JEROME; He said nothing concerning the maimed, because there was no one word which was the opposite of this.

RABAN; Mystically; having in the daughter of this Chananean prefigured the salvation of the Gentiles, He came into Judaea; because, when the fullness of the Gentiles I shall have entered in, then shall all Israel be saved.

GLOSS; The sea near to which Jesus came signifies the turbid swellings of this world; it is the sea of Galilee when men pass from virtue to vice.

JEROME; He goes up into the mountain, that as a bird He may entice the tender nestlings to fly.

RABAN; Thus raising his hearers to meditate on heavenly things. He sat down there to show that rest is not to be sought but in heavenly things. And as He sits on the mountain, that is, in the heavenly height, there come to Him multitudes of the faithful, drawing near to Him with devoted mind, and bringing to Him the dumb, and the blind, &c. and cast them down at Jesus' feet; because they that confess their sins are brought to be healed by Him alone. These He so heals, that the multitudes marvel and magnify the God of Israel; because the faithful when they see those that have been spiritually sick richly endued with all manner of works of virtuousness, sing praise to God.

GLOSS; The dumb are they that do not praise God; the blind, they who do not understand the paths of life; the deaf, they that obey not; the lame, they that walk not firmly through the difficult ways of good works; the maimed, they that are crippled in their good works.

32. Then Jesus called his disciples to him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
33. And his disciples say to him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
34. And Jesus said to them, How many loaves have you? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
35. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
36. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and broke them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
37. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.

JEROME; Christ first took away the infirmities of the sick, and afterwards supplied food to them that had been healed. Also He calls His disciples to tell them what He is about to do; Then Jesus called his disciples to him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude. This He does that He may give an example to masters of sharing their counsels with the young, and their disciples; or, that by this dialogue they might come to understand the greatness of the miracle.

CHRYS; For the multitude when they came to be healed, had not dared to ask for food, but He that loves man, and has care of all creatures, gives it to them unasked; whence He says, I have compassion upon the multitude. That it should not be said that they had brought provision with them on their way, He says, Because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat. For though when they came they had food, it was now consumed, and for this reason He did it not on the first or second day, but on the third, when all was consumed that they might have brought with them; and thus they having been first placed in deed, might take the food that was now provided with keener appetite.

That they had come from far, and that nothing was now left them, is shown in what He says, And I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint by the way.

Yet He does not immediately proceed to work the miracle, that He may rouse the disciples' attention by this questioning, and that they may show their faith by saying to Him, Create loaves. And though at the time of the former miracle Christ had done many things to the end that they should remember it, making them distribute the loaves, and divide the baskets among them, yet they were still imperfectly disposed, as appears from what follows; And his disciples say to him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness as to fill so great a multitude? This they spoke out of the infirmity of their thoughts, yet thereby making the ensuing miracle to be beyond suspicion; for that none might suspect that the loaves had been got from a neighboring village, this miracle is wrought in the wilderness far distant from villages.

Then to arouse His disciples' thoughts, He puts a question to them, which may call the foregone miracle to their minds; And Jesus said to them, How many loaves have you? They said to him, seven, and a few little fishes. But they do not add, 'But what are they among so many?' as they had said before; for they had advanced somewhat, though they did not yet comprehend the whole. Admire in the Apostles their love of truth, though themselves are the writers, they do not conceal their own great faults; and it is no light self-accusation to have so soon forgotten so great a miracle. Observe also their wisdom in another respect, how they had overcome their appetite, taking so little care of their meals, that though they had been three days in the desert, yet they had with them only seven loaves. Some other things also He does like to what had been done before.

He makes them to sit down on the ground, and the bread to grow in the hands of the disciples; as it follows, And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

JEROME; As we have spoken of this above, it would be tedious to repeat what has been already said; we shall therefore only dwell on those particulars in which this differs from the former.

