Daily Gospel for Monday, 16 June 2014

Daily Gospel for Monday, 16 June 2014
"Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.'"(John 6:68)
Monday of the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time
Feast of the Church: The memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Memorial

"The mysterium of the Heart of Jesus is projected onto and reverberates in the Heart of his Mother, who is also one of his followers and a disciple... The memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a celebration of the complex visceral relationship of Mary with her Son's work of salvation: from the Incarnation, to his death and resurrection, to the gift of the Holy Spirit"
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Opening Prayer
Father,
you prepared the heart of the Virgin Mary
to be a fitting home for your Holy Spirit.
By her prayers
may we become a more worthy temple of your glory.
Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy
Saints of the Day:

SAINT JOHN FRANCIS REGIS

Priest

(1597-1640)

St. John Francis Regis was born in Languedoc, in 1597. From his tenderest years he showed evidences of uncommon sanctity by his innocence of life, modesty, and love of prayer.
At the age of eighteen he entered the Society of Jesus. As soon as his studies were over, he gave himself entirely to the salvation of souls.
The winter he spent in country missions, principally in mountainous districts; and in spite of the rigor of the weather and the ignorance and roughness of the inhabitants, he labored with such success that he gained innumerable souls to God both from heresy and from a bad life.
The summer he gave to the towns. There his time was taken up in visiting hospitals and prisons, in preaching and instructing, and in assisting all who in any way stood in need of his services. In his works of mercy God often helped him by miracles.
In November, 1637, the Saint set out for his second mission at Marthes. His road lay across valleys filled with snow and over mountains frozen and precipitous. In climbing one of the highest, a bush to which he was clinging gave way, and he broke his leg in the fall. By the help of his companion he accomplished the remaining six miles, and then, instead of seeing a surgeon, insisted on being taken straight to the confessional. There, after several hours, the curate of the parish found him still seated, and when his leg was examined the fracture was found to be miraculously healed.
He was so inflamed with the love of God that he seemed to breathe, think, speak of that alone, and he offered up the Holy Sacrifice with such attention and fervor that those who assisted at it could not but feel something of the fire with which he burned.
After twelve years of unceasing labor, he rendered his pure and innocent soul to his Creator, at the age of forty-four.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Monday of the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time
1st book of Kings 21:1 After these things, Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near my house; and I will give you for it a better vineyard than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.”
3 Naboth said to Ahab, “May Yahweh forbid me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!”
4 Ahab came into his house sullen and angry because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He laid himself down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. 5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sad, that you eat no bread?”
6 He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ He answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”
7 Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let your heart be merry. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles who were in his city, who lived with Naboth. 9 She wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 10 Set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king!’ Then carry him out, and stone him to death.”
11 The men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had instructed them in the letters which she had written and sent to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 The two men, the base fellows, came in and sat before him. The base fellows testified against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king!” Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him to death with stones. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned, and is dead.”
15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned, and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
Psalms 5:2 Listen to the voice of my cry, my King and my God;
    for to you do I pray.
3 Yahweh, in the morning you shall hear my voice.
    In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly.
4 For you are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness.
    Evil can’t live with you.
5 The arrogant shall not stand in your sight.
    You hate all workers of iniquity.
6 You will destroy those who speak lies.
    Yahweh abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7 But as for me, in the abundance of your loving kindness I will come into your house.
    I will bow toward your holy temple in reverence of you.
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.
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 5:38 Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21
Monday of the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the Day:

Saint Caesarius of Arles (470-543), monk and Bishop 

Sermons to the people, no. 23, 4-5, drawing its inspiration from Saint Augustine ; SC 243

"But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil"

“Whoever keeps the whole Law but falls short in one particular has become guilty in respect to all of it” (Jas 2,10). What is this one law if not true love, perfect charity? It is of this that Saint Paul also said:  “For the whole Law is fulfilled in one statement, namely: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'” (Gal 5,14)...
For true charity is patient in adversity and moderate in prosperity; strong in painful suffering, joyful in good works; completely safe in temptation. It is very gentle amongst genuine brothers, very patient amongst false. It is innocent in the midst of snares, groans amidst evildoing and breathes naturally in the truth. It is chaste in the married woman, Susannah, in the widow, Anna, in the virgin, Mary (Dn 13,1f.; Lk 2,36). It is humble in Peter's obedience and free in Paul's arguments. It is human in the witness of Christians, divine in the forgiveness of Christ. For true charity, beloved brethren, is the soul of the whole of Scripture, the strength of prophecy, the structure of knowledge, the fruit of faith, the wealth of the poor, the life of the dying. So keep it faithfully; cherish it with all your heart and all the strength of your soul (cf Mk 12,30).
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