December1 08

1-15 December 2008
(First Sunday of Advent Year B to Monday Third Week of Advent

Click on date to go to Thoughts for the Day

Liturgical Season	Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
First week Advent B/I	Nov 30 also Feast of St Andrew	1	2	3	4	5	6
Second week Advent B/I	7	8 also Immaculate Conception	9	10	11	12 also Our Lady Guadalupe	13
Third week Advent B/I	14	15

Morning Offering: O Jesus, through the most pure heart of Mary, I offer you all the prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of your divine heart, in union with the holy sacrifice of the Mass. I offer them especially for the Holy Father's intentions:

Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for December 2008 is: "That, faced by the growing expansion of the culture of violence and death, the Church may courageously promote the culture of life through all her apostolic and missionary activities".

His mission intention is: "That, especially in mission countries, Christians may show through gestures of brotherliness that the Child born in the grotto in Bethlehem is the luminous Hope of the world".

Prayers this week: To you, my God, I lift my soul, I trust in you; let me never come to shame. Do not let my enemies laugh at me. No one who waits for you is ever put to shame. (Psalm 24:1-3)

All-powerful God, increase our strength of will for doing good that Christ may find an eager welcome at his coming and call us to his side in the kingdom of heaven where he lives and reigns. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

(November 30)   St. Andrew the Apostle
    Andrew was St. Peter’s brother, and was called with him. "As [Jesus] was walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is now called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him" (Matthew 4:18-20). John the Evangelist presents Andrew as a disciple of John the Baptist. When Jesus walked by one day, John said, "Behold, the Lamb of God." Andrew and another disciple followed Jesus. "Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come, and you will see.’ So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day" (John 1:38-39a). Little else is said about Andrew in the Gospels. Before the multiplication of the loaves, it was Andrew who spoke up about the boy who had the barley loaves and fishes (see John 6:8-9). When the Gentiles went to see Jesus, they came to Philip, but Philip then had recourse to Andrew (see John 12:20-22). Legend has it that Andrew preached the Good News in what is now modern Greece and Turkey and was crucified at Patras.
    As in the case of all the apostles except Peter and John, the Gospels give us little about the holiness of Andrew. He was an apostle. That is enough. He was called personally by Jesus to proclaim the Good News, to heal with Jesus' power and to share his life and death. Holiness today is no different. It is a gift that includes a call to be concerned about the Kingdom, an outgoing attitude that wants nothing more than to share the riches of Christ with all people.
    “...The Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word’” (Acts 6:2-4). (AmericanCatholic.org)

Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7; Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:33-37

Jesus said to his disciples, “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like

a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back— whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the cock crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'” (Mark 13:33-37)

I remember some time back a journalist covering a trouble spot where Islamic extremists were active was captured by the Islamists. He disappeared and subsequently a ransom was demanded for his release. A video was also released in which he pleaded that the ransom be met. As I remember it, the

ransom was provided and so he was set free. The interesting thing was that he told the public subsequently that he was forced to convert to Islam. By that he meant that he was threatened with death if he did not convert, so he converted. Of course, he would have abandoned Islam as soon as he gained his freedom, but his being forced to convert not only said things about the Islamists but also about himself. He was “forced” only in a certain sense. More exactly, he was threatened with consequences if he did not do as his captors demanded. He remained free to refuse and to suffer the results of bearing witness to the Christian Faith. He chose to save his life by avoiding to stand for what the Christian knows to be the truth. In our Gospel passage today our Lord solemnly warns his disciples to be on guard, to be alert, and, as we read, what he says to them he says to everyone: Watch! One application of our Lord’s directive is that we are to watch and be on guard lest in the face of difficulty we be found unready and not disposed to choose what is right. I remember hearing of a teenage girl in the United States some years ago. She found herself in a situation threatened by a crazed young man with a gun. He asked her if she was a Christian. She said that she was. He then said to her that if she did not renounce her faith he would shoot her dead. She said she would not renounce it, and he shot her. The young man was crazed, and perhaps scarcely responsible for what he was doing. But she chose to exercise her freedom in a supreme way when the moment suddenly came. Somehow she was on guard against the temptation not to make this noble and heroic act of personal choice. She was ready to choose the supreme good. She had true freedom and she exercised it.

Freedom is the power given by God to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility. It is this which is distinctive to human acts, and freedom grows the more one does what is good. A high school student sees that the majority of pupils in her religious studies class are raising harsh objections against the religious stand of the teacher. She agrees with the teacher but fears to take a stand with her teacher against her peers. Out of human respect she keeps silent. She is not vigilant against the temptation of bowing to peer pressure and is ensnared into a sad and safe inactivity. The gift of freedom is the most precious gift we have and because of it we have a conscience, or a sense of duty. An animal has no freedom. It acts by instinct, an instinctive sense of what is best for itself. It will act by that instinct. It has no power to know and choose the objective good and so it has no sense of duty. It cannot be held responsible for its actions. If an animal kills a person it is put to death but its killing is not an execution. Its killing is simply the elimination of a danger to human life. But man has freedom, and by his freedom he can choose not only what is good, but the highest of all goods, namely God. Indeed, our freedom attains its proper perfection when it is directed towards God, and that is why our freedom is our greatest natural resource in the attainment of sanctity. A saint is the freest of persons, and the one with the greatest power of freedom in all of history was Jesus Christ. Of course, we who are fallen need the grace of God to attain union with God, but the natural foundation of our attaining God is our own freedom to choose God and to persevere in this free choice. For this to happen we must be on guard against all temptation to sin. We must be vigilant (Mark 13:33-37). Temptations come from within our fallen natures and from the enticements of the world and from the devil. We abuse our freedom when we choose to sin and this choice leads to the deepest slavery of all. We must be on constant guard against temptation. In warning us to watch, our Lord is warning us against sin.

One of the greatest values of the West is that of freedom. In many other parts of the world freedom is not highly valued. It is seriously restricted, including and especially religious freedom. But the West tends to equate freedom with licence to do as one pleases. True freedom is the power to choose the good and the more the good is chosen the more freedom grows. This applies to individuals and to societies. The good is what is true and the Christian knows that it is Christ who has revealed what is true and therefore what is good. Christ himself is the supreme good. The Christian exercises his freedom in choosing Christ and what Christ has revealed to be true, and in being on guard against anything that could tempt him to fail to exercise his freedom in this way.
(E.J.Tyler)

Further reading: The Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1731-1738 (Responsibility and imputability)

With that slowness, with that passivity, with that reluctance to obey, what damage you cause to the apostolate and what satisfaction you give to the enemy!

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PARIS, SEPT. 13, 2008 — Continuing Benedict XVI's homily today at a Mass celebrated in Paris at the Esplanade des Invalides.

This appeal to shun idols, dear brothers and sisters, is also pertinent today. Has not our modern world created its own idols? Has it not imitated, perhaps inadvertently, the pagans of antiquity, by diverting man from his true end, from the joy of living eternally with God? This is a question that all people, if they are honest with themselves, cannot help but ask. What is important in my life? What is my first priority? The word "idol" comes from the Greek and means "image", "figure", "representation", but also "ghost", "phantom", "vain appearance". An idol is a delusion, for it turns its worshipper away from reality and places him in the kingdom of mere appearances. Now, is this not a temptation in our own day — the only one we can act upon effectively? The temptation to idolize a past that no longer exists, forgetting its shortcomings; the temptation to idolize a future which does not yet exist, in the belief that, by his efforts alone, man can bring about the kingdom of eternal joy on earth! Saint Paul explains to the Colossians that insatiable greed is a form of idolatry (cf. 3:5), and he reminds his disciple Timothy that love of money is the root of all evil. By yielding to it, he explains, "some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs" (1 Tim 6:10). Have not money, the thirst for possessions, for power and even for knowledge, diverted man from his true destiny, from the truth of himself?
(Continuing)

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Prayers for today: By the Sea of Galilee the Lord saw two brothers, Peter and Andrew. He called them: come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4: 18-19)

Lord in your kindness hear our petitions. You called Andrew the apostle to preach the gospel and guide your Church in faith. May he always be our friend in your presence to help us with his prayers. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

(30 November) St. Andrew the Apostle
Andrew was St. Peter’s brother, and was called with him. "As [Jesus] was walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is now called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him" (Matthew 4:18-20). John the Evangelist presents Andrew as a disciple of John the Baptist. When Jesus walked by one day, John said, "Behold, the Lamb of God." Andrew and another disciple followed Jesus. "Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come, and you will see.’ So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day" (John 1:38-39a). Little else is said about Andrew in the Gospels. Before the multiplication of the loaves, it was Andrew who spoke up about the boy who had the barley loaves and fishes (see John 6:8-9). When the Gentiles went to see Jesus, they came to Philip, but Philip then had recourse to Andrew (see John 12:20-22). Legend has it that Andrew preached the Good News in what is now modern Greece and Turkey and was crucified at Patras. As in the case of all the apostles except Peter and John, the Gospels give us little about the holiness of Andrew. He was an apostle. That is enough. He was called personally by Jesus to proclaim the Good News, to heal with Jesus' power and to share his life and death. Holiness today is no different. It is a gift that includes a call to be concerned about the Kingdom, an outgoing attitude that wants nothing more than to share the riches of Christ with all people. “...The Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word’” (Acts 6:2-4). (AmericanCatholic.org)

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew 4: 18-22)

The call of Andrew Let us place ourselves in the beautiful scene of today's Gospel, the Gospel for the feast of St Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. In Matthew's Gospel, the call of Simon and Andrew is the first specific thing Matthew reports our Lord doing once his public ministry has begun. Christ was baptized by John in the river Jordan in Judea, and during this the Father announced from Heaven Christ’s identity as his beloved Son. Then there followed Christ's encounter with Satan in the wilderness, leaving Satan repulsed.

On hearing of John the Baptist's imprisonment, Christ returns to Galilee and commences his prophetic ministry. A great light has suddenly appeared among the people calling for repentance, for the Kingdom of God is near. The momentous public ministry has begun. The scene becomes more concrete: Christ is walking now by the Sea of Galilee. Perhaps it is early in the morning with few of the population out and about, and Christ is there on the shore virtually alone, communing with his heavenly Father. Perhaps he has been there at prayer since the very early hours of the morning before dawn. The tide is lapping quietly at the shore. All is quiet and the inland Sea is lovely in its calm with the water stretching ahead. Some fishermen are at their work. Their voices subdued, perhaps they too have been at their work for many hours. The fishermen know who it is who is walking on the shore. In fact, we learn from the Gospel of St John that our Lord had met Simon and Andrew and James and John in Judea following his baptism. That Gospel makes it clear that their allegiance to him had already begun, but back then there was no public ministry in place. Now Christ has launched his mission and here he formally calls them to share in it. He pauses on the shore, looking at the Sea. His eyes — the eyes of God made man who sustains all things! — rove penetratingly from the gentle waves to the birds and sky above, and then to Simon and Andrew who are casting a net into the water. They pause, gazing at him. He calls: Come, share in my mission! They leave all to follow him.

The Gospels agree that Andrew was one of the very first to know Jesus of Nazareth precisely as the Messiah. In the Gospel of St John we are told that Andrew — at John the Baptist's own bidding — left the Baptist and followed Christ who invited him to his temporary dwelling. From that extended visit there was thenceforth no doubt in Andrew's mind: here was the Messiah! It was he who introduced Simon his brother to our Lord. "We have discovered the Messiah," he told his brother. The first thing, then, that we think of on the feast of St Andrew the Apostle is the coming of Jesus Christ into his life. In this sense it is most appropriate that the feast of St Andrew be celebrated during Advent, the season when the coming of the Lord is celebrated. He came among us as man, and in a wonderful way he came into the life of St Andrew. He wishes to come into our lives, too — he has come at our baptism, but let us liken that baptismal coming to his first coming into Andrew's life following his own baptism. Here, now, on the shore he comes again into Andrew's life inviting him to share much more fully in his whole life, to follow him more completely, to be one with him in his joys, his mission and in his sufferings. Previous to our Gospel scene today, Andrew knew and loved our Lord, as did his brother Simon. But it had not led to concrete action — indeed, there had been no call from Christ to do so. But now the call has come and Andrew and Simon respond with alacrity and totality. They leave all to be with their master and to share in his mission and in his toils. Andrew would never turn back from this response to the call, though he and his brother had a great deal, a very great deal indeed, to learn from Jesus. Their notion of discipleship had yet to mature and pass through the fire of trial, but they emerged the purer in their commitment to the Master, and went on to a life and finally to a death as true friends of Jesus. Andrew and his brother Simon, together with James and John who were also called in our passage today, all became heroes in their following of Jesus and foundation stones of the Church. Each will be celebrated as great saints till the end of time.

Such is what happened because of the coming of Christ into their lives. Let us think, then, of the power of Christ’s coming! If Christ comes into our lives, all will be well, no matter what the cost. What, then, do we wish to welcome into our lives? What is our life going to be filled with? Will it be filled with the world, the flesh and the devil — to use the classic categories of Christian discourse, or will it be the Person of Jesus Christ? Christ stands on the shore of my life as I proceed with my daily work. He says to me, come! Follow me and share in my mission in the manner appropriate to the vocation and circumstances I have placed you in. Make me the Guest of your soul, the Master of your life, and bring me to others. Fish for men, as do I! My response?
(E.J.Tyler)

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(December 1)   Blessed John of Vercelli (c. 1205-1283)
        John was born near Vercelli in northwest Italy in the early 13th century. Little is known of his early life. He entered the Dominican Order in the 1240s and served in various leadership capacities over the years. Elected sixth master general of the Dominicans in 1264, he served for almost two decades. Known for his tireless energy and his commitment to simplicity, John made personal visits — typically on foot — to almost all the Dominican houses, urging his fellow friars to strictly observe the rules and constitutions of the Order. He was tapped by two popes for special tasks. Pope Gregory X enlisted the help of John and his fellow Dominicans in helping to pacify the States of Italy that were quarrelling with one another. John was also called upon to draw up a framework for the Second Council of Lyons in 1274. It was at that council that he met Jerome of Ascoli (the man who would later become Pope Nicholas IV), then serving as minister general of the Franciscans. Some time later the two men were sent by Rome to mediate a dispute involving King Philip III of France. Once again, John was able to draw on his negotiating and peacemaking skills. Following the Second Council of Lyons, Pope Gregory selected John to spread devotion to the name of Jesus. John took the task to heart, requiring that every Dominican church contain an altar of the Holy Name; groups were also formed to combat blasphemy and profanity. Toward the end of his life John was offered the role of patriarch of Jerusalem, but declined. He remained Dominican master general until his death.
      The need for peacemakers is certainly as keen today as in the 10th century! As followers of Jesus, John’s role falls to us. Each of us can do something to ease the tensions in our families, in the workplace, among people of different races and creeds. (AmericanCatholic.org)

Scripture today: Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122:1-9; Matthew 8:5-11

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. Lord, he said, my

servant lies at home paralysed and in terrible suffering. Jesus said to him, I will go and heal him. The centurion replied, Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it. When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 8:5-11)

There is one feature of our Lord’s preaching and instruction which those who follow him ought bear in mind. It is the praise which at various times he accords those who are not of the faith. On one occasion he was asked by a scribe what the greatest commandment of the Law is, and having

answered that (by getting the scribe himself to answer it) he was asked by that scribe who one’s neighbour is. Our Lord proceeded to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan. The man attacked by robbers on the way to Jericho was left by the side of the road half dead. A priest and then a Levite passed by on the other side and did nothing. But a Samaritan — a foreigner and a religious heretic — came by and was filled with compassion for the man on the road. He took him up, carried him to shelter and paid for expenses till he returned. Our Lord took his example of what it means to be a real neighbour from a person who was despised for his religious errors and told his enquirer to imitate him. On another occasion ten lepers appeared appealing to our Lord for pity. Our Lord sent them off and on the way to the priests they were cured. One only returned to give thanks, and our Lord observed that he was a foreigner: he was a Samaritan. It must have been obvious from his dress, or his features, or his accent. He was acknowledge by our Lord for having given thanks and praise to God for his healing. The others did not. We remember that occasion when our Lord had left the regions of Galilee and Judea and had gone into pagan territory to be with his disciples alone. Out came a Canaanite woman appealing to him on behalf of her daughter. Her importunity won from him the praise that she had great faith. So too in our Gospel passage today. The profound respect of the centurion is manifest. He approaches our Lord on behalf of his servant and our Lord immediately offers to go and heal him. But the centurion feels unworthy of having Jesus in his home and asks him merely to say the word and his servant will be healed. His faith evokes high praise from our Lord, who says he has not seen its like.

