“If Jesus Felt A Need To Pray, Shouldn’t WE Do Likewise?!” – John 17:11b-19†

    

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Today’s Content:

 

• ·        Dan’s Deliberations, Discoveries, & Declarations
• ·        Today in Catholic History
• ·        Quote of the Day
• ·        Today’s Gospel Reading
• ·        Gospel Reflection
• ·        Reflection Prayer
• ·        Catholic Apologetics
• ·        A Franciscan’s Saint of the Day
• ·        Reflection on part of  the OFS Rule

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Dan’s Deliberations, Discoveries, & Declarations:

 

My Oldest son’s (Dan, III) last day of school, and his last day at work was this week.  He leaves for boot camp in a month and a half, planning to be a part of Naval Special Operations Group as an “Aviation Rescue Swimmer”.  He’s NOW a man, and I am still concerned for him – – and SOooo PROUD of him!!  It is hard to describe the feelings I have over his “adulthood” and the danger he has chosen to place himself in for OUR protection (He even had a full-ride scholarship and turned it down to serve our country).  I Love him and want to keep him safe – – but can’t. I can only pray for him instead, placing him in God’s hand.  Please pray for him as well.

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Today in Catholic History:

    

†   325 – The First Council of Nicaea – the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church – is held
†   1277 – Death of Pope John XXI (b. 1215)
†   1444 – Saint Bernardino of Siena, Italian Franciscan missionary (b. 1380) dies at age 63
†   1470 – Birth of Pietro Bembo, Italian cardinal (d. 1547)
†   1571 – Venice, Spain & Pope Pius form anti-Turkish Saint League
†   1825 – Death of Papaflessas, Greek priest and government official (b. 1788)
†   1906 – Birth of Giuseppe Siri, Italian Catholic cardinal (d. 1989)
†   Feasts/Memorials: Saint Bernardine of Siena; Saint Lucifer; Saint Austregisilus; Saint Ivo of Chartres; Abercius and Helena

(From the “On This Day” Blog Site
otday.wordpress.com &/OR
“Today in Catholic History”
http://www.historyorb.com)

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Quote or Joke of the Day:

 

“I don’t honestly believe that any man or woman can get all priorities in life straight alone.  We will always have doubts, fears, tensions, and wonderings without prayer.  We will continuously feel as if we are involved in a great juggling act with all the balls up in the air at once, soon to come plummeting to the ground.  But before God in prayer, we can get our priorities in right order and become one: one integrated person in Jesus Christ.” ~ Fr. Michael Scanlan, T.O.R., “Appointment with God“, Apostolate for Family Consecration

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Today’s reflection: Jesus prays for His disciples

 

(NAB John 17:11b-19) ¹¹ Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are.  ¹² When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled.  ¹³ But now I am coming to you.  I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely.  ¹⁴ I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.  ¹⁵ I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one.  ¹⁶ They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.  ¹⁷ Consecrate them in the truth.  Your word is truth.  ¹⁸ As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.  ¹⁹ And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.

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Gospel Reflection:

 

The background of today’s reading – – Jesus’ prayer to His Father – – comes at the conclusion of Jesus’ farewell discourse He delivered to His disciples at the Last Supper.  The entire 17^th chapter of John’s Gospel is a prayer by Jesus – – to His Father – – entrusting and committing Himself to His Father and expressing His care and concern for His disciples.  At the end of this prayer, Jesus and His disciples depart for the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus will ultimately be arrested, starting His Passion and Execution. 

In reading this “Prayer of Jesus” at Mass during the Easter Season, and through the lens of His upcoming Resurrection, we know that the light of Jesus Christ has definitely overcome the darkness of sin and death in our world.  In the opening line of Jesus’ prayer to His Father, we hear Jesus pray that His disciples will be kept “in the name” He was given by God the Father.  We know salvation is given to us in the name of Jesus, and Jesus’ name—“God saves”—announces His mission on our behalf.

Since the sixteenth century, this 17^th chapter of John’s Gospel has been called the “high priestly prayer” of Jesus.  Through this “prayer”, Jesus speaks as OUR intercessor.  He uses words addressed directly to God the Father and NOT to His disciples, who instead, probably overhear Jesus at prayer.  

On the eve of His sacrifice on the cross, and in the presence of His disciples, Jesus made His high priestly prayer: “Holy Father, keep them in your name that they may be one as we are one“.  Jesus prayed for the unity of His disciples and for ALL who would believe in Him.  Jesus’ prayer for His people is that we be united with God the Father, in His Son, and through His Holy Spirit; and we will be joined together in unity with all who are members of Christ’s body.

Jesus’ prayer is one of petition, starting with His asking for an “intercession” in the reading just prior to today’s (cf., John 17:6–19), and for the “security” of future disciples immediately after this particular Gospel reading (cf., John 17:20–21).  Many phrases appear to be reminiscent of Jesus’ example of “how” WE should pray: “the Our Father” prayer.  

Although still in this world, Jesus already looked on His earthly human ministry as a thing of the past.  Jesus has, up to this time, stated that His disciples could not follow Him:

“My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.  You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, ‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you.” (John 13:33);

“Simon Peter said to him, ‘Master, where are you going?’  Jesus answered [him], ‘Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later.’” (John 13:36).  

Now, in today’s reading, He wishes them to be with Him “in union” with God the Father:

“When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled.  But now I am coming to you.  I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely.  I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.”  (John 17:12–14).

Several important themes appear throughout Jesus’ prayer to His heavenly Father.  First, Jesus’ prayer reaffirms the complete “union” between Himself and God the Father.  Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus has been presented as the “ONE” who preexisted with God the Father, AND, as the “ONE” sent by God the Father to do His work on earth.  In today’s reading, we hear Jesus include ALL His disciples, all of us, in this “union” with His Father.  We are reminded through Jesus’ prayer, that Jesus Christ IS the source of Christian unity.  Through Jesus Christ, we are united with one another AND with God Our Father Himself. 

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So, who is Jesus talking about when He mentions the “son of destruction” in today’s Gospel?  Is it the same “person” John mentioned in a different “title” a few chapters prior:

“I am not speaking of all of you.  I know those whom I have chosen.  But so that the scripture might be fulfilled, ‘The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.’” (John 13:18).

I wonder, is Jesus talking about Judas Iscariot, about Satan himself, or about any of his evil disciples on earth?  I believe the answer is, in a way, “YES” to all three possibilities.  What I also believe is that those who follow Jesus with a certainty of faith, trust, and love, will not be overcome by the “son of destruction”!!  John, in his next chapter, will go on to explain this fulfillment of faith, trust, and love: 

“This was to fulfill what he had said, ‘I have not lost any of those you gave me.” (John 18:9).

The above verse (John 18:9) is also referring to two other places in John’s Gospel:

“And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it [on] the last day.” (John 6:39);

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.  No one can take them out of my hand.” (John10:28).

By following Jesus, by have faith, trusting and loving Him, we become His “trusted friend”, eating His “bread”, and thus allowing Him to dwell IN each of us – – nurturing us with His grace:

“Even my trusted friend, who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me” (Psalm 41:10);

When comparing John 13:18 with Psalm 41:10 verse, “Even my trusted friend…has raised his heel against me”, John is characterizing specifically Judas as a false friend.  However, Jesus had many “false friends”, even still today. 

So, Jesus warns His followers about the danger of betrayal, especially toward Himself, or His Heavenly Father:

“The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.  It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” (Matthew 26:24);

The enormity of such a horrendous deed is such that it would be better not to exist than to do it.  Judas Iscariot was a close disciple of Jesus and should have realized the enormity of his betrayal of Him.  As stated in Bible’s the book of ACTS, Judas was truly and fully warned:

“My brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.” (Acts 1:16).

Judas Iscariot was led into an act of deception by not allowing the Holy Spirit to act in and through him.  Instead, Judas allowed the “son of destruction” to claim him.

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Let’s leave Judas and come back to Jesus.  What motivated Jesus to lay down His life on the cross – – as THE atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world?  Well, it was love – – love for His Father in heaven and love for each and every one of us who are made in the image and likeness of God the Father.  Jesus was sent into this world by His Father for a purpose, and that purpose was a mission of love to free each one of us from the slavery to sin, Satan, fear, death, and hopelessness.  Through His endless and infinite love, Jesus dedicated Himself out of pure JOY.

Jesus, in today’s reading, speaks of the joy that can fill each of us who dedicated themselves to His will:

“I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely” (John17:13).

A “complete joy” is an important theme for John to relay to his audience.  He previously mentioned a possessing of a “complete joy” in chapter 15 as well:

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11).

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In this prayer from today’s Gospel, Jesus describes part of His mission in a language of “protection”.  He has protected those who were given – – to Him – – by God the Father; and we hear echoes of dualism reflected throughout.  Beginning with the opening chapter, John has presents Jesus’ human mission in the context of an immense struggle between good and evil – – represented by light and darkness.  In Jesus’ human and divine presence, His disciples have been protected from Satan.  Now, as Jesus is preparing His return to His Father, He prays that His disciples will continue to be protected from the “evil one”.  We can’t help but note the validation of the prayer Jesus taught His disciples, “the Our Father”.

In Jesus’ prayer to His (and our) Father in Heaven, He utters a simply complex petition resembling a part of the “Our Father Prayer”.  The petition John is referring to in today’s reading is, “deliver us from the evil one.”  