CHRYS; The end of the two miracles is different; And they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. Now they that had eaten were four thousand men, besides children and women. Whence are the fragments fewer in this miracle than in the former, although they that ate were not so many? It is either that the basket in this miracle is of larger capacity than the basket in the former, or that by this point of difference they might remember the two separate miracles; for which reason also He then made the number of baskets equal to the number of the disciples, but now to the number of the loaves.

REMIG; In this Gospel section we must consider in Christ the work of His humanity, and of His divinity. In that He has compassion on the multitudes, He shows that He has feeling of human frailty; in the multiplication of the loaves, and the feeding the multitudes, is shown the working of His divinity. So here is overthrown the error of Eutyches, who said, that in Christ was one nature only.

AUG; Surely it will not be out of place to suggest upon this miracle, that if any of the Evangelists who had not given the miracle of the five loaves had related this of the seven loaves, he would have been supposed to have contradicted the rest. But because those who have related the one, have also related the other, no one is puzzled, but it is understood at once that they were two separate miracles. This we have said, that wherever any thing is found done by the Lord, wherein the accounts of any two Evangelists seem irreconcilable, we may understand them as two distinct occurrences, of which one is related by one Evangelist, and one by another.

GLOSS; It should be noted, that the Lord first removes their sicknesses, and after that feeds them; because sin must be first wiped away, and then the soul fed with the words of God.

HILARY; As that first multitude which He fed answers to the people among the Jews that believed; so this is compared to the people of the Gentiles, the number of four thousand denoting an innumerable number of people out of the four quarters of the earth.

JEROME; For these are not five, but four thousand ; the number four being one always used in a good sense, and a four-sided stone is firm and rocks not, for which reason the Gospels also have been sacredly bestowed in this number. Also in the former miracle, because the people were neighbors to the five senses, it is the disciples, and not the Lord, that calls to mind their condition; but here the Lord Himself says, that He has compassion upon them, because they continue now three days with Him, that is, they believed on the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

HILARY; Or, they spend the whole time of the Lord's passion with the Lord; either because when they should come to baptism, they would confess that they believed in His passion and resurrection; or, because through the whole time of the Lord's passion they are joined to the Lord by fasting in a kind of union of suffering with Him.

RABAN; Or, this is said because in all time there have only been three periods when grace was given; the first, before the Law; the second, under the Law; the third, under grace; the fourth, is in heaven, to which as we journey we are refreshed by the way.

REMIG; Or, because correcting by penitence the sins that they have committed, in thought, word, and deed, they turn to the Lord. These multitudes the Lord would not send away fasting, that they should not faint by the way; because sinners turning in penitence, perish in their passage through the world, if they are sent away without the nourishment of sacred teaching.

GLOSS; The seven loaves are the Scripture of the New Testament, in which the grace of the Holy Spirit is revealed and given. And these are not as those former loaves, barley, because it is not with these, as in the Law, where the nutritious substance is wrapped rapped in types, as in a very adhesive husk; here are not two fishes, as under the Law two only were anointed, the King, and the Priest, but a few, that is, the saints of the New Testament, who, snatched from the waves of the world, sustain this tossing sea, and by their example refresh us lest we faint by the way.

HILARY; The multitudes sit down on the ground; for before they ha not reposed on the works of the Law, but they had supported themselves on their own sins, as men standing on their feet.

GLOSS; Or, they sit down there on the grass, that the desires of the flesh may be controlled, here on the ground, because the earth itself is commanded to be left. Or, the mountain in which the Lord refreshes them is the height of Christ; there, therefore, is grass upon the ground, because there the height of Christ is covered with carnal hopes and desires, on account of the carnal; here, where all carnal lust is banished, the guests are solidly placed on the basis of an abiding hope; there, are five thousand, who are the carnal subjected to the five senses; here, four thousand, on account of the four virtues, by which they are spiritually fortified, temperance, prudence, fortitude, and justice; of which the first is the knowledge of things to be sought and avoided; the second, the restraining of desire from those things that give pleasure in the world; the third, strength against the pains of life; the fourth, which is spread over all the love of God and our neighbor.

