The Daily Gospel for Wednesday, January 6, 2016

The Daily Gospel for Wednesday, January 6, 2016
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."[John 6:68]
Wednesday after Epiphany
Saints of the day: St. Andre Bessette, C.S.C. (1845-1937)

Saint Brother André Bessette
C.SC.
(1845-1937)

Brother André was born Alfred Bessette on August 9, 1845, in Quebec, Canada. By the age of twelve, André and his siblings were left orphans-their mother died of tuberculosis, and their father had died three years earlier in a lumbering accident. Though he was barely able to read or write, André was forced to leave school and learn a trade. For thirteen years he labored in various industries despite his own frail health.

In 1870, he entered the Congregation of Holy Cross and was assigned as the doorkeeper of the community's high school in Montreal. There he welcomed the sick and suffering of the city and encouraged them to pray to Saint Joseph, to whom the Holy Cross Brothers were dedicated by their founder, The Venerable Basil Moreau, C.S.C. Brother André's visitors often found that they had been healed of their illnesses and received other spiritual favors. Brother André became known as the "Miracle Man" of Montreal, but he always gave the credit to Saint Joseph.

So many people came to call on Brother André that he built a small chapel to Saint Joseph across the street from the school. Through André's determination and prayer, and the generosity of his many friends, the great Oratory of Saint Joseph began to rise on Mount Royal. Today millions of visitors still come to the Oratory to pray to Saint Joseph and to Blessed Brother André, and to seek physical and spiritual healing.

Brother André died on January 6, 1937 at the age of 92. This simple man of prayer was so beloved, that more than a million people attended his funeral in a blinding snowstorm. His body lies in the beautiful basilica he built in honor of St. Joseph.

He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 23, 1982. In his homily that day, The Holy Father said this of Brother André:

"A daily crowd of the sick, the afflicted, the poor of all kinds-those who were handicapped or wounded by life-came to him. They found in his presence a welcome ear, comfort and faith in God. Do not the poor of today have as much need of such love, of such hope, of such education in prayer?"

He was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 17, 2010.[http://www.cscip.org/about-us/blessed-brother-andre/]

Wednesday after Epiphany

The First Epistle of John 4:11 Beloved friends, if this is how God loved us, we likewise ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains united with us, and our love for him has been brought to its goal in us. 13 Here is how we know that we remain united with him and he with us: he has given to us from his own Spirit. 14 Moreover, we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as Deliverer of the world. 15 If someone acknowledges that Yeshua is the Son of God, God remains united with him, and he with God. 16 Also we have come to know and trust the love that God has for us. God is love; and those who remain in this love remain united with God, and God remains united with them.

17 Here is how love has been brought to maturity with us: as the Messiah is, so are we in the world. This gives us confidence for the Day of Judgment. 18 There is no fear in love. On the contrary, love that has achieved its goal gets rid of fear, because fear has to do with punishment; the person who keeps fearing has not been brought to maturity in regard to love.

Psalm 72:(0) By Shlomo:

(1) God, give the king your fairness in judgment,

endow this son of kings with your righteousness,

2 so that he can govern your people rightly

and your poor with justice.

10 The kings of Tarshish and the coasts will pay him tribute;

the kings of Sh’va and S’va will offer gifts.

12 For he will rescue the needy when they cry,

the poor too and those with none to help them.

13 He will have pity on the poor and needy;

and the lives of the needy he will save.

The Holy Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah according to Saint Mark 6:45 Immediately Yeshua had his talmidim get in the boat and go on ahead of him toward the other side of the lake, toward Beit-Tzaidah, while he sent the crowds away. 46 After he had left them, he went into the hills to pray. 47 When night came, the boat was out on the lake, and he was by himself on land. 48 He saw that they were having difficulty rowing, because the wind was against them; so at around four o’clock in the morning he came toward them, walking on the lake! He meant to come alongside them; 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and let out a shriek; 50 for they had all seen him and were terrified. However, he spoke to them. “Courage,” he said, “it is I. Stop being afraid!” 51 He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves; on the contrary, their hearts had been made stone-like.
Wednesday after Epiphany
Commentary of the day:
Saint Hilary (c.315-367), Bishop of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church 
Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, 14, 13-14 (trans. SC 258, p. 27 rev.)

"About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them"

“Then he made the disciples get into the boat while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up to pray. When it was evening, he was there alone” (cf. Matthew 14:22-23). If we are to explain these happenings we must distinguish between the times. If he was alone in the evening, this points to his solitude at the hour of his Passion when panic had caused everyone to scatter. If he made his disciples get into the boat and cross over the sea while he himself dismissed the crowds, and if, having dismissed them, he went up a mountain, this means that he directed them to remain in the Church and to sail across the sea – that is to say, this world – until, at his return in glory, he would grant salvation to all who are to be the remnant of Israel (cf. Romans 11,5)... and this people would give thanks to God his Father and be set firm within his glory and majesty...
“During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them.” In the expression “fourth watch of the night” we find the number corresponding to the signs of his care. Thus, the first watch was that of the Law; the second, that of the prophets; the third, that of his coming in the flesh; the fourth is situated in his return in glory. But he will find the Church declining and hemmed in by the spirit of the Antichrist and all the distresses of this world. He will come when anxieties and afflictions are at their height... The disciples will be terrified even by the coming of the Lord, fearing the images of a reality distorted by the Antichrist and by the deceitful imaginations infiltrating their sight. But our good Lord will speak to them directly, casting out their fear and saying: “It is I”, dispersing their fear of imminent shipwreck by faith in his coming.

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