“I do not ask that you take them out of the world _j but that you keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15).

We know this petition is taught to all His disciples, for it can be found in two of the Synoptic Gospels as well, Matthew and Luke:

“Do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13);

“Do not subject us to the final test.” (Luke 11:4).

In all three instances of God the Father’s protection from the “final test”, they refer to Satan rather than to abstract evil.

“Do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:13);

In Jewish “apocalyptic” writings, a period of severe trial will come to ALL before the end of the age.  This period has sometimes been called the “messianic woes” by some Jewish people, yet even still today.  The three examples of this petition just mentioned (John’s, Matthew’s, and Luke’s) asks for Jesus’ disciples (including us) to be safe a “final test”.  Even Paul’s Second letter to his Thessalonians, and John’s first letter to his roman Jewish Christians, relays this promise of safety and security from Satan and evil:

“The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3);

“We know that no one begotten by God sins; but the one begotten by God he protects, and the evil one cannot touch him.” (1 John 5:18).

Also present in this 17^th chapter is the distinction between the world and the disciples.  Disciples are in the world, but they do not belong “TO” the world.  Like Jesus, they (and we) are sent INTO the world for the world’s salvation, knowing the world may not accept His disciples with open arms.  Again, we hear reverberations of John’s theme of the cosmic battle between light and darkness; the world PREFERING darkness.  However, His “light” will never be overcome by the darkness – – His light of truth will prevail.

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Jesus asks His Father to “consecrate” His disciples “in the truth”, and that “truth” being His “Word”:

“Consecrate them in the truth.  Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

So, what is “consecrate”? – – what is “truth”? – – and what is “word”?   To consecrate is to make holy, to set apart, to sanctify.  In essence, consecration is a purification of oneself through the words and actions of the Holy Spirit working in, with, and through you.  (It is a great flushing out of the old self and a gaining of a new and improved “self” – – with and in Christ.)  Peter teaches about this “purified selves” in his first letter to the Christian communities in Asia Minor (A peninsula of western Asia between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea; generally the same area as Asian Turkey.):

 “Since you have purified yourselves by obedience to the truth for sincere mutual love, love one another intensely from a [pure] heart.” (1 Peter 1:22)

Jesus also said, “Consecrate in the Truth”.  What is “truth”?  Per the dictionary, “truth” is something honest and sincere, corresponding to fact, or to reality.  Purifying oneself in the honest and sincere fact and reality of Jesus as the “Son of God”, – – OUR personal Redeemer and Savior – – IS the ultimate goal for any Catholic Christian.  Consecrating or purifying oneself in “truth” IS immersing oneself in His “Word”!!  In wrapping ourselves in God’s “Word”, we are wrapping our “selves” into what has ALWAYS been, and will always “BE”:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.  What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5)

The “Word” is MUCH more than simply words written into a book.  God’s “Word” Began ALL, Created ALL, Lives through ALL, and Lights the way for ALL.  When the Deacon or Priest holds up the book of the Gospels in procession, or at the Reading of His “Word” (in Mass), he is holding up GOD for all to SEE!!  God’s “Word” burns brightly in each of His disciples.  How bright is your flame?

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In the last two verses of today’s reading, Jesus wraps His “truth”, His “Word”, around each of His disciple, cloaking them in His personal love and protection as He sent them (and us) to continue His work in this world:

“As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.  And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.” (NAB John 17:18-19).

From this day forward, the eleven disciples closest to Jesus were now to be forever called “Apostles” (which means, “those sent”), for they were “sent” out to proclaim His “Word”, love, and peace.  This “sending” of the Apostles (and us – His current disciples) is also the subject of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances to the Eleven:

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19);

“He said to them, ‘Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.’”  (Mark 16:15);

“And He said to them, ‘Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.’” (Luke 24:46-47).

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In summary, Jesus’ aim and mission was to glorify His heavenly Father.  All He said and did truly gave glory to His Father in heaven.  Jesus saw glory in the cross rather than shame.  Obedience to His Father’s will was His glory.  Jesus kept His Father’s word, even when tempted to forgo the cross.  Jesus did not rely on His own worldly human resources and strength to accomplish His Father’s will.  Instead, He trusted in His Father to give Him strength, courage, and perseverance in the face of opposition, trials, and temptation.  We are encouraged to take up our personal crosses (the big ones and little ones), following our Lord Jesus wherever He may call us to go.  Jesus will give us the strength and power of the Holy Spirit to live as His disciples.

Reading today’s prayer of Jesus, as found in John’s Gospel, during the Easter Season, and through the lens of His upcoming Resurrection, we know that the light of Christ has definitely overcome the darkness of sin and death in our world.  In the opening line of Jesus’ prayer to His Father, we heard Jesus pray that His disciples will be kept “in the name” which He was given by God the Father.  We know salvation is given to us in the name of Jesus, and that Jesus’ name—“God saves”—announces His mission on our behalf.

Jesus prayed that His disciples would be sanctified and consecrated in God’s truth and holiness.  The scriptural word for “consecration” comes from the same Hebrew word meaning “holy” or “set apart for God”.  This word, consecration, also means “to be equipped with the qualities of mind and heart and character for a task or service”.  Just as Jesus was called by His Father to serve in holiness and truth, so are we called and equipped for our task of serving God in the present world as His ambassadors.  

God’s “truth” frees us from ignorance and the deception of sin.  It reveals to us God’s goodness, love, and wisdom; and it gives us a desire for God’s holiness.  The Holy Spirit is the source and giver of all holiness.  As we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, He transforms us by His purifying fire, and changes us into the likeness of Christ.  Is your life consecrated to God – – Look in the mirror?

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To conclude, one of the greatest gifts we are given in life is protection from harm.  We personally, in family, and in society, work together to keep one another safe from physical harm.  Think of the effort we parents have taken to make our homes child proof for example.  We, as Christians, also attempt to protect each other from emotional harm as well.  In another example, we attempt to talk to one another in a way as not to hurt one another’s feelings by our words.  And, most importantly, we, as Christians, should work together in protecting each other from what might harm another spiritually.  

When we work together to strengthen God and community, we build a spiritual strength making us able to turn from what would lead us away from God and the Church.  Jesus’ prayer for His disciples in today’s reading is also a prayer for us today.

Jesus left them, and US, with a great blessing along with His sending out message found in today’s reading; a blessing of calm and harmony – – “PEACE”:

 “[Jesus] said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’” (John 20:21–22).

I end today’s reflection with the same blessing He gave to each of us, – – “Peace BE With You” as well.

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Reflection Prayer:

 

“The ‘Our Father’ Prayer”

“Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Your name; Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen.”

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 Catholic Apologetics:

My reason and purpose for this section on my blog is to provide “scriptural confirmation” for our beliefs and doctrines, not to cause dissention or opposition with my fellow believers in Jesus Christ, yet not in union with the Roman Catholic Church.  Whether God speaks to us through the “Bible”, or through “Tradition”, it is the Holy Spirit that inspires the “Word” from which all authentic tradition flows.

Tradition can be separated into two aspects: oral and behavioral.  Oral tradition includes written forms.  After all, it ALL started with oral tradition.  Behavioral tradition includes Baptism, Eucharist or Lord’s Supper, Lying on of hands or healing, Intercessory prayer, and Ordination.  

All Scriptural verses are taken from both the Revised Standard Version: Catholic Edition of the Holy Bible and the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

Scripture and Tradition

“First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:20-21).

“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:20-21).

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“Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink, but I hope to come to see you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete” (2 John 1:12).

“Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.” (2 John 1:12).

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A Franciscan’s Saint of the Day:  St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

Most of the saints suffer great personal opposition, even persecution. Bernardine, by contrast, seems more like a human dynamo who simply took on the needs of the world.

He was the greatest preacher of his time, journeying across Italy, calming strife-torn cities, attacking the paganism he found rampant, attracting crowds of 30,000, following St. Francis of Assisi’s admonition to preach about “vice and virtue, punishment and glory.”

Compared with St. Paul by the pope, Bernardine had a keen intuition of the needs of the time, along with solid holiness and boundless energy and joy.  He accomplished all this despite having a very weak and hoarse voice, miraculously improved later because of his devotion to Mary.

When he was 20, the plague was at its height in his hometown, Siena.  Sometimes as many as 20 people died in one day at the hospital.  Bernardine offered to run the hospital and, with the help of other young men, nursed patients there for four months.  He escaped the plague but was so exhausted that a fever confined him for several months.  He spent another year caring for a beloved aunt (her parents had died when he was a child) and at her death began to fast and pray to know God’s will for him.

At 22, he entered the Franciscan Order and was ordained two years later.  For almost a dozen years he lived in solitude and prayer, but his gifts ultimately caused him to be sent to preach.  He always traveled on foot, sometimes speaking for hours in one place, then doing the same in another town.

Especially known for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, Bernardine devised a symbol—IHS, the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek, in Gothic letters on a blazing sun.  This was to displace the superstitious symbols of the day, as well as the insignia of factions (for example, Guelphs and Ghibellines).  The devotion spread, and the symbol began to appear in churches, homes and public buildings.  Opposition arose from those who thought it a dangerous innovation.  Three attempts were made to have the pope take action against him, but Bernardine’s holiness, orthodoxy and intelligence were evidence of his faithfulness.

General of a branch of the Franciscan Order, the Friars of the Strict Observance, he strongly emphasized scholarship and further study of theology and canon law.  When he started there were 300 friars in the community; when he died there were 4,000.  He returned to preaching the last two years of his life, dying while traveling.

