Daily Gospel for Wednesday, 12 February 2014
“Peter replied, “Master, to whom would we go? You have the words
of real life, eternal life.”(John 6:68, the Message).
Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Saint of the Day:
SAINT BENEDICT OF ANIAN
(c. 750-821)
Benedict was the son of Aigulf, Governor of Languedoc, and was
born about 750. In his early youth he served as cup-bearer to King Pepin and
his son Charlemagne, enjoying under them great honors and possessions.
Grace entered his soul at the age of twenty, and he resolved to
seek the kingdom of God with his whole heart. Without relinquishing his place
at court, he lived there a most mortified life for three years; then a narrow
escape from drowning made him vow to quit the world, and he entered the
cloister of St. Seine.
In reward for his heroic austerities in the monastic state, God
bestowed upon him the gift of tears, and inspired him with knowledge of
spiritual things. As procurator, he was most careful of the wants of the
brethren, and most hospitable to the poor and to guests.
Declining to accept the abbacy, he built himself a little
hermitage on the brook Anian, and lived some years in great solitude and
poverty; but the fame of his sanctity drawing many souls around him, he was
obliged to build a large abbey, and within a short time governed three hundred
monks.
He became the great restorer of monastic discipline throughout France
and Germany. First, he drew up with immense labor a code of the rules of St.
Benedict, his great namesake, which he collated with those of the chief
monastic founders, showing the uniformity of the exercises in each, and
enforced by his "Penitential" their exact observance; secondly, he
minutely regulated all matters regarding food, clothing, and every detail of
life; and thirdly, by prescribing the same for all, he excluded jealousies and
insured perfect charity.
In a Provincial Council held in 813, under Charlemagne, at which
he was present, it was declared that all monks of the West should adopt the
rule of St. Benedict.
He died in 821.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Saint Damian
Feastday: February 12
Died: unknown
Two saints honored on the same feast day. One is a martyred
soldier in Africa, probably in Alexandria, Egypt; the second a Roman martyr
whose relics were discovered in the catacombs of St. Callistus and sent to
Spain.
Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
1st book of Kings 10: 1 When the queen of Sheba heard of the
fame of Solomon concerning Yahweh’s name, she came to test him with hard
questions. 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great caravan, with camels that
bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she had come to
Solomon, she talked with him about all that was in her heart. 3 Solomon
answered all her questions. There was not anything hidden from the king which
he didn’t tell her. 4 When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of
Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food of his table, the sitting of
his servants, the attendance of his officials, their clothing, his cup bearers,
and his ascent by which he went up to Yahweh’s house; there was no more spirit in
her. 6 She said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land
of your acts, and of your wisdom. 7 However I didn’t believe the words until I
came and my eyes had seen it. Behold, not even half was told me! Your wisdom
and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard. 8 Happy are your men, happy are
these your servants, who stand continually before you, who hear your wisdom. 9
Blessed is Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of
Israel. Because Yahweh loved Israel forever, therefore he made you king, to do
justice and righteousness.” 10 She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of
gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was
there such an abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to
king Solomon.
Psalms 37:5 Commit your
way to Yahweh.
Trust also in him, and
he will do this:
6 he will make your righteousness go out as the light,
and your justice as
the noon day sun.
30 The mouth of the righteous talks of wisdom.
His tongue speaks
justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart.
None of his steps
shall slide.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is from Yahweh.
He is their stronghold
in the time of trouble.
40 Yahweh helps them, and rescues them.
He rescues them from
the wicked, and saves them,
Because they have
taken refuge in him.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 7: 14 He called
all the multitude to himself, and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and
understand. 15 There is nothing from outside of the man, that going into him
can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that
defile the man. 16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
17 When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his
disciples asked him about the parable. 18 He said to them, “Are you also
without understanding? Don’t you perceive that whatever goes into the man from
outside can’t defile him, 19 because it doesn’t go into his heart, but into his
stomach, then into the latrine, thus purifying all foods[a]?” 20 He said, “That
which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man. 21 For from within, out of
the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders,
thefts, 22 covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye,
blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within,
and defile the man.”
Footnotes:
a. Mark 7:19 or, “making all foods clean”. NU ends Jesus' direct
quote and question after “latrine”, ending the verse with “Thus he declared all
foods clean.
Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the day:
Saint Raphael Arnaiz Baron (1911-1938), a Spanish Trappist monk
Spiritual Writings, 04/03/1938 (trans. Mairin Mitchell)
"A clean heart create for me, O God" (Ps 51[50],12)
Let the scientists go on asking, Where is God? He is where the
clever ones, arrogant in their knowledge, cannot get to. God is in the
unfettered heart, in the silence of prayer, the willing sacrifice to suffering
in the rejection of the world and its creatures. God is in the Cross, and as
long as we do not lov~ the Cross we shall not see Him, we shall not feel Him.
Let those who are only concerned with making a noise, keep silent!
Ah Lord, how happy I am in my retreat! How much I love You in my
solitude! How much I would like to offer You what I haven't got, for I have
already given You all! Ask me, Lord, but what have I to give You? My body - it
is Yours already; my soul - Lord, for whom shall it crave but You, longing for
You to take it once and for all. My heart, it is at the feet of Mary, shedding
tears of love, of love for You only.
My will? Perhaps, Lord, I want what you don't wish? Tell me,
tell me, Lord, what is Your will, and I will place mine at Your side. I love
everything that You send me and everything that You command of me, health as
much as sickness, to be here as much as to be there, to be one thing as much as
another; my life, take it Lord when You will. If the world and mankind only
knew .... But they won't. know, they're too much occupied with their affairs,
theIr hearts are full of the things which are not God.
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