6th Sunday of Easter (B)

(Edited) Reflections (from) 6th Sunday of Easter (B), May 11, 2009

First reading: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 98
Second reading: 1 John 4:7-10
Gospel reading: John 15:9-17

"Live on in My love."

This passage from the gospel of John teaches about God's word, action and His expression of love in the life and action of Jesus. God's word of love is not only in Christ's discourse in this passage from John, but also in the many signs He had performed all throughout the gospel. In His discourse, Christ makes all aware that we are in union with God's love if we live in His love - a love He lives in His love of the Father. This love of Christ makes everyone's joy complete. The measure by which everyone is to increase the quality of this love, is in the measure Christ exemplified by His whole life and mission: a great love of the Father and the Kingdom which all His followers are to continue until the end of the age. This quality of love bore much fruit in the Resurrection of Christ and will continue to bear fruit, and will endure, if all the baptized and the faithful continue to obey the command of Jesus: to love one another under the standard of His love.

Returning to the discourse in John 5:9-17.
The gospel of John has a distinctive difference with the other gospels. Whereas the other three gospels can be seen and viewed through common themes (Matthew and Luke borrow passages from Mark), John's gospel is structured and themed differently, and the text comes from a different scriptural tradition. The discourses in the gospel of John are more lofty, while the synoptic gospels (Mark, Matthew, and Luke), ground their writing in the humanity and person of Jesus. What however, brings all these gospel traditions together, and unites them into a common theme, is Christ's commandment of love. Mark, Matthew and Luke has Jesus saying: "Love the Lord God with all your mind, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Love your neighbor as your self". Each gospel's tradition may distinguish each one from the other, but the message of love in their passages all say the same refrain: we are to love God with our whole being, and to love our neighbor as our self.

The reality of love that every human being grows up with is still found in traditional institutions that continue today in modern living: in the family, in school, in work and professional life, with religious communities or lay organizations, with people in one's neighborhood or in the parish, and with other cultures encountered in travels around the world. The love expressed in these situations, and in the specific relationships it is immersed in, is not perfect. It can cause dissensions, conflicts, misunderstanding, envy or jealousy, abandonment or separation. But Jesus teaches now in the discourse that for love to bear fruit it must live on in God; it must be of God. It is a love, as St. Paul says in the letter to the Corinthians, that is pure, patient, not jealous or proud, not ill-mannered or selfish, not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. And the truth God teaches us about love is this: to have Christ as the source and example by which everyone is to act in love and and in the holiness required of each one's state of life.

St. Athanasius of Alexandria, Feast May 2

St. Athanasius of Alexandria, Archbishop, Greek Father of the Church, Doctor of the Church: ca. 297-373 A.D.

Birth, education and diaconate

St. Athanasius was born of Christian parents at Alexandria, Egypt. He was well educated in Scripture and in theology. Ordained a deacon, he became secretary to Bishop Alexander in Alexandria in ca. 318 A.D.

Leadership in the Church

St. Athanasius was present at the Council of Nicaea, which condemned Arianism and excommunicated Arius. He was elected bishop of Alexandria upon Bishop Alexander's death in 327 A.D. St. Athanasium combined his duties as bishop with his responsibility of taking care of the of the desert hermits, and the people of Ethiopia. It was in the exercise of this responsibility and in his visits to the desert hermits that he came to know St. Anthony of the Desert - who became St. Athanasius' ally in the fight versus Arianism. It was his knowledge on the life of St. Anthony that St. Athanasius wrote a biography of St. Anthony the Abbot in his later years.

The struggle against Arianism

Arianism continued to spread despite its ongoing condemnation since the Council of Nicaea. The Arians were also joined in Egypt by the Meletians - another dissident group. St. Athanasius provided a strong voice against all of them by his orthodox stand on the truth. The Arians persuaded Emperor Constantine to call a council. At first, Constantine sided with St. Athanasius. However, Constantine reverted and agreed with the condemnation of St. Athanasius - sending him into exile in northern Gaul (in what is now Belgian territory).

Second exile

When Constantine died in 337 A.D., St. Athanasius returned to his see. However, an Arian bishop by the name of Eusebius, persuaded Pope Julius to reopen the charges against St. Athanasius. Eusebius succeeded in deposing St. Athanasius at a synod in Antioch. When a Cappadocian by the name of Gregory was then installed as archbishop supplanting St. Athanasius, riots broke out in Alexandria. Because of all this conflict, St. Athanasius was unable to return to Alexandria and remained in Rome.

Third exile

While in Rome, St. Athanasius worked to have his case heard by the pope. Pope Julius I therefore called a synod which vindicated St. Athanasius - a verdict later endorsed by the Council of Sardica. This victory in 346 A.D., helped St. Athanasius to live in peace for four years in Alexandria. This triumph was short-lived because Constans was murdered in 350 A.D. Constans' successor, Constantine, now set himself against St. Athanasius. He condemned St. Athanasius in the council of Arles in 353 A.D., and then again in Milan in 355 A.D. Meanwhile, in Alexandria, soldiers forced their way into the church and killed some of the congregation. St. Athanasius escaped and spent the next six years moving about among the monks in the desert (who all protected him). St. Athanasius remained hidden there for many years. And it was here among the desert hermits where he completed most of his major writings.

Fourth exile

A new emperor, Julian the Apostate, revoked all of his predecessor's banishments of bishops, and St. Athanasius was able to return to Alexandria. But when Julian wanted to re-paganize the Empire, he had to get rid of St. Athanasius - who now had to experience a fourth exile.

Fifth exile

When Emperor Jovian succeeded Julian, he recalled St. Athanasius back from his fourth exile. Jovian's rule however did not last long, and the next emperor, Valens, again ordered all orthodox bishops exiled. This exile only lasted for four months. In September 365 A.D., St. Athanasius was again back in Alexandria. He stayed in Alexandria for the last seven years of his life until his death on May 2.

Greek Father of the Church and Doctor of the Church

St. Athanasius supported the ascetic movement in Egypt and was the first to introduce knowledge of monasticism to the West. He wrote treatises on Catholic doctrine which illuminated many truths on the Christian faith. Among his great works are: Contra gentes and De incarnatione verbi Dei (318-323 A.D.). The major treatises he produced in his exile were: Apologia to Constantius, Defense of Flight, Letter to the Monks, and History of the Arians. The Church recognizes St. Athanasius as both a Father of the Church and Doctor of the Church.

Sources of this blog post:

• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney
• A Year with the Saints, by Don Bosco Press, Inc.
• Saints for Our Time, by Ed Ransom
• The Doctors of the Church, volume one, by John F. Fink
• The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism, by editor Bernard McGinn

Feasts and Memorials of Saints Celebrated in the Month of May

Joseph the Worker May 1

also on May 1 Amator or Amatre, bishop; Brioc or Brieuc, abbot; Sigismund of Burgundy; Marculf or Marcoul, abbot; Theodard of Narbonne, bishop; Peregrine Laziosi, Riccardo Pampuri

Athanasius: (died 373 A.D.): 45 years the bishop of Alexandria; champion of Nicea (325 A.D.); prolific polemicist against Arians who exiled him five times; one of the four great doctors of the Eastern Church; wrote On the Incarnation, the Discourses Against the Arians and the Life of Anthony; known as the "Doctor of the Incarnation". (May 2)

also on May 2: Exsuperius or Hesperus and Zoë, martyrs; Waldebert, abbot; Ultan, abbot; Wiborada, virgin and martyr; Mafalda or Matilda

Philip: (died 1st c.); from Bethsaida; among the first disciples called by Jesus (Jn 1:43-44); tradition holds he preached in Phrygia, dying on a cross at Hierapolis; two apocryphal works attributed to him; with James, venerated as the patron saint of Uruguay. (May 3)

James (died 62 A.D.): son of Alphaeus and cousin or "brother of the Lord"; surnamed "the less" or "the just" for his piety; leader of the Jerusalem church; an epistle is ascribed to him; believed to have been beaten or stoned to death; patron of the dying; with Philip, both saints mentioned in the Roman Canon. (May 3)

also on May 3: Alexander, Eventius and Theodulus, martyrs; Juvenal, bishop

on May 4: Cyriacus or Judas Quiricus, bishop; Pelagia of Tarsus, virgin and martyr; John Houghton, Robert Lawrence, Augustine Webster, Richard Reynolds, priests and martyrs; Venerius, bishop; Godehard or Gothard, bishop; Florian, martyr

on May 5: Hilary of Arles, bishop; Maurantius, abbot; Mauruntius, abbot; Avertinus; Angelo, martyr; Jutta, widow

on May 6: Evodius, bishop; Edbert, bishop; Petronax, abbot

on May 7: Domitian, bishop; Liuhard, bishop; Serenicus and Serenus; John of Beverly, bishop

on May 8: Victor Maurus, martyr; Acacius or Agathus, martyr; Gibrian; Desideratus, bishop; Boniface IV, pope; Benedict II, pope; Wiro, Plechlem and Oteger; Peter of Tarentaise, bishop

on May 9: Beatus; Pachomius, abbot; Gerontius, bishop

on May 10: Antoninus of Florence, bishop and confessor; Gordian and Epimachus, martyrs; Calepodius, martyr; Alphius, Cyrinus and Philadelphus, martyrs; Catald and Conleth, bishops; Solangia, virgin and martyr; John of Avila, priest

on May 11: Mamertus, bishop; Comgall, abbot; Asaph, bishop; Gengulf or Gengoul; Majolus or Mayeule, abbot; Ansfrid, bishop; Walter of L'Esterp, abbot; Francis di Girolamo; Ignatius of Laconi

Nereus and Achilleus: (died c. 304 A.D.); Roman soldiers until their conversion to Christianity; tradition holds they were either burned or beheaded. (May 12)

Pancras: (died c. 304); martyred probably in the persecution of Diocletian at the age of 14; perhaps from Syria; buried on the Via Aurelia. (May 12)

also on May 12: Epiphanus of Salamis, bishop; Modoaldus, bishop; Rictrudis, widow; Germanus of Constantinople, bishop; Dominic of Causeway

on May 13: Glyceris, virgin and martyr; Mucius or Mocius, martyr; Servatius or Servais, bishop; John the Silent; Erconwald, bishop; Euthymius the Illuminator, abbot; Peter Regalatus

Matthias (died 1st c.): chosen to replace Judas; qualified because he witnessed Jesus' ministry and resurrection; mentioned in the Roman Canon. (May 14)

also on May 14: Pontius, martyr; Carthage, Carthach or Mochuda, abbot; Erembert, bishop; Michael Garicoits; Mary Mazzarello, virgin

Isidore was born of poor parents in Madrid. Married to a poor woman, Maria de la Cabeza, who is also a saint, he worked as a hired ploughman. Because of his diligence, his employer allowed him to worship in church daily though Isidore took care that his devotion did not interfere with his work. He remained poor, but gave generously to his neighbors in need. He died on May 15, 1130 A.D. As patron of farmers, he is an example of a laborer who values both prayer and work. (May 15)

also on May 15: Torquatus and Companions, martyrs; Isidore of Chios; Hilary of Galeata, abbot; Dympna and Gerebernus, martyrs; Bertha and Rupert; Hallvard, martyr; Isaias of Rostov, bishop; Peter of Lampsacus and Companions, martyrs

on May 16: Ubaldus, bishop and confessor; Peregrine of Auxerre, bishop and martyr; Possidius, bishop; Germerius, bishop; Brendan, abbot; Domnolus, bishop; Carantoc or Carannog, abbot; Honoratus of Amiens, bishop; Simon Stock; John Nepomucen, martyr; Andrew Hubert Fournet

on May 17: Paschal Baylon, confessor; Madron or Madern; Bruno of Wurzburg, bishop

John I: Pope (523-526 A.D.); A native of Tuscany, he was a deacon from the time of his election to succeed Pope Hormisdas. He was the first pontiff to visit Constantinople and made one of the objectives of his reign the restoration of ecclesiastical peace with the Eastern Church after the divisive Acacian Schism 482-519 A.D.). (May 18)

also on May 18: Venantius, martyr; Theodotus, Thecusa and Companions, martyrs; Potamon, bishop and martyr; Eric of Sweden, martyr; Felix of Cantalice

on May 19: Peter Morrone or Peter Celestine V, hermit and pope; Prudentiana and Pudens, martyrs; Calocerus and Parthenius, martyrs; Dunstan, bishop; Ivo of Kermartin

Bernardine of Siena (died 1444 A.D.); O.F.M.; famous reformer and eloquent preacher who traveled throughout Italy; encouraged devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus; known for his use of the monogram, IHS (Iesus Hominum Salvator); patron of advertisers and advertising; invoked against hoarseness. (May 20)

also on May 20: Thalelaeus, martyr; Basilla or Basilissa, virgin and martyr; Baudelius, martyr; Austregisilus or Outril, bishop; Ethelbert, martyr

Cristobal Magallanes was joined in martyrdom by twenty-one diocesan priests and three devout laymen, all members of the Cristeros movement, who rose up in rebellion against the Anti-Catholic Mexican government during the 1920s. Having erected a seminary at Totatiche, he secretly spread the Gospel and ministered to the people. Captured by authorities, he was heard to shout from his jail cell: "I am innocent and die innocent. I forgive with all my heart those responsible for my death, and I ask God that the shedding of my blood serve the peace of our divided Mexico." (May 21)

also on May 21: Godric; Andrew Bobola, martyr; Theophilus of Corte, Eugene de Mazenod

Rita of Cascia: Born in 1381 A.D. in the little town of Roccaporena, in the Province of Umbria, Italy, Saint Rita was married and raised two sons. After the violent murder of her husband, Saint Rita urged forgiveness in contrast to the customary vendetta of the day. She was, however, repeatedly denied entrance to the Augustinian nuns due to the constant threat of violent revenge by her husband's relatives. Through her personal intercession a promise of forgiveness and peace was secured and she began forty years in prayer, contemplation and service to the sick and the poor. Toward the end of her life she received a wound from a thorn from the crown of thorns. (May 22)

also on May 22: Aemilius and Castus, martyrs; Quiteria, virgin and martyr; Romanus; Julia, martyr; Aigulf or Ayoul, bishop; Humility, widow

on May 23: Desiderius or Didier, bishop and martyr; Guibert; Leonitus of Rostov, bishop and martyr; Ivo of Chartres, bishop; Euphrosyne of Polotsk, virgin; William of Rochester, martyr; John Baptist Rossi; Peter Fioretti

on May 24: Donatian and Rogatian, martyrs; Vincent of Lerins; David I, King of Scotland; Nicetas of Pereaslav, martyr

Bede: (died 735 A.D.); O.S.B. born in Northumbria; called "Venerable" while still living; authored the Ecclesiastical History of the English People and wrote Scriptural expositions, commentaries and homilies; known as the "Father of English History" (May 25)

Gregory VII, (died 1085 A.D.); from Tuscany; O.S.B.; championed reform of the clergy against simony, clerical marriage and lay investiture, leading to excommunication of Henry IV; expanded the authority of the Roman See. (May 25)

Mary Magdalene of Pazzi: (died 1607 A.D.); Carmelite mystic of Florence; instrumental in the reform of the Order. (May 25)

also on May 25: Dionysius of Milan, bishop; Zenobius, bishop; Leo or Lye, abbot; Aldhelm, bishop; Gennandius, bishop; Madeleine Sophie Barat, virgin

Philip Neri (died 1595 A.D.): founded the Congregation of Priests of the Oratory to promote holiness of priestly life and foster effective preaching; noted for his joyful and simple spirit. (May 26)

also on May 26: Quadratus, bishop; Priscus or Prix and Companions, martyrs; Lambert of Vence, bishop; Marian of Quito, virgin

Augustine of Canterbury: (died May 26, ca. 604 A.D.); O.S.B. monk of Mt. Coelius in Rome; sent with 40 other monks by Pope Gregory I to England; baptized Ethelbert, king of Kent; ordained bishop 597 A.D.; established the sees of Canterbury, London and Rochester; in 601 A.D., received the pallium as primate of England. (May 27)

also on May 27: Restituta of Sora, virgin and martyr; Julius and Companions, martyrs; Eutropius of Orange, bishop; Melangell or Monacella, virgin

on May 28: Senator, bishop; Justus of Urgel, bishop; Germanus or Germain, bishop; William of Gellone; Bernard of Menthon or Montjoux; Ignatius of Rostov, bishop

on May 29: Cyril of Caesarea, martyr; Maximinus, bishop; Sisinnius, Martyrius and Alexander, martyrs; Theodosia, virgin and martyr; William, Stephen, Raymund and Companions, martyrs

on May 30: Isaac of Constantinople, abbot; Exsuperantius, bishop; Madelgisilus or Mauguille; Walstan; Ferdinand III, King of Castile; Joan of Arc, virgin; Eleutherius, pope; Luke Kirby, priest and martyr

Feast of the Visitation; Petronilla, virgin and martyr; Cantius, Cantianius and Cantianella, martyrs; Mechtildis of Edelstetten, virgin (May 31)

St. Pius V, Our Lady of the Rosary, and the Battle of Lepanto

St. Pius V and the Battle of Lepanto

St. Pius V was the great reform pope after the Council of Trent. His greatest triumph is in international politics - the naval victory of the Catholic fleet against the Turks in the Battle of Lepanto. Victory was attributed to the aid of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Brief biographical sketch

St. Pius V (1504-1572 A.D.), was born at Bosco near Alessandria, Italy, on January 17. His real name was Antonio Michael Ghislieri. He entered the Dominican Order at fourteen years of age and was ordained in 1528 A.D. After teaching philosophy and theology for many years, he was appointed bishop of Nepi and Butri by Pope Paul IV in 1556 A.D. When in January 7, 1566 A.D., he was elected pope, he set at once into effect the decrees of Trent.

A saintly Dominican pope and achiever

As pope, St. Pius V continued to live the ascetic life and the virtuous practices he learned as a Dominican. He combined mystical union with God in prayer and a fervent zeal to reform the Church. He was known for his charity - especially of giving large sums to the poor. He also visited the sick in hospitals. In his work on Church reform, three are attributed to him: the Catechismus Romanus (1566 A.D.), the revised Roman Breviary (1568 A.D.), and a new Missale
Romanum (1570 A.D.). It was these achievements that gave him the honor as the great reform pope after the Council of Trent.

His international politics

Though St. Pius was able to reform the internal structure of the Church, he did not do as well in the realm of international politics. Especially noted was his excommunication (1570 A.D.) of Elizabeth of England. This only increased the persecution and oppression of English Catholics. Also, his conduct towards Spain and France brought about unfortunate outcomes.

The Battle of Lepanto

The greatest triumph of St. Pius V in international politics was the naval victory over the Turks at Lepanto (October 7, 1571 A.D.) - a naval battle fought off the coast of Lepanto, Greece. This was the first major defeat of the Muslims. The victory is attributed to the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose aid was invoked through praying the rosary. To commemmorate the victorious event, St. Pius V instituted on October 7 the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and inserted the title Help of Christians in the Litany of the Virgin Mary.

Historical details of the Battle

The naval Battle of Lepanto was a battle between the Catholic fleet against the fleet of the Ottoman Empire. The Catholic armada consisted of 200 galleys, mostly Venetian and Spanish, and was commanded by Don Juan of Austria. This Catholic armada engaged in battle with the Turkish fleet of 300 ships inside the entrance to the Gulf of Lepanto. The Turks suffered a crushing defeat in spite of their superior numbers. This victory the Catholics attributed to the aid of strength provided them through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Death of St. Pius V

After the naval victory at Lepanto, St. Pius attempted to form an alliance of the Italian cities, France, Poland, and other Christian nations of Europe to march against the Turks. However, he died in Rome on May 1, 1572 A.D. He was canonized in 1712 A.D.

Related resources:

• "A History of the Church", by August Franzen and John P. Dolan
• "A Year with the Saints", by Don Bosco Press Inc.
• "Dictionary of Saints", by John J. Delaney
• Encyclopedia International, volume 10

The Knowledge of God through the Spiritual Experience of the Mystics

The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism

Edited and with an Introduction by Bernard McGinn

Christian Mysticism defined
Author John A. Hardon, S.J., in his book, Pocket Catholic Dictionary, defines Christian mysticism as:

"The supernatural state of soul in which God is known in a way that no human effort or exertion could ever succeed in producing. There is an immediate, personal experience of God that is truly extraordinary, not only in intensity and degree, but in kind. It is always the result of a special, totally unmerited grace of God. Christian mysticism differs essentially from the non-Christian mysticism of the Oriental world. It always recognizes that the reality to which it penetrates simply transcends the soul and the cosmos; there is no confusion between I and Thou, but always a profound humility before the infinite Majesty of God. And in Christian mysticism all union between the soul and God is a moral union of love, in doing His will even at great sacrifice to self; there is no hint of losing one's being in God or absorption of one's personality into the divine.

Excellent reference for Christian mysticism
A good book to learn more in detail about Christian mysticism is, "The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism", by editor Bernard McGinn. This book is an accessible anthology of the Western Christian mystical tradition. It is very comprehensive, apt in its selection of texts, and is intelligently organized in one handy and easy to carry volume.

St. Athanasius of Alexandria, whose feast is celebrated on May 2, is featured in Part One of the book, while St. Catherine of Siena, whose feast is celebrated in April 29, is featured in Part Three of the book.

Book is divided into three main parts
In nearly one hundred selections spanning seventeen centuries, the book explores how human life is transformed through the search for direct contact with God. Uniquely organized by subject, this book includes accessible headnotes for each section, biographical sketches of the mystics, and a selected bibliography.

• Part one examines the preparation for encountering God through biblical interpretation and prayer;
• part two focuses on the mystics' actual encounters with God;
• and part three addresses the implications of the mystical life - showing how mystics have been received over time, and how they practice their faith through private contemplation and public ministry or apostolate.

Outline of the book


• Part One: Foundations of Mystical Practice
Mystics featured in Part One: Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine of Hippo, Bernard of Clairvaux, Meister Eckhart, Madame Guyon, Athanasius of Alexandria, Evagrius Ponticus, James of Vitry, Catherine of Genoa, John of the Cross, Ephrem the Syrian, John Cassian, Symeon the New Theologian, Hadewijch of Antwerp, John Tauler, Teresa of Avila, Guigo I, Aelred of Rievaulx, Miguel de Molinos, Richard of St. Victor, Bonaventure, Marguerite Porete, Walter Hilton
• Section 1: Biblical Interpretation
• Section 2: Asceticism and Purgation
• Section 3: Prayer, Liturgy, and Sacraments
• Section 4: Inner and Outer Practices
• Section 5: Mystical Itineraries
• Part Two: Aspects of Mystical Consciousness
Mystics featured in Part Two: Augustine, William of Saint-Thierry, Mechthild of Magdeburg, Gregory Palamas, John of the Cross, Bernard of Clairvaux, Francis of Assisi, Henry Suso, Julian of Norwich, Simone Weil, Nicholas of Cusa, Johann Arndt, Dionysius, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Gregory the Great, Symeon the New Theologian, Hildegard of Bingen, Hugh of St. Victor, Richard Rolle, Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila, George Fox, Angela of Foligno, John Tauler, John of the Cross, Therese of Lisieux, Maximus the Confessor, Meister Eckhart, Macarius, John Ruusbroec, Francis de Sales, Marie of the Incarnation
• Section 6: Living the Trinity
• Section 7: Encountering Christ
• Section 8: Love and Knowledge
• Section 9: Positive and Negative Ways to God
• Section 10: Vision, Contemplation, and Rapture
• Section 11: Distress and Dereliction
• Section 12: Deification and Birthing
• Section 13: Union with God
• Part Three: Implications of the Mystical Life
Mystics featured in Part Three: Francois Fenelon, Gregory the Great, Bernard of Clairvaux, Meister Eckhart, Catherine of Siena, Thomas Merton
• Section 14: Mysticism and Heresy
• Section 15: Contemplation and Action

St. Catherine of Siena, Patroness of Europe

On the life, writings and spirituality of St. Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor

St. Catherine of Siena, 1347-1380 A.D.: together with St. Teresa of Avila, was declared a doctor of the Church in 1970 A.D.; she is the patron saint of Italy, of fire prevention, and of nursing.

Biographical sketch

Catherine Benincasa, now known as St. Catherine of Siena, was the youngest of 25 children - born in Siena to Giacomo [a prosperous cloth-dyer] and Lapa Benincasa. At six years of age, because of her spiritual giftedness, St. Catherine began to have mystical experiences - experiences that will mark her mission in the Church throughout her life.

Though urged by her parents to marry, St. Catherine resisted and instead entered the Third Order Dominicans [the Mantellata] in 1365 A.D. She was sixteen years old at the time. As a Third Order Dominican (Dominican tertiary), she began to lead a life of penance and prayer - according to the spirituality of her time (which was rigorous and severe compared to modern practices). At 18 years of age, St. Catherine mystically espoused Christ. Besides her mystical experiences and intense life of prayer, she ministered to the sick in hospitals - caring for those with leprosy and other distressing sickness.

St. Catherine possessed supernatural gifts and had an outspoken support of the Pope. It is her support of the papacy that gained her both supporters and enemies. Her enemies brought St. Catherine before a chapter general of the Dominicans in 1374 A.D. at Florence. But upon investigation, accusations against her were dismissed.

Back in Siena, St. Catherine cared for those stricken by the plague. Aside from taking care of plague victims, she also ministered to prisoners. St. Catherine was widely acclaimed for her holiness and for her peacemaking abilities, that she was called to arbitrate feuds and misunderstandings.

In 1375 A.D., something very extraordinary happened to St. Catherine. She was praying in the Church of St. Cristina in Pisa, Italy, when she received the 'stigmata' from Christ - piercing her hands, feet and side. [The stigmata are the "wounds of Christ" which Christ shares with some of His chosen servants]. The other popular saints who was known to have this stigmata was St. Francis of Assisi.

In 1376 A.D., St. Catherine was instrumental in the return of the Papacy from Avignon, France, to Rome. She also helped reconcile the differences between the city-state of Florence and the Holy See.

In 1378 A.D., a great schism in the Church began with the dispute on Urban VI's papacy. A group against Urban VI, elected an antipope and set up a papal court in Avignon. St. Catherine worked unceasingly to secure support for Urban VI's papacy. Urban VI brought her to Rome and made her his advisor. St. Catherine then continued in her work of prayerful support until her death in 1380 A.D. at 33 years of age.

Before her death, St. Catherine of Siena spent the rest of her days composing "The Dialogues", a book which she wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It was told that without knowing how to read or write, and with no theological education, she dictated all that was put in "The Dialogues" - which became a reason for consecration her as a doctor of the Church. Besides "The Dialogues", she also dictated letters to popes, cardinals, princes and politicians. There are about 382 letters of great interest; remarkable for its beauty and spirituality.

St. Catherine of Siena was declared a saint in 1461 A.D. by Pope Pius II; she was declared a doctor of the Church in 1970 by Pope Paul VI; and in 1999 A.D., Pope John Paul II declared her, along with two other female saints (Bridget of Sweden and Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein]), as one of the six patrons of Europe (together with Sts. Benedict, Cyril and Methodius).

Teaching and spirituality

The main point of St. Catherine of Siena's thought and spirituality is this: God is truth/love - truth that is love and love that is truth - revealed in Jesus Christ and discovered in knowledge of oneself in God and of God in oneself. The symbol that captures the reality of this dynamic is the heart: more specifically, the heart of Jesus revealing God's heart, and the human heart responding to God's heart incarnated in Jesus.

For Catherine of Siena, it is charity, love springing from God, from which the human heart receives the source of life. And the means by which the human heart can "see and experience" God in this life, is to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, and embrace the truth/love He is. This emphasis of St. Catherine of Siena on truth/love, and the charity that springs forth from God, reveals her life and spirituality as ultimately a life of charity. She has truly lived a life of charity - giving her whole self and life for the work of the Church, especially the unity needed in the Church of her time.

Excerpts from writings

Oh boundless charity! I am not surprised that in your
blood I find the power of compassion, for I see that it
was out of divine compassion, not because you owed it
to us, that you shed your blood. And you took vengeance on
the cruelest of cruelties, the cruelty we inflicted on
ourselves when by sin we made ourselves worthy of death
(Letter T210, to Matteo Cenni).

You must love [others] with the same pure love with
which I love you. But you cannot do this for me because
I love you without being loved by you, even before you
existed...[Y]ou cannot repay me. But you must give this
love to other people, loving with without being loved by
them. You must love them without any concern for your
own spiritual or material profit, but only for the glory
and praise of my name, because I love them (The
Dialogues 88 165)

Edited from the following sources:

• Saints for Our Time
• Doctors of the Church
• Spiritualities of the Heart
• Catherine of Siena: Passion for the Truth, Compassion for Humanity, by Mary O' Driscoll, O.P.
• A Year with the Saints, by Don Bosco Press, Inc.
• The Friendship of God: Christianity as Friendship, by Segundo Galilea

5th Sunday of Easter (B)

(Edited) Reflections (from) 5th Sunday of Easter (B), May 6, 2009

First reading: Acts 4:26-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 22
Second reading: 1 John 3:18-24
Gospel reading: John 15:1-8

"For apart from Me you can do nothing."

The gospel passage for the 5th Sunday of Easter, is taken from the 15th chapter of John, verses 1-8. In the passage, Jesus gives a discourse on how our lives and good works are really rooted in our relationship with Him. He says that He is the vine, the Father is the vine-grower, and all His followers are the branches. If anyone is not rooted in Jesus, he would be like a barren branch. But those who are in a personal relationship with Jesus, will bear fruit, and increase the yield of good in their life and work.

Jesus speaks about imagery in His parables which the people of His time are familiar with: shepherd-sheep, sower-seed, and wedding banquet-wedding guests. For it is in such simple parables, and things of nature which His people can easily relate with: the mustard seed, faith that can move mountains, the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, etc. In today's passage from the gospel of John, He speaks of vine-branches imagery. He uses this image to make a very essential point in life: without God, all life and successes in work are empty and barren. However, if all life and work are rooted in God (like branches to the vine), the fruits produced will overflow not only with the material essentials needed for life, but with a spirit of joy in doing God's will.