Comment:

Another dynamic saint once said, “…I will not be a burden, for I want not what is yours, but you…. I will most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your sakes” (2 Corinthians 12:14).  There is danger that we see only the whirlwind of activity in the Bernardines of faith—taking care of the sick, preaching, studying, administering, always driving—and forget the source of their energy.  We should not say that Bernardine could have been a great contemplative if he had had the chance. He had the chance, every day, and he took it.

Patron Saint of: Advertising; Gambling; Compulsive behavior; Italy; Public relations

Saint of the Day: Lives, Lessons and Feast
By Leonard Foley, O.F.M.;
revised by Pat McCloskey, O.F.M.
(From http://www.americancatholic.org website)

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 Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) Rule
Article #’s 20 & 21 of 26:

20. The Secular Franciscan Order is divided into fraternities of various levels — local, regional, national, and international.  Each one has its own moral personality in the Church. These various fraternities are coordinated and united according to the norm of this rule and of the constitutions.

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21. On various levels, each fraternity is animated and guided by a council and minister who are elected by the professed according to the constitutions.

Their service, which lasts for a definite period, is marked by a ready and willing spirit and is a duty of responsibility to each member and to the community.

Within themselves the fraternities are structured in different ways according to the norm of the constitutions, according to the various needs of their members and their regions, and under the guidance of their respective council.

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“Your Faith Is Not For The Dogs!” –Matthew 15:21-28†

 

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

 

Today’s Content:

 

• Dan’s Deliberations, Discoveries, & Declarations
• Today in Catholic History
• Quote of the Day
• Today’s Gospel Reading
• Gospel Reflection
• Reflection Psalm
• New Translation of the Mass
• A Franciscan’s Saint of the Day
• Franciscan Formation Reflection
• Reflection on part of  the SFO Rule

 

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Dan’s Deliberations, Discoveries, & Declarations:

 

Tomorrow is SOooo special for me.  It is the “Feast of the Assumption”, a Marian Feast Day, and also the Day when I will renew again my “Consecration to Jesus through Mary”, as created and popularized by St. Louis de Montfort (1673-1720).  His “consecration” is a special devotion lasting 33 days before the actual pledge or consecration of one’s total abandonment to Jesus through Mary, as a means to live my Baptismal promises.

This particular Marian devotion was loved greatly, and commented about often, by Blessed John Paul II, “the Great”.

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Next weekend, I will be on my annual SFO Regional Retreat at “King’s House” in Belleville, Illinois.  Franciscans from Southern Indiana, Southern Illinois, and all over Missouri are getting together to rejoice, pray, and interact with, in, and through the Holy Spirit, and in the Seraphic presence of Sts. Francis and Clare.

 

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Today in Catholic History:

    

†   1464 – Death of Pope Pius II (b. 1405)
†   1740 – Birth of Pius VII, [Luigi B Chiaramonti], bishop of Imola/Pope (1800-1823)
†   1941 – Death of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Polish martyr (b. 1894)
†   1961 – Death of Henri-Edouard-Prosper Breuil, priest/archaeologist, dies

(From the “On This Day” Blog Site
otday.wordpress.com &/OR
“Today in Catholic History”
http://www.historyorb.com)

 

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Quote of the Day:

 

 

“No cloud can overshadow a true Christian but his faith will discern a rainbow in it.” ~ Bishop Horne

 

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Today’s reflection is about Jesus healing the daughter of the Canaanite woman because of her great faith.

 

(NAB Matthew 15:21-28) ²¹ Then Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  ²² And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”  ²³ But he did not say a word in answer to her.  His disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”  ²⁴ He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  ²⁵ But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”  ²⁶ He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”  ²⁷ She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”  ²⁸ Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be done for you as you wish.”  And her daughter was healed from that hour.

 

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Gospel Reflection:

 

 

Last week we read about Jesus walking on the water and the disciples’ “confession” of faith: Jesus is the “Son of God”.  Today we move ahead in our reading of Matthew’s Gospel.  If we were reading Matthew’s entire Gospel, we would have read about Jesus’ debate with the Pharisees in relation to Jewish “purity laws”. Jesus argues that it is not what goes into us which makes us unclean; He is referring to the strict Jewish dietary rules created from the Scribes own interpretations of Mosaic Law.

Instead, our words and our actions – – what emit from us – – make us truly unclean, because our words and actions emerge from a heart which is truly unclean through our previous sins and iniquities.

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Today’s Gospel reading describes the only occasion in Holy Scripture when Jesus ministered outside of Jewish territory.  (Tyre and Sidon are fifty miles north of Israel and still exist today in modern Lebanon.)  

Tyre is a city in what is the Southern part of Lebanon today. The city juts out from the coast of the Mediterranean and is located about 50 miles south of Beirut. The name of the city means “rock” after the rocky formation on which the town was originally built.  Tyre is an ancient Phoenician city having many historical sites, including its famous “Roman Hippodrome”.   

 Sidon is also on the Mediterranean coast of present-day Southern Lebanon, about half-way between Tyre to the south and Beirut to the north.  Its name means “a fishery.”  Hmm; I wonder what the main occupation was in Sidon!

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Knowing about Jesus’ debate with the Pharisees helps us to understand today’s Gospel.  In fact, the unread story leading up to today’s reading would heighten the revelation and awe we feel as we “hear” Jesus’ exchange with the “Canaanite woman”.  The woman, who is not Jewish, approaches Jesus with a request that He heal her “demon-oppressed daughter” (I often feel that my teenage son’s are “demon-oppressed”).  At first, Jesus ignores her; He says nothing.  Besides, the disciples ask Jesus to send her away (They love to send people away, don’t they), and Jesus, at first agrees, remarking that He was sent to minister to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” – – “only”.

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A similar story to todays is related earlier in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 8:5-13):

“When He entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.’  He said to him, ‘I will come and cure him.’  The centurion said in reply, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.  For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me.  And I say to one, “’Go,” and he goes; and to another, “Come here,” and he comes; and to my slave, “Do this,” and he does it.’  When Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those following Him, ‘Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.  I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven, but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’  And Jesus said to the centurion, ‘You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.’  And at that very hour (his) servant was healed.” (Matthew 8:5-13)

As in Matthew’s earlier story of the “daughter of a Centurion” above, Jesus breaks with His usual practice of ministering, teaching, and preaching to Israelites only, and in doing so, prefigures the Apostles and the Catholic Church’s mission to the Jews and Gentiles alike.

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Today’s reading has a “Canaanite woman” as the solicitor of help.  Canaanites’ (Gentiles) were a despised race by the Jewish people.   Canaanites, like the woman in this Gospel reading, were inhabitants of a region in the area of what is the present-day Gaza Strip, Israel, West Bank, and Lebanon.  “Canaan” predates the ancient Israelite territories described in the Bible, and describes a land with different, yet, overlapping boundaries.

This Canaanite woman, a non-Jew, is identifying Jesus as her “Lord” and “Son of David”!  By saying these two phrases, she is exclaiming publically that Jesus is the one having power and authority over all others as the divine ruler by hereditary right and ascendancy from God the Father in heaven – FOR Jew AND Gentile as well!  She is also declaring her faith – – openly and publically – – that Jesus is the “true” Messiah of the Jewish people; and  as such, He is due our love, worship, and obedience.

 

Jesus tells this Canaanite lady, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (verse 24).  What did He mean by this?  Didn’t He come for the entire human race?!  I believe His “Word” is a foretelling of a future mission Jesus will give to His Apostles, and through them, to the growing Church to come.

Like Jesus Himself, the Twelve Apostles were initially sent only to Jewish territories and people; a way to “get their feet wet”:

“Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, ‘Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.  Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’” (Matthew 10:5-6)

 

The statement, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Verse 24)   may reflect an initial early Christian refusal of missions to the Gentiles.  Or, it could just have been an expression of the limitation – – Jesus Himself – – observed during His ministry, by never travelling any further than about 100 miles from His birthplace.

 

However, the woman persists, paying homage to Jesus, and yet He denies her request again.  Jesus even appears to insult her, using a Jewish word of disrespect for Gentiles (including Canaanites): “dog”:

“It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” (Matthew 15:26). 

In a rather quick-witted reply, the “Canaanite woman” cleverly turns Jesus’ “insult” into an affirmation of a deep and “true” faith:

“Even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” (Matthew 15:27).

This witty quip of hers really got Jesus’ attention; it showed the strength of her faith and her persistence.  Only then does Jesus grant her request and heal her daughter.

This woman reminds me of my wife: she won’t take “no” for an answer.  The woman in this story keeps calling out after Him, to the point of annoying the Apostles.  Jesus finally relents, and not only listens to her pleas, but acts on her pleas immediately.

In recalling Jesus’ encounters with women, this seems to be a normal pattern for Him: swiftly relenting to the women in His life.  Mary, His mother asks Jesus to help the wine stewards at the feast in Cana; Margaret asks Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead; and Mary Magdalene had seven “spirits” removed after asking Jesus.  (Jesus obviously learned early on, the first mantra of every married man: “Yes dear”!!)

 

Now, here’s a little secret!  Jesus does the same thing – – still today – – for both men and women!  All we need to do is ask Him for help, and He will help.  His intervention may not be swift enough for you, and may not even be the way you wanted something carried out.  To be quite honest, you may not recognize that Jesus interven at all, but He always helps anyone who asks.  The divine wisdom of God has no earthly boundaries such as time and space.  Every action He takes has a purpose and reason, maybe ever known to us.  How He acts on a specific request is always for the best outcome of the person making the request, the people involved, and for future circumstances.

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Jesus’ words are specific and purposeful then, now, and in the future.  What did Jesus mean by the phrase “throwing bread to the dogs“?  Jewish custom often spoke of “Gentiles” with conceit and disrespect as likened to “unclean dogs”.  For the Jewish people of this time, Gentiles were excluded from God’s covenant and favor with Israel.  Earlier in Matthew 7:6 records this expression:

“Do not give what is holy to dogs ….” (Matthew 7:6).

And now, I however, believe Jesus spoke to this Canaanite woman with a calm and reassuring voice rather than with an insult.  Why?  Simply because she immediately responded with a quick wit and deep faith:

“Even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” (Matthew 15:27)

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“The children” Jesus was speaking of, were the people of Israel: the Jewish people.  The term “dogs” on the other hand, was (along with the word “swine”) a Jewish term of scorn for Gentiles by the Jewish people: 

“Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.” (Matthew 7:6)

As stated earlier, dogs and swine were Jewish terms of contempt for Gentiles.  This saying may originally have derived from a Jewish Christian community opposed to preaching the Gospel (what is holy, the pearls) to Gentiles.  Some believe Matthew may have taken this concept and belief as applying to a Christians dealing with stubbornly unremorseful, unapologetic, and/or brazen fellow Christians, as in Matthew 18:

“If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.  If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:17)

I do not believe this was Matthew’s intent or meaning.  My reasoning is in light of what is written in the very last chapter, the very last verses of Matthew’s Gospel:

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

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Let’s get back to Jesus’ reaction to this woman.  Jesus’ unresponsiveness to her may appear to us as uncharacteristic or possibly even shocking for Him to do to another.  Yet, we need to know and remember that in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus’ ministry is directed primarily to the people of Israel – the Jewish “Catholic” people.  Only in a very few times, such as this one, do we find Jesus anticipating the later “Catholic (Universal)” Christian ministry to the rest of the world.

Behind Matthew’s written text, we can hear his early Catholic Christian community’s struggle to understand how God’s selection of Israel is unfailing after two recent, specific, and very important events: Israel’s rejection of Jesus by the formal “Leaders” of the Temple (His arrest, scourging, and crucifixion), and the Gentile peoples acceptance of Jesus.  Just as Jesus was surprised by the deep faith of the “Canaanite woman”, so too were the first Catholic Christians surprised that the Gentiles would also receive the salvation God the Father offered to the Jews first, and then to the Gentile world through Jesus Christ.

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Faith is not for the Jewish people alone; it is for ALL mankind and for individual persons as well!  As in the case of the cure of the centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:10):

“When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.” (Matthew 8:10),

In both instances of the “Centurion” and the “Canaanite Woman”, Matthew attributes Jesus’ granting of the request to both as His response to their GREAT FAITH.

 

Jesus praises both the “Canaanite woman” and the “Centurion” for their faith, trust, and love.  They made the suffering of their children their own, and were willing to suffer refusal and rejection in order to obtain a healing for their children.  THEY BOTH possessed a “determined persistence” in their request to Jesus Christ; beginning with a request, they both ended on their knees in worshipful prayer and gratitude to the living “Messiah”.  No one who ever sought Jesus, with faith – be they Jew or Gentile – was ever refused His help.  Do you seek Jesus with a confident and “persistent” faith?

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In conclusion, the figure or symbol of a household in which children at a table are fed first, and then their “leftover” food is given to the dogs under the table, is used effectively to acknowledge a prior claim of the Jews to Jesus’ earthly ministry, but not an exclusive claim, as some Jews believed.  However, Jesus Himself grants the Gentile “Canaanite” woman’s plea for a cure for her afflicted daughter, solely out of her strong, confident, and persistently “true” faith in Him as the promised “Son of David”: the “Messiah” who saves both Gentile and Jew.

 

Even when spurned by Jesus, the faith of the “Canaanite woman” makes her both strong and bold enough to confront and ask again for what she needs from Jesus Christ, in order to receive a healing for her daughter.  Her persistence and great confidence, knowing Jesus could heal her oppressed daughter, reminds me of the confidence with which our children bring to us their own needs.  In their “child-like” faith and trust we can find an example of how we might approach God in prayer – – with humility, piety, love, perseverance, and most importantly, simple, child-like FAITH!!.

Let us remember: we don’t pray to change God’s mind; we pray that our minds be changed.  If we got everything we ask for, then WE would be God, and we would have no need for faith in anyone!  There would be no opportunities for other doors to open, and no need to see Jesus in others with whom we come into contact.  I believe, that without faith, there would no longer be any anticipation, wisdom, miracles, sharing, trust, or gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Then, how sad would be the world!

Recall a time when a request for something was presented to you by a friend or family member with confidence and persistence.  If the request was denied, why was it denied?  If the request was granted, what led to a change of heart?  

Were you surprised by Jesus’ initial negative response to the Canaanite woman?  Why or why not?  What made Jesus change His mind and heal the woman’s daughter?  When we pray, God wants us to be  confident in His mercy.  Identify things you need from God (not things you “wish” for).  Pray these “prayers of petition” with a confidence God will hear and answer your prayers.  He always answers ALL prayers, one way or another, and on HIS time (not ours).

 

The faith the Canaanite woman had for the divinity of Jesus Christ is an affirmation of, and confidence in, God’s abundant mercy to all His creation.  Yes, salvation comes through Israel, but it overflows for the benefit of all who believe, live, and journey on Jesus’ pathway to paradise.

 

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Reflection Psalm:

 

 

“Psalm 67”

All the nations will praise God.

 

“May God be gracious to us and bless us; may God’s face shine upon us.  So shall your rule be known upon the earth, your saving power among all the nations.  May the nations be glad and shout for joy; for you govern the peoples justly, you guide the nations upon the earth.  May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you!  May God bless us still; that the ends of the earth may revere our God.” (Psalm 67:2-3,5-6,8)

 

 

Pax et Bonum
Dan Halley, SFO

 

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New Translation of the Mass

 

In November of 2011, with the start of the new Liturgical year and Advent, there will be a few noticeable changes in the Mass.  It will still be the same ritual for celebrating the Eucharist.  The Mass will still have the same parts, the same patterns, and the same flow as it has had for the past several decades.  It is only the translation of the Latin that is changing.

The new translation seeks to correspond much more closely to the exact words and sentence structure of the Latin text.  At times, this results in a good and faithful rendering of the original meaning.  At other times it produces a rather awkward text in English which is difficult to proclaim and difficult to understand.  Most of those problems affect the texts which priests will proclaim rather than the texts that belong to the congregation as a whole.  It is to the congregation’s texts that I will address with each blog, in a repetitive basis until the start of Advent.

In the words of Vatican II’s Lumen Gentium, #11, the Eucharist is the “source and summit” of Christian life. Anything we can do to understand our liturgy more deeply will draw us closer to God.

 

The memorial acclamations that we currently use

have all been changed.

The one that is most familiar to us (“Christ has died, Christ is risen …”) has disappeared completely.  The three remaining ones are similar to those in the current missal, but the wording is different in each case.

Material from “Changing How We Pray”, by Rev. Lawrence E. Mick

 

 

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A Franciscan’s Saint of the Day:  St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe (1894-1941)

 

“I don’t know what’s going to become of you!”  How many parents have said that?  Maximilian Mary Kolbe’s reaction was, “I prayed very hard to Our Lady to tell me what would happen to me.  She appeared, holding in her hands two crowns, one white, one red.  She asked if I would like to have them—one was for purity, the other for martyrdom.  I said, ‘I choose both.’  She smiled and disappeared.”  After that he was not the same.

He entered the minor seminary of the Conventual Franciscans in Lvív (then Poland, now Ukraine), near his birthplace, and at 16 became a novice.  Though he later achieved doctorates in philosophy and theology, he was deeply interested in science, even drawing plans for rocket ships.

Ordained at 24, he saw religious indifference as the deadliest poison of the day.  His mission was to combat it.  He had already founded the Militia of the Immaculata, whose aim was to fight evil with the witness of the good life, prayer, work and suffering.  He dreamed of and then founded Knight of the Immaculata, a religious magazine under Mary’s protection to preach the Good News to all nations.  For the work of publication he established a “City of the Immaculata”—Niepokalanow—which housed 700 of his Franciscan brothers.  He later founded one in Nagasaki, Japan.  Both the Militia and the magazine ultimately reached the one-million mark in members and subscribers. His love of God was daily filtered through devotion to Mary.

In 1939 the Nazi panzers overran Poland with deadly speed.  Niepokalanow was severely bombed.  Kolbe and his friars were arrested, then released in less than three months, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception.

In 1941 he was arrested again.  The Nazis’ purpose was to liquidate the select ones, the leaders.  The end came quickly, in Auschwitz three months later, after terrible beatings and humiliations.

