Friday of the Second week in Ordinary Time
Saints of the day: St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr (+ 304)
SAINT VINCENT
Deacon and Martyr
(+ 304)
Deacon and Martyr
(+ 304)
St. Vincent was archdeacon of the church at Saragossa. Valerian, the bishop, had an impediment in his speech; thus Vincent preached in his stead, and answered in his name when both were brought before Dacian, the president, during the persecution of Diocletian. When the bishop was sent into banishment, Vincent remained to suffer and to die.
First of all, he was stretched on the rack; and, when he was almost torn asunder, Dacian, the president, asked him in mockery "how he fared now." Vincent answered, with joy in his face that he had ever prayed to be as he was then. It was in vain that Dacian struck the executioners and goaded them on in their savage work. The martyr's flesh was torn with hooks; he was bound in a chair of red-hot iron; lard and salt were rubbed into his wounds; and amid all this he kept his eyes raised to heaven, and remained unmoved.
He was cast into a solitary dungeon, with his feet in the stocks; but the angels of Christ illuminated the darkness, and assured Vincent that he was near his triumph. His wounds were now tended to prepare him for fresh torments, and the faithful were permitted to gaze on his mangled body. They came in troops, kissed the open sores, and carried away as relics cloths dipped in his blood.
Before the tortures could recommence, the martyr's hour came, and he breathed forth his soul in peace.
Even the dead bodies of the saints are precious in the sight of God, and the hand of iniquity cannot touch them, A raven guarded the body of Vincent where it lay flung upon the earth. When it was sunk out at sea the waves cast it ashore; and his relics are preserved to this day in the Augustinian monastery at Lisbon, for the consolation of the Church of Christ.[Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]]
Friday of the Second week in Ordinary TimeThe First Book of Samuel 24:3 (2) Sha’ul took three thousand men chosen from all Isra’el and went searching for David and his men on the cliffs where the mountain goats are. 4 (3) Near some sheep pens along the way was a cave, and Sha’ul went inside to relieve himself. It happened that David and his men were sitting in the recesses at the back of the cave; 5 (4) and David’s men said to him, “Look! The day has come that Adonai told you about when he said to you, ‘I will turn your enemy over to you, and you will do to him whatever seems good to you.’” Then David stole over unobserved and cut off the corner of Sha’ul’s cloak. 6 (5) But after doing this, David felt remorse over cutting Sha’ul’s garment. 7 (6) He said to his men, “Adonai forbid that I should do such a thing to my lord, Adonai’s anointed, as raise my hand against him! After all, he is Adonai’s anointed.” 8 (7) By saying this, David stopped his men and would not let them do anything to Sha’ul. Sha’ul got up, left the cave and went on his way.
9 (8) Then David too got up and went outside the cave, where he called after Sha’ul, “My lord the king!” When Sha’ul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself. 10 (9) David said to Sha’ul, “Why do you listen to people who say, ‘David is out to harm you?’ 11 (10) Here, today you have seen with your own eyes that Adonai put you in my power there in the cave. Some of my men said I should kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I won’t raise my hand against my lord, because he is Adonai’s anointed.’ 12 (11) Moreover, my father, look! Here in my hand you see the corner of your cloak. By the fact that I only cut off a piece of your cloak and didn’t kill you, you can see and understand that I have no plan to do harm or rebel, and that I haven’t sinned against you — even though you are seeking every chance you get to take my life. 13 (12) May Adonai judge between you and me, and may Adonai avenge me on you! But I will not lay a hand on you — 14 (13) as the old saying has it, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness, but I will not lay a hand on you.’ 15 (14) The king of Isra’el has come on a campaign — after whom? Whom are you chasing? A dead dog! A single flea! 16 (15) Adonai be the judge; let him decide between you and me. May he take my side and rescue me from your power!”