In the course of a lifetime, all people experience both successes and failures: some more intensely than others, while others with less severity or tragedy. All that is part of being human and living in a world also filled with both positive and negative realities. Before their conversion, many of the Church's Saints sought the pleasures of life without realizing that it can make an opposite turn. But this was exactly the time God sought the opportunity to make Himself real for them. He used such experiences to help His children mature with an attitude akin to His Son Jesus. It is in their relationship with God that one can see God's Hand as the Vine-grower trimming their souls to bear the spiritual fruit that is building His Kingdom: joy, fortitude, charity, perseverance, fidelity, generosity, and wisdom. These are good fruits needed in the midst of the darkness of their centuries, and also the good fruits needed up to this time in our world.

St. Louis-Marie de Montfort Writes on the Theme of Holiness

The Writings and Teachings of St. Louis-Marie de Montfort on the Theme of Christian Holiness

Feast day of St. Louis-Marie de Montfort, April 28

Introduction

St. Louis-Marie reveals

• (1) the source of holiness (the Most Blessed Trinity);
• (2) describes its origin (the Christian vocation);
• (3) indicates its authors (the Holy Spirit working through the Mother of the Redeemer);
• (4) reveals its marvelous secret (the true devotion to Mary);
• (5) proposes models of holiness (Christ, Mary, and the saints);
• (6) reminds us of the necessity of mankind's cooperation in order to acquire it (the virtues);
• (7) traces the development of its intensity (the three stages of the spiritual life); and
• (8) speaks to us of its final goal (eternal life in God).

(1) the source of holiness

The source of all holiness is the Most Blessed Trinity - the One and indivisible Triune Being who we know through the person of Christ our Lord. Montfort emphasizes the central role that Jesus plays in making us see that "in Him alone dwells the entire fullness of the divinity (Colossians 2:9) and the complete fullness of grace, virtue and perfection...in Him alone we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3)


In a hymn dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Montfort invites all Christians to draw on the source of holiness in God our Savior: "This is the source of life / On whom all the saints have drawn, / This is the beautiful fire / In which their hearts were embraced / ... Here the most imperfect soul / Can easily become the most holy" (Montfortian Hymns: 40,
16, 18)

(2) the origin of holiness

Montfort reminds all who follow his spirituality that God wishes us to become saints on earth, like Christ, and to become a part of God's glory for all eternity. He says, "It is certain that growth in the holiness of God is your (Christian) vocation...Otherwise you are resisting God in not doing the work for which he is even now keeping you in being" (Secret of Mary: 3).

Our Christian vocation to holiness will be provided by the grace and help of God so that we can attain it: and Montfort lists the means of doing so - sincere humility, unceasing prayer, complete self-denial, abandonment to divine Providence, and obedience to the will of God. (Secret of Mary: 4-5)

(3) the authors of holiness

Montfort teaches that the authors of holiness is rooted in the "hidden relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the influence they exert on the Church. Montfort is noteworthy among spiritual theologians for his efforts to make this vital relationship between the Holy Spirit and Mary visible.

His teaching on this subject can be known through what he writes in his book The True Devotion to Mary: "God the Holy Spirit wishes to fashion his chosen ones in and through Mary...the formation and the education of the great saints who will come at the end of the world are reserved to her...when the Holy Spirit finds (the spirit of Mary) in the soul, He hastens there and enters fully into it. (True Devotion: 34-36)

(4) a secret of holiness

In his writings, Montfort proposes and recommends a special form of holiness that he calls "perfect devotion to Mary", the keynote of his own spirituality and teaching. Here is how he describes this secret of holiness. Montfort says that he has seen many devout souls searching for means and ways to obtain holiness but having worked so hard and so many times, they often end up with nothing. But according to Montfort, if we follow the immaculate path of Mary, we will work very little, but we will achieve a quality of holiness that is incomparable to others - because Mary is a holy place, a holy of holies, in which saints are formed and molded in her womb to the likeness and image of Christ. (True Devotion: 218)

(5) the models of holiness

Montfort provides us with very good models of holiness: Jesus Christ, Mary, and the saints.

Jesus is the teacher and the exemplar of all Christian sainthood. Christ alone brings all the works of God to perfection, especially the saints, for he shows them what they must do and teaches them to appreciate and put into practice all he has taught them (Love of Eternal Wisdom: 56)

For Montfort also, Mary is the perfect model of every virtue and perfection, fashioned by the Holy Spirit for us to imitate, as far as our limited capacity allows (True Devotion: 260). We Christians can imitate her ten primary virtues: "deep humility, lively faith, blind obedience, unceasing prayer, constant self-denial, surpassing purity, ardent love, heroic patience, angelic kindness, and heavenly wisdom." (True Devotion: 108). To these basic ten virtues, Montfort also adds: poverty, silence and ability to listen, modesty, thankfulness, and abandonment to divine Providence.

The saints are also exemplary models of Christian perfection. Montfort teaches that among the virtues of the saints that we must imitate are: the splendor of their humility, the charm of their tenderness, the excellence of their obedience, their strength of patience, the beauty of their virginity, the necessity of their penance, the tenderness of their brotherly charity, their joy of pardon, their blessed solitude, the frequency of their prayer, their power of fasting, the generosity of their alms, their love for the Cross, the treasures of their poverty, the flame of their zeal, the wisdom of their silence, their experience of the presence of God, the pleasant appeal of their modesty, their thankfulness, and their abandonment to Providence.

Montfort spoke prophetically of the Marian secret of sainthood and had a natural sympathy for saints who, like himself; had followed the virginal and immaculate way of Mary to grow in wisdom, maturity, and holiness.

(6) the necessity of mankind's cooperation

Everyone in the Church is called to sainthood. But to do this we must cooperate with the action of God's grace and abandon the worldly spirit that prevents us from becoming holy. Among the numerous virtues that Montfort considers part of our cooperation with God's saving and sanctifying graces, two in particular should be emphasized: obedience, which is the foundation and unshakeable support of all holiness; and charity, which in itself contains the most perfect holiness.

(7) the development of intensity in holiness

The spirituality of Montfort is dynamic. It guides the Christian through the stages of (a) purification, (b) illumination, and (c) union. In the stage of purification, God liberates us from the worldly spirit that is counter to the Spirit of Jesus Christ. After going through this purgative process, the spiritual journey and experience intensifies to the level of illumination. This is the stage where the charismatic knowledge of Mary and of her way of living, dynamic presence in the mystery of Christ and the Church, and thus in the spiritual life of the Christian, is better known and loved. Finally, once this stage has been fully experienced, the third and most intense level of holiness is union with God and His will. This is the stage and level where the Christian is filled with the very fullness of Jesus Christ Himself by the very means and intercession of the Blessed Mother.

(8) the final goal of holiness

According to Montfort, the final goal of holiness is to follow the path of Mary's obedience to the will of God. If any Christian follows this path, he will be blessed with the abundance of grace and sweetness that Mary imparts to all. They will be happy at the hour of death which is sweet and peaceful - for Mary is usually present to lead these devoted souls to the home of everlasting joy and eternal life. They will be happy for all eternity because no servant of Mary who followed her path of obedience to God's will and who imitated her virtues during their life has ever been lost. They will surely be guided to their proper end: eternal life with God in heaven.

Context of this article

God Alone: The Complete Collected Writings of St. Louis-Marie de Montfort

The Prayers of St. Catherine of Siena (feast April 29)

The prayers of St. Catherine of Siena are in the form of prose, yet its poetic spirit lies in the fondness of her repeating words and phrases - addresses she makes to God.

Examples of her repetitive words are as follows:

Godhead!
Godhead!
Ineffable Godhead!

Gentle Jesus!
Jesus love!

O immeasurable love!
O gentle love!
Eternal fire!

In your light I have seen light;
in your light I have come to know the light.
In your light we come to know the source of light...

O eternal Trinity,
my sweet love!
You, light,
give us light.
You, wisdom,
give us wisdom.
You, supreme strength,
strengthen us.

O Mary!
Mary!
Temple of the Trinity!
O Mary, bearer of the fire!
Mary, minister of mercy!
Mary, seedbed of the fruit!

Twenty-six of these prayers of St. Catherine have been preserved for the Catholic Church. It is said that these prayers were transcribed by one or more of her followers who were present as she prayed aloud (refer to the exclamatory addresses to God, Jesus, and Mary).

One can see the passion that runs deep in these prayers. She intercedes and pleads passionately to God for all: for the world, for the Church, for the Pope, for her friends and followers, and all who are in need. This is one evidence of her spiritual greatness.

The simplicity also of her prayers teach us to trust in God completely and have confidence in His Providence for all that we need. Below is an example of this prayer:

O Holy Spirit, come into my heart;
by your power draw it to yourself, God,
and give me charity with fear.
Guard me, Christ, from every evil thought,
and so warm and inflame me again
with your most gentle love
that every suffering may seem light to me.
My holy Father and my gentle Lord,
help me in my every need.
Christ love! Christ love!

Key to Understanding Mark's Gospel: Peter's Confession of Faith

Who Do You Say That I Am?

Understanding the Gospel of Mark through the Confession of Peter

The Gospel of Mark

The gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four canonical gospels. Bible scholars describe the gospel of Mark like a long passion narrative. Compared to the other gospels, the presentation of the ministry of Jesus in Mark is brief and concise; the rest of the gospel flows directly to His passion, death and resurrection.

There are many ways of understanding the gospel of Mark. One way to understand is to know its key passage - the confession of Peter at Mark 8:27-30. This passage describes how Peter confessed Jesus as, "... the Christ". If the reader were to see this passage as a turning point and central axis of the gospel, then it will be easier to understand the passages before and after this turning point.

Dividing the gospel of Mark

• theme of passages before Mark 8:27-30: Who Am I?
• central point: You Are The Christ (Mark 8:27-30)
• theme of passages after Mark 8:27-30: What Does This Imply?