A prisoner had escaped.  The commandant announced that 10 men would die.  He relished walking along the ranks.  “This one.  That one.” As they were being marched away to the starvation bunkers, Number 16670 dared to step from the line.  “I would like to take that man’s place.  He has a wife and children.”  “Who are you?”  “A priest.”  No name, no mention of fame.  Silence.  The commandant, dumbfounded, perhaps with a fleeting thought of history, kicked Sergeant Francis Gajowniczek out of line and ordered Father Kolbe to go with the nine.  In the “block of death” they were ordered to strip naked, and their slow starvation began in darkness.  But there was no screaming—the prisoners sang.  By the eve of the Assumption four were left alive.  The jailer came to finish Kolbe off as he sat in a corner praying.  He lifted his fleshless arm to receive the bite of the hypodermic needle.  It was filled with carbolic acid.  They burned his body with all the others.  He was beatified in 1971 and canonized in 1982.

Comment:

Father Kolbe’s death was not a sudden, last-minute act of heroism.  His whole life had been a preparation.  His holiness was a limitless, passionate desire to convert the whole world to God.  And his beloved Immaculata was his inspiration.

Quote:

“Courage, my sons.  Don’t you see that we are leaving on a mission?  They pay our fare in the bargain.  What a piece of good luck!  The thing to do now is to pray well in order to win as many souls as possible.  Let us, then, tell the Blessed Virgin that we are content, and that she can do with us anything she wishes”  (Maximilian Mary Kolbe, when first arrested).

Patron Saint of: Addicts, Drug addiction

Saint of the Day: Lives, Lessons and Feast
By Leonard Foley, O.F.M.;
revised by Pat McCloskey, O.F.M.
(From http://www.americancatholic.org website)

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Franciscan Formation Reflection:

 

SFO Fraternity Life

 

In what ways does an SFO Fraternity show SHARING on the part of the members?

How is this manifested in your daily life?

In what ways does a SFO Fraternity show CARING on the part of the members?

How is this manifested in your daily life?

 

 

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Secular Franciscan Order (SFO)
Rule #’s 14 & 15 of 26:

 

14.  Secular Franciscans, together with all people of good will, are called to build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the kingdom of God may be brought about more effectively.  Mindful that anyone “who follows Christ, the perfect man, becomes more of a man himself,” let them exercise their responsibilities competently in the Christian spirit of service.

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15.  Let them individually and collectively be in the forefront in promoting justice by the testimony of their human lives and their courageous initiatives. Especially in the field of public life, they should make definite choices in harmony with their faith.

  

“When Lost, Hug HIS Tree!” – Luke 15:1-10†

 

God, Please Bless America!!

September 11, 2001 needs to be forever remembered!!

 

Individuals have the “right” to build a Mosque near “ground-zero,” or even to burn books such as the “Koran,” but that does not make it necessarily “Right!”

Remember the “Pieta” and “Our Lady of Sorrows.”  Picture the victims of this tragic act of violence in our loving Blessed Virgin Mother’s lap, instead of the usually pictured infant Jesus. (Taken, in part, from a letter by Fr. Pio Jackson, OFM)

 

†

 

Next week will be my first anniversary of writing these reflections.  With 258 postings as of today, my knowledge and piety for Holy Scripture has vastly increased.  I have grown to love reading my Bible (yes, I am a catholic WITH a Bible – actually I have several).  The 73 books of the Bible are amazing reads and valuable sources of information, inspiration, and spirituality.  I cannot tell you how many “God-winks” I have experienced in my journey through Scripture.  God truly does work in mysterious ways.

Thank you again for reading, and for commenting on my reflections.  I pray that you have been helped or inspired by my words.  Actually, I should not use the word “my” as I firmly believe that I am not creating these reflections.  I am allowing the Holy Spirit to work through me, and I love the fact that the Paraclete is so lovingly intertwined into my soul and body.  Thank you Lord, my God and my all; I love and trust in you always.

 

†

            

Today in Catholic History:

      
†   1690 – Birth of Peter Dens, Belgian Catholic theologian (d. 1775)
†   1960 – John F. Kennedy avers he does not speak for the Roman Catholic Church, and neither does the Church speak for him.

(From “Today in Catholic History”
http://www.historyorb.com)

†

 

Quote or Joke of the Day:

 

Where will you stand in eternity?  Smoking or Non-Smoking!

 

 

 

Today’s reflection is about Jesus’ response to the Pharisees and Scribes criticizing Him for keeping company with the poor and dreads of society.

 

1 The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him [Jesus}, 2 but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”  3 So to them he addressed this parable.  4 “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?  5 And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy 6 and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’  7 I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.  8 “Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it?  9 And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’  10 In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”  (Luke 15:1-10)

 

Jesus in today’s Gospel relates two of three parables about losing, finding, and rejoicing.  There are two fairly obvious themes with these readings today.  The first focuses on God’s desire that all of us who may be lost will be found and return to Him.  The second spotlights on OUR calling to search for the “lost sheep or coin” and bring them home to God.

The Pharisees and Scribes were mumbling about Jesus’ followers.  Jesus wasn’t just drawing those interested in discussing religious matters on an intellectual level, or even the particulars of the temple law.  These followers were not only the regular synagogue and temple worshiping crowd, but also a “new” circle of people altogether.  Up till this point, many followers of Jesus would not have been considered a traditionally pious people.  These individuals of various piety levels were gathering to Him — like hair on soap, and it wasn’t just a few either. The outcasts of Jewish society like the lepers, Samaritans, Gentiles, tax-collectors, and other sinners all approached Jesus with a genuine eagerness to hear what he had to say and teach.  

Their “hearing” Jesus’ message started a movement towards conversion for these “outcast heathens.” This “hearing” stands in stark contrast to the “hearing” of Jesus’ fellow “chosen ones” who have heard and not believed.  These Pharisees and Scribes are being cautious and suspicious of Jesus; they complain about His associating with “sinners” and the other dreads of society.  These Pharisees and Scribes were not used to mixing with these “worthless” people following Jesus.  They considered these people as “unclean;” and to be in contact or involved with them would bring uncleanness on them as well.  Jesus’ insight about these “Pharisaical attitudes” is deliciously revealing in these three parables (only two of which are presented in this reflection). 

The parable of the lost sheep in today’s Gospel is also found in Matthew’s Gospel (Mt. 18:12-14); but Luke adds two additional parables: “the lost coin parable” in Luke 15:8-10, and “the prodigal son parable” found later in this chapter (Luke 15:11-32).  These two additional stories are from Luke’s own special tradition of faith.  Luke illustrates Jesus’ particular concern for the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” and for God’s love for every repentant sinner.  In His parables, Jesus takes real life reactions and turns them into a spiritual understanding and application.

Jesus is acting out the very character of his Father, God!  He does much more than simply accepting these “lost” people; Jesus welcomes them and even eats with them, which in His time and culture meant much more than just a meal.  It is a special meal of welcome and recognition for that individual.  There’s nothing wimpy about Jesus’ actions, attitude, or love for all people, especially the poor and suffering. He actively welcomes people who might normally expect rejection from other “teachers”.  

In the first story of the lost sheep, the shepherd leaves behind the ninety-nine sheep to search for the lowly lost sheep that had left its flock.  When he finds it, the shepherd rejoices, but NOT just by himself, as suggested in Matthew’s version.  Instead, he rejoices with his friends and neighbors.  In this same way, God rejoices more over the lowly sinner, similarly lost, who repents.  In this group were the “heroes,” the non-Jews, outcasts, and tax collectors who have come to hear, really hear, Jesus.  Jesus reveals that there is joy in heaven; and that there is even more joy over the outcasts repentance than the righteous, unrepentant, ninety-nine who think they have no need for a change of heart.

The Jewish people have always been a shepherding clan of people, going all the way back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Sheep were raised for wool, meat, and for holy sacrifices.  A hundred sheep (99 + 1, Hmm) would be a fairly normal size for a herder.  In Jesus’ parable, the herder was probably counting his herd and finds one missing.  Leaving the ninety-nine, he goes off looking for the “one” lost sheep until he finds it.  There is no blame directed towards the sheep that went lost; the emphasis of the story is on the joyfulness of the event when the lost is found. The point Jesus was making is quite simple and elegant: the pious people of Israel are not necessarily the lost sheep in this parable!  The tax collectors and sinners are the real lost sheep for whom Jesus was sent!

The second story is about a woman who is so poor that she will not stop searching for her lost coins until she finds them.  How many of us have searched through the deep recesses of our furniture and cars, just for a little spending change?  This is an allegorical story to me; it makes a similar but much stronger point than the first parable. 

This lady in the parable was poor.  She was poor of materialistic needs and possibly poor of spiritual needs as well.  In her searching of all the deep recesses of her life (represented by her home), she made a total examination of her life, consciousness, spirituality, and immediate possible future.  She re-examined every part of her being (her home), and finally finding what she had lost: her conviction and belief in a loving and true God (represented by the ten coins).  In her repentance of the past, her conversion in the present, and a new belief in a loving God that is forever present with her in a unique way, she found a new freedom and wealth never before experienced.  This woman is now joyful and celebrates her “new” life with others, (her brothers and sisters in Christ) who believe as she.

In this second parable when Jesus talks about ten coins, He is literally talking about, “ten drachmas.”  A drachma was a Greek silver coin of the time period.  The drachma may not have been in circulation during Jesus’ time of public ministry in Israel, but Luke’s readers would know what a drachma was the few decades later when Luke wrote his Gospel. A drachma was worth about the same as a Roman denarius: an average day’s wage; so she was looking for ten days wages.

