"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."[John 6:68]Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time
Saints of the day:
The Theban Legion, Martyrs (c.287)
THE THEBAN LEGION
Martyrs
(c. 287)
The Theban legion numbered more than six thousand men. They marched from the East into Gaul, and proved their loyalty at once to their Emperor and to their God. They were encamped near the Lake of Geneva, under the Emperor Maximian, when they got orders to turn their swords against the Christian population, and refused to obey. In his fury Maximian ordered them to be decimated. The order was executed once and again, but they endured this without a murmur or an effort to defend themselves.Martyrs
(c. 287)
St. Maurice, the chief captain in this legion of martyrs, encouraged the rest to persevere and follow their comrades to heaven. "Know, O Emperor," he said, "that we are your soldiers, but we are servants also of the true God. In all things lawful we will most readily obey, but we cannot stain our hands in this innocent blood. We have seen our comrades slain, and we rejoice at their honor. We have arms, but we resist not, for we had rather die without shame than live by sin."
As the massacre began, these generous soldiers flung down their arms, offered their necks to the sword, and suffered themselves to be butchered in silence.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Ezra 6:7 Let the work of this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Judeans and the leaders of the Judeans rebuild this house of God on its site.
8 “Moreover, I herewith issue this order concerning how you are to assist these leaders of the Judeans in rebuilding this house of God: the expenses of these men are to be defrayed promptly from the royal funds, from the taxes collected beyond the River, so that the work can continue.
12 May the God who has caused his name to be there overthrow any king or people that tries to defy it and destroy this house of God in Yerushalayim.
“I, Daryavesh, have issued this order. Let it be carried out to the letter.”
14 The leaders of the Judeans made good progress with the rebuilding, thanks to the prophesying of Hagai the prophet and Z’kharyah the son of ‘Iddo. They kept building until they were finished, in keeping with the command of the God of Isra’el and in accordance with the order of Koresh, Daryavesh and Artach’shashta king of Persia. 15 This house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Daryavesh the king. 16 The people of Isra’el, the cohanim, the L’vi’im and the other people from the exile joyfully dedicated this house of God. 17 At the dedication of this house of God they offered 100 young bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and, as a sin offering for all Isra’el, twelve male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Isra’el.
18 Then they installed the cohanim in their divisions and the L’vi’im in their orders for the service of God in Yerushalayim, as written in the book of Moshe.
19 The people from the exile kept Pesach on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 For the cohanim and L’vi’im had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. So they slaughtered the Pesach lambs for all the people from the exile and for their kinsmen the cohanim and for themselves.
Psalm 122:(0) A song of ascents. By David:
(1) I was glad when they said to me,
“The house of Adonai! Let’s go!”
2 Our feet were already standing
at your gates, Yerushalayim.
3 Yerushalayim, built as a city
fostering friendship and unity.
4 The tribes have gone up there, the tribes of Adonai,
as a witness to Isra’el,
to give thanks to the name of Adonai.
5 For there the thrones of justice were set up,
the thrones of the house of David.
The Holy Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah according to Saint Luke 8:19 Then Yeshua’s mother and brothers came to see him, but they couldn’t get near him because of the crowd. 20 It was reported to him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and want to see you.” 21 But he gave them this answer: “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s message and act on it!”
Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the day:
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
On holy virginity, 5
Mary, mother of Christ, mother of the Church
He who is the fruit of one holy Virgin is the glory and honor of all the other holy virgins; for like Mary, they are themselves the mothers of Christ if they do the will of his Father. The glory and happiness of Mary in being the mother of Jesus Christ shines forth above all in the Lord’s words: “Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is brother and sister and mother to me.” (Mt 12:50)
Thus he shows the spiritual relationships that attach him to the people whom he redeemed. His brothers and sisters are the holy men and women who partake with him in the heavenly inheritance. His mother is the entire Church, because by God’s grace, she brings forth the members of Jesus Christ, that is to say, those who are faithful to him. His mother is also every holy soul who does the will of his Father and whose fruitful charity is made manifest in those whom it brings forth for him until he himself is formed in them (Gal 4:19)…
Mary is certainly the mother of the members of the Body of Christ, that is to say, our mother, because in her charity she cooperated in bringing forth in the Church the faithful who are the members of this divine head, whose mother she truly is according to the flesh.
___________________________
8 “Moreover, I herewith issue this order concerning how you are to assist these leaders of the Judeans in rebuilding this house of God: the expenses of these men are to be defrayed promptly from the royal funds, from the taxes collected beyond the River, so that the work can continue.
12 May the God who has caused his name to be there overthrow any king or people that tries to defy it and destroy this house of God in Yerushalayim.
“I, Daryavesh, have issued this order. Let it be carried out to the letter.”
14 The leaders of the Judeans made good progress with the rebuilding, thanks to the prophesying of Hagai the prophet and Z’kharyah the son of ‘Iddo. They kept building until they were finished, in keeping with the command of the God of Isra’el and in accordance with the order of Koresh, Daryavesh and Artach’shashta king of Persia. 15 This house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Daryavesh the king. 16 The people of Isra’el, the cohanim, the L’vi’im and the other people from the exile joyfully dedicated this house of God. 17 At the dedication of this house of God they offered 100 young bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and, as a sin offering for all Isra’el, twelve male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Isra’el.
18 Then they installed the cohanim in their divisions and the L’vi’im in their orders for the service of God in Yerushalayim, as written in the book of Moshe.
19 The people from the exile kept Pesach on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 For the cohanim and L’vi’im had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. So they slaughtered the Pesach lambs for all the people from the exile and for their kinsmen the cohanim and for themselves.
Psalm 122:(0) A song of ascents. By David:
(1) I was glad when they said to me,
“The house of Adonai! Let’s go!”
2 Our feet were already standing
at your gates, Yerushalayim.
3 Yerushalayim, built as a city
fostering friendship and unity.
4 The tribes have gone up there, the tribes of Adonai,
as a witness to Isra’el,
to give thanks to the name of Adonai.
5 For there the thrones of justice were set up,
the thrones of the house of David.
The Holy Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah according to Saint Luke 8:19 Then Yeshua’s mother and brothers came to see him, but they couldn’t get near him because of the crowd. 20 It was reported to him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and want to see you.” 21 But he gave them this answer: “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s message and act on it!”
Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the day:
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
On holy virginity, 5
Thus he shows the spiritual relationships that attach him to the people whom he redeemed. His brothers and sisters are the holy men and women who partake with him in the heavenly inheritance. His mother is the entire Church, because by God’s grace, she brings forth the members of Jesus Christ, that is to say, those who are faithful to him. His mother is also every holy soul who does the will of his Father and whose fruitful charity is made manifest in those whom it brings forth for him until he himself is formed in them (Gal 4:19)…
Mary is certainly the mother of the members of the Body of Christ, that is to say, our mother, because in her charity she cooperated in bringing forth in the Church the faithful who are the members of this divine head, whose mother she truly is according to the flesh.
___________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment