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When we set out to do the Lord's work, who knows where that vineyard will be. He took a humble name and lived a humble life of study and academia but yearned for the mission fields. A relatively recent addition to the Canon, he has long been admired and noted by both the religious and secular - all an interesting situation, considering his constant opposition to secular and political authority. Still, he is a controversial figure and there are also some questions about the effects of his missionary efforts. Some disagree with his canonization. But canonization is not a prize awarded by the Church. It is not about our judgement of his life, but of the state of his soul. Being Canonized, being added to the role of those we declare known to be in Heaven, requires some proof, from what we can determine from this side of the Kingdom, that you are in the presence of God and able to directly intercede for those of us on Earth. We rely upon their life on Earth to direct our understanding of the saint to sinner ratio in a person but it is not the only determining factor. Miracles also factor into the formula - the here and now activities of the individual who has the influence of the saints, of someone in the presence of God. We are all of us sinners during life, there is no one who disputes that. As David McLaughlin, historian and executive director of the California Missions Resources Center, reminds us, Serra should be seen as a talented but flawed man who was a product of his time. He “lived an exemplary religious life by the terms of his day”, and the Franciscan missions of California could be perceived as a“modification” that tried to reform the Spanish strategies that had devastated Central America and Peru. Serra devoted himself to the people he ministered to the best of his ability; he sought to give them dignity as children of God, aside from the political and secular understanding of them. Even if we fall short in such a goal, the Lord will bring it to fruition. Might the world still inject evil and chaos? Yes. Do we not try? No! “...for I trust that God will give me the strength to reach San Diego, as He has given me the strength to come so far. In case He does not, I will conform myself to His most holy will. Even though I should die on the way, I shall not turn back. They can bury me wherever they wish and I shall gladly be left among the pagans, if it be the will of God.”
-- From his diary
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Some days are just fun. The story goes that after his death when the monks tried to move his body from a simple grave into a gold shrine in the cathedral, he started it raining for 40 days to discourage it. I presume they gave up. This saint reminds me of my sainted Grandmother. When we went to send my grandmother off, it was already raining, but it stopped every time we needed to do something outside. Once we had buried her in the ground it began to rain, presumably to drive us away and back to our lives. Sure sign that both have influence in Heaven.
Saint Swithun's day, if thou dost rain, For forty days it will remain; Saint Swithun's day, if thou be fair, For forty days 'twill rain nae mair. -- An old rhyme Thomas is one of the few Apostles to get his own feast day, but that is probably because we know so much about him compared to other Apostles. Jesus seems to pick people who are able to be bold to the point of putting their foot in their mouth. Peter, Simon, James, Thomas; all good men and good friends but ones who put themselves out there - asking questions, making statements, trying to second-guess Jesus and his message. We love them, not just because they loved the Lord and he them but because we can easily identify with their zeal and their ignorance. When they think as men think then they fail but the light bulb always seems to come on and they begin to see what it means to think like God. I see in him the problem of "what I can believe" being equated with "Faith". We reject what we cannot reasonably "believe" no matter what. That is not faith in Faith but reliance on our own thinking. We must learn to let go. In these Apostles and their relationship with Jesus, we see how to come to deeper Faith. Jesus does not shame them, but challenges them, gently (mostly) chiding them to come around to God's way of thinking. And when they do, great things happen. Let us ask Thomas to help us "who have not seen" to proclaim "My Lord and my God!" Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.
-- John 20:24-30 Sometimes, when we speak of a young person we say "they have an old soul", meaning that they act and think like someone much older and wiser beyond their years. I think that when we say that me may also point to the lack of wisdom displayed by the older folks who surround them! Sometimes we adults, in our "wisdom" think we know better, but it is often our own fears, insecurities, and ignorance that we foist on the young. We think we understand the world and make decisions, moral, religious, and political, and expect our children to feel the same way. Often it is the innocence of a child that pulls us out of our narrow view of the world to see again the wonder and the power of God. Pier Giorgio showed a wisdom beyond his years and in the face of opposition from those around him, especially in his family. He enjoyed life and could have been mistaken for a ne'er-do-well but it was the joy for life that he exuded not selfish self-indulgence. Pier Giorgio, pray for us that we may once again see life as a "little one", as Christ admonishes us to do.
Today's celebration invites all of us to receive the message which Pier Giorgio Frassati is sending to the men and women of our day, but especially to you young people, who want to make a concrete contribution to the spiritual renewal of our world, which sometimes seems to be falling apart and wasting away because of a lack of ideals. By his example he proclaims that a life lived in Christ's Spirit, the Spirit of the Beatitudes, is "blessed", and that only the person who becomes a "man or woman of the Beatitudes" can succeed in communicating love and peace to others. He repeats that it is really worth giving up everything to serve the Lord. He testifies that holiness is possible for everyone, and that only the revolution of charity can enkindle the hope of a better future in the hearts of people...He left this world, but in the Easter power of his Baptism, he can say to everyone, especially to the young generations of today and tomorrow: "You will see me, because I live and you will live" (John 14:19). These words were spoken by Jesus Christ when he took leave of his Apostles before undergoing his Passion. I like to think of them as forming on the lips of our new Blessed himself as a persuasive invitation to live from Christ and in Christ. This invitation is still valid, it is valid today as well, especially for today's young people, valid for everyone. It is a valid invitation which Pier Giorgio Frassati has left for us. Amen. -- beatification homily, John Paul II When we reflect upon the events of the Reformation and the lives of those caught up in it we often find people of great faith and courage. But we forget that The Church, while one, was not always together. We know of some saints whose heroic efforts turned the tide against separation and towards reform but we also know of the everyday saints, those in the trenches, far removed from illiterate priests, absent bishops, Cardinal princes, and papal fops. Bishops, priests, religious, communities, and laity, all guided by the Holy Spirit contributed to the fact that the Church survived and flourishes. Answer me when I call, my saving God. When troubles hem me in, set me free; take pity on me, hear my prayer. How long, O people, will you be hard of heart? Why do you love what is worthless, chase after lies? Know that the LORD works wonders for his faithful one; the LORD hears when I call out to him. Tremble and sin no more; weep bitterly within your hearts, wail upon your beds, Offer fitting sacrifices and trust in the LORD. Many say, “May we see better times! LORD, show us the light of your face!” But you have given my heart more joy than they have when grain and wine abound. In peace I will lie down and fall asleep, for you alone, LORD, make me secure.
-- Psalm 4 Maria is touted as a saint for many reasons but the one thing about her story that strikes me is her total reliance on God. Certainly she saw God with her when she rebuffs Alessandro's sexual advances but when he attacks her it seems to me that at that moment she relied the most heavily on God and so after the horrible moment passes she sees it through God's eyes and is therefore, even in her pain and suffering, able to give him the gift of true forgiveness. That is the lesson her life gives to me: to know that God is with me at every moment, good and bad, and that love does not change even amidst great evil. Maria, pray that I may have the strength in life's struggles to keep God ever before me so that even the greatest of evils done to me are seen as but the merest of slights. Jesus said to his disciples:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me." -- John 12:24-26 Sometimes, for the simplest of reasons, the simplest of people are thrust into positions of leadership and controversy. I am not talking "Being There" kind of simple but people with simple desires and simple lives. Benedict was such a person who arrived in such a position, during a time of upheaval not just in the Church but in secular and political society as well. Though a scholarly Dominican and prolific writer he served in several leadership positions all the while devoted to Dominican spirituality. A gentle man, he was constantly assailed by those opposed to him and was far too trusting of others. We today might not agree with what he did, but he asked that all be bound together by love in Christ - not by nationality - and that we keep that love in mind when we interact with one another, be we an individual or a state. It was alleged that he was poisoned, most likely by someone who disagreed with this method. R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises. Sing to him a new song; pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness. R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations; he foils the designs of peoples. But the plan of the LORD stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations. R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, To deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. -- Psalm 33:2-3, 10-11, 18-19, 22 There are so many great saints today that it is hard to choose but I decided to focus on these two very early saints, married to one another and, as the Scriptures (Acts 18:1-3,18,24-26; Romans 16:3-5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; and 2 Timothy 4:19) tell us, like Paul, tent makers. They were driven from Rome when the Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from the city, and they took up residence in Ephesus. They provided what was obviously a stable home base, not just for Paul but for a whole community. Paul mentions them often and so they must have been dear to him. They stand in opposition to the many who rejected him, with whom he could not stay. We owe so much to the early faithful. Their sacrifices and attitudes laid a groundwork that is solid even to today. After this he left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. He went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade, stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue, attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks.
But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him to the tribunal, saying, “This man is inducing people to worship God contrary to the law.” When Paul was about to reply, Gallio spoke to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or malicious fraud, I should with reason hear the complaint of you Jews; but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and titles and your own law, see to it yourselves. I do not wish to be a judge of such matters.” And he drove them away from the tribunal. They all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official, and beat him in full view of the tribunal. But none of this was of concern to Gallio. A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus. He was an authority on the scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and, with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way (of God) more accurately. And when he wanted to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. After his arrival he gave great assistance to those who had come to believe through grace. He vigorously refuted the Jews in public, establishing from the scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus. -- Acts 1-5, 12-17, 24-28 Today celebrates many martyrs, especially Augustine Zhao Rong, his companions, and John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse. Augustine was one of the escort soldiers for Dufresse on his way to his execution. Moved by the patient example of Dufresse, Rong sought baptism and then ordination. Later he and some 119 of his companions - each a saint in their own rights and worthy of our honor - were killed for being Christian in a persecution that continued on for another 30 years. Once we demonize a people, a person, or an idea, it is hard to undo the damage. The persecution of Christians (or any group for that matter) has very immediate results but the power quickly lags. It is hard to keep up official, sanctioned persecution. In the immediate moment it is harsh and difficult but really it is the lingering ignorant hatred that it fosters which holds the most power. That hatred, distrust, suspicion, and skepticism has a life of its own and waxes and wanes but never really goes away. That is the festering pool, simmering beneath the surface ready to boil over at any moment. We see it everywhere and in all times. We see the retaliatory nature of it. Jews, Catholics, social, racial, economic groups - you name it. Waves and waves of hatred flowing and ebbing, but like the waves against the beach, constant, and in the end, erosive. So it is the example of the martyrs that guides us. Bishop Dufrensse offered his life for Christ and the Chinese people, not just as a martyr but first as a missionary. As happens so often, his patience and kindness and lack of vitriol for his captors, his willingness to go to a peaceful death ended the cycle of violence even as it was happening and so inspired others to seek that peace. Rong carried that peace with him and gave it to others. The hatred and violence does not stop us unless we let it. It is patient correction and love that truly win the day. Praise be to the Lamb that was slain! They sang a new hymn:
“Worthy are you to receive the scroll and to break open its seals, for you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on earth.” I looked again and heard the voices of many angels who surrounded the throne and the living creatures and the elders. They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing.” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out: “To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever.” -- Revelation 5:9-12 Modern martyrs. Yesterday we talked about martyrs and the reasoning seems obvious for why they are martyrs. For modern martyrs it seems to be less clear-cut. Were they killed for practicing their Faith or for political/social reasons? Were they living their Faith or following a modern relativistic path? If Faith is the reason you involve yourself in political/social causes what motivates you? What path you see in order to accomplish the goals of Faith may seem to muddy the waters but we can only guess what the killers saw it only in human terms. They saw it as a problem to be solved through violence. Why they killed has no bearing on the motivations of those they kill. Certainly we can lose our way when supporting causes and that is on us to keep Christ ever before us. Sometimes we are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Most often, I think, we are doing what we are guided to do by the Spirit which sometimes puts us into dangerous situations. Faustino, an extremely recent addition in 2021, was one of several missionaries killed in Guatemala. He was shot in his home after celebrating evening Mass in 1980 by two young men who were visiting him in the parish house. I could find no good explanation for their act but Pope Francis celebrated his beatification, recognizing him as a martyr. His life, though lived in a politically charge situation, was obviously lived in holiness, in a way that made his death a death of Faith. I guess we should consider that when we judge others through human eyes. Then I saw thrones; those who sat on them were entrusted with judgment. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or its image nor had accepted its mark on their foreheads or hands. They came to life and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
-- Revelation 20:4 Even if his brothers had trouble following him, even if the did try to kill him, Benedict created a rule which still inspires, instructs, challenges, and defines Western monasticism. His rule also give viable instruction to those of us who live outside the cloister. A special thank-you and prayers to the monks and abbeys that have been a part of my life and given me such a wonderful sense of Catholicism, prayer, liturgy, and friendship. Ora et labora! And so, girded with faith and the performance of good works, let us follow in his paths by the guidance of the Gospel; then we shall deserve to see him who has called us into his kingdom. If we wish to attain a dwelling-place in his kingdom we shall not reach it unless we hasten there by our good deeds.
