February2 in Year A 11

From Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time to Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Click on any date to go to the Thought for that Day

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 intention for February is: "That the family may be respected by all in its identity and that its irreplaceable contribution to all of society be recognized."

His mission intention is: "That in the mission territories where the struggle against disease is most urgent, Christian communities may witness to the presence of Christ to those who suffer"

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(February 15) St. Claude la Colombière (1641-1682)
This is a special day for the Jesuits, who claim today’s saint as one of their own. It’s also a special day Blessed Claude De La Colombiere

for people who have a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus—a devotion Claude la Colombière promoted, along with his friend and spiritual companion, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. The emphasis on God’s love for all was an antidote to the rigorous moralism of the Jansenists, who were popular at the time. Claude showed remarkable preaching skills long before his ordination in 1675. Two months later he was made superior of a small Jesuit residence in Burgundy. It was there he first encountered Margaret Mary Alacoque. For many years after he served as her confessor. He was next sent to England to serve as confessor to the Duchess of York. He preached by both words and by the example of his holy life, converting a number of Protestants. Tensions arose against Catholics and Claude, rumoured to be part of a plot against the king, was imprisoned. He was ultimately banished, but by then his health had been ruined. He died in 1682. Pope John Paul the Second canonized Claude la Colombière in 1992. (AmericanCatholic.org)

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. Be careful, Jesus warned them. Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod. They discussed this with one another and said, It is because we have no bread. Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up? Twelve, they replied. And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up? They answered, Seven. He said to them, Do you still not understand? (Mark 8:14-21)

True sight She never had an advanced formal education. She was born into an ordinary farming family that did not have access to sophisticated schooling, but she went to what was available. She finished her primary education in the small state school in the farming district where she lived, and then did one or two years of secondary schooling. Fr Tyler

Then she stayed at home working in the house and on the farm. She was an intelligent girl, though not much of a reader because she did not grow up with many books. She was raised in her Catholic faith and there was never any doubt in her mind about the reality of God, nor about Christ. Her knowledge of these unseen realities was nourished mainly by her straightforward knowledge of the catechism, her personal and family piety, her attendance at Mass and the Sacraments when they were available, and her simple faith in the Church. She could not see God nor Christ, of course, but she knew they were there. She loved Christ, just as she loved the members of her own family and her relatives and friends. She married at a young age, went on to have a large family, lived to an advanced age and through it all the principal reality which filled her mind and heart was unseen. It was God. She knew him and loved him, and died, Rosary beads in her hands, with this sure and certain knowledge in the fulness of her years. Decades later she was forgotten, as was her inner life, but unbeknown to her descendants, her life had been signally successful. Eternal life is this, Jesus Christ said at the Last Supper, to know you, Father and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. That is what summed up her life — she had known the one triune God and had lived faithfully in this knowledge. She had a cousin, the grandson of her religious grandparents, and the son of her religious aunt. He fell away from his Faith, and lost the knowledge of God. By the end of his life, he did not know God — God was not a reality to him. He did not see nor understand. This loss of spiritual sight, this inability to understand, this imperviousness of heart, was not openly deliberate. It was the result of countless, daily, barely conscious decisions, finally leaving him blind to the great reality of God.

There is something awesome about the drama of each person’s awareness. What is he aware of? Why is it that some people are profoundly aware of God, and others of much greater intellect and formal education are not? A young man of exceptional intellect gains a scholarship — say, a Rhodes — to do advanced study in philosophy in Oxford. He is interested in theism, the question of God. He writes a thesis that receives high commendation from the University and it is published by Oxford University Press. He does well in his academic career, at first returning to his home country to a position in a philosophy department of one of the premier universities, and then secures a post back at Oxford. His academic interest remains theism, and he writes extensively on the subject — but he actually is an unbeliever. He has no personal knowledge of God and his professional life is spent largely advocating the view that true, objective knowledge of God is impossible. It is in this area that his reputation lies. However, towards the end of his life of books and teaching, he comes to see that the Argument for Design has merit. There is a Mind behind the universe. There is an intelligent Author of all — and this is as far as he ever gets. When all is said and done, how poorly he compares with our ordinary mother who knew God and Christ so well. How great the drama of each person’s awareness! It is a true drama, what we know and do not know of Reality — in this case, of the great God. But there is a deeper drama still, and that is the workings of the heart. It is this which is decisive. How clear it is that what we know will in considerable measure depend on what we want — and this brings us to our Lord’s words in today’s Gospel. Were Christ to be present at the discussion of religion among many of the “educated,” would he not say, as he says in our Gospel today: “Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember?” (Mark 8:14-21). There are many reasons why people do not know God, and we cannot be simplistic in accounting for it. But one important reason is the secret wish and choice of the heart.

Life is short, very short, and eternity is long, very long. We cannot even imagine the length of eternity, and we do not know how short our lives will be. But the stakes are very high. Each of us is on a knife-edge which at a moment could find us before the very judgement of God. Then all will be revealed. All that our heart has secretly wished, all that we have chosen to do, to think or to be, will be in the full blaze of the sight of God. There will be no evading the consequences of our choices, because those choices will have determined what we are aware of, and what we have become. Let us take in hand the gift of freedom that is ours, and choose, from the core of our hearts, to know, love and serve God here on earth so as to see and enjoy him forever in heaven.

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H-M Escriva

You were still rather hesitant when you were telling me: “I am deeply aware of the occasions when the Lord is asking more of me.”

—All I could think of was to remind you how you used to assure me that the only thing you wanted was to identify yourself with him. What’s keeping you back?

Wednesday of the sixth week in Ordinary Time A-1

(February 16) St. Gilbert of Sempringham (c. 1083-1189)
Gilbert was born in Sempringham, England, into a wealthy family, but he followed a path quite different from that expected of him as the son of a Norman knight. Sent to France for his higher education, he decided to pursue seminary studies. He returned to England not yet ordained a priest, and inherited several estates from his father. But Gilbert avoided the easy life he could have led under the circumstances. Instead he lived a simple life at a parish, sharing as much as possible with the poor. Following his ordination to the priesthood he served as parish priest at Sempringham. Among the congregation were seven young women who had expressed to him their desire to live in religious life. In response, Gilbert had a house built for them adjacent to the Church. There they lived an austere life, but one which attracted ever more numbers; eventually lay sisters and lay brothers were added to work the land. The religious order formed eventually became known as the Gilbertines, though Gilbert had hoped the Cistercians or some other existing order would take on the responsibility of establishing a rule of life for the new order. The Gilbertines, the only religious order of English origin founded during the Middle Ages, continued to thrive. But the order came to an end when King Henry VIII suppressed all Catholic monasteries. Over the years a special custom grew up in the houses of the order called "the plate of the Lord Jesus." The best portions of the dinner were put on a special plate and shared with the poor, reflecting Gilbert's lifelong concern for less fortunate people. Throughout his life Gilbert lived simply, consumed little food and spent a good portion of many nights in prayer. Despite the rigors of such a life he died at well over age 100. (AmericanCatholic.org)

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spat on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, Do you see anything? He looked up and said, I see people; they look like trees walking around. Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, Don't go into the village. (Mark 8: 22-26)

The ways of God Our Lord is approaching the town of Nain and many are accompanying him. As he draws near, out from the town there comes a funeral procession. At a glance our Lord sees what has happened. There on the funeral bier is being carried the body of a young man — his features show he has died in the prime of life. Closely Fr. Tyler

accompanying him is his widowed mother, absolutely sunk in grief. Her husband has gone from this life, and now it is her son. She has nothing, and all she can do is trust in God. Our Lord’s heart swells with compassion, and without a word being said to him he moves towards the procession and with a sign of his hand stops it. All look at him in wonderment as he leans slightly over the body and said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” No-one asked for this, and no-one expected it. Instantly, incredibly, the young man’s eyes open. He raises himself, leaning on one arm. He looks about, and deftly swings his legs to sit up. Holding his hand, our Lord draws him from the funeral bier to his feet, and there the young man stands, brimming with health, looking at his astonished mother. Our Lord, smiling, presents him to her, pauses, and then moves on. That was a case in which our Lord acted without any request at all, and the benefit was instantaneous and immense. At times God answers our needs without being explicitly asked to do so. Let us turn to a different scene — people arrive interceding with our Lord for the local centurion. His servant is gravely ill, they tell our Lord, and he is worthy of your help for he loves our people. I will come and see him, our Lord replies. We know the upshot — but the point here is that in this case our Lord is responding to a prayer presented to him not by the person in need but by others on his behalf. On another occasion the blind man, Bar-Timaeus, vociferously called to our Lord over the heads of the crowd and caught his attention. Once in Christ’s presence, he asked for a miracle, which was immediately granted him. With his sight wondrously restored, he followed Jesus along the way. The point here is that there are a variety of ways in which our Lord is seen responding in mercy to human need. The normal way was simply to ask him.

However, it was not always as simple as that — and in any case not every request received the instant answer given to Bar-Timaeus. In fact, some requests were refused. Simon Peter made one request that touched our Lord’s redemptive mission. He asked our Lord to cease all thought of suffering and dying. This must not happen to you, he said to Jesus, for you are the Messiah! This request received a powerful and public rebuff. Get behind me, Satan! was our Lord’s response to his chief Apostle. Another request made by James and John, two of his Apostles, was also refused. They asked that they be granted places at our Lord’s right and left in his kingdom. Our Lord’s response? Such places, our Lord said, were for those allotted to them by my Father. He did not simply say, yes — they are yours. On another occasion the man from the Decapolis region who had been delivered from a terrible case of possession, begged our Lord to let him follow him. This request was refused. No — you are to go back to your people and tell them of the good things God has done for you. This the man obediently did. Why was there this difference in responding to requests and human need? We are not told, but we know it was because the Son of God made man judged it best. The man of the Decapolis became an early proclaimer of Jesus Christ to his own people who were Gentiles, in our Lord’s own lifetime. Simon Peter received the grace to follow our Lord in martyrdom, as did James and John. In our Gospel passage today (Mark 8: 22-26), we have something different again. We read that “They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.” Why did he not just heal the blind man, and get on with it? We are not told. But there is more. “When he had spat on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, Do you see anything? He looked up and said, I see people; they look like trees walking around. Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” This looks unnecessary, but not so. Christ knows best.

If we think it will pleasing to God that we ask him for something, then we ought ask for it and persistently. Our Lord tells us to ask, and we shall receive. He says elsewhere that we ought pray always and never lose heart. Our Gospel passage today surely shows us, among other things, that the ways of God are far above our ways, and that in his wisdom God may respond to our heartfelt prayer in ways that will test our faith. But this is to be expected because, unlike us, he is infinite in every way. His holiness, his wisdom and his power are beyond our imagining. Let us trust him whatever life may bring, always praying for his help and grace, always thanking, always praising.

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If only you could manage to fulfil that resolution you made: “to die a little to myself each day.”

Thursday of the sixth week in Ordinary Time A-1

(February 17) Seven Founders of the Order of Servites (13th century)
Can you imagine seven prominent men of Boston or Denver banding together, leaving their homes and professions, and going into solitude for a life directly given to God? That is what happened in the cultured and prosperous city of Florence in the middle of the thirteenth century. The city was torn with political strife as well as the heresy of the Cathari, who believed that physical reality was inherently evil. Morals were low and religion seemed meaningless. In 1240 seven noblemen of Florence mutually decided to withdraw from the city to a solitary place for prayer and direct service of God. Their initial difficulty was providing for their dependents, since two were still married and two were widowers. Their aim was to lead a life of penance and prayer, but they soon found themselves disturbed by constant visitors from Florence. They next withdrew to the deserted slopes of Monte Senario. In 1244, under the direction of St. Peter of Verona, O.P., this small group adopted a religious habit similar to the Dominican habit, choosing to live under the Rule of St. Augustine and adopting the name of the Servants of Mary. The new Order took a form more like that of the mendicant friars than that of the older monastic Orders.
Members of the community came to the United States from Austria in 1852 and settled in New York and later in Philadelphia. The two American provinces developed from the foundation made by Father Austin Morini in 1870 in Wisconsin. Community members combined monastic life and active ministry. In the monastery, they led a life of prayer, work and silence while in the active apostolate they engaged in parochial work, teaching, preaching and other ministerial activities. (AmericanCatholic.org)

Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, Who do people say I am? They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets. But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I am? Peter answered, You are the Christ. Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be put to death and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. Get behind me, Satan! he said. You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men. (Mark 8:27-33)

Christ the centre Consider the patriarch Abraham, our father in the Faith, as St Paul calls him. His life’s work was to enter into a personal covenant with the Lord, leaving his homeland in obedience to the divine call and settling in the land indicated to him from above. The focus of his life was the Lord, the God of his personal life, with whom he now had a personal covenant. Fr Tyler

If anyone were to have asked him, who do people say you are? he would have thought that a very secondary and even irrelevant question. What mattered to him was not who people said he was, but who the Lord was and the promises he had given in his covenant. The same could be said of Isaac and Jacob — what mattered was their God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants. Centuries later at the rise of Moses, the God of the patriarchs and their descendants became, formally speaking, the God of a chosen people, the Hebrews. A covenant was established between God and a chosen people — not just certain chosen individuals. Moses could be said to be the human architect of this transition. As with Abraham, so with Moses — if anyone were to have asked who he, Moses, was — Moses would have regarded this as a very secondary and even irrelevant question. The important thing was who Yahweh was, and the covenant he had established with his chosen people. As with Abraham, the Patriarchs and Moses, so it was with the prophets. They bore witness to the reality of Yahweh God and the requirements of his covenant with his people. Especially binding was the first of all the commandments of this covenant — that there were to be no gods venerated by the people other than he, the Lord. We think of Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah and the rest, right up to John the Baptist. When the scribes and Pharisees came to John asking who he was, John said, in effect, I am no-one and nothing. I am a mere voice crying in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord. The important question was not who I am, but who he is, he, the One who is coming. The Hebrew Scriptures and the Hebrew tradition all bear witness to the one important Reality: the God of the Covenant. He, the Lord, it is who matters.

But something entirely new appeared on the scene with Jesus Christ. In his well-known book, A Rabbi talks with Jesus, a 161-page work published in 1993, Rabbi Jacob Neusner imagines having a dialogue with a Jewish master of Christ’s era about the teaching of Jesus. What did Jesus leave out of the Torah? he asked. Nothing, was the answer. Then what did he add? Himself, was the answer. So that was the great addition which Jesus Christ brought to the Torah, according to Neusner, and Pope Benedict in the first volume of his work on Jesus Christ took up Neusner’s point. Neusner concluded that Jesus must be rejected for abandoning the Torah, while Pope Benedict XVI writes that Neusner the Jew has helped to bring out the absolutely distinctive thing about Jesus Christ and his teaching. At the heart of Christ’s revelation is the revelation about himself. He is the Object of the Gospel. He is the heart and soul of Revelation. The entire Scriptures point to him, and not just to a certain teaching, contained in, or even added to, the Torah. His very person is what has been added. As St Paul wrote, this is the mystery now revealed, Christ in you, your hope of glory. Our Gospel today (Mark 8:27-33) is one of the high-points of our Lord’s public ministry. Our Lord does not ask his disciples what people say he is teaching. He does not ask them, what are the scribes and Pharisees saying that I teach about the Sabbath observance? He does not ask, what are the common people saying is the essence of my teaching on the Kingdom of God? He wants to know, rather, who do people say I am? That is the important thing, and it is clearly the important thing as we read all four Gospels. Jacob Neusner could see this with all clarity, and gradually the scribes and Pharisees saw it too. Jesus Christ went to his death above all because of who he claimed to be. Are you the Christ, the Son of the living God? the high priest asked him under oath. Our Lord replied — after maintaining silence in the face of all other questions and accusations — that he was, and that they would see him coming on the clouds of heaven at the right hand of God. At this he was sentenced to death.

The Christian religion is not just the acceptance of and obedience to revealed teaching on how we are to live. The Christian religion is the acceptance of a Person, the Person of Jesus Christ as Son of God and son of man, Saviour of the world, and source of redemption and sanctification of man. Our whole life is a vocation to know, love and serve Jesus Christ, so as to see and enjoy him forever in heaven. It is commonly thought that to be a good Christian one must be kind and charitable, and that is the end of it. But no. To be a true Christian one must accept Christ’s teaching about himself, and then base one’s entire life, whatever be the cost, on this acceptance.

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H-M Escriva

Joy, and supernatural and human optimism, can go hand in hand with physical tiredness, with sorrow, with tears (because we have a heart), and with difficulties in our interior life or our apostolic work.

He who is perfectus Deus, perfectus Homo — perfect God and perfect Man — and who enjoyed every happiness in Heaven, chose to experience fatigue and tiredness, tears and suffering... so that we might understand that if we are to be supernatural we must also be very human.

Friday of the sixth week in Ordinary Time A-1

(February 18) Blessed John of Fiesole (Fra Angelico) (c. 1400-1455)

The patron of Christian artists was born around 1400 in a village overlooking Florence. He took up painting as a young boy and studied under the watchful eye of a local painting master. He joined the Dominicans at about age 20, taking the name Fra Giovanni. He eventually came to be known as Fra Angelico, perhaps a tribute to his own angelic qualities or maybe the devotional tone of his works. He continued to study painting and perfect his own techniques, which included broad-brush strokes, vivid colours and generous, lifelike figures. Michelangelo once said of Fra Angelico: “One has to believe that this good monk has visited paradise and been allowed to choose his models there.” Whatever his subject matter, Fra Angelico sought to generate feelings of religious devotion in response to his paintings. Among his most famous works are the Annunciation and Descent from the Cross as well as frescoes in the monastery of San Marco in Florence. He also served in leadership positions within the Dominican Order. At one point Pope Eugenius approached him about serving as archbishop of Florence. Fra Angelico declined, preferring a simpler life. He died in 1455. (AmericanCatholic.org)

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the sake of the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet lose his life? Or what can a man give in exchange for his life? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels. And he said to them, I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power. (Mark 8:34–9:1)

The Cross Man has a natural desire to be successful in his work — he instinctively wants to do “good work.” The question, though, turns on what it is to be “successful,” and what “good work” is, in the long run. One person who did very good work was the priest, John Lingard (1771-1851), Fr. Tyler

noted historian of England who, though, has been largely forgotten over the last century and a half. He was one of the last priests to be educated at the English College in Douai, France, and was one of the founders of Ushaw, Douai’s successor in the north of England. During his years teaching at Ushaw he discovered his interest in and talent for historical scholarship and writing. He resolved to leave seminary work and take a small rural parish near Lancaster. There he spent the remaining decades of his life quietly serving his parish and writing his monumental volumes on the History of England. He resolutely refused being made a bishop and any other form of advancement — so as to be able to do his chosen work for God and the Church, which was the writing of history and various other religious writings. He was commended by the Pope (with a triple doctorate) and praised highly at his death. He did good work for Christ and the Church. Lingard’s reputation was well established when John Henry Newman entered the Catholic Church (at the end of 1845) after a distinguished though controversial career as leader of the Oxford Movement. If ever there was one who showed singular promise as a writer it was Newman, and throughout his Catholic life he was regarded as one of its most eminent, though controversial, divines. But in so many ways, his promise was frustrated, and it was frustrated in large measure by Church authority. At every point he was obedient to the Church. On his conversion he was called to Oscott, and he went. When sent to Rome, he went. When placed in Birmingham, he went. When called to lead the Catholic University in Ireland, he went. When asked to take charge of a new translation of the Scriptures he did so. When asked to take charge of the Mission to Oxford, he did so. The notable feature of his Catholic years was that he could have done outstanding work in each of these fields, but was frustrated or prevented in the doing of it.

Many, knowing Newman’s potential and attainments, have wished that he had been placed in a situation that would have allowed his talents their full scope. But Newman’s choice lay in obedience. In fact, he did exceptional work as a Catholic, but his path was burdened by the cross. While the object of suspicion and non-acceptance by many, he obeyed God and the Church, accepted the cross, did all he could with integrity, and at length as a simple priest was crowned with the cardinalate by Pope Leo XIII. His greatest attainment was holiness of life amid the constant pressure of daily work for the Lord. He is the only Englishman to be beatified from the last three centuries, an outstanding example of a very human saint and one of the greatest of modern divines. A most obvious point to be taken from the life of Blessed John Henry Newman is that, despite appearances, the cross is the path to true fruitfulness. It led Newman to sanctity and to subsequent fame in and out of the Church. His life and work has been blessed by God with fruit that has lasted. In our Gospel passage today (Mark 8:34–9:1), our Lord states firmly and clearly to both his disciples and to the crowd that “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the sake of the gospel will save it.” Time and again in the history of the Church those who have done exceptionally good work are seen to be set aside, forgotten, and left seemingly to languish. Mysteriously, it is not the case with others. Mother Teresa of Calcutta lived in the light of fame and influence, as did her friend, Pope John Paul II. Their crosses were different. Others have been ignored, set aside, replaced. Whatever be the cross, we have it on the word of our Lord that there most assuredly will be the cross if we are serious about the following of him. It is one of the deepest mysteries of life, that the worst feature of life — human frustration and suffering — is the source of the most long-lasting good. Jesus Christ himself is the first and iconic instance of this, and the saints follow suit.

