Daily Gospel for Wednesday, 2 April 2014

Daily Gospel for Wednesday, 2 April 2014

"Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life." John 6:68

Wednesdday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Saints of the Day:

SAINT FRANCIS OF PAULA

Hermit

(1416-1508)

At the age of fifteen Francis left his poor home at Paula in Calabria, to live as a hermit in a cave by the sea-coast. In time disciples gathered round him, and with them, in 1436, he founded the "Minims," so called to show that they were the least of monastic Orders. They observed a perpetual Lent, and never touched meat, fish, eggs, or milk. Francis himself made the rock his bed; his best garment was a hair-shirt, and boiled herbs his only fare. As his body withered his faith grew powerful, and he "did all things in Him who strengthened him." He cured the sick, raised the dead, averted plagues, expelled evil spirits, and brought sinners to penance.

A famous preacher, instigated by a few misguided monks, set to work to preach against St. Francis and his miracles. The Saint took no notice of it, and the preacher, finding that he made no way with his hearers, determined to see this poor hermit and confound him in person. The Saint received him kindly, gave him a seat by the fire, and listened to a long exposition of his own frauds. He then quietly took some glowing embers from the fire, and closing his hands upon them unhurt, said, "Come, Father Anthony, warm yourself, for you are shivering for want of a little charity" Father Anthony, falling at the Saint's feet, asked for pardon, and then, having received his embrace, quitted him, to become his panegyrist and attain himself to great perfection.

When the avaricious King Ferdinand of Naples offered him money for his convent, Francis told him to give it back to his oppressed subjects, and softened his heart by causing blood to flow from the ill-gotten coin.

Louis XI. of France, trembling at the approach of death, sent for the poor hermit to ward off the foe whose advance neither his fortresses nor his guards could check. Francis went by the Pope's command, and prepared the king for a holy death.

The successors of Louis showered favors on the Saint, his Order spread throughout Europe, and his name was reverenced through the Christian world.

He died at the age of ninety-one, on Good Friday, 1507, with the crucifix in his hand, and the last words of Jesus on his lips, "Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit."

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

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Isaiah 49:8 Yahweh says, “In an acceptable time I have answered you,

    and in a day of salvation I have helped you.

I will preserve you, and give you for a covenant of the people,

    to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritage:

9 saying to those who are bound, ‘Come out!’;

    to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves!’

“They shall feed along the paths,

    and their pasture shall be on all treeless heights.

10 They shall not hunger nor thirst;

    neither shall the heat nor sun strike them:

    for he who has mercy on them will lead them.

    He will guide them by springs of water.

11 I will make all my mountains a road,

    and my highways shall be exalted.

12 Behold, these shall come from afar;

    and behold, these from the north and from the west;

    and these from the land of Sinim.”

13 Sing, heavens; and be joyful, earth;

    and break out into singing, mountains:

for Yahweh has comforted his people,

    and will have compassion on his afflicted.

14 But Zion said, “Yahweh has forsaken me,

    and the Lord has forgotten me.”

15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child,

    that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?

Yes, these may forget,

    yet I will not forget you!

Psalm 145:8 Yahweh is gracious, merciful,

    slow to anger, and of great loving kindness.

9 Yahweh is good to all.

    His tender mercies are over all his works.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.

    Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

Yahweh is faithful in all his words,

    and loving in all his deeds.[a]

14 Yahweh upholds all who fall,

    and raises up all those who are bowed down.

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 145:13 Some manuscripts omit these last two lines.

17 Yahweh is righteous in all his ways,

    and gracious in all his works.

18 Yahweh is near to all those who call on him,

    to all who call on him in truth.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 5:

17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, so I am working, too.” 18 For this cause therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God. 19 Jesus therefore answered them, “Most certainly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father doing. For whatever things he does, these the Son also does likewise. 20 For the Father has affection for the Son, and shows him all things that he himself does. He will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he desires. 22 For the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who doesn’t honor the Son doesn’t honor the Father who sent him.

24 “Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. 25 Most certainly, I tell you, the hour comes, and now is, when the dead will hear the Son of God’s voice; and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself. 27 He also gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man. 28 Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs will hear his voice, 29 and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. 30 I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous; because I don’t seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me.

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Commentary of the Day:

Odes of Solomon (Hebrew Christian text from the beginning of the 2nd century)

N° 42 (trans. ©J.H. Charlesworth)

"The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God"

[Christ speaks:]

I became useless to those who knew me not,

because I shall hide myself from those who possessed me not.

And I will be with those who love me.

All my persecutors have died,

and they who trusted in me sought me, because I am living!

I arose and am with them. and will speak by their mouths.

For they have rejected those who persecute them;

and I threw over them the yoke of my love.

Like the arm of the bridegroom over the bride (cf Sg 2,6),

so is my yoke over those who know me.

And as the bridal feast is spread out by the bridal pair's home, s

So is my love by those who believe in me.

I was not rejected

although I was considered to be so,

and I did not perish

although they thought it of me.

Sheol saw me and was shattered,

and Death ejected me and many with me.

I have been vinegar and bitterness to it,

and I went down with it as far as its depth.

Death was released,

because it was not able to endure my face.

And I made a congregation of living among his dead (1P 3,19; 4,6);

and I spoke with them by living lips;

in order that my word may not fail.

And those who had died ran toward me;

and they cried out and said, "Son of God, have pity on us.

And deal with us according to your kindness,

and bring us out from the chains of darkness.

And open for us the door

by which we may go forth to you,

for we perceive that our death does not approach you.

May we also be saved with you,

because you are our Savior.”

Then I heard their voice,

and placed their faith in my heart.

And I placed my name upon their forehead (Rv 14,1),

because they are free and they are mine.

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