Just as there exists an evil fervor, a bitter spirit, which divides us from God and leads us to hell, so there is a good fervor which sets us apart from evil inclinations and leads us toward God and eternal life. Monks should put this fervor into practice with an overflowing love: that is, they should surpass each other in mutual esteem, accept their weaknesses, either of body or of behavior, with the utmost patience; and vie with each other in acceding to requests. No one should follow what he considers to be good for himself, but rather what seems good for another. They should display brotherly love in a chaste manner; fear God in a spirit of love; revere their abbot with a genuine and submissive affection. Let them put Christ before all else; and may he lead us all to everlasting life. -- From the Rule of Benedict Besides the Holy Family and Mary's parents Anne and Joachim we do not have many married couples on the A-List. Sure there are a lot of people who were married, but often not to another considered for sainthood. Louis and Marie-Azélie Guérin Martin were simple people, not trained catechists, martyrs, or theologians nothing that would put them front and center for consideration. He was a watchmaker and she a lace maker. Together they had nine children, also not something to consider them for sainthood (although, one would not deny that in itself might be enough) of which only five girls lived. The youngest, Therese became a saint herself: Therese of Lisieux. Again probably not enough to make one or the other a candidate for the canon. A miracle was attributed to them, which does at least make one a candidate. We are seeing here in them a need to understand that our lives are not enough to get us into or out of heaven but it is what we do in them, how we love one another, practice married love, raise our children in the Faith, love them in their vocations, mourn those who are lost, tenderly care for those who are in our care, these are the things that bring about the Kingdom, and help to secure our place in it. Especially those of us who are married where our vocation is to get each other into heaven, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves. Louis and Marie-Azélie Guérin are examples for us and proof that we can love each other into heaven! Louis and Marie-Azélie Guérin pray for us couples! He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” ...Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.” Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After he placed his hands on them, he went away.
-- Matthew 19:4-6, 12-15 How many times will God pull us out of darkness, out of slavery, out of exile, and restore us to fullness of life? We know of this person from the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra seems to have swept in like a second Moses with perhaps the same effectiveness. The book of Ezra ends rather abruptly with a very specific list of those who transgressed some derivative law, and really has no resolution. Some scholars believe that the books of Ezra and Nehemiah are one work, following from 1 and 2 Chronicles, so it may help to read them all together. Ezra travels back to the promised land, rebuilds Jerusalem and the Temple, and calls the people to renewed adherence to the Covenant. The people promise to reform but, as the end of the book appears to indicate, it seems like - as usual - it did not last long. So I guess the answer to the first questions is "forever" and that is because it is we who fail, not Him for He is faithful forever. In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom, both by word of mouth and in writing: “Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: ‘All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me, and he has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Those among you who belong to any part of his people, may their God be with them! Let them go up to Jerusalem in Judah to build the house of the LORD the God of Israel, that is, the God who is in Jerusalem. Let all those who have survived, in whatever place they may have lived, be assisted by the people of that place with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, together with voluntary offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem.’”
