Daily Gospel for Saturday, 11 July 2015

Daily Gospel for Saturday, 11 July 2015
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."[John 6:68]

Saturday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time
Feast of the Church:

In Europe: Feast of St Benedict, Abbot, Patron of Europe - Proper readings

Saturday, 11 July 2015 In Europe: Feast of St Benedict, Abbot, Patron of Europe - Proper readings
Readings for the Feast in Europe Book of Proverbs 2:1 My son, if you will receive my words and store my commands inside you, 2 paying attention to wisdom inclining your mind toward understanding — 3 yes, if you will call for insight and raise your voice for discernment, 4 if you seek it as you would silver and search for it as for hidden treasure — 5 then you will understand the fear of Adonai and find knowledge of God. 6 For Adonai gives wisdom; from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. 7 He stores up common sense for the upright, is a shield to those whose conduct is blameless, 8 in order to guard the courses of justice and preserve the way of those faithful to him. 9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice, fairness and every good path. Responsorial Psalm 34:2 (1) I will bless Adonai at all times; his praise will always be in my mouth. 3 (2) When I boast, it will be about Adonai; the humble will hear of it and be glad. 4 (3) Proclaim with me the greatness of Adonai; let us exalt his name together. 5 (4) I sought Adonai, and he answered me; he rescued me from everything I feared. 6 (5) They looked to him and grew radiant; their faces will never blush for shame. 7 (6) This poor man cried; Adonai heard and saved him from all his troubles. 8 (7) The angel of Adonai, who encamps around those who fear him, delivers them. 9 (8) Taste, and see that Adonai is good. How blessed are those who take refuge in him! 10 (9) Fear Adonai, you holy ones of his, for those who fear him lack nothing. 11 (10) Young lions can be needy, they can go hungry, but those who seek Adonai lack nothing good.

Saturday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 19:27 Kefa replied, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. So what will we have?” 28 Yeshua said to them, “Yes. I tell you that in the regenerated world, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Isra’el. 29 Everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times more, and he will obtain eternal life.

Commentary of the day:

Pius XII, Pope from 1939 to 1958
Encyclical: Fulgens Radiatur, March 21, 1947

Saint Benedict: the zealous work of evangelization.

While the century had grown old in vice, while Italy and all Europe seemed to be a wretched theater for the life and death struggle of nations, and even the monastic discipline was weakened with worldliness and was not up to the task of resisting ..., Benedict proved the perennial youth of the Church by his outstanding sanctity and work; he restored morality by his teaching and example; he protected the sanctuary of religious life with safer and holier laws. Nor was that all; he and his followers reclaimed the uncultured tribes from their wild life to civic and Christian culture; directing them to the practice of virtue, industry and the peaceful arts and literature, he united them in the bonds of fraternal affection and charity...

Cassino, as all know, was the chief dwelling place and the main theater of the Holy Patriarch's virtue and sanctity. From the summit of this mountain, while practically on all sides ignorance and the darkness of vice kept trying to overshadow and envelop everything, a new light shone, kindled by the teaching and civilization of old and further enriched by the precepts of Christianity; it illumined the wandering peoples and nations, recalled them to truth and directed them along the right path...

It was here that Benedict brought the monastic life to that degree of perfection to which he had long aspired by prayer, meditation and practice. The special and chief task that seemed to have been given to him in the designs of God's providence was not so much to impose on the West the manner of life of the monks of the East, as to adapt that life and accommodate it to the genius, needs and conditions of Italy and the rest of Europe. Thus to the placid asceticism which flowered so well in the monasteries of the East, he added laborious and tireless activity which allows the monks "to give to others the fruit of contemplation", and not only to produce crops from uncultivated land, but also to cultivate spiritual fruit through their exhausting apostolate. - Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Saints of the day:

St. Benedict, Abbot (c. 480-547), Patron of Europe

SAINT BENEDICT
Abbot
(c. 480-547)

St. Benedict, blessed by grace and in name, was born of a noble Italian family about 480. When a boy he was sent to Rome, and there placed in the public schools. Scared by the licentiousness of the Roman youth, he fled to the desert mountains of Subiaco, and was directedby the Holy Spirit into a cave, deep, craggy, and almost inaccessible. He lived there for three years, unknown to any one save the holy monk Romanus, who clothed him with the monastic habit and brought him food. But the fame of his sanctity soon gathered disciples round him. The rigor of his rule, however, drew on him the hatred of some of the monks, and one of them mixed poison with the abbot's drink; but when the Saint made the sign of the cross on the poisoned bowl, it broke and fell in pieces to the ground.

