Halloween & All Saints Day

All Saints' Day is a universal Christian feast honoring all Christian saints – known and unknown. The feast is celebrated by the Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, and Anglican churches.
“Halloween,” celebrated in the United States, England, Ireland and France on the eve of the Day of All Saints, got its name from “All Hallow’s Eve” or the vigil of All Saints' Day.
The Celtic people who lived in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and northern France before the Christian era believed that their god of death (Samhain) would allow the souls of the dead to return to their homes for a festal visit on this day. People also believed that ghosts, witches, goblins and elves came to harm the people, particularly those who had inflicted harm on them in this life. The Druid priests built a huge bonfire of sacred oak branches and offered animal and even human sacrifice to protect people from marauding evil spirits on the eve of Samhain feast. This belief led to the ritual practice of wandering about in the dark dressed in costumes indicating ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, fairies and demons. But some historians believe that the pumpkin-carving and trick-or-treating are recent customs, reminiscent of Irish harvest festivals, brought to the United States by Catholic immigrants from Ireland and England.

Historical note:
A common commemoration of the saints, especially the martyrs, appeared in various areas throughout the Church after the legalization of Christianity in A.D. 313. The primary reason for establishing a common feast day was the desire to honor the great number of Christians martyred during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian (284-305). In the East, the city of Edessa celebrated this feast on May 13; the Syrians, on the Friday after Easter; and the city of Antioch, on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Both St. Ephrem (d. 373) and St. John Chrysostom (d. 407) attest to this feast day in their preaching. In the West, a commemoration for all the saints also was celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost. St. Bede (d. 735) recorded the celebration of All Saints Day on Nov. 1 in England, and such a celebration also existed in Salzburg, Austria. It was Pope Gregory IV who in 835 ordered the Feast of All Saints to be observed universally on Nov. 1.

The feast and its objectives:

 

All baptized Christians who have died and are now with God in glory are considered saints. All Saints Day is a day on which we thank God for giving ordinary men and women a share in His holiness and heavenly glory as a reward for their faith. In addition, the feast is observed to teach us to honor the saints, both by imitating their lives and by seeking their intercession for us before Christ, the only mediator between God and man (I Tim. 2/5). Today the Church reminds us that God's call for holiness is universal, that all of us are called to live in His love and to make His love real in the lives of those around us. Holiness is related to the word wholesomeness. We show holiness when we live lives of integrity and truth, that is, wholesome and integrated lives in which we are close to others while being close to          God.
Reasons why we honor the saints

1- The saints put their trust in Christ and lived heroic lives of faith.
St. Paul asks us to serve and honor such noble souls. In his epistles to the Corinthians, to Philip and to Timothy, he advises Christians to welcome, serve and honor those who have put their trust in Jesus. The saints enjoy heavenly bliss as a reward for their faith in Jesus. Hence they deserve our           
veneration.

2- The saints are our role models.
They teach us by their lives that Christ’s holy life of love, mercy, and unconditional forgiveness can be lived by ordinary people, of all walks of life and at all times.

3- The saints are our heavenly mediators who intercede for us before Jesus, the only mediator between God and us. (James: 5/16-18, Exodus: 32/13, Jer. 15:1, Revel. 8:3-4,)

4- The saints are the instruments that God uses to work miracles at present, just as He used the rod of Moses (Exodus), the bones of the dead (II Kings 13/21), the towel of Paul (Acts: 19/12) and the shadow of Peter (Acts 5/15) to work miracles.

For Catholics, the Orthodox, and to some extent, the Anglicans, “All Saints Day” is a day, not only to remember the saints and to thank God for them, but also to pray for their help.  It is also a day to glorify Jesus Christ, who by his holy life and death has made the saints holy. This feast offers a challenge to each one of us: anybody can become a saint, regardless of his or her age, life style or living conditions. St. Augustine accepted this challenge when he asked the question: "If others can become saints, why can't I?"
 
Why is there a special day for all saints?

In fact, we celebrate the feast of each canonized saint on a particular day of the year. But there are countless other saints and martyrs, men, women and children united with God in the heavenly glory, whose feasts we do not celebrate. Among these would be our own parents and grandparents, brothers and sisters who were heroic women and men of faith. All Saints' Day is intended to honor their memory. Hence today's feast can be called the feast of the Unknown Saint, in line with the tradition of the “Unknown Soldier.” According to Pope Urban IV, All Saints' Day is also intended to supply any deficiencies in our celebration of saints' feasts during the year. As Christians, we know that a person's life story is not limited to what happens to him or her between birth and death. Our story starts before we are born, at our conception, and goes beyond the day we die, to all eternity. That is why we do not simply forget people after they die and why the Church sets apart two days to remember them, honor them and pray for their special intercession on our behalf: All Saints' Day and All Souls'   Day.

Today’s readings:
The first reading from the Book of Revelation speaks of John’s vision of saints in their heavenly glory: "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands" (Rev 7:9). All Saints' Day reminds us that we are called to be a part of that vast multitude of holy ones whose numbers are so great they cannot be counted. Offering us the Beatitudes in today’s gospel, the Church reminds us that all the saints whose feasts we celebrate today walked the hard and narrow path of the Beatitudes to arrive at their heavenly bliss. The Beatitudes are God’s commandments expressed in positive terms. They go far beyond what is required by the Ten Commandments, and they are a true and reliable recipe for sainthood. As the second reading suggests, saints are people who have responded generously to the love God has showered on them.

Message:
On the feast of All Saints the church invites us and challenges us to walk the walk of the saints and not just talk the talk: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). The feast gives us an occasion to thank God for having invited so many of our ancestors to join the company of saints. May our reflection on the heroic lives of the saints and the imitation of their lifestyle enable us to hear from our Lord the words of grand welcome to eternal bliss: "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joys of your master" (Matthew 25:21). Today is also a day for us to pray to the saints, both the canonized and the uncanonized, asking them to pray on our behalf that we may live our lives in faithfulness like theirs, and so receive the same reward.

Do you think you deserve Heaven?

Wednesday of the Thirtieth week in Ordinary Time 30 October 2013

St. Marcellus, Martyr (3rd century)

Romans 8:26-30.

Brothers and sisters: The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will.
We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.

Ps 13(12):4-5.6.

Look, answer me, O LORD, my God!
Give light to my eyes that I may not sleep in death
lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him”;
lest my foes rejoice at my downfall.

Though I trusted in your mercy,
Let my heart rejoice in your salvation;
let me sing of the LORD, “He has been good to me.”

Lk 13:22-30.

Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered them,
Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from.'
And you will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.'
Then he will say to you, 'I do not know where (you) are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!'
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

Commentary of the day :

A little boy went up to his father and asked: 'Dad, where did my intelligence come from?' 
The father replied. 'Well, son, you must have got it from your mother, cause I still have mine.'


Vatican Council II
Declaration on the Church's relations with non-christian religions « Nostra Aetate », 4

"You will see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God "

As the sacred synod searches into the mystery of the Church, it remembers the bond that spiritually ties the people of the New Covenant to Abraham's stock. Thus the Church of Christ acknowledges that, according to God's saving design, the beginnings of her faith and her election are found already among the Patriarchs, Moses and the prophets. She professes that all who believe in Christ - Abraham's sons according to faith (Gal 3,7) - are included in the same Patriarch's call, and likewise that the salvation of the Church is mysteriously foreshadowed by the chosen people's exodus from the land of bondage. The Church, therefore, cannot forget that she received the revelation of the Old Testament through the people with whom God in His inexpressible mercy concluded the Ancient Covenant. Nor can she forget that she draws sustenance from the root of that well-cultivated olive tree onto which have been grafted the wild shoots, the Gentiles.(Rm 11,17). Indeed, the Church believes that by His cross Christ, Our Peace, reconciled Jews and Gentiles making both one in Himself.(Eph 2,14f.).

The Church keeps ever in mind the words of the Apostle Paul about his kinsmen: "theirs is the sonship and the glory and the covenants and the law and the worship and the promises; theirs are the fathers and from them is the Christ according to the flesh" (Rm 9,4-5), the Son of the Virgin Mary. She also recalls that the Apostles, the Church's main-stay and pillars, as well as most of the early disciples who proclaimed Christ's Gospel to the world, sprang from the Jewish people.

 

Be the yeast that makes the dough rise...

Tuesday of the Thirtieth week in Ordinary Time 29 October 2013

Romans 8:18-25.

Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that all creation is groaning in labour pains even until now;
and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
For in hope we were saved.

Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.

Ps 126(125):1-2ab.2cd-3.4-5.6.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
We were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with rejoicing.

Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
We are glad indeed.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
Like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
Shall reap rejoicing.

Although they go forth weeping,
Carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
Carrying their sheaves.

 

 

Lk 13:18-21.

Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a person took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and 'the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.'"
Again he said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened."

Commentary of the day:

The kingdom of God is amongst you... it starts small and expands with the momentum of other Christians’ generosity. The first thing the pagans noticed about the followers of Jesus was their charity, their generosity to those less fortunate. As they often remarked in admiration, “See how those Christians love one another!”

They would outdo one another in kindness and care for the poor.

But what do we see today? Are everyday Catholics so evident in their outreach and care for the poor. I dont see it. I see the organisations like St Vincent De Paul consisting of members who are all retired. Elderly people who have spare time giving a bit of it as catechists or volunteers. But not the strong, virile and busy young members of the Church.

(I would propose at this point that my parish in Glenmore Park was the distinct contrast to the majority of Catholic parishes. Our welfare teams were a majority of younger people under fifty and our catechists were mostly high school girls and university students.

Our Lord wants us to practice our Christianity now, not when we are free, or when we have spare time or are finished our careers. Hear what
Saint John Chrysostom who lived from 345-407AD had to say. He was a priest at Antioch then became Bishop of Constantinople. He has been declared posthumously a Doctor of the Church for his insights into the spiritual life. This is an extract of his writing, “Homilies on the Acts of the apostles”:

“Is there anything more ridiculous than a Christian who couldn't care less about other people? Don't use your poverty as an excuse. The widow who put two small coins in the Temple coffer (Mk 12,42) would rise up against you; Peter, too, who said to the lame man: “Gold or silver have I none” (Acts 3,6) and Paul, who was so poor he often went hungry.

 

Neither protest your social condition, for the apostles were also humble men of low degree. Don't plead your ignorance for they were unlettered. Even if you were a slave or a fugitive you would always be able to do what lies in your power.

Onesimus, whose praises Paul sang, was such a one (see the letter to Philemon and Col 4,9).

Would you claim weak health? Timothy had it too.

Yes, whoever we are, anyone at all can be of service to his neighbour if he genuinely wants to do what he can.

Do you notice how the trees in the forest are flourishing, handsome, rising upwards? Nevertheless, we prefer fruit trees in our gardens or olive trees covered with fruit. Handsome, sterile trees..., such are they who are only thinking of their own interests...

If leaven doesn't cause the dough to rise then it isn't a proper raising agent. If perfume doesn't give off scent to those who are approaching, can we still call it a perfume? So don't say it's impossible to have a good influence on others because, if you are a real Christian, it's impossible that nothing should happen, this is part of the very essence of being a Christian...

It would be as contradictory to say that a Christian cannot be of any use to his neighbour as to deny the sun its ability to give light and heat. “

(end of quote)

 

So challenge yourself today. What kind of Christian are you? What outreach do you do? What function are you serving in Jesus’ church? Or are you spending yourself entirely on your family, your cultural group, yourself?

Be the yeast that makes the dough rise...

Tuesday of the Thirtieth week in Ordinary Time 29 October 2013

Romans 8:18-25.

Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that all creation is groaning in labour pains even until now;
and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
For in hope we were saved.

Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.

Ps 126(125):1-2ab.2cd-3.4-5.6.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
We were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with rejoicing.

Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
We are glad indeed.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
Like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
Shall reap rejoicing.

Although they go forth weeping,
Carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
Carrying their sheaves.

 

 

Lk 13:18-21.

Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a person took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and 'the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.'"
Again he said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened."

Commentary of the day:

The kingdom of God is amongst you... it starts small and expands with the momentum of other Christians’ generosity. The first thing the pagans noticed about the followers of Jesus was their charity, their generosity to those less fortunate. As they often remarked in admiration, “See how those Christians love one another!”

They would outdo one another in kindness and care for the poor.

But what do we see today? Are everyday Catholics so evident in their outreach and care for the poor. I dont see it. I see the organisations like St Vincent De Paul consisting of members who are all retired. Elderly people who have spare time giving a bit of it as catechists or volunteers. But not the strong, virile and busy young members of the Church.

(I would propose at this point that my parish in Glenmore Park was the distinct contrast to the majority of Catholic parishes. Our welfare teams were a majority of younger people under fifty and our catechists were mostly high school girls and university students.

Our Lord wants us to practice our Christianity now, not when we are free, or when we have spare time or are finished our careers. Hear what
Saint John Chrysostom who lived from 345-407AD had to say. He was a priest at Antioch then became Bishop of Constantinople. He has been declared posthumously a Doctor of the Church for his insights into the spiritual life. This is an extract of his writing, “Homilies on the Acts of the apostles”:

“Is there anything more ridiculous than a Christian who couldn't care less about other people? Don't use your poverty as an excuse. The widow who put two small coins in the Temple coffer (Mk 12,42) would rise up against you; Peter, too, who said to the lame man: “Gold or silver have I none” (Acts 3,6) and Paul, who was so poor he often went hungry.

 

Neither protest your social condition, for the apostles were also humble men of low degree. Don't plead your ignorance for they were unlettered. Even if you were a slave or a fugitive you would always be able to do what lies in your power.

Onesimus, whose praises Paul sang, was such a one (see the letter to Philemon and Col 4,9).

Would you claim weak health? Timothy had it too.

Yes, whoever we are, anyone at all can be of service to his neighbour if he genuinely wants to do what he can.

Do you notice how the trees in the forest are flourishing, handsome, rising upwards? Nevertheless, we prefer fruit trees in our gardens or olive trees covered with fruit. Handsome, sterile trees..., such are they who are only thinking of their own interests...

If leaven doesn't cause the dough to rise then it isn't a proper raising agent. If perfume doesn't give off scent to those who are approaching, can we still call it a perfume? So don't say it's impossible to have a good influence on others because, if you are a real Christian, it's impossible that nothing should happen, this is part of the very essence of being a Christian...

It would be as contradictory to say that a Christian cannot be of any use to his neighbour as to deny the sun its ability to give light and heat. “

(end of quote)

 

So challenge yourself today. What kind of Christian are you? What outreach do you do? What function are you serving in Jesus’ church? Or are you spending yourself entirely on your family, your cultural group, yourself?

The Lord knows no favourites

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C Sunday, 27 October 2013

Sirach 35:12-14.16-18.

The LORD is a God of justice, who knows no favorites.
Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed.
He is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint;
He who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens.
The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal,
Nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right.

Ps 34(33):2-3.17-18.19.23.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
The lowly will hear me and be glad.

The LORD confronts the evildoers,
To destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
And from all their distress he rescues them.

The is close to the brokenhearted;
And those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.

2 Tim 4:6-8.16-18.

I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.
At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them!
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Lk 18:9-14.

Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.
Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity--greedy, dishonest, adulterous--or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.'
But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."



Commentary of the day :

My wife commented today with surprise how there was an article in the news that said, "Even Beyoncé changes her baby's nappies".
So what? Why is she so special that she wont get her hands dirty for her baby? Do they pay people to change nappies for celebrities? Why is she special? She is a singer, an actress but other than that, she is a nobody special.. and nor is anyone. With God all are equal in His eyes.
As I see the poor lugging pieces of wood and plastic off the beach to sell to buy rice for their families I feel inclined to help them. And sometimes I do. Of course I can't help everyone although I wish I was positioned better to do so. But I help them carry their wood or offer them drinking water like they were celebrities because I believe in Jesus' eyes everyone is somebody.
The Gospel teaches us today not to think we are better than anyone because we will soon be humbled by some experience that we have no control over. The fact is in the reality that our faeces smells just like everyone else's.

Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Discourses on the Psalms, Ps 86[85], 2-3

"O God, be merciful to me a sinner"

“Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer, for I am poor and needy” (Ps 86[85],1). He doesn't turn his ear to the rich man but to the poor and needy one, towards the man who is humble and acknowledges his sins, the one who begs his mercy not the one who is satisfied, who takes a superior position, who vaunts himself as though he lacked for nothing and who has just said: “I thank you that I am not like this publican”. For that rich Pharisee made much of his worthiness; the poor publican confessed his sins...

All those who reject pride are poor before God and we know that he turns his ear to the poor and needy. They have recognized that their hope can't rest in gold or silver or those possessions they own in abundance for a season... When someone despises within himself everything for which pride knows so well how to flatter itself, then that person is one of God's poor. God inclines his ear to him for he knows the sufferings of his heart...

Learn, then, to be poor and needy whether you own something in this world or not. We may find a proud beggar and a rich man who is pierced by the feeling of his own unworthiness. “God refuses the proud” whether they are clothed in silk or covered with rags; “he gives his grace to the humble” (Jas 4,6; Prv 3,34) whether they possess or do not posses this world's goods. God looks on what is within: that's what he weighs, that's what he tests. You don't see God's weights; your feelings, plans, thoughts, these are what he sets on the scale... If there is around or within you something prompting you to self-satisfaction, reject it. Let God be all your certainty. Be poor in him that he may fill you with himself.

 

Feast of St Luke - Mass readings & reflection

Friday, 18 October 2013  Saint Luke, evangelist - Feast

2 Tim 4:10-17b.

Beloved: Demas, enamored of the present world, deserted me and went to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
Luke is the only one with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is helpful to me in the ministry.
I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas, the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments.
Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
You too be on guard against him, for he has strongly resisted our preaching.
At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them!
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion's mouth.

Ps 145(144):10-11.12-13ab.17-18.

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
And let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.

Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
And your dominion endures through all generations.

The LORD is just in all his ways
And holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
To all who call upon him in truth.

Lk 10:1-9.

At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'

Commentary of the day :

Saint Irenaeus of Lyons (c.130-c.208), Bishop, theologian and martyr
Against the Heresies, III, 14-15 ; SC 34

Saint Luke, companion and collaborator with the apostles

That Luke was inseparable from Paul and his fellow-laborer in the Gospel, he himself clearly evinces, not as a matter of boasting, but as bound to do so by the truth itself. For when Barnabas and John Mark, had parted company from Paul and sailed to Cyprus, Luke writes: “We came to Troas” (Acts 16,8.11)... Then he carefully indicates all the rest of their journey as far as Philippi, and how they delivered their first address... And all the remaining details of his journey with Paul he recounts with all possible diligence... As Luke was present at all these occurrences, he carefully noted them down in writing, so that he cannot be convicted of falsehood or boastfulness, because all these details were well known...


That Luke was not merely a follower, but also a fellow-laborer of the apostles, and especially of Paul, Paul himself declared too in his Epistles, saying: “Demas has forsaken me and has left for Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me” (2Tim 4,11). From this Paul shows that Luke was always attached to and inseparable from him. And again, in the Letter to the Colossians he says: “Luke, the beloved physician, greets you” (Col 4,14)...


There are also many other particulars to be found in the Gospel that are mentioned by Luke alone...  It may be, indeed, that it was of set purpose that God set forth very many Gospel truths, through Luke's instrumentality alone..., in order that all might follow his subsequent testimony treating of the acts and doctrine of the apostles, and that thus holding the unadulterated rule of truth, they might be saved. Luke's testimony, therefore, is true and the doctrine of the apostles is open and steadfast, holding nothing in reserve... Theirs are the voice of the Church from which the Church takes its origin.

 

Reflections on Mass Readings for 6th October

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C    6 October 2013

First Reading: Habakkuk 1:2-3.2:2-4.

How long, O LORD? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not intervene.
Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and clamorous discord.
Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision Clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily.
For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.
The rash man has no integrity; but the just man, because of his faith, shall live. Wealth, too, is treacherous: the proud, unstable man--

Ps 95(94):1-2.6-7.8-9.

Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
Let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
Let us joyfully sing psalms to him.

Come, let us bow down in worship;
Let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:

“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works.”  

2 Tim 1:6-8.13-14.

Beloved: I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Guard this rich trust with the help of the holy Spirit that dwells within us.

Luke 17:5-10.

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?
Wouldn’t he be more likely to say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink when I am finished'?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"

Commentary of the day :

There were some people in my previous parish who used to complain that I did not thank them enough for their service to the church. My reason for not being falsely effusive in my praise as some priests do is because I didn’t want people to serve to get thanks or even to expect it. I told them, “I didn’t think you did it for me. I thought you did it for God..”

 Some even expected thanks for turning up! They are the sort of people Jesus was talking about in today’s Gospel.

We should reaiise that we will not be rewarded for doing your duty as a Christian. You will only receive a reward of eternal happiness in Heaven with God for doing more than you were expected.  

Jean-Pierre de Caussade (1675-1751), Jesuit
Self-abandonment to divine providence

The faith of humble servants and the lowly servant

To find God just as much in small and ordinary things as in great ones is to have a faith that is not ordinary but great and extraordinary. To be satisfied with the present moment is to taste and adore the divine will in everything that confronts one to be suffered or done, in what successively makes up the present moment. Simple souls, through the liveliness of their faith, bow down before God just as much in the most humiliating of states. Nothing hides him from the piercing eye of their faith... Nothing surprises them, nothing dismays them.

Mary was to witness the apostles running away but she will continually remain at the foot of the Cross and will acknowledge her son, however disfigured he is by the spitting and wounds... The life of faith is nothing but a constant pursuit of God through whatever disguises, disfigures or, so to speak, destroys and crushes him. See Mary again, from stable to cross, always finding a God whom everyone else fails to recognize, abandons and persecutes. In the same way souls of faith look beyond a continual sequence of deaths, concealments, shadows and likenesses vying to render God's will unrecognizable. Souls like these pursue and love it even to death on the cross. They know that they always have to leave shadows behind in order to run after this divine sun. From its rising to its setting, whatever the thick, dark clouds concealing it, it enlightens, warms and enkindles faithful hearts who bless, praise and contemplate it.

 

Feast of St Francis of Assisi

Friday of the Twenty-sixth week in Ordinary Time         

Friday, 04 October 2013

St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) - Memorial
http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/st-francis-of-assisi-90.php

Baruch 1:15-22.

During the Babylonian captivity, the exiles prayed: “Justice is with the Lord, our God; and we today are flushed with shame, we men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem,
that we, with our kings and rulers and priests and prophets, and with our fathers,
have sinned in the LORD'S sight
and disobeyed him. We have neither heeded the voice of the LORD, our God, nor followed the precepts which the LORD set before us.
From the time the LORD led our fathers out of the land of Egypt until the present day, we have been disobedient to the LORD, our God, and only too ready to disregard his voice.
And the evils and the curse which the LORD enjoined upon Moses, his servant, at the time he led our fathers forth from the land of Egypt to give us the land flowing with milk and honey, cling to us even today.
For we did not heed the voice of the LORD, our God, in all the words of the prophets whom he sent us,
but each one of us went off after the devices of our own wicked hearts, served other gods, and did evil in the sight of the LORD, our God.

Ps 79(78):1-2.3-5.8.9.

O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
They have defiled your holy temple,
They have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the corpses of your servants
As food to the birds of heaven,
The flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.

They have poured out their blood like water
Round about Jerusalem,
And there is no one to bury them.
We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
The scorn and derision of those around us.

O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy burn like fire?
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
May your compassion quickly come to us,
For we are brought very low.

Help us, O God our savior,
Because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
For your name's sake.

Lk 10:13-16.

