Cornelius, Pope and Martyr,
and Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr

Memorial

Saint Cornelius was ordained bishop of the Church of Rome in 251. He fought against the Novatian schismatics and with the help of Cyprian was able to enforce his authority. Driven into exile by the Emperor Gallus, he died in 253 at Civitavecchia. His body was brought to Rome where he was buried in the cemetery of Saint Callistus.

Saint Cyprian was born of pagan parents in Carthage around the year 210. He was converted, ordained, and subsequently made bishop of that city in the year 249. By his writings and his actions Cyprian guided the Church through difficult times. In the persecution of Valerian he was exiled, then martyred on the fourteenth of September, 258.

 Reflections:    A few weeks ago, another small act by Pope Francis got international notice:   " The Pope declares Atheists don't need God in order to be saved". What a scoop! 

Except, that's not quite what he said now is it!? Well, the problem is, what he did say was in a very long letter in response to another long letter..and really, who has time to read two long letters!!  (I can't tell if i'm being sarcastic or not!)  But there's some good summaries of it all out there...like this one here.  The bottom line is that, like Paul in his letter to Timothy,  the Pope makes it clear that there is 'a condition' for salvation. It's not enough to be a nice guy/girl.  Everyone is saved, but we all must play an active part in our own salvation. In Francis' case, that role is one of acting with good conscience every day of our life, and with contrition before God. For Paul, it's not so much a question of a good conscience, but a deep prayer life.  
  The Gospel points us to another 'non believer' who has an unexpected faith.  And not just any old faith..but one of the strongest examples of it in the New Testament.  To begin with, the Roman centurion (so, a pagan) has this spirit of humility that Francis call on us to have to day - 'I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof'.- (a phrase that has become one of the most important parts of the new translation of the Mass. It's the words we say before communion!) . But more importantly, he trusts. He understands how authority works, and he recognizes Jesus' spiritual authority, and his ability to work miracles. His faith amazes even Jesus, who had seen all kinds of people of faith all over Ancient Palestine, and had never encountered such a faith.

 I personally believe this is what Francis is speaking to. He sees in  Atheists have the capacity for great good, and even for spirituality.  They claim their rationality, their 'science' or their understanding prevents them from believing in God. Francis, and others before him, see more in them.  Maybe they never will believe in God...but they will still live beautiful lives, many of them will even be holy in their own little way. Rather than living up to the 'us vs them' dichotomy we currently experience in our world, why not embrace the deep spirituality of our Atheists Brethren, and pray that somewhere down the line, they too will see the Glory of the Lord, laboring alongside them, making everything in our world, so much more beautiful.

Reflections:

1 Timothy 2: 1 - 8

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1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men,2for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way.3This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,6who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony to which was borne at the proper time.7For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.8I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;

Psalms 28: 2, 7 - 9

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2Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to thee for help, as I lift up my hands toward thy most holy sanctuary.7The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.8The LORD is the strength of his people, he is the saving refuge of his anointed.9O save thy people, and bless thy heritage; be thou their shepherd, and carry them for ever. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luke 7: 1 - 10
1	After he had ended all his sayings in the hearing of the people he entered Caper'na-um.
2	Now a centurion had a slave who was dear to him, who was sick and at the point of death.
3	When he heard of Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his slave.
4	And when they came to Jesus, they besought him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him,
5	for he loves our nation, and he built us our synagogue."
6	And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof;
7	therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.
8	For I am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, `Go,' and he goes; and to another, `Come,' and he comes; and to my slave, `Do this,' and he does it."
9	When Jesus heard this he marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that followed him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."
10	And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well.

 On days when we deal with Memorials or feast days of more important Saints, I'll be using the text found at the  Divine Office webpage, which I'm linking below. A shorter, more succint bio of these Saints about whom one could write for pages and pages! 
To begin, A quote from today's saint, a Doctor of our Church:

“There is nothing more worthwhile than to pray to God and to converse with him, for prayer unites us with God as his companions. As our bodily eyes are illuminated by seeing the light, so in contemplating God our soul is illuminated by him. Of course the prayer I have in mind is no matter of routine, it is deliberate and earnest. It is not tied down to a fixed timetable; rather it is a state which endures by night and day.” 

- St. John Chrysostom, ‘Prayer is the light of the soul,” in Homily 6 on Prayer.

Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Memorial

St. John Chrysostom was born in Antioch around 347 A.D. Raised by his mother after his father’s death; St. John attended the best schools. Around age 20, St. John met Bishop Meletius who introduced him to an ascetic life. St. John joined a religious society and four years later, became a recluse. In 381, he returned to the world, becoming ordained in his late thirties. He became renowned for his brilliant preaching, which focused on individual and social morality taught by the gospels. In 398, he was consecrated Bishop of Constantinople. As bishop, he denounced lavish living and extravagance. This boldness, and his efforts at Church reform, led to him twice being exiled. He died in exile in 407. Most beloved for his preaching, St. John is remembered as being ‘golden-mouthed’ and is a Doctor of the Church. 

Reflections: As the next few months progress, I have a feeling the theme of my reflections will be influenced by the paper I'm currently researching and writing in the final months of my degree. The focus of this research revolves around the question of 'how to Evangelize Justice in our 21st century Church' building up on the 2nd Vatican council (1962-1965), and the Synod on evangelization (which took place last fall) among other things.
There will be two main areas of focus here: 
1) Exploring what  scripture and Catholic tradition teaches us about justice. The goal of this section will be to do a mini review of who the Jesus of Justice is, and how he has given us tools to progress in our faith.
2) Looking at the various ways in which we already live Justice in our Church, or how we have lived it in the past. This section will  especially focus on the lives of  mystics and Saints, but also on certain movements within the Church -the principal one I'll be looking at is the controversial Liberation Theology, but I'm sure others will emerge-. The final part of this section will focus on the question  'where do we go from here', and I will turn to these same mystics and movements to answer some of those questions. 
 So I have a feeling many of my blog entries will reflect that same search, that quest for guidance from above on how to proceed below. It's  a good thing...it just means I'll be more open to the movement of the spirit in scriptures, and consequently in my life.
 The movement today, and perhaps this whole week in some ways, revolved around understanding this grace we're receiving from God everyday. Our first reading names that Grace  as something that ' overflowed (for us) with the faith and love that are in.. Jesus."  Remember how this week, a deeper intimacy  with Christ was often prayed for...well, now we understand that it's not just because he's Jesus, and we should seek to be united to him anyway. It's really because there are gifts to be gained by anyone who achieves that closeness to him.  This love that he carried, this faith he lives, becomes a small part of our own lives. We in fact, spend the rest of our earthly journey trying to make these things a much bigger part of our lives!
 And we see in the Gospel today that, letting that love take it's rightful place in our lives implies learning not to judge others when we ourselves have faults. The summary of the teaching today is a bit of a challenge for many -if not, for all people-:   We have no right to  judge, unless we are ever perfect. And since we are NEVER perfect, then we have no absolutely no right to point to the fault in our brothers and sisters. For as Jesus points out...how foolish would you look if you're accusing someone of something, when you yourself are doing something far worse. Boy, the world would be so much of a better place if we all understood this. But no...we, silly humans that we are, love judging. It's almost as if it brings us a sense of peace to mock, criticize and judge others. If that were our response to Jesus, he'd probably say to us 'it's a false sense of peace, not the authentic peace I put before you. It's an easy peace, not one you have to strive and live for. Don't take the easy way...walk with me on the way of the Cross" But the easy way's so much more comfortable Lord....but yes, we get it. And we will spend the rest of our lives continuing to get it!! 

1 Timothy 1: 1 - 2, 12 - 14
1	Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
2	To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
12	I thank him who has given me strength for this, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful by appointing me to his service,
13	though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted him; but I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,
14	and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Psalms 16: 1 - 2, 5, 7 - 8, 11 1 Preserve me, O God, for in thee I take refuge. 2 I say to the LORD, "Thou art my Lord; I have no good apart from thee." 5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; tyou have made my destiny secure. 7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. 8 I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 11 Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fulness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. Luke 6: 39 - 42 39He also told them a parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?40A disciple is not above his teacher, but every one when he is fully taught will be like his teacher.41Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?42Or how can you say to your brother, `Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.