After these events, during the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, Ezra, son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, the high priest— this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe, well-versed in the law of Moses given by the LORD, the God of Israel. The king granted him all that he requested, because the hand of the LORD, his God, was over him. Ezra had set his heart on the study and practice of the law of the LORD and on teaching statutes and ordinances in Israel. -- Ezra 1:1-4,7:1-6,10 Sometimes we make things into victories and completely miss the true victory. Kateri was a Native American who became Catholic, nothing more, nothing less. It is not proof of the power of missionaries, nor the power of one faith or denomination over another, nor the power of Western culture over Native culture, nor any other number of things. It is, however, a victory for God and God's love. I am not my own; I have given myself to Jesus. He must be my only love. The state of helpless poverty that may befall me if I do not marry does not frighten me. All I need is a little food and a few pieces of clothing. With the work of my hands I shall always earn what is necessary and what is left over I'll give to my relatives and to the poor. If I should become sick and unable to work, then I shall be like the Lord on the cross. He will have mercy on me and help me, I am sure.
Bonaventure is more that just a theologian and Doctor of the Church. If we think of him as a Franciscan first, then we have to start with his commitment to poverty, his love of the natural world, and his opposition to rigid structures. Then we have to move into his mysticism which has a very practical side. The natural world, Creation, is the first step towards God but it is not everything. Understanding starts in the world around us and flows upwards, toward God. Blessed is the man whose help is from You. In his heart he is disposed to ascend by steps, in the vale of tears, in the place which he has set [Psalm, 84:6]. Since beatitude is nothing else than the fruition of the highest good, and the highest good is above us, none can be made blessed unless he ascend above himself, not by the ascent of his body but by that of his heart. But we cannot be raised above ourselves except by a higher power raising us up. But we cannot be raised above ourselves except by a higher power raising us up. For howsoever the interior steps are disposed, nothing is accomplished unless it is accompanied by divine aid. Divine help, however, comes to those who seek it from their hearts humbly and devoutly; and this means to sigh for it in this vale of tears, aided only by fervent prayer. Thus prayer is the mother and source of ascent in God.
-- From The Mind's Road to God 1,1 As a big Tolkien geek, I had to go with Gondulf over Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. There is nothing, perhaps, exciting about Gondulf; he lived an exemplary life, grew the Church, and died, probably in his sleep: but for me, that is the best life of any servant of God. Although, there is a great story that arose when his and the body of another were exhumed to move them. The record of this was later mis-read giving rise to a legend that the two saints rose from their tombs in order to assist at the dedication of Aachen cathedral. Even though it did not, I would like to think that happened because that is the beauty of apocryphal stories. Especially because Gandalf the Grey went down into the earth and rose as an literary image of Christ; long live the Lamb that was slain: all honor and glory to him! “'It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill Gollum when he had the chance.'
'Pity? It's a pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play in it, for good or evil, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.' 'I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.' 'So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides that of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.'” -- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Shadow of the Past, The Fellowship of the Ring Following on yesterday's theme of literary characters whose wisdom challenges us in our Faith, today I focus on Hedwig. J. K. Rowling never misses a chance to name her characters very carefully and the choice of Hedwig for Harry Potter's owl is no exception. She is another one of those saints who is on the canon because of cultus confirmation, declared by one most likely to do so, John Paul II. On her father's death, she became queen, moving her into the political realm, where she subjugated her own desires to the needs of her people. This cost her emotionally and eventually physically as she died in childbirth, but she did not cease to be kind. After death she is best known for miracles but in life for her charity to all, but especially the sick and poor, and for revising the laws to remove burdens from the poor. Wisdom is knowing God and discerning His will whatever our lot in life; let us all take a look around and begin to dismantle the systematic burdens we as a society have created and placed on the backs of the poor and vulnerable, Saint Hedwig help us. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. -- Matthew 5:3-11, 17-19 Care of the sick is a Corporeal Work of Mercy. Let us pray for all who care for the sick and infirmed, and let us pray for his intervention for when we are care-givers or care-receivers. Let me start with holy charity, the root of all the virtues and the gift most characteristic of Camillus. He was so fired by this virtue, both towards God and towards his neighbors, especially the sick, that just to see them was enough to melt his tender heart and to make him forget every pleasure, every earthly delight and attachment. Indeed, even when ministering to just one sick man, he seemed to burn himself up and wear himself out with the utmost devotion and compassion. Gladly would he have taken upon himself all their sickness and sufferings to alleviate their pain or take away their weakness.
