Memorial of Saints (January 27)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Angela Merici, virgin
• Julian of Le Mans, bishop
• Marius or May, abbot
• Vitalian, pope

St. Angela Merici (ca. 1470/74-1540 A.D.) was one of the Saints and Leaders of the Counter Reformation that sparked and enkindled a spiritual revival in the Church.

The leaders who reawakended Catholic life together with Angela Merici:

• St. Philip Neri (1515-1595 A.D.)
• St. Teresa of Avila (d. 1582 A.D.)
• St. John of the Cross (d. 1591 A.D.)
• St. John of God (d. 1550 A.D.)
• St. Camillus of Lellis (d. 1614 A.D.)
• St. Jane Frances de Chantal (d. 1641 A.D.)
• Peter of Bérulle (d. 1629 A.D.)
• St. John Eudes (d. 1680 A.D.)
• St. Vincent de Paul (d. 1660 A.D.)
• Armand Jean Le Bouthillier de Rancé (d. 1700 A.D.)
• St. John Baptist de la Salle (d. 1719 A.D.)
• St. Ignatius of Loyola (d. 1556 A.D.)

St. Angela Merici founded the Ursuline nuns. At first, she became a Franciscan tertiary and began to devote her life to the education of poor girls. But then, she and several companions placed themselves under the patronage of St. Ursula, who may have been a fourth-century British princess who was martyred. They began with no vows and wore lay clothing. Soon, they followed a Rule which prescribed virginity, poverty and obedience. The community finally became a Congregation in 1544 A.D. St. Angela Merici was canonized in 1807 A.D.

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [January 27]

• Translation of the Relics of St. John Chrysostom

3rd Sunday of the Year (C)

(Edited) Reflections (from) Liturgical Years 2011 (A), 2012 (B), and 2013 (C)

3rd Sunday of the Year (C), January 27, 2013

Liturgical readings

Nehemiah 8:2-4, 5-6, 8-10

Psalm 19

1 Corinthians 12:12-30

Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21

"He entered the synagogue on the sabbath and stood up to do the reading."

The Lord begins His public ministry in this gospel story. He enters the synagogue at Nazareth, unrolls the scroll and reads a passage from the book of the prophet Isaiah. The passage He read from Isaiah refers to the mission of the promised Messiah. Jesus, after finishing the reading, rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant, and sat down. Those present in the synagogue knew His family background, for that synagogue was located in Nazareth where He had been reared. There could have been an emphatic silence that pervaded the whole synagogue - a silence where the presence of God was deeply felt. When all those present had their eyes on Jesus, He said: "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."

"This scripture passage is fulfilled". What did Jesus mean? The passage from Isaiah speaks about 'liberty to captives, sight to the blind, and the release of prisoners'. When the Lord said that, He was referring to His very Person and role as Savior. God sent Him to proclaim freedom to all those captive to sin. But what does being captive to sin mean? If we look forward to how this was interpreted by the teachers of the faith, St. Gregory (who lived 500 years after Christ), wrote about eight vices (in thought and in spirit) that draw souls away from God. He lists them down as: pride, ambition, anger, hatred, gluttony, impurity, greed and sadness. All these enslave and imprison, and bring darkness to the heart. It was to free us from these that Jesus said, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."

What Jesus proclaimed was the Good News, not only in word, but in His very person and actions. And that Good News is meant for all. This is opposite to the spirit of the scribes and the Pharisees. Jesus calls everyone, especially all souls who are infirm at one time or another. He offers freedom from darkness and mediocrity. He calls all to seek the Kingdom and its everlasting Light. It is the healing power of His Light that restores the light of God's image and likeness in all. Not all accept the message; but God does not give up. His call continues through the Church, in the time of St. Gregory, and up to now in the Sacraments. Those who see, seek and receive the light in the Sacraments, find in Jesus everything they have ever wanted or hoped for. Those who respond to the call, respond in gratitude and are encouraged by God's Spirit to do their part to build the "city of God" wherever they work or live.

Memorial of Saints (January 26)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Timothy and Titus, bishops
• Robert of Molesmes, Alberic, & Stephen Harding, abbots
• Paula, widow
• Conan, bishop
• Eystein, bishop
• Margaret of Hungary, virgin

St. Timothy (d. ca. 97 A.D.) was living in Lystra when St. Paul visited in the year 47 A.D. He joined St. Paul for the second and third missionary journeys and is frequently mentioned in both the Acts of the Apostles and in Paul's letters. According to tradition, St. Timothy became the first bishop of Ephesus and was stoned to death when he opposed a pagan festival.

St. Titus (1st century A.D.) accompanied St. Paul on his third missionary journey and acted as St. Paul's secretary at the council in Jerusalem. Both of them travelled to Crete where Paul consecrated Titus as its first bishop. When St. Paul left Titus at Crete, he sends a letter to Titus that is similar to Timothy. The letter instructs St. Titus to conduct his mission as a bishop who is called: to be God's steward; blameless; and with a firm grasp of God's Word. St. Paul instructs Titus to make his preaching based on sound doctrine which no one can dispute.

The Cistercian Story at Citeaux, France (ca. 1112 A.D.)

Pope Alexander II named St. Robert of Molesmes (ca. 1024-1110 A.D.) superior of a group of hermits. St. Robert moved this group from Collan to Molesmes in 1075 A.D. However, there was a great influx of not-so-good candidates to the monastery. When St. Robert was unsuccessful in raising the standards of Benedictine ideals in this group, he, St. Alberic (d. 1109 A.D.), and St. Stephen Harding (d. 1134 A.D.), left and founded a new community at Citeaux in 1098 A.D. This monastery was dedicated to a strict observance of the rule of St. Benedict of Nursia.

The strict observance of the Benedictine rule exacted quite a toll on the population at Citeaux. When both St. Robert and St. Alberic already passed away, the responsibility for Citeaux was left in the hands of St. Stephen Harding. St. Stephen Harding did not give up even when there was a dearth of vocations to the novitiate. He kept on with the remaining members of the community following the rule as before.

One day, while St. Stephen Harding was working in the fields, the soul of a departed member of the community appeared to St. Stephen. That brother assured Stephen that the community will not die and that the Lord has been pleased by the way of life of the brethren. The grief of Stephen at the want of vocations to the novitiate began to disappear.

That vision of Stephen while working at the fields assured him that the Cistercian way of life was acceptable to God and seemed to prophesy an increase of numbers in the monastery. Other signs also came from other members of the community. One day in the year 1112 A.D., the iron hammer which hung at the lowly gate of the monastery sounded, and 31 men entered, and upon meeting Stephen, begged to be admitted as novices. They were of the noblest houses of Burgundy. The whole troop was led by one young man of about 23 years old. That leader of the whole troop of 31 men was to become St. Bernard of Clairvaux.

Abbaye Notre-Dame de Cîteaux at Google Maps

Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [January 26]

• Xenophon, his wife, Mary and sons, Arcadius and John
• Theodore, Hegumen-Abbot of Monks of Studites, and his brother, John