Daily Gospel for Wednesday, 8 April 2015

Daily Gospel for Wednesday, 8 April 2015

"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."[John 6:68]

Easter Wednesday

Saints of the day:

Blessed Augusto Czartoryski 
Priest of the Salesians of Don Bosco
(1858-1893)

Augusto Czartoryski was born on 2 August 1858 in Paris, France, the firstborn son to Prince Ladislaus of Poland and Princess Maria Amparo, daughter of the Duke and Queen of Spain. The noble Czartoryski Family had been living in exile in France for almost 30 years, in the Lambert Palace. Here, with the hope of restoring unity in Poland, they continued to direct activities between their fellow Polish countrymen and the European chancellery.

Plans for a future Prince

It was already planned that Augusto would be a future "reference point" for this restoration and would carry on the "Czartoryski" name. God's designs, however, were to unfold differently. 
When Augusto was 6, his mother died of tuberculosis; the disease was also transmitted to him, and for the rest of his life he would be plagued by ill health. Although he had to make "forced pilgrimages" with his father to Italy, Switzerland, Egypt and Spain in search of a cure, he never regained his health.

As he grew up, Augusto felt that he was not meant for the life of nobility, and one day, when he was 20 years old, he wrote to his father:  "I confess to you that I am tired [of all the parties]; they are superficial entertainments that cause me anguish and I feel myself "forced' to make acquaintances with others at these banquets".

Augusto already received spiritual direction from his tutor, Joseph Kalinsowski, who would later become a Carmelite, and who, before leaving for Carmel in 1877, wrote to Prince Ladislaus to suggest that it would be wise, considering the boy's love for God, to entrust him to the direction of a priest.

Encounter with Don Bosco

Prince Ladislaus accepted the counsel given by Augusto's tutor, and Fr Stanislaus Kubowicz began to guide him. Augusto was already feeling more and more called to religious life and was hoping for a clearer indication of what God wanted from him:  this "decisive event" took place when he was 25 and met Don Bosco, founder of the Salesians.

When Don Bosco came to Paris and celebrated Mass in the family chapel of the Lambert Palace, Augusto saw in this holy founder and teacher the "father of his soul" and guide for his future. While Augusto remained quiet and withdrawn in the face of matrimony plans made for him by his father, he had no intention of continuing the "noble line". Indeed, after his first encounter with the Salesian saint, he was more resolute than ever to answer God's call by becoming a Salesian.

When his father gave him permission, Augusto would travel to Turin to meet with Don Bosco and participate in spiritual retreats. He became comfortable with the "poverty" of the Salesian Oratory and was not disturbed by his frequent ill health or his father's opposition; he instead saw God's hand in all these circumstances.

He would say: "If God wants this, all will go well since he can take away every obstacle. If he does not want this, then neither do I".

A "Prince' for God's Kingdom

Don Bosco was somewhat reluctant to accept Augusto into the Salesian community:  it took Pope Leo XIII to remove his doubts when he gave Augusto this message:  "Tell Don Bosco that it is the Pope's will that he receives you among the Salesians".

Don Bosco replied: "Well then, my dear son, I accept you. From this moment, you are a part of the Salesian Family and I desire that you belong here until you die".

In 1887 he began his novitiate under the guidance of Don Giulio Barberis. The young man had to overcome many "habits" and adjust to community life, schedule, frugal meals and other sacrifices. All this he did with great serenity and abandonment to God.

When his father came to try to convince him to return home and accept his nobility as "Prince", he refused. On 24 November 1887, the day of his vesting in the hands of Don Bosco, the holy founder whispered into Augusto's ear:  "Courage, my prince! Today we have conquered, and I can also say with great joy that one day when you become a priest you will do much for your Country".

One year as Christ's priest

Don Bosco died two months later. Augusto's health was also worsening and his father continued to try to dissuade him from becoming a priest, using his ill health as an "excuse".

When Prince Ladislaus asked the "help" of Cardinal Parocchi to dismiss him from the Salesians, Augusto wrote:  "In full liberty I made my vows and I did this with great joy of heart. From that day I continue to live in the Congregation with an immense peace of spirit, and I thank the Lord for allowing me to know the Salesian Family and for having called me to become a Salesian".

On 2 April 1892 he was ordained a priest by the Bishop of Ventimiglia. Although Prince Ladislaus was not present at the Ordination, a month later, joined by the entire family in Mentone, he reconciled himself with his son's decision and renounced his own dreams of prestige and nobility for Augusto.

Fr Augusto died on 8 April 1893 in Alassio, where he lived his year as a priest, occupying a room which looked out onto the courtyard where the children of the Oratory played. He was 35 years old.

He was beatified on April 25, 2004 by John Paul II.[- Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana] 

Saint Julia Billiart

Feastday: April 8

Patron against poverty; bodily ills; disease

Birth: 1751

Death: 1816

Foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame. Maria Rose Julia Billiart was born in Cuvilly, France. She took a vow of virginity while young and worked so hard for the poor that she collapsed, remaining a cripple until 1804 when she was miraculously cured. She stayed in Amiens, where the Institute of Notre Dame was founded by Julia and pious friends in 1804. In 1809 she was forced to move to Namur, and the Motherhouse was instituted there. By the time of her death, there were fifteen convents in operation. Pope Paul VI canonized her in 1969.