So vividly did he picture and honor the person of Christ in them that often when distributing food to them he thought of them as his ‘Christs’, and would beg of them grace and the remission of sins. Hence he was as reverent before them as if he were really and truly in the presence of his Lord. Of nothing would he speak more frequently or fervently than of holy charity. He longed that it should take root in the heart of every man. -- From a Life of St Camillus Legitimate authority can be a tough sell, especially in these cynical times. We can easily identify with a time and place where legitimate religious authority was being challenged by a secular religious authority. John lays it out perfectly for us. I know it will be said that a priest ordayned by authority derived from the See of Rome is, by the Law of the Nation, to die as a Traytor, but if that be so what must become of all the Clergymen of the Church of England, for the first Church of England Bishops had their Ordination from those of the Church of Rome, or not at all, as appears by their own writers so that Ordination comes derivatively from those now living.
-- From his speech on the scaffold We do not often think of Old Testament players as "Saint". We do not say St. David or St. Moses, but we believe that they are, because we believe that Christ opened the gates of Heaven and all the souls that had been waiting were granted admittance. We also know that Elijah and Moses stood with Jesus on Mount Tabor; knowing Jesus like that is a pretty good sign of being a candidate for Heaven. So as a saint, Elijah is celebrated in both the East and the West. Elijah's name takes the two names for God used in the Pentateuch and brings them together: "my G*d is Y**H" or simply, "El[ohim] is Y**H". Though there is only one God, we recognize His distinct aspects, what we would call "persons", and that is what Elijah's name points out. Aside from that powerful theological witness, Elijah is also the patron of desert monks, especially the Carmelites, because he defeated the prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel and took refuge in a cave on Mt. Horeb and found God there. He left his servant there and went a day’s journey into the wilderness, until he came to a solitary broom tree and sat beneath it. He prayed for death: “Enough, LORD! Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” He lay down and fell asleep under the solitary broom tree, but suddenly a messenger touched him and said, “Get up and eat!” He looked and there at his head was a hearth cake and a jug of water. After he ate and drank, he lay down again, but the angel of the LORD came back a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat or the journey will be too much for you!” He got up, ate, and drank; then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb. There he came to a cave, where he took shelter. But the word of the LORD came to him: Why are you here, Elijah? He answered: “I have been most zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts, but the Israelites have forsaken your covenant. They have destroyed your altars and murdered your prophets by the sword. I alone remain, and they seek to take my life.” Then the LORD said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD;* the LORD will pass by. There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the LORD was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, Why are you here, Elijah?
-- 1 Kings 19:3b-13 Sometimes we create ivory towers for ourselves. When it comes to our areas of expertise we lose the ability to communicate effectively with those outside of our field. We become inarticulate or dismissive, maybe even prideful. Lawrence was a brilliant scholar and yet compassionate and concerned for those around him. A Doctor of the Church, papal envoy, and head of his order just to mention a few things. Despite his learning and lofty titles, Lawrence seems to have had the ability to remember why he did what he did: Jesus. My First Theology professor started our first seminar with the statement that theology, out of the context of the love of God and the death and resurrection of Jesus, was meaningless. It profits one nothing "to gain the whole world and forfeit his life." (Matthew 16:26) Lawrence understood and lived this truth. Lawrence pray for us in our dealings with others, especially those whom we guide and teach. There is a spiritual life that we share with the angels of heaven and with the divine spirits, for like them we have been formed in the image and likeness of God. The bread that is necessary for living this life is the grace of the Holy Spirit and the love of God. But grace and love are nothing without faith, since without faith it is impossible to please God. And faith is not conceived unless the word of God is preached. Faith comes through hearing, and what is heard is the word of Christ. The preaching of the word of God, then, is necessary for the spiritual life, just as the planting of seed is necessary for bodily life. ...Preaching therefore, is a duty that is apostolic, angelic, Christian, divine. The word of God is replete with manifold blessings, since it is, so to speak, a treasure of all goods. It is the source of faith, hope, charity, all virtues, all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, all the beatitudes of the Gospel, all good works, all the rewards of life, all the glory of paradise: Welcome the word that has taken root in you, with its power to save you.