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Christ in everything: Readings for Wednesday September 11th

I'm not a political person, and this blog  is not about wordly events, so I'd feel strange  partaking in the remembering of the Victims  of 9/11 here. At the same time, today's two  saints are martyrs of the faith, men who laid  down their lives for their faith. There is no  parallel between them and the victims of 9/11,  but I know that both victims and martyrs are  remembered and celebrated together in heaven  today, and I trust that the Lord has forgiven  those who committed the acts of violence that  took the lives of these innocents, and that both  victims and those who killed them  are able to  live in peace together in paradise. Let us pray that  this peace they have achieved in heaven, can also be achieved for us, and by us here on earth. St. Protus and Hyacinth St. Protus and Hyacinth Died: 257  Traditionally thought to  be Romans, Protus and Hyacinth  were brothers, who were also servants  in the house of St. Philip (not the apostle!)   who served as chamberlians  (officer in charge of managing the  household of a sovereign or other noble  figure) for St Eugenia ( the daughter of Philip).  They, along with St Eugenia would have  beenarrested and executed for being Christians during the persecution of Emperor Valerian (257–259 AD).  The main source for details on their  martyrdoms, their acts, is considered very unreliable, although the relics  of St. Hyacinth, known to be entirely authentic, were found in 1845  in the cemetery of St. Basilla, Rome. This cult is now confined  to local calendars. The day of their annual commemoration is  mentioned in the"Depositio Martyrum" on September 11, in  the chronographia for the year 354. The chronographia also  mentions their graves, in the Cemetery  of Basilla on theVia Salaria, later the Catacomb of St. Hermes.   Reflections:  I don't think I've ever publicly expressed  any sentiment like the one I did in my first paragraph,  about victims and persecutors being together in peace in  heaven. I have no reason to believe this, other than my  firm belief in a God of Mercy whose greatest desire for  us is that we know the glorious  works of his Kingdom  ( psalm 145:10 ). To me, the most glorious aspect of  this kingdom, is God's peace. We can never truly attain it here,  but we long for it so much.  That's because it is  a part of who we are,  because in the end, Christ, the king of Peace, is  a big part of who we are.  For the past 2 days through the book of Colossians, we've been reading about Paul's Christology, his amazing efforts to explore the nature of Jesus and how that nature impacts us. how this Christ who has always been and will always be is the very source of everything that is.  Still, we struggle to be ' raised with Christ'. We get distracted by the din of the world and all its distractions, we easily lose our sense of the path that Christ has set out for us. Paul gives us the remedy for this in Colossians. If our minds are on Christ, on things that are above, we will 'die to ourselves' a little more, and live in Christ more fully. It's a conscious choice we can make, just like working for peace requires a lot more effort than protesting for it, or singing about it. It's a conscious effort to let peace reign in our heart and mind so that our entire disposition is one of peace, and t herefore, one united with the will of God (atheists can also be people of peace, but we're not talking about being people of peace here...we're talking about letting peace rule our entire lives, so that the divine energy runs through every part of our body!)     This won't happen overnight, but is instead the labors of a lifetime. Paul tries to give specific steps we could take to achieve  this (let go of anger, wrath, malice and slander; stop fornicating, being impure or too passionate) but the real road map for any Christian to follow comes from the Beatitudes, either the Matthew 5 version of them, or the Luke 6, which we read today. For we are most united with God, when we finally understand that it's in  our suffering, our poverty, our grief and our own darkness that we experience God's love for  us the most. This is something the Martyrs of the faith always have before them. How could they recant their faith when they know that Christ is always within them, before and behind them.  Colossians 3: 1 - 11
1	If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2	Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
3	For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4	When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5	Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6	On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
7	In these you once walked, when you lived in them.
8	But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth.
9	Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices
10	and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
11	Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scyth'ian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all. Psalms 145: 2 - 3, 10 - 13 2 Every day I will bless thee, and praise thy name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 10 All thy works shall give thanks to thee, O LORD, and all thy saints shall bless thee! 11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and tell of thy power, 12 to make known to the sons of men thy mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of thy kingdom. 13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. Luke 6: 20 - 26 20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 "Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. 22 "Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. 24 "But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 "Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger. "Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 26 "Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

I felt that my last night's entry was one of my most inspired ones...however, if you had read it between midnight and 1 am last night, and if you really know your liturgical stuff, you may  have realized that I had been commenting on the wrong readings. I was originally commenting on the readings that we have today rather than the ones that accompanied yesterday's service. It didn't impact my reflections too much, since I talked mostly about vocation and St Peter Claver, but I had to come back and change the readings. So  now I get to go through this again! To help us appropriate our readings today,  a simple man who lived with great zeal for the Lord. Sometimes, that's all it takes...through our saints, Jesus almost seems to be saying to us "live out of love! "



St. Nicholas of Tolentino

CONFESSOR

Feast: September 10




 

Information: Feast Day: September 10 Born: 1246 AD Died: 1305 AD Canonized: 5 June (Pentecost) 1446 by Pope Eugene IV Patron of: animals; babies; boatmen; dying people; mariners; sailors; sick animals; souls in purgatory; watermen