These incidents in the Gospels ought remind the Christian of the respect and deep charity with which we ought regard and refer to those outside the Faith. In ways that may not be evident to us the implicit faith of some of them may even be greater than our own. The faith of the centurion in today’s Gospel was greater than very many of the children of Israel (Matthew 8:5-11). Charity and compassion for those in need — so decisive before the judgment seat of God — may be greater in many outside the Faith than in many of the Faith. Certainly the charity of the Good Samaritan was greater than that of the priest and the scribe on the way to Jericho. Not only could the faith and the charity of many outside the faith be greater than many who are blessed with the faith, but in their own way they can be models for those who have the faith. That is to say, we can learn from various ones among them. Who could not learn from Mahatma Ghandi and his insistence on not being violent in protesting against injustice? Who could not learn from Nelson Mandela in his willingness to put aside his past injuries and deal in a spirit of forgiveness with those who had incarcerated him? Ultimately it is a recognition of the good, though wounded and limited, which is to be found in human nature. Man is not radically and overwhelmingly corrupt, though he is greatly wounded because of the Fall and is in need of God’s grace if he is to be redeemed and sanctified. Good is present in human nature and our Lord’s words in today’s Gospel bears witness to this. It also means that because of the goodness that is there — even if it is wounded — the disciple of Christ ought with optimism bear witness to Jesus before natural man. There is goodness in the heart of natural man and the Spirit of God continues to hover — as he did at the beginning — over the waters of the world. He comes to the aid of natural man helping him to recognize in Jesus his Saviour and to place his faith in him, as did the centurion of today’s passage.

In short, the world can be looked at in two ways, both of which are true. The world is, from one point of view, the source of opposition to our Lord and his teachings. From this point of view it has a Prince. The Prince of this world hates Christ and the world follows suit. But there is another aspect of the world. It is the world which cries out for salvation and can recognize its Saviour. This yearning for Jesus involves the recognition of and aspiration for the Good. There is good and bad in the world, and our Lord spoke of both. In today’s Gospel we are presented with an instance of the good in the world, a goodness that seeks Christ and places its faith in him. Let us be Christ-like in all respects in our attitude to the world and all those outside the Faith.
(E.J.Tyler)

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Obey, as an instrument obeys in the hands of an artist, not stopping to consider the reasons for what it is doing, being sure that you will never be directed to do anything that is not good and for the glory of God.'

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PARIS, SEPT. 13, 2008 — Continuing Benedict XVI's homily today at a Mass celebrated in Paris at the Esplanade des Invalides.

Dear brothers and sisters, the question that today's liturgy places before us finds an answer in the liturgy itself, which we have inherited from our fathers in faith, and notably from Saint Paul himself (cf. 1 Cor 11:23). In his commentary on this text, Saint John Chrysostom observes that Saint Paul severely condemns idolatry, which is a "grave fault", a "scandal", a real "plague" (Homily 24 on the First Letter to the Corinthians, 1). He immediately adds that this radical condemnation of idolatry is never a personal condemnation of the idolater. In our judgements, must we never confuse the sin, which is unacceptable, with the sinner, the state of whose conscience we cannot judge and who, in any case, is always capable of conversion and forgiveness. Saint Paul makes an appeal to the reason of his readers, to the reason of every human being — that powerful testimony to the presence of the Creator in the creature: "I speak as to sensible men; judge for yourselves what I say" (1 Cor 10:15). Never does God, of whom the Apostle is an authorized witness here, ask man to sacrifice his reason! Reason never enters into real contradiction with faith! The one God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- created our reason and gives us faith, proposing to our freedom that it be received as a precious gift. It is the worship of idols which diverts man from this perspective. Let us therefore ask God, who sees us and hears us, to help us purify ourselves from all idols, in order to arrive at the truth of our being, in order to arrive at the truth of his infinite being!
(Continuing)

(2 December)   Blessed Rafal Chylinski (1694-1741)
        Born near Buk in the Poznan region of Poland, Melchior showed early signs of religious devotion; family members nicknamed him "the little monk." After completing his studies at the Jesuit college in Poznan, Melchior joined the cavalry and was promoted to the rank of officer within three years. Against the urgings of his military comrades, in 1715 Melchior joined the Conventual Franciscans in Kraków, receiving the name Rafal, and was ordained two years later. After pastoral assignments in nine cities, he came to Lagiewniki (central Poland), where he spent the last 13 years of his life, except for 20 months ministering to flood and epidemic victims in Warsaw. In all these places, Rafal was known for his simple and candid sermons, for his generosity as well as his ministry in the confessional. People of all levels of society were drawn to the self-sacrificing way he lived out his religious profession and priestly ministry. Rafal played the harp, lute and mandolin to accompany liturgical hymns. In Lagiewniki he distributed food, supplies and clothing to the poor. After his death, the Conventual church in that city became a place of pilgrimage for people throughout Poland. He was beatified in Warsaw in 1991. The sermons preached by Rafal were powerfully reinforced by the living sermon of his life. The Sacrament of Reconciliation can help us bring our daily choices into harmony with our words about Jesus’ influence in our life.
    During the beatification homily, Pope John Paul II said, "May Blessed Rafal remind us that every one of us, even though we are sinners, has been called to love and to holiness" (L'Osservatore Romano, 1991, vol. 25, number 19).   (AmericanCatholic.org)

Scripture today: Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17; Luke 10:21-24

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and

earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. All things have been committed to me by my Father. No-one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no-one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. (Luke 10:21-24)

One of the most interesting and significant of historical developments has been the rise of democracy. It has had a long history and a gradual development, with its origins mainly in classical Greece. Indeed, a principal legacy of Greek society and culture is the democratic method of reaching decisions that

affect the society, the polity. It has been a great boon for the world and we see what can sadly happen when a great society is in the hands of a single person or small clique. History has seen its results in the Roman Empire and in so many regimes since. At the same time, this has to be said. There have been extremely worthy monarchs who have led their people wisely, such as Saint Louis king of France in the thirteenth century, and others in other eras. By the same token, democratic institutions have led to the worst of leaders being elected by the populace because of a skilful use of propaganda and a poor moral perception of the issues by the people. A great country can democratically elect a president who is deeply committed to abortion and who, true to form, proceeds to promote abortion when elected. So whatever about the merits of this or that institutional structure the critical issue is, what is the light by which people are living and being guided? The most educated can be blind to the right and the least educated and influential can have true moral perception. What is the light by which we are to be guided? We shall be led to life or to death according to the light by which we are travelling. On one occasion our Lord warned lest the light within us be darkness. Each person, no matter how obscure, has the duty to attain the true light. It is about this which our Lord prays to his Father with such feeling in today’s Gospel passage. We read, “At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.”

There is a light available to the world, a light that leads to life, and that light is the person and the teaching of Christ. Our Lord said, “I am the Light of the world”. He said that the one who follows him is walking in the light, whereas the one who does not follow him is in the dark. He is the light that has come from God and how great is the need of mankind for this light! Whether or not a country is democratic, it needs this light otherwise it will proceed in the darkness. The most educated and persuasive of persons will be in the darkness if he or she does not accept and follow the light of Christ. And so our Lord continues in today’s Gospel, “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No-one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no-one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (Luke 10:21-24) The Christian has an inestimable treasure in possessing Christ. The light of Christ’s person and teaching not only lights up his own life, but he has the means of lighting up the life of society around him. This is why he has an immense responsibility to bring that light to the world around him. There is an old saying that evil flourishes because good people do nothing. It is especially the lay Christian living in the world who has the responsibility to bring the light of Christ to all levels of society. How government needs this light! How business and commerce needs this light! How educational institutions, primary, secondary, and tertiary, need this light! How youth need this light! How all the world needs this light! If there is the opportunity, the responsibility of the Christian is great to bear witness to this light and assist others to receive it. As St Paul writes, woe betide me if I do not preach the Gospel!

As we look out on the world and see its numerous problems, we ought do so with the grand teaching of Christ in mind. Man has fallen. He needs the light and salvation of God. That light and salvation is present in the person and teaching of Christ. We who are baptized possess that light. We must resolutely live by it and bear witness to it before others. The world needs this light, so let us not let the world down by hiding it under a bushel, the bushel of our own fear.
(E.J.Tyler)

The enemy: Will you obey... even in this 'ridiculous' little detail? You, with God's grace: I will obey... even in this 'heroic' little detail.

PARIS, SEPT. 13, 2008 — Continuing Benedict XVI's homily today at a Mass celebrated in Paris at the Esplanade des Invalides.

How do we reach God? How do we manage to discover or rediscover him whom man seeks at the deepest core of himself, even though he so often forgets him? Saint Paul asks us to make use not only of our reason, but above all our faith in order to discover him. Now, what does faith say to us? The bread that we break is a communion with the Body of Christ. The cup of blessing which we bless is a communion with the Blood of Christ. This extraordinary revelation comes to us from Christ and has been transmitted to us by the Apostles and by the whole Church for almost two thousand years: Christ instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist on the evening of Holy Thursday. He wanted his sacrifice to be presented anew, in an unbloody manner, every time a priest repeats the words of consecration over the bread and wine. Millions of times over the last twenty centuries, in the humblest chapels and in the most magnificent basilicas and cathedrals, the risen Lord has given himself to his people, thus becoming, in the famous expression of Saint Augustine, "more intimate to us than we are to ourselves" (cf. Confessions, III, 6, 11).
(Continuing)

(December 3) Saint Francis Xavier, priest (1506-1552)
Jesus asked, “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Matthew 16:26a). The words were repeated to a young teacher of philosophy who had a highly

promising career in academics, with success and a life of prestige and honour before him. Francis Xavier, 24 at the time, and living and teaching in Paris, did not heed these words at once. They came from a good friend, Ignatius of Loyola, whose tireless persuasion finally won the young man to Christ. Francis then made the spiritual exercises under the direction of Ignatius, and in 1534 joined his little community (the infant Society of Jesus). Together at Montmartre they vowed poverty, chastity and apostolic service according to the directions of the pope. From Venice, where he was ordained priest in 1537, Francis Xavier went on to Lisbon and from there sailed to the East Indies, landing at Goa, on the west coast of India. For the next 10 years he laboured to bring the faith to such widely scattered peoples as the Hindus, the Malayans and the Japanese. He spent much of that time in India, and served as provincial of the newly established Jesuit province of India. Wherever he went, he lived with the poorest people, sharing their food and rough accommodations. He spent countless hours ministering to the sick and the poor, particularly to lepers. Very often he had no time to sleep or even to say his breviary but, as we know from his letters, he was filled always with joy. Francis went through the islands of Malaysia, then up to Japan. He learned enough Japanese to preach to simple folk, to instruct and to baptize, and to establish missions for those who were to follow him. From Japan he had dreams of going to China, but this plan was never realized. Before reaching the mainland he died. His remains are enshrined in the Church of Good Jesus in Goa.
All of us are called to “go and preach to all nations” (see Matthew 28:19). Our preaching is not necessarily on distant shores but to our families, our children, our husband or wife, our coworkers. And we are called to preach not with words, but by our everyday lives. Only by sacrifice, the giving up of all selfish gain, could Francis Xavier be free to bear the Good News to the world. Sacrifice is leaving yourself behind at times for a greater good, the good of prayer, the good of helping someone in need, the good of just listening to another. The greatest gift we have is our time. Francis gave his to others. (AmericanCatholic.org)

Scripture today: Isaiah 25:6-10a; Psalm 23:1-6; Matthew 15:29-37

Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and

laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way. His disciples answered, Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd? How many loaves do you have? Jesus asked. Seven, they replied, and a few small fish. He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterwards the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. (Matthew 15: 29-37)

There have been many persons in history who have gained great power over others by winning public office, by commanding the military, by capturing the means of mass media, and so forth. Their power has largely derived from the positions they were able to occupy. What would Hitler have been had he not won (by dubious means) political power enabling him to impose his wishes on others? Deprived of his position he would have been nothing. He had no power of himself. Or again, what command over nature did Napoleon possess? Absolutely none.

Had he been transporting troops across the Mediterranean sea in the midst of a hurricane he would have been helpless in the face of it. Had his armies been struck with a terrible plague, he would have been helpless before the plague. He had no power of himself. But now, look at the power Jesus Christ had of himself. In our Gospel today we read that “Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.” We tend to take Christ’s miracles for granted and forget the understandable amazement they evoked. Indeed, Christ showed that there was nothing he could not do. In himself he was almighty. He calmed a raging storm at sea with a mere word. In 1953 a famous British movie was produced, The Cruel Sea, portraying with accuracy and realism the war between the Royal Navy and Germany’s U-Boats during World War II. I saw it as a youth and I remember the images of the turbulent sea. The sea was vast and had enormous power. Christ showed he had far greater power than the sea and could pacify it at a word. Frequently on the news advances in medical science are reported and disease is shown to be a powerful enemy to man. But as we read in our Gospel today at a word Christ could heal a person of the greatest of physical diseases and disabilities. Christ showed he was almighty but he used his power strictly for the purposes of his redeeming mission.

The purpose of Christ’s miracles was not to win political and social power but to win disciples. That is to say, he wanted to reveal who he was and to draw all to himself that they might become his friends. He wanted people to enter into his company and to come after him. We ought contemplate the miracles of Christ as revealing his person, and contemplating his person we ought choose to be his loyal friend. In Christ the power of God was showing itself in loving mercy. This is especially evident in the miracle of the loaves and fish in our Gospel today. We read that “Jesus called his disciples to him and said, I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way. His disciples answered, Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd? How many loaves do you have? Jesus asked. Seven, they replied, and a few small fish. He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied.” (Matthew 15: 29-37) In placing ourselves in the scene of the miracle and observing the astonishing feeding of thousands with just a handful of food, we are led to think of Jesus himself. He is full of power, yes, but that power is at the service of human need. It reveals itself in compassion and mercy. The miracles of Christ show his sacred heart and invite us to trust him completely. The sight of the hungry crowds, the sight of the blind, the lame and the dumb ought also remind us of our own need for him. Most of all, we need Christ because of the greatest affliction of all, the affliction of sin of which physical debility is a kind of sign. We ought approach Christ presenting to him our sinful condition, knowing he has the power to heal.

Let us read the Gospels with the intention of coming to know and love Jesus Christ. He, the risen and glorious Jesus, is with us still and he abides in his body the Church of which he is the head. The Gospels enable us to know and love him. St Jerome wrote once that he who does not know the Scriptures does not know Christ. Christ showed by his miracles that he is almighty. At the Last Supper our Lord invited his disciples to consider the works he had done and to believe in him. Let us believe in him and nourish our belief by the contemplation of his works for man.
(E.J.Tyler)

Initiative. You must have it in your apostolate, within the terms of your instructions.

If it exceeds those limits or if you are in doubt, consult whoever is in charge, without telling anyone else of what you are thinking.

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PARIS, SEPT. 13, 2008 — Continuing Benedict XVI's homily today at a Mass celebrated in Paris at the Esplanade des Invalides.

