The Daily Gospel for Saturday, 26 September 2015

 

The Daily Gospel for Saturday, 26 September 2015

"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."[John 6:68]
Saturday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time
Feast of the Church:

In Canada: feast of St John de Brebeuf and St Isaac Jogues - proper readings

 SAINTS JOHN DE BRÉBEUF
  AND ISAAC JOGUES, PRIESTS
& THEIR COMPANIONS
MARTYRS
(1642-1649)

 Theses eight men were Jesuit missionaries in North America in the 17th century, put to death,
after fearful torture by members of the Iroquois and Huron tribes.

Readings for the Feast in Canada

Book of Revelation 7, 9-17

9 After this, I looked; and there before me was a huge crowd, too large for anyone to count, from every nation, tribe, people and language. They were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands; 10 and they shouted,
“Victory to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb!”
11 All the angels stood around the throne, the elders and the four living beings; they fell face down before the throne and worshipped God, saying,
12 “Amen!
“Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks,
honor and power and strength
belong to our God forever and ever!
“Amen!”
13 One of the elders asked me, “These people dressed in white robes — who are they, and where are they from?” 14 “Sir,” I answered, “you know.” Then he told me, “These are the people who have come out of the Great Persecution. They have washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb. 15 That is why they are before God’s throne.
“Day and night they serve him in his Temple;
and the One who sits on the throne
will put his Sh’khinah upon them.
16 “They will never again be hungry,
they will never again be thirsty,
the sun will not beat down on them,
nor will any burning heat.[Revelation 7:16 Isaiah 49:10]
17 “For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will shepherd them, will lead them
to springs of living water,[Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 49:10; Jeremiah 2:13; Ezekiel 34:23; Psalm 23:1–2]
and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”[Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 25:8]
Second letter to the Corinthians 4, 7-15 

7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it will be evident that such overwhelming power comes from God and not from us. 8 We have all kinds of troubles, but we are not crushed; we are perplexed, yet not in despair; 9 persecuted, yet not abandoned; knocked down, yet not destroyed. 10 We always carry in our bodies the dying of Yeshua, so that the life of Yeshua may be manifested in our bodies too. 11 For we who are alive are always being handed over to death for Yeshua’s sake, so that Yeshua’s life also might be manifested in our mortal bodies. 12 Thus death is at work in us but life in you.
13 The Tanakh says, “I trusted, therefore I spoke.”[2 Corinthians 4:13 Psalm 116:10] Since we have that same Spirit who enables us to trust, we also trust and therefore speak; 14 because we know that he who raised the Lord Yeshua will also raise us with Yeshua and bring us along with you into his presence. 15 All this is for your sakes, so that as grace flows out to more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to overflow and bring glory to God.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to St. Luke 9:23-26

23 Then to everyone he said, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him say ‘No’ to himself, take up his execution-stake daily and keep following me. 24 For whoever tries to save his own life will destroy it, but whoever destroys his life on my account will save it. 25 What will it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but destroys or forfeits his own life? 26 For if someone is ashamed of me and of what I say, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and that of the Father and of the holy angels.

Saints of the day:

Sts. Cosmas & Damian, Martyrs († c. 283)

SAINTS COSMAS and DAMIAN
Martyrs
(† c. 283)

Sts. Cosmas and Damian were brothers, and born in Arabia, but studied the sciences in Syria, and became eminent for their skill in physic. Being Christians, and full of that holy temper of charity in which the spirit of our divine religion consists, they practised their profession with great application and wonderful success, but never took any fee. They were loved and respected by the people on account of the good offices received from their charity, and for their zeal for the Christian faith, which they took every opportunity to propagate.
When the persecution of Diocletian began to rage, it was impossible for persons of so distinguished a character to lie concealed. They were therefore apprehended by the order of Lysias, Governor of Cilicia, and after various torments were bound hand and foot and thrown into the sea.

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

Saturday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time

The Book of Zechariah 2:5 (1) I looked up and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. 6 (2) I asked, “Where are you going?” He said to me, “To measure Yerushalayim, to determine its width and length.”
7 (3) Here the angel who was speaking to me went forward, and another angel went out, met him 8 (4) and said to him, “Run and tell this young man, ‘Yerushalayim will be inhabited without walls, because there will be so many people and animals; 9 (5) “for,” says Adonai, “I will be for her a wall of fire surrounding her; and I will be the glory within her. 14 (10) “Sing, daughter of Tziyon; rejoice! For, here, I am coming; and I will live among you,” says Adonai. 15 (11) When that time comes, many nations will join themselves to Adonai. “They will be my people, and I will live among you.” Then you will know that it was Adonai-Tzva’ot who sent me to you.(Psalm) Jeremiah 31:10 (11) For Adonai has ransomed Ya‘akov,
redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
11 (12) They will come and sing on the heights of Tziyon,
streaming to the goodness of Adonai,
to the grain, the wine, the olive oil,
and the young of the flock and the herd.
They themselves will be like a well-watered garden,
never to languish again.
12 (13) “Then the virgin will dance for joy,
young men and old men together;
for I will turn their mourning into joy,
comfort and gladden them after their sorrow.
13 (14) I will give the cohanim their fill of rich food,
and my people will be satisfied with my bounty,” says Adonai.
The Holy Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah according to Saint Luke 9:43 All were struck with amazement at the greatness of God. While they were all marvelling at everything Yeshua was doing, he said to his talmidim, 44 “Listen very carefully to what I’m going to say. The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” 45 But they didn’t understand what he meant by this. It had been concealed from them so that they would not grasp its meaning, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
Saturday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary TimeCommentary of the day:
Saint Peter Chrysologus (c.406-450), Bishop of Ravenna, Doctor of the Church
Sermon 108 ; PL 52, 499
"The disciples did not understand this saying"

Hear what the Lord is asking: “Even if you fail to recognise my divinity, acknowledge my humanity. See your own body, members, inward parts, your bones and blood in me. If, then, what belongs to God fills you with fear, surely you must love what belongs to you?... But perhaps the enormity of my Passion, caused by you, covers you with shame? Don't be afraid. The cross was not deadly for me but for death. Those nails did not pierce me with pain but with even deeper love for you. Those wounds were not the cause of groaning but let you enter even further into my heart. The spread-eagling of my body did not increase my suffering but opened up my arms to you in shelter. My blood has not been lost to me but preserved for your ransom (Mk 10,45).
“Come, then, return to me and recognise your Father as you see him returning good for evil, love for mockery and, for such great wounds, a greater charity.”
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