There are many unique features of the teaching and the example of Jesus Christ. One such is his teaching on the Cross, and his own example in respect to it. Our natural inclination is to recoil from suffering. This is natural, and good in a certain sense. If we did not recoil from suffering, the results would be disastrous. But if our path is one of obedience to God, and then suffering comes, then that suffering will not be disastrous but full of fruitfulness. Let the sufferings of Christ be our inspiration and our guide, together with the saints whose crosses took them to Heaven.

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—Nonetheless, how poor your response has been! Everything is a great effort for you: you are like a baby who is too lazy to learn to walk. But in your case it isn’t just laziness. It is fear, too, and a lack of generosity!

Born of a noble family in northern Italy, Conrad as a young man married Euphrosyne, daughter of a nobleman. One day while hunting he ordered attendants to set fire to some brush in order to flush out the game. The fire spread to nearby fields and to a large forest. Conrad fled. An innocent peasant was imprisoned, tortured to confess and condemned to death. Conrad confessed his guilt, saved the man’s life and paid for the damaged property. Soon after this event, Conrad and his wife agreed to separate: she to a Poor Clare monastery and he to a group of hermits following the Third Order Rule. His reputation for holiness, however, spread quickly. Since his many visitors destroyed his solitude, Conrad went to a more remote spot in Sicily where he lived 36 years as a hermit, praying for himself and for the rest of the world. Prayer and penance were his answer to the temptations that beset him. Conrad died kneeling before a crucifix. He was canonized in 1625. (AmericanCatholic.org)

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three tents — one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: This is my beloved Son. Listen to him! Suddenly, when they looked round, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what rising from the dead meant. And they asked him, Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first? Jesus replied, To be sure, Elijah will come first, and restore all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him. (Mark 9:2-13)

Listen to him! There is no-one in the history of the world who worked such a range of miracles and with such ease as did Jesus Christ. At a word he changed a considerable quantity of water into beautiful wine. He cured persons afflicted with a great range of maladies and raised people from the dead. Fr Tyler

On at least two occasions he fed a great crowd of people with a mere handful of food. With a mere word he calmed a ferocious storm at sea. He walked on the surging Sea of Galilee. In the Garden of Gethsemane, his enemies fell back before him and arrested him only, as was obvious, because he permitted it. He drove out devils from persons possessed by them. There was nothing he could not do, if he chose to do it — save forcing a person’s free will. But there are two miracles of his public ministry which are arguably the greatest — one at the threshold of his ministry, the other towards the end, and they are done on him. I refer to the intervention of the heavenly Father to bear witness to his divine Son. At our Lord’s baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove, and the Father declared from heaven that here stood his beloved Son. There is no parallel to this in the Scriptures before him. Moses was the friend of God, but not his beloved Son. The prophets were God’s servants. Here was his Son. Our Gospel today describes the second such event, Christ’s Transfiguration on the Mount towards the end of his ministry. It is described in detail by each of the three Synoptic Gospels (in Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-8, and Luke 9:28-36), in less detail in the Second Letter of Peter (2 Peter 1:16-18), and perhaps it is referred to in John 1:14, when he writes that “we saw his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father.” It is an event that obviously complements our Lord’s baptism, revealing our Lord’s divinity, while pointing to his death, resurrection and ascension. Our Lord’s ministry principally turned on the question of his identity, and a critical point was reached when our Lord asked his disciples who they said he was (Mark 8: 27-38). Their response led to his teaching about the cross in his and their life. Almost immediately after, there is the account of his Transfiguration.

There are differences in the three Gospel accounts. Matthew speaks of their ascending “a high mountain” whereas both Mark and Luke refer to it as a “mountain.” Matthew speaks of Christ’s face shining like the sun, and Luke of the appearance of his face becoming different. Mark only describes the radiance and extreme whiteness of his clothes — which the others mention too. All three narrate the appearance of Moses and Elijah conversing with the transfigured Christ. All three describe the voice of the Father from within the cloud — and Matthew tells us that the cloud was bright. It overshadowed the three disciples witnessing the unforgettable event. Each of the Synoptics has a slightly different wording in the utterance of the Father. Mark reports the words of the Father as being, “This is my beloved Son. Hear him.” In Luke the Father says, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Hear him.” In Matthew the wording is “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear him.” In each case, Moses representing the Law, and Elijah representing the prophets bear witness to Jesus as the culmination of the Old Testament and as the expected Messiah. In our Gospel today (Mark 9:2-13), Mark tells us (as does Matthew) that Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus, but Mark does not tell us what they were discussing. Luke helps us here, for he says that they were discussing the “exodus which he would accomplish in Jerusalem.” Christ was the new Moses who would lead his people out of the great slavery (of sin) into the Promised Land of the Kingdom. Most notably of all, the Father reveals from heaven the true identity of Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God to whom all should listen. This is surely the greatest miracle of the period of Christ’s public ministry and it was witnessed by the three principal Apostles, whom St Paul refers to as those counted as the pillars of the infant Church. What happened to Jesus of Nazareth on the Mountain has never happened to anyone else in the history of the world. God pointed to a man and said he is my beloved Son. All are to listen to him. How displeasing are we to God, then, if we knowingly refuse to do so!

St John, the author of the fourth Gospel, tells us that the first of Christ’s signs which let his glory be seen was that which was worked at the marriage feast of Cana. It was initiated by a word from the mother of Jesus. She said to him, “They have no wine.” There was another thing that was said by her, and these two statements are the only words recorded by the Gospels as coming from Mary during the period of Christ’s public ministry and after. They were addressed to the servants at the wedding feast: “Do whatever he tells you.” This is exactly what the Father is telling the Apostles on the Mount: “Listen to him.” Let that be our plan of life, then. Let us listen to him in everything, doing whatever he tells us to do.

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You should repeat very often: Jesus, if ever a doubt creeps into my soul, setting up other noble ambitions in place of what you are asking of me, I tell you now that I prefer to follow you, no matter how much it costs. Do not leave me!

Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time A

Prayers today: Lord, your mercy is my hope, my heart rejoices in your saving power. I will sing to the Lord, for his goodness to me. (Psalm 12: 6)

Father, keep before us the wisdom and love you have revealed in your Son. Help us to be like him in word and deed, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever.

Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three children, Portuguese shepherds from Aljustrel, received apparitions of Our Lady at Bl Jacinta Marto

Cova da Iria, near Fatima, a city 110 miles north of Lisbon. At that time, Europe was involved in an extremely bloody war. Portugal itself was in political turmoil, having overthrown its monarchy in 1910; the government disbanded religious organizations soon after. Bl Francisco Marto

At the first appearance, Mary asked the children to return to that spot on the thirteenth of each month for the next six months. She also asked them to learn to read and write and to pray the rosary “to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war.” They were to pray for sinners and for the conversion of Russia, which had recently overthrown Czar Nicholas II and was soon to fall under communism. Up to 90,000 people gathered for Mary’s final apparition on October 13, 1917. Less than two years later, Francisco died of influenza in his family home. He was buried in the parish cemetery and then re-buried in the Fatima basilica in 1952. Jacinta died of influenza in Lisbon, offering her suffering for the conversion of sinners, peace in the world and the Holy Father. She was re-buried in the Fatima basilica in 1951. Their cousin, Lucia dos Santos, became a Carmelite nun and was still living when Jacinta and Francisco were beatified in 2000. Sister Lucia died five years later. The shrine of Our Lady of Fatima is visited by up to 20 million people a year. (AmericanCatholic.org)

Scripture today: Leviticus 19: 1-2.17-18; Psalm 102; 1 Corinthians 3: 16-23; Matthew 5: 38-48

You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5: 38-48)

Our dignity I remember watching a nature documentary — a pride of lions in an African country was being filmed. The officers of the reserve shot one of the lionesses with a dart to put it to sleep. The dart was shot, it hit its mark and the lioness began to react. The others in the pride immediately sensed something was wrong with the lioness and, interestingly, Fr. Tyler

began to attack her. As she became weaker, their attacks increased. The lion that was head of the pride attacked too. The officers knew that the life of the lioness was in danger, so they drove their large vehicle towards the pride, hoping that it would scare off the lions and leave the lioness sedated and free from attacks. This is what happened, and they were able to place the unconscious animal in their vehicle for further examination and preparation. But the interesting thing was that as soon as the lioness appeared to be failing in some way, its companions attacked it. I remember watching another nature film, this time of a large family of wild dogs. In one litter there was a pup which for some reason was increasingly attacked by its own pup companions. There was no relief for the unfortunate pup which became weaker and more isolated. Finally the head of the pack itself attacked and killed the pup. To normal human sensibilities, in both cases this savage instinct appeared mercilessly inconsiderate of the worth of an animal companion, simply because of its perceived weakness. Now, I have always thought that one of the many absorbing things about the animal world is that it can, for the close observer, highlight distinguishing traits of humankind. There are many things which mankind and the animal kingdom have in common, but there are profound differences. Plainly, an animal is incapable of self-reflection. It has no sense of the objective being of things. Nor can it form mental abstractions, such as an idea of virtue. It cannot engage in language, though it communicates to a point. It is incapable of true love and of religion. It is driven by its instincts — and so it is not responsible for its actions. Man is able to recognize and respect the inherent dignity of his fellow-man. The lions and the wild pups had no sense of the inherent worth of a weaker companion.

It is a fundamental endowment of the human person that he can recognize his own dignity and the dignity of others. There are many (modern) philosophers who do not allow the idea of the inherent dignity of man. I remember years ago presenting an essay in a Philosophy Department of an Australian University, and the lecturer who examined the essay stated on the margin that he did not know what the idea of human dignity meant. He did not accept that there is such a thing. It is true that while “dignity” is a term with a long philosophical history, it is rarely defined in political, legal and scientific discussions. It is obvious that there is widespread disagreement about the content of dignity, and this comes down to a disagreement about the nature of that which is said to have dignity. If you think that, in the final analysis, man is no different from an animal, then what is the use of any talk about his special dignity? The wild dogs I mentioned destroyed newly-born pups if their numbers threatened their food-supply. If man is of the same order of things as animals, why ought he act differently towards his own kind? So it is that “ethics” turns not on the principle of utility or convenience, nor on mere law, nor on a mere sense of obligation, but on the principle of objective human dignity, and man’s dignity arises from his true and total nature. You must not murder, nor calumniate, nor steal, because of man’s very dignity as a person in his own right and a child of God. Now, the greatest appreciation of the dignity of each and every man, and the greatest conferral of this dignity, has come in historical Revelation — and in particular in the teaching and work of Jesus Christ, man’s Redeemer and God. He, Son of God and son of man, has loved each of us to the end. The incarnate God laid down his life for the least, and has taught that whatever is done to the least of us his brothers, he counts as having been done to him. He conferred a stupendous dignity on all, and taught us the dignity even of our enemies. We are to love them: “I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5: 38-48).