Both there and here women and children are excepted, because in the Old and New Testament, none are admitted to the Lord who do not endure to the perfect man, whether through the infirmity of their strength, or the levity of their tempers. Both refreshings were performed upon a mountain, because the Scriptures of both Testaments commend the loftiness of the heavenly commands and rewards, and both preach the height of Christ. The higher mysteries which the multitudes cannot receive the Apostles discharge, and fill seven baskets, to wit, the hearts of the perfect which are enlightened to understand by the grace of the seven-fold Spirit. Baskets are usually woven of rushes, or palm leaves; these signify the saints, who fix the root of their hearts in the very fount of life, as a bulrush in the water, that they may not wither away, and retain in their hearts the palm of their eternal reward.

Catena Aurea Matthew 15

The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes

Lambert Lombard

Oil on panel, 104 x 110 cm
Rockox House, Antwerp

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Wednesday, December 4

Liturgical Color: Violet

The Church honors St. John of
Damascus, priest and Doctor of the
Church. Around 730 A.D., St. John’s
hand was severed at the wrist because
of his opposition to the Iconoclast
Heresy, but the hand was miraculously
restored.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for:December 04, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Grant, we pray, O Lord, that we may be helped by the prayers of the Priest Saint John Damascene, so that the true faith, which he excelled in teaching, may always be our light and our strength. 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 Ghorabie (Short Cake)

o Mrubbah-el-Mishmush (Apricot Candy)

o Confectioners’ Icing

o Strawberry Frosted Layer Cake

o Barbarakuchen

o Kamhié (Dessert for St. Barbara's Day)

o Schweinelendchen Barbara (Pork Tenderloin St. Barbara)

o St. Barbara's Bread

o Stuffed Shredded Wheat

ACTIVITIES

o Celebrating for the Feast of St. Barbara

o Celebrating for the Feast of St. John Damascene

o Fourteen Holy Helpers

o Nameday Ideas for the Feast of St. Barbara, Virgin and Martyr

o Pre-Christmas Syrian Party in Honor of St. Barbara

o St. Barbara

o St. Barbara Branch or Barbarazweig

o St. Barbara, December 4

o St. Barbara, Saint of Advent

o St. Barbara's Cherry Twigs

o St. Barbara's Twig or Barbarazweig

o Story of St. Barbara for Children

PRAYERS

o Advent Wreath Prayers I

o Advent Wreath Prayers II

o Roman Ritual Blessing Before and After Meals: Advent (2nd Plan)

o December Devotion: The Immaculate Conception

o Prayer for Troops

o Litany of the Fourteen Holy Helpers

o Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe

o Prayer for a Happy Death

o Christmas Anticipation Prayer

o Novena to the Immaculate Conception

LIBRARY

o The Age of Patrology | Sal Ciresi

o The Doctors of the Church | Fr. Stephen McKenna

· Advent: December 4th

· Optional Memorial of St. John Damascene, priest and doctor

Old Calendar: St. Peter Chrysologus, bishop, confessor and doctor; St. Barbara, virgin and martyr

St. John Damascene was a learned theologian who carefully gathered together and transmitted to us the teaching of the Greek Fathers, and is thus one of the most trustworthy witnesses to oriental tradition. He also wrote many liturgical hymns still in use today. St. John Damascene died in 749. Leo XIII proclaimed him a Doctor of the universal Church.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Peter Chrysologus, bishop, confessor and doctor whose feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on July 30. It is also the feast of St. Barbara, a virgin and martyr who died at Nicomedia about 235.

Jesse Tree ~ Noah

St. John Damascene

John of Damascus or Damascene, the last of the Greek Fathers, was one of the principal defenders of the veneration of images against the Iconoclasts, who condemned this practice.

When John was born, Damascus was under the jurisdiction of caliphs, but Christians were allowed to hold high offices. John's father was chief revenue officer of the caliph and a sterling Christian. He entrusted his son's education to a monk, Cosmas, who had been brought from Sicily as a slave, and who schooled the young man in theology, the sciences, and poetry.

John succeeded his father in office, and while living at the court gave an example of a model Christian. But he had set his sights higher, and after resigning his office he became a monk at St. Sabbas monastery near Jerusalem. Here he spent his time writing books and composing hymns. When Leo the Isaurian issued decrees against the veneration of images, John took up the challenge and wrote treatises defending this ancient practice.

At this time the Patriarch of Jerusalem, desirous of having John among his clergy, ordained him priest and brought him to Jerusalem. After some time, however, John returned to the monastery and devoted the rest of his life to writing. His most important work is his Fountain of Wisdom, in which he compiled and collated the teachings of all the great theologians before him; this is the first attempt at a Summa Theologica, a summary of philosophy and theology, that has come down to us. John's writings are a rich treasure of ancient traditions, and are held in high esteem. Pope Leo XIII declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1890.

St. John was such a great orator that he was known as Chrysorrhoas ("golden-stream"). He was the last of the Greek Fathers of the Church, and the first of the Christian Aristotleans. He also adapted choral music for use in the liturgy. His eloquent defense of Christian images has given him the title of "Doctor of Christian Art."

Things to Do:

St. John Damascene has contributed much to the Church through his writings. Read all or part of his most famous work, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith.
Check out some ideas for Celebrating the Feast of St. John Damascene.
Learn more about his life and writings.
He was famous for his opposition to the heresy of the Iconoclasts: you could find out more about this heresy.
Learn more about Catholic Sacramentals which include statues and images.
Purchase A Handbook of Catholic Sacramentals by Ann Ball.
St. John Damascene was made a Doctor of the Church for his efforts to defend the faith, learn to defend the use of religious pictures and objects to your Protestant friends.

St. Barbara

Barbara (from Nicomedia) was the daughter of a pagan noble who worshipped false gods. Because of her striking beauty, her father enclosed her in a tower to hide her from the snares of men. Barbara vowed virginity, and during an absence of her father had a third window added to her quarters in honor of the Blessed Trinity; at the same time, she also adorned her bath with the sign of the holy Cross. Upon his return her father was so angered over these changes that a miracle was needed to save her life. She was presented before the magistrate, subjected to much torturing, and finally her own father wielded the sword that severed her head. Immediately God's vengeance struck him dead. The holy virgin is highly honored both in the East and the West as patroness of artillery men and of miners. She is especially invoked for preservation from sudden death. She is one of the "Fourteen Holy Helpers."

In the past, the following prayer to St. Barbara was often recited:

Saint Barbara, thou noble bride,
To thee my body I confide
As well in life as at life's end.
Come, aid me when I breathe my last,
That I may, ere here all is past,
Receive the Blessed Sacrament!

In certain parts of Europe, the so-called "Barbara branch" is brought into homes today. It consists of a small cherry twig that is set in water and should blossom on Christmas eve. The custom is deeply Biblical and liturgical. "The bud from the root of Jesse and the flower from its root" is Jesus Christ, whom we expectantly await during Advent and who will blossom forth as a flower at Christmas.

Patron: against death by artillery; against explosions; against fire; against impenitence; against lightning; against mine collapse; against storms; ammunition magazines; ammunition workers; architects; armourers; artillery; artillerymen; boatmen; bomb technicians; brass workers; brewers; builders; carpenters; construction workers; dying people; explosives workers; fire; fire prevention; firefighters; fireworks; fireworks manufacturers; fortifications; founders; geologists; gravediggers; gunners; hatmakers; hatters; lightning; mariners; martyrs; masons; mathematicians; military engineers; milliners; miners; ordnance workers; prisoners; safety from storms; sailors; saltpetre workers; smelters; stone masons; stonecutters; storms; sudden death; Syria; tilers; warehouses; watermen.

Symbols: cannon; chalice; host and paten; tower with three windows; tower and palm; monstrance; peacock feather; torches; fortress; spears; crown; book; sword; palm of martyrdom.
Often Portrayed As: princess in a tower with either the palm of martyrdom or chalice of happy death; woman holding a tower or feather; woman trampling a Saracen.

