Daily Gospel for Saturday, 11 January 2014
“Peter replied, “Master, to whom would we go? You have the words
of real life, eternal life.”(John 6:68, The Message).
Saturday after Epiphany
Saint of the Day:
SAINT THEODOSIUS, THE CENOBIARCH
(423-529)
Theodosius was born in Cappadocia in 423. The example of Abraham
urged him to leave his country, and his desire to follow Jesus Christ attracted
him to the religious life. He placed himself under Longinus, a very holy
hermit, who sent him to govern a monastery near Bethlehem. Unable to bring
himself to command others, he fled to a cavern, where he lived in penance and
prayer. His great charity, however, forbade him to refuse the charge of some
disciples, who, few at first, became in time a vast number, and Theodosius
built a large monastery and three churches for them. He became eventually
Superior of the religious communities of Palestine.
Theodosius accommodated himself so carefully to the characters
of his subjects that his reproofs were loved rather than dreaded. But once he
was obliged to separate from the communion of the others a religious guilty of
a grave fault. Instead of humbly accepting his sentence, the monk was arrogant
enough to pretend to excommunicate Theodosius in revenge. Theodosius thought
not of indignation, nor of his own position, but meekly submitted to this false
and unjust excommunication. This so touched the heart of his disciple that he
submitted at once and acknowledged his fault.
Theodosius never refused assistance to any in poverty or
affliction; on some days the monks laid more than a hundred tables for those in
want. In times of famine Theodosius forbade the alms to be diminished, and
often miraculously multiplied the provisions. He also built five hospitals, in
which he lovingly served the sick, while by assiduous spiritual reading he
maintained himself in perfect recollection.
He successfully opposed the Eutychian heresy in Jerusalem, and
for this was banished by the emperor. He suffered a long and painful malady,
and refused to pray to be cured, calling it a salutary penance for his former
successes.
He died at the age of a hundred and six.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Saturday after Epiphany
1 John 5: 14 And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we
ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he
hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of
him. 16 If you see your brother or sister[a] committing what is not a mortal
sin, you will ask, and God[b] will give life to such a one—to those whose sin
is not mortal. There is sin that is mortal; I do not say that you should pray
about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not mortal.
18 We know that those who are born of God do not sin, but the
one who was born of God protects them, and the evil one does not touch them. 19
We know that we are God’s children, and that the whole world lies under the
power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has
given us understanding so that we may know him who is true;[c] and we are in
him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.[d]
Footnotes:
a. 1 John 5:16 Gk your brother
b. 1 John 5:16 Gk he
c. 1 John 5:20 Other ancient authorities read know the true God
d. 1 John 5:21 Other ancient authorities add Amen
Psalm 149: Praise for God’s Goodness to Israel
1 Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the
assembly of the faithful.
2 Let Israel be glad in its Maker;
let the children of
Zion rejoice in their King.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing,
making melody to him
with tambourine and lyre.
4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
he adorns the humble
with victory.
5 Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy
on their couches.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats
and two-edged swords
in their hands,
9 to execute on them the judgment decreed.
This is glory for all
his faithful ones.
Praise the Lord!
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 3: Jesus and
John the Baptist
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean
countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized. 23 John also
was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people
kept coming and were being baptized 24 —John, of course, had not yet been
thrown into prison.
25 Now a discussion about purification arose between John’s
disciples and a Jew.[a] 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one
who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is
baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “No one can receive
anything except what has been given from heaven. 28 You yourselves are my
witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,[b] but I have been sent ahead of
him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom,
who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this
reason my joy has been fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”[c]
Footnotes:
a. John 3:25 Other ancient authorities read the Jews
b. John 3:28 Or the Christ
c. John 3:30 Some interpreters hold that the quotation continues
through verse 36
Saturday after Epiphany
Commentary of the Day:
Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407), priest at Antioch then Bishop
of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church
Homilies on Saint Matthew's Gospel, no.25, 1-3
"Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, 'Be
made clean.'"
Jesus did not just say: “I will do it. Be made clean.” He went
further: “He stretched out his hand and touched him.” Now here is something
worthy of our notice. Given that he cured him by an act of his will and with a
word, why did he touch him with his hand? For no other reason, it seems to me,
than to demonstrate that he is not inferior but superior to the Law and that,
from now on, nothing is impure for those who are pure (cf. Lv 3)... Jesus' hand
did not become impure at the leper's contact; to the contrary, the leper's body
was purified by means of the holiness of the hand. For Christ did not just come
to heal bodies but to raise up souls to sanctity, and here he teaches us to
care for our soul and purify it without bothering ourselves about external
ablutions. The only leprosy we need to be afraid of is leprosy of soul, that is
to say, sin...
As for us, let us show thanksgiving to God at all times. Let us
thank him, not only for the gifts he has given to us but, still more, for those
he has granted to others. In this way we shall be able to destroy our envy and
nurture and increase our love of neighbor
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