Saint Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Optional Memorial)
The Kingdom of God is among you. (Luke 17:21)
Wait! said one Pharisee to another. Is he saying that the kingdom of God is already here? What about the Romans and their empire? Were still an occupied nation. This sure doesnt feel like the kingdom of God! Looking around at our world, we might come to a similar conclusion. But the kingdom of God is not about a location or even the regime in power; its about a new way of relating to one another that brings healing and freedom.
Throughout Jesus ministry, he didnt just talk about the kingdom of God. He also demonstrated it as he blessed, loved, forgave, healed, and served the people he was speaking to. His own witness demonstrated the kingdom: he didnt hold any grudges, put on airs, or distance himself from the poor and the marginalized. In fact, he went out of his way to welcome them and show them Gods mercy. He also taught about this way of relating through parables that prioritized forgiveness over revenge, service over being served, and sacrificial love over self-serving arrogance.
Think about your relationships in this light. There is probably more of the kingdom of God in your midst than you think! Every time you hug your child, call a friend, help out in your parish, or do the dishes (with or without complaining), the kingdom of God is there. Every time you pray, it is there. Every time you choose to love the people around you, even when theyre not being particularly lovable, its there.
Thats encouraging, isnt it? The kingdom of God really and truly is among you.
Today, think about how you can bring the kingdom of God into just one relationship. Look for one opportunity to encourage someone, to forgive, or to be an instrument of Gods presence. It doesnt have to be dramatic and life changing. It just has to be upbuilding and life affirming. You are a citizen of this kingdom, an ambassador for Christ. Because of that, you can bring his presence wherever you go. You can make a difference!
Thank you, Lord, for making me a citizen of your kingdom. Empower me to be a blessing to everyone I meet today.
Philemon 7-20
Psalm 146:7-10
Also known as
Profile
Son of a military nobleman. Dominican. Priest. Taught theology at Cologne, Germany, and Paris, France. Teacher of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Influential teacher, preacher, and administrator. Bishop of Regensburg, Germany. Introduced Greek and Arabic science and philosophy to medieval Europe. Known for his wide interest in what became known later as the natural sciences – botany, biology, etc. Wrote and illustrated guides to his observations, and was considered on a par with Aristotle as an authority on these matters. Theological writer. Doctor of the Church.
Born
Dear Scientist and Doctor of the Church, natural science always led you to the higher science of God. Though you had an encyclopedic knowledge, it never made you proud, for you regarded it as a gift of God. Inspire scientists to use their gifts well in studying the wonders of creation, thus bettering the lot of the human race and rendering greater glory to God. Amen.
Readings
It is by the path of love, which is charity, that God draws near to man, and man to God. But where charity is not found, God cannot dwell. If, then, we possess charity, we possess God, for “God is Charity” (1 John 4:8) – Saint Albert the Great
The greater and more persistent your confidence in God, the more abundantly you will receive what you ask. – Saint Albert the Great
He could not have commanded anything more beneficial, for this Sacrament is the fruit of the tree of life. Anyone who receives this Sacrament with the devotion of sincere faith will never taste death. It is a tree of life for those who grasp it, and blessed is he who holds it fast. The man who feeds on Me shall live on account of Me. – Saint Albert the Great on the Eucharist
“Do this in remembrance of me.” Two things should be noted here. The first is the command that we should use this sacrament, which is indicated when Jesus says, “Do this.” The second is that this sacrament commemorates the Lord’s going to death for our sake. This sacrament is profitable because it grants remission of sins; it is most useful because it bestows the fullness of grace on us in this life. “The Father of spirits instructs us in what is useful for our sanctification.” And his sanctification is in Christ’s sacrifice, that is, when he offers himself in this sacrament to the Father for our redemption to us for our use. Christ could not have commanded anything more beneficial, for this sacrament is the fruit of the tree of life. Anyone who receives this sacrament with the devotion of sincere faith will never taste death. “It is a tree of life for those who grasp it, and blessed is he who holds it fast. The man who feeds on me shall live on account of me.” Nor could he have commanded anything more lovable, for this sacrament produces love and union. It is characteristic of the greatest love to give itself as food. “Had not the men of my text exclaimed: Who will feed us with his flesh to satisfy our hunger? as if to say: I have loved them and they have loved me so much that I desire to be within them, and they wish to receive me so that they may become my members. There is no more intimate or more natural means for them to be united to me, and I to them. Nor could he have commanded anything which is more like eternal life. Eternal life flows from this sacrament because God with all sweetness pours himself out upon the blessed. – from a commentary by Saint Albert the Great on the Gospel of Luke