In studying the meaning of biblical numbers, “ten” is one of the “perfect” numbers.  It signifies the “perfection,” or fullness of divinity and a completeness of right order.  In other words, this number implies total and complete wholeness.  As I saw myself in these stories, I saw myself searching through the recesses of my memory, looking for something I know I need but don’t have; then I remembered finding my treasure: it being the love of, and for, Jesus Christ.  It was then that I realized that through these parables we all are being led to a totally perfected, complete, and wholesome soul full of joy at an eternal celebration with Him in paradise.

We are not covering the third parable in this reflection today.  You will have to wait; but I guarantee a doozy of a reflection with this story from Jesus.  All I can say is that it involves sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll!  It will make you laugh; it will make you cry.  It will be rated a five-star reflection on the “God-O-Matic” Meter!  How is this for a cliff-hanger to get you back for future reflections?!

When we are lost, God doesn’t wait for our return. He actively seeks us out. And when His “lost sheep” are found, how could He not celebrate and rejoice?  Jesus’ role is not only one of group redemption and salvation, but that it begins with a “one-by-one,” “person-by-person,” “search and rescue” mission.  That was Jesus’ undertaking on earth in His human AND divine fullness.

If you ask your children who are scouts, or if you are one of the few parents that volunteers as a scout leader, you have probably been taught what to do when lost in the woods: literally, “hug-a-tree.” You know that this means to stay put exactly where you are so others can find you more easily.  Just as any parent would go to any length to find a loved one and bring them home, so too would God.  That is what Jesus is telling us in these stories!  No matter what we do, no matter how bad or wrong we are, God, our infinitely good and loving Father, is always ready and anxious to find and forgive us.  He desires to welcome us back into His loving arms.  In fact, He actively draws us back to Himself.

Remember; Jesus is acting out the very character of his Father, God.  An essential part of God’s character is His extending mercy and love to the “undeserving” of society.  His mission is not only to welcome those who are searching for Him, but also to actually seek the injured, the sick, the oppressed, the blind, the imprisoned, and those who may not be searching for Him.  God really does go to great lengths in order to rescue us.  Our souls are worth all risks for Him.  How does Jesus live this role yet today?  The answer is, I believe a part of His initial plan unveiled two thousand years ago: the Holy Cross of our salvation and redemption — the message of true and active love for all creation still yet today.

If geographically lost, do not forget to “hug-a-tree.”  When lost on our faith journey, the same advice is true: “Hug a tree” — the tree of salvation and redemption — Jesus’ Cross!  He will be more than happy to hug you, and bring you to safety.

 

“St. Francis’ Prayer Before the Crucifix”

 

Most high,
glorious God,
let your light fill the shadows of my heart
and grant me, Lord,
true faith,
certain hope,
perfect love,
awareness and knowing,
that I may fulfill Your holy will.  Amen.

 

Pax et Bonum
Dan Halley, SFO

 

*****

 

A Franciscan’s Saint of the Day:  Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary

  

This feast is a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (January 3); both have the possibility of uniting people easily divided on other matters.

The feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary began in Spain in 1513 and in 1671 was extended to all of Spain and the Kingdom of Naples. In 1683, John Sobieski, king of Poland, brought an army to the outskirts of Vienna to stop the advance of Muslim armies loyal to Mohammed IV in Constantinople. After Sobieski entrusted himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he and his soldiers thoroughly defeated the Muslims. Pope Innocent XI extended this feast to the entire Church.

 

Comment:

Mary always points us to God, reminding us of God’s infinite goodness. She helps us to open our hearts to God’s ways, wherever those may lead us. Honored under the title “Queen of Peace,” Mary encourages us to cooperate with Jesus in building a peace based on justice, a peace that respects the fundamental human rights (including religious rights) of all peoples.

Quote:

“Lord our God, when your Son was dying on the altar of the cross, he gave us as our mother the one he had chosen to be his own mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary; grant that we who call upon the holy name of Mary, our mother, with confidence in her protection may receive strength and comfort in all our needs” (Marian Sacramentary, Mass for the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

Saint of the Day: Lives, Lessons and Feast
By Leonard Foley, O.F.M.;
revised by Pat McCloskey, O.F.M.
(From http://www.americancatholic.org website)

 

†

    

Secular Franciscan Order (SFO) Rule #’s 12 & 13 of 26:

 

12.  Witnessing to the good yet to come and obligated to acquire purity of heart because of the vocation they have embraced, they should set themselves free to love God and their brothers and sisters.

 

†

 

13.  As the Father sees in every person the features of his Son, the firstborn of many brothers and sisters, so the Secular Franciscans with a gentle and courteous spirit accept all people as a gift of the Lord and an image of Christ.

 

A sense of community will make them joyful and ready to place themselves on an equal basis with all people, especially with the lowly for whom they shall strive to create conditions of life worthy of people redeemed by Christ.

“ALLRIGHT ALREADY, Just Leave Me Alone – I’m Busy Saving Souls!” – Mt 15:21-28†

 

Today in Catholic History:

†   70 – The destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans.
†   1521 – Birth of Pope Urban VII (d. 1590)
†   Liturgical Feasts: Saint Sithney, patron saint of mad dogs; Saint John Vianney (Jean-Marie Vianney), parish priest, patron saint of priests

(From the “On This Day” Blog Site
otday.wordpress.com)

Quote or Joke of the Day:
    

Part of asking God for something is the asking; and the asking IS part of the answer: a deepening faith in God. – Dan Halley, SFO

     

Today’s reflection is about Jesus’ breaking with his usual procedure of ministering only to Israelites up till this point in His earthly ministry, and answering our prayers.

 

21 Then Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  22 And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”  23 But he did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”  24 He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  25 But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”   26 He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”  27 She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”  28 Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour. (NAB Mt 15:21-28)

 

Tyre is a city in what is the Southern part of Lebanon today. The city juts out from the coast of the Mediterranean and is located about 50 miles south of Beirut. The name of the city means “rock” after the rocky formation on which the town was originally built.  Tyre is an ancient Phoenician city that has many historical sites, including its Roman Hippodrome.    

Sidon is also on the Mediterranean coast of present-day Southern Lebanon, about half-way between Tyre to the south and Beirut to the north.  Its name means “a fishery.”  Hmm; I wound what the main occupation was in Sidon?

Canaanites, like the woman in this Gospel reading, were inhabitants of a region in the area of what is the present-day Gaza Strip, Israel, West Bank, and Lebanon.  “Canaan” predates the ancient Israelite territories described in the Bible, and describes a land with different, but overlapping boundaries.

In this story of the daughter of the Canaanite woman, Jesus establishes a break with his standard procedure of ministering only to Israelites, and also prefigures the Apostles and Churches mission to the Gentiles.

This Canaanite woman, a non-Jew, is identifying Jesus as her “Lord” and “Son of David!”  By saying these two phrases, she is exclaiming publically that Jesus is the one having power and authority over all others as the divine ruler by hereditary right and ascendancy from God the Father in heaven – FOR Jew and Gentile!  She is also declaring that Jesus, the true Messiah, is due our love, worship, and obedience.

Jesus tells this Gentile lady, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  What did He mean by this?  Didn’t He come for the entire human race?!  I believe it may have been a foretelling of a future mission Jesus gives the Apostles.  Like Jesus, the Twelve Apostles were initially sent only to Jewish territories and people: a way to “get their feet wet.” This statement may reflect an initial early Christian refusal of missions to the Gentiles.  Or, it could just be an expression of the limitation that Jesus Himself observed during his ministry, by travelling no further than about 100 miles from His birthplace.

This woman reminds me of my wife: she won’t take “no” for an answer.  The woman in this story keeps calling out after Him, to the point of annoying the Apostles.  Jesus finally relents, and not only listens to her pleas, but acts on her pleas immediately. 

In recalling Jesus’ encounters with women, this seems to be a normal pattern for Him: swiftly relenting to the women in His life.  Mary, His mother asks Jesus to help the wine stewards at the feast in Cana; Margaret asks Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead; and Mary Magdalene had seven “spirits” removed after asking Jesus. 

Now, here’s a little secret!  He does the same thing still today for both men and women!  All we need to do is ask Him for help, and He will help.  His intervention may not be swift enough for you, and may not even be the way you wanted something carried out.  To be quite honest, you may not recognize that Jesus intervened at all, but He always helps anyone who asks.  The divine wisdom of God has no boundaries.  Every action He takes has a purpose and reason.  How He acts on a specific request is always for the best outcome of the person making the request, the people involved, and for future circumstances.

“The children” Jesus was speaking of, were the people of Israel: the Jewish people.  The term “dogs” on the other hand, was (along with the word “swine”) a Jewish term of scorn for Gentiles.  This saying in today’s Gospel reading, some scholars have said, may have resulted from the early Christian community’s opposition to preaching the Gospel to non-Jews (Gentiles).  In the light of the verse found in Matthew 28:19: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” their understanding, for me, has an element of error in their logic.  Rather, I believe that this saying [children and dogs] applied to early Christians having to deal with stubbornly brazen fellow “Christians,” as shown in Matthew 18:17: “If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.  If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.” 

Just like in the case of the cure of the centurion’s servant found in Matthew 8:10: “When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.”  Matthew credits Jesus’ granting the request to the woman’s great faith.  Her persistence in open dialogue: her loud and sincere “prayer” to Jesus was heard, and He acted on her behalf. 

We don’t pray to change God’s mind.  We pray that our minds are changed instead. If we got everything we ask for, then we would be God, and would have no need for faith in anyone! There would be no opportunities for other doors to open; and no need to see Jesus in others we come into contact.  I believe that without faith, there would no longer be anticipation, wisdom, miracles, sharing, trust, or gifts of the Holy Spirit.  How sad would be the world then!
         

“Parents’ Prayer for Their Children”

   

“O God the Father of mankind, who hast given unto me these my children, and committed them to my charge to bring them up for Thee, and to prepare them for eternal life: help me with Thy heavenly grace, that I may be able to fulfill this most sacred duty and stewardship. Teach me both what to give and what to withhold; when to reprove and when to forbear; make me to be gentle, yet firm; considerate and watchful; and deliver me equally from the weakness of indulgence, and the excess of severity; and grant that, both by word and example, I may be careful to lead them in the ways of wisdom and true piety, so that at last I may, with them, be admitted to the unspeakable joys of our true home in heaven, in the company of the blessed Angels and Saints.   Amen.

O Heavenly Father, I commend my children to Thy care. Be Thou their God and Father; and mercifully supply whatever is lacking in me through frailty or negligence. Strengthen them to overcome the corruptions of the world, whether from within or without; and deliver them from the secret snares of the enemy. Pour Thy grace into their hearts, and strengthen and multiply in them the gifts of Thy Holy Spirit that they may daily grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ; and so, faithfully serving Thee here, may come to rejoice in Thy presence hereafter.   Amen.”

 

Pax et Bonum
Dan Halley, SFO
           

*****
          

A Franciscan’s Saint of the Day:  St. John Mary Vianney 1786-1859
    

Seldom has a priestly life been so holy, so self-sacrificing, so fruitful of good for the salvation of souls as the life of the Cure’ of Ars in France, St. John Mary Vianney, who died August 4, 1859. It is a distinct honor for the Third Order of St. Francis that he was one of its members.

He was born in Dardilly, not far from Lyons, of simple and devout parents. Very early his pure heart experienced a burning desire to consecrate himself to God in the priestly vocation, and to win very many souls for our dear Lord. His talents were very meager; but his diligence and piety helped him to overcome all obstacles so that he was ordained in 1815.

Three years later his bishop sent him as curate to Ars, a little village in the diocese of Lyon. His parish was at the time in a very pitiable condition. The fear of God and the practice of virtue were rare things there. Attendance at divine services and the reception of the sacraments were quite generally neglected, and the young folks were mindful of nothing but amusement, a dance taking place practically every Sunday.

It was, therefore, with a heavy heart and yet with great confidence in God that the curate entered upon his duties. He realized that God’s help was his first great need. Throughout the entire day he knelt before the blessed sacrament and prayed for his erring sheep.

This zeal at prayer was soon noticed, and the grace he had asked for continued its work. The people were astonished at the devotion John Mary displayed while celebrating holy Mass. His very mortified life made a deep impression upon them. His love for the poor and the sick, his mild word to everyone soon won for him all hearts.

He invited them to pray, in the morning to attend holy Mass, in the evening to recite the rosary. He also introduced a Eucharistic confraternity. He strove to eliminate the dangers to which the people were exposing themselves by their weekly dances. When a certain person, who was earning his livelihood by means of these dances, said to him, “But a person must live,” the priest replied, “True, but one must also die.” He conducted the divine services with all possible solemnity, and this proved at attraction for the people. By means of frequent instructions, especially in catechism, he taught his parishioners about virtue and vice, and portrayed in vivid terms the reward God has reserved for the good and the punishment that will be inflicted on the wicked.

He was tireless in administering the sacrament of penance, always showing not only great zeal but also practicing meekness and charity in an extraordinary degree. In a few years the parish was completely transformed. The few dissenting voices were entirely ignored, and their worldly attractions were not heeded. The fame of the blessed success and the holy life of the priest of Ars spread rapidly. Strangers came in ever increasingly numbers in order to have their consciences set aright and to obtain advice and consolation in every type of need.

From the year 1828 the concourse of people took on the semblance of organized pilgrimages; the number of strangers was estimated to be at least 20,000 annually. Numerous conversions of a most remarkable nature occurred, and many sick persons were miraculously restored to health. These cures the humble pastor ascribed to the intercession of St. Philomena, who was venerated in his church.

The demands made upon the servant of God were, naturally, very great. He spent from 16 to 18 hours a day in the confessional. Besides, he conducted a catechetical instruction in the church each day, and led the rosary every evening. Along with these superhuman exertions he also practiced rigorous mortification, fasted almost constantly, and slept on a board. In his way he spent himself in the fullest sense of the word as a good shepherd, and labored for the salvation of souls until he was 74 years old.

Completely worn out, he collapsed at the last day of May, 1859, and died peacefully in the Lord without any agony on August 4. Pope Pius X beatified him and Pope Pius XI canonized him and made him the patron of all priests who have the care of souls.
        

from: The Franciscan Book of Saints,
ed. by Marion Habig, ofm.,
© 1959 Franciscan Herald Press
(From http://www.franciscan-sfo.org website)

     
    

Secular Franciscan Order (SFO) Rule #4:

 

The rule and life of the Secular Franciscans is this: to observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of St. Francis of Assisi who made Christ the inspiration and the center of his life with God and people.

Christ, the gift of the Father’s love, is the way to him, the truth into which the Holy Spirit leads us, and the life which he has come to give abundantly.

Secular Franciscans should devote themselves especially to careful reading of the gospel, going from gospel to life and life to gospel.

 

 

 

“The Not So Dirty Dozen; At Least To Start With!” – Mt 10:1-7†

Today in Catholic History:

 

† 1304 – Death of Pope Benedict XI (b. 1240)
† 1456 – A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death.
† 1946 – Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini becomes the first American to be canonized.
† 2007 – Pope Benedict XVI issues the “Summorum Pontificum,” removing restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass.

 

Quote or Joke of the Day:
  

If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, an even greater miracle happened.  Twelve relatively uneducated guys (and many, many other followers) changed the world, and were martyred to protect a lie.
  

Today’s reflection is about the sending out of the twelve Apostles!

Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.  These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.”  (NRSV Mt 10:1-7)

 

This Gospel reading is a cousin to last Sundays, when the seventy-two disciples were dispatched to witness to the world the “Kingdom of God.”  It deals with a broadening of the Kingdom from its core group and geographical area, and starts the missionary activities of the Catholic Church just prior to, and includes the time of the Jesus’ resurrection, and the “parousia” (the second coming of Christ).

Matthew, unlike Mark and Luke, has no story of Jesus’ choosing the Twelve in his gospel.  Being closely aligned with first-century Judaism (he was the Jewish tax-collector), maybe he just assumed that the group of Apostles would be already known to the readers of his gospel.  The number of Apostles chosen by Jesus, “twelve,” probably was meant to recall and represent the twelve tribes of Israel clearly described in the Old Testament.  By doing so, Jesus is implying an authority to call all Israel into His Kingdom with His coming “new” covenant.

“Authority over … every sickness.”  What a significant sentence!  Jesus is giving the Apostles the gift, the grace, to witness and participate in the same activities as He.  In doing so, the Twelve Apostles also share in Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom.  But although Jesus teaches, the Apostles do not go out to teach at this point in time.  Their commission to teach comes only after Jesus’ resurrection, and after they have been fully instructed by him.

The word “Apostle” translates to “one who is sent.”  It will, with the first Easter, come to mean primarily one who had seen the Risen Lord and had been commissioned to proclaim the resurrection: our first “Bishops.”  This is a great explanation for why Paul is sometimes called as the 13^th Apostle.  He did see the Risen Lord (on the road to Damascus), and been to told to tell the world.  With some very slight variations in Luke’ Gospel and in the Acts of the Apostles, the names are the same in the four lists of Apostles given in the New Testament.  

Now I want to write about the “black sheep” in the group: Judas Iscariot.  In reading the Bible, I noticed that Judas always ends the list; and always with a mention of his betrayal of Jesus.  He went and performed miracles at Jesus’ command.  Judas witnessed nothing different from any other Apostles.  As the “holder of the purse,” he had a special role, a quasi-board member role, in the group of followers of Jesus.  AND, he was NOT the only one to turn away from Jesus.  Remember, all the Apostles fled from Jesus at His capture in the garden, persecution by the Sanhedrin, and trial before Pilate.  Peter (the Rock) even explicitly denied his relationship with Jesus THREE separate times!  The “Rock” succumbed to betrayal and fear before the crow of the “Cock!”

So what made Judas different than the rest?  I believe it was the way he handled his betrayal; his sin.  All the Apostles returned to Jesus, except him.  We know for a fact that at least Peter wept and begged for forgiveness.  All (except Judas) gathered together and felt the mercy of God, while Judas just hung around for awhile. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!  My-bad!) 

Judas, could not get past himself.  His “self”-ishness would not allow him to get past his own guilt for his actions.  In his eyes, no one could forgive him for what he had done.  Satan had won with this one Apostle!  Judas never realized the magnificence and boundless love and mercy Jesus has for everyone.

We are all sinners.  We all betray the Lord many times throughout our lives. Luckily, we know that we can be forgiven.  There is noting that can keep God from showing us His mercy and unlimited love, except ourselves.  God doesn’t turn His back on us EVER!  Even the most horrendous, dangerous, and mean person on this earth still has God with him at his darkest times. 