17 (16) After David had finished speaking to Sha’ul, Sha’ul said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” Then Sha’ul cried out and wept; 18 (17) and he said to David, “You are more righteous than I, because you have treated me well, while I have been treating you badly. 19 (18) You have made it clear to me today that you have done me good; for when Adonai put my fate in your hands, you didn’t kill me. 20 (19) A man finds his enemy and lets him go unharmed?! May Adonai reward you well for what you did to me today. 21 (20) Now I’m certain that you will indeed become king, and that the kingship of Isra’el will be established in your hands.
Psalm 57:2 (1) Show me favor, God, show me favor;
for in you I have taken refuge.
Yes, I will find refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the storms have passed.
3 (2) I call to God, the Most High,
to God, who is accomplishing his purpose for me.
4 (3) He will send from heaven and save me
when those who would trample me down mock me. (Selah)
God will send his grace and his truth.
6 (5) Be exalted, God, above heaven!
May your glory be over all the earth!
11 (10) For your grace is great, all the way to heaven,
and your truth, all the way to the skies.
The Holy Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah according to Saint Mark 3:13 Then he went up into the hill country and summoned to himself those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve to be with him, to be sent out to preach 15 and to have authority to expel demons:
16 Shim‘on, to whom he gave another name, “Kefa”;
17 Ya‘akov Ben-Zavdai and Yochanan, Ya‘akov’s brother — to them he gave the name “B’nei-Regesh” (that is, “Thunderers”);
18 Andrew, Philip, Bar-Talmai, Mattityahu, T’oma, Ya‘akov Ben-Halfai, Taddai, Shim‘on the Zealot,
19 and Y’hudah from K’riot, the one who betrayed him.
Then he entered a house;
Friday of the Second week in Ordinary Time
The letter to Diognetus (c.200)
XI
“To send them to preach”
I am not saying anything strange, I am not seeking what is paradoxical. Rather, docile to the teaching of the apostles, I in turn want to teach the nations. I want to pass on the tradition exactly to those who also want to become disciples of the Truth. Who… would not hasten to learn entirely all that the Word of God clearly taught his disciples? For in manifesting itself, that Word, which was not understood by those who did not believe in him, showed the truth to his disciples; speaking openly, he told his disciples everything. He recognized them to be his faithful ones, and they received from him knowledge of the mysteries of the Father.
That is why the Word was sent into the world. And so that he might be shown to the whole world, … he was proclaimed by the apostles, so that the nations might believe in him. He who was from the beginning (1 John 1:1), manifested himself in newness, and his disciples recognized in him what was old. In the heart of his saints, he is always born anew young … Through him, the Church is filled with richness. Grace opens up, is multiplied in the saints. It gives the understanding of faith, uncovers the mysteries of the Father; it gives understanding of the times… It is offered to those who seek it and who respect the rule of faith and faithfully keep the tradition of the Fathers.
Here the fear of the Law is sung; here the grace of the prophets is acknowledged, the faith of the Gospels is strengthened, the tradition of the apostles is kept; the grace of the Church leaps for joy. Do not sadden this grace. Then you will know the secrets, which the Word of God reveals through whom he wishes, when it pleases him. Draw near, listen, and you will know all that God entrusts to those who truly love him.
That is why the Word was sent into the world. And so that he might be shown to the whole world, … he was proclaimed by the apostles, so that the nations might believe in him. He who was from the beginning (1 John 1:1), manifested himself in newness, and his disciples recognized in him what was old. In the heart of his saints, he is always born anew young … Through him, the Church is filled with richness. Grace opens up, is multiplied in the saints. It gives the understanding of faith, uncovers the mysteries of the Father; it gives understanding of the times… It is offered to those who seek it and who respect the rule of faith and faithfully keep the tradition of the Fathers.
Here the fear of the Law is sung; here the grace of the prophets is acknowledged, the faith of the Gospels is strengthened, the tradition of the apostles is kept; the grace of the Church leaps for joy. Do not sadden this grace. Then you will know the secrets, which the Word of God reveals through whom he wishes, when it pleases him. Draw near, listen, and you will know all that God entrusts to those who truly love him.
No comments:
Post a Comment