Easter Wednesday

Acts of the Apostles 3:1 One afternoon at three o’clock, the hour of minchah prayers, as Kefa and Yochanan were going up to the Temple, 2 a man crippled since birth was being carried in. Every day people used to put him at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, so that he could beg from those going into the Temple court. 3 When he saw Kefa and Yochanan about to enter, he asked them for some money. 4 But they stared straight at him; and Kefa said, “Look at us!” 5 The crippled man fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Kefa said, “I don’t have silver, and I don’t have gold, but what I do have I give to you: in the name of the Messiah, Yeshua of Natzeret, walk!” 7 And taking hold of him by his right hand, Kefa pulled him up. Instantly his feet and ankles became strong; 8 so that he sprang up, stood a moment, and began walking. Then he entered the Temple court with them, walking and leaping and praising God! 9 Everyone saw him walking and praising God. 10 They recognized him as the same man who had formerly sat begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, and they were utterly amazed and confounded at what had happened to him.

Psalm 105:1 Give thanks to Adonai! Call on his name!
Make his deeds known among the peoples.
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him,
talk about all his wonders.
3 Glory in his holy name;
let those seeking Adonai have joyful hearts.
4 Seek Adonai and his strength;
always seek his presence.

6 You descendants of Avraham his servant,
you offspring of Ya‘akov, his chosen ones,
7 he is Adonai our God!
His rulings are everywhere on earth.
8 He remembers his covenant forever,
the word he commanded to a thousand generations,
9 the covenant he made with Avraham,
the oath he swore to Yitz’chak,

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 24:13 That same day, two of them were going toward a village about seven miles from Yerushalayim called Amma’us, 14 and they were talking with each other about all the things that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed, Yeshua himself came up and walked along with them, 16 but something kept them from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you talking about with each other as you walk along?” They stopped short, their faces downcast; 18 and one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only person staying in Yerushalayim that doesn’t know the things that have been going on there the last few days?” 19 “What things?” he asked them. They said to him, “The things about Yeshua from Natzeret. He was a prophet and proved it by the things he did and said before God and all the people.20 Our head cohanim and our leaders handed him over, so that he could be sentenced to death and executed on a stake as a criminal. 21 And we had hoped that he would be the one to liberate Isra’el! Besides all that, today is the third day since these things happened; 22 and this morning, some of the women astounded us. They were at the tomb early 23 and couldn’t find his body, so they came back; but they also reported that they had seen a vision of angels who say he’s alive! 24 Some of our friends went to the tomb and found it exactly as the women had said, but they didn’t see him.”

25 He said to them, “Foolish people! So unwilling to put your trust in everything the prophets spoke! 26 Didn’t the Messiah have to die like this before entering his glory?” 27 Then, starting with Moshe and all the prophets, he explained to them the things that can be found throughout the Tanakh concerning himself.

28 They approached the village where they were going. He made as if he were going on farther; 29 but they held him back, saying, “Stay with us, for it’s almost evening, and it’s getting dark.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 As he was reclining with them at the table, he took the matzah, made the b’rakhah, broke it and handed it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. But he became invisible to them. 32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn inside us as he spoke to us on the road, opening up the Tanakh to us?”

33 They got up at once, returned to Yerushalayim and found the Eleven gathered together with their friends, 34 saying, “It’s true! The Lord has risen! Shim‘on saw him!” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the road and how he had become known to them in the breaking of the matzah.

Easter Wednesday

Commentary of the day:
Saint Josémaria Escriva de Balaguer (1902-1975), priest, founder 
Homily in Amigos de Dios 

“Stay with us”

The two disciples were making their way to Emmaus. Their appearance was perfectly ordinary, like that of many another person passing through the vicinity. And it is there, very simply, that Jesus appears to them and walks with them, engaging them in a conversation that makes them forget their tiredness… Jesus on the way. Lord, you are always great! But your condescending to follow us, to seek us out in our daily comings and goings, always moves me. Lord, grant us simplicity of spirit; give us a single eye, an unclouded mind, that we may understand you when you come to us bearing no external signs of your glory.
When they reached the inn, the journey ended and the two disciples who, without realizing it, had been struck to the depths of their hearts by the word and love of God made man, are sorry about his departing. For Jesus takes his leave of them, “giving the impression that he was going on farther”. Our Lord never forces himself on us. Once we have perceived the purity of the love he has placed in our souls, he wants us to call on him freely. We have to hold him back by force and beg him: “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is nearly over, night is falling”.
We are like this too: always lacking in boldness, through lack of sincerity, perhaps, or from shyness. What we are really thinking is: Stay with us, because darkness surrounds our soul and you alone are the light, you alone can satisfy the thirst consuming us… And Jesus stays with us. Our eyes are opened like those of Cleophas and his companion when Christ breaks the bread; and even though he disappears once more from sight, we too will be able to set out again on our journey – night begins to fall – to speak of him to others since so great a joy cannot be kept within a single heart.

The way to Emmaus. Our God has filled this name filled with sweetness. And the whole world is Emmaus because the Lord has opened up the divine ways of the earth.

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