No, this is not THE Saint Nicholas who inspired the figure of Santa Klaus! This is a Nicholas who would form a young age be very interested in the life of hermits! In fact, as soon as he was old enough he was received into the Order of Augustinian friars.  He was a man in love with the Holy Mass. whenever he celebrated the holy Mystery he seemed aglow with the fire of his (and God's) love.   Usually when Saints do this, it's enough for us Catholics to say 'what a great guy/gal". But St Nick here was not content with that alone. Like St Ignatius and many others I'm sure, he was interested in the salvation of souls. His preaching, instructions and work in the confessional brought about numerous conversions, and his many miracles were responsible for even more  He was in short not afraid to live out his faith very publicly. The best example of that was how he responded to a conflict (basically a war) that had emerged between two different communities/tribes. His response to the conflict? To him, only one remedy to the violence was possible: street preaching! The success of this apostolic work was astounding.  During the last years of his life St. Nicholas was bedridden and suffered grievously. He died surrounded by his community. In 1345 a lay Brother cut off the arms of his body intending to take them to Germany as relics, and the friars then hid his body to prevent further attempts of this kind. It has not been found to this day, but the arms have been preserved.

Reflections: Based on St Nicholas's story, we can see that, living in Christ, really means, living for the well being of others. I guess this is a bit of a repetition from yesterday's theme of a higher vocation of service to others. But it's never a bad thing to repeat...repetition for Jesuits  only means acquiring more  depth! And as I've learned this week, there's no better way to achieve depth in our faith as Christians, than by reading Colossians. Honestly, I'll be sad to leave this book behind as of Thursday when we switch back to the Old Testament again. It's a book with profound richness that can only nourish one's reflections on deep questions about the nature of Christ, but also explores how we could be responding to the Call God has offered us. An appropriate theme to contemplate as we read today's Gospel on the calling of the 12!  The disciples already gave up quite a lot to follow Jesus, but we constantly read of their own struggles to 'live in Jesus'. It would take the resurrection for them to fully understand what was at stake, how important this man was to the world. 

  And we're still learning what is at stake when it comes to our faith. Anyone can call themselves Christians, but not everyone is a genuine follower of Jesus.  That's because we're afraid to live the fullness of life God offers us  through his only Son. Why? We come back to this image of being buried in him through our Baptism. It's a terrifying idea. It's exactly the same as this this  idea I discussed yesterday of dying to oneself.  And it's f  is incredibly unpleasant. But once we understand its implications, once we realize that this 'death' is what allows us to love more perfectly, and serve others most freely,  it becomes something many religious will want to strive for. That being said, even as religious, this is not something we achieve so easily. Once again, this is why I'm so grateful for the Saints who point the way for us and help us see that this complex process is simply lived, if we desire it strongly enough.

Colossians 2: 6 - 15
6	As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in him,
7	rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8	See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ.
9	For in him the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily,
10	and you have come to fulness of life in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
11	In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ;
12	and you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13	And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
14	having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
15	He disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in him. Psalms 145: 1 - 2, 8 - 11 1 I will extol thee, my God and King, and bless thy name for ever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless thee, and praise thy name for ever and ever. 8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. 10 All thy works shall give thanks to thee, O LORD, and all thy saints shall bless thee! 11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and tell of thy power, Luke 6: 12 - 19 12In these days he went out to the mountain to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God.13And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles;14Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew,15and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,16and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.17And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;18and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.19And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came forth from him and healed them all.

On Monday, we celebrated a Jesuit Saint that I can relate to very strongly. Not only because of how he lived his missionary life, but because his missionary zeal to serve in the New world was influenced (even shaped!) by another  Jesuit Saint, Alfonsus Rodriguez, (a brother!!!). However, what St Peter Claver did end up doing with that zeal was neither from Brother Al, nor from himself, but from the vibrant presence of the Holy Spirit at work in him! Once again, I have copied the text of the Saint's life from EWTN, but have changed some of the language, and added commentaries or exclamations of my own!! To see the original text, please click the Saint's name below.