This construction of the gospel of Mark leads its readers to see that before Peter's confession all that Jesus did was a general thematic trend-question of who and what the identity of the Jesus is. One of the signs Jesus performed was the multiplication of the bread and many healing miracles. These signs make the people aware of the person of Jesus; the signs and miracles invites them to reflect and question: who is this? As the gospel stories then lead to the turning point, the confession of Peter, Peter gives the right answer under the inspiration of the Spirit. From this central point in Peter's confession, the readers are then led to the general thematic trend that being the Christ, the Messiah, means suffering and death. Being the Christ implies the Cross.

The main thematic passages of the Gospel of Mark

Below is the structure of the gospel of Mark according to the themes before the turning point, and the themes after the turning point.

I. Who Am I?

• Mark 1:1 - "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
  the Son of God"
• Mark 6:30-34 - First multiplication of the loaves
• Mark 7:31-37 - Healing of deaf-mute
• Mark 8:1-10 - Second multiplication of loaves
• Mark 8:22-26 - Healing of blind man of Bethsaida

II. You Are The Christ? - Mark 8:27-30

III. What Does This Imply?

• Mark 8:31 - First prediction of the passion
• Mark 9:31 - Second prediction of the passion
• Mark 10:32-34 - Third prediction of the passion
• Mark 10:35-45 - The Sons of Zebedee
• Mark 10:46-52 - Healing of blind Bartimaeus
• Mark 15:39 - Confession of the centurion: "Truly this
  man was the Son of God."

The main message of the Gospel of Mark

From this presentation, the gospel of Mark wants to present to the readers that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. The first part of the gospel speaks on the signs performed by Jesus during His public ministry. Many people wondered who this Jesus was because of the great signs He was performing. It then came to that point when the apostolic group gathered at Caesarea Philippi, and Jesus turned to His apostles and questioned them, "Who do people say that I Am?". The first answers were answers in line with what prophets do, and so some say that Jesus was Elijah, or John the Baptist who came back from the dead, or just one of the prophets. When Jesus turned to His own apostles and asked them, "Who do you say that I Am?", it was Peter who gave the inspired answer. This confession of Peter was echoed and reaffirmed by the confession of the centurion towards the end of the gospel when the centurion confessed, "Truly this man was the Son of God".

The main message of the gospel of Mark is that Jesus is the Christ who is to suffer, die and be resurrected again. The gospel of Mark makes readers aware that the Christ is not a Messiah in the manner by which the Jewish world understands what a Messiah is - a political leader to free them from foreign oppression (a glorified king like David). Rather, Jesus is the Christ, whose Kingdom is one where His disciples preach His gospel of repentance from sins, save the world from a direction of destruction and self-destruction, and live according to the peace Jesus exemplified by His life and mission.

4th Sunday of Easter (B)

(Edited) Reflections (from) 4th Sunday of Easter (B), May 6, 2006

"...The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep"

We have seen in the Holy Week that has just passed how Jesus truly lived his mission to be the Good Shepherd. He called people to listen to His word and be counted as members of His flock. And the closest to Him in His inner circle were the apostles. When the time came for Jesus to lay down His life in obedience to the will of the Father, the apostles and all disciples who followed His counsels, fled and were scattered. This fulfills what is said in Scripture: when "the Shepherd is struck down, the flock scatters". But Jesus, with a strength and faith that is only fit of Him as God's Son, truly exemplified for us what it means to the Good Shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life life for his sheep.

As Catholics in the Latin Rite of the Church, we have the privilege of having the centralized leadership of a papacy. The late Holy Father, John Paul II, followed the example of Christ, and despite suffering a long illness, showed us very well what the role of leaders in the Church are called to be: good shepherds in the manner of Christ. How does this "shepherding" apply to lay people? Shepherding can mean simply as follows: to bear the ordinary sufferings of earning a living for a family; of doing liturgical ministry on weekends; of caring for a sick family member, or to perform sick or prison apostolate for the parish. Simply dying to one's self daily in view of the greater good is what is called of us. This is already leading by good example; of being good shepherds in the manner and example of Christ. Faithfully living out this call, and acting with endurance and patience in doing God's will is already proclaiming the Good Shepherd gospel to all.

This Good Shepherd Sunday, we can ask and pray to Christ, our Good Shepherd, to grant us His Spirit, that we may obtain the strength to imitate Him in his mission to shepherd the respective flocks entrusted to us. It is not easy at first, but with discipline, patience and the help and grace of God, it can be done well.

3rd Sunday of Easter (B)

(Edited) Reflections (from) 3rd Sunday of Easter (B), April 24, 2009

First reading: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 4
Second reading: 1 John 2:1-5
Gospel reading: Luke 24:35-48

"You are witnesses of this."

The Sunday gospels in the liturgical season of Easter, are mostly presentations of Christ's resurrection appearances to His Apostles and disciples. In this Sunday's resurrection appearance, Jesus appeared again to the disciples He walked with on the road to Emmaus. As He always does, His greeting begins with "Peace to you". When the disciples became alarmed at His presence - thinking He was a ghost - Jesus invited them to realize that He had flesh and bones. To assure them He was not a ghost, Jesus asked if they had anything to eat. When they were at table, He again opened their minds to the understanding of the Scriptures - with particular attention to the words written by the prophets about Him (that He would suffer and then be raised from the dead on the third day).

"You are witnesses of this."

Because the apostles and disciples were actual witnesses to the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, they were willing to suffer in the same way that their Master did. This is what baffles many non-Christians. If the apostles and those close to Jesus were willing to die as martyrs of the faith, then the impact of Christ's resurrection and the eventual sending of the Holy Spirit, was indeed a true reality they actually saw and experienced. And this spirit of Christ's self-sacrifice out of love for the Father and the world, flowed over not only to the Apostles and the disciples who actually saw Jesus, but also to all the members of the Church, in her growth and development in history. That is why throughout the history of the Church, she continues to give birth to many martyrs. And it is these martyrs that continue to witness to the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord.

Though we, and future generations, are not and will not be actual witnesses of the events that transpired in biblical times, we can be assured of the same quality of faith as the Apostles and the disciples had of Jesus. This is the faith we receive not only from our Baptism, but from what Jesus also said to Thomas: "Blest are they who have not seen and have believed". Our faith in the Risen Lord as an individual, a family, or community, is rooted in the context of the Eucharistic community we are part of and belong to. Every time we celebrate the Eucharist with the priest-presider, the readers, the communion ministers, the choir, and all who contribute to the worship of the Lord on Sunday, we also become witnesses of Jesus - as the bread and wine become His Body and Blood.

2nd Sunday of Easter (B)

(Edited) Reflections (from) 2nd Sunday of Easter (B), April 17, 2009

First reading: Acts 4:32-35
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118
Second reading: 1 John 5:1-6
Gospel reading: John 20:19-31

"Peace be with you."

The gospel for the 2nd Sunday of Easter tells the story of Thomas, who did not at first believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. He was absent when Jesus, in His Risen body, appeared before His companions. But when Jesus came back, and Thomas was now with his companions, he came to believe in Jesus rising from the dead. Jesus told Thomas, "You became a believer because you saw me. Blest are they who have not seen and have believed".

That gospel for the 2nd Sunday of Easter is a gospel well studied by many bible scholars. One of the tools they use to interpret the meaning of that gospel passage is to count how many times a word or phrase is mentioned many times over in the passage. In this gospel passage, we find "Peace be with you" mentioned three times. Then the root word "believe", and all its word variants, are mentioned five times. With all these discoveries of the repetition of certain words, the bible scholars generally say that the themes the evangelist John wanted to convey and present to his readers are "peace" and "faith".

Peace and faith are the messages the Risen Lord wanted to convey to His apostles, and also to us in the present. Jesus knew this was the "solution" after He and everyone at Calvary experienced so much violence and abuse on His person. Jesus proved that peace and faith will always be victorious against violence and discord. God's mercy inspires all to believe and to practice peace in all life and work. Jesus shows us be His very example how, despite being crucified, forgave His executioners. And in His Risen body, He brings a message of peace. We are also called to forgive those who trespass against us, seek forgiveness for own trespasses, and amend our lives to be a herald of peace. It is God's grace in the Eucharist that gives us the strength to forgive as Jesus did and to bring peace to others as He did.

With faith in the Risen Person of Christ, we ought not to doubt like Thomas. It was Thomas' proximity to the Risen Jesus that eliminated all his doubt and brought him to faith again. In the same way, it is by our proximity to the Eucharist, our involvement and practice of its message in daily life and work, that will help us live in faith and believe always in the power of the Resurrection. We can be merciful and forgiving by being rooted in Christ, the Divine Mercy. This Divine Mercy is always in the Eucharist. We shall obtain the peace that only Christ can give (and which we are called to give in the same manner to the world as Jesus did). Together with our brothers in the Franciscan orders and congregations, we sing and pray, "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace."

Easter Sunday (B)

(Edited) Reflections (from) Easter Sunday, April 16, 2006

"He saw and believed"


There are three characters in the Easter Sunday gospel: Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, and the other disciple (the one Jesus loved). In this resurrection account of John, it is Mary Magdalene who first witnessed that the stone of the tomb was moved away. And it was she who reported to Simon Peter and John that "they" had taken away the body of Jesus. When Mary mentioned "they", we are not sure to whom she was referring to, but what really is the focus of attention and importance, is the loss of the body of the Lord.

We see that Mary Magdalene's report to Peter and John sent the two "running" toward the tomb. The report of the loss of Jesus' body brought on an urgent response. As the two ran, the gospel tells us that John outran Peter, telling us that John was really much younger than Peter. However, when John arrived at the tomb, he peered and did not enter. It was Peter who went in when he arrived at the tomb. Peter saw the wrappings and the piece of cloth which had covered the head of Jesus. As Peter was examining these, it was then that John entered the tomb. The gospel tells us his response: "He saw and believed".