After he had built twelve monasteries at Subiaco, he removed to Monte Casino, where he founded an abbey in which he wrote his rule and lived until death. By prayer he did all things: wrought miracles, saw visions, and prophesied. A peasant, whose boy had just died, ran in anguish to St. Benedict, crying out, "Give me back my son!" The monks joined the poor man in his entreaties; but the Saint replied, "Such miracles are not for us to work, but for the blessed apostles. Why will you lay upon me a burden which my weakness cannot bear? " Moved at length by compassion he knelt down and, prostrating himself upon the body of the child, prayed earnestly. Then rising, he cried out, "Behold not, O Lord, my sins, but the faith of this man, who desires the life of his son, and restore to the body that soul which you have taken away." Hardly had he spoken when the child's body began to tremble, and taking it by the hand he restored it alive to its father.

Six days before his death he ordered his grave to be opened, and fell ill of a fever. On the sixth day he requested to be borne into the chapel, and, having received the body and blood of Christ, with hands uplifted, and leaning on one of his disciples, he calmly expired in prayer on the 21st of March, 547.

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

Pope Paul VI proclaimed Benedict patron of Europe (Feast in Europe) on the 24^th of October, 1964 (Apostolic Letter: Pacis nuntius).

Saturday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time
Readings 

Book of Genesis 49:29 Then he charged them as follows: “I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave that is in the field of ‘Efron the Hitti, 30 the cave in the field of Makhpelah, by Mamre, in the land of Kena‘an, which Avraham bought together with the field from ‘Efron the Hitti as a burial-place belonging to him — 31 there they buried Avraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Yitz’chak and his wife Rivkah, and there I buried Le’ah — 32 the field and the cave in it, which was purchased from the sons of Het.”

50:15 Realizing that their father was dead, Yosef’s brothers said, “Yosef may hate us now and pay us back in full for all the suffering we caused him.” 16 So they sent a message to Yosef which said, “Your father gave this order before he died: 17 ‘Say to Yosef, “I beg you now, please forgive your brothers’ crime and wickedness in doing you harm.”’ So now, we beg of you, forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.” Yosef wept when they spoke to him; 18 and his brothers too came, prostrated themselves before him and said, “Here, we are your slaves.” 19 But Yosef said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Am I in the place of God? 20 You meant to do me harm, but God meant it for good — so that it would come about as it is today, with many people’s lives being saved. (vii) 21 So don’t be afraid — I will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he comforted them, speaking kindly to them.

22 Yosef continued living in Egypt, he and his father’s household. Yosef lived 110 years. (Maftir) 23 Yosef lived to see Efrayim’s great-grandchildren, and the children of M’nasheh’s son Makhir were born on Yosef’s knees.

24 Yosef said to his brothers, “I am dying. But God will surely remember you and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov.” 25 Then Yosef took an oath from the sons of Isra’el: “God will surely remember you, and you are to carry my bones up from here.” 26 So Yosef died at the age of 110, and they embalmed him and put him in a coffin in Egypt.

Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened!

Psalms 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.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 10:24 “A talmid is not greater than his rabbi, a slave is not greater than his master. 25 It is enough for a talmid that he become like his rabbi, and a slave like his master. Now if people have called the head of the house Ba‘al-Zibbul, how much more will they malign the members of his household! 26 So do not fear them; for there is nothing covered that will not be uncovered, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops.

28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are powerless to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Gei-Hinnom. 29 Aren’t sparrows sold for next to nothing, two for an assarion? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s consent. 30 As for you, every hair on your head has been counted. 31 So do not be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.

32 “Whoever acknowledges me in the presence of others I will also acknowledge in the presence of my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others I will disown before my Father in heaven.

Saturday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the day:

Saint Ambrose (c.340-397), Bishop of Milan and Doctor of the Church
Sermon 20 on Psalm 118 ; CSEL 62, 467f.
Acknowledging Christ before others

Acknowledging Christ before others

You can be a witness to Christ every day. You were tempted by the spirit of impurity but... you considered that chastity of spirit andbody should not be soiled: you are a martyr or, in other words, a witness to Christ... You were tempted by the spirit of pride but, seeing the poor and needy, you were seized by tender compassion and preferred humility to arrogance: you are a witness to Christ. Better still: you have not given your witness in word alone but in deed as well.
What is the surest kind of witness? “Anyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ came among us in the flesh” (cf. 1Jn 4,2) and who keeps the commands of the Gospel... How many there are each day of these hidden martyrs of Christ who confess the Lord Jesus! The apostle Paul knew that kind of martyrdom and witness of faith rendered to Christ, he who said: “Our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience” (2Cor 1,12). For how many people have made a confession of faith exteriorly but denied it interiorly!... So be faithful and courageous in interior persecutions so that you may also win the victory in exterior persecutions. There are “kings and rulers”, judges of formidable power, in the persecutions within, likewise. You have an example of these in the temptations undergone by our Lord (Mt 4,1ff.)

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