Brothers and sisters, let us give the greatest veneration to the sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord, the Blessed Sacrament of the real presence of the Lord to his Church and to all humanity. Let us take every opportunity to show him our respect and our love! Let us give him the greatest marks of honour! Through our words, our silences, and our gestures, let us never allow our faith in the risen Christ, present in the Eucharist, to lose its savour in us or around us! As Saint John Chrysostom said magnificently, "Let us behold the ineffable generosity of God and all the good things that he enables us to enjoy, when we offer him this cup, when we receive communion, thanking him for having delivered the human race from error, for having brought close to him those who were far away, for having made, out of those who were without hope and without God in the world, a people of brothers, fellow heirs with the Son of God" (Homily 24 on the First Letter to the Corinthians, 1). "In fact", he continues, "what is in the cup is precisely what flowed from his side, and it is of this that we partake" (ibid.). There is not only partaking and sharing, there is "union", says the Doctor whose name means "golden mouth".
(Continuing)

(December 4)   St. John Damascene (676?-749)
    John spent most of his life in the monastery of St. Sabas, near Jerusalem, and all of his life under Muslim rule, indeed, protected by it. He was born in Damascus, received a classical and theological education, and followed his father in a government position under the Arabs. After a few years he resigned and went to the monastery of St. Sabas. He is famous in three areas. First, he is known for his writings against the iconoclasts, who opposed the veneration of images. Paradoxically, it was the Eastern Christian emperor Leo who forbade the practice, and it was because John lived in Muslim territory that his enemies could not silence him. Second, he is famous for his treatise, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, a summary of the Greek Fathers (of which he became the last). It is said that this book is to Eastern schools what the Summa of Aquinas became to the West. Thirdly, he is known as a poet, one of the two greatest of the Eastern Church, the other being Romanus the Melodist. His devotion to the Blessed Mother and his sermons on her feasts are well known.
    John defended the Church’s understanding of the veneration of images and explained the faith of the Church in several other controversies. For over 30 years he combined a life of prayer with these defences and his other writings. His holiness expressed itself in putting his literary and preaching talents at the service of the Lord.
    “The saints must be honoured as friends of Christ and children and heirs of God, as John the theologian and evangelist says: ‘But as many as received him, he gave them the power to be made the sons of God....’ Let us carefully observe the manner of life of all the apostles, martyrs, ascetics and just men who announced the coming of the Lord. And let us emulate their faith, charity, hope, zeal, life, patience under suffering, and perseverance unto death, so that we may also share their crowns of glory” (Exposition of the Orthodox Faith). (AmericanCatholic.org)

Scripture today: Isaiah 26:1-6; Psalm 118:1 and 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a; Matthew 7:21, 24-27

Jesus said to his disciples, Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of

heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. (Matthew 7:21, 24-27)

During the Last Supper our Lord said to his disciples that they called him Master and Lord, and they were right to do so. He went on to observe that if he, their Master and Lord, washed their feet, they then ought do the same to one another. Let us consider this, that our Lord told his disciples that they were

right to address him Master and Lord, for he is just that. Soon after his baptism in the Jordan our Lord was pointed out by John the Baptist as the Lamb of God. Two of his disciples followed our Lord and our Lord turned to them and asked what they wanted. They addressed him as Master and asked him where he lived. Throughout the Gospels we see the disciples addressing Jesus as Master or Teacher, and as Lord. After his resurrection the disciples were fishing on the Lake, and Jesus was on the shore. John, seeing him, said to Peter, it is the Lord. We might say that the climax of St John’s Gospel was when Thomas said to the risen Jesus, my Lord and my God. He addressed him as Lord, meaning that he was Yahweh God of the Old Testament. St Paul taught in his Letters that Jesus is Lord. However — and this is the point of what I have just been saying — in our Gospel today our Lord says to his disciples that it is not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven. To address our Lord as the Master and the Lord is not sufficient to be regarded as his true disciple. The Pharisees themselves addressed Jesus as Rabbi, master. Presumably many of those disciples who left him following his proclamation of the doctrine of the Eucharist at Capernaum also had addressed him as Master. Judas would have too. Our Lord is saying in our passage today that while it is natural to address and consider him as Master and Lord, more is needed. “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21, 24-27). The critical thing for his disciple is obedience to the will of God.

Indeed, obedience is the rock-like foundation of a secure religious and human life. It is the key to entry into the kingdom of heaven. Without it all is insecure, all is weak. With it, everything is safe. This one key can be taken up by anyone, be he well-endowed or poorly endowed, be he famous or unknown, be he anyone at all. Obedience is the way to God and his kingdom. Nothing else matters so much in life. So it is that there is such a variety of canonized saints. There is St Augustine, an intellectual giant of the first millennium. There is St Thomas Aquinas, an intellectual giant of the second millennium. Both are doctors of the Church. Both made the foundation of their lives knowing and doing the will of God. At the same time there is St Therese of Lisieux, a hidden Carmelite nun in France at the end of the nineteenth century who were it not for her autobiography would probably have been scarcely known. She is a canonised saint. She is also a doctor of the Church for the spiritual teaching expressed in her autobiography. The will of God was the foundation of her life. In October 2008 her two parents were beatified in Lisieux, France. The foundation of their lives together was the will of God. This is the key to the life of Jesus Christ himself. He did the will of his heavenly Father. My food, he told his disciples, is to do the will of the one who sent me. He challenged his enemies, Can any of you convict me of sin? I always do what pleases Him, he said on another occasion. So then, if every day in our prayers we address Jesus as our Master and our Lord (as we certainly should), what our Lord above all expects of us is that we hear his word and put it into practice. St Thomas Aquinas said that sanctity consists in the complete readiness to do the will of God. This is translated into fulfilling one’s daily duties as well as possible for love of and obedience to God. If we wish to build our house on rock, obedience is the foundation we must lay. Otherwise all is sand.

The wind will blow and the floods will rise. What then will happen to the house? The ultimate flood will be that of death. When death and the judgment that follows it come will the house that is our very person fall with a great crash, or will it stand? It will stand not only now in this life but forever hereafter if we have made as our constant basis obedience to the will of God. Let us then resolve every day to hear the word of Jesus and put it into practice.
(E.J.Tyler)

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PARIS, SEPT. 13, 2008 — Continuing Benedict XVI's homily today at a Mass celebrated in Paris at the Esplanade des Invalides.

The Mass is the sacrifice of thanksgiving par excellence, the one which allows us to unite our own thanksgiving to that of the Saviour, the Eternal Son of the Father. It also makes its own appeal to us to shun idols, for, as Saint Paul insists, "you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons" (1 Cor 10:21). The Mass invites us to discern what, in ourselves, is obedient to the Spirit of God and what, in ourselves, is attuned to the spirit of evil. In the Mass, we want to belong only to Christ and we take up with gratitude — with thanksgiving — the cry of the psalmist: "How shall I repay the Lord for his goodness to me?" (Ps 116:12). Yes, how can I give thanks to the Lord for the life he has given me? The answer to the psalmist's question is found in the psalm itself, since the word of God responds graciously to its own questions. How else could we render thanks to the Lord for all his goodness to us if not by attending to his own words: "I will raise the cup of salvation, I will call on the name of the Lord" (Ps 116:13)?
(Continuing)

(December 5)   St. Sabas (b. 439)
        Born in Cappadocia (modern-day Turkey), Sabas is one of the most highly regarded patriarchs among the monks of Palestine and is considered one of the founders of Eastern monasticism. After an unhappy childhood in which he was abused and ran away several times, Sabas finally sought refuge in a monastery. While family members tried to persuade him to return home, the young boy felt drawn to monastic life. Although the youngest monk in the house, he excelled in virtue. At age 18 he travelled to Jerusalem, seeking to learn more about living in solitude. Soon he asked to be accepted as a disciple of a well-known local solitary, though initially he was regarded as too young to live completely as a hermit. Initially, Sabas lived in a monastery, where he worked during the day and spent much of the night in prayer. At the age of 30 he was given permission to spend five days each week in a nearby remote cave, engaging in prayer and manual labour in the form of weaving baskets. Following the death of his mentor, St. Euthymius, Sabas moved farther into the desert near Jericho. There he lived for several years in a cave near the brook Cedron. A rope was his means of access. Wild herbs among the rocks were his food. Occasionally men brought him other food and items, while he had to go a distance for his water. Some of these men came to him desiring to join him in his solitude. At first he refused. But not long after relenting, his followers swelled to more than 150, all of them living in individual huts grouped around a church, called a laura. The bishop persuaded a reluctant Sabas, then in his early 50s, to prepare for the priesthood so that he could better serve his monastic community in leadership. While functioning as abbot among a large community of monks, he felt ever called to live the life of a hermit. Throughout each year —consistently in Lent—he left his monks for long periods of time, often to their distress. A group of 60 men left the monastery, settling at a nearby ruined facility. When Sabas learned of the difficulties they were facing, he generously gave them supplies and assisted in the repair of their church. Over the years Sabas travelled throughout Palestine, preaching the true faith and successfully bringing back many to the Church. At the age of 91, in response to a plea from the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Sabas undertook a journey to Constantinople in conjunction with the Samaritan revolt and its violent repression. He fell ill and, soon after his return, died at the monastery at Mar Saba. Today the monastery is still inhabited by monks of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and St. Sabas is regarded as one of the most noteworthy figures of early monasticism.
    Few of us share Sabas’s yearning for a cave in the desert, but most of us sometimes resent the demands others place on our time. Sabas understands that. When at last he gained the solitude for which he yearned, a community immediately began to gather around him and he was forced into a leadership role. He stands as a model of patient generosity for anyone whose time and energy are required by others—that is, for all of us. (AmericanCatholic.org)

Scripture today: Isaiah 29:17-24; Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14; Matthew 9:27-31

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, Have mercy on us, Son of David! When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, Do you believe that I am able to do this? Yes, Lord, they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, According to your faith will it be done to you; and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, See that no-one knows about this. But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region. (Matthew 9:27-31)

On one occasion our Lord was passing through a village with a great crowd following him and a blind man, Bar Timaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus), heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. He immediately began to shout to gain the attention of Jesus. He called out, Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me! He would not stop shouting despite the rebukes of others. The sound of his voice reached Jesus who then stopped and asked that the man be brought to him. When the blind man came he asked what he wanted him to do for him.

Lord, that I may see, he replied. Immediately our Lord healed him and he then followed our Lord along the road praising God. Inasmuch as his very name is recorded we may presume he became a disciple. In our Gospel today we notice a different sequence of events. We read that as Jesus went on two blind men followed him, calling out, Have mercy on us, Son of David! We do not read that our Lord stopped and healed them at that point. It seems that he allowed them to keep appealing to him while he continued on his way. They had to keep up their request with no response from our Lord at that point. It was only when our Lord had gone indoors that the blind men were able to come to him and speak to him directly. Then he asked them if they believed that he could do this for them. They said they did and he healed them according as they had faith. What does this tells us? At least it tells us that God answers our prayers in different ways. To one person he may answer a great wish and need without his even asking. For instance, when our Lord was approaching the village of Nain there was a funeral procession on the way out. He stopped the procession and proceeded to raise the young man back to life and gave him to his mother. On other occasions he immediately answered the request once presented. Bar Timaeus was healed as soon as he asked. In our passage today the blind men had to keep following our Lord asking all the while. It was after a little time that he answered their prayer.

The ways of God are not our ways. At times our prayer may not be answered in the form we present it. For instance, on one occasion two of the Twelve came to our Lord with their mother and asked that they be given places at his right and at his left at his coming in glory. Our Lord told them that they did not know what they were asking, and that in any case it was not for him to do this for them. Places as these were for those to whom they had been allotted. That is to say they were asking for what may not have been in accord with the divine plan. Often we may not know what we are asking, and in any case what we are asking for may be against the will of God. But God will answer our prayers in the way that is best for us. In the case of the two Apostles (James and John) our Lord immediately told them that they would indeed share in the cup he was to drink — and that was the important thing when it came to sharing in his glory. In respect to our two blind men of the Gospel passage of today, the important thing was that they persisted in their prayer. Their persistence gained them their request. On another occasion our Lord taught his disciples that they were to pray always and never to lose heart. Imagine the two blind men following our Lord along the road or even outside the house, continuing to call out for healing. Would our Lord have left them to continue appealing to him indefinitely and without any response? Of course not. The time of his response was not predictable, but that he would in due course respond was clear — and presumably the blind men were sure of this. God will answer our prayers if we but ask him humbly and persistently, never losing heart. Let us notice another aspect to the situation described in our Gospel today. When our Lord did heal the two blind men he “warned them sternly, See that no-one knows about this. But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.” (Matthew 9:27-31) So they disregarded his command. They did not fall in with the plan of God and in this respect they caused complications — impediments — for our Lord in his work.

St Alphonsus Ligouri wrote that the prayer of petition is immensely important and one reason why we do not receive far more from God than we do is that we do not ask for more. We must ask with faith and persistence, and with a profound resolve to adhere to the will and plan of God. Let us fill up our days with prayer and service, all the while endeavouring to do only the will of God.
(E.J.Tyler)

What a pity that whoever is in charge doesn't give you good example! But, is it for his personal qualities that you obey him? Or do you conveniently interpret Saint Paul's 'obey your leaders' with a qualification of your own..., 'always provided they have virtues to my taste'?

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PARIS, SEPT. 13, 2008 — Continuing Benedict XVI's homily today at a Mass celebrated in Paris at the Esplanade des Invalides.

To raise the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, is that not the very best way of "shunning idols", as Saint Paul asks us to do? Every time the Mass is celebrated, every time Christ makes himself sacramentally present in his Church, the work of our salvation is accomplished. Hence to celebrate the Eucharist means to recognize that God alone has the power to grant us the fullness of joy and teach us true values, eternal values that will never pass away. God is present on the altar, but he is also present on the altar of our heart when, as we receive communion, we receive him in the sacrament of the Eucharist. He alone teaches us to shun idols, the illusions of our minds.

Now, dear brothers and sisters, who can raise the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord in the name of the entire people of God, except the priest, ordained for this purpose by his Bishop? At this point, dear inhabitants of Paris and the outlying regions, but also those of you who have come from the rest of France and from neighbouring countries, allow me to issue an appeal, confident in the faith and generosity of the young people who are considering a religious or priestly vocation: do not be afraid! Do not be afraid to give your life to Christ! Nothing will ever replace the ministry of priests at the heart of the Church! Nothing will ever replace a Mass for the salvation of the world! Dear young and not so young who are listening to me, do not leave Christ's call unanswered. Saint John Chrysostom, in his Treatise on the Priesthood, showed how sluggish man could be in responding, but he is nonetheless the living example of God's action at the heart of a human freedom that allows itself to be shaped by his grace.
(Continuing)

(December 6)   St. Nicholas (d. 350?)
        The absence of the “hard facts” of history is not necessarily an obstacle to the popularity of saints, as the devotion to St. Nicholas shows. Both the Eastern and Western Churches honour him, and it is claimed that, after the Blessed Virgin, he is the saint most pictured by Christian artists. And yet, historically, we can pinpoint only the fact that Nicholas was the fourth-century bishop of Myra, a city in Lycia, a province of Asia Minor. As with many of the saints, however, we are able to capture the relationship which Nicholas had with God through the admiration which Christians have had for him—an admiration expressed in the colourful stories which have been told and retold through the centuries. Perhaps the best-known story about Nicholas concerns his charity toward a poor man who was unable to provide dowries for his three daughters of marriageable age. Rather than see them forced into prostitution, Nicholas secretly tossed a bag of gold through the poor man’s window on three separate occasions, thus enabling the daughters to be married. Over the centuries, this particular legend evolved into the custom of gift-giving on the saint’s feast. In the English-speaking countries, St. Nicholas became, by a twist of the tongue, Santa Claus — further expanding the example of generosity portrayed by this holy bishop.
    The critical eye of modern history makes us take a deeper look at the legends surrounding St. Nicholas. But perhaps we can utilize the lesson taught by his legendary charity, look deeper at our approach to material goods in the Christmas season and seek ways to extend our sharing to those in real need.
    “In order to be able to consult more suitably the welfare of the faithful according to the condition of each one, a bishop should strive to become duly acquainted with their needs in the social circumstances in which they live.... He should manifest his concern for all, no matter what their age, condition, or nationality, be they natives, strangers, or foreigners” (Decree on the Bishops' Pastoral Office, 16). (AmericanCatholic.org)

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion

on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. (Matthew 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8)

One of the greatest autobiographies of the nineteenth century — indeed, of the English language — was the Apologia pro Vita Sua of John Henry Newman, published in 1864. It is a history of his religious opinions and is the story of the mind of a great Christian thinker. One of the many powerful pages in

his account is that in which he describes the tension between his utter certainty of the being of a God which he says is “as certain to me as the certainty of my own existence” and the sight of “the world of men” which “fills me with unspeakable distress.” The world comes forth from the creative hand of God and yet it is “no reflexion of its Creator.” The sight of the world, he writes, is “nothing else than the prophet’s scroll, full of ‘lamentation, and mourning, and woe’.” (World’s Classics, OUP, p.250) It can only mean that “either there is no Creator, or this living society of men is in a true sense discarded from his presence.” (P.251). Newman is referring to the great problem of evil which we know from Revelation has come from the sin of man. God’s creation has been profoundly spoilt. Now, we get a hint of this in our Gospel passage today. We read that “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:35–10:1) Our Lord was travelling through the towns and through tiny villages. We read elsewhere that he visited the farms. He entered homes. We read in various parts of the Gospel how our Lord visited the private dwellings of all sorts of persons. He willingly got up to go to the home of a centurion to heal his servant. He entered the home of the Pharisee to dine there. He invited himself to the home of Zacchaeus the chief tax collector. When he saw the crowds he saw that they were harassed and dejected. He saw the power of evil in the world. At the tomb of Lazarus our Lord wept.