Three disciples of Jesus: Mary Magdalene, Peter and John. They were told by Jesus that He was to rise from the dead after three days. But they did not as yet understand this and what the Scriptures tell about this. It was the experience of the "empty tomb" that made them respond in different levels of faith to what Jesus taught and what Jesus' person meant to them. Mary's faith was on the level of the senses. Although she knew that Jesus told all of them that He was to rise from the dead after three days, her level of faith could not as yet integrate what her senses perceived. On the other hand, Peter's faith was one that sought understanding. When he entered the tomb and found that Jesus' body was not there, he "observed" the wrappings and the piece of cloth lying there. He wanted to "understand" what this evidences were and what this event-experience was. As to the disciple Jesus loved, we are told that "he saw and believed". John's faith in Christ, since he was closest to Jesus, has reached a level of love. And a faith that integrates the mystery of love, easily understands the mystery of God - especially the mystery of God in Jesus of Nazareth.

All of us are Marys, Peters, and Johns in some way or another, in our journey of faith in the risen Lord. Sometimes, our faith is on the level of the senses like Mary. We say to ourselves, "nothing in the Scripture explicitly says Jesus is risen". The resurrection accounts only describe an empty tomb. Or we may be like Peter who tries to understand and observe everything in the mystery of the empty tomb. Perhaps we may read the biblical context of everything reported about the Resurrection of Jesus and meditate on all the physical evidences and on its meaning - objectively and for ourselves. But, when we have the level of faith as John, whose faith was rooted in his being close to Christ, our contemplation on the mystery of Christ will lead us to exclaim in our hearts: "He is risen".

Good Friday (Year B)

(Edited) Reflections (from) Good Friday, April 10, 2009

First reading: Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 31
Second reading: Hebrew 4:14-16; 5:7-9
Gospel reading: John 18:1 - 19:42

"Now it is finished."

The gospel passage for Good Friday spans two chapters in the gospel of John. It starts with Jesus and His disciples going across the Kidron valley, and then entering a garden in that area. Moving then to the end of the gospel passage, there is another mention of a garden - in which is found an empty tomb for Jesus to be buried. Between the garden at beginning of this gospel and the garden at the end of the passage, are the events of Christ's passion we know by heart. These events are proclaimed in the gospel of Good Friday's liturgy. The dramatization of the events makes the spirit of the liturgy the most solemn day of all days in the liturgical calendar of the Church. The solemnity and deep reverence which the ceremony produces reminds the mass-goer of that law in the heart which God places in each one.

When the part of the gospel says:

"When Jesus took the wine, He said, "Now it is finished. Then he bowed His head, and delivered over His Spirit",

the whole congregation is requested to kneel down in reverence, with each one silently acknowledging in his heart the great self-sacrificing love God has for each and every one in the world.

Jesus had a very short public life. Traditionally, it is said to be three years (with his death at age thirty-three). But it was a public life fully spent at the service of all humanity - in obedience to His Father's will. In those short years, Jesus had healed so many people - from all sorts of ailments and from demonic possession. He has taught and preached so many times - on top of a mountain, before a very large crowd, and most often during simple meal gatherings. And the miracles and wonders He has performed amazed not only His apostles but whole groups of people. And probably His greatest miracle was the raising of Lazarus from the dead.

After that mission of raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus had incurred the enmity of the Scribes and Pharisees. For the people were flocking more to Him and listening more to His teaching. And so it happened as He had predicted. He was betrayed to the Pharisees. He was arrested, scourged and nailed to a cross. In the crucifixion, when the hour Jesus spoke of was to be fulfilled, Jesus said, "Now it is finished". His mission however had not ended there. It continues to this day in our daily lives. As the we await Him buried in the tomb, to rise again on Easter Sunday, all will know that what He "finished", we continue. We continue to proclaim: For God so loved all of humanity and all of creation, that He gave His only Son Jesus, to die on a cross and rise again, that all may realize the need for the light of His resurrection to guide all humanity and the world now till the end of the age.

Passion Sunday (B)

(Edited) Reflections (from:) Passion Sunday March 29, 2009, Year B

First reading: Isaiah 50:4-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 22
Second reading: Philippians 2:6-11
Gospel reading: Mark 14:1 - 15:47

"Clearly this Man was the Son of God!"

Passion Sunday (traditionally known as Palm Sunday) begins the holiest week of all the liturgical weeks in the Church's calendar. The gospel for Passion Sunday presents a narration of the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus. The main events of this Passion are as follows:

• Jesus in the house of Simon with a woman entering and pouring perfume on the head of Jesus
• Judas Iscariot going to the chief priests to hand Jesus over to them
• Jesus celebrating the Last Supper together with His apostles
• Jesus going to the Mount of Olives to pray
• Judas arriving accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs
• Jesus arrested and led off to the high priest
• Jesus accused of blasphemy; and the abuse done on Him by the members of the Sanhedrin
• Peter out in the courtyard and denying Jesus three times before breaking down in tears
• the Sanhedrin sending Jesus to Pilate for interrogation
• Barabbas released in behalf of Jesus who was sentenced by His own people to be crucified
• the soldiers abusing Jesus and mocking Him
• Jesus journeying to Golgotha carrying the cross - with Simon of Cyrene obliged to help Him carry the cross a part of the way
• Jesus crucified and the soldiers rolling dice to gamble for His garments
• two thieves sentenced to die with Jesus, one on His left, and the other, on His right
• Jesus crying out "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?
• Jesus crying out His last breath and the sanctuary's curtain suddenly torn in two - from top to bottom
• a centurion who stood guard exclaimed, "Clearly this Man was the Son of God!
• some women and others who came up from Jerusalem, looked at Jesus from a distance
• Joseph of Arimathea arranging for the proper burial of Jesus

Listening to these events when the gospel is read, or presented as a short dramatization, is a great help in contemplating the great love God has for each one and all He created. The image of Christ crucified on top of any altar - that image of Jesus wounded, suffering, and dying on the cross - is an image that will always have a strong impact on souls. This Crucified image and the events of the Passion will turn many times over in the minds and hearts of those who believe. In the hearts of the faithful is an eternal love that is rooted many centuries ago to a man of God who was born and died on the Cross. And this love knows that the cause of peace on earth will, despite all appearances, be fulfilled. Every Passion Sunday, this nascent truth is sown deep in the hearts of all who attend the Eucharist. It will impress in man's consciousness that there indeed is reason to hope and a reason to live and work for the cause of peace.

Christ's death on the cross is only the beginning of the cause for peace, not the end; it is, after three days, a mark of a glorious beginning. As long as all the faithful never renege on their commitment to Jesus, any death-related situation or event in life will not faze the gift of faith and hope which that commitment inspires. Death will not shock or shake anyone as long as man's context of meaning in life and work is always seen in the context of the Passion of Jesus. For the believer knows that Christ's passion and death is what will lead Him and all who believe in Him to the glory of His resurrection.

This beginning of Holy Week then is a time to pray more and learn how the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God, will continually give meaning to our life and also inspire those who do not yet believe. It is a time to give more time also for the needy. For they are clothed in the appearance of Christ's Passion. It is a time to listen, to keep still, and to let the spirit of the Season sink deeply into each heart and soul. It is a time to reflect and to imagine: if you place yourself in that "hour" with Jesus and His apostles, using your imagination - what would you think and do? Would you run and hide like the apostles? Would you be with the others from Jerusalem who looked at Jesus from the distance? Or would you be one of those who kept all that happened in their minds and hearts, and retold the story to others that they may believe?

Memorial of Saints (March 20)

St. Cuthbert wanted to live in solitude as a hermit, but he could not do so because he was appointed bishop of Hexam. Though he was very prayerful, he did not neglect the care of the needy and the abandoned. He was known to have the gift of healing and prophetic visions. With his gift of healing, he healed many who were struck during a plague (died ca. 687 A.D.).

St. Wulfram served at the court of Theodore III of Neustria, and then received an appointment as archbishop of Sens. Wulfram resigned after two and a half years, and became a missionary to the Frisians (who probably lived at that time in what is now present-day Netherlands, northern Germany and southern Denmark). After years of missionary work, he returned to the monastery of Fontenelle (died ca. 703 A.D.).

St. Herbert was a disciple and close friend of St. Cuthbert. Ordained a priest, Herbert lived on an island in Lake Derwentwater, England. This was the origin of the island's name - St. Herbert's Island (died ca. 687 A.D.).

St. Photina is the name Catholic tradition gives to the Samaritan woman Jesus encountered at a well (John 4) in his itinerant missionary life. After being converted by Jesus, Photina preached the gospel, was imprisoned for three years, and died a martyr at Carthage. Martyred together with her were the servants of Emperor Nero's daughter who were all converted to the Christian faith.

St. Martin of Braga built several monasteries. In Braga, he was made metropolitan of Galicia - in present-day Spain. St. Martin wrote several treatises, two of which are Formula vitae horestae and De correctione rusticorum. St. Martin died at Dumium - the main monastery where he did his work as bishop (died ca. 597 A.D.).

5th Sunday of Lent (B)

(Edited) Reflections (from) 5th Sunday of Lent Year B, March 29, 2009

First reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51
Second reading: Hebrews 5:7-9
Gospel reading: John 12:20-33

"...If it dies, it produces much fruit."

In the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the gospel presents Jesus speaking about His impending Passion. The passage in John's gospel specifies the Passion as an "hour" - with the Lord Himself mentioning that His hour is coming to pass. That "hour" involves everything in His passion, death and resurrection: beginning with His arrest, to His crucifixion, death on the Cross and resurrection. Aside from the "hour", Jesus also mentions the image of a grain of wheat falling to the earth, and then dies. The Lord uses this analogy to help His hearers understand His dying not as a loss, but one that produces much fruit. It is Christ's will that all who follow Him understand that losses or deaths in its many forms, small or big, if rooted in His life and work, will bear fruit for the greater good.

This Sunday's gospel makes all aware that though Jesus is divine, He was also human. And He expressed it well by saying, "My soul is troubled now, yet what should I say - Father, save Me from this hour?" Jesus knew He was sent by the Father to save the world. And God spoke in a voice from the heavens to make the people also aware of who Jesus is, and what would transpire in that hour that will come to pass. It is an "hour" for the glory of God - a mystery so deep, clothed in the appearance of the Crucifixion, and one which God's wisdom transcends all human reason or philosophy.