Christ has taught that we should have the utmost respect for our own dignity as children of our heavenly Father and members of Jesus Christ. But this means living our vocation to the fullest — seeking the perfection of life in Christ. This means seeking the perfection of a life of love after the model of Jesus Christ. The sense of our own dignity ought lead us to the Cross, just as it led Jesus Christ to the Cross. Our greatest dignity lies in our being called to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and this has an immediate ethical bearing. It means fulfilling his commandments: if you love me, he said, you will keep my commandments. Whatever be the cost, let us do this, then!

Further reading: The Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.2284-2301 (Respect for personal dignity)

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Seek union with God and buoy yourself up with hope — that sure virtue! — because Jesus will illuminate the way for you with the light of his mercy, even in the darkest night.

Maybe because he was orphaned and had been treated shabbily by one of his brothers, Peter Damian was very good to the poor. It was the ordinary thing for him to have a poor person or two with him at table and he liked to minister personally to their needs. Peter St Peter Damian

escaped poverty and the neglect of his own brother when his other brother, who was archpriest of Ravenna, took him under his wing. His brother sent him to good schools and Peter became a professor. Already in those days Peter was very strict with himself. He wore a hair shirt under his clothes, fasted rigorously and spent many hours in prayer. Soon, he decided to leave his teaching and give himself completely to prayer with the Benedictines of the reform of St. Romuald at Fonte Avellana. They lived two monks to a hermitage. Peter was so eager to pray and slept so little that he soon suffered from severe insomnia. He found he had to use some prudence in taking care of himself. When he was not praying, he studied the Bible. The abbot commanded that when he died Peter should succeed him. Abbot Peter founded five other hermitages. He encouraged his brothers in a life of prayer and solitude and wanted nothing more for himself. The Holy See periodically called on him, however, to be a peacemaker or troubleshooter, between two abbeys in dispute or a cleric or government official in some disagreement with Rome. Finally, Pope Stephen IX made Peter the cardinal-bishop of Ostia. He worked hard to wipe out simony (the buying of church offices), and encouraged his priests to observe celibacy and urged even the diocesan clergy to live together and maintain scheduled prayer and religious observance. He wished to restore primitive discipline among religious and priests, warning against needless travel, violations of poverty and too comfortable living. He even wrote to the bishop of Besancon, complaining that the canons there sat down when they were singing the psalms in the Divine Office. He wrote many letters. Some 170 are extant. We also have 53 of his sermons and seven lives, or biographies, that he wrote. He preferred examples and stories rather than theory in his writings. The liturgical offices he wrote are evidence of his talent as a stylist in Latin. He asked often to be allowed to retire as cardinal-bishop of Ostia, and finally Alexander II consented. Peter was happy to become once again just a monk, but he was still called to serve as a papal legate. When returning from such an assignment in Ravenna, he was overcome by a fever. With the monks gathered around him saying the Divine Office, he died on February 22, 1072. In 1828 he was declared a Doctor of the Church. (AmericanCatholic.org)

As Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, John and came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. What are you arguing with them about? he asked. A man in the crowd answered, Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not. O unbelieving generation, Jesus replied, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me. So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy's father, How long has he been like this? From childhood, he answered. It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. 'If you can'? said Jesus. Everything is possible for him who believes. Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, I do believe; help my unbelief! When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. You deaf and mute spirit, he said, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again. The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, He's dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, Why couldn't we drive it out? He replied, This kind can come out only by prayer. (Mark 9:14-29)

Pray for it! I have read on various occasions that during his long pontificate Pope John Paul II performed three exorcisms. It seems that the last of them occurred in about September of 2000. The reported circumstances — which I never had time to investigate properly — were that as the Pope was leaving at the end of a general audience, Fr Tyler

a girl near the front began screaming incomprehensibly and speaking in a "cavernous voice." As security personnel struggled to restrain her "superhuman" efforts to break free, Bishop Gianni Danzi, a top Vatican City official, alerted the Pope, who returned to the scene. He took her apart and attempted to exorcise the demon from the girl. It is said that the Pope spent more than half an hour praying over the girl and ordering a demon to leave her, but failed to fully cure her. He tried to console her, and promised that the next day, Thursday morning, he would celebrate his Mass for her. One interesting thing about this case is that the next day, the well-known exorcist of Rome at the time, Father Gabriele Amorth, said he had performed an exorcism on the girl the previous day. Father Amorth said that after the girl met with the Pope, Bishop Danzi and he performed another exorcism that lasted for two hours. During that exorcism, the priest said, the demon mocked the Pope, saying, "Not even your head can send me away." Here we are talking of a great Pope and a saint (beatified in May, 2011). We are surely reminded of our Lord’s words in today’s Gospel. Jesus had just exorcised a demon from “a boy,” and the demon had resisted all attempts by Christ’s disciples to drive it out. The demon had possessed the boy from his childhood, so presumably the possession was not due to moral failure on his part, for at the time he was then a child. But mysteriously, the demon had attained a tremendous hold, and perhaps enmeshed itself deeply in the spiritual and physical folds of the growing boy. The demon’s grasp could have been enabled the greater by its early access to the developing inner structure of the child’s growing person. Its resultant hold may have been like a vast system of intricate wiring in myriad directions.

All this was snapped asunder by the power of Christ which reached to every corner of the boy’s inner being. The demon was forced out forthwith, but under a tremendous vocal protest, leaving the boy motionless. The disciples asked our Lord why they could not cast it out, and our Lord told them that in the case of some possessions, more was required than mere command. There needed also to be “prayer” — some manuscripts adding, “and fasting” (Mark 9:14-29). The Pope would have recognized this, and at the end promised prayer for the girl at the general audience. Father Amort, in his comment on the case of this girl, said that hers was one where the possession is very, very strong and could require years for a full liberation. He said the girl had been possessed since she was 12 years old and was sent to him for consultation by the exorcist of the Archdiocese of Milan, who had never dealt with such a severe case. But now, the point here is that in such a difficult case, what was to be done? No-one denies that there are great cases of evil and suffering in the world. There was not the slightest suggestion that the girl herself — nor the boy in the Gospel — was to blame for her demonic possession. It is a clear case of the mystery of evil and suffering in the world. The Gospel indicates that Christ is the answer, indeed, the only answer. He said to his disciples that there are some cases where much more is required of us than a mere calling on the name of Jesus. We must pray and do penance. Our Lord tells us elsewhere in the Gospel that we are to pray always and never lose heart. Even in our passage today (Mark 9:14-29), our Lord tells us that we must not be unbelieving. Our faith will be shown in our persevering prayer for those in need, especially for those most in need. Faith is shown in a special way in the readiness to pray perseveringly and insistently for our own needs and the needs of others. Do we pray for our needs, and do we keep up these prayers? All too often we are too lazy to pray for the needs of others, and we have so little faith anyway. We do not believe sufficiently to keep up a genuine prayer of petition. Let our Lord’s words ring in our hearts: all is possible for those who believe.

But let us treasure also the reply of the father of the boy: “Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, I do believe; help my unbelief!” What a wonderful prayer! We have faith, but our faith needs to be a lot greater than it is. Let us thank God for the gift of faith, while praying insistently that he will grant that it grow. Lord, help my unbelief! What great good we would do were we to be praying much for the needs of others, praying in faith and with persistence, despite what may seem to be its futility. It will not be futile, for Christ has said so.

The full meaning of the Scriptures Martin Luther taught that faith alone justifies. Fr Tyler

He relied on what he understood to be the teaching of St Paul in his Letter to the Romans, and chose virtually to reject the teaching of St James who insisted that faith without works is dead. The memory of Luther’s position (condemned by the Council of Trent) reminds us that we should always try to keep in mind the whole teaching of Scripture, all of Revelation, when reading any part of Scripture. In our Gospel passage today our Lord adds something to what he teaches in other parts of the Gospel. In those other parts Our Lord tells us that if we seek we shall find, if we ask we shall receive, and if we knock we shall have the door opened to us. Here, though, when it came to casting out the devil from the boy and his disciples being unable to cast it out, our Lord told them (according to some manuscripts) that it required both prayer and fasting.

With the Church’s teaching and guidance in mind, all our lives let us endeavour to understand the full meaning of the Scriptures, especially the full meaning of our Lord’s words in the Gospels, so as to know Christ Jesus himself and his mind as fully as possible. Knowing his mind, let us strive to put it on. As St Paul tells us: let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.

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The Redemption is still being accomplished, even now, and you are — you have to be — a co-redeemer.

Like the committee chair, this feast refers to the occupant. It commemorates Christ’s choosing Peter to sit in his place as the servant-authority of the whole Church (see June 29). After the “lost weekend” of pain, doubt and self-torment, Peter hears the Good St. Peter

News. Angels at the tomb say to Mary Magdalene, “The Lord has risen! Go, tell his disciples and Peter.” John relates that when he and Peter ran to the tomb, the younger outraced the older, then waited for him. Peter entered, saw the wrappings on the ground, the headpiece rolled up in a place by itself. John saw and believed. But he adds a reminder: “..They did not yet understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead” (John 20:9). They went home. There the slowly exploding, impossible idea became reality. Jesus appeared to them as they waited fearfully behind locked doors. “Peace be with you,” he said (John 20:21b), and they rejoiced. The Pentecost event completed Peter’s experience of the risen Christ. “...They were all filled with the holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4a) and began to express themselves in foreign tongues and make bold proclamation as the Spirit prompted them. Only then can Peter fulfill the task Jesus had given him: “... Once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). He at once becomes the spokesman for the Twelve about their experience of the Holy Spirit—before the civil authorities who wished to quash their preaching, before the council of Jerusalem, for the community in the problem of Ananias and Sapphira. He is the first to preach the Good News to the Gentiles. The healing power of Jesus in him is well attested: the raising of Tabitha from the dead, the cure of the crippled beggar. People carry the sick into the streets so that when Peter passed his shadow might fall on them.

At the end of John’s Gospel, Jesus says to Peter, “Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go” (John 21:18). What Jesus said indicated the sort of death by which Peter was to glorify God. On Vatican Hill, in Rome, during the reign of Nero, Peter did glorify his Lord with a martyr’s death, probably in the company of many Christians. Second-century Christians built a small memorial over his burial spot. In the fourth century, the Emperor Constantine built a basilica, which was replaced in the 16th century. (AmericanCatholic.org)

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is? They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I am? Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:13-19)

Christ and his Church There are instances in the Old Testament of prophets whose mission was challenged and who had therefore to insist on their having been called by God to serve him in the prophetical office. Elijah makes his appearance in the book of Kings (1 Kings 17) and at a certain point claims to be the only prophet of the Lord (1 Kings 18:22). Fr. Tyler

He summons the prophets of Baal to a contest between the Lord and Baal — whichever accepts the sacrifice would be counted by the people as God. We know the famous sequel. The fire of God consumed the sacrifice prepared by Elijah, and the prophets of Baal were executed. It was a vindication not only of Elijah’s claim to be a prophet of the Lord, but of the Lord’s claim to be the one and only God of Israel. Elisha was accepted as a prophet of the Lord (2 Kings 2: 15) by the guild prophets in Jericho. Many claimed to be prophets in the history of Israel, and an important theme in the nation’s history is the discernment of those who were true prophets and those who were false (1 Kings 22:22). In the Scriptures there are several recorded clashes between the two. When John the Baptist was well into his ministry, the chief priests in Jerusalem sent their representatives to ask him officially if he were Elijah, or the Prophet, or the Christ? John the Baptist said he was none of these — although our Lord told his three principal disciples privately that in fact John was the Elijah who was to come again. He was fulfilling the mission of the returned Elijah. At the end, our Lord’s own claims were formally rejected by the nation’s religious leaders. He was, instead, counted a blasphemer worthy of death. So the question of identity was critical, and our Gospel today (Matthew 16:13-19) reports a pivotal scene, in which our Lord asks his own disciples who the people considered him to be. It is agreed, they said, that you are a prophet. But you, he asked — what do you say? Simon Peter’s answer was magnificent and it set Christ above and beyond all who had preceded him. You are the promised One: the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

Who do you say I am? The question was pivotal. Our Lord makes it clear that it was a great blessing for Simon to have the right answer to this. The answer to Christ’s question is possessed not by “the people” but by Simon and the body that is with him. Simon has been given this answer not “by man, but by my Father in heaven.” Then there comes an unprecedented act. Christ designates Simon as the Rock of the Church which he, Christ, will build: “You are Peter (the Rock), and on this Rock I will build my Church.” Set this against the backdrop of the kings, priests and prophets of the Old Testament — there is no direct parallel. No prophet, up to and including John, had done such a thing. Christ’s preaching had been a proclamation of the arrival of the kingdom of God. He had preached incessantly about its requirements and its blessings, and by his miracles had shown the power that it would carry. Though he was discrete about his own place in the Kingdom, it was clear to his disciples that he himself was the Messiah-King. But to this point, there is a certain vagueness about the Kingdom. Where was it, and how did one become its citizen? In what sense was it to be “a Kingdom” — for such a term sounded very political. In our scene today, the keys to the kingdom of Heaven are placed in the hands of a particular man who heads a particular body. That man is Simon, constituted by Christ to be the Rock of the Church. The kingdom of God will abide in this Church which Christ will build, and Simon is given the keys to its entry. There is, then, a new “nation,” a new “people,” a new “kingdom” coming into being — a new empire. It is in fact, David’s kingdom brought to a new level, and it would never end. Christ will be its Lord and King, but Simon will be its principal executive officer, as it were. On him, in a visible sense, will the Church be built, and nothing, not even the powers of Hell, will be able to overcome it. The kingdom will be very concrete and visible, and to it will be granted the victory.

Many things can be missed that are plainly stated in Scripture. Scripture plainly states that Jesus Christ gives us his flesh to eat and his blood to drink. This is denied by many Christians, and they deny it in good faith and with great sincerity. There are those who deny that Christ established a definite Church — one definite Church and no other. They sincerely think that any group of persons who gather in Jesus’ name and profess to follow his teaching are thereby constituted his Church. But this is plainly not according to Christ’s words, and in any case, where is Peter in such a system, Peter to whom were given the keys? Where is the formal designation by Christ? Let us ponder long and joyfully on our Gospel text today, so illuminating, so concrete, so essential.

Prepare yourself for an ordeal Years ago I watched on television an hour-long documentary on the life of the great Mongolian conqueror, Genghis Khan. As with many conquerors in history, his life was marked by the loss of countless lives. So many lives in human history have come and gone without their knowing the true purpose of their existence! We are blessed to know the true purpose of our lives. It is to know, love and serve the true God. This is the goal that God has revealed for us and which we ought set ourselves to attain, and it is the goal which we ought open up for others. But there is a fundamental aspect of this goal which we are prone to overlook, and which we are prone to conceal from others. It is what the first reading from the Old Testament Book of Sirach plainly reminds us of: “My son, if you aspire to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal” (Sirach. 2:1).

Let us gaze on the figure of our Lord, and how he fulfilled the teaching of the Scriptures in this, as in everything.

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To be a Christian in the world doesn’t mean isolating oneself — on the contrary! It means loving all mankind and burning with a desire to enkindle in everyone the fire of the love of God.

Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna (modern Izmir, Turkey), disciple of St. John the Apostle and friend of St. Ignatius of Antioch was a revered Christian leader during the first half of the second century. St. Ignatius, on his way to Rome to be martyred, visited Polycarp at Smyrna, and later at Troas wrote him a personal letter. The Asia Minor Churches recognized Polycarp’s leadership by choosing him as a representative to discuss with Pope Anicetus the date of the Easter celebration in Rome—a major controversy in the early Church. Only one of the many letters written by Polycarp has been preserved, the one he wrote to the Church of Philippi in Macedonia.

At 86, Polycarp was led into the crowded Smyrna stadium to be burned alive. The flames did not harm him and he was finally killed by a dagger. The centurion ordered the saint’s body burned. The “Acts” of Polycarp’s martyrdom are the earliest preserved, fully reliable account of a Christian martyr’s death. He died in 156. (AmericanCatholic.org)

John said to Jesus, Teacher, we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us. Do not stop him, Jesus said. No-one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment speak ill of me, for whoever is not against us is for us. (Mark 9:38-40)

Do not stop him In the eighteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, there is narrated the interesting incident of the encounter with Apollos. Luke is describing the journeys of Paul — after spending some time in Antioch, he went around the territory of Galatia and Phrygia (18: 22-23). Fr Tyler

Suddenly we are introduced to “a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and powerful in his mastery of the Scriptures.” It looks as if he was a man of considerable education, steeped in the Scriptures — which is to say, in the Old Testament, and with great talent in eloquence and teaching. Alexandria, of course, was a great centre of Jewish life — Josephus was from Alexandria. There is no suggestion that Apollos had had any contact with the Apostles or the Church in Jerusalem. But “he was instructed in the way of the Lord and was fervent in spirit.” Further, “he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus.” So Apollos, raised and educated in Alexandria, thoroughly versed in the Scriptures, had become involved with Christians and had been instructed in the Christian Way. The upshot was that he underwent a conversion to Jesus Christ, so great as to become a missionary himself. He was travelling around preaching the name of Jesus, and doing so “accurately.” His “accurate” teaching of the things of Jesus must have been in certain spheres of Christian doctrine only and not in others, because he himself knew only the baptism of John (18: 25). He came to Ephesus where he “began to speak boldly in the synagogue” — and Priscilla and Aquila (associates of Paul — Acts 18: 18) took him aside and told him more of “the way of God.” This fuller instruction may have included the gift of the Spirit at Baptism. He must have been open to this instruction because “the brethren wrote (to Achaia) asking the disciples to receive him.” When he went there he “greatly strengthened those who through the grace of God had become believers.” We then read what might be the clue to Apollos’s “accurate” teaching about Jesus: “He was vigorous in his refutation of the Jewish party as he went about establishing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.”

The point I am making here is that here we have an example of one who had not been fully instructed in the Way, but who, as far as his knowledge went, was excellently instructed, and was exemplary in his personal fervour and missionary spirit. In his eloquence he may have outshone Paul himself. He was not deputed by the Apostles, and seems to have had no prior contact with the Church of Jerusalem. Now, what did the disciples do with him? Did they say to him — look here! What are you doing? Where did you get permission to speak on Jesus Christ? No, we read that they were courteous, encouraging, welcoming, and they entered into dialogue with him. Priscilla and Aquila “took him home and explained the way of God to him” (18:26). Apollos was sincere, of good faith, and with all his learning was open to instruction. He was immediately welcomed into the fuller Christian community — that which was in communion with Paul and the Apostles. That is not to say that he did not need further instruction still, but the point here is to notice the policy of the disciples towards those who were “instructed in the way of the Lord” to a point, and who were speaking “the things of the Lord” accurately but only to a point, missing other very important elements of the Christian message. It was a policy of brotherly charity and of courteous dialogue, drawing the person in question into a fuller knowledge of and communion with the “way of God.” We notice something of the same thing when Paul visits Ephesus and finds “certain disciples” who know nothing of the reception of the Holy Spirit at Baptism, but only of John’s baptism (Acts 19: 1-4). Paul led them to a fuller Christian faith and practice. All this brings us to our Gospel today (Mark 9:38-40), in which John says to our Lord that “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us. Do not stop him, Jesus said. No-one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment speak ill of me, for whoever is not against us is for us.” There is a very strong tradition that John himself spent years in Ephesus, where there had been these inadequately instructed disciples.

Let us strive to be very, very charitable, while all the time absolutely adhering to the truth as proclaimed by the Church built by Christ upon Peter. We ought look on all who speak with love for Jesus as our brothers — separated, but brothers nevertheless. Our Gospel text today even suggests that they may, occasionally, do miracles in his name. If they do good in the name of Jesus Christ, they will not speak ill of him — so let us always treat them as our brothers, and brothers of Jesus Christ. Let us share with them our fuller and truer teaching, knowing that if it is accepted, they may well go on to do more good for Jesus Christ than we. Many have done so.

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Our separated brethren One of the very great features of the modern Church is its ecumenical outreach. The Church formally regards the faithful of non-Catholic Christian Churches and Communions as brethren. They are separated brethren and we join with them in a common search for Christian unity. We are exhorted to love our separated brothers and sisters and to recognise all that is positive in them and in their teaching. This attitude we surely see in Our Lord himself in today’s brief Gospel passage (Mark 9:40). It was John — the disciple who in his Letters places so much stress on brotherly love — who said to Jesus that they had tried to stop someone casting out devils in his name. Our Lord told them not to stop the person who is doing good things in his name. Such a person is to be regarded not as some kind of enemy but as a friend and ally. He is for us, not against us.