What was our Lord’s response to this? He came to the people and began to teach them at length. He gave them the signs that were his miracles, signs of his power and mercy. Above all he would take upon his own shoulders the sin of the world and expiate for it by his Passion and Death. He sent his disciples out to the lost sheep of the House of Israel and asked that they pray that the Lord of the harvest would send more labourers into his harvest. He himself would have been praying for this intention. We read that “He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” Christ was getting ready to give to broken, fallen mankind, the mankind Newman describes with such pathos in his Apologia, the great gift that answers mankind’s need, the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would be the means whereby Christ would live in the hearts of his Faithful through faith. Christ is the answer to the evil of the world, not in the sense of taking all evils away immediately, but rather in the sense that it is through Christ that we shall be able to live through all evils and transform them into seedbeds of good. This broken world has a glorious destiny in Christ. The cross was a great evil, but in his death at Calvary Christ transformed the cross into the source of man’s redemption. As we think of Christ’s disciples going out at his command to heal and even to raise the dead if necessary, let us think of both the evil of the world and the great hope that is offered to the world in Christ. He is the one and only Saviour of all mankind. He is the answer to the evil of the world.

The root of the world’s evil is sin. So we have sin on the one side and Christ filled with compassion on the other. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Let us take our stand with Jesus, and with a heart modelled on his let us join him in his mission to the world. The answer the Church offers for mankind is the love and knowledge and service of Christ. Therein lies our hope.
(E.J.Tyler)

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How well you understand obedience, when you write: 'To obey always is to be a martyr without dying'!

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PARIS, SEPT. 13, 2008 — Continuing Benedict XVI's homily today at a Mass celebrated in Paris at the Esplanade des Invalides.

Finally, if we turn to the words that Christ left us in his Gospel, we shall see that he himself taught us to shun idolatry, by inviting us to build our house "on rock" (Luke 6:48). Who is this rock, if not he himself? Our thoughts, our words and our actions acquire their true dimension only if we refer them to the Gospel message: "Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). When we speak, do we seek the good of our interlocutor? When we think, do we seek to harmonize our thinking with God's thinking? When we act, do we seek to spread the Love which gives us life? Saint John Chrysostom again says, "now, if we all partake of the same bread, and if we all become this same substance, why do we not show the same charity? Why, for the same reason, do we not become utterly one and the same? ... O man, it is Christ who has come to seek you, you who were so far from him, in order to unite himself to you; and you, do you not wish to be united to your brother?" (Homily 24 on the First Letter to the Corinthians, no. 2).
(Continuing)

Prayers this week: People of Zion, the Lord will come to save all nations, and your hearts will exult to hear his majestic voice. (Isaiah 30: 19.30)

God of power and mercy, open our hearts in welcome. Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy, so that we may share his wisdom and become one with him when he comes in glory. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

(December 7) St. Ambrose (340?-397)
One of Ambrose’s biographers observed that at the Last Judgment people would still be divided

between those who admired Ambrose and those who heartily disliked him. He emerges as the man of action who cut a furrow through the lives of his contemporaries. Even royal personages were numbered among those who were to suffer crushing divine punishments for standing in Ambrose’s way. When the Empress Justina attempted to wrest two basilicas from Ambrose’s Catholics and give them to the Arians, he dared the eunuchs of the court to execute him. His own people rallied behind him in the face of imperial troops. In the midst of riots he both spurred and calmed his people with bewitching new hymns set to exciting Eastern melodies. In his disputes with the Emperor Auxentius, he coined the principle: “The emperor is in the Church, not above the Church.” He publicly admonished Emperor Theodosius for the massacre of 7,000 innocent people. The emperor did public penance for his crime. This was Ambrose, the fighter, sent to Milan as Roman governor and chosen while yet a catechumen to be the people’s bishop. There is yet another side of Ambrose—one which influenced Augustine, whom Ambrose converted. Ambrose was a passionate little man with a high forehead, a long melancholy face and great eyes. We can picture him as a frail figure clasping the codex of sacred Scripture. This was the Ambrose of aristocratic heritage and learning. Augustine found the oratory of Ambrose less soothing and entertaining but far more learned than that of other contemporaries. Ambrose’s sermons were often modelled on Cicero and his ideas betrayed the influence of contemporary thinkers and philosophers. He had no scruples in borrowing at length from pagan authors. He gloried in the pulpit in his ability to parade his spoils—“gold of the Egyptians”—taken over from the pagan philosophers. His sermons, his writings and his personal life reveal him as an otherworldly man involved in the great issues of his day. Humanity, for Ambrose, was, above all, spirit. In order to think rightly of God and the human soul, the closest thing to God, no material reality at all was to be dwelt upon. He was an enthusiastic champion of consecrated virginity. The influence of Ambrose on Augustine will always be open for discussion. The Confessions reveal some manly, brusque encounters between Ambrose and Augustine, but there can be no doubt of Augustine’s profound esteem for the learned bishop. Neither is there any doubt that Monica loved Ambrose as an angel of God who uprooted her son from his former ways and led him to his convictions about Christ. It was Ambrose, after all, who placed his hands on the shoulders of the naked Augustine as he descended into the baptismal fountain to put on Christ.
Ambrose exemplifies for us the truly catholic character of Christianity. He is a man steeped in the learning, law and culture of the ancients and of his contemporaries. Yet, in the midst of active involvement in this world, this thought runs through Ambrose’s life and preaching: The hidden meaning of the Scriptures calls our spirit to rise to another world.
“Women and men are not mistaken when they regard themselves as superior to mere bodily creatures and as more than mere particles of nature or nameless units in modern society. For by their power to know themselves in the depths of their being they rise above the entire universe of mere objects.... Endowed with wisdom, women and men are led through visible realities to those which are invisible” (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 14–15). (AmericanCatholic.org)

Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; Psalm 85:9-10-11-12, 13-14; 2 Peter 3: 8-14; Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in Isaiah the prophet: I

will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way — a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' And so John came, baptising in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt round his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptise you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit. (Mark 1:1-8)

Various descriptions have been given of the character of the modern age. Not long ago it was often said that the modern age is distinguished by its anxiety and sense of futility: its angst. Some have said that even modern youth lacks the hope that is characteristic of their age. Let us consider the age of youth, for a moment. Most would think, looking at youth and also remembering their own experience, that youth is typically idealistic. A young person starts out in life with energy and gives himself over to what he thinks is worthwhile. Then as life progresses there are reversals, mistakes, disappointments, perhaps encounters with injustices. Gradually he finds

that he cannot easily attain the ideals he seeks. If he is growing in maturity he will see that a major problem is his lack of the inner freedom necessary to attain his goals. For instance, he finds that hey cannot bring himself to work as hard as he needs to if he is reach his goals. That is to say, there is a certain laziness. That moral fault lessens his freedom. Or again, perhaps he cannot control his anger and this in turn affects his progress. It would be a sign of a lack of maturity if a person were to fail to realize that there is much in him that limits his freedom. He has freedom but his freedom is greatly weakened and not just because of restraints imposed by external circumstances. Whatever be the circumstances, man knows he is free but only to a point, and society and civilization know this too. In most countries if a person breaks the law of his society he is detained and tried in a court of law for his crime. He is not treated as an animal and simply eliminated as a threat to order. An animal is understood to be driven by its instincts and so is not accountable. Man, though, is accountable, and the only issue to be determined is whether in a particular case of misdemeanour he was responsible. Was he free and did he know what he was doing? If he did not know what he was doing, should he have known it and to what extent?

Our Gospel today (Mark 1:1-8) presents us with the figure of John the Baptist, a shining example of upright freedom. Freedom is increased the more upright we choose to be, which is to say the more we choose what is right. Man knows he is free to a point and he knows that he can increase his freedom. The danger is that we shall delude ourselves into thinking either that we are not really free or that we are entirely free. It is important that at every stage of life we have a lively sense of the sinful tendencies we must face up to within ourselves if we are to attain real personal freedom. Real personal freedom is the freedom to choose what is true and good. The Christian knows Christ is the embodiment of the True and the Good. I remember a conversation I had with a fairly successful man. He told me his life changed when a friend asked him if he had ever invited Christ into his life. In a sense he was confronted with the fact his personal freedom. He was essentially free. He could make a decision: to welcome Jesus into his life with all that this might entail, or not. He did so, but then he had to work on it and that bought him up against sin. His freedom, he discovered, was weak and this was in large measure due to his own history of personal sin. And apart from this he knew he was born into the condition of original sin. This inherited weakness that is original sin is greatly magnified because of successive personal sins. In this lamentable condition we are faced with the call of conscience to be good and to love God with all our heart. Our great problem is that we are so wounded in our freedom. The Good News proclaimed by the Church is that Jesus Christ has set us free by his Death and Resurrection so that we should become free indeed, and remain free (Galatians 5:1). With his grace, the Holy Spirit leads us to cooperate with him in attaining the spiritual freedom to live a good and holy life and to be co-workers of Christ in the Church and in the world.

Our freedom is the greatest gift we have and we must use it by obeying the call of conscience to do what is right. Our freedom is deeply wounded, but Christ has won for us the grace to grow in the freedom to choose him as the love and the model of our life. By his grace we are able to take our stand with him, to work at letting his mind be in us, and in making him and his teaching the heart and soul of all we do. By his grace and our free cooperation we are able to attain sanctity and be a Christ-like force for good in the world.
(E.J.Tyler)

Further reading: The Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.1739-1742 (Human freedom in salvation)

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You've been told to do something which seems useless and difficult. Do it. And you will see that it is easy and fruitful.

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PARIS, SEPT. 13, 2008 — Conclusion of Benedict XVI's homily today at a Mass celebrated in Paris at the Esplanade des Invalides.

Hope will always remain stronger than all else! The Church, built upon the rock of Christ, possesses the promises of eternal life, not because her members are holier than others, but because Christ made this promise to Peter: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it" (Matt 16:18). In this unfailing hope in God's eternal presence to the souls of each of us, in this joy of knowing that Christ is with us until the end of time, in this power that the Holy Spirit gives to all those who let themselves be filled with him, I entrust you, dear Christians of Paris and France, to the powerful and merciful action of the God of love who died for us upon the Cross and rose victorious on Easter morning. To all people of good will who are listening to me, I say once more, with Saint Paul: Shun the worship of idols, do not tire of doing good!

May God our Father bring you to himself and cause the splendour of his glory to shine upon you! May the only Son of God, our master and brother, reveal to you the beauty of his risen face! May the Holy Spirit fill you with his gifts and grant you the joy of knowing the peace and light of the Most Holy Trinity, now and for ever! Amen!
(Concluded)

Monday of the second week in Advent

Prayers for today: Nations, hear the message of the Lord, and make it known to the ends of the earth: Our Saviour is coming. Have no more fear. (Jer 31:10, Is 35:4)

Lord, free us from our sins and make us whole. Hear our prayer, and prepare us to celebrate the incarnation of your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Scripture today: Isaiah 35: 1-10; Psalm 85:9ab and 10-14; Luke 5: 17-26

One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, Friend, your sins are forgiven. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone? Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . . He said to the paralysed man, I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home. Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, We have seen remarkable things today. (Luke 5: 17-26)

Forgiving sin There is an aspect of the reaction of the Pharisees and the lawyers which ought be pondered. Our Lord was teaching, we read, and “the power of the Lord was present in him as he healed the sick.” This time, though, as the lawyers and Pharisees watched,

something different happened. An opening in the roof was suddenly made and a paralytic on a mat began to be lowered in front of Jesus by friends above. Jesus looked up and instantly plumbed the hearts of both the paralytic and his friends. We read that he “saw their faith.” Further, it was when he saw their faith, that he said to the paralytic, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Their faith appears to have been such as to move our Lord to a special exercise of his divine power beyond merely physical needs. Perhaps he saw that their faith in him went beyond viewing him merely as a physical healer — he was all this, they knew, but much, much more. In any case, Christ, “seeing their faith,” immediately proceeded to forgive the sins of the paralytic. It was as if Christ was yearning to bring this benefit to the one who had the necessary faith, and he did so immediately with this paralytic. But in the minds of the religious leaders, this was a sensation. No prophet had ever presumed to do such a thing. Abraham had never done this, nor any of the patriarchs, nor Moses, David, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Ezechiel, nor any. John the Baptist never forgave the sins of anyone — his baptism was a ritual expressing repentance and prayer for pardon. But he himself, of course, never forgave any one his sins. This was because only God could forgive sin. The scribes and Pharisees looking on ought to have paused before instantly condemning the holy prophet before them, but at least their cocksure thoughts manifested natural religious surprise at the authority thus manifested. The fact is that we tend not to be surprised at the forgiveness of sins. Indeed, we take it for granted. Sin is typically considered to be lacking in moment, and the forgiveness of sins likewise is often regarded as a routine business. At least the Pharisees knew that such an act was unique, unprecedented, and altogether divine.

Let us not take the forgiveness of sins for granted! It is a principal reason for being a Christian. What other founder of a religion claimed to be able to forgive sins against the all-holy, most high God? Let us also consider this. It costs nothing to God to create and sustain the entire universe. How vast is this universe! Science has not plumbed the neutron, let alone the universe. We do not know the ultimate limits of our universe, its real magnitude, composition and possible range of life. But all this is nothing for the great God to sustain. He does so with the tip of his finger, as it were. As we read in the first chapter of Genesis, God said, let there be light, and there was light. Let there be the vault above, with its luminaries, and so it was. God’s being is infinite, as is his almighty power. But what is to be said of sin? Ah! That is an altogether different matter, for that comes forth from man’s free choice, and the taking away of the sin of the world cost God enormously. It costs him nothing to create — creation is the effortless outpouring of his love. The taking away of the sin of the world is likewise the outpouring of his love, but it was not effortless. It cost God more than anything ever cost man. This is what is behind the forgiveness of sins. When Christ rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples on the evening of that same day, he gave to them the Gift won for mankind by his sacrifice — the Holy Spirit. Giving them this Gift he immediately commissioned them to forgive sins. It was a stupendous gift, this forgiveness of sin, a power so divine that when Christ himself exercised it before the scribes and Pharisees, they were startled and condemnatory. But what helps us to appreciate this gift is what it took on God’s part to effect and to make it available to the world through the ministry of the Church, in the persons of the Apostles. Let the reaction of the lawyers and the Pharisees in our Gospel today remind us of the awesome character of the power to forgive sin — a power exercised and possessed by Jesus Christ, and handed to his Church. We have constant and ready access to this gift.

“Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Only God can forgive sins. The Church, exercising this power in the persons of her ordained priests, acts in the person of Jesus Christ. Every time we think of the Sacrament of Penance, and avail ourselves of it, let us think of the tremendous cost to the Son of God made man it involved. He is the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world by his Sacrifice, and that unique benefit comes to us repeatedly for the asking, provided we ask with faith and repentance.

(E.J.Tyler)

(December 8) The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
A feast called the Conception of Mary arose in the Eastern Church in the seventh century. It came to the West in the eighth century. In the eleventh century it received its present name, the

Immaculate Conception. In the eighteenth century it became a feast of the universal Church. In 1854 Pius IX gave the infallible statement: “The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the saviour of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.” It took a long time for this doctrine to develop. While many Fathers and Doctors of the Church considered Mary the greatest and holiest of the saints, they often had difficulty in seeing Mary as sinless—either at her conception or throughout her life. This is one of the Church teachings that arose more from the piety of the faithful than from the insights of brilliant theologians. Even such champions of Mary as Bernard and Thomas Aquinas could not see theological justification for this teaching. Two Franciscans, William of Ware and Blessed John Duns Scotus, helped develop the theology. They point out that Mary’s Immaculate Conception enhances Jesus’ redemptive work. Other members of the human race are cleansed from original sin after birth. In Mary, Jesus’ work was so powerful as to prevent original sin at the outset.
In Luke 1:28 the angel Gabriel, speaking on God’s behalf, addresses Mary as “full of grace” (or “highly favoured”). In that context this phrase means that Mary is receiving all the special divine help necessary for the task ahead. However, the Church grows in understanding with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit led the Church, especially non-theologians, to the insight that Mary had to be the most perfect work of God next to the Incarnation. Or rather, Mary’s intimate association with the Incarnation called for the special involvement of God in Mary’s whole life. The logic of piety helped God’s people to believe that Mary was full of grace and free of sin from the first moment of her existence. Moreover, this great privilege of Mary is the highlight of all that God has done in Jesus. Rightly understood, the incomparable holiness of Mary shows forth the incomparable goodness of God.
“[Mary] gave to the world the Life that renews all things, and she was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role. “It is no wonder, then, that the usage prevailed among the holy Fathers whereby they called the mother of God entirely holy and free from all stain of sin, fashioned by the Holy Spirit into a kind of new substance and new creature. Adorned from the first instant of her conception with the splendors of an entirely unique holiness, the Virgin of Nazareth is, on God’s command, greeted by an angel messenger as ‘full of grace’ (cf. Luke 1:28). To the heavenly messenger she replies: ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word’ (Luke 1:38)” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 56). (AmericanCatholic.org)

Scripture today: Gen 3:9-15, 20; Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4; Eph 1:3-6, 11-12; Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was

Mary. The angel entered and said to her: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women." When she heard this she was troubled at his words, and considered within herself what manner of salutation this was. And the angel said to her: "Fear not, Mary, for you have found grace with God. Behold you will conceive in thy womb and will bring forth a son; and you will call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of David his father. He will reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I do not know man?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most High will overshadow you. And so the Holy One who will be born of you will be called the Son of God. Behold your cousin Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age and she who has been called barren in now in her sixth month, because nothing is impossible with God." Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38)

It is scarcely to be imagined that the event narrated in our Gospel today came from any source other than Mary. The details are so vivid and the conversation so alive that one is drawn to presume that Luke, the author of the Gospel, interviewed Mary herself. It was from her that the infancy narratives

of the first two chapters of his Gospel mainly derived, and in particular the momentous yet hidden event of the coming of the Angel and his announcement to her. There were no other witnesses. Perhaps in due course Mary told her holy husband Joseph. The day came, with the early Church spreading and the convert Luke now before her, when she divulged the unforgettable event to be told to the world. The Angel had entered and stood before her. He was warm and courteous, addressing her in the words she narrates. He told her of the great Child and that in God’s plan she was to be his mother. This great Child was the one long promised, the Messiah himself. He was far more than anyone had expected. He was indeed, of course, the son of David and to him the throne of David would be given. As against all other kingdoms, his reign would be eternal, his kingdom would never end. There was and could be no other kingdom to be compared with his. But there was more and it had to do with his very person. Yes, he was a man, the true son of David his ancestor-father. But he was not merely a man. He, the Holy One to be born of her was the Son of God, conceived by her directly by the power of the Holy Spirit and the overshadowing of the most High God. Mary in effect told Luke that the Angel had given to her a clear intimation not only of the Incarnation but of the most Holy Trinity. On one occasion during our Lord’s public ministry our Lord said to his critics that inasmuch as his Father constantly worked, so he worked too. They picked up stones with which to stone him because, not content with merely breaking the Sabbath, he referred to God as his own Father and so made himself equal to God. The Angel was in similar fashion saying that the Child was God’s Son.

Not only was Luke saying that the proclamation by the Church of the Incarnation and the Trinity was first announced by the Angel Gabriel himself to Mary the mother of Jesus, but he was also in effect laying before the Christian reader the associated doctrine on Mary. The Angel referred to Elizabeth her kinswoman and she, Elizabeth, would proclaim to Mary that she was blessed beyond all women. The first and foremost blessing she enjoyed was that announced first by the Angel: she was full of grace. No sin had touched her. No sin would touch her. She was addressed by him in the first instance not as the future mother of the Son of the most High, but as filled with grace. On one occasion during our Lord’s public ministry a woman in the crowd, filled with admiration at his person, called out that his mother was so blessed. Rather, our Lord replied, blessed are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice. That was his and anyone’s truest glory. Mary was full of grace because in every respect she heard the word of God and put it into practice. So too in our passage today. Once she understood that it was by the power and intervention of God himself that she, a virgin, could become the mother of the Child, she humbly gave her total assent. "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word." Her response here was characteristic of her response at every instant of her life. Indeed, as the Church would come to see, the grace that filled her at this announcement had filled her from the first instant of her own conception. She had been conceived full of grace. In her life of grace and obedience she was a perfect human reflection of her divine Son. Having gained what he came for, the angel departed. (Luke 1:26-38) At that point we gained a mother and model in all that it means to be a Christian. She, the mother of Christ was the first and foremost Christian, the one who would be intimately associated with him in his work of redeeming the world. As the early Church spread the characteristic icon of the Christian began to appear. It was of the mother holding her Child.

In the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary the Church formally teaches as a dogma of the Catholic Faith, a dogma to be counted as revealed by God, that from the first moment of her existence Mary was full of grace. The Lord was with her from the instant of her conception. Sin never touched her in any shape or form, neither original sin nor personal sin. She is the wonder of our fallen race and this inestimable privilege of personal sinlessness was the gift of God to her in virtue of her Son’s future sacrifice. This is the mother and the model we have been given. She is the help of Christians in our all-important work of following Jesus.
(E.J.Tyler)

Priority, order. Everything in its place. — What would be left of a Velasquez painting if each colour were to mingle with the next, if each thread of the canvas were to break apart, if each piece of the wooden frame were to separate itself from the others?

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PARIS, SEPT. 13, 2008 — Here is a Vatican translation of the brief and unscheduled discourse that Benedict XVI gave today upon his visit to the Institut de France. The institute groups five académies, the French Academy, the Academy of Fine Arts, the Academy of Humanities, the Academy of Science, and the Academy of Moral Sciences and Politics.

* * *

Mr Chancellor,
Dear Permanent Secretaries of the five Académies,
Dear Cardinals,
Dear brothers in the episcopate and the priesthood,
Dear friends from the Académies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

For me it is a very great honour to be received this morning under the Cupola. I thank you for the overwhelming expressions of kindness with which you have welcomed me, and for your gift of the medal. I could not come to Paris without greeting you personally. I am pleased to have this happy opportunity to emphasize my profound links with French culture, for which I have the greatest admiration. In my intellectual journey, contact with French culture has been particularly important. I therefore avail myself of this occasion to express my gratitude to it, both personally and as the successor of Peter. The plaque that we have just unveiled will preserve the memory of our meeting.

As Rabelais rightly asserted in his day, "Science without conscience brings only ruin to the soul!" (Pantagruel, 8). It was doubtless in order to contribute to avoiding the risk of such a dichotomy that, at the end of January of last year, and for the first time in three and a half centuries, two Académies of the Institut, two Pontifical Academies and the Institut Catholique in Paris organized a joint Colloquium on the changing identity of the individual. The Colloquium has illustrated the interest generated by broad interdisciplinary studies. This initiative could be taken further, in order to explore together the countless research possibilities in the human and experimental sciences. This wish is accompanied by my prayers to the Lord for you, for your loved ones and for all the members of the Académies, as well as all the staff of the Institut de France. May God bless you!

(December 9) St. Juan Diego (1474-1548)
Thousands of people gathered in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe July 31, 2002, for the

canonization of Juan Diego, to whom the Blessed Mother appeared in the 16th century. Pope John Paul II celebrated the ceremony at which the poor Indian peasant became the Church’s first saint indigenous to the Americas. The Holy Father called the new saint “a simple, humble Indian” who accepted Christianity without giving up his identity as an Indian. “In praising the Indian Juan Diego, I want to express to all of you the closeness of the church and the pope, embracing you with love and encouraging you to overcome with hope the difficult times you are going through,” John Paul said. Among the thousands present for the event were members of Mexico’s 64 indigenous groups. First called Cuauhtlatohuac (“The eagle who speaks”), Juan Diego’s name is forever linked with Our Lady of Guadalupe because it was to him that she first appeared at Tepeyac hill on December 9, 1531. The most famous part of his story is told in connection with the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12). After the roses gathered in his tilma were transformed into the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, however, little more is said about Juan Diego. In time he lived near the shrine

constructed at Tepeyac, revered as a holy, unselfish and compassionate catechist who taught by word and especially by example. During his 1990 pastoral visit to Mexico, Pope John Paul II confirmed the long-standing liturgical cult in honour of Juan Diego, beatifying him. Twelve years later he was proclaimed a saint.
God counted on Juan Diego to play a humble yet huge role in bringing the Good News to the peoples of Mexico. Overcoming his own fear and the doubts of Bishop Juan de Zumarraga, Juan Diego cooperated with God’s grace in showing his people that the Good News of Jesus is for everyone. Pope John Paul II used the occasion of this beatification to urge Mexican lay men and women to assume their responsibilities for passing on the Good News and witnessing to it.
“Similar to ancient biblical personages who were collective representations of all the people, we could say that Juan Diego represents all the indigenous peoples who accepted the Gospel of Jesus, thanks to the maternal aid of Mary, who is always inseparable from the manifestation of her Son and the spread of the Church, as was her presence among the Apostles on the day of Pentecost” (Pope John Paul II, beatification homily). (AmericanCatholic.org)

Scripture today: Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 96:1-3 and 10-13; Matthew 18:12-14

Jesus said to his disciples, What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. (Matthew 18:12-14)

I have often thought that one point that characterizes the notion of God as obtaining in the history of philosophy and religion is that God is not very concerned for man. Consider the notion of the First Mover in Aristotle’s metaphysics. He causes movement by being the object of desire and love and is himself the pure act of thinking, with himself the object of thought. I do not think Aristotle understands God as being concerned for the world. The gods and goddesses of Greece and Rome lived in a world of their own. In many religions the highest power above appears to recede after having formed the world, and man is left to deal primarily with

secondary spirits. The highest god is a bit like Aristotle’s prime Mover in his remoteness or lack of direct concern for the beings he has set in motion or is causing to move. This tendency to imagine the Deity as distant and unconcerned with man — which is to say, the tendency to deny a strong and abiding particular providence — can be seen in whole periods even where the Christian revelation has been accepted. Although Deism as a philosophy held sway for a mere eighty years or so (rising to prominence in the eighteenth century) I tend to think that a considerable percentage of people are still deists without their realizing it. The deist does not deny the existence of God nor does he merge the world with God in a pantheist sense. He does not deny that God is personal and that he is the First Cause, but he emphasises the transcendence of God at the cost of his immanence and personal providence. The First Cause is very distant and unconcerned. Yes, he made man and the world, but he has receded and gone and leaves the world to fend for itself. Needless to say, a god such as this would scarcely inspire much religion. He would be a bit like someone who will never, no matter how hard one tries, show the slightest interest in having a personal relationship. However much we may admire such a person, we will probably give up on trying to relate to him.

And yet man yearns for the Absolute. This is why religion is everywhere and it is why man could almost be defined and distinguished as a religious being. Yes, he is a rational animal. He is a free animal. He is a responsible one. But he is also a religious one. He yearns for the Highest and has an intimation that this Highest One is his true Good and will bring him happiness. Yet how little is there that is certain and that can console him in his poverty and uncertainty! Into this void and morass God has made himself known. Contrary to the word of the philosophers, contrary to the images and notions prevailing in the religions of man, God is profoundly and actively concerned for man — and not just for man in general but for each individual man and woman. There is, in fact, much in creation that reflects this character of God. The animal, acting on mere instinct and which is quite unable to reason and freely select from a choice of goals, cares with energy for its young. It does so by a compulsion unless this compulsion is overtaken by another compulsion. This instinctive animal benevolence is the faint imprint of the infinite goodness of the Creator. But more than anything, it is God’s own revelation of himself that brings this home to man. Let us listen again to our Lord’s words in today’s Gospel: “Jesus said to his disciples, What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost” (Matthew 18:12-14). In modern terms, we might use the image of the well-trained sheep dog rounding up the strays. As one poet put it, God is the hound of heaven, bringing back the stray.

St Therese of Lisieux is a Doctor of the Church for her doctrine on the way — her "little way" — to holiness. She taught that we must have absolute confidence in God. He loves the sinner and so the sinner may with trust turn back to him in repentance. As our Lord explains, God is full of concern for each of us and if any of us strays from him he seeks us out to bring us back. God is very concerned indeed for each of us. He loves us. Let us make this the basis of our life.
(E.J.Tyler)

Your obedience is not worthy of the name unless you are ready to abandon your most flourishing personal work, whenever someone with authority so commands.

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PARIS, SEPT. 13, 2008 — Here is the address Benedict XVI gave Friday to the young people gathered in the square in front of Notre Dame Cathedral.

* * *

Dear Young Friends,

After our prayerful celebration of Vespers in Notre-Dame, your enthusiastic greeting gives a warm and festive tone to our meeting this evening. It reminds me of that unforgettable gathering at World Youth Day in Sydney this past July -- at which some of you were present. This evening I would like to talk to you about two very closely related matters; they represent a real treasure to be stored up in your hearts (cf. Mt 6:21).

