The Daily Gospel for Wednesday, January 13, 2016

The Daily Gospel for Wednesday, January 13, 2016
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."[John 6:68]
Wednesday of the First week in Ordinary Time
Saints of the day: St. Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (c. 315- c. 367)

SAINT HILARY OF POITIERS
Bishop and Doctor of the Church
(c. 315-c. 367)

St. Hilary was a native of Poitiers in Aquitaine. Born and educated a pagan, it was not till near middle age that he embraced Christianity, moved thereto mainly by the idea of God presented to him in the Holy Scriptures. He soon converted his wife and daughter, and separated himself rigidly from all un-Catholic company.

In the beginning of his conversion St. Hilary would not eat with Jews or heretics, nor salute them by the way; but afterwards, for their sake, he relaxed this severity. He entered Holy Orders, and in 350 was chosen bishop of his native city.

Arian heresy, under the protection of the Emperor Constantine, was just then in the height of its power, and St. Hilary found himself called upon to support the orthodox cause in several Gallic councils, in which Arian bishops formed an overwhelming majority. He was in consequence accused to the emperor, who banished him to Phrygia. He spent his three years and more of exile in composing his great Treatise on the Trinity and many others works.

In 359 he attended the Council of Seleucia, in which Arians, semi-Arians, and Catholics contended for the mastery. With the deputies of the council he proceeded to Constantinople, and there so dismayed the heads of the Arian party that they prevailed upon the emperor to let him return to Gaul. He traversed Gaul, Italy, and Illyria, wherever he came discomfiting the heretics and procuring triumph of orthodoxy.

After seven or eight years of missionary travel he returned to Poitiers, where he died in peace in 368.[Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]]

St. Veronica of Binasco, Religious (c. 1445-1497)

SAINT VERONICA OF BINASCO
Religious
(c. 1445-1497)

Veronica parents were peasants of a village near Milan. From her childhood she toiled hard in the house and the field, and accomplished cheerfully every menial task. Gradually the desire for perfection grew within her; she became deaf to the jokes and songs of her companions, and sometimes, when reaping and hoeing, would hide her face and weep.

Knowing no letters, she began to be anxious about her learning, and rose secretly at night to teach herself to read. Our Lady told her that other things were necessary, but not this. She showed Veronica three mystical letters which would teach her more than books. The first signified purity of intention; the second, abhorrence of murmuring or criticism; the third, daily meditation on the Passion.

By the first she learned to begin her daily duties for no human motive, but for God alone; by the second, to carry out what she had thus begun by attending to her own affairs, never judging her neighbor, but praying for those who manifestly erred; by the third she was enabled to forget her own pains and sorrows in those of her Lord, and to weep hourly, but silently, over the memory of His wrongs.

She had constant ecstasies, and saw in successive visions the whole life of Jesus, and many other mysteries. Yet, by a special grace, neither her raptures nor her tears ever interrupted her labors, which ended only with death.

After three years' patient waiting she was received as a lay-sister in the convent of St. Martha at Milan. The community was extremely poor, and Veronica's duty was to beg through the city for their daily food. Three years after receiving the habit she was afflicted with secret but constant bodily pains, yet never would consent to be relieved of any of her labors, or to omit one of her prayers.

By exact obedience she became a living copy of the rule, and obeyed with a smile the least hint of her Superior. She sought to the last the most hard and humbling occupations, and in their performance enjoyed some of the highest favors ever granted to a Saint.

She died in 1497, on the day she had foretold, after a six months' illness, aged fifty-two years, and in the thirtieth of her religious profession.[Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]]

Wednesday of the First week in Ordinary Time

The First Book of Samuel 3:1 The child Sh’mu’el continued ministering to Adonai under ‘Eli’s direction. Now, in those days Adonai rarely spoke, and visions were few. 2 Once, during that period, ‘Eli had gone to bed — his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that it was hard for him to see. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out; and Sh’mu’el had lain down to sleep in the sanctuary of Adonai, where the ark of God was.

4 Adonai called, “Sh’mu’el!” and he answered, “Here I am.” 5 Then he ran to ‘Eli and said, “Here I am — you called me?” But he said, “I didn’t call you; go back, and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 6 Adonai called a second time, “Sh’mu’el!” Sh’mu’el got up, went to ‘Eli and said, “Here I am — you called me.” He answered, “I didn’t call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Sh’mu’el didn’t yet know Adonai; the word of Adonai had not yet been revealed to him. 8 Adonai called, “Sh’mu’el!” again, a third time. He got up, went to ‘Eli and said, “Here I am — you called me.” At last ‘Eli realized it was Adonai calling the child. 9 So ‘Eli said to Sh’mu’el, “Go, and lie down. If you are called again, say, ‘Speak, Adonai; your servant is listening.’ Sh’mu’el went and lay down in his place.

10 Adonai came and stood, then spoke as at the other times: “Sh’mu’el! Sh’mu’el!” Then Sh’mu’el said, “Speak; your servant is listening.”

19 Sh’mu’el kept growing, Adonai was with him, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 All Isra’el from Dan to Be’er-Sheva became aware that Sh’mu’el had been confirmed as a prophet of Adonai.

Psalm 40:2 (1) I waited patiently for Adonai,

till he turned toward me and heard my cry.

5 (4) How blessed the man who trusts in Adonai

and does not look to the arrogant

or to those who rely on things that are false.

7 (6) Sacrifices and grain offerings you don’t want;

burnt offerings and sin offerings you don’t demand.

Instead, you have given me open ears;

8 (7) so then I said, “Here I am! I’m coming!

In the scroll of a book it is written about me.

9 (8) Doing your will, my God, is my joy;

your Torah is in my inmost being.

10 (9) I have proclaimed what is right in the great assembly;

I did not restrain my lips, Adonai, as you know.

The Holy