Daily Gospel for Wednesday, 5 March 2014
"Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to
whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life." John 6:68
Ash Wednesday of the Eighth Week in
Ordinary Time
Feast of the Church:
Ash Wednesday
"Behold, now is a very acceptable
time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Co 6:2)
Jesus calls to conversion. This call is
an essential part of the proclamation of the kingdom: "The time is
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the
gospel." (Mk 1:15) In the Church's
preaching this call is addressed first to those who do not yet know Christ and
his Gospel. Also, Baptism is the principal place for the first and fundamental
conversion. It is by faith in the Gospel and by Baptism (Acts 2:38) that one
renounces evil and gains salvation, that is, the forgiveness of all sins and
the gift of new life.
Christ's call to conversion continues to
resound in the lives of Christians. This second conversion is an uninterrupted
task for the whole Church who, "clasping sinners to her bosom, is at once
holy and always in need of purification, and follows constantly the path of
penance and renewal." (LG 8) This endeavor of conversion is not just a
human work. It is the movement of a "contrite heart," drawn and moved
by grace to respond to the merciful love of God who loved us first. (1 Jn 4:10)
Jesus' call to conversion and penance,
like that of the prophets before him, does not aim first at outward works,
"sackcloth and ashes," fasting and mortification, but at the
conversion of the heart, interior conversion. Without this, such penances
remain sterile and false; however, interior conversion urges expression in
visible signs, gestures and works of penance.
Interior repentance is a radical
reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our
heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil
actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and
resolution to change one's life, with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help
of his grace. This conversion of heart is accompanied by a salutary pain and
sadness which the Fathers called animi cruciatus (affliction of spirit) and compunctio
cordis (repentance of heart). (Cf. Council of Trent -1551- DS 1676-1678; 1705;
Cf. Roman Catechism, II, V)
The human heart is heavy and hardened.
God must give man a new heart. Conversion is first of all a work of the grace
of God who makes our hearts return to him: "Restore us to thyself, O LORD,
that we may be restored!" (Ezek 36:26-27) God gives us the strength to
begin anew. It is in discovering the greatness of God's love that our heart is
shaken by the horror and weight of sin and begins to fear offending God by sin
and being separated from him. the human heart is converted by looking upon him
whom our sins have pierced:
Let us fix our eyes on Christ's blood and
understand how precious it is to his Father, for, poured out for our salvation
it has brought to the whole world the grace of repentance. (From a letter to
the Corinthians 7, 4 by Saint Clement, pope)
The interior penance of the Christian can
be expressed in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above
all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion
in relation to oneself, to God, and to others. Alongside the radical
purification brought about by Baptism or martyrdom they cite as means of
obtaining forgiveness of sins: effort at reconciliation with one's neighbor,
tears of repentance, concern for the salvation of one's neighbor, the
intercession of the saints, and the practice of charity "which covers a
multitude of sins."
Conversion is accomplished in daily life
by gestures of reconciliation, concern for the poor, the exercise and defense
of justice and right, by the admission of faults to one's brethren, fraternal
correction, and revision of life, examination of conscience, spiritual direction,
acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for the sake of
righteousness. Taking up one's cross each day and following Jesus is the surest
way of penance.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
§1427-1428; 1430-1432; 1434-1435 - Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Saint(s) of the day:
SAINTS ADRIAN and EUBULUS
Martyrs
(+ 309)
In the seventh year of Diocletian's
persecution, continued by Galerius Maximianus, when Firmilian, the most bloody
governor of Palestine, had stained Cæsarea with the blood of many illustrious
martyrs, Adrian and Eubulus came out of the country called Magantia to Cæsarea,
in order to visit the holy confessors there.
At the gates of the city they were asked,
as others were, whither they were going, and upon what errand. They ingenuously
confessed the truth, and were brought before the president, who ordered them to
be tortured and their sides to be torn with iron hooks, and then condemned them
to be exposed to wild beasts.
Two days after, when the pagans at
Cæsarea celebrated the festival of the public Genius, Adrian was exposed to a
lion, and not being despatched by that beast, but only mangled, was at length
killed by the sword.
Eubulus was treated in the same manner
two days later. The judge offered him his liberty if he would sacrifice to
idols; but the Saint preferred a glorious death, and was the last that suffered
in this persecution at Cæsarea, which had now continued twelve years, under
three successive governors, Flavian, Urban, and Firmilian.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler,
Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Saint Kieran
Feastday: September 9
516 - 546
St. Kieran was born in Connacht, Ireland.
