"Peter replied, 'Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We’ve already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God.'"(John 6:68-69)The 10th Day in the Octave of Christmas/Saturday before Epiphany
Feast of the Day:
SAINT GENEVIEVE
Virgin
(c. 422-512)
Genevieve was born at Nanterre, near Paris. St. Germanus, when passing through, specially noticed a little shepherdess, and predicted her future sanctity. At seven years of age she made a vow of perpetual chastity.After the death of her parents, Paris became her abode; but she often travelled on works of mercy, which, by the gifts of prophecy and miracles, she unfailingly performed. At one time she was cruelly persecuted: her enemies, jealous of her power, called her a hypocrite and tried to drown her; but St. Germanus having sent her some blessed bread as a token of esteem, the outcry ceased, and ever afterwards she was honored as a Saint.
During the siege of Paris by Childeric, king of the Franks, Genevieve went out with a few followers and procured corn for the starving citizens. Nevertheless Childeric, though a pagan, respected her, and at her request spared the lives of many prisoners. By her exhortations again, when Attila and his Huns were approaching the city, the inhabitants, instead of taking flight, gave themselves to prayer and penance, and averted, as she had foretold, the impending scourge. Clovis, when converted from paganism by his holy wife, St. Clotilda, made Genevieve his constant adviser, and, in spite of his violent character, made a generous and Christian king. She died within a few weeks of that monarch, in 512, aged eighty-nine.
A pestilence broke out at Paris in 1129, which in a short time swept off fourteen thousand persons, and, in spite of all human efforts, daily added to its victims. At length, on November 26th, the shrine of St. Genevieve was carried in solemn procession through the city. That same day but three persons died, the rest recovered, and no others were taken ill. This was but the first of a series of miraculous favors which the city of Paris has obtained through the relics of its patron Saint.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Saint of the Day:
The 10th Day in the Octave of Christmas/Saturday before Epiphany
First Letter of John 2:29 Once you’re convinced that he is right and righteous, you’ll recognize that all who practice righteousness are God’s true children.
1 John 3:1 What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to.
2-3 But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own.
4-6 All who indulge in a sinful life are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major disruption of God’s order. Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program. No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They’ve got him all backward.
Psalms 98:1 Sing to God a brand-new song.
He’s made a world of wonders!
He rolled up his sleeves,
He set things right.
3 He remembered to love us, a bonus
To his dear family, Israel—indefatigable love.
The whole earth comes to attention.
Look—God’s work of salvation!
4 Shout your praises to God, everybody!
Let loose and sing! Strike up the band!
5 Round up an orchestra to play for God,
Add on a hundred-voice choir.
6 Feature trumpets and big trombones,
Fill the air with praises to King God.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 1: The God-Revealer
29-31 The very next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and yelled out, “Here he is, God’s Passover Lamb! He forgives the sins of the world! This is the man I’ve been talking about, ‘the One who comes after me but is really ahead of me.’ I knew nothing about who he was—only this: that my task has been to get Israel ready to recognize him as the God-Revealer. That is why I came here baptizing with water, giving you a good bath and scrubbing sins from your life so you can get a fresh start with God.”
32-34 John clinched his witness with this: “I watched the Spirit, like a dove flying down out of the sky, making himself at home in him. I repeat, I know nothing about him except this: The One who authorized me to baptize with water told me, ‘The One on whom you see the Spirit come down and stay, this One will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ That’s exactly what I saw happen, and I’m telling you, there’s no question about it: This is the Son of God.”
The 10th Day in the Octave of Christmas/Saturday before Epiphany
Commentary of the Day:
Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407), priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church
Homilies on Saint John’s Gospel, no.18
"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world"
"A second time," says the evangelist, "John stood and said: ‘Behold, the Lamb of God’." Christ utters no word; John the Forerunner says it all. So it is with a bridegroom: he does not say anything to the bride to begin with but steps forward and stands there in silence. Others present him to the bride and give her into his hands. Thus, when she appears, the bridegroom does not take her himself but receives her from the hands of another who gives her to him. And when he has thus received her from another, he binds her so strongly to himself that she no longer remembers those she has left for his sake. So it was with Christ. He came to wed human nature; he did not speak a word but merely came. It was the friend of the bridegroom (Jn 3,29), John, who put the Bride's right hand into his – in other words, the hearts of those he had convinced with his preaching. Then Jesus Christ welcomed them and satisfied them with so many good things that they no longer turned back to the one who had led them to him…
John alone proclaimed him to be present to the people. He was given the name "friend of the Bridegroom" because he alone was present at this marriage with the Church. He it was who did everything, who brought everything about. Seeing Christ coming, he said: “Behold the Lamb of God." Thus he showed that it was not by voice alone, but with his eyes also that he bore witness. He wondered at the Son of God and, when he beheld him, his heart leaped for joy. At first he did not preach Christ to his followers but only showed wonder and astonishment at him. In that way he made known to all, by means of the word "lamb", the gift Jesus came to give. And John did not say: "Who is to take" or "Who has taken" but: "This is he who takes away the sins of the world", and not just at the time of his Passion but always. He offered only one, single sacrifice for the sins of the world yet, by this oblation, he purifies forever the consciences of human sinners.
____________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment