DAILY GOSPEL for Tuesday, 03 March 2015

DAILY GOSPEL for Tuesday, 03 March 2015
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."[John 6:68]
Tuesday of the Second week of Lent
Saints of the day:

SAINT CUNEGUNDES
Empress
(+1040)

Saint Cunegundes was the daughter of Siegfried, the first Count of Luxemburg, and Hadeswige, his pious wife. They instilled into her from her cradle the most tender sentiments of piety, and married her to St. Henry, Duke of Bavaria, who, upon the death of the Emperor Otho III., was chosen king of the Romans, and crowned on the 6th of June, 1002. She was crowned at Paderborn on St. Laurence's day. In the year 1014 she went with her husband to Rome, and received the imperial crown with him from the hands of Pope Benedict VIII. She had, by St. Henry's consent, before her marriage made a vow of virginity. Calumniators afterwards made vile accusations against her, and the holy empress, to remove the scandal of such a slander, trusting in God to prove her innocence, walked over red-hot ploughshares without being hurt. The emperor condemned his too scrupulous fears and credulity, and from that time they lived in the strictest union of hearts, conspiring to promote in everything God's honor and the advancement of piety.

Going once to make a retreat in Hesse, she fell dangerously ill, and made a vow to found a monastery, if she recovered, at Kaffungen, near Cassel, in the diocese of Paderborn, which she executed in a stately manner, and gave it to nuns of the Order of St. Benedict. Before it was finished St. Henry died, in 1024. She earnestly recommended his soul to the prayers of others, especially to her blear nuns, and expressed her longing desire of joining them. She had already exhausted her treasures in founding bishoprics and monasteries, and in relieving the poor, and she had therefore little left now to give. But still thirsting to embrace perfect evangelical poverty, and to renounce all to serve God without obstacle, she assembled a great number of prelates to the dedication of her church of Kaffungen on the anniversary day of her husband's death, 1025; and after the gospel was sung at Mass she offered on the altar a piece of the true cross, and then, putting off her imperial robes, clothed herself with a poor habit; her hair was cut off, and the bishop put on her a veil, and a ring as a pledge of her fidelity to her heavenly Spouse.

After she was consecrated to God in religion, she seemed entirely to forget that she had been empress, and behaved as the last in the house, being persuaded that she was 30 before God. She prayed and read much, worked with her hands, and took a singular pleasure in visiting and comforting the sick.

Thus she passed the last fifteen years of her life. Her mortifications at length reduced her to a very weak condition, and brought on her last sickness. Perceiving that they were preparing a cloth fringed with gold to cover her corpse after her death, she changed color and ordered it to be taken away; nor could she be at rest till she was promised she should be buried as a poor religious in her habit. She died on the 3d of March, 1040. Her body was carried to Bamberg and buried near that of her husband. She was solemnly canonized by Innocent III. in 1200.

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

St. Katherine Drexel

Saint Katharine Drexel, Religious (Feast Day-March 3) Born in 1858, into a prominent Philadelphia family, Katharine became imbued with love for God and neighbor. She took an avid interest in the material and spiritual well-being of black and native Americans. She began by donating money but soon concluded that more was needed - the lacking ingredient was people. Katharine founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Black and Native American peoples, whose members would work for the betterment of those they were called to serve. From the age of 33 until her death in 1955, she dedicated her life and a fortune of 20 million dollars to this work. In 1894, Mother Drexel took part in opening the first mission school for Indians, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Other schools quickly followed - for Native Americans west of the Mississippi River, and for the blacks in the southern part of the United States. In 1915 she also founded Xavier University in New Orleans. At her death there were more than 500 Sisters teaching in 63 schools throughout the country. Katharine was beatified by Pope John Paul IIon November 20, 1988.
Because of her lifelong dedication to her faith and her selfless service to the oppressed, Pope John Paul II canonized her on October 1, 2000 to become only the second recognized American-born saint.
Tuesday of the Second week of Lent
Book of Isaiah 1:10 Hear what Adonai says,

you rulers of S’dom!

Listen to God’s Torah,

you people of ‘Amora!

16 “Wash yourselves clean!

Get your evil deeds out of my sight!

Stop doing evil, 17 learn to do good!

Seek justice, relieve the oppressed,

defend orphans, plead for the widow.

18 “Come now,” says Adonai,

“let’s talk this over together.

Even if your sins are like scarlet,

they will be white as snow;

even if they are red as crimson,

they will be like wool.

19 If you are willing and obedient,

you will eat the good of the land;

20 but if you refuse and rebel,

you will be eaten by the sword”;

for the mouth of Adonai has spoken.

Psalm 50:8 I am not rebuking you for your sacrifices;

your burnt offerings are always before me.

9 I have no need for a bull from your farm

or for male goats from your pens;

16 But to the wicked God says:

“What right do you have to proclaim my laws

or take my covenant on your lips,

17 when you so hate to receive instruction

and fling my words behind you?

21 When you do such things, should I stay silent?

You may have thought I was just like you;

but I will rebuke and indict you to your face.

23 “Whoever offers thanksgiving

as his sacrifice honors me;

and to him who goes the right way

I will show the salvation of God.”

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 23:1 Then Yeshua addressed the crowds and his talmidim: 2 “The Torah-teachers and the P’rushim,” he said, “sit in the seat of Moshe. 3 So whatever they tell you, take care to do it. But don’t do what they do, because they talk but don’t act! 4 They tie heavy loads onto people’s shoulders but won’t lift a finger to help carry them. 5 Everything they do is done to be seen by others; for they make their t’fillin broad and their tzitziyot long, 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7 and they love being greeted deferentially in the marketplaces and being called ‘Rabbi.’

8 “But you are not to let yourselves be called ‘Rabbi’; because you have one Rabbi, and you are all each other’s brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘Father.’ because you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to let yourselves be called ‘leaders,’ because you have one Leader, and he is the Messiah! 11 The greatest among you must be your servant, 12 for whoever promotes himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be promoted.

Tuesday of the Second week of Lent

Commentary of the day:
Homily attributed to Saint Macarius of Egypt (?-390), monk
Third Homily, 1-3; PG 34, 467-470
Community life: “You are all brothers”
In whatever they do, the brothers should be charitable and joyful with one another. Someone who is working will speak like this about someone who is praying: “The treasure my brother possesses is also mine since it belongs to both of us” On his part, someone who is praying will say of someone who is reading: “The benefit he draws from his reading is enriching me, too.” And again, someone who is working will say: “I am carrying out this service on behalf of the community.”
The numerous members of the body make up only one body and support each other by each fulfilling its task. The eye sees for the whole body; the hand works for the other members; the foot, as it walks, bears them all; one member suffers as soon as another does. This is how the brothers should behave with one another (cf. Rom 12,4-5). The one who is praying won't judge the one who is working because he is not praying. The one who is working won't judge the one who is praying... The one who is serving won't judge the others. To the contrary, whatever he is doing, each will be working for the glory of God (cf. 1Cor 10,31; 2Cor 4,15)...
In this way a great concord and tranquil harmony will be formed, “the bond of peace” (Eph 4,3), that will unite them among themselves and cause them to live transparently and simply in the sight of God. Of course, the essential thing is to persevere in prayer. One thing is necessary besides: each must possess this treasure of the living, spiritual presence of the Lord in their heart. And whether working, praying or reading, each must be able to claim they possess that imperishable good of the Holy Spirit.
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