St. Peter Claver

PATRON SAINT OF SLAVES

Feast: September 9

Information: Feast Day: September 7 Born: June 26, 1580, Verdu, Catalonia, Kingdom of Spain Died: September 8, 1654, Cartagena, Colombia Canonized: January 15, 1888, Rome by Pope Leo XIII Major Shrine: Church of Saint Peter Claver Patron of: Slaves, Colombia, Race relations, and African Americans

Like many other Saints, it's not necessarily where Peter was born or how he lived his pre Jesuit life that marks his story, but how he was able to answer a very radical call to service for others. This is precisely what led him to the Jesuits in the first place: A zeal for his neighbor's salvation. He did his first studies as a Jesuit at the college of Majorca, where he met the holy Brother Rodriguez, then porter of the college, an eminent contemplative, from whom Claver derived much spiritual profit, and even a knowledge of his future vocation (the original text said career, but we all know they meant vocation!). After much pleading to be sent out to the Americas, Peter departed in 1610.  He never returned to his homeland again. Completing his studies at Santa Fe de Bogota, he was ordained at Carthagena (Columbia) in 1615, and from that moment devoted himself to the care of slaves from Africa.  We've all heard the horror stories of these death ships that brought the slaves from Africa..the disgraceful conditions they had to live in as they were carried across the sea. No person in their right mind today would venture on such a boat.  Peter was different.  No sooner did a slaver reach the port than he hastened  (my emphasis! He didn't just wander on to the boats..he hastened ..he was eager for this!) on board with his interpreters, a basket of delicacies for the sick, and other necessaries. he became known for the care he offered them, but also for his zeal in educating them in the faith. It's said that he would have baptized some 100,000 slaves in his lifetime.    Not wearied with these labors, he visited the hospitals, and especially that of the Incurables and Lepers, whom he nursed with the greatest charity. Besides all this, his austerities were frightful: his life was a miracle, as nothing but a miracle could have sustained it in such a climate, where a scratch is often fatal.  Among the Spaniards he labored reluctantly, as they had clergy in abundance; but the poor could always have recourse to him, and he spared no toil for non believers in his midst.  He finally died the 8th of September, 1654, at the age of 72, a faithful imitator of the great  Francis Xavier. Canonized  by Pope Leo XIII in 1888

Reflections:  There are two posters that are in my  room at Cardoner House of Jesuits that really inspire me: One of  Miguel Pro, a Mexican Saint who was executed by the National army in the early 1920's because  he continued  his duties as a Priest when the government was trying to eradicate the Catholic Church's presence in Mexico; The other was of today's Saint, baptizing an African slave. I brought both posters back home with me from Venezuela, because they remain to this day, humble reminders of what will is asked of me as a Jesuit everyday. This needs to be explained a little.   No, I don't think I'll be asked to willingly become a martyr for the faith, or to go minister to slaves, but I will be asked to learn to die to myself a little more, day by day.  Sounds dramatic, but I think it's at the heart of what every religious and person of deep faith does. When we pray, when we serve others,  when we work in our ministries, we don't really put ourselves ahead of others. We live and work for the well being of others.  Even this little blog thing I do...it helps me appropriate some of the passages and Saints of the day for myself...but my main motivation for continuing this, is to share with others my love for our faith, our Saints, but above all, to share my passion for our Lord Jesus,   'brings us the fullness of life' (paraphrasing today's first reading!). This Jesus who makes us realize how lucky, blessed, enriched we are by God's presence in our life every moment of every day. And what do we do with all this richness?   We share it of course! We give of ourselves to others, that they may also receive the blessings of our Lord in their own life.  We do in fact, die a little to ourselves, and our own selfish needs, in order to live for others. We don't  completely die to ourselves, obviously!  For example, I fully intend to continue watching my beloved tv shows for myself, and to treat myself to chocolate or candies once in a while. But the call I receive everyday, is to live this life, not with the aim of serving my own needs, but those of others. God has taken care of me, so that I can take care of others. It's in that work, that I feel, I will truly know life.    This is a bold statement. Most people  -including many Catholics I'm sure!- would prefer to believe what the Bon Jovi song states 'It's my life"...and since I won't live foreever, I should do what I want, when I want. I know I once subscribed to this philosophy (and I definitely still love the Bon Jovi song!). However, nowadays,  as a Jesuit, this is not very appealing to me anymore.  Like other people of faith, I chose to respond differently to the gift of life....as Paul says in Colossians, we understand that " before we knew God, were were dead in our sinfulness,  God made (us) alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses," Again, we return to that question...having been given life by God...what will we do with it?  It's a question that will be with me till the rest of my days...but those two posters will always remind me of those who have answered this question with every moment of their lives.I don't have to strive to be like them, but I do have to be reminded of the call to live fully what God gives me every day! Colossians 1: 24 - 29 24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the divine office which was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now made manifest to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, striving with all the energy which he mightily inspires within me.  Colossians 2: 1 - 3 1 For I want you to know how greatly I strive for you, and for those at La-odice'a, and for all who have not seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged as they are knit together in love, to have all the riches of assured understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, of Christ, 3 in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
	Psalms 62: 6 - 7, 9 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. 9 Men of low estate are but a breath, men of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath , Luke 6:  6 - 11 6On another sabbath, when he entered the synagogue and taught, a man was there whose right hand was withered.7And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him.8But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come and stand here." And he rose and stood there.9And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?"10And he looked around on them all, and said to him, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored.11But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Fishers of people: September 5th 2013