Let us in our daily sphere of influence endeavour to build bonds of love and communion with believers in the name of Christ who are separated from us. Let us be genuinely ecumenical.

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Dear Lady, Mother of God and my Mother, not in the remotest way do I wish that you may ever be anything less than Mistress and Empress of the whole of creation.

Thursday of the seventh week in Ordinary Time A-1

(February 24) Blessed Luke Belludi (1200-c. 1285)

In 1220, St. Anthony was preaching conversion to the inhabitants of Padua when a young nobleman, Luke Belludi, came up to him and humbly asked to receive the habit of the followers of St. Francis. Anthony liked the talented, well-educated Luke and personally recommended him to St. Francis, who then received him into the Franciscan Order. Luke, then only 20, was to be Anthony's companion in his travels and in his preaching, tending to him in his last days and taking Anthony's place upon his death. He was appointed guardian of the Friars Minor in the city of Padua. In 1239 the city fell into the hands of its enemies. Nobles were put to death, the mayor and council were banished, the great university of Padua gradually closed and the church dedicated to St. Anthony was left unfinished. Luke himself was expelled from the city but secretly returned. At night he and the new guardian would visit the tomb of St. Anthony in the unfinished shrine to pray for his help. One night a voice came from the tomb assuring them that the city would soon be delivered from its evil tyrant. After the fulfilment of the prophetic message, Luke was elected provincial minister and furthered the completion of the great basilica in honour of Anthony, his teacher. He founded many convents of the order and had, as Anthony, the gift of miracles. Upon his death he was laid to rest in the basilica that he had helped finish and has had a continual veneration up to the present time. (AmericanCatholic.org)

Jesus said to his disciples: I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other. (Mark 9:41-50)

Sin and the unseen It is a pity that we do not have time in life to pursue so many fields of immense interest. When I was a child I was fascinated with astronomy, and in my present parish we have a Catholic secondary school with an impressive radio telescope. I wish I had the time to explore the heavens in a scientific sense. The vastness and variety of Fr. Tyler

the universe is simply astounding, wondrous beyond words. I suspect that one reason why some do not believe in God is that it boggles the imagination how one Being could create and sustain such a universe. Many assume that this universe is all that there is, and there is a constant search for possible life in our own and in other galaxies. Speculation has long been rife over unidentified flying objects, and claims have been made of the presence of other human-like creatures elsewhere. With due respect for those of an opposite opinion, my hunch is that there is no intelligent life elsewhere in the universe — meaning by this, persons with intellect, free will and conscience like ourselves. I strongly suspect that planet Earth is a unique jewel in the entire visible creation, and that there is no other planet with such an extraordinary set of circumstances so favourable to life and civilization. My suspicion is that our ever-changing universe is like a vast womb that has formed, protected, nourished and produces the stunning phenomenon that is our earthly home. The old idea that the earth was the centre of the universe has long been justifiably rejected. But in another sense, I believe that it is its true centre, in the sense that the “eye” of the universe is our own planet Earth. The Creator has formed our home and continues to do so, with an immense array of tools, and the powerful telescopes of the world peer out at his seemingly unending workshop. God has given to mankind an extraordinary, and perhaps unique, home. But — and this is my real point here — it is just a sign of what is to come, something far more awesome, beautiful and joy-filling. I refer to the unseen world existing now beyond our sight. I refer to Heaven, the realm of God and his angels and saints, and to Hell, the abode of the damned.

The fact is that however captivating our universe is, and in particular planet Earth its heart and our home, it is not to be compared with the unseen world. In the unseen world there is, first and foremost, the great Being that transcends all else, visible and invisible. God! God — Father, Son and Spirit! From all eternity, the divine Being has lived in an unutterable embrace of happiness, joy and love — Father, Son and Spirit, each of whom is this one ineffable Being. The beauty and greatness of our world is a mere shadow of the beauty and infinity of the Creator, and our destiny is to see him face to face forever. There are so many who do now see him — first and foremost Jesus Christ our Brother and our God, but also his most holy mother and those who are in him, all the unseen Angels and Saints. The unseen world teems with holiness and joy, and is hard at work to ensure that all of us, God’s children who are blessed with the gift of this brief life on this extraordinary planet, will be received into his presence in the realm of the unseen. How terrible to miss out on this! This world is not all that there is, despite its extraordinary spectacle. It is a tragic mistake to think otherwise. The unseen world is far, far greater, greater beyond imagining, and it can be lost forever. There is the unseen Hell, a horrible thought and a horrible reality, dark, hate-filled, cavernous, populated with despicable beings that seek without respite to do harm to God and his interests. How terrible to fall into the depths of Hell and to spend one’s eternity in such a company. But this is the whole point of our sojourn on this beautiful scene which is ours — and as I have said, I suspect it is the most beautiful scene in the universe. We have been given a beautiful home, challenging and full of hazards, but beautiful nevertheless. But its point is to give us the opportunity of making a choice here and now. Do I wish to serve God, or do I wish to go my own way, as if I were myself a different god? I must serve him! As our Lord says in our Gospel today, “It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out” (Mark 9:41-50). The ultimate issues are clear and stark.

Mankind’s future turns on the question of sin. If man sins, he is on the road to Hell. If he turns away from sin whatever be the cost, and if he keeps turning away from sin whenever he does sin, he is on the road to God and to Heaven. The greatest reality is unseen. It is more vast, more enduring, more dramatic, far more beautiful. Let us live in view of it, using our world in such a way that we attain our true homeland with God, for eventually this world as we see it will pass away to something new. Then God will be all in all. Let us renounce sin, then, and live for God.

On our image of God There are so many illusions and excuses that can lead us into sin, or that can delay our repentance. Our first reading today from the Old Testament book of Sirach 5:1-10 gives us some of them. But one in particular is perhaps especially worth noticing, for it is one we in our day are prone to succumb to. It relates to our image of God. God has revealed himself to be a God of love and mercy. St Thomas Aquinas writes somewhere that God reveals or manifests his power in his mercy. Now, Cardinal Newman used to insist that we in our day are prone to think that God is merciful and compassionate in the sense that he will benevolently overlook sin. This is because we tend to think that sin does not matter much. This in turn may relate to the modern tendency to think that truth is relative, and that there is no such thing as ultimate and absolute truth. This tendency, the tendency of modern relativism, is something Pope Benedict XVI had been commenting on even before his election. Such assumptions affect our image of God and his holiness.

Our passage from Sirach tells us “Do not say, ‘His compassion is great, he will forgive my many sins’; for with Him are both mercy and wrath, and his rage bears heavy on sinners.” So let us not delay our repentance. We ought repent daily, making a full return to the Lord.

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Follow St Paul’s advice: Now is the hour for us to rise from sleep! — it is time to get down to work. Both on the inside, building up your soul; and on the outside, building up the Kingdom of God, right where you are.

Sebastian’s roads and bridges connected many distant places. His final bridge-building was to help men and women recognize their God-given dignity and destiny. Sebastian’s parents were Spanish peasants. At the age of 31 he sailed to Mexico, where he began working in the fields. Eventually he built roads to facilitate agricultural trading and other commerce. His 466-mile road from Mexico City to Zacatecas took 10 years to build and required careful negotiations with the indigenous peoples along the way. In time Sebastian was a wealthy farmer and rancher. At the age of 60 he entered a virginal marriage. His wife’s motivation may have been a large inheritance; his was to provide a respectable life for a girl without even a modest marriage dowry. When his first wife died, he entered another virginal marriage for the same reason; his second wife also died young. At the age of 72 Sebastian distributed his goods among the poor and entered the Franciscans as a brother. Assigned to the large (100-member) friary at Puebla de los Angeles south of Mexico City, Sebastian went out collecting alms for the friars for the next 25 years. His charity to all earned him the nickname "Angel of Mexico." Sebastian was beatified in 1787 and is known as a patron of travellers. (AmericanCatholic.org)

Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? What did Moses command you? he replied. They said, Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away. It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law, Jesus replied. But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female'. 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate. When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery. (Mark 10:1-12)

Christ on marriage If we set Christ’s teaching against the backdrop of the teachings of most religions, such as Judaism, Islam, most indigenous religions, and indeed many Christian denominations, Christ’s teaching on the indissolubility of marriage stands out as noteworthy. The context of our Lord’s remarks in today’s Gospel is the question asked by the Pharisees, Fr Tyler

“is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” We read in chapters 22, 23, and 24 of the Book of Deuteronomy various prescriptions governing marriage in Jewish society at that earlier time, including (in Deuteronomy 24: 1-4) rules on divorce. It was these directives of Chapter 24 which the Pharisees were alluding to in their question. Those directives of the Mosaic Law allowed for divorce. But of course there were an abundance of directives in the Pentateuch, especially in the Books of Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Their status varied: the Ten Commandments represented something more serious and authoritative than, say, the directive not to permit the corpse of a criminal to hang from a tree overnight (Deuteronomy 21: 23). What, then, was to be said of the Mosaic directives authorizing a man to write out a bill of divorce and to dismiss his wife from his house? Our Lord gave his answer: divorce and remarriage was a purely disciplinary measure of the time, designed to limit the damage on marriage, society’s most fundamental institution. But, our Lord said to them, it did not reflect the mind and plan of God as he had revealed in the beginning. He then refers to the two inspired accounts of the origins of man and the world in the Book of Genesis. In chapter 1, the first account, we read that “God created man in his own image ... male and female he created them” (1:27). This is followed by the second account, in which is given a more picturesque description of the creation of man (2: 18-23). Then our Lord quotes the binding implication of all this, as it appears in the second account: “'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” (2: 24). Having quoted from Genesis, Christ then gives his own teaching: “So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

So Mark quotes our Lord’s clear teaching that once a couple become man and wife, their union is God’s work, and neither party may undo it and enter into another union. Such is God’s act and intention, and we have, as St Paul will make clear, an image and symbol of this in the relation between Christ and his Church. Indeed, Christian marriage has been constituted as a share in this union of Christ and his Church. In St Luke — a Gospel probably later than St Mark — Christ asserts that: ‘Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery’ (Lk 16:18). Both of these teachings agree with what is probably the earlier statement of St Paul in 1 Corinthians, “To the married I give this command – not I but the Lord – that the wife should not separate from her husband...and that the husband should not divorce his wife” (1 Cor 7:10). But suddenly we notice in the Gospel of St Matthew — a Gospel especially concerned for Jewish converts to the faith — what seems like an exception. In Matthew 5: 32, the exception our Lord allows is the “matter of porneia.” In Matthew 19:9, again the exception is “porneia.” What is this “porneia”? The word appears in two other places in the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians 5: 1, the “porneia” which St Paul condemns is a case of one having his father’s wife. The man married his stepmother — a case of “porneia” “not found even among the pagans.” Of course, such sexual immorality (“porneia”) had to be terminated. The second example of “porneia” is that in Acts 15: 20 and 29 — commonly translated simply as “fornication.” The Council of Jerusalem directs that converts abstain from food offered to idols, from eating blood and strangled animals, and from “porneia.” But “porneia”here could not simply mean “fornication.” It hardly needed to be said that converts must absolutely abstain from fornication! It seems to mean some type of sexual relationship which violated the Jewish law on marriage. “Porneia” would mean, say, an illegal marriage according to Jewish law. Converts such as these who were now separating would not be “divorcing” and so incurring Jesus’ disapproval. In this understanding of the matter, “porneia” was a sexual relationship which could not be regarded as a “marriage.” It had no validity, and so their “divorce” would not be a divorce.

