Daily Gospel for Tuesday, 2 June 2015

Daily Gospel for Tuesday, 2 June 2015
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."[John 6:68]
Saints of the day:

SAINTS MARCELLINUS, PETER 
Martyrs 
(+ c. 304)

Pope Damasus received the information about the martyrdom of Saints Marcellinus and Peter during the Diocletian persecution from the executioner himself. They were beheaded.

The saints are happy in heaven because they followed Christ.
They rejoice with him for ever because they shed their blood for love of him.
(Entrance antiphon)

SAINTS POTHINUS, Bishop,
SANCTUS, ATTALUS, BLANDINA,
and the other Martyrs of Lyons
(+ 177)

After the miraculous victory obtained by the prayer; of the Christians under Marcus Aurelius, in 174, the Church enjoyed a kind of peace, though it was often disturbed in particular places by popular commotions, or by the superstitious fury of certain governors. This appears from the violent persecution which was raised three years after the aforesaid victory, at Vienne and Lyons, in 177, whilst St. Pothinus was Bishop of Lyons, and St. Irenæus, who had been sent thither by St. Polycarp out of Asia, was a priest of that city.
Many of the principal Christians were brought before the Roman governor. Among them was a slave, Blandina: and her mistress, also a Christian, feared that Blandina lacked strength to brave the torture. She was tormented a whole day through, but she bore it all with joy till the executioners gave up, confessing themselves outdone.
Red-hot plates were held to the sides of Sanctus, a deacon of Vienne, till his body became one great sore, and he looked no longer like a man; but in the midst of his tortures he was "bedewed and strengthened by the stream of heavenly water which flows from the side of Christ."
Meantime, many confessors were kept in prison and with them were some who had been terrified into apostasy. Even the heathens marked the joy of martyrdom in the Christians who were decked for their eternal espousals, and the misery of the apostates. But the faithful confessors brought back those who had fallen, and the Church, "that Virgin Mother," rejoiced when she saw her children live again in Christ.
Some died in prison, the rest were martyred one by one, St. Blandina last of all, after seeing her younger brother put to a cruel death, and encouraging him to victory.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Tuesday of the Ninth week in Ordinary Time
Book of Tobit 2:9 That night I washed myself and went into my courtyard and fell asleep alongside the courtyard wall, with my face uncovered because of the heat. 10 I didn’t know that there were sparrows in the wall above me, and their warm droppings fell into my eyes, forming white spots. I went to doctors to be healed, but the more they applied their medicines on me, the worse the white spots became until I was completely blinded. I couldn’t see with my eyes for four years. All my relatives felt sorry for me, and Ahikar took care of me for two years until he went to Elymais.
Tobit’s plight worsens
11 At that time my wife Anna made a living by weaving cloth out of wool.[a] 12 She would send the cloth to the wool suppliers,[b] and they would pay her for it. On the seventh day of Dystrus,[c] she finished a piece on the loom for her employers. They gave her the full wages, along with a young goat from their herd for her home. 13 When it approached me, the kid began to bleat. So I called to Anna and said, “Where does this goat come from? It isn’t stolen, is it? Return it to its owners, for we have no right to eat anything that is stolen!”
14 But she said to me, “It was given to me as a bonus in addition to my pay.” I didn’t believe her and demanded that she return it to the owners. I grew red with anger at her. But she replied and said to me, “And what’s become of your charitable donations? What’s become of your righteous deeds? You have a reputation for that sort of thing, don’t you?!”[d][Footnotes:
Tobit 2:11 Gk by doing women’s work
Tobit 2:12 Or to its owners
Tobit 2:12 March
Tobit 2:14 Gk Where are your charitable donations now? Where are your righteous deeds? See, these things are known about you!]
Psalm 112:1 Halleluyah!
How happy is anyone who fears Adonai,
who greatly delights in his mitzvot.
2 His descendants will be powerful on earth,
a blessed generation of upright people.
7 He will not be frightened by bad news;
he remains steady, trusting in Adonai.
8 His heart is set firm, he will not be afraid,
till finally he looks in triumph at his enemies.
9 He distributes freely, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness stands forever.
His power will be increased honorably.
Saints Marcellinus and Peter, Martyrs
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to saint Mark 12:13 Next they sent some P’rushim and some members of Herod’s party to him in order to trap him with a sh’eilah. 14 They came and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you tell the truth and are not concerned with what people think about you, since you pay no attention to a person’s status but really teach what God’s way is. Does Torah say that taxes are to be paid to the Roman Emperor, or not?” 15 But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you trying to trap me? Bring me a denarius so I can look at it.” 16 They brought one; and he asked them, “Whose name and picture are these?” “The Emperor’s,” they replied. 17 Yeshua said, “Give the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor. And give to God what belongs to God!” And they were amazed at him.
Tuesday of the Ninth week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the day:
Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), Carmelite, Doctor of the Church 
Poems, no. 8 « Alma, buscarte has en mí » (trans. E. Allison Peers, alt.) 
"Whose image is this?" Soul, you must seek yourself in me 

And in yourself must seek for me. 
Such is the power of love's impress, 
O soul, to engrave you on my heart, 
That any craftsman must confess 
He never could have the same success, 
However superlative his art. 
It was by love that you were made 
Lovely and beautiful to be; 
So, if by chance you should have strayed, 
Upon my heart you are portrayed. 
Soul, you must seek yourself in me. 
For well I know that you will see 
Yourself engraved upon my breast— 
An image vividly impressed— 
And then you will rejoice to be 
So safely lodged, so highly blest. 
And if by chance you do not know 
Where to go in quest of me, 
Do not go far my face to see, 
Searching everywhere high and low, 
But in yourself must seek for me. 
For, soul, in you I am confined, 
You are my dwelling and my home; 
And if one day I chance to find 
Fast-closed the portals of your mind 
I ask for entrance when I come. 
Oh, do not seek me far away, 
For, if you would attain to me, 
You only need my name to say 
And I’ll be there without delay. 
Look in yourself to seek for me. 

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