The first has to do with the theme which was chosen for Sydney. It is also the theme of the prayer vigil which is about to begin. I am referring to a passage taken from the Acts of the Apostles, a book which has most appropriately been called the Gospel of the Holy Spirit: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). This is what the Lord tells you now. In Sydney, many young people rediscovered the importance of the Holy Spirit for our lives, for the life of every Christian. The Spirit gives us a deep relationship with God, who is the source of all authentic human good. All of you desire to love and to be loved! It is to God that you must turn, if you want to learn how to love, and to find the strength to love.
(Continuing)

(December 10) Blessed Adolph Kolping (1813-1865)
The rise of the factory system in 19th-century Germany brought many single men into cities where they faced new challenges to their faith. Father Adolph Kolping began a ministry to them,

hoping that they would not be lost to the Catholic faith as was happening to workers elsewhere in industrialized Europe. Born in the village of Kerpen, Adolph became a shoemaker at an early age because of his family’s economic situation. Ordained in 1845, he ministered to young workers in Cologne, establishing a choir, which by 1849 had grown into the Young Workmen’s Society. A branch of this began in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1856. Nine years later there were over 400 Gesellenvereine (workman’s societies) around the world. Today this group has over 400,000 members in 54 countries across the globe. More commonly called the Kolping Society, it emphasizes the sanctification of family life and the dignity of labor. Father Kolping worked to improve conditions for workers and greatly assisted those in need. He and St. John Bosco in Turin had similar interests in working with young men in big cities. He told his followers, “The needs of the times will teach you what to do.” Father Kolping once said, “The first thing that a person finds in life and the last to which he holds out his hand, and the most precious that he possess, even if he does not realize it, is family life.” He and Blessed John Duns Scotus are buried in Cologne’s Minoritenkirche, served by the Conventual Franciscans. The Kolping Society’s international headquarters is at this church. Kolping members journeyed to Rome from Europe, America, Africa, Asia and Oceania for Father Kolping’s beatification in 1991, the 100th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s revolutionary encyclical Rerum Novarum (On the Social Order). Father Kolping’s personal witness and apostolate helped prepare for that encyclical.
Some people thought that Father Kolping was wasting his time and talents on young working men in industrialized cities. In some countries, the Catholic Church was seen by many workers as the ally of owners and the enemy of workers. Men like Adolph Kolping showed that was not true.
“Adolph Kolping gathered skilled workers and factory laborers together. Thus he overcame their isolation and defeatism. A faith society gave them the strength to go out into their everyday lives as Christ’s witnesses before God and the world. To come together, to become strengthened in the assembly, and thus to scatter again is and still remains our duty today. We are not Christians for ourselves alone, but always for others too” (Pope John Paul II, beatification homily). (AmericanCatholic.org)

Scripture: Isaiah 40: 25-31; Psalm 103:1-4, 8 and 10; Matthew 11:28-30

At that time Jesus said, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Many years ago a prominent Australian politician made the remark that “life wasn’t meant to be easy.” He was lampooned for having said that and the remark was reinterpreted to mean all sorts of things. But of course all he meant was that ordinary human experience shows

that all must expect difficulties in life. Life is often difficult and especially so (but not only) if we intend to live a good life. Now, man's sense of justice reacts to life's difficulties, many of which arise even if one has done little to deserve difficulties. At times troubles far outweigh joys and it can reach a point when the seeming unfairness of it all can cloud a person’s instinctive and normal sense of God. God is, so it seems, inexplicably silent and inactive in the face of injustice and insensitive blind forces. He seems incapable of doing what needs to be done or not sufficiently concerned, in which case can one really say that there is a God as we normally understand him to be? What is the point of bothering with him? Religious belief seems futile and irrelevant. Now, the important question arising from this is, Does God answer this sense of the futility of religious belief? Does he address the issue of suffering and evil? He does, and the entire historical Revelation is God’s answer to it at its deepest level. It is not a simple answer nor is it intended to meet all our intellectual difficulties springing from the fact of evil in the world. It is above all a practical answer: it tells us what we are to do when suffering in order to give it meaning and fruit. The practical step we are to take is to come to Jesus. In this sense our Gospel today is entirely relevant to the problem of evil and suffering We read that “At that time Jesus said, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Our Lord says that the one who is burdened should come to him. God wants suffering mankind to come to Jesus. The healings and miracles of his public ministry were signs, as St John expresses it in his Gospel. The lame, the blind, the sick and the paralysed came to him and he healed them. He was not meaning to indicate that he had come to do this for the sick of every place and time, but he was meaning to show that all those who are weary and overburdened with life should come to him, place their trust in him and be part of his company. Above all, those conscious of their sins ought come to him for he is the Saviour. On one occasion he was passing through Jericho and he stopped near the sycamore tree and saw Zacchaeus the chief tax-collector there looking at him. Zacchaeus had run ahead to climb the tree so as to see Jesus as he was passing by. In his own way he yearned for Jesus. Jesus invited himself into Zacchaeus’s home and into his life. Zacchaeus had come to him with his burden of sin. We each of us should come to Jesus with all our burdens and sins. Where is Jesus to be found? Being God, he is everywhere and especially in our hearts. We can speak to him anywhere and at any time. He is above all present in his body the Church, of which he is the Head. He founded the Church to bring him to all the nations, promising that he would be with the Church till the end. He said to Simon Peter that he was the rock on which he would build his Church, and to him he was giving the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Christ is present and available to us in the Church’s divinely-guided Tradition, sacraments, life and teaching. He is present in his written word, the inspired word of the Scriptures, the Church’s great Book which she offers to Christ’s Faithful while helping them to interpret it. So let us go to Christ and take upon ourselves his yoke which is his way, his teaching, his revelation. If we give ourselves over to Christ and his way, joy will be ours in the midst of whatever burdens life brings.

The Church has a great message for suffering mankind: Come to Christ and take up his yoke. Learn from him and the rest he promises for one’s soul will be found. There will be joy in carrying his yoke, for paradoxically his yoke is easy and his burden light. Pope John Paul II at the beginning of his pontificate in October 1978 said to the world, “Be not afraid! Open the doors to Christ.” That is what our Lord is inviting us to do in today’s Gospel. It is God’s answer to the world’s suffering.
(E.J.Tyler)

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Isn't it true, Lord, that you were greatly consoled by the childlike remark of that man who, when he felt the disconcerting effect of obedience in something unpleasant, whispered to you: 'Jesus, keep me smiling!'?

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PARIS, SEPT. 13, 2008 — Continuing the address Benedict XVI gave Friday to the young people gathered in the square in front of Notre Dame Cathedral.

The Spirit, who is Love, can open your hearts to accept the gift of genuine love. All of you are seeking the truth; and all of you want to live in truth, to truly live in it! This truth is Christ. He is the only Way, the one Truth and the true Life. To follow Christ means truly to "put out to sea", as is said several times in the Psalms. The way of Truth is simultaneously one and manifold according to the variety of charisms, just as Truth is one while at the same time possessing an inexhaustible richness.

Surrender yourselves to the Holy Spirit in order to find Christ. The Spirit is our indispensable guide in prayer, he animates our hope and he is the source of true joy. To understand more deeply these truths of faith, I would encourage you to meditate on the importance of the sacrament of Confirmation which you have received and which leads you into a mature faith life. It is vital for you to understand this sacrament more and more in order to evaluate the quality and depth of your faith and to reinforce it. The Holy Spirit enables you to approach the Mystery of God; he makes you understand who God is. He invites you to see in your neighbours the brothers and sisters whom God has given you, in order to live with them in human and spiritual fellowship -- in other words, to live within the Church. By revealing who the crucified and risen Lord is for us, he impels you to bear witness to Christ. You are at an age marked by great generosity. You need to speak about Christ to all around you, to your families and friends, wherever you study, work and relax. Do not be afraid! Have "the courage to live the Gospel and the boldness to proclaim it" (Message to the Young People of the World, 20 July 2007). So I encourage you to find ways of proclaiming God to all around you, basing your testimony on the power of the Spirit, whom we ask for in prayer.
(Continuing)

(December 11) St. Damasus I (305?-384)
To his secretary St. Jerome, Damasus was “an incomparable person, learned in the Scriptures, a

virgin doctor of the virgin Church, who loved chastity and heard its praises with pleasure.” Damasus seldom heard such unrestrained praise. Internal political struggles, doctrinal heresies, uneasy relations with his fellow bishops and those of the Eastern Church marred the peace of his pontificate. Possibly of Spanish extraction, Damasus started as a deacon in his father’s church, and served as a priest in what later became the basilica of San Lorenzo in Rome. He served Pope Liberius (352-366) and followed him into exile. When Liberius died, Damasus was elected bishop of Rome; but a minority elected and consecrated another deacon, Ursinus, as pope. The controversy between Damasus and the antipope resulted in violent battles in two basilicas, scandalizing the bishops of Italy. At the synod Damasus called on the occasion of his birthday, he asked them to approve his actions. The bishops’ reply was curt: “We assembled for a birthday, not to condemn a man unheard.” Supporters of the antipope even managed to get Damasus accused of a grave crime as late as A.D. 378. He had to clear himself before both a civil court and a Church synod. As pope his lifestyle was simple in contrast to other ecclesiastics of Rome, and he was fierce in his denunciation of Arianism and other heresies. A misunderstanding of the Trinitarian terminology used by Rome threatened amicable relations with the Eastern Church, and Damasus was only moderately successful in dealing with the situation. During his pontificate Christianity was declared the official religion of the Roman state (380), and Latin became the principal liturgical language as part of the pope’s reforms. His encouragement of St. Jerome’s biblical studies led to the Vulgate, the Latin translation of Scripture which the Council of Trent (12 centuries later) declared to be “authentic in public readings, disputations, preachings.”
The history of the papacy and the Church is inextricably mixed with the personal biography of Damasus. In a troubled and pivotal period of Church history, he stands forth as a zealous defender of the faith who knew when to be progressive and when to entrench. Damasus makes us aware of two qualities of good leadership: alertness to the promptings of the Spirit and service. His struggles are a reminder that Jesus never promised his Rock protection from hurricane winds nor his followers immunity from difficulties. His only guarantee is final victory.
"He who walking on the sea could calm the bitter waves, who gives life to the dying seeds of the earth; he who was able to loose the mortal chains of death, and after three days' darkness could bring again to the upper world the brother for his sister Martha: he, I believe, will make Damasus rise again from the dust" (epitaph Damasus wrote for himself). (AmericanCatholic.org)

I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 11: 11-15)

Let us notice the very high praise that our Lord accorded to John the Baptist. Just before this passage we read that as John’s disciples were leaving our Lord to give his message to their master who was in prison, our Lord spoke of John. “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written:

'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you'” (Matthew 11:1-11). John was no ordinary prophet. He was the predicted messenger who would prepare the way for the Lord. Other prophets spoke obliquely of the Messiah to come, such as Deutero-Isaiah who described the Suffering Servant, or Daniel who described the Son of Man, or Moses in Deuteronomy predicting the future Prophet. But John’s announcement was very specific. He announced to the people that the Messiah was nigh. Indeed, he said, he was in their midst without their knowing. More than this, at least to some people he directly pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. For instance, he told this to two of his disciples, who immediately followed Jesus and became his disciples. They in turn told others of him and brought them to him. Again, on one occasion our Lord challenged his enemies to state whether John was from God or not. They knew that if they admitted he was from God, then Jesus would ask why they did not accept John’s testimony about him. So John had testified about Jesus to the leaders of the people also. John was the greatest of the prophets because his mission was the greatest: to introduce Jesus as the Messiah. And there is another reason for his greatness. He bore his sufferings with admirable faith. Though his passion was before that of Jesus, it was borne in the same spirit.

In our Gospel today, Jesus continues his praise of John the Baptist (Matthew 11: 11-15). He could hardly have given him higher praise, and he does so with solemnity. “I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.” Presumably our Lord was not thinking primarily of John's personal holiness, great as this was. After all, Christ's own mother Mary far exceeded John in sanctity. Our Lord would have been referring primarily to his greatness as a prophet and man of the Old Testament. He had no equal and as such his life and teaching pointed superbly to the Messiah who had now arrived. But then our Lord says that something far greater had now come, for “he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” That is to say, whatever the people had of the treasures of heaven in the Old Testament — of which John was the most illustrious prophet — is not to be compared with the treasures and grace available to them in Jesus. In him there is present the Kingdom of Heaven and every heavenly blessing. What Christ in his person and teaching brings far outstrips what John in his person and teaching brought. John was a prophet; indeed the greatest of the prophets. But Christ was no mere prophet. He was (and is) a divine person. There was a man in a particular place at a particular time and he lived out his very human life in a very particular context. He was born, he grew up, he worked and he died. This man was literally God. Nothing and no-one, then, can compare with him. The entire universe cannot be compared with him, and entry into the kingdom of heaven consists in entering into union with him. Our Lord is saying that union with him in discipleship is a far, far greater thing than the following of any prophet, and even than actually being the greatest of prophets, and far greater than the Old Testament itself. He, Jesus, is beyond compare. Nothing is to be compared with the priceless treasure of Jesus Christ and union with him.

Let us resolve to hold on to the person of Jesus and to guard his teaching, making it the guide of our entire life in all its aspects. Our Gospel passage today (Matthew 11:11-15) alludes to a passion that John was enduring in prison, a passion that would culminate in his death bearing witness to the truth of God. He points to Jesus, not only in his prophetic mission but in his own passion and death. Let us be led by his witness to take our stand with Jesus and be led entirely by his teaching, a teaching that leads us to take up our cross and carry it following in his footsteps.
(E.J.Tyler)

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PARIS, SEPT. 13, 2008 — Continuing the address Benedict XVI gave Friday to the young people gathered in the square in front of Notre Dame Cathedral.

Bring the Good News to the young people of your age, and to others as well. They know what it means to experience difficulty in relationships, worry and uncertainty in the face of work and study. They have experienced suffering, but they have also known unique moments of joy. Be witnesses of God, for, as young people, you are fully a part of the Catholic community through your Baptism and our common profession of faith (cf. Eph 4:5). The Church has confidence in you, and I want to tell you so! In this year dedicated to Saint Paul, I would like to entrust you with a second treasure, which was at the centre of the life of this fascinating Apostle: I mean the mystery of the Cross. On Sunday, in Lourdes, I will celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross together with countless other pilgrims. Many of you wear a cross on a chain around your neck. I too wear one, as every Bishop does. It is not a mere decoration or a piece of jewelry. It is the precious symbol of our faith, the visible and material sign that we belong to Christ. Saint Paul explains the meaning of the Cross at the beginning of his First Letter to the Corinthians. The Christian community in Corinth was going through a turbulent period, exposed to the corrupting influences of the surrounding culture. Those dangers are similar to the ones we encounter today. I will mention only the following examples: quarrels and conflicts within the community of believers, the seductiveness of ersatz religious and philosophical doctrines, a superficial faith and a dissolute morality. Saint Paul begins his Letter by writing: "The word of the Cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Cor 1:18). Then, the Apostle shows the clear contrast between wisdom and folly, in God's way of thinking and in our own. He speaks of this contrast in the context of the founding of the Church in Corinth and in connection with his own preaching. He ends by stressing the beauty of God's wisdom, which Christ and, in his footsteps, the Apostles, have come to impart to the world and to Christians. This wisdom, mysterious and hidden (cf. 1 Cor 2:7), has been revealed by the Spirit, because "those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God's Spirit, for they are folly to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor 2:14).
(Continuing)

Scripture today: Isaiah 48:17-19; Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6; Matthew 11:16-19

Jesus said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works.” (Matthew 11:16-19)

Wisdom vindicated It is interesting to notice what our Lord says to the crowds of their response to the ministry of John the Baptist. It was less than satisfactory, to say the least. Early in St Matthew we read that “Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan came out” to be baptized by John (Matthew 3: 5-6), confessing their sins. On the face of it, it seems that the initial popular response to the prophetic ministry of John was

commendable. We read much later in this Gospel that our Lord told the scribes and Pharisees that while the prostitutes and tax collectors accepted the call to repentance by John, they did not (Matthew 21: 31-32). So John’s ministry had some success at least among the ordinary people. But here in our passage today from the very same Gospel (Matthew 11:16-19), our Lord exclaims before the crowds, “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon’.” Our Lord is saying this about “this generation” and he is saying it to “the crowds.” It seems that the general response of the nation to John’s ministry was disappointing in the event. The same had to be said of the ministry of Jesus Christ: “The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners’.” Now while this accusation is to be taken as directed especially against the scribes and Pharisees, nevertheless as just pointed out, Christ says it to the crowds, and says it of “this generation.” The people in general responded poorly, though of course a proportion constituted “good soil” for the seed of the word that was cast about by the Sower. We may take this situation as an omen of mankind’s response to the Good News of Jesus Christ. But a special bell tolls at the end of the passage, a toll that warns all generations: “But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

That is to say, whatever be the response, what God has revealed and what God has done will be utterly and entirely vindicated in the event. In any one generation, including our Lord’s own generation, Revelation may be pronounced by popular opinion, or by the powers of the moment (such as the media) to be a non-event, or irrelevant, or failing in utility, or to be a purely private persuasion and not in any sense a public and objective Fact. It is not vindicated in the surveys or the polls. It is boring. It does not “work.” And so the gift of God is not received. The mighty river of God’s saving works flows on and on, and the precious moment offered to so many souls of the day is lost forever. The chance is lost, but the work of redemption and sanctification continues on. In our Lord’s day, a golden offer was extended. In the synagogue of Capernaum (John chapter 6), Christ announced the gift of his body and blood, the means of gaining eternal life now. But many of his disciples rejected his word as being absurd. It was too much, and so many refused to walk with him any more. The Eucharist was announced, later instituted, and still later brought to the world through the ministry of the Church. The wisdom declared by Jesus Christ was vindicated by her works, in this case the “work” of the Holy Eucharist, effected at the Last Supper and brought to the generations in the bosom of the Church. Or again, Christ lay dead hanging on the Cross, rejected by so many. But the wisdom of the Cross was vindicated in the redemption thus won for mankind. The final vindication will come at the very end, when what God has done in his prophets up to John and in unsurpassed manner in his Son Jesus Christ, will be vindicated as the supreme wisdom. What a tragedy to be fooled by images of the day, by hearsay, by public opinion resting on ephemeral assumptions, and by the dictates of utilitarianism and relativism. As Pope Benedict so often pointed out, there are many forms of dictatorship other than merely political. Political dictatorship, a clearly defined enemy, can be powerfully if silently resisted. There are unseen and subtle dictatorships which can prove far more corrosive of faith. Yet wisdom will be vindicated by her works. God’s wisdom will win out.

