"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."[John 6:68]
Wednesday of the Thirty-second week in Ordinary Time
Saints of the day:
St. Martin of Tours, Bishop († 397) - Memorial
Wednesday of the Thirty-second week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Wisdom 6: Rulers should seek wisdom and righteousness
Commentary of the day:
Odes of Solomon (Hebrew Christian text from the beginning of the 2nd century)
No. 3 (trans. ©J.H. Charlesworth)
SAINT MARTIN OF TOURS
Bishop
(† 397)
Bishop
(† 397)
When a mere boy, Martin became a Christian catechumen against his parents' wish; and at fifteen was therefore seized by his father, a pagan soldier, and enrolled in the army.
One winter's day, when stationed at Amiens, he met a beggar almost naked and frozen with cold. Having no money, he cut his cloak in two and gave him the half. That night he saw Our Lord clothed in the half cloak, and heard Him say to the angels: "Martin, yet a catechumen, hath wrapped Me in this garment." This decided him to be baptized, and shortly after he left the army.
He succeeded in converting his mother; but, being driven from his home by the Arians, he took shelter with St. Hilary, and founded near Poitiers the first monastery in France.
In 372 he was made Bishop of Tours. His flock, though Christian in name, was still pagan in heart. Unarmed and attended only by his monks, Martin destroyed the heathen temples and groves, and completed by his preaching and miracles the conversion of the people, whence he is known as the Apostle of Gaul.
His last eleven years were spent in humble toil to atone for his faults, while God made manifest by miracles the purity of his soul.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]Wednesday of the Thirty-second week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Wisdom 6: Rulers should seek wisdom and righteousness
1 So then listen, you rulers, and understand. Learn, you who judge the far reaches of the earth. 2 Pay attention, you who have power over multitudes, you who take pride in having power over throngs of nations.
3 The Lord gave you authority to rule. The Most High gave you your power. He will watch carefully what you do and examine everything that you are planning. 4 You are merely stewards of his kingdom. If you don’t judge rightly, if you don’t keep the Law, or if you don’t act according to God’s plan, 5 then he’ll fall upon you very suddenly and very terribly. Judgment falls hard on those in high places. 6 Those who aren’t important may be pardoned out of compassion, but the powerful will be powerfully examined. 7 The ruler of all won’t back down from anyone. He won’t show any special consideration to someone whom others consider great. The ruler of all made both the small and the great, and he regards them all in the same way. 8 But a stern judgment will fall upon the ruthless.
9 Yes, I’m speaking to you who rule with unbridled might so that you may learn wisdom and avoid going astray. 10 Those who have treasured holy things in a holy way will themselves be made holy. Those who have been instructed in holy things will be able to offer a defense for what they have done. 11 So desire my words with all your heart. Commit yourself to them, and you will be educated.
Psalm 82:
3 Give justice to the weak and fatherless!
Uphold the rights of the wretched and poor!
4 Rescue the destitute and needy;
deliver them from the power of the wicked!”
6 “My decree is: ‘You are elohim [gods, judges],
sons of the Most High all of you.
7 Nevertheless, you will die like mortals;
like any prince, you will fall.’”
The Holy Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah according to Saint Luke 17:11 On his way to Yerushalayim, Yeshua passed along the border country between Shomron and the Galil. 12 As he entered one of the villages, ten men afflicted with tzara‘at met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out, “Yeshua! Rabbi! Have pity on us!” 14 On seeing them, he said, “Go and let the cohanim examine you!” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, as soon as he noticed that he had been healed, returned shouting praises to God, 16 and fell on his face at Yeshua’s feet to thank him. Now he was from Shomron. 17 Yeshua said, “Weren’t ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found coming back to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And to the man from Shomron he said, “Get up, you may go; your trust has saved you.”
Wednesday of the Thirty-second week in Ordinary Time
Odes of Solomon (Hebrew Christian text from the beginning of the 2nd century)
No. 3 (trans. ©J.H. Charlesworth)
"He fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him"
The Messiah is before me :
To him I cling and he embraces me.
For I should not have known how to love the Lord
If he had not continuously loved me.
Who is able to distinguish love
Except him who is loved?
I love the Beloved and my soul loves him
And where his rest is, there also am I.
And I shall no longer be a foreigner to him
Because there is no jealousy with the Lord Most High and Merciful
I have been united to him.
Because the lover has found the Beloved
Because I love him that is the Son
I shall become son.
Indeed, he who is joined to him who is the immortal
Will truly be immortal
And he who delights in the Life
Will become living.
This is the Spirit of the Lord, which is not false,
Which teaches the sons of men to know his ways.
____________________________To him I cling and he embraces me.
For I should not have known how to love the Lord
If he had not continuously loved me.
Who is able to distinguish love
Except him who is loved?
I love the Beloved and my soul loves him
And where his rest is, there also am I.
And I shall no longer be a foreigner to him
Because there is no jealousy with the Lord Most High and Merciful
I have been united to him.
Because the lover has found the Beloved
Because I love him that is the Son
I shall become son.
Indeed, he who is joined to him who is the immortal
Will truly be immortal
And he who delights in the Life
Will become living.
This is the Spirit of the Lord, which is not false,
Which teaches the sons of men to know his ways.
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