Daily Gospel for Tuesday,
22 April 2014
“Simon Peter answered
him, ‘Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.’”—John
6:68
Easter Tuesday
Feast of the Church:
Tuesday in the Octave
of Easter
First Witness to the
Resurrection, nowhere in scripture is Mary identified as a public sinner or a
prostitute. Instead, all four Gospels
show her as the primary witness to the most central events of Christian
faith. She traveled with Jesus in the
Galilean discipleship and, with Joanna and Susanna, supported Jesus' mission
from her own financial resources (Luke 8:1-3).
In the synoptic
Gospels, Mary leads the group of women who witness Jesus' death and burial, the
empty tomb, and his Resurrection. We
have Mary of Magdala to thank for having this part of The Gospel record in The
Bible. It would not exist without her witness.
Christus resurrexit!-
Christ is risen!
Saints of the Day:
SAINT SOTER
Pope & Martyr
(+ 175)
St. Soter was raised
to the papacy upon the death of St. Anicetus, in 166. By the sweetness of his
discourses he comforted all persons with the tenderness of a father, and
assisted the indigent with liberal alms, especially those who suffered for the
faith.
He liberally extended
his charities, according to the custom of his predecessors, to remote churches,
particularly to that of Corinth, to which he addressed an excellent letter, as
St. Dionysius of Corinth testifies in his letter of thanks, who adds that his
letter was found worthy to be read for their edification on Sundays at their
assemblies to celebrate the divine mysteries, together with the letter of St.
Clement, pope.
St. Soter vigorously
opposed the heresy of Montanus, and governed the Church to the year 175.
Lives of the Saints,
by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
SAINT LEONIDES
Martyr
(+ 202)
The Emperor Severus,
in the year 202, which was the tenth of his reign, raised a bloody persecution,
which filled the whole empire with martyrs, but especially Egypt. The most
illustrious of those who by their triumphs ennobled and edified the city of
Alexandria was Leonides, father of the great Origen.
He was a Christian
philosopher, and excellently versed both in the profane and sacred sciences. He
had seven sons, the eldest of whom was Origen, whom he brought up with
abundance of care, returning God thanks for having blessed him with a son of
such an excellent disposition for learning, and a very great zeal for piety.
These qualifications endeared him greatly to his father, who, after his son was
baptized, would come to his bedside while he was asleep, and, opening his
bosom, kiss it respectfully, as being the temple of the Holy Ghost.
When the persecution
raged at Alexandria, under Lætus, governor of Egypt, in the tenth year of
Severus, Leonides was cast into prison. Origen, who was then only seventeen
years of age, burned with an incredible desire of martyrdom, and sought every
opportunity of meeting with it. But his mother conjured him not to forsake her,
and his ardor being redoubled at the sight of his father's chains, she was
forced to lock up all his clothes to oblige him to stay at home. So, not being
able to do any more, he wrote a letter to his father in very moving terms,
strongly exhorting him to look on the crown that was offered him with courage
and joy, adding this clause, "Take heed, sir. that for our sakes you do
not change your mind."
Leonides was
accordingly beheaded for the faith in 202. His estates and goods being all
confiscated, and seized for the emperor's use, his widow was left with seven
children to maintain in the poorest condition imaginable; but Divine Providence
was both her comfort and support.
Lives of the Saints,
by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Saint Teodore of Sykeon
Feastday: April 22
Death: 613
Abbot and bishop. A
native of Sykeon, in Galatia, Asia Minor, he was the son of a Byzantine
imperial messenger and possibly of a prostitute. Entering a monastery in
Jerusalem, he served there for many years until becoming abbot of a number of
monastic institutions. He predicted the rise of Emperor Maurice and cured a
royal prince of leprosy. About 590, he was appointed bishop of Anastasiopol is,
in Galatia
Easter Tuesday
Acts of the Apostles
2: 36 “Let all the house of Israel
therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus
whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard
this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the
apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter said to them,
“Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For
the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even
as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” 40 With many other words he
testified, and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked
generation!”
41 Then those who
gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three
thousand souls.
Psalms 33: 4 For Yahweh’s word is right.
All his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves
righteousness and justice.
The earth is full of the loving kindness of
Yahweh.
18 Behold, Yahweh’s
eye is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his loving kindness;
19 to deliver their soul from death,
to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul has waited
for Yahweh.
He is our help and our shield.
22 Let your loving
kindness be on us, Yahweh,
since we have hoped in you.
The Holy Gospel of Jesus
Christ according to Saint John 20: 11 But Mary was standing outside at the tomb weeping. So, as she wept, she
stooped and looked into the tomb, 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting,
one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 They
told her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them,
“Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid
him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, and
didn’t know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her,
“Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?”
She, supposing him to
be the gardener, said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where
you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
16 Jesus said to her,
“Mary.”
She turned and said to
him, “Rabboni!”[a] which is to say, “Teacher!”[b]
17 Jesus said to her,
“Don’t hold me, for I haven’t yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers,
and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your
God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene came
and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these
things to her.
Footnotes:
A. John 20:16 Rabboni
is a transliteration of the Hebrew word for “great teacher.”
b. John 20:16 or,
Master
Easter Tuesday
Commentary of the Day:
Saint Gregory Palamas (1296-1359), monk, Bishop and
theologian
Homily 20, on the eight morning gospels according
to Saint John ; PG 151, 265
"Go to my brothers"
Outside darkness still
reigned; it was not yet day; yet that cave was full of the light of the
resurrection. Mary saw this light through God's grace: her love for Christ had
been quickened and she had the strength to see the angels... Then they said to
her: “Woman, why are you weeping? What you are seeing in this cave is heaven,
or rather a heavenly temple in place of a tomb dug out to be a prison... Why
are you weeping?”...
Outside, day is still
unclear and the Lord does not make that divine brightness appear which would
have made him known at the heart of suffering. So Mary did not recognize him...
When he spoke and allowed himself to be recognized..., even then, as she saw
him alive, she had no idea of his divine greatness but addressed him as a mere
man of God... In the upsurge of her heart she now wants to throw her arms round
his knees, to touch his feet. But he said to her: “Do not touch me... for the
body with which I am now clothed is lighter and more mobile than fire; it is
able to rise up to heaven and even to my Father's side in the heights of
heaven. I have not yet risen to my Father because I have not as yet shown
myself to my disciples. Go and find them; they are my brothers for we are all
children of one Father” (cf. Gal 3,26)...
The church in which we
stand is the symbol of that cave. Indeed, it is more than a symbol: it is, as
it were, another Sepulchre. It is there we find the place where the Lord's body
has been laid, the holy table. So whoever runs with all their heart towards this
divine tomb, God's true dwelling... will there learn the words of the inspired
writings that will instruct him, like the angels, about the divinity and
humanity of the Word of God incarnate. And thus he will see the Lord himself,
without any possibility of error... For whoever looks with faith on the mystic
table and the bread of life laid on it will see in its reality the Word of God
who was made flesh for us and made his dwelling amongst us (Jn 1,14). And if he
proves himself worthy of receiving it, he will not only see but will share in
its being; he will take it into himself that he may remain there.
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