For the word of God is a light to the mind and a fire to the will. It enables man to know God and to love him. And for the interior man who lives by the Spirit of God, through grace, it is bread and water, but a bread sweeter than honey and the honeycomb, a water better than wine and milk. For the soul it is a spiritual treasure of merits yielding an abundance of gold and precious stones. Against the hardness of a heart that persists in wrongdoing, it acts as a hammer. Against the world, the flesh and the devil it serves as a sword that destroys all sin. --From a sermon At what point do we worry about who Mary of Magdalene was? To phrase it a different way, "Scripturally, who is Mary Magdalene and does it matter?" Western and Eastern traditions vary on the matter. The Scriptures indicate 3 Marys and in the West we try to tie them together: possessed, sinner, disciple. We may celebrate the progression she represents; we may celebrate only her final role as disciple and first announcer of the Good News; we may try to make sense of things that make no sense. We may try many things but they only bog us down when considering who we think she is. The important thing to me and the importance of her feast (again, to me) is who Jesus thought she was, and thanks to the Communion of Saints, who she is. In John, she among all of the Apostles and disciples, is first at the tomb. In the Synopics, she is mentioned first in any list at the tomb. In John, she alone speaks with Jesus. In all she returns with the message from God. What strikes me is that in all situations she alone, though blinded by grief, seeks Jesus. Jesus had deep loving relationships (think about the use of agape and philo in John 21:15-19). Mary and Peter often figure as the first in any list. That tells me a lot. No matter how she came to the Lord, according to Scripture, she remains out front, even before Peter. On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” ...Then the disciples returned home. But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,”* which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and what he told her.
-- John 20:1,2,10-18 Wife, mother, Franciscan tertiary. Cistercian. mystic, visionary, counselor, and mystical writer. She recorded her personal "revelations" from her visions especially those on the Passion, which were very popular in the Middle Ages. I think what Bridget shows us is that we are never too busy to do God's work. Sometimes in the noise and clutter we Romans forget our Eastern brothers and sisters. But we occasionally remind ourselves of our modern connection through such shared saints as Charbel. Charbel was a Maronite, a Lebanese Catholic rite and a Church that is aligned with Rome. But Charbel was not Roman. He adhered to Eastern monasticism and asceticism We have a tradition of recording saints lives that at some times can seem fantastical. Early martyrologies speak of miracles and feats that can raise a person far beyond our own lives. In the West we have focused more on a practical, lived experience, social justice kind of lives of the saints, where miracles come after death to show the presence of the person in Heaven. In the East it is almost expected that the holy live miraculous lives, as Jesus predicted, and then they seem to live contented in Heaven. Who is to say that one is better than the other? Either way, the Communion of Saints is a powerful teaching and lends itself to both. So I must say, that the focus on the mundane practices of holy people has its appeal AND the focus on the power of God within the world as seen in the miracles practiced by holy people also has its appeal. Take a moment and think about that. Now we must ask ourselves, do I live Christ in the quiet moments? Do I live Christ as alive and powerful in this world? Father of Truth, behold Your Son a sacrifice pleasing to You, accept the offering of Him who died for me…
-- His prayer before the Tabernacle We know that James and John ("the beloved disciple") were brothers. We know that Peter, James, and John were extremely close to Jesus, going places with him that the others did not go - especially his moments of glory on Mt. Tabor and agony on the Mt. of Olives - their moments of shame. We can infer that he (and therefore John) may have even been humanly related to Jesus which could also explain their closeness. We know so much about James that we do not know about other Apostles except through Tradition. James and John, as siblings and possible relations, seem to also take some liberties not available to the other apostles, perhaps relying on that unique closeness to Jesus. We really know James from these great yet intimate moments provided to us from Scripture. We see his humanity and his wisdom; we see him in vanity and selflessness. I only hope, for myself in vanity and pride, that if ever anyone portrays me, that they leave out such intimate details, that I remain in the background like some of the more anonymous apostles and disciples. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, Scripture tells us even more about James; we know him as leader of the Church in Jerusalem, as a leader at the Council of Jerusalem, and as the first apostle to be martyred. We get to see James before the Resurrection and after the Resurrection. We are able to see the transition from follower to leader; we see the confidence placed in his wisdom to lead the foundation and home base of the Church. In the first challenge to the Church he stepped forward and helped to clarify and support the changes to the early theology that we depend on so much today. What becomes important when theology changes? Adherence to the Truth, the Truth not as we understand it, but as the Apostles handed on to us - the words, thoughts, and meaning of Jesus. So it is not us who decide. In the end none of our speculation matters. As John Chrysostom points out below, our human thinking is flawed in the face of God, and God will always show us the truth, and that truth is for God's glory not our own. James helped to guarantee that the glory and praise belong to God alone. James, pray for our leaders and teachers. So far at least were they from understanding clearly what He said, that the sons of Zebedee at the same time came to Him, and spoke to Him of precedence. "We desire," it is said, "that one should sit on Your right hand, and one on Your left." ...But rather let us learn, first, what do they ask, and with what disposition, and whence they were moved to this? Whence then were they moved to this? They saw themselves honored above the rest, and expected from that they should obtain this request also. ...Wherefore also Christ in the first place leads them off from these thoughts, commanding them to await slaughter and dangers, and the utmost terrors. For, "Are you able," says He, "to drink of the cup that I drink of?" But let no man be troubled at the apostles being in such an imperfect state. For not yet was the cross accomplished, not yet the grace of the Spirit given. But if you would learn their virtue, notice them after these things, and you will see them superior to every passion. For with this object He reveals their deficiencies, that after these things you might know what manner of men they became by grace. That then they were asking, in fact, for nothing spiritual, neither had a thought of the kingdom above, is manifest from hence. But let us see also, how they come unto Him, and what they say. "We would," it is said, "that whatsoever we shall desire of You, You should do it for us." ...But they out of shame and confusion of face, because under the influence of a human passion they had come to do this, took Him privately apart from the disciples, and asked Him. For they went before, it is said, so that it might not be observable to them, and so said what they wished. For it was their desire, as I suppose, because they heard, "You shall sit on twelve thrones," to have the first place of these seats. And that they had an advantage over the others, they knew, but they were afraid of Peter, and say, "Command, that one sit on Your right hand, one on Your left;" and they urge Him, saying, "Command." What then says He? Showing, that they asked nothing spiritual, neither, if they had known again what they were asking, would they have ventured to ask for so much, He says, "You know not what ye ask," how great, how marvelous, how surpassing even the powers above. After that He adds, "Are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" Do you see, how He straightway drew them off from their suspicion, by framing His discourse from the contrary topics? For you, He says, talk to me of honor and crowns, but I to you of conflicts and labors. For this is not the season for rewards, neither shall that glory of mine appear now, but the present time is one of slaughter, and wars, and dangers.
And see how by the form of His question, He both urges and attracts them. For He said not, "Are you able to be slain?" "Are you able to pour forth your blood?" but how? "Are you able to drink of the cup?" Then to attract them to it, He says, "Which I shall drink of," that by their fellowship with Him in it they might be made more ready. And a baptism again calls He it; showing that great was the cleansing the world was to have from the things that were being done. -- John Chrysostom, Homily 65 on Matthew |
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