Daily Gospel for Saturday, 1 February 2014
“Peter replied, “Master, to whom would we go? You have the words
of real life, eternal life.”(John 6:68, The Message).
Saturday of the Third week in Ordinary Time
Saint of the Day:
SAINT BRIDGID
Abbess, and Patroness of Ireland
(c. 453-523)
Next to the glorious St. Patrick, St. Bridgid, whom we may
consider his spiritual daughter in Christ, has ever been held in singular
veneration in Ireland. She was born about the year 453, at Fochard in Ulster.
During her infancy, her pious father saw in a vision men clothed in white
garments pouring a sacred unguent on her head, thus prefiguring her future
sanctity. While yet very young, Bridgid consecrated her life to God, bestowed
everything at her disposal on the poor, and was the edification of all who knew
her. She was very beautiful, and fearing that efforts might be made to induce
her to break the vow by which she had bound herself to God, and to bestow her
hand on one of her many suitors, she prayed that she might become ugly and
deformed. Her prayer was heard, for her eye became swollen, and her whole
countenance so changed that she was allowed to follow her vocation in peace,
and marriage with her was no more thought of. When about twenty years old, our
Saint made known to St. Mel, the nephew and disciple of St. Patrick, her
intention to live only to Jesus Christ, and he consented to receive her sacred
vows. On the appointed day the solemn ceremony of her profession was performed
after the manner introduced by St. Patrick, the bishop offering up many
prayers, and investing Bridgid with a snow-white habit, and a cloak of the same
color. While she bowed her head on this occasion to receive the veil, a miracle
of a singularly striking and impressive nature occurred: that part of the
wooden platform adjoining the altar on which she knelt recovered its original
vitality, and put on all its former verdure, retaining it for a long time
after. At the same moment Bridgid's eye was healed, and she became as beautiful
and as lovely as ever.
Encouraged by her example, several other ladies made their vows
with her, and in compliance with the wish of the parents of her new associates,
the Saint agreed to found a religious residence for herself and them in the
vicinity. A convenient site having been fixed upon by the bishop, a convent,
the first in Ireland, was erected upon it; and in obedience to the prelate
Bridgid assumed the superiority. Her reputation for sanctity became greater
every day; and in proportion as it was diffused throughout the country the
number of candidates for admissioninto the new monastery increased. The bishops
of Ireland, soon perceiving the important advantages which their respective
dioceses would derive from similar foundations, persuaded the young and saintly
abbess to visit different parts of the kingdom, and, as an opportunity offered,
introduce into each one the establishment of her institute.
While thus engaged in a portion of the province of Connaught, a
deputation arrived from Leinster to solicit the Saint to take up her residence
in that territory; but the motives which they urged were human, and such could
have no weight with Bridgid. It was only the prospect of the many spiritual
advantages that would result from compliance with the request that induced her
to accede, as she did, to the wishes of those who had petitioned her. Taking
with her a number of her spiritual daughters, our Saint journeyed to Leinster,
where they were received with many demonstrations of respect and joy. The site
on which Kildare now stands appearing to be well adapted for a religious
institute, there the Saint and her companions took up their abode. To the place
appropriated for the new foundation some lands were annexed, the fruits of
which were assigned to the little establishment. This donation indeed
contributed to supply the wants of the community, but still the pious
sisterhood principally depended for their maintenance on the liberality of
their benefactors. Bridgid contrived, however, out of their small means to relieve
the poor of the vicinity very considerably; and when the wants of these
indigent persons surpassed her slender finances, she hesitated not to sacrifice
for them the movables of the convent. On one occasion our Saint, imitating the
burning charity of St. Ambrose and other great servants of God, sold some of
the sacred vestments that she might procure the means of relieving their
necessities. She was so humble that she sometimes attended the cattle on the
land which belonged to her monastery.
The renown of Bridgid's unbounded charity drew multitudes of the
poor to Kildare; the fame of her piety attracted thither many persons anxious
to solicit her prayers or to profit by her holy example. In course of time the
number of these so much increased that it became necessary to provide
accommodation for them in the neighborhood of the new monastery, and thus was
laid the foundation and origin of the town of Kildare.
The spiritual exigencies of her community, and of those numerous
strangers who resorted to the vicinity, having suggested to our Saint the
expediency of having the locality erected into an episcopal see, she
represented it to the prelates, to whom the consideration of it rightly
belonged. Deeming the proposal just and useful, Conlath, a recluse of eminent
sanctity, illustrious by the great things which God had granted to his prayers,
was, at Bridgid's desire, chosen the first bishop of the newly erected diocese.
