Daily Gospel for Sunday, 23 February 2014
"Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You
have the words of eternal life." John 6:68
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A
Saint(s) of the day:
SAINT POLYCARP
Bishop, Martyr
(+ 167)
St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, was a disciple of St. John. He
wrote to the Philippians, exhorting them to mutual love and to hatred of
heresy. When the apostate Marcion met St. Polycarp at Rome, he asked the aged
Saint if he knew him. "Yes," St. Polycarp answered, "I know you
for the first-born of Satan." These were the words of a Saint most loving
and most charitable, and specially noted for his compassion to sinners. He
hated heresy, because he loved God and man so much.
In 167, persecution broke out in Smyrna. When Polycarp heard
that his pursuers were at the door, he said, "The will of God be done;
" and meeting them, he begged to be left alone for a little time, which he
spent in prayer for "the Catholic Church throughout the world."
He was brought to Smyrna early on Holy Saturday; and, as he
entered, a voice was heard from heaven, "Polycarp, be strong." When
the proconsul besought him to curse Christ and go free, Polycarp answered,
"Eighty-six years I have served Him, and He never did me wrong; how can I
blaspheme my King and Saviour?" When he threatened him with fire, Polycarp
told him this fire of his lasted but a little, while the fire prepared for the
wicked lasted forever. At the stake he thanked God aloud for letting him drink
of Christ's chalice. The fire was lighted, but it did him no hurt; so he was
stabbed to the heart, and his dead body was burnt. "Then," say the
writers of his acts, "we took up the bones, more precious than the richest
jewels or gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, at which may God grant
us to assemble with joy to celebrate the birthday of the martyr to his life in
heaven!"
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
SAINT SERENUS
Gardener and Martyr
(+ 307)
Serenus was by birth a Grecian. He quitted estate, friends, and
country to serve God its celibacy, penance, and prayer. With this design he
bought a garden in Sirmium in Pannonia, which he cultivated with his own hands,
and lived on the fruits and herbs it produced.
One day there came thither a woman, with her two daughters.
Serenus, seeing them come up, advised them to withdraw, and to conduct
themselves in future as decency required in persons of their sex and condition.
The woman, stung at our Saint's charitable remonstrance, retired in confusion,
but resolved on revenging the supposed affront. She accordingly wrote to her
husband that Serenus had insulted her.
He, on receiving her letter, went to the emperor to demand
justice, whereupon the emperor gave him a letter to the governor of the
province to enable him to obtain satisfaction. The governor ordered Serenus to
be immediately brought before him. Serenus, on hearing the charge, answered,
"I remember that, some time ago, a lady came into my garden at an
unseasonable hour, and I own I took the liberty to tell her it was against
decency for one of her sex and quality to be abroad at such an hour." This
plea of Serenus having put the officer to the blush for his wife's conduct, he dropped
his prosecution.
But the governor, suspecting by this answer that Serenus might
be a Christian, began to question him, saying, "Who are you, and what is
your religion?" Serenus, without hesitating one moment, answered, "I
am a Christian. It seemed a while ago as if God rejected me as a stone unfit to
enter His building, but He has the goodness to take me now to be placed in it;
I am ready to suffer all things for His name, that I may have a part in His
kingdom with His Saints" The governor, hearing this burst into rage and
said, "Since you sought to elude by flight the emperor's edicts, and have
positively refused to sacrifice to the gods, I condemn you for these crimes to
lose your head."
The sentence was no sooner pronounced than the Saint was carried
off and beheaded, on the 23d of February, in 307.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A
Leviticus 19:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to all
the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘You shall be holy;
for I, Yahweh your God, am holy.
17 “‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall
surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.
18 “‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against
the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am
Yahweh.
Psalm 103: By David.
1 Praise Yahweh, my soul!
All that is within me,
praise his holy name!
2 Praise Yahweh, my soul,
and don’t forget all
his benefits;
3 who forgives all your sins;
who heals all your
diseases;
4 who redeems your life from destruction;
who crowns you with
loving kindness and tender mercies;
8 Yahweh is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and
abundant in loving kindness.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
nor repaid us for our
iniquities.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed
our transgressions from us.
13 Like a father has compassion on his children,
so Yahweh has
compassion on those who fear him.
1 Corinthians 3: 16 Don’t you know that you are a
temple of God, and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s
temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, which you are.
18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise
among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise. 19 For
the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He has
taken the wise in their craftiness.”[a] 20 And again, “The Lord knows the
reasoning of the wise, that it is worthless.”[b] 21 Therefore let no one boast
in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or
the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All are
yours, 23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
Footnotes:
a. 1 Corinthians 3:19 Job 5:13
b. 1 Corinthians 3:20 Psalm 94:11
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5:
38 “You
have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’[a]
39 But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on
your right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 If anyone sues you to take
away your coat, let him have your cloak also. 41 Whoever compels you to go one
mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who
desires to borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your
neighbor[b] and hate your enemy.’[c] 44 But I tell you, love your enemies,
bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those
who mistreat you and persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father
who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and
sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you,
what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you
only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax
collectors[d] do the same? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your
Father in heaven is perfect.
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 5:38 Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21
b. Matthew 5:43 Leviticus 19:18
c. Matthew 5:43 not in the Bible, but see Qumran Manual of
Discipline Ix, 21-26
d. Matthew 5:47 NU reads “Gentiles” instead of “tax collectors”.
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A
Commentary of the Day”:
Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), Founder of the Friars Minor
Admonitions, 9-10 (trans. ©Classics of Western Spirituality)
"But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is
evil"
The Lord says: “Love your enemies.” That person truly loves his
enemy who is not upset at any injury which is done to himself, but out of love
of God is disturbed at the sin of the other's soul. And let him show his love
for the other by his deeds.
Many people, when they sin or receive an injury, often blame the
Enemy or some neighbor. But this is not right, for each one has the real enemy
in his own power; that is, the body through which he sins. Therefore blessed is
that servant who, having such an enemy in his power, will always hold him
captive and wisely guard himself against him, because as long as he does this,
no other enemy, seen or unseen, will be able ot harm him.
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