Daily Gospel for Saturday, 30 May 2015

Daily Gospel for Saturday, 30 May 2015
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."[John 6:68]
Saturday of the Eighth week in Ordinary Time
Saints of the day:

ST FELIX I 
Pope and Martyr
(+ 274)

St. Felix was a Roman by birth, and succeeded St. Dionysius in the government of the Church in 269. 
Paul of Samosata, the proud Bishop of Antioch, to the guilt of many enormous crimes added that of heresy, teaching that Christ was no more than a mere man, in whom the Divine Word dwelt by its operation and as in its temple, with many other gross errors concerning the capital mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation. 
Three councils were held at Antioch to examine his cause, and in the third, assembled in 269, being clearly convicted of heresy, pride, and many scandalous crimes, he was excommunicated and deposed, and Domnus was substituted in his place. 
As Paul still kept possession of the episcopal house, our Saint had recourse to the Emperor Aurelian, who, though a pagan, gave an order that the house should belong to him to whom the bishops of Rome and Italy adjudged it. 
The persecution of Aurelian breaking out, St. Felix, fearless of danger, strengthened the weak, encouraged all, baptized the catechumens, and continued to exert himself in converting infidels to the Faith. He himself obtained the glory of martyrdom. 
He governed the Church five years, and passed to a glorious eternity in 274.

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

SAINT JOAN OF ARC
Virgin 
(1412-1431)

At Domremy, on the Upper Meuse (France), was born on January 6, 1412, of pious parentage, the illustrious heroine of all time, St. Joan of Arc. Taught by her mother from earliest years to pray each night "O God, save France," she could not help but conceive that ardent love for her country which later consumed her life.

While the English were overrunning the north of France, their future conqueror, untutored in worldly wisdom, was peacefully tending her flock, and learning the wisdom of God at a wayside shrine. But hearing Voices from heaven and bidden by St. Michael, who appeared to her, to deliver her country from the enemy, she hastened to the King and convinced him of her divine mission.  

Scarcely did her banner, inscribed "Jesus, Mary," appear on the battlefield than she raised the siege of Orleans and led Charles VII. to be crowned at Rheims. Later, abandoned by her King, she fell into the hands of the English, who gave her a mock trial and burned her as a heretic.

But the Maid of Orleans has at last come into her own, for with greater pomp than ever a king was crowned, and amid the acclamations of the whole world, on May 13, 1920, Pope Benedict XV. proclaimed her St. Joan of Arc.

Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Saturday of the Eighth week in Ordinary Time
Book of Sirach 51:12     because you saved me from destruction
    and you rescued me from an evil time.
    For this, I will give thanks, praise you,
        and bless the Lord’s name.[a]
Search for Wisdom
13 When I was still young,
before I had traveled,
    I sought Wisdom openly in my prayer.
14 In front of the temple, I asked for her,
    and I will search for her until I die.
15 From the first blossom
to the ripening of the grape clusters,
    my heart delighted in her;
    I walked in straight paths;
        I chased her down from my youth.
16 I paid a little attention, and I received her
    and found much instruction for myself.
17 I made progress with her;
    I will give glory to the one
    who gives me Wisdom.
18 I made up my mind
to put Wisdom into practice;
    I sought the good,
    and I will never be ashamed.
19 My whole being grappled with her,
    and I was brought to perfection
    in my performance of the Law.
    I spread out my hands
    toward heaven,
    and I kept in mind[b]
    my ignorance of her.
20 I directed my whole being toward her,
    and in purity I found her.
    I had a heart for her[c]
    from the beginning.
    For this reason
    I will never be abandoned.[Footnotes:
Sirach 51:12 Between 51:12 and 13, Heb adds a long doxology.
Sirach 51:19 Some Gk manuscripts I mourned because of
Sirach 51:20 or I acquired a heart with her]
Psalm 19:8 (7) The Torah of Adonai is perfect,
restoring the inner person.
The instruction of Adonai is sure,
making wise the thoughtless.
9 (8) The precepts of Adonai are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The mitzvah of Adonai is pure,
enlightening the eyes.
10 (9) The fear of Adonai is clean,
enduring forever.
The rulings of Adonai are true,
they are righteous altogether,
11 (10) more desirable than gold,
than much fine gold,
also sweeter than honey
or drippings from the honeycomb.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint Mark 11:27 They went back into Yerushalayim; and as he was walking in the Temple courts, there came to him the head cohanim, the Torah-teachers and the elders; 28 and they said to him, “What s’mikhah do you have that authorizes you to do these things? Who gave you this s’mikhah authorizing you to do them?” 29 Yeshua said to them, “I will ask you just one question: answer me, and I will tell you by what s’mikhah I do these things. 30 The immersion of Yochanan — was it from Heaven or from a human source? Answer me.” 31 They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From Heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From a human source, . . . ’” — they were afraid of the people, for they all regarded Yochanan as a genuine prophet. 33 So they answered Yeshua, “We don’t know.” “Then,” he replied, “I won’t tell you by what s’mikhah I do these things.”
Saturday of the Eighth week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the day:
Saint Peter Chrysologus (c.406-450), Bishop of Ravenna, Doctor of the Church
Sermon 167 ; CCL 248, 1025 ; PL 52, 636 
« John the Baptist came to you..., but you did not believe him » (Mt 21,32) «John the Baptist proclaimed: 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand' « (Mt 3,2)... O blessed John, who desired that conversion precede judgment, that sinners should not be condemned but rewarded, that the unrighteous should enter the Kingdom and not undergo punishment... When did John preach this nearness of the Kingdom of heaven? The world was still in its infancy...; but for us who are announcing this nearness today, the world is extremely antiquated and worn out. It has lost its strength, lost its faculties; suffering weighs it down...; it cries out its exhaustion; it bears all the symptoms of its end... 

We are being towed along by a world that passes away, forgetting the world to come. We are greedy for present things but do not take into account the coming judgment. We will not run to meet the Lord as he comes...
Let us turn back, brethren, let us turn back... By the very fact of his delay, of his still waiting, our Lord proves his desire to see us come back to him, his desire that we should not perish. In his great goodness he continues addressing these words to us: «I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked but would rather he would change his ways and live» (Ez 33,11). So let us turn back to him, brethren, not fearing that time is running short. The time that belongs to time's Author cannot be shortened. The proof of it lies in the criminal in the Gospel who, at the moment of dying on the cross, got away with his pardon, grabbed hold of life and, breaking into paradise like a burglar, managed to make his way into the Kingdom (cf. Lk 23,43)!

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