Daily Gospel for Monday, 31 March 2014

Daily Gospel for Monday, 31 March 2014
"Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life." John 6:68
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Saints of the Day:
SAINT BENJAMIN 
Deacon, Martyr
(+ c. 424)
Isdegerdes, Son of Sapor III., put a stop to the cruel persecutions against the Christians in Persia, which had been begun by Sapor II., and the Church had enjoyed twelve years' peace in that kingdom, when in 420 it was disturbed by the indiscreet zeal of Abdas, a Christian bishop, who burned down the Pyræum, or Temple of Fire, the great divinity of the Persians. King Isdegerdes thereupon demolished all the Christian churches in Persia, put to death Abdas, and raised a general persecution against the Church, which continued forty years with great fury.
Isdegerdes died the year following, in 421. But his son and successor, Varanes, carried on the persecution with greater inhumanity. The very recital of the cruelties he exercised on the Christian strikes us with horror.
Among the glorious champions of Christ was St. Benjamin, a deacon. The tyrant caused him to be beaten and imprisoned. He had lain a year in the dungeon, when an ambassador from the emperor obtained his release on condition that he should never speak to any of the courtiers about religion. The ambassador passed his word in his behalf that he would not; but Benjamin, who was a minister of the Gospel, declared that he should miss no opportunity of announcing Christ.
The king, being informed that he still preached the Faith in his kingdom, ordered him to be apprehended. He suffered tortures frequently repeated with violence. Lastly, he expired about the year 424.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Isaiah 65: 17 “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
    and the former things will not be remembered,
    nor come into mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create;
    for, behold, I create Jerusalem to be a delight,
    and her people a joy.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
    and delight in my people;
and the voice of weeping and the voice of crying
    will be heard in her no more.
20 “No more will there be an infant who only lives a few days,
    nor an old man who has not filled his days;
for the child will die one hundred years old,
    and the sinner being one hundred years old will be accursed.
21 They will build houses, and inhabit them.
    They will plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.
Psalm 30:2 Yahweh my God, I cried to you,
and you have healed me.
4 Sing praise to Yahweh, you saints of his.
    Give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment.
    His favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may stay for the night,
    but joy comes in the morning.
6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
    “I shall never be moved.”
11 You have turned my mourning into dancing for me.
    You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness,
12 To the end that my heart may sing praise to you, and not be silent.
Yahweh my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
13 So that my glory may praise you
and not be silent.
O LORD, my God,
forever will I give you thanks.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 4: 43 After the two days he went out from there and went into Galilee. 44 For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when he came into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast, for they also went to the feast. 46 Jesus came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water into wine. There was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him, and begged him that he would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe.”
49 The nobleman said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. 51 As he was now going down, his servants met him and reported, saying “Your child lives!” 52 So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour,[a] the fever left him.” 53 So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” He believed, as did his whole house. 54 This is again the second sign that Jesus did, having come out of Judea into Galilee.
Footnotes:
a. John 4:52 1:00 P. M.
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Commentary of the Day:
The Imitation of Christ, spiritual treatise of the 15th century 
IV, 18 (trans. Robert Dudley) 
"Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe?" 
“Whoever examines the majesty of God will be crushed by his glory” (Prv 25,27 Vg). God can do works that pass man's understanding... Faith is required of you and sincerity of life; not high intelligence, nor penetrating knowledge of the mysteries of God. If you do not understand nor grasp what is below you, how will you comprehend what is above you? Be subject to God, submit your feeling to the faith, and the light of knowledge will be given to you as much as you need and can use. 
Some have grave temptations concerning faith and sacrament; which are not to be imputed to them, but rather to the enemy. Take no notice, do not argue with your thoughts, nor answer the doubts with which the devil attacks you; believe God's word, believe his saints and prophets, and the wicked enemy will be routed. It is often most profitable to God's servant to endure such things. For the devil does not tempt the infidel or sinner, of whom he has already secure possession; but he uses various means to tempt and harass the devout faithful. 
Go on then with simple unquestioning faith, and approach the Sacrament with reverent beseeching. Anything you cannot understand, commit it surely to God who is omnipotent. God does not deceive you; the over-confident person deceives himself. God walks in step with the simple ones, he shows himself to the humble ones, he grants understanding to the little ones; “he reveals hidden meanings to little ones”, and hides away his grace from the inquisitive and the proud. Human reason is feeble and fallible; but true faith cannot be deceived. All use of reason, all human inquiry should walk in the footsteps of faith; it should not go on in front of it nor call it in question.
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