He was the son of Beoit, a carpenter. He studied at St. Finnian's school at
Clonard and taught the daughter of the king of Cuala, as he was considered the
most learned monk at Clonard. Kieran spent seven years at Inishmore on Aran
with St. Enda and then went to a monastery in the center of Ireland called
Isel. Forced to leave by the monks because of what they considered his
excessive charity, he spent some time on Inis Aingin (Hare Island) and with
eight companions, migrated to a spot on the bank of the Shannon river in
Offaly, where he built a monastery that became the famous Clonmacnois,
reknowned for centuries as the great center of Irish learning, and was its
Abbot. Many extravagant miracles and tales are told of Kieran, who is one of
the twelve apostles of Ireland. He is often called St. Kieran the Younger to
distinguish him from St. Kieran of Saighir. His feast day is September 9.
Ash Wednesday of the Eighth Week in
Ordinary Time
Book of Joel 2: 12 “Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart,
and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 Tear your heart, and not your
garments,
and turn to Yahweh, your God;
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness,
and relents from sending calamity.
14 Who knows? He may turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
even a meal offering and a drink offering to Yahweh, your God.
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion!
Sanctify a fast.
Call a solemn assembly.
16 Gather the people.
Sanctify the assembly.
Assemble the elders.
Gather the children, and those who nurse from breasts.
Let the bridegroom go out of his room,
and the bride out of her room.
17 Let the priests, the ministers of
Yahweh, weep between the porch and the altar,
and let them say, “Spare your people, Yahweh,
and don’t give your heritage to reproach,
that the nations should rule over them.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
18 Then Yahweh was jealous for his land,
And had pity on his people.
Psalm 51: 3 For I
know my transgressions.
My sin is constantly before me.
4 Against you, and you only, have I
sinned,
and done that which is evil in your sight;
that you may be proved right when you
speak,
and justified when you judge.
5 Behold, I was born in iniquity.
In sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, you desire truth in the inward
parts.
You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
12 Restore to me the joy of your
salvation.
Uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your
ways.
Sinners shall be converted to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of
bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation.
My tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken
spirit.
A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Second Letter to the Corinthians 5:
20 We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as
though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled
to God. 21 For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in
him we might become the righteousness of God.
6:1 Working together, we entreat also
that you not receive the grace of God in vain, 2 for he says,
“At an acceptable time I listened to you,
in a day of salvation I helped you.”[a]
Behold, now is the acceptable time.
Behold, now is the day of salvation.
Footnotes:
a. 2 Corinthians 6:2 Isaiah 49:8
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
Saint Matthew 6:1 “Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before
men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in
heaven. 2 Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before
yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they
may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their
reward. 3 But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what
your right hand does, 4 so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your
Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
5 “When you pray, you shall not be as the
hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the
corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell
you, they have received their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, enter into your
inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret,
and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
17 But you, when you fast, anoint your
head, and wash your face; 18 so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but
by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will
reward you.
Ash Wednesday of the Eighth Week in
Ordinary Time
Commentary of the Day:
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (313-350),
Bishop of Jerusalem, Doctor of the Church
Catechesis before baptism, no.1, 1.5
Lent leads to baptism on Easter night for
the forgiveness of sins
[“Repent and be baptized every one of
you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”] Now you
who are about to be baptized are already disciples of the New Covenant and
participators in Christ's mysteries have already made yourselves “a new heart
and a new spirit” to the joy of the inhabitants of heaven... You have set out
on a good, a most beautiful journey...: the only Son of God is all ready to
redeem you. “Come, all you who struggle beneath the weight of the burden,” he
says, “and I will give you rest.” You who are weighed down and afflicted by
your sins, held in the bonds of your faults, listen to the prophet: “Wash
yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes” that the choir of
angels may cry out to you: “Happy those whose faults are taken away, whose sins
are covered!”...
This is the time for confession. Confess
the sins you have committed in word or deed, by day or by night. Confess during
this “favorable time” and on “the day of salvation”; receive heaven's
treasure... Rid yourself from all human preoccupations; attend to your soul...
Leave the present behind and put your faith in the future...: “Be still, and
know that I am God”... Purify your heart that you may receive even greater
grace: forgiveness of sins is given equally to all but participation in the
Holy Spirit is granted to each one according to the measure of their faith. If
you give yourself little trouble, you will receive little. If you work hard,
your reward will be great...
If you have a grudge against anyone,
forgive. You are coming to the baptistery to receive the forgiveness of your
sins: you too must be indulgent towards sinners.
( Biblical references : Ac 2,38; Ez
18,31; Lk 15,7; Mt 11,28; Prv 5,22; Is
1,16; Ps 31[32],1; Is 49,8; 2Co 6,2; Ps 45[46],11)
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