However, the point to be taken from our Gospel passage today (Mark 10:1-12) is above all Christ’s teaching on the sacredness of marriage. It is God’s doing, his plan. Scripture shows that its archetype is the union between Yahweh God and his chosen people, and more definitively, the union between Christ and his Church. That is the model for every Christian marriage, and, most important of all, every Christian marriage is a Sacrament. It throbs with the life of God and with the love which flows between Christ and his Church. It is, therefore, a privileged locale of Christ’s presence in the Church and the world. Let every Christian couple be conscious of their special vocation, then, to be an instrument of Christ’s presence and action in the world.

The light of Christ and the natural law I have heard it said that the recognized basis of Fr Tyler

the prosecutions for crimes against humanity carried out at the Nuremberg trials at the end of World War II was the natural law. It was recognised that nature manifested inviolable moral laws to the moral perception of man. Our Lord in our Gospel passage today (Mark 10:1-12) is telling us of one of these natural laws. It is the law that marriage involves an unbreakable union between a man and a woman. This unbreakable union, our Lord tells us, is founded on their very being as male and female. “From the very beginning of creation God made them male and female. This is why a man must leave father and mother and the two become one body.” It is clear that our Lord is saying that Scripture reveals there to be a natural law here, a law which man’s moral perception imposes on him in view of the natural constitution of the human couple and its manifest meaning. But to see this (and probably some other natural laws) may well require the light of Christ. After all, the moral obligations of marriage have ever been controverted.

It is Christ himself who in this instance reveals the natural law of marriage, and without his light we may or may not have perceived it. Let us then resolve to fill our minds with the light of Christ as it comes to us through the Church his representative, and thus be all the more equipped to perceive the manifold obligations imposed by the natural law.

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All contrite you told me: “How much wretchedness I see in myself! I am so stupid and I am carting around such a weight of concupiscence that it is as though I had never really done anything to get closer to God. Lord, here I am beginning, beginning, always just beginning! I will try, however, to push forward each day with all my heart.” May he bless those efforts of yours.
(The Forge, no.378)

We go far back in history today to learn a bit about a saint whose name is not familiar to most of us in the West but who is celebrated by the Greek and other Eastern churches. Born near Greece in the mid-fourth century, Porphyry is most known for his generosity to the poor and for his ascetic lifestyle. Deserts and caves were his home for a time. At age 40, living in Jerusalem, Porphyry was ordained a priest. If the accounts we have are correct, he was elected bishop of Gaza — without his knowledge and against his will. He was, in effect, kidnapped (with the help of a neighbouring bishop, by the way) and forcibly consecrated bishop by the members of the small Christian community there. No sooner had Porphyry been consecrated bishop then he was accused by the local pagans of causing a drought. When rains came shortly afterward, the pagans gave credit to Porphyry and the Christian population and tensions subsided for a time. For the next 13 years, Porphyry worked tirelessly for his people, instructed them and made many converts, though pagan opposition continued throughout his life. He died in the year 421. (AmericanCatholic.org)

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16)

Each child Among the things we can forget in reading the Gospels are the children who must have featured therein. In fact, when Jesus Christ was a Child, the greatest person on the face of the earth was that Child. Let us start with that fact. Above those quiet fields just outside Bethlehem, the heavens erupted with glory as the angel of the Lord announced to the shepherds the birth of a Child. They went to see him — a tiny infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, a human baby who was also God himself. Soon after, he was taken into Fr. Tyler

the Temple to be presented before God and there he was the object of rapt attention by Simeon and Anna. Whenever we think of an infant, we are able to appreciate its grandeur by thinking of the Infant Jesus Christ. He too was an Infant. Then he grew in wisdom, stature and age. We read that when he was twelve he was taken by Mary and Joseph up to the Temple in Jerusalem to take part in the feast there. I have read that the rabbinical ruling was that a boy was not bound to make the journey till the completion of his thirteenth year, but that it was customary for parents to take their child earlier than this. If this was so, we may take it that Christ, in going to Jerusalem at this age, was going precisely as a Child still. The episode is the episode of a Child, and it turned out that as a Child he was a sensation among the Temple authorities in Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph, arriving in Jerusalem with their caravan of friends and relatives — with whom they planned to return — may have left him with them. That they had no qualms about this shows not only our Lord’s immersion in the reality of family and village life, but their own utter confidence in him. Let us imagine the Child moving about in the Temple, praying, observing, thinking with rapt adoration of his heavenly Father. Let us imagine this or that teacher of the Law noticing him and speaking to him briefly. Let us imagine word passing among the Temple authorities, and his being pointed out among them as a most fascinating Child. After several days, including the three days during which he was left behind, this Child attracted the astonished notice of the best minds in the Temple institution.

Let us think of this Child whenever we think of children. He is their model. But there is more. Now a Man, Jesus Christ himself noticed children and loved them. In our Gospel today we read that “people were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them.” We read elsewhere in the Gospels of people seeking the touch of Jesus Christ. With a touch he raised the dead and healed the sick. Even if they touched him, they were healed — and even if they merely touched his garment. The touch of Jesus was laden with power, and we can imaging how greatly parents with faith would have sought that Jesus Christ touch their children in blessing. They also sought it because they sensed that he loved children. They saw his smile, the lighting up of his eyes and features as he gazed at the infant or child. On the occasion of our Gospel today, it was too much for the disciples who doubtlessly were concerned for the abundance of work and pressure on their Master. They attempted to send the parents off — but our Lord intervened at once and commanded them to let the children approach him. He remembered his own childhood, and knew the awesomeness of what lay ahead for them. We read in the Gospel of St Luke (1: 66) that the people said of the child John — John who would become the Baptist — “what manner of person will this child be?” Then, significantly, Luke tells us that “the hand of the Lord was with him.” As our Lord received each child presented to him by his or her parents, he too may have asked himself, “what manner of person will this child be?” The hand of the Lord was with John. Our Lord placed his hands on each of these children. We read that he said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them” (Mark 10:13-16). Our Lord not only loved and welcomed children; he not only blessed them for their future lives. He held up for our imitation certain features typical of the child — his openness to the good things offered to him. We must be open to the Kingdom of God offered us by Jesus Christ.

Let us take from our Gospel passage today our Lord’s love and concern for children, his bestowing on them his blessings, and his seeing in them an inspiration for his disciples. Let us for our part look on each child as having a wonderful model in the childhood of Jesus Christ, and as having a most loving Friend in him who wishes to bless them for their years ahead. Let us do all we can to bring each child to Jesus Christ so that he can enfold them with his love and blessings.

Jesus and children It is a commonplace in Christian thought that all things and all persons are to be viewed in the light of Christ. Today’s Gospel presents us with Christ’s dealings with children. Parents were bringing their children to Jesus for him to touch them, and our Lord welcomed them. This reminds us that a most serious responsibility lies on every parent to bring his or her children into contact with the person of Jesus. This contact will be the source of innumerable blessings. And this does not only concern parents — represented in our Gospel passage by the parents there mentioned — because Our Lord rebuked others who were making this contact difficult. It is those “others” who are also involved, and whom we are reminded of. All who are associated with Jesus and who wish to be his disciples ought be making it easy for each and every child (and parent) to have contact with our Lord.

Let us think of our Lord doing what he is described as doing in the Gospel passage — “he put his arms around them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing”. This is what he wants to do with every child who meets him in prayer, in the sacraments, in the priest, and in the life of the Church. Let us endeavour to make this happen in the life of every child.

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H-M Escriva

Father, you told me, I have committed many errors. I have made so many mistakes. I know, I replied. But God Our Lord, who also knows all that and has taken it into account, only asks you to be humble enough to admit it and asks that you struggle to make amends, so as to serve him better each day with more interior life, with continual prayer and with piety, and making use of the proper means to sanctify yourself.

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time A

Prayers today: The Lord has been my strength; he has led me into freedom. He saved me because he loved me. (Psalm 17: 19-20)

Lord, guide the course of world events and give your Church the joy and peace of serving you in freedom. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

Born in Italy into a large family and baptized Francis, he lost his mother when he was only four years old. He was educated by the Jesuits and, having been cured twice of serious illnesses, came to believe that God was calling him to the religious life. Young Francis wished to join the Jesuits but was turned down, probably because of his age, not yet 17. Following the death of a sister to cholera, his resolve to enter religious life became even stronger and he was accepted by the Passionists. Upon entering the novitiate he was given the name Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. Ever popular and cheerful, Gabriel quickly was successful in his effort to be faithful in little things. His spirit of prayer, love for the poor, consideration of the feelings of others, exact observance of the Passionist Rule as well as his bodily penances—always subject to the will of his wise superiors— made a deep impression on everyone. His superiors had great expectations of Gabriel as he prepared for the priesthood, but after only four years of religious life symptoms of tuberculosis appeared. Ever obedient, he patiently bore the painful effects of the disease and the restrictions it required, seeking no special notice. He died peacefully on February 27, 1862, at age 24, having been an example to both young and old. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows was canonized in 1920. (AmericanCatholic.org)

Scripture today: Isaiah 49: 14-15; Psalm 61; 1 Corinthians 4: 1-5; Matthew 6: 24-34

Jesus said to his disciples, No-one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6: 24-34)

Divine Providence I remember watching a television interview in which the Prime Minister of Australia at the time made reference to God. He referred to him as “the Creator.” At the time, incidentally, Fr Tyler

I had the impression that he used that expression as a deft way of avoiding the use of the word, “God” — which is rarely used publicly in secular Australia. Now, in a country of Christian heritage, God is indeed known as the Creator — this is his first and foremost title. I suspect, though, that few people ponder on the enormous significance of this divine prerogative, his being the Creator of all things, seen or unseen. He is the Creator in that he sustains every aspect of being that is not himself. Intimately connected with his work of sustaining in being, is his work of ongoing direction of what he sustains. In continually sustaining all that is by his act of will, he is at the same time ordering all that is to its good and proper end. There are so many aspects of this which are beyond our understanding. We do not even understand how God can create and sustain things out of nothing by a mere act of his loving will. But so it is. Whatever there is, and whatever happens, is sustained, and ultimately guided, by the loving hand of God from no other resource than his own power. He is the Creator, and therefore the Lord and Guide of all. But this presents an immediate problem, for so much that happens in the world is wrong and evil. A terrible natural disaster occurs — say, an earthquake or a massive flooding or a vast bush fire — that involves a tremendous loss of life and property. Alternatively, it could be the outbreak of a war leading to atrocities and loss of innocent life. The water that floods the towns and washes away property and life, the people who wage war and cause untold suffering to innocent civilians, all are sustained in being by the Creator. He seems to have a hand in the evil, then. In 1994, from April to mid-July, there occurred the mass murder of an estimated 850,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda, wiping out as much as 20% of the country's population. Those who were doing the killing were sustained in existence by the Creator. Why did he not withdraw his creative hand from this? How could allowing this possibly fit into his all-holy Providence in governing the world?

We cannot possibly answer such questions, if only because the vastness and complexity of the universe is such that we cannot understand how it could be guided to good ends by any hand. But let us consider the Providence of God from a different perspective — it may help us appreciate the power of God to bring good out of evil. God is our Creator, and he therefore has had each of us in his mind from all eternity. As St Paul writes, before the world began, God chose us in Christ to be holy and full of love in his sight. Therefore from the very foundation of the world God has been working out his plan for the appearance of each of us. We are in no way the result of chance — we are chosen by him, and have been so chosen from eternity. But consider what this entails. The history of the world is the fruit of a well-nigh infinite number of factors of a seeming chance character. All in their myriad complexity and seeming incidental character have contributed to the making of the present. Let each person ask himself how he came to be, in a purely historical sense. His existence was dependent on the perhaps chance meeting of his parents, and their existence on the chance meeting of their parents, together with an incalculable number of factors all of a very contingent character. His conception and birth could easily not have happened. Nothing in such a history was necessary, and it could all have so easily been otherwise. One stray event could have changed the course of generations to come. What difference would there have been to history if, as a boy on the island of Corsica, Napoleon had fallen off some precarious position and been killed? He would never have been heard of, but how different would history have been. Now, let each person think of the vast accumulation of coincidences that have led to his own existence, all the while remembering that he is the result of the guiding providence of God who knows, chooses and loves him by name. God’s plan and choice is worked out amid the incomprehensible complexity of the history of the world. This thought alone ought help us to appreciate the almighty power of God and his Providence.

God has the power to attain his holy ends in and through the creation which he constantly sustains. He has the power to do it, despite the complexity and terrible evils of history. Therefore whatever happens to us, let us remember that all is in the hands of a loving and holy Creator. If he allows it, let us trust him and obey him. From the slightest inconveniences to the greatest, from the best of blessings to the worst of reversals, let us do what our Lord commands us to do in today’s Gospel (Matthew 6: 24-34). We must not worry as if there is no God, as if there is no Creator, as if there is no loving Providence, as if God is not in charge. Do not worry, our Lord says. Rather, seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and he will provide.

Further reading: The Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.302-314 (Providence)

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Would that you could acquire, as I know you would like to, the virtues of the donkey. Donkeys are humble, hardworking, persevering — stubborn — and faithful, with a sure step, tough and — if they have a good master — also grateful and obedient.

Monday of the eighth week in Ordinary Time A-1

(February 28) Blessed Daniel Brottier (1876-1936)
Bl. Daniel Brottier

Daniel spent most of his life in the trenches—one way or another. Born in France in 1876, Daniel was ordained in 1899 and began a teaching career. That didn’t satisfy him long. He wanted to use his zeal for the gospel far beyond the classroom. He joined the missionary Congregation of the Holy Spirit, which sent him to Senegal, West Africa. After eight years there, his health was suffering. He was forced to return to France, where he helped raise funds for the construction of a new cathedral in Senegal. At the outbreak of World War I Daniel became a volunteer chaplain and spent four years at the front. He did not shrink from his duties. Indeed, he risked his life time and again in ministering to the suffering and dying. It was miraculous that he did not suffer a single wound during his 52 months in the heart of battle. After the war he was invited to help establish a project for orphaned and abandoned children in a Paris suburb. He spent the final 13 years of his life there. He died in 1936 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Paris only 48 years later. (AmericanCatholic.org)

Scripture today: Ecclesiasticus 17: 20-28; Psalm 31; Mark 10:17-27

Shroud of Turin

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. Good teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Why do you call me good? Jesus answered. No-one is good— except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honour your father and mother.' Teacher, he declared, all these I have kept since I was a boy. Jesus looked at him and loved him. One thing you lack, he said. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, Who then can be saved? Jesus looked at them and said, With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God. (Mark 10:17-27)

The Good If one compares the popular literature and drama of, say, the mid-twentieth century with that of fifty or sixty years later in our own day, there is one difference worth noticing. By “popular literature and drama” I am thinking of the fictional characters in comic-strips, in the easily-procurable popular novels, in the Saturday cinema movies which the average man-in-the-street and young person read or watched at that time. I think of the characters such as Tarzan, Superman, The Phantom, Hopalong Cassidy, and other Fr. Tyler

characters who featured in action adventure series watched or read by the ordinary populace. There was no religion in a formal sense in these characters, but morally they were very good and they resisted the evil actions of others — and by “evil actions” I mean actions that harmed others. They were morally good, while being secular in respect to religion. There were two clearly identified moral realms in the world, good and evil. Good was naturally attractive and evil was naturally repulsive, and this often showed itself in the handsome features and manner of the good characters, and in the ugliness of the bad. The broad picture implied that there is a good and an evil, that there is a struggle between the two, that goodness is attainable, and that goodness will, generally speaking, win out in the end. Now, the characters of popular literature, drama and culture of sixty years later, in the early twenty-first century, do not portray such a straightforward picture of the moral world. Religion is still absent from the scene, but moral goodness is not nearly so obvious. It is not as common as it was for the hero of the adventure to be simply “good,” nor for the good to prevail in the struggle. In the contest between good and evil, often the upshot is a miserable stalemate. While in many respects this is a truer reflection of the objective situation in which fallen man finds himself, the unfortunate feature of this picture is its inherent scepticism as to the reality and nature of goodness, and the possibility of its flourishing in the human being. While it is implicitly accepted that moral goodness is desirable and indeed required of man, there is a deep scepticism as to its objective nature and attainability. There is scepticism as to real “goodness,” and as to the possibility of a truly “good man.”

In our Gospel today (Mark 10:17-27) we read of a man who eagerly comes to our Lord seeking the way to life everlasting. “As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. Good teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Now, what we notice is our Lord’s immediate response, which might seem to some to be somewhat irrelevant to the man’s question. He picks up immediately not on the question itself, but on the title by which the man addressed him. “Why do you call me good? Jesus answered. No-one is good— except God alone.” In fact, our Lord’s answer was magnificent, timeless, and especially apt for our own modern secular scepticism as to religion and the moral life. Our Lord immediately directed the attention of the man not to the path to ultimate life, happiness and flourishing, but to its fundamental source. How may I attain eternal life and happiness? First of all, think of the good God. How may I flourish in an ultimate sense? Turn your attention immediately to the one and only inherently, necessarily, and absolutely good Reality, which is God. Our Lord is instantly implying that true happiness is obtained by attaining goodness, and that objective goodness as a transcendent and necessary reality is found in God alone. If you wish to be happy, seek it in being good. Reject all evil. But “goodness” is to be found only in God who is its ultimate locale and source. The heart of all reality and the object of all striving is the Good, which is God alone. Therefore if you seek life and happiness, then follow the way of God and seek to do his will. It is this that will lead to your true flourishing and happiness. It is God alone who, in an ultimate, objective and necessary sense, is good. It is for him to bestow goodness just as it is for him to bestow existence itself. God is the key to man’s instinctive desire to be good, and to his instinctive sense that he should and must be good. The answer to modern man’s scepticism as to the objective reality and possibility of goodness is given by our Lord: “No one is good but God alone.” That is to say, ultimately goodness exists, and that goodness is God himself.

The gods of polytheism were often far from good, and never were they absolutely good. Classical Rome could not frame its laws on the basis of the goodness and example of the gods. If anything, reason had to take precedence as the source of their notion of good laws and practice. Revealed religion, and in particular that revelation which was given in the person and teaching of Jesus Christ, made manifest the God of all goodness. No-one is good but God alone. God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is himself the one God that his Father is, and the Holy Spirit is the same one God. The Good News of the Gospel is that God has entered the world to empower us to be good with a share in his own goodness. Let us follow his commandments to the end. It will take us to life everlasting.

Loving Christ without reserve The story of the rich young man is a very sad one. Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him. Imagine that! Imagine being the object of the special love and gaze of Jesus and being invited to make him, Jesus, the object of one’s life. This was a wonderful privilege offered to a good and generous young man. But he turned it down because he preferred his own possessions. Our Lord has chosen each of us — God has chosen each of us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and full of love in his sight. Christ has looked on each of us and loved us and has asked us to follow him unreservedly according to the particular vocation he has given us. The danger is that we shall follow our Lord, but with reservations. We will reserve to ourselves certain things that prevent us from giving our hearts totally to the Master.

Let us resolve then to make the work of our lives loving God with all our heart, and not just with part of it. Let us begin by praying for the genuine desire to do this, and the wisdom to know how to do it.

(E.J.Tyler)

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Continue thinking about the donkey’s good qualities and notice how in order to do anything worth while, it has to allow itself to be ruled by the will of whoever is leading it. On its own the donkey would only ... make an ass of itself. Probably the brightest thing that would occur to it to do would be to roll on the ground, trot to the manger and start braying.
Dear Jesus, you too should say to him, you have made me your little donkey. Please don’t leave me — and I’ll try to stay with you always. Lead me, tightly harnessed by your grace: lead me by the halter; make me do your Will. And so I will love you for ever and ever.

Liturgical Season	Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
Sixth week of Ordinary Time A-1			15	16	17	18	19
Seventh week of Ordinary Time A-1	20	21	22 Chair of St. Peter	23	24	25	26
Eighth week of Ordinary Time A-1	27	28