Things to Do:

Be sure to look at Celebrating for the Feast of St. Barbara in the Activities section. See also Painting Angels, Saints and Their Symbols for a description of St. Barbara's symbols.
Have a St. Barbara's Party, Syrian Style.
Further reading:
- Story of St. Barbara for Children
- Encyclopedia of Catholic Saints
- Short Biography and History by Father Weiser.
Read about the German custom of St. Barbara's Twig, where every member of the family puts a small cherry or peach branch into water so that it will blossom on Christmas. If you have a young lady in your home desiring marriage, the custom of St. Barbara's Cherry Twigs will have St. Barbara pick the right husband for young unmarried girls. An alternative idea to this custom would be forcing Amaryllis or other bulbs to bloom for Christmas. Start the bulbs today!
St. Barbara is the patron of artillerymen. Offer your rosary or say a prayer for all our enlisted men and women who are in harm's way. This page provides the Legend of St. Barbara and the explanation why she is the patron of artillerymen. Read the Ballad of St. Barbara by G. K. Chesterton.
Read about Barbórka, Miners Day, which is celebrated in Poland and other European countries.

Doctors of the Catholic Church

Saint John Damascene

Also known as

Doctor of Christian Art
Jean Damascene
Johannes Damascenus
John Chrysorrhoas (“golden-stream”)
John of Damascus

Memorial

4 December
27 March (prior to 1969)
6 May on some calendars

Profile

Son of Mansur, representative of the Christians to the court of the Muslim caliph. Apparently thrived as a Christian in a Saracen land, becoming the chief financial officer for caliph Abdul Malek. Tutored in his youth by a captured Italian monk named Cosmas. Between the Christian teaching from the monk, and that of the Muslim schools, John became highly educated in the classical fields (geometry, literature, logic, rhetoric, etc.).

He defended the use of icons and images in churches through a series of letters opposing the anti-icon decrees of Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople. Legend says that Germanus plotted against him, and forged a letter in which John betrayed the caliph; the caliph ordered John’s writing hand chopped off, but the Virgin Mary appeared and re-attached the hand, a miracle which restored the caliph’s faith in him.

After this incident, John became a monk near Jerusalem. Priest. Anathematized by name by the 754 Council of Constantinople over his defense of the use of icons, but was defended by the 787 Seventh Council of Nicea.

Wrote The Fountain of Wisdom, the first real compendium of Christian theology, along with other works defending the orthodox faith, commentaries on Saint Paul the Apostle, poetry, and hymns. Philospher. Orator; such an excellent speaker he was known as Chrysorrhoas (“golden-stream”). Last of the Greek Fathers of the Church, and the first of the Christian Aristotleans. Adapted choral music for use in the liturgy. Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1890 by Pope Leo XIII.

Born

676 at Damascus, Syria

Died

749 of natural causes

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Patronage

Representation

with his severed hand
with a Marian icon

Images

Gallery of images of Saint John

Additional Information

Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Online, by Terry Matz
Christian Biographies, by James Keifer
CRadio - audio
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
Heiligen 3s
Heiligen Lexikon
Kirken i Norge
Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
New Catholic Dictionary
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
Roman Martyrology
uCatholic
Wikipedia

Works

Readings

Show me the icons that you venerate, that I may be able to understand your faith. - Saint John of Damascus

The saints must be honored as friends of Christ and children and heirs of God, as John the theologian and evangelist says: “But as many as received him, he gave them the power to be made the sons of God….” Let us carefully observe the manner of life of all the apostles, martyrs, ascetics and just men who announced the coming of the Lord. And let us emulate their faith, charity, hope, zeal, life, patience under suffering, and perseverance unto death, so that we may also share their crowns of glory. - Saint John of Damascus, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith

Even though your most holy and blessed soul was separated from your most happy and immaculate body, according to the usual course of nature, and even though it was carried to a proper burial place, nevertheless it did not remain under the dominion of death, nor was it destroyed by corruption. Indeed, just as her virginity remained intact when she gave birth, so her body, even after death, was preserved from decay and transferred to a better and more divine dwelling place. There it is no longer subject to death but abides for all ages. – Saint John Damascene

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Isaiah 25:6-10

Saint John Damascene, Priest and Doctor of the Church

This is the Lord … let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us! (Isaiah 25:9)

Did you know that in 2012, worldwide lottery sales topped $275 billion? Every week, two hundred million people play in the Euro-Million lottery. In the UK, about 70 percent of the adult population plays the National Lottery. And since the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, Americans have spent as much on lotteries as the US military has spent on the war in Afghanistan: $532.6 billion. Yet the odds of winning any of those lotteries are nearly impossible. The odds for the United States’ huge Powerball lottery in 2012 was estimated at one in 175 million!

Why do people spend so much money for the tiniest chance of winning a fortune? Hope and trust. Despite all logic, they have a glimmer of hope and trust that they will be that one out of the 175 million, and their lives will be made perfect. Yet even as we dream about winning the lottery, especially around Christmas, the reality is that most big winners are less happy afterward. Half of them, in fact, end up bankrupt within a few years. So if the lottery is nearly impossible to win and doesn’t guarantee happiness, where is the hope? What is worth trusting in?

Each of today’s readings gives us the answer we need to hear: Trust in the Lord. Isaiah tells us to trust in God, for he will save us and wipe away our tears. In Psalm 23, David trusts that God will take care of his every need and protect him from harm. Lastly, Matthew describes what happened when four thousand people trusted and stayed with the Lord for three days. He fed them all with just a few loaves and fishes—and had baskets filled with leftovers!

As far as God is concerned, you are that important lottery winner. In his eyes, you are that one in 175 million. And the jackpot that you have won will never spoil or fade. No, he will take your meager fish and bread and exchange them for baskets of blessings. So in your prayer today, rejoice in your good fortune. Trust in the Lord, and watch your blessings multiply!

“Lord, help me to keep my dreams focused on you. I trust that you will provide everything that I need. Help me to stay close to you.”

Psalm 23:1-6; Matthew 15:29-37

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for December 4, 2013:

Surprise your honey with an early Christmas gift. It doesn’t have to be expensive—fix his favorite dish or give her a back massage.

Fulfilling Prophecy

by Food For Thought on December 4, 2013

In the first reading, Isaiah prophesies about the coming of God’s kingdom, which he compares to a banquet. He uses this image to express the abundance of the feast and the joy of God’s kingdom. This reading is juxtaposed with the gospel which announces that the kingdom of God has arrived with the coming of Christ who cures the sick and feeds the hungry thousands in Israel. Jesus performs these miracles to show to the Jewish people that he is the Messiah whom they have been waiting for. In another passage Isaiah also proclaims the coming of a prophet who will make the blind see, the lame walk and the deaf hear. The Jews were also waiting for the prophet par excellence who will repeat the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves that the prophet Elisha did. Thus, Jesus fulfills both prophecies and also another of Isaiah’s which speaks of a salvation that will take place “on this holy mountain.” To what mountain was Isaiah referring? He was alluding to Mount Zion, which today is the Church. Christ continues to fulfill this prophecy today for he continues to come to us through the Church. When Jesus performed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, he was prefiguring the Eucharist, in which he himself becomes the True Bread that gives life to those who partake of it. He is also the Bread from Heaven which has become flesh for us through his word. Christ comes to all who today recognizes that he or she is the one who is sick because of sin and who is hungry for this Bread from Heaven.