As St Paul writes, now is the acceptable time, now is the hour (2 Corinthians 6:2). Seize the moment at hand! Do not be befuddled by subterfuge and mirage. Accept what God offers. Let us pray for the wisdom to perceive true wisdom, the wisdom of God that is embodied in Christ Jesus, image of the unseen God, Revelation of the Father. There is no escaping the final upshot — the divine Wisdom that is Jesus Christ will be vindicated in his works, and then, to use a very colloquial expression, a lot of people will be found to have egg on their faces. But this is no laughing matter, for it is a matter of life and death.
(E.J.Tyler)

(December 12) Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico)
The feast in honour of Our Lady of Guadalupe goes back to the sixteenth century. Chronicles

of that period tell us the story. A poor Indian named Cuauhtlatohuac was baptized and given the name Juan Diego. He was a 57-year-old widower and lived in a small village near Mexico City. On Saturday morning, December 9, 1531, he was on his way to a nearby barrio to attend Mass in honour of Our Lady. He was walking by a hill called

Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared and within it a young Native American maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico, a Franciscan named Juan de Zumarraga. The bishop was to build a chapel in the place where the lady appeared. Eventually the bishop told Juan Diego to have the lady give him a sign. About this same time Juan Diego’s uncle became seriously ill. This led poor Diego to try to avoid the lady. The lady found Diego, nevertheless, assured him that his uncle would recover and provided roses for Juan to carry to the bishop in his cape or tilma. When Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, the roses fell to the ground and the bishop sank to his knees. On Juan Diego’s tilma appeared an image of Mary as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac. It was December 12, 1531. (click here for information about scientific studies on the eyes in the image)
Mary's appearance to Juan Diego as one of his people is a powerful reminder that Mary and the God who sent her accept all peoples. In the context of the sometimes rude and cruel treatment of the Indians by the Spaniards, the apparition was a rebuke to the Spaniards and an event of vast significance for Native Americans. While a number of them had converted before this incident, they now came in droves. According to a contemporary chronicler, nine million Indians became Catholic in a very short time. In these days when we hear so much about God's preferential option for the poor, Our Lady of Guadalupe cries out to us that God's love for and identification with the poor is an age-old truth that stems from the Gospel itself.
Mary to Juan Diego: “My dearest son, I am the eternal Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God, Author of Life, Creator of all and Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth...and it is my desire that a church be built here in this place for me, where, as your most merciful Mother and that of all your people, I may show my loving clemency and the compassion that I bear to the Indians, and to those who love and seek me...” (from an ancient chronicle). (American.Catholic.org) (click here for video)

Scripture: Zec 2:14-17 or Rev 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab; Judith 13:18bcde, 19; Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went

to her and said, Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; his kingdom will never end. How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin? The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God. I am the Lord's servant, Mary answered. May it be to me as you have said. Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:26-38)

This Gospel passage is not that for Friday of the second week in Advent, but for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe which is celebrated in the Americas. Because of the exceptional character of the historical events connected with our Lady’s appearances at Guadalupe, it is a good occasion to reflect

once again on Mary the mother of God. The shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico contains Juan Diego’s garment (made of a reed substance) on which there is imprinted the extraordinary and miraculous image of Mary. So it has been since 1531, the best part of five centuries. That miraculous image on a garment that itself ought to have disintegrated within several years is a sign from God confirming the special place of Mary in the life of the Christian. Why did not Christ himself appear to Juan Diego rather than his mother? We do not know, of course, but it does show that in the plan of God Mary is the great help of Christians in all their dealings with God and with her divine Son Jesus Christ. In the apparition and in the words which Mary is reported in a chronicle to have said to Juan Diego, she presents herself in terms of the fundamental dogma of the Church about Christ's mother. She is the mother of God, God the Son made man. She says to Juan Diego, “My dearest son, I am the eternal Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God, Author of Life, Creator of all and Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth”. She is the mother of the true God because she is the mother of Jesus, who is God the Son made man. How breathtaking is her dignity, then! She addresses Juan Diego as her “dearest son”. So she is not only the mother of God but our mother too. This was Christ’s gift to us at Calvary, when during his dying moments he turned to his mother and his beloved disciple and gave them one to the other as mother and son. In this final donation he was entrusting Mary to the Church and the Church to Mary. She is the mother and the model of all Christ’s Faithful, and in her words to Juan Diego this is what she is saying. As mother she invites him and all of us to love and seek her.

How could we possibly go astray in seeking and in loving Mary the mother of Jesus! She was and is incomparably the holiest of all God’s creatures and is unimaginably close to the heart of her divine Son. How close must their relationship be, and we who are so marred and disfigured by sin have in her an absolutely perfect mother and model. As we heard in the Gospel (Luke 1:26-38), the angel addressed her as the highly favoured one, the one who is full of God’s grace. The Lord is with her without the slightest qualification. The Lord is with her in all her thoughts, words and deeds. It is she who brought Jesus into the world and it is she who continues by her heavenly intercession to bring Jesus to the world. She is the first and foremost Christian and from her heavenly abode she spearheads the Church’s constant effort to bring Christ to the world. The Father almighty entrusted his divine Son to her and Christ entrusted his beloved disciple — and with him all of us — to her. We ought then entrust ourselves to her. This spiritual entrusting of oneself to Mary the mother of God is a form of consecration in which one promises to do her bidding. And what does she bid us do? The Gospel of St John provides us with precious words of Mary in his account of the wedding feast of Cana in Galilee. The wine had run out and Mary was there. She approached her Son and simply told him that they had no more wine. That was enough, even though it seems from our Lord’s response that he had not intended to act precisely at that point. Mary told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). She was confident not only in his power, of course, but that he would respond to her word. She knew he would answer her prayer. So too she knows he will answer her prayer on our behalf. She only asks us to do whatever he tells us, and all will be well. So entrusting ourselves to the care of Mary the mother of God the Son means promising to do whatever he, Jesus, tells us. She will help us in that great task.

There is a line of thought that has it that devotion to Mary is a distraction taking away from devotion to Christ. Nothing could be further from the truth. She is the Help of Christians aiding us by her prayers and her example, as do the other saints in heaven but she pre-eminently so. It undoubtedly gives great pleasure to her divine Son that we accept his gift of her to us and make of her our mother and our model in all that is entailed in the following of him.
(E.J.Tyler)

Now, when you find it hard to obey, remember your Lord: 'obedient even to accepting death, death on a cross!'

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PARIS, SEPT. 13, 2008 — Continuing the address Benedict XVI gave Friday to the young people gathered in the square in front of Notre Dame Cathedral.

The Spirit opens to human intelligence new horizons which transcend it and enable to perceive that the only true wisdom is found in the grandeur of Christ. For Christians, the Cross signifies God's wisdom and his infinite love revealed in the saving gift of Christ, crucified and risen for the life of the world, and in particular for the life of each and every one of you. May this amazing realization that God was made man for love lead you to respect and venerate the Cross. It is not only the symbol of your life in God and your salvation, but also -- as you will understand -- the silent witness of human suffering and the unique and priceless expression of all our hopes. Dear young people, I know that venerating the Cross can sometimes bring mockery and even persecution. The Cross in some way seems to threaten our human security, yet above all else, it also proclaims God's grace and confirms our salvation. This evening, I entrust you with the Cross of Christ. The Holy Spirit will enable you to understand its mysteries of love. Then you will exclaim with Saint Paul: "May I never boast of anything, except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Gal 6:14). Paul had understood the seemingly paradoxical words of Jesus, who taught that it is only by giving ("losing") ones life that one finds it (cf. Mk 8:35; Jn 12:24), and Paul concluded from this that the Cross expresses the fundamental law of love, the perfect formula for real life. May a growing understanding of the mystery of the Cross lead some of you discover the call to serve Christ unreservedly in the priesthood and the religious life!
(Continuing)

(December 13) Saint Lucy, virgin and martyr (d. 304)
Every little girl named Lucy must bite her tongue in disappointment when she first tries to find

out what there is to know about her patron saint. The older books will have a lengthy paragraph detailing a small number of traditions. Newer books will have a lengthy paragraph showing that there is little basis in history for these traditions. The single fact survives that a disappointed suitor accused Lucy of being a Christian and she was executed in Syracuse (Sicily) in the year 304. But it is also true that her name is mentioned in the First Eucharistic Prayer, geographical places are named after her, a popular song has her name as its title and down through the centuries many thousands of little girls have been proud of the name Lucy. One can easily imagine what a young Christian woman had to contend with in pagan Sicily in the year 300. If you have trouble imagining, just glance at today’s pleasure-at-all-costs world and the barriers it presents against leading a good Christian life. Her friends must have wondered aloud about this hero of Lucy’s, an obscure itinerant preacher in a far-off captive nation that had been destroyed more than 200 years before. Once a carpenter, he had been crucified by the Roman soldiers after his own people turned him over to the Roman authorities. Lucy believed with her whole soul that this man had risen from the dead. Heaven had put a stamp on all he said and did. To give witness to her faith she had made a vow of virginity. What a hubbub this caused among her pagan friends! The kindlier ones just thought her a little strange. To be pure before marriage was an ancient Roman ideal, rarely found but not to be condemned. To exclude marriage altogether, however, was too much. She must have something sinister to hide, the tongues wagged. Lucy knew of the heroism of earlier virgin martyrs. She remained faithful to their example and to the example of the carpenter, whom she knew to be the Son of God. She is the patroness of eyesight.
    If you are a little girl named Lucy, you need not bite your tongue in disappointment. Your patron is a genuine, authentic heroine, first class, an abiding inspiration for you and for all Christians. The moral courage of the young Sicilian martyr shines forth as a guiding light, just as bright for today’s youth as it was in A.D. 304.
    “The Gospel tells us of all that Jesus suffered, of the insults that fell upon him. But, from Bethlehem to Calvary, the brilliance that radiates from his divine purity spread more and more and won over the crowds. So great was the austerity and the enchantment of his conduct....
    “So may it be with you, beloved daughters. Blessed be the discretion, the mortifications and the renouncements with which you seek to render this virtue more brilliant.... May your conduct prove to all that chastity is not only a possible virtue but a social virtue, which must be strongly defended through prayer, vigilance and the mortification of the senses” (Pope John XXIII, Letter to Women Religious). (AmericanCatholic.org)

Scripture: Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11; Psalm 80:2ac and 3b, 15-16, 18-19; Matthew 17:9a, 10-13

As they were coming down the mountain, the disciples asked him, Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first? Jesus replied, To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognise him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist. (Matthew 17:9a, 10-13)

The scene of our Gospel passage today is that of our Lord and his three disciples (Peter, James and John, the future pillars of the infant Church and Peter its divinely appointed rock) coming down the mountain after the Transfiguration. The disciples ask our Lord “why then do the teachers of the law

say that Elijah must come first?” Our Lord confirms that he must come first, and that John the Baptist was the Elijah who was to come. In this question and answer we are reminded of the long preparation by God of his people for the coming of the Messiah. One may wonder why it was that God with all his might and wisdom could not have prepared his people much more rapidly and with greater success. Our Lord was the best part of two thousand years in the coming after the dim announcement of it to Abraham. Through you all the nations of the earth will be blessed, God had told Abraham. Through ups and downs, reversals on the small scale as on the large, the time was eventually fulfilled, and the Son of God became man. What was God doing in taking such a long time about it? Well of course we cannot say why God in his wisdom chooses to do things as he does, but it seems to me that one obvious reason was that he was gradually teaching his chosen people, and mankind too, and this pedagogy was deemed in the mind of the Almighty to require great time. In the life of each man and woman too, God seems to take his time. Yes, there are special moments when a sudden and significant advance is made, but normally God moves with care and seeming slowness. He does not attempt to rush us. He has made us free and he respects this. God does not push man around because he has given him the precious gift of freedom which makes man so much like himself. So God has, in a sense, bound himself to the limitations of man and human history. He suggests, he teaches, he intimates and he gently guides. Might we not say he treats us like adults? It is messy, it is slow, and the results might seem problematic.

Problematic indeed, for the result of all God’s efforts over nearly two thousand years of pedagogy, sending prophet after prophet and guiding the course of affairs in ways meant to teach his chosen people, was the rejection of the new Elijah and the nailing of the Messiah, his own Divine Son, on the Cross at Calvary. Our Lord refers to this in our Gospel today: “I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognise him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.” (Matthew 17:9a, 10-13) The disciples’ question and our Lord’s response point back to the endless patience of God in preparing his chosen people for the salvation he intended to offer the world. It was a long process and the culminating revelation had arrived in the person of Jesus. The response was, though, lamentable. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. He came unto his own but his own did not receive him. The dialogue of our Gospel today shows not only the infinite patience and sensitivity of God in history but also the power of sin in human history. God’s loving advances were too often rebuffed. Just as we are reminded of God’s respectful pedagogy not only in human history but in our individual lives, so too we are reminded of the power of sin not only in human history but in our individual lives. There is God and his saving action on the one hand, and there is sin and its stubborn resistance on the other. All this we are reminded of in our Lord’s references to salvation history in our Gospel passage today. We must learn from the actions of God as described in Scripture and strive to resist sin, opening ourselves to the loving grace and pedagogy of our Father in heaven. He wishes to prepare us to accept his Divine Son just as he sought to do with his chosen people.

Let us place ourselves in our Gospel scene today with Peter, James and John as they descended the mountain with their Master. They would be faithful until death, magnificent examples of those who received Jesus Christ the Word of God when he came among them. The pedagogy of God had great success in them as it had in others such as Mary the mother of Jesus and Joseph his foster-father. God is leading us on day by day. Let us take our stand with Jesus and allow ourselves to be led just as he himself was led and as all do who choose to follow him closely.
(E.J.Tyler)

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PARIS, SEPT. 13, 2008 — Continuing the address Benedict XVI gave Friday to the young people gathered in the square in front of Notre Dame Cathedral.

We are about to begin the prayer vigil, for which you have gathered here this evening. Remember the two treasures which the Pope has presented to you this evening: the Holy Spirit and the Cross! As I conclude, I would like to tell you once more that I have confidence in you, dear young people, and I want you to experience, today and in the future, the esteem and affection of the whole Church, and the world will truly see a living Church! May God be at your side each day. May he bless you, your families and your friends.