It is human to worry, fear or be anxious about the realities of losses and deaths. Some psychologists made a survey, and surprisingly, it was not death that man fears the most but speaking before a crowd of people he does not know. But even with this modern survey, the fear of death has been in the mind of ancient man for it is a reality not known to him. Man fears anything unknown. But Jesus' death helps man understand what it is in the context of faith in a Father who knows all. Since death is a spiritual reality unseen, an analogy is used to understand it in a context of natural faith: like a grain of wheat that falls to the earth and dies, and produces much fruit. Faith in Jesus is keeping to His word in faith - that death leads to resurrection, to new life - in this world, and in the next.

4th Sunday of Lent (B)

(Edited) Reflections (from) 4th Sunday of Lent (B), March 18, 2012

Liturgical readings

2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23
Psalm 137
Ephesians 2:4-10
John 3:14-21

"That the world might be saved through Christ."

It is by sinfulness that humanity can be condemned and judged by God. But God in His faithfulness and mercy, does not want humanity to suffer this final fate. Instead, He sent His Son Jesus, His only begotten, to lead all humanity to the Truth, the Way, and the Life Jesus teaches. Jesus is the true Source of healing and salvation from sin and eternal death. Whoever believes in God in Jesus, and approaches Him with a contrite heart in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, will be saved. What is needed is to make daily steps to reform his life, to resolve not to repeat past offenses against God, and not to commit again the past sins that can lead him to die in iniquity and perdition. If man roots all his life and work in God, he will share in the eternal life that is meant for all.

The Lord entered human history not to rule as the world's kings do, but to serve, to bring light to all minds and hearts, and to show the path that leads to His Kingdom. In His kingdom, His throne is not of gold nor of silver, but a Cross that lifted Him up on Golgotha. This cross of the Saviour is part of the path and journey to His kingdom. It is a path strewn with sacrifices, humility, mortification and life-giving work. God sent His Son Jesus to call us to His Kingdom. And there is no need to leave one's present state of life and work. Anyone can find Jesus, and the path to His Kingdom wherever he already is. Continuous conversion and a daily turning of one's heart to God is the key to His Kingdom.

Following Christ's call to conversion and to journey to His Kingdom needs hearts purified from values in modern culture that oppose what Christ teaches. Jesus espouses the value of the Cross but sharing in the Cross of Christ does not mean performing extraordinary feats of mortification; it can simply mean carrying one another's burdens in life with the spirit of His charity. This is exactly why the Father sent His Son: that all may learn to listen to Him well, and believe. Listening is difficult, but can be made easy with discipline. The discipline can be learned. To learn to listen to God in His Word and Sacrament will always help anyone "put off the old man, be dressed anew (Ephesians 4:22-24), abandon sin, and then remove everything that presents an obstacle to the love of God" (from St. Francis de Sales). And this spiritual direction produces a hope for all humanity "that the world might be saved through Christ."

3rd Sunday of Lent (B)

(Edited) Reflections (from) 3rd Sunday of Lent (B), March 11, 2012

Liturgical readings

Exodus 20:1-17
Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 1:22-25
John 2:13-25

"He was talking about the temple of His Body."

There is a DVD on "The Gospel of John". What makes the film very good is its focus on the gospel story and not the actors. No famous names nor multi-awarded actors nor actresses are mentioned. This was done for the viewers' attention; that they may not be distracted from the storyline of John's gospel. In the film, when the scene that refers to the story of Jesus' Cleansing of the Temple is shown, Jesus' zeal and indignation at the moneychangers in the Temple was forcefully represented. Even when the many details of the scene are already added interpretations of the film's producers, the viewers will still understand well the value of respect for sacred things, places and all that pertains to worshipping Yahweh.

That film's scene on the Cleansing of the Temple is this Sunday's gospel. The gospel refers to Jesus presenting His Body as a temple. He prophesied that when His enemies would destroy the temple of His Body, God will bring it back to Life. Jesus' hearers and followers did not understand this at first. So did the all the Jewish people of His time. They always knew the temple as the temple King Solomon built for them (which took many years to build). Only when the events of the crucifixion, death and resurrection happened, did Christ's followers begin to understand more what Jesus was teaching regarding the temple of His Body. It was that Temple that was brought to life again after three days.

From the Scriptures John wrote, to the film's scene on the Cleansing on the Temple, we are now called to understand what it means today. We live in a very modern and secularized environment. In this secularized world one can learn to respect sacred realities and things as it was in the olden days. All the monks, desert fathers and saints of Eastern and Western Christianity give a very good example of piety and fear of God. They and the Church today know well the danger of impiety, irreverence and disrespect against all sacred matters. Modern man can live among many man-made things but need not be too attached to it. Too much attachment can produce arrogance and pride in the soul.

So this Sunday's gospel reminds all of us to place God above all - especially when in His Temple. It makes all realize that man-made things are simply means, and not ends in themselves. Christ teaches all the faithful to have a healthy detachment and indifference to all matters that pertain to world.

2nd Sunday of Lent (B)

(Edited) Reflections (from) 2nd Sunday of Lent (B), March 4,2012

Liturgical readings
Genesis 22:1-2a, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
Psalm 116
Romans 8:31b-34
Mark 9:2-10

"Listen to Him."

Some bible scholars would interpret the mystery of Christ's transfiguration as a prefigurement of His resurrection - a glimpse of what that future mystery would be. Since Jesus had been telling his apostles of His impending death (Mark 9:31-33), the vision of the Transfiguration was meant to encourage Peter, James and John - to encourage them through the Crucifixion events until His resurrection. The discouraging events of the crucifixion was truly a test of faith for all of Christ's apostles. All the faithful today know what happened: Peter suffered from his denial of Jesus; James probably fled and hid together with the others; and John accompanied Mary to the foot of the Cross where they witnessed the agony and passion of Christ on the Cross.

So the Transfiguration was a mystery revealed to two leaders of the apostles (Peter for the entire Church, and James for the local community of Jerusalem) and to an evangelist (the apostle John). In that event that happened on a mountain, a voice from heaven called out: "Listen to Him". The apostles with Jesus heard the voice, but they did not understand entirely what it meant. Like the other apostles and followers of Jesus, they clung to traditional Jewish understanding which believes the Messiah would be a political leader - one who would liberate Israel from foreign powers. Jesus however made it clear that His kingdom is not of this world. His mission was to free humanity from sin and death. Only when the events of His passion took place, did all the followers fully understand the Truth of God in Jesus. It took time for the apostles, and also for us today, to learn to listen well.

Listening. To listen. It seems coincidental that the letters in the word "listen" are also the same letters in the word "silent". Silence is the key to understand and know who Jesus is for each and everyone. The liturgical season of Lent is a time to listen very well to Jesus and His words in the Eucharist. If one puts aside some time for silence and prayer, then understanding the meaning of the faith will reveal why we are where we are, and what we should do where we are. The apostles' vision of Christ's Transfiguration is a vision of faith we all need to understand also for ourselves. It is a mystery not only meant for the apostles, but also for all the faithful. It is a gift for the Church so that all may be encouraged in times where faith in Jesus needs the strength of discipline.

Memorial of Saints (February 20)

St. Ulric was an English hermit. He was converted to this state of life by a beggar he conversed with. But before he became a hermit, he was a parish priest. In his conversion to the eremitical life, Ulric's led a very penitential and holy life, which led kings Henry I and Stephen (successor to Henry) to make a pilgrimage to Ulric's hermit cell. Various miracles were reported at Ulric's tomb (died ca. 1154 A.D.).

Blessed Elizabeth of Mantua was an Italian of noble and wealthy ancestry. Elizabeth and one of her sisters entered the Third Order of the Servites after their mother's death. Elizabeth was known to have the gift of making predictions - with one prediction accurately made about her death, before it happened a year after. Many miracles were reported to have happened at her tomb (died ca. 1468 A.D.).

St. Eleutherius of Tournai became bishop of Tournai in Gaul in the year 486 A.D. At that time, the Arian heresy was influencing many Christians to their teaching. But St. Eleutherius was able to win back his people from the Arians. Because of his success, a group of Arians attacked him and beat him up as he left his church (died ca. 532 A.D.).

Sts. Tyrannio, Zenobius and Companions were martyrs of the early 4th century A.D. Tyrannio was bishop of Tyre, while Zenobius was a priest and physician of Sidon. Together with other Christians, they were martyred for their faith in Christ. St. Tyrannio was tortured, and then was drowned. St. Zenobius was put on the rack, and died later on from the torture (died ca. 310 A.D.).

St. Sadoth was a deacon who represented his bishop in the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. When Sadoth's bishop was martyred, Sadoth succeeded to the episcopate. But because of the intense persecutions of Christians at the time by Persian King Sapor II, Sadoth went into hiding. Sapor II eventually reached also the area where Sadoth was, and had him and many of his faithful imprisoned. All of them were tortured and St. Sadoth was beheaded (died ca. 342 A.D.).

St. Eucherius of Orleans became a Benedictine monk. Despite his vehement objections, he was elected bishop of Orleans in 721 A.D. When Eucherius opposed Charles Martel in the use of Church revenues to finance his wars, Martel exiled Eucherius to Cologne in Germany. In Cologne, Eucherius became popular, so Charles had him arrested but allowed Eucherius to retire to a monastery near Maastricht in the Netherlands (died ca. 743 A.D.).

1st Sunday of Lent (B)

(Edited) Reflections (from:) 1st Sunday of Lent (B), February 26, 2012

Liturgical readings

Genesis 9:8-15 Psalm 25 1 Peter 3:18-22 Mark 1:12-15

"Reform your lives and believe in the good news."

The gospel passage for the 1st Sunday of Lent (B) is comprised of only 4 verses; yet, in many Catholic bible translations, this passage is divided into two paragraphs: The Temptation of Jesus (verses 12-13) and The Beginning of Jesus' Galilean Ministry (verses 14-15). Mark's description of the temptation of Jesus is not as detailed as that of Matthew's version (Mt 4:1-11), nor of Luke's version (Lk 4:1-13). In Mark's version, there are no descriptive details of the Jesus' encounter with Satan. And the victory of Jesus over Satan's temptation is implied in the gospel of Mark.