Jesus said to them, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum, 'Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.'"
Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

  Commentary of the day :

Blessed John-Paul II, Pope from 1978 to 2005
Encyclical « Redemptoris missio », § 38-39 (trans. © Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

"Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me"

Our times are both momentous and fascinating. While on the one hand people seem to be pursuing material prosperity and to be sinking ever deeper into consumerism and materialism, on the other hand we are witnessing a desperate search for meaning, the need for an inner life, and a desire to learn new forms and methods of meditation and prayer. Not only in cultures with strong religious elements, but also in secularized societies, the spiritual dimension of life is being sought after as an antidote to dehumanization... The Church has an immense spiritual patrimony to offer humankind, a heritage in Christ, who called himself "the way, and the truth, and the life" (Jn 14,6)...

The Church must be faithful to Christ, whose body she is, and whose mission she continues. She must necessarily "go the same road that Christ went-namely a road of poverty, obedience, service and self-sacrifice even unto death, from which he emerged a victor through his resurrection" (Vatican II, AG5). The Church is thus obliged to do everything possible to carry out her mission in the world and to reach all peoples. And she has the right to do this, a right given her by God for the accomplishment of his plan. Religious freedom, which is still at times limited or restricted, remains the premise and guarantee of all the freedoms that ensure the common good of individuals and peoples. It is to be hoped that authentic religious freedom will be granted to all people everywhere... It is an inalienable right of each and every human person.

On her part. the Church addresses people with full respect for their freedom. Her mission does not restrict freedom but rather promotes it. The Church proposes; she imposes nothing. She respects individuals and cultures, and she honors the sanctuary of conscience. To those who for various reasons oppose missionary activity, the Church repeats: Open the doors to Christ!

Feast of your Guardian Angel

Wednesday, 02 October 2013

The Guardian Angels, memorial

The Holy Guardian Angels - Memorial

Commentary of the day
Blessed John Henry Newman : "Their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father"

Ex. 23:20-23.

"See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared.
Be attentive to him and heed his voice. Do not rebel against him, for he will not forgive your sin. My authority resides in him.
If you heed his voice and carry out all I tell you, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.
"My angel will go before you and bring you to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites; and I will wipe them out.

Ps 91(90):1-2.3-4.5-6.10-11.

You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
Who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
Say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust."

For he will rescue you from the snare of the fowler,
from the destroying pestilence.
With his pinions he will cover you,
and under his wings you shall take refuge.

You shall not fear the terror of the night
Nor the arrow that flies by day,
Nor the pestilence that roams in darkness,
Nor the plague that ravages at noon.

No evil shall befall you,
nor shall affliction come near your tent,
For to his angels he has given command about you,
that they guard you in all your ways.

Mt 18:1-5.10.

The disciples approached Jesus and said, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
He called a child over, placed it in their midst,
and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.


 Commentary of the day :

Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890), priest, founder of a religious community, theologian
Sermon « The Invisible World », PPS, vol. 4, no.13 

"Their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father"

Angels are actively employed among us in the Church. They are said to be "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation" (Heb 1,14). No Christian is so humble but he has Angels to attend on him, if he lives by faith and love. Though they are so great, so glorious, so pure, so wonderful, that the very sight of them... would strike us to the earth, as it did the prophet Daniel, holy and righteous...; yet they are our "fellow-servants" and our fellow-workers, and they carefully watch over and defend even the humblest of us, if we be Christ's.

That they form a part of our unseen world, appears from the vision seen by the patriarch Jacob (Gn 28,10f.)... How little did he think that there was any thing very wonderful in this spot! It looked like any other spot. It was a lone, uncomfortable place.... Yet how different was the truth! Jacob saw but the world that is seen; he saw not the world that is not seen; yet the world that is not seen was there. It was there, though it did not at once make known its presence, but needed to be supernaturally displayed to him. He saw it in his sleep. "He dreamed, and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached up to heaven; and behold, the Angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it."

This was the other world. Now, let this be observed. Persons commonly speak as if the other world did not exist now, but would after death. No: it exists now, though we see it not. It is among us and around us. Jacob was shown this in his dream. Angels were all about him, though he knew it not. And what Jacob saw in his sleep... the shepherds, at the time of the Nativity, not only saw, but heard. They heard the voices of those blessed spirits who praise God day and night, and whom we, in our lower state of being, are allowed to copy and assist.