I gladly grant my Apostolic Blessing to you, and to all the young people of France!
(Concluded)

Prayers this week: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice! The Lord is near. (Ph 4: 4-5)

Lord God, may we, your people, who look forward to the birthday of Christ experience the joy of salvation and celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

(December 14) St. John of the Cross (1541-1591)
John is a saint because his life was a heroic effort to live up to his name: “of the Cross.” The folly

of the cross came to full realization in time. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34b) is the story of John’s life. The Paschal Mystery—through death to life—strongly marks John as reformer, mystic-poet and theologian-priest. Ordained a Carmelite priest at 25 (1567), John met Teresa of Jesus (Avila) and like her vowed himself to the primitive Rule of the Carmelites. As partner with Teresa and in his own right, John engaged in the work of reform, and came to experience the price of reform: increasing opposition, misunderstanding, persecution, imprisonment. He came to know the cross acutely—to experience the dying of Jesus—as he sat month after month in his dark, damp, narrow cell with only his God! Yet, the paradox! In this dying of imprisonment John came to life, uttering poetry. In the darkness of the dungeon, John’s spirit came into the Light. There are many mystics, many poets; John is unique as mystic-poet, expressing in his prison-cross the ecstasy of mystical union with God in the Spiritual Canticle. But as agony leads to ecstasy, so John had his Ascent to Mt. Carmel, as he named it in his prose masterpiece. As man-Christian-Carmelite, he experienced in himself this purifying ascent; as spiritual director, he sensed it in others; as psychologist-theologian, he described and analyzed it in his prose writings. His prose works are outstanding in underscoring the cost of discipleship, the path of union with God: rigorous discipline, abandonment, purification. Uniquely and strongly John underlines the gospel paradox: The cross leads to resurrection, agony to ecstasy, darkness to light, abandonment to possession, denial to self to union with God. If you want to save your life, you must lose it. John is truly “of the Cross.” He died at 49—a life short, but full.
    John in his life and writings has a crucial word for us today. We tend to be rich, soft, comfortable. We shrink even from words like self-denial, mortification, purification, asceticism, discipline. We run from the cross. John’s message—like the gospel—is loud and clear: Don’t—if you really want to live!
    Thomas Merton said of John: "Just as we can never separate asceticism from mysticism, so in St. John of the Cross we find darkness and light, suffering and joy, sacrifice and love united together so closely that they seem at times to be identified."
    In John's words:
    "Never was fount so clear,
    undimmed and bright;
    From it alone, I know proceeds all light
    although 'tis night."     (AmericanCatholic.org)

Scripture: Is 61:1-2a, 10-11; Lk 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54; 1 Thes 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28.

There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came

only as a witness to the light. Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, I am not the Christ. They asked him, Then who are you? Are you Elijah? He said, I am not. Are you the Prophet? He answered, No. Finally they said, Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' Now some Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, Why then do you baptise if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? I baptise with water, John replied, but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptising. (John 1:6-8, 19-28)

On this Sunday of Advent the Church places before us the grand figure of John the Baptist about whom elsewhere in the Gospel our Lord spoke so highly. We know he was a great saint because our Lord in effect said so while he, John, was still alive in prison. The leaders of the people also thought

he was great because in our Gospel today we see them asking him if he was the long awaited Messiah, or the Elijah who was to come, or the Prophet whom Moses had predicted. But what was John’s response? I am none of these, he said. I am a mere voice calling out in the desert, asking people to prepare for the Lord. My baptism is with mere water. But there is already one among you who is coming after me and I am nothing compared to him. I am not worthy to undo his very sandals. That indicates how highly he thought of Christ and how humbly he thought of himself. His whole life and mission was to point to the greatest of the great who had already arrived. He glorified Christ and abased himself. I would like to suggest that John the Baptist is a wonderful model for the Church and for every member of the Church. Just as John was part of the eternal plan of God prepared for in the Old Covenant, so is the Church. The Church is founded by the words and actions of Christ. The Church is not just an accidental development in history of what Christ said and did, as some tend to think. One of the great developments in Protestantism occurred in eighteenth century England with the rise of Evangelicalism. Perhaps its greatest preacher was George Whitefield. The important thing for him was that people have an experience of Christ and convert from sin to faith in Jesus as Saviour. He had little interest in the idea of the Church as such. But no. The Church from all eternity was planned by God and has an essential role to play in the work of Christ the Saviour. Her role is to be the locale, the body, the visible abode of Christ on earth bringing him to all the nations. John the Baptist pointed to the great One already present. The Church too points to the Saviour present in her midst.

The mission of the Church, and therefore of each and all of her members, is to share in our Lord’s mission to proclaim and establish among all peoples the Kingdom of God begun by Christ. The Church constitutes here on earth the beginning, the mustard seed we might say, of this Kingdom which is God’s lordship. If we enter this Kingdom and live worthily, by God’s grace we shall be saved. Where is this Kingdom? Our Lord said to Simon Peter, I give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is present in the Church which Christ built on the rock of Peter. He guaranteed that the gates of Hell would not prevail against it. Hell cannot prevail because Christ is the Church’s head. The Kingdom of Heaven in essence is none other than the person of Jesus and living in union with him. By coming to Jesus, by entering into friendship with him, by learning from him and by taking upon oneself his yoke, a person enters the Kingdom of God. Jesus is found above all in his body the Church. Now, inasmuch as the person of Christ and his heavenly grace is unseen, this great Reality within the Church makes of the Church what has been called a “mystery.” The Church is far more than what can be actually seen for Christ is the true spiritual reality present and active in the Church. He makes of the Church a divine Reality, a “mystery” which can be comprehended only with the eyes of faith. Furthermore, inasmuch as Christ is the one and only Saviour of mankind, the Church herself by virtue of Christ’s presence within her as her head is the sign and instrument of salvation for all humanity. Through the presence and action of Christ in her midst she is the means of communion of all humanity with God and with the entire human race. Christ is the great treasure of the Church, the real protagonist behind and within the Church’s action. The Church is effective to the extent that her members allow themselves to be true instruments of Christ, pointing to him as did John the Baptist in our Gospel passage today (John 1:6-8, 19-28). What John the Baptist was doing and saying is an image of what the Church is called to do from generation to generation. Christ is the important Reality within the Church, and by God’s plan it is the Church that announces him to the world.

Let us every day repeat in our hearts that we are unworthy to undo the very sandal straps of Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God made man, the image and revelation of the Father, God from God and Light from Light. He is the only way to the Father and the only means by which men can be saved. We as members of the Church have the vocation to bear witness to him and to give glory to him. Let us endeavour to do this every day of our lives.
(E.J.Tyler)

Further reading: The Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.759-769 (The role of John the Baptist)

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PARIS, SEPT. 13, 2008 — Here is a Vatican translation of Benedict XVI's address to the clergy and consecrated persons during vespers celebrated Friday in the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Blessed be God who has brought us together in a place so dear to the heart of every Parisian and all the people of France! Blessed be God, who grants us the grace of offering him our evening prayer and giving him due praise in the very words which the Church's liturgy inherited from the synagogue worship practised by Christ and his first disciples! Yes, blessed be God for coming to our assistance — in adiutorium nostrum — and helping us to offer him our sacrifice of praise!

We are gathered in the Mother Church of the Diocese of Paris, Notre-Dame Cathedral, which rises in the heart of the city as a living sign of God's presence in our midst. My predecessor, Pope Alexander III, laid its first stone, and Popes Pius VII and John Paul II honoured it by their presence. I am happy to follow in their footsteps, a quarter of a century after coming here to offer a conference on catechesis. It is hard not to give thanks to the Creator of both matter and spirit for the beauty of this edifice. The Christians of Lutetia had originally built a cathedral dedicated to Saint Stephen, the first martyr; as time went on it became too small, and was gradually replaced, between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, by the great building we admire today. The faith of the Middle Ages built the cathedrals, and here your ancestors came to praise God, to entrust to him their hopes and to express their love for him. Great religious and civil events took place in this shrine, where architects, painters, sculptors and musicians have given the best of themselves. We need but recall, among so many others, the architect Jean de Chelles, the painter Charles Le Brun, the sculptor Nicolas Coustou and the organists Louis Vierne and Pierre Cochereau. Art, as a pathway to God, and choral prayer, the Church's praise of the Creator, helped Paul Claudel, who attended Vespers here on Christmas Day 1886, to find the way to a personal experience of God. It is significant that God filled his soul with light during the chanting of the Magnificat, in which the Church listens to the song of the Virgin Mary, the Patroness of this church, who reminds the world that the Almighty has lifted up the lowly (cf. Lk 1:52). As the scene of other conversions, less celebrated but no less real, and as the pulpit from which preachers of the Gospel like Fathers Lacordaire, Monsabré and Samson transmitted the flame of their passion to the most varied congregations, Notre-Dame Cathedral rightly remains one of the most celebrated monuments of your country's heritage. Following a tradition dating back to the time of Saint Louis, I have just venerated the relics of the True Cross and the Crown of Thorns, which have now found a worthy home here, a true offering of the human spirit to the power of creative Love.
(Continuing)

(December 15)   Blessed Mary Frances Schervier (1819-1876)
    This woman who once wanted to become a Trappistine nun was instead led by God to establish a community of sisters who care for the sick and aged in the United States and throughout the world. Born into a distinguished family in Aachen (then ruled by Prussia but formerly Aix-la-Chapelle, France), Frances ran the household after her mother’s death and established a reputation for generosity to the poor. In 1844 she became a Secular Franciscan. The next year she and four companions established a religious community devoted to caring for the poor. In 1851 the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis (a variant of the original name) were approved by the local bishop; the community soon spread. The first U.S. foundation was made in 1858. Mother Frances visited the United States in 1863 and helped her sisters nurse soldiers wounded in the Civil War. She visited the United States again in 1868. When Philip Hoever was establishing the Brothers of the Poor of St. Francis, she encouraged him. When Mother Frances died, there were 2,500 members of her community worldwide. The number has kept growing. They are still engaged in operating hospitals and homes for the aged. Mother Mary Frances was beatified in 1974.
    The sick, the poor and the aged are constantly in danger of being considered "useless" members of society and therefore ignored—or worse. Women and men motivated by the ideals of Mother Frances are needed if the God-given dignity and destiny of all people are to be respected.
    In 1868, Mother Frances wrote to all her sisters, reminding them of Jesus’ words: “You are my friends if you do what I command you.... I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another” (John 15:14,17). She continued: “If we do this faithfully and zealously, we will experience the truth of the words of our father St. Francis who says that love lightens all difficulties and sweetens all bitterness. We will likewise partake of the blessing which St. Francis promised to all his children, both present and future, after having admonished them to love one another even as he had loved them and continues to love them.” (AmericanCatholic.org)

Scripture: Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17a; Psalm 25:4-9; Matthew 21:23-27

Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the

people came to him. By what authority are you doing these things? they asked. And who gave you this authority? Jesus replied, I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism— where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men? They discussed it among themselves and said, If we say, 'From heaven', he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, 'From men'— we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, We don't know. Then he said, Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. (Matthew 21:23-27)

The Gospels tell us that on various occasions during our Lord’s public ministry the people marvelled at his works and at his teaching. They were astonished at the authority he showed, for instance in the way he could command the spirits to depart from a possessed man, in the way he could release a

person from this or that ailment, and the authority he displayed in his teaching. In respect to his teaching, they said that he spoke with authority and not like the scribes. The scribes would teach and support their teaching by appeals to various authorities, the authority of the Scriptures and to other authorities as well. They did not, of course, consider that an appeal to their own authority would suffice but bolstered their case by pointing to the support of others. So it is in most of human thought. Even where there may be no other authorities to which one may appeal, at least there is the authority of one’s own reasoning. The listener may examine the reasoning and see whether the reasons support what one is saying. But in some way Christ, while providing reasons and supporting what he said with miracles, and while pointing to the teaching of the Scriptures, nevertheless presented himself progressively as having complete and independent authority to teach and act in the name of God. In the sermon on the mount he referred to what had been handed down and then proceeded to expound his own teaching: Such and such has been said to you, but I say this to you. On his own authority he expelled demons and raised the dead to life. He taught breathtaking doctrines on his own authority, such as the doctrine of the Eucharist in the synagogue of Capernaum. He expected faith in him, not the weight of supporting authorities, to lead to assent to his word. The way he taught, the power he displayed, the authority he exercised, was beyond other authorities. Though he could point to authorities, he acted and taught as if he knew he had full authority in himself, needing absolutely no one to support him.

And this is exactly what the leaders of the Jews could see so very clearly and it went right against all they were familiar with and required. So it is that, as our Gospel shows, they came to demand from our Lord an explicit account of the authorization he had for his work and especially his teaching. Our Lord could point to many things that supported his authority, but on this occasion he obliquely pointed to one. That was the word of John the Baptist. Our Lord knew that those who were questioning him were entirely unwilling to accept his authority, no matter what the support for it might be. Whatever he said, it would become the occasion of further argument and rejection. So he simply asked them, where did John’s baptism and ministry come from? Was it of God or of man? Was John a true prophet and was his ministry divinely appointed? Of course the people knew John was a prophet, but the leaders would not acknowledge this. We remember how the leaders had sent representatives to ask John who he was and on that very occasion he, abasing himself before God and men, had pointed to the Messiah who was coming and who was already in their midst. Our Gospel passage today (Matthew 21:23-27) not only implies that the leaders of the Jews did not accept John as a prophet, but knew that John had pointed to Jesus as the promised Messiah. So the chief priests and elders, coming formally to ask our Lord for an account of his authority for all his activities, and undoubtedly intending to try to trap him in the process, found themselves trapped by our Lord’s quick and decisive question. They could either accept John as a prophet and so the authority of Jesus himself, or be condemned and rejected by the people. They withdrew, with Christ being once again triumphant in debate. Christ had, though, in effect pointed to one of many incontestible witnesses to his own supreme authority: John, and the prophets who were before him. Our Lord pointed to their testimony that he was the Messiah long foretold. He did not depend on them for his authorization but they did support his authority.

One of the most distinctive features of our Lord’s ministry right up to and during his Passion was his manifest authority. He was and is the ultimate authority upon which man can rely for truth and salvation. He is the rock on which we can depend. He is the invisible rock of the Church and he appointed Simon Peter as the visible rock who would represent him. To him he gave the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Church’s authority comes from Christ and depends on Christ. When he rose from the dead he told his disciples that to him had been given all authority in heaven and on earth. They, then, were to go to the whole world and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them teaching all that he had commanded. Christ’s authority is supreme.
(E.J.Tyler)

Detach yourself from the goods of the world. Love and practise poverty of spirit: be content with what enables you to live a simple and sober life.

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PARIS, SEPT. 13, 2008 — Continuing Benedict XVI's address to the clergy and consecrated persons during vespers celebrated Friday in the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Beneath the vaults of this historic Cathedral, which witnesses to the ceaseless dialogue that God wishes to establish with all men and women, his word has just now echoed to become the substance of our evening sacrifice, as expressed in the offering of incense, which makes visible our praise of God. Providentially, the words of the Psalmist describe the emotion filling our souls with an exactness we could hardly have dared to imagine: "I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!'" (Ps 121:1). Laetatus sum in his quae dicta sunt mihi: the Psalmist's joy, brimming over in the very words of the Psalm, penetrates our hearts and resonates deeply within them. We truly rejoice to enter the house of the Lord, since, as the Fathers of the Church have taught us, this house is nothing other than a concrete symbol of Jerusalem on high, which comes down to us (cf. Rev 21:2) to offer us the most beautiful of dwelling-places. "If we dwell therein", writes Saint Hilary of Poitiers, "we are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God, for it is the house of God" (Tract. in Ps. 121:2). And Saint Augustine adds: "This is a psalm of longing for the heavenly Jerusalem ... It is a Song of Steps, not for going down but for going up ... On our pilgrimage we sigh, in our homeland we will rejoice; but during this exile, we meet companions who have already seen the holy city and urge us to run towards it" (En. in Ps. 121:2). Dear friends, during Vespers this evening, we are united in thought and prayer with the voices of the countless men and women who have chanted this psalm in this very place down the centuries. We are united with the pilgrims who went up to Jerusalem and to the steps of its Temple, and with the thousands of men and women who understood that their earthly pilgrimage was to end in heaven, in the eternal Jerusalem, trusting Christ to guide them there. What joy indeed, to know that we are invisibly surrounded by so great a crowd of witnesses!
(Continuing)