Jesus was like all humanity in every way except for sin. God was made flesh in Him to give all the faithful strength against sin and the practice of virtue. Because of the sin man inherited from Adam and Eve, he easily succumbs to sin, either venial or mortal. Only Jesus in His purity can give all humanity strength to obey God, follow His counsels and inspirations. Since all have been gifted with faith at the sacrament of baptism, the baptized have the responsibility to nurture this faith in Jesus. The quality of this faith gives strength to overcome temptations: the cravings of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the strong pull of worldly ambition - three temptations that can ruin and destroy souls (as it almost did St. Augustine, before his conversion).

St. Augustine read and studied the bible well. In one of his sermons, St. Augustine teaches that the battle against evil is "harsher for those who are young". He is speaking from experience and reflecting in his wisdom years. It is true. In old age, the seniors (seasoned Catholics) know well about this fight and have passed through it many times. Quoting St. Augustine, he says: "you have grown old in this combat...age has worn you of the fight". And the wise saint continues to say that even old age can "wear out the foes". But St. Augustine knows the importance of vigilance, because he knows the ancient enemy still "does not cease to disturb the peace even of old age".

Memorial of Saints (February 12)

St. Saturninus and Companions were martyrs from Abitina in Africa. Saturninus was a priest who gathered 48 other men, women and children for a Sunday religious assembly. The soldiers of the empire asked for the surrender of the Sacred Scriptures. When Saturninus and the assembly refused, they were arrested and sent to Carthage. Some were executed the following day while the rest were allowed to die of hunger in prison. This was during the persecution of Christians under the Emperor Diocletian (died ca. 304 A.D.).

St. Benedict of Aniane was a reformer of Benedictine monasteries in France. He first became a monk and then decided to live as a hermit in his own estate. Later, others joined him. They built a monastery and a church. Benedict soon got the support of the emperor and became director of all the monasteries in the empire. In 817 A.D., he systematized the Benedictine rule. Considered the restorer of Western monasticism, he is often called the "second Benedict".

St. Marina was brought by her father (a Bithynian) to a monastery dressed as a boy. Marina suffered much and was assigned the lowliest tasks. She was also made to perform the most severe penances. When her gender was revealed at her death, all those who maltreated or falsely accused her were filled with remorse (date of death unknown).

St. Julian the Hospitaler was of noble birth. He married a wealthy widow and lived in a castle. While Julian was away, his parents arrived seeking him. Julian's wife accommodated them for the night in the master's bedroom. When Julian was startled to see a man and woman in his bed, he killed them, not knowing that it was his parents. Filled with much remorse, he fled from the castle, resolving to do a fitting penance. He was joined by his wife and they built an inn for travelers and a hospital for the poor. Julian was eventually forgiven for his crime (date of death unknown).

St. Meletius of Antioch was appointed bishop of Sebastea in ca. 358 A.D. When the appointment caused dissension, Meletius fled to the desert and then to Syria. In 361 A.D., he was elected archbishop of Antioch. But conflicts continued and Meletius was exiled to Lower Armenia. Since the Arian heresy was causing great rifts in the Church, Meletius suffered further exiles. Only in 378 A.D., when the pro-Arian Valens died, that Meletius was reinstated to his see. St. Meletius presided at the 3rd General Council of Constantinople (died ca. 381 A.D.).

St. Ethelwald was an assistant to St. Cuthbert and became prior of Old Melrose in Scotland. He eventually became abbot of the monastery. Upon the death of Eadfrith in 721 A.D., Ethelwald succeeded as bishop of Lindisfarne. St. Ethelwald was highly praised by St. Bede the English historian (died ca. 740 A.D.).

St. Antony Kauleas was of Phrygian descent. He entered a monastery near Constantinople upon the death of his mother. In time, he became abbot of the monastery. In 893 A.D., he was chosen patriarch of Constantinople. As patriarch, Antony was active in reconciling the differing theological factions within his patriarchate (died ca. 901 A.D.).

St. Ludan was the son of a Scottish prince. On the death of his father, he gave his inheritance to the poor and built a hospice for pilgrims and the ill. He then went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On the way back, he dreamed of his death in a place near Strasbourg. When he awoke, he was given communion by an angel, and then afterwards, he passed away (died ca. 1202 A.D.).

6th Sunday of the Year (B)

(Edited) Reflections (From) 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B), February 12, 2012

Liturgical readings

Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46
Psalm 32
1 Corinthians 10:31 - 11:1
Mark 1:40-45

"I do will it. Be cured."

In the past Sunday gospels, people kept coming to Jesus for healing. It was clear to the people "Who" and "What" the Good News is: He is Jesus, and He brings restoration and healing. Today's passage describes another healing miracle which Jesus performed. It is a story of a leper. A leper approached Jesus and begged for healing. Jesus, moved with compassion, cured the leper. Jesus warned the healed man not to spread the "Word", but because of the man's joy, he made the story public. The Good News he made public, which the healed man concretely experienced in his life produced such joy in him that it overflowed to others.

Part of the realities of life that all people of all cultures experience are sin, sickness and death. It is clearly plain in the reading of the Scriptures, both in the Old and the New Testament. And it is experienced in every part of man's life. But these negative realities, these death-dealing direction should not be "the" reality. The Word of God incarnated in Jesus is a greater "reality". In truth, He is the best. In Him, the Good News of life and eternal life is being revealed to every member of the faithful from the rising of the sun until its setting. Our main task is to believe in Christ and receive continuous healing from our sins through prayer, the Sacraments, and good works. The joy the healed man experienced can be the same joy for all. It is a joy from amendment in one's state of life and fulfillment of one's responsibilites.

What do the classics say about this? The Classics regard Jesus as the Divine Physician of our souls. May this quote from St. Augustine give clarity to this great truth in the Person of Jesus:

"Rightly is my hope strong in Him, because You will heal all my diseases, through Him "who sits at Your right hand and makes intercession for us," elsewise I would despair. Many and great are those infirmities of mine, many they are and great, but more potent is Your medicine. We could think that Your Word is far from union with men, and we could despair of ourselves, unless He has been "made flesh and dwell amongst us." (from the Confessions of St. Augustine)

Memorial of Saints (February 5)

St. Agatha dedicated herself to God and a life of chastity early in life. A Roman consul desired her and used the persecutions to possess her. When Agatha refused his advances, the consul subjected her to all kinds of tortures including the cutting off of her breasts. The final torture which led to her death was her being rolled over red-hot coals (date of death unknown).

St. Avitus of Vienne succeeded his father as bishop in 490 A.D. Avitus became known for his wisdom, learning and charity. He converted King Sigismund of Burgundy to Christianity in 516 A.D. Avitus wrote an allegorical epic on the creation of man, a poem on chastity, and many homilies and letters still existing to this day (died ca. 525 A.D.).

St. Bertoul came from Germany and was converted to Christianity when he went to Flanders. He became the steward of Count Wambert. Bertoul accompanied the Count and his wife on a pilgrimage to Rome. Upon the death of the Count and his wife, Bertoul was granted their estate, but he decided to retire instead to a monastery he had founded at Renty. It was here that St. Bertoul spent his last years (died ca. 705 A.D.).

Sts. Indractus and Dominica were siblings from Ireland. They were children of an Irish chieftain and were Christians. The two siblings went on a pilgrimage to Rome with several of their companions but they were killed by Saxons near Glastonbury, England (died ca. 710 A.D.).

St. Vodalus was from the north of the British Isles. He went to Gaul to preach the Christian faith and then became a recluse beside St. Mary's Convent as Soissons. He was known for his holiness and dedication to a life of poverty. Noted also to have performed miracles, he died ca. 720 A.D.

St. Adelaide of Bellich was the daughter of the Count of Guelder. She became abbess of Bellich convent, near Bonn, and also at St. Mary's in Cologne. These two abbeys were built by her father. Known for her charity to the poor, this is where she spent her last years (died ca. 1015 A.D.).

The Martyrs of Japan were seventeenth-century martyrs which included: one layman, 10 Dominican priests, and 13 Dominican laypeople. Some of their names were: Peter Baptist, Martin de Aguirre, Francis Blanco, Philip de las Casas, Paul Miki, John Goto, James Kisai, Francis Miako, Gonsalo Garcia, Louis Ibarko, Thomas Kasaki and Francis-of-St-Michael (died ca. 1637 A.D.).

5th Sunday of the Year (B)

(Edited) Reflections: (From) 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B), February 5, 2012

Liturgical readings

Job 7:1-4, 6-7
Psalm 147
1 Corinthians 9:1-19, 22-23
Mark 1:29-39

"He went off to a lonely place in the desert to pray."

Jesus teaches all who hear the gospel that prayer is the key to make lives, relationships and work contribute to healing in all its forms. Though Jesus was busy healing many people (including Simon Peter's mother-in-law), He showed a good example to those who follow Him, how He makes prayer the first priority in His ministry: "He rose up early in the morning to pray." Like Jesus, in prayer, all the faithful can receive from the Father that life-giving spirit that brings healing and help to many, with its primary source in the Eucharist.

For many who live in the city or semi-urban areas, discipline and planning is necessary to manage time and set some for prayer, reading of Scripture, and reflection. Following the example of Jesus, anyone can rise early in the morning and make prayer the first priority of his work day. What Jesus exemplifies in the gospel has become a well-founded tradition in the Church: from the monastic spirituality of ancient Christianity up to present daily Mass-goers of many parishes. The Sacraments invite all to be healed of many bad habits that need to be replaced by life-giving ones that the faithful may be a strong witness to others.

There are many practical helps to lead the faithful to prayer. Meditation tapes are very popular. There are also many books that give ideas how each one can pray more effectively. If one's intuitive and feeling faculties are strong, then these are a big help (especially in reading Scripture passages). Intuition and feeling accompanied with God's grace lifts up minds and hearts to God. St. Augustine, a known authority in the faith, is noted to have used his intuitive and feeling faculties in prayer. The prayer and spiritual tradition of other saints can also help (St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Thomas of Aquinas, and St. Francis of Assisi). Following the Saints' tradition of prayer helps well to obtain that depth of rootedness needed to make Christian life an instrument of peace and hope for many.