So why can’t we see God when we sin?  We turn our backs to Him.  We refuse to see the brightness in the darkness of our lives.  Take off the shades, open your eyes, and walk to the warm light of forgiveness and love.  The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a miraculous grace given to us, by Jesus, so that we can ask for forgiveness directly and physically to Him.  Please use this grace often.

Like Jesus, the Twelve Apostles were initially sent only to areas of Israel.  This may be because early Jewish Christians refused extending the mission to the Gentiles.  Interestingly, Jesus Himself even observed this limitation during His earthly ministry.  It took a scholarly, cultured, devout, and militant Jewish leader, of Jewish and Roman heritage, to help the Twelve Apostles (Judas was replaced with Mathias) extend the Kingdom of God to other parts of the known world: Saul, later to be known as Paul (my favorite “apostle.”).
  

Franciscan Morning Prayer
  

 

“Jesus Lord, I offer you this new day because I believe in You, love You, hope all things in You, and thank You for your blessings.

I am sorry for having offended You, and forgive everyone who has offended me.

Lord, look on me and leave in me peace, and courage, and Your humble wisdom, that I may serve others with joy, and be pleasing to You all day.  Amen.”

 

Pax et Bonum
Dan Halley, SFO

*****

Franciscan Saint of the Day:  Blessed Emmanuel Ruiz and Companions
(1804-1860)

Not much is known of the early life of Emmanuel Ruiz, but details of his heroic death in defense of the faith have come down to us.

Born of humble parents in Santander, Spain, he became a Franciscan priest and served as a missionary in Damascus. This was at a time when anti-Christian riots shook Syria and thousands lost their lives in just a short time.

Among these were Emmanuel, superior of the Franciscan convent, seven other friars and three laymen. When a menacing crowd came looking for the men, they refused to renounce their faith and become Muslims. The men were subjected to horrible tortures before their martyrdom.

Emmanuel, his brother Franciscans and the three Maronite laymen were beatified in 1926 by Pope Pius XI.

Saint of the Day: Lives, Lessons and Feast
By Leonard Foley, O.F.M.; revised by Pat McCloskey, O.F.M.
 (From http://www.americancatholic.org website)

    

Secular Franciscan Order (SFO) Rule #7:

 

United by their vocation as “brothers and sisters of penance” and motivated by the dynamic power of the gospel, let them conform their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of that radical interior change which the gospel calls “conversion.” Human frailty makes it necessary that this conversion be carried out daily.  On this road to renewal the sacrament of reconciliation is the privileged sign of the Father’s mercy and the source of grace.

 

 

 

“Am I a Black Sheep?!” – Lk 15:1-7†

My oldest son is on his way to Springfield Missouri for a Jazz Band competition.  He loves to play the trumpet, and has found his love, and future, in music.  I am proud of him, and his ability with that “horn.”  But, then again, I am proud of all my boys for their various abilities.  God did me good with them!   
 

Wrangling and herding of sheep is the reason for reflection on the days blog.

Jesus and His Sheep

Quote or Joke of the Day:

 

“When you handle yourself, use your head; when you handle others, use your heart.” – Donna Reed

 

Today’s Meditation:

 

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”  So to them he addressed this parable.  “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?  And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’  I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.  (NAB Lk 15:1-7)

 

A parable that I love, and is probably one of the first I ever remember as a young child.  The church officials, in seeing Jesus eating with people deemed “unclean” are insulted, since Jesus is looked upon by many as a teacher of the Jewish faith.  At the time of Jesus, one did not mingle with the unclean, and the general population, much less much the “upper crust” of Jewish society.  Jesus knows that His (and thus God’s) mercy breaks through all human restrictions. 

There is a theme of joy in today’s gospel reading.  Finding the wayward of faith, and then bringing them back to the fold, makes for joy.  Our conversion; our finding of the truth through Jesus, and living in His fold on a daily basis, is required for finding total joy.  Eternal happiness in sharing Gods own joy, and we are all called to participate in His joy from, and through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The parable of the lost sheep illustrated Jesus’ particular concern for the lost,  and  of God’s love for the repentant sinner.  

Who are these prodigal children of God.  They are ones that are suffering from addiction, alcoholism, pornography, having affairs, and stealing, to just name a few.  God desires our return to him even more than we desire of our children and loved ones return from the depths of sin.  All can return without any mention of the past, and all can be forgiven for any sin.  He is standing right there next to us right now.  All we have to do is turn, and walk into His open arms. 

“Lord, please welcome me and all Your children home in the paradise of Heaven.  Especially welcome cheerfully all Your prodigal and wayward children, as a loving Father only can.  Amen.”

 

Pax et Bonum

Dan Halley, SFO

 

*****

 

Franciscan Saint of the Day:  St. Colette

 

Colette was the daughter of a carpenter named DeBoilet at Corby Abbey in Picardy, France.  She was born on January 13, christened Nicolette, and called Colette.  Orphaned at age seventeen, she distributed her inheritance to the poor.  She became a Franciscan tertiary, and lived at Corby as a solitary.  She soon became well known for her holiness and spiritual wisdom, but left her cell in 1406 in response to a dream directing her to reform the Poor Clares.  She received the Poor Clares habit from Peter de Luna, whom the French recognized as Pope under the name of Benedict XIII, with orders to reform the Order and appointing her Superior of all convents she reformed.  Despite great opposition, she persisted in her efforts.  She founded seventeen convents with the reformed rule and reformed several older convents.  She was renowned for her sanctity, ecstasies, and visions of the Passion; and prophesied her own death in her convent at Ghent, Belgium.  A branch of the Poor Clares is still known as the Collettines.  She was canonized in 1807.  Her feast day is March 6th.

 (From http://www.catholic.org/saints/ website)

 

Secular Franciscan Order (SFO) Rule #7:

 

They have been made living members of the Church by being buried and raised with Christ in baptism; they have been united more intimately with the Church by profession. Therefore, they should go forth as witnesses and instruments of her mission among all people, proclaiming Christ by their life and words.   Called like Saint Francis to rebuild the Church and inspired by his example, let them devote themselves energetically to living in full communion with the pope, bishops, and priests, fostering an open and trusting dialog of apostolic effectiveness and creativity.

“Where the Hell Did Jesus Go?!”

Humor of the Day:

Be  fishers of men. You catch them – Jesus will clean them.

 

 Today’s Meditation: 

The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple,

The 3rd Sorrow of Mary  (Luke 2:39-52)

Imagine the sufferings in Mary’s heart when she realized the Child Jesus was not with them.

“And a sword, too, shall pierce your heart, O Mary!”

 

With four boys, I remember the panic I experienced when one of them ‘got away from me’ and I did not know their location.  This panic, most parents will agree, is indescribable and extreme – even if just for a minute.  I thought this feeling would lesson as the boys got older.  What a fool I am!

Recently, my 16 year-old, newly licensed driver, son left to go to a friend’s house at noon.  He had orders to be home by dark.  At 8 pm, he was not home, and he was not answering any of my phone calls or text messages.  I was almost literally climbing up the walls.  Being a retired paramedic, and used to seeing the bad effects of life, I was imagining all kinds of problems my son had gotten himself into.  Needless to say, when he came home at 9 pm, he soon realized that his actions and behaviors were unacceptable, and that these actions will not be allowed again!

That was with my son being three hours late.  I can not even imagine three days of not knowing the location or welfare of my son.  Was he hurt and laying in the desert?  Was he abducted?  Was he eaten by a famished camel?  This had to be three days of pure hell for Mary and Joseph.  Can you just picture them running through the dessert trying to retrace their journey, and not finding Him.  Again, pure agony!

  

Pax et Bonum

Dan Halley, SFO

*****

Franciscan Saint of the Day: Blessed James of Strepar

James was born in the 14th century of a noble Polish family of Strepar and was educated in a Christian manner by his pious parents. To escape the dangers of the world, he entered the poor order of St. Francis when he was a young man. Very soon he became distinguished among his brethren for eminent virtue, rare attainments, and zeal for the salvation of souls.

With the consent of his superiors James went to Russia to preach the Gospel and to save the faithful from going astray. About 1360, he had a share  “>in the organization of a special group of Franciscan missionaries called Societas Peregrinantium or Travelers for Christ, who did excellent work in Russia. Wallachia, and Podolia, and in 1401 extended their activities also to the Tatars near the Caspian Sea and other parts of Asia.

Father James’ missionary efforts were so successful, and his apostolic virtues were so pronounced, that on the death of the archbishop of Halicz, the pope named him his successor at the request of the king of Poland in 1392. Only because he was compelled, did James accept the dignity. But even as a bishop he wore the Franciscan habit and as far as possible continued his missionary labors.

To secure God’s blessing on the territory entrusted to his spiritual care, he considered nothing more helpful than veneration of the Mother of God. Next to God he placed his confidence in her.

After a laborious and blessed episcopate of 19 years, God called him to receive his heavenly reward in the year 1410. Clothed in the habit of the order and wearing the marks of his episcopal dignity, he was entombed in the Franciscan church at Lwow, to which the archbishopric had been transferred from Halicz. When his grave was opened after 200 years his body and clothing were found entirely incorrupt. Later the remains were removed to the cathedral.

The continued veneration paid to him was formally approved by Pope Pius VI.

from: The Franciscan Book of Saints, ed. by Marion Habig, ofm., © 1959 Franciscan Herald Press

(From http://www.franciscan-sfo.org website)