Daily Gospel for Thursday, 9 January 2014

Daily Gospel for Thursday, 9 January 2014

“Peter replied, “Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life.”(John 6:68, The Message).

Thursday after Epiphany

Saint of the Day:

Sts. JULIAN and BASILISSA

Martyrs

(† c. 313)

St. Julian and St. Basilissa, though married, lived, by mutual consent, in perpetual chastity; they sanctified themselves by the most perfect exercises of an ascetic life, and employed their revenues in relieving the poor and the sick. For this purpose they converted their house into a kind of hospital, in which they sometimes entertained a thousand poor people. Basilissa attended those of her sex, in separate lodgings from the men; these were taken care of by Julian, who from his charity is named the Hospitalarian. Egypt, where they lived, had then begun to abound with examples of persons who, either in the cities or in the deserts, devoted themselves to the most perfect exercises of charity, penance, and mortification.

Basilissa, after having stood seven persecutions, died in peace; Julian survived her many years and received the crown of a glorious martyrdom, together with Celsus, a youth, Antony, a priest, Anastasius, and Marcianilla, the mother of Celsus.

Many churches and hospitals in the East, and especially in the West, bear the name of one or other of these martyrs. Four churches at Rome, and three out of five at Paris, which bear the name of St. Julian, were originally dedicated under the name of St. Julian, the Hospitalarian and martyr.

In the time of St. Gregory the Great, the skull of St. Julian was brought out of the East into France, and given to Queen Brunehault; she gave it to the nunnery which she founded at Étampes; part of it is at present in the monastery of Morigny, near Étampes, and part in the church of the regular canonesses of St. Basilissa at Paris.

Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

St. Adrian of Canterbury

Feastday: January 9

Died: January 9

Born in Africa, Adrian became abbot of the monastery at Nerida, near Naples. He declined an appointment as archbishop of Canterbury, but accompanied St. Theodore to England when the latter was appointed Archbishop. Theodore appointed him Abbot of SS. Peter and Paul Monastery (later changed to St. Augustine's) in Canterbury, and during his thirty-nine years' abbacy, the monastery became renowned as a center of learning. He died on January 9 in Canterbury, and his tomb soon became famous for the miracles wrought there.

Thursday after Epiphany

1 John 4: 19 We love[a] because he first loved us. 20 Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters,[b] are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister[c] whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 21 The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters[d] also.

Faith Conquers the World

5: Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ[e] has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, 4 for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.

Footnotes:

a. 1 John 4:19 Other ancient authorities add him; others add God

b. 1 John 4:20 Gk brothers

c. 1 John 4:20 Gk brother

d. 1 John 4:21 Gk brothers

e. 1 John 5:1 Or the Messiah

Psalm 72: Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King

Of Solomon.

1 Give the king your justice, O God,

    and your righteousness to a king’s son.

2 May he judge your people with righteousness,

    and your poor with justice.

14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life;

    and precious is their blood in his sight.

15 Long may he live!

    May gold of Sheba be given to him.

May prayer be made for him continually,

    and blessings invoked for him all day long.

17 May his name endure forever,

    his fame continue as long as the sun.

May all nations be blessed in him;[a]

    may they pronounce him happy.

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 72:17 Or bless themselves by him

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 4: The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry

14 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

    because he has anointed me

        to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

    and recovery of sight to the blind,

        to let the oppressed go free,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”

Thursday after Epiphany

Commentary of the Day:

Saint Hilary (c.315-367), Bishop of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church

Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, 14, 13-14

"About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them"

“Then he made the disciples get into the boat while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up to pray. When it was evening, he was there alone” (cf. Mt 14,22-23). If we are to explain these happenings we must distinguish between the times. If he was alone in the evening, this points to his solitude at the hour of his Passion when panic had caused everyone to scatter. If he made his disciples get into the boat and cross over the sea while he himself dismissed the crowds, and if, having dismissed them, he went up a mountain, this means that he directed them to remain in the Church and to sail across the sea – that is to say, this world – until, at his return in glory, he would grant salvation to all who are to be the remnant of Israel (cf. Rom 11,5)... and this people would give thanks to God his Father and be set firm within his glory and majesty...

“During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them.” In the expression “fourth watch of the night” we find the number corresponding to the signs of his care. Thus, the first watch was that of the Law; the second, that of the prophets; the third, that of his coming in the flesh; the fourth is situated in his return in glory. But he will find the Church declining and hemmed in by the spirit of the Antichrist and all the distresses of this world. He will come when anxieties and afflictions are at their height... The disciples will be terrified even by the coming of the Lord, fearing the images of a reality distorted by the Antichrist and by the deceitful imaginations infiltrating their sight. But our good Lord will speak to them directly, casting out their fear and saying: “It is I”, dispersing their fear of imminent shipwreck by faith in his coming.

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