I've been away from this for a while for various reasons, but it's good to be back at it. Even if this doesn't get much readership, it's a good way for me to appropriate the daily readings and Saints! Today's Saint was a great example of what Jesus meant when he said we'd be gatherers of people (fisher of men!).



St. Bertin

ABBOT

Feast: September 5

Information: Feast Day: September 5 Born: 615, Constance Died: 709

Abbot of St. Omer, b. near Constance about 615; d. about 709. He entered the monastery in France at a young age. under the austere Rule of St. Columban (559-615), he prepared himself for his future missionary career. In 638, he set out with some companions  for the  northern part of France in order to assist his friend and kinsman, Bishop St. Omer (d. 670), in the evangelization of the Morini, a heathen people of the North. The success of their labor was so rapid that they eventually had to build a Monastery to accommodate a new community of faithful where the city of St. Omer now stands. When nearly the whole neighbourhood was Christianized, and the marshy land transformed into a fertile plain, Bertin, knowing that his death was not far off, appointed Rigobert (d. 743), a pious monk, as his successor, while he himself spent the remainder of his life preparing for a happy death.The abbey church that bore his name, now in ruins, was one of the finest fourteenth-century Gothic edifices. In later times its library, archives, and art-treasures were renowned both in and out of France. Reflections: There was an image about the Saint's account that sort of mesmerized me today: I could imagine him and his companions building a monastery that became a center of safety and hope for the local population during the Dark Ages of European Civlization, when there seemed to be so much hopelessness. To me this was a testimony of his deep faith. I imagine that in those days, after the recent collapse of the Roman Empire, many were beginning to believe it really was the end of the world, and that Christ's return would be just around the corner. They may have taken that opportunity to simply sit and wait for that return.  But those who opted for monastic life were much more spiritually mature than that (surprise surprise!) They lived for the opportunity to labor in God's vineyard here on earth, not sit and dream about some promise in the after life. For that reason, St Bertin was a perfect example of someone who wasn't afraid to follow Jesus' advice to cast his net into the deep. The strength in his faith is what  allowed him to not give up hope as he confronted  the darkness of his age. That same strength is one of the signs of God's wisdom working in us that Paul speaks about in Colossians. That wisdom is expressed through a freedom that allows us to be available: Available (and therefore, FREE) to pray,  but also to  laboring for the Kingdom, and freedom to grow in in our knowledge of God. This is heavy language,  but I believe we can boil it down to this: God loves us and sends us Jesus and the Holy Spirit that we may be transformed into beings devoted to God through the great love of our hearts; but before that transformation can take place, we need to dispose ourselves to the Great Divine. If our response is not an intentional Yes (like Mary's Yes to the Angel at the Annunciation), then no, we won't fully experience God.  If our response is rooted in a 'lackadaisical' reaction to God, then we will not feel the work of the Spirit within us, and will never feel that itch to recognize the Glory of God in our lives.  However,when we do get to that point of recognition, everything changes..maybe not suddenly, but gradually, with time. We don't have the luxury of seeing what Simon Peter saw that day as they were fishing, but we do experience God's power in us in a myriad of ways everyday. The question always becomes, what will we do with our knowledge of God's power in our lives? For Peter, the response was twofold: 1) Be embarrassed by his own sinfulness, and even feel unworthy to stand before such a man as Jesus. 2) Once he understood how loved and forgiven he was -as we all are!!- he was ready to suddenly drop everything he had known, and follow this mysterious but enticing man we call Jesus.

Colossians 1: 9 - 14
9	And so, from the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10	to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
11	May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,
12	giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
13	He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14	in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Psalms 98: 2 - 6 2 The LORD has made known his victory, he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. 3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. 4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! 5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD! Luke 5: 1 - 11 1 While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennes'aret. 2 And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5 And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, 7 they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zeb'edee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men." 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.