In process of time it became the ecclesiastical metropolis of the province to
which it belonged, probably in consequence of the general desire to honor the
place in which St. Bridgid had so long dwelt.
After seventy years devoted to the practice of the most sublime
virtues, corporal infirmities admonished our Saint that the time of her
dissolution was nigh. It was now half a century since, by her holy vows, she
had irrevocably consecrated herself to God, and during that period great
results had been attained; her holy institute having widely diffused itself
throughout the Green Isle, and greatly advanced the cause of religion in the
various districts in which it was established. Like a river of peace, its
progress was steady and silent; it fertilized every region fortunate enough to
receive its waters, and caused it to put forth spiritual flowers and fruits
with all the sweet perfume of evangelical fragrance. The remembrance of the
glory she had procured to the Most High, as well as the services rendered to
dear souls ransomed by the precious blood of her divine Spouse, cheered and
consoled Bridgid in the infirmities inseparable from old age. Her last illness
was soothed by the presence of Nennidh, a priest of eminent sanctity, over
whose youth she had watched with pious solicitude, and who was indebted to her
prayers and instructions for his great proficiency in sublime perfection. The
day on which our abbess was to terminate her course, February 1, 523, having
arrived, she received from the hands of this saintly priest the blessed body
and blood of her Lord in the divine Eucharist, and, as it would seem,
immediately after her spirit passed forth, and went to possess Him in that
heavenly country where He is seen face to face and enjoyed without danger of
ever losing Him. Her body was interred in the church adjoining her convent, but
was some time after exhumed, and deposited in a splendid shrine near the high
altar.
In the ninth century, the country being desolated by the Danes,
the remains of St. Bridgid were removed in order to secure them from
irreverence; and, being transferred to Down-Patrick, were deposited in the same
grave with those of the glorious St. Patrick. Their bodies, together with that
of St. Columba, were translated afterwards to the cathedral cf the same city,
but their monument was destroyed in the reign of King Henry VIII. The head of
St. Bridgid is now kept in the church of the Jesuits at Lisbon.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Saturday of the Third week in Ordinary Time
2 Samuel 12: 1 and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to
him, and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and
the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3 but the poor
man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up,
and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager
fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter
to him. 4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take
one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him,
but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come
to him.” 5 Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to
Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; 6 he
shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had
no pity.”
7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord,
the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the
hand of Saul;
10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house,
for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be
your wife. 11 Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from
within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give
them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this
very sun. 12 For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all
Israel, and before the sun.” 13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against
the Lord.” Nathan said to David, “Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall
not die. 14 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the
Lord,[a] the child that is born to you shall die.” 15 Then Nathan went to his
house.
Bathsheba’s Child Dies
The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and
it became very ill. 16 David therefore pleaded with God for the child; David
fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground. 17 The elders of his house
stood beside him, urging him to rise from the ground; but he would not, nor did
he eat food with them.
Footnotes:
a. 2 Samuel 12:14 Ancient scribal tradition: Compare 1 Sam 25.22
note: Heb scorned the enemies of the Lord
Psalm 51: 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a
willing[a] spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will
return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will
sing aloud of your deliverance.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will
declare your praise.
16 For you have no delight in sacrifice;
if I were to give a
burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
17 The sacrifice acceptable to God[b] is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite
heart, O God, you will not despise.
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 51:12 Or generous
b. Psalm 51:17 Or My sacrifice, O God,
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 4: Jesus
Stills a Storm
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us
go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him
with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great
windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already
being swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke
him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 He
woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the
wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you
afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great awe and
said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the day:
Saint Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), Religious Sister
Diary, 1322 (trans. ©1987 Congregation of Marians)
"Why are you terrified?"
The barque of my life sails along
Amid darkness and shadows of night,
And I see no shore;
I am sailing the high seas.
The slightest storm would drown me,
Engulfing my boat in the swirling depths,
If you yourself did not watch over me, 0 God,
At each instant and moment of my life.
Amid the roaring waves
I sail peacefully, trustingly,
And gaze like a child into the distance without fear,
Because You, O Jesus, are my Light.
Dread and terror is all about me,
But within my soul is peace more profound than the depths of the
sea,
For he who is with you, 0 Lord, will not perish;
Of this Your love assures me, O God.
Though a host of dangers surround me,
None of them do I fear, for I fix my gaze on the starry sky,
And I sail along bravely and merrily,
As becomes a pure heart.
And if the ship of my life sails so peacefully,
This is due to but one thing above all:
You are my helmsman, O God.
This I confess with utmost humility.
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