Daily Gospel for Tuesday, 25 February 2014
"Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You
have the words of eternal life." John 6:68
Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day:
SAINT TARASIUS
Patriarch of Constantinople
(+ 806)
Tarasius was born at Constantinople about the middle of the
eighth century, of a noble family. His mother Eucratia, brought him up in the
practice of the most eminent virtues. By his talents and virtue he gained the
esteem of all, and was raised to the greatest honors of the empire, being made
consul, and afterwards first secretary of state to the Emperor Constantine and
the Empress Irene, his mother. In the midst of the court, and in its highest
honors, he led a life like that of a religious man.
Paul, Patriarch of Constantinople, the third of that name,
though he had conformed in some respects to the then, reigning heresy, had
several good qualities, and was not only beloved by the people for his charity
to the poor, but highly esteemed by the whole court for his great prudence.
Touched with remorse, he quitted the patriarchal see, and put on a religious
habit in the monastery of Florus in Constantinople. Tarasius was chosen to
succeed him by the unanimous consent of the court, clergy, and people. Finding
it in vain to oppose his election, he. declared that he could not in conscience
accept of the government of a; see which had been cut off from the Catholic
communion, except on condition that a general council should be called to
compose the disputes which divided the Church at that time in relation to holy
images.
This being agreed to, he was solemnly declared patriarch, and
consecrated soon after, on Christmas Day. The council was opened on the 1st of
August, in the Church of the Apostles at Constantinople, in 786; but, being
disturbed by the violences of the Iconoclasts, it adjourned, and met again the
year following in the Church of St. Sophia at Nice. The council, having
declared the sense of the Church in relation to the matter in debate, which was
found to be the allowing to holy pictures and images a relative honor, was
closed with the usual acclamations and prayers for the prosperity of the
emperor and empress; after which, synodal letters were sent to all the
churches, and in particular to the Pope, who approved the council.
The life of this holy patriarch was a model of perfection to his
clergy and people. His table contained barely the necessaries of life; he
allowed himself very little time for sleep, being always up the first and last
in his family. Reading and prayer filled all his leisure hours. The emperor
having become enamoured of Theodota, a maid of honor to his wife, the Empress
Mary, was resolved to divorce the latter. He used all his efforts to gain the
patriarch over to his desires, but St. Tarasius resolutely refused to
countenance the iniquity.
The holy man gave up his soul to God in peace on the 25th of
February, 806, after having sat twenty-one years and two months.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Saint Ethelbert of Kent
Feastday: Febuary 25
Died: 616
King of Kent, England, converted by St. Augustine. He married
Bertha, a Christian daughter of King Charibert of Paris, and in 568 fought the
West Saxons. Ethelbert was baptized in 597, bringing a large part of his
population into the faith. He did not enforce conversions, but he brought the
king of the East Saxons and the king of the East Angles into the Church.
Ethelbert ruled for fifty-six years, founding the abbeys of Christ Church, Sts.
Peter and Paul in Canterbury, and St. Andrew’s in Rochester. St. Bede lists him
asAedilbert.
Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
James 4:1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don’t
they come from your pleasures that war in your members? 2 You lust, and don’t
have. You murder and covet, and can’t obtain. You fight and make war. You don’t
have, because you don’t ask. 3 You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with
wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures. 4 You adulterers and
adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward
God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy
of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who
lives in us yearns jealously”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says,
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”[a] 7 Be subject
therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near
to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and
purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your
laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in
the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Footnotes:
a. James 4:6 Proverbs 3:34
Psalm 55: 7 Behold, then I would wander far off.
I would lodge in the
wilderness.”
Selah.
8 “I would hurry to a shelter from the stormy wind and storm.”
9 Confuse them, Lord, and confound their language,
for I have seen
violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they prowl around on its walls.
Malice and abuse are
also within her.
11 Destructive forces are within her.
Threats and lies don’t
depart from her streets.
23 But you, God, will bring them down into the pit of
destruction.
Bloodthirsty and
deceitful men shall not live out half their days,
but I will trust in
you.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 9: 30 They
went out from there, and passed through Galilee. He didn’t want anyone to know
it. 31 For he was teaching his disciples, and said to them, “The Son of Man is
being handed over to the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is
killed, on the third day he will rise again.”
32 But they didn’t understand the saying, and were afraid to ask
him.
33 He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked
them, “What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?”
34 But they were silent, for they had disputed one with another
on the way about who was the greatest.
35 He sat down, and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If
any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.” 36 He
took a little child, and set him in the middle of them. Taking him in his arms,
he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such little child in my name,
receives me, and whoever receives me, doesn’t receive me, but him who sent me.”
Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the Day:
Saint Gregory Nazianzen (330-390), Bishop and Doctor of the
Church
Homily for the Feast of Easter; PG 36, 624
"Last of all and the servant of all"
Answer those whom the marks of the Passion in Christ's body
plunge into uncertainty and who put the question: “Who is this king of glory?”
(Ps 24[23],8). Answer them that he is the Christ,“the mighty, the valiant”
(ibid.) in everything he has done and continues to do...
Is he insignificant because he made himself humble for your sake?
Is he to be despised because, as a Good Shepherd laying down his life for his
flock, he came in search of the lost sheep and, having found it, brought it
back on the shoulders that bore the cross for its sake and, when he had carried
it back to the life on high, set it down amongst the faithful flock who
remained in the fold? (cf. Jn 10,11; Lk 15,4). Do you despise him because he
lighted a lamp, his own flesh, and swept his house in search of the lost coin,
cleansing the world from sin, while losing the beauty of his royal likeness
through his Passion? (Lk 15,8f.; Mk 12,16)...
Do you consider him less great because he girds himself with a
linen towel to wash his disciples' feet, showing them that the certain way to
be exalted is to humble oneself? (Jn 13,4f.). Do you hold a grievance against
God because Christ humbles himself, turning his mind to earth so as to raise up
with himself those who are bowed beneath the weight of sin? (Mt 11,28). Do you
accuse him of having eaten with publicans and sinners... for their salvation?
(Mt 9,10). How can you take to task a doctor who bends over the sufferings and
wounds of the sick to bring them healing?
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