One Bread One Body

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 30, Issue 1

<< Wednesday, December 4, 2013 >>

St. John of Damascus

Isaiah 25:6-10
View Readings

Psalm 23:1-6

Matthew 15:29-37
Similar Reflections

PICNIC TIME

"Then [Jesus] directed the crowd to seat themselves on the ground." —Matthew 15:35

Jesus is always full of surprises. Today He invites us to a Christmas picnic, of all things, a picnic on God's holy mountain. The view is gorgeous, and the food delectable, "rich food and choice wines" (Is 25:6). The entertainment is overwhelming. First, He removes the veil so we can see and there's nothing to separate us from each other (Is 25:7). The view from the mountain is now breathtaking. Next, Jesus destroys the web which has caught us (Is 25:7-8). Now we're totally free, breathing in the exhilarating mountain air and leaping for joy. We wish it would never end. So Jesus destroys death forever, and it will never end (Is 25:8).

Some have just come to the picnic. They are labored and burdened, battered by the world, with tears in their eyes and pain in their hearts. Jesus gently and lovingly wipes away "the tears from all faces" and removes their reproach (Is 25:8).

The Lord has done it all. God is now all in all (1 Cor 15:28). There's nothing left to do but rejoice in the Lord always and forever (Phil 4:4). "This is the Lord for Whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that He has saved us!" (Is 25:9)

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the mountain, the picnic, and for You.

Promise: "[Jesus] took the seven loaves and the fish, and after giving thanks He broke them and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. All ate until they were full." —Mt 15:36-37

Praise: St. John of Damascus opposed heretics, making Christian enemies. God arranged for Muslim rulers to protect his life.

Regnum Christi

Jesus is the Bread of Life

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Wednesday of the First Week of Advent

Father John Doyle, LC

Matthew 15:29-37

At that time: Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there. Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them. The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the deformed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind able to see, and they glorified the God of Israel. Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way.” The disciples said to him, “Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” “Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.” He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I now turn confidently to you, who are my friend and savior. You are always watching over me and protecting me, whether I’m mindful of you or not. Thank you. I love you, and I’m grateful for these moments to refresh myself in your presence.

Petition: My Jesus, give me an unshakeable confidence in your unconditional love.

1. Jesus on the Mountain: Jesus is the focal point of history and of all human aspirations. Even when he goes to out-of-the-way places, as is the case in this Gospel passage, he is sought after. He strides by the Sea of Galilee and scales up the mountain, and all humanity seeks him out. He doesn’t interrogate them about their past or condemn them for their sins. He simply gives to each what he or she needs: to the blind, sight; to the mute, the gift of speech; to the deaf, hearing. Imagine for a moment this poor mass of humanity around the Master. Place yourself with them. Your turn comes, and suddenly it is as if the crowd disappears and you are alone with Jesus. He looks into your eyes with loving concern and asks what you are seeking––even though he already knows it. My Jesus, it is you that I seek. Heal me, and do not let any sin separate me from you today.

2. “They Have Nothing to Eat.” Love is not always very practical. Jesus’ heart is moved with compassion for all those who have sought him out. He knows the sacrifices that they have made in searching him out, and he is not going to leave them disappointed. The disciples saw only the practical problem, but in his charity towards his neighbor, Jesus all but ignores it. What can I learn from Christ’s attitude? Will I ever be let down or not be satisfied if I seek Christ with a sincere heart?

3. The Bread of Life: The miracle that Jesus works in multiplying the loaves is a prelude to an even greater miracle he plans to bring about. Jesus knows the longings of our hearts, and he knows that material food has its limits, even when it is abundant. St Augustine states, “You made us for yourself, Oh Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” How can I not trust that Jesus will always provide for what I truly need, after his lowering himself to appear as bread so that we can feed on him and be satisfied?

Conversation with Christ:My Jesus, I have a very wayward heart. I know that you are the only one who can fulfill the longing of my soul; yet so often I put my confidence in the fleeting things of this world instead. Reassure my heart that you will always provide for me if I put all my trust in you. Keep me going up the mountain towards your heavenly Kingdom, where you will be all in all.

Resolution: I will pause sometime during the day––perhaps before lunch––and make a spiritual communion by inviting Christ into my heart. I will thank him for the gift of himself in the blessed Eucharist and renew my confidence in him.