"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)Wednesday of the Second week in Ordinary Time
Feast of the Day: Week of prayer for Christian unity
Saint of the Day:
SAINT AGNES
Virgin and Martyr
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St. Agnes was but twelve years old when she was led to the altar of Minerva at Rome and commanded to obey the persecuting laws of Diocletian by offering incense. In the midst of the idolatrous rites she raised her hands to Christ, her Spouse, and made the sign of the life-giving cross. She did not shrink when she was bound hand and foot, though the gyves slipped from her young hands, and the heathens who stood around were moved to tears. The bonds were not needed for her, and she hastened gladly to the place of her torture.Next, when the judge saw that pain had no terrors for her, he inflicted an insult worse than death: her clothes were stripped off, and she had to stand in the street before a pagan crowd; yet even this did not daunt her. "Christ," she said, "will guard His own." So it was. Christ showed, by a miracle, the value which He sets upon the custody of the eyes. Whilst the crowd turned away their eyes from the spouse of Christ, as she stood exposed to view in the street, there was one young man who dared to gaze at the innocent child with immodest eyes. A flash of light struck him blind, and his companions bore him away half dead with pain and terror.
Lastly, her fidelity to Christ was proved by flattery and offers of marriage. But she answered, "Christ is my Spouse: He chose me first, and His I will be." At length the sentence of death was passed. For a moment she stood erect in prayer, and then bowed her neck to the sword. At one stroke her head was severed from her body, and the angels bore her pure soul to Paradise.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Wednesday of the Second week in Ordinary Time
Letter to the Hebrews 7: The Priestly Family of Melchizedek
1 Melchizedek was both king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He was the one who went out and gave Abraham his blessing, when Abraham returned from killing the kings. 2 Then Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had.
The meaning of the name Melchizedek is “King of Justice.” But since Salem means “peace,” he is also “King of Peace.” 3 We are not told that he had a father or mother or ancestors or beginning or end. He is like the Son of God and will be a priest forever.[a][Footnotes:
7.3 will be a priest forever: See the note at 5.6.]
15 All of this becomes clearer, when someone who is like Melchizedek is appointed to be a priest. 16 That person wasn’t appointed because of his ancestors, but because his life can never end. 17 The Scriptures say about him,
“You are a priest forever,
just like Melchizedek.”
Psalms 110: (A psalm by David.)
The Lord Gives Victory
1 The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right side,[a]
until I make your enemies
into a footstool for you.”
2 The Lord will let your power
reach out from Zion,
and you will rule
over your enemies.
3 Your glorious power
will be seen
on the day
you begin to rule.
You will wear the sacred robes
and shine like the morning sun
in all of your strength.[b]
4 The Lord has made a promise
that will never be broken:
“You will be a priest forever,
just like Melchizedek.”[Footnotes:
110.1 right side: See the note at 16.11.
110.3 You will. . . strength: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.]
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 3: A Man with a Crippled Hand
1 The next time that Jesus went into the meeting place, a man with a crippled hand was there. 2 The Pharisees[a] wanted to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong, and they kept watching to see if Jesus would heal him on the Sabbath.
3 Jesus told the man to stand up where everyone could see him. 4 Then he asked, “On the Sabbath should we do good deeds or evil deeds? Should we save someone’s life or destroy it?” But no one said a word.
5 Jesus was angry as he looked around at the people. Yet he felt sorry for them because they were so stubborn. Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his bad hand was healed.
6 The Pharisees left. And right away they started making plans with Herod’s followers[b] to kill Jesus.[Footnotes:
3.2 Pharisees: The Greek text has “they” (but see verse 6).
3.6 Herod’s followers: People who were political followers of the family of Herod the Great and his son Herod Antipas.]
Wednesday of the Second week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the Day:
Saint Peter Chrysologus (c.406-450), Bishop of Ravenna, Doctor of the Church
Sermon on the Mystery of the Incarnation, 148; PL 52, 596
Christ heals the paralysis of our limbs and hearts
Christ’s incarnation is not a normal event, it is miraculous; it is not according to reason but to divine power; it comes from the Creator, not from nature; it is not commonplace, it is unique; it is divine, not human. It did not come about through necessity but by power… It has been a mystery of faith, renewal and salvation for man. He who, without being born, formed man out of pure clay (Gn 2,7), in being born formed a man from a pure body. The hand that deigned to take hold of clay in order to create us, deigned also to take hold of our flesh to recreate us…
O man, why do you despise yourself so, seeing that you are so precious to God? Why, when God thus shows you honor, do you dishonor yourself so much? Why try to discover how you were made but not the purpose for which you were made? Isn’t it true that the whole visible dwelling-place of this earth has been made for you?…
Christ took flesh in order to restore its full integrity to corrupted nature. He assumed the condition of a child; he accepted to be nourished; he went through the succession of ages so as to restore the one, perfect and enduring age that he himself had created. He carried man so that man might fall no more. He whom he had created earthly, he made heavenly; to him who lived by a human spirit he gives the life of the divine spirit. And so it is that he raises him up to God in his completeness so as to leave nothing in him of what belongs to sin, death, labour, sorrow or the earth. This is what our Lord Jesus Christ brings us who, being God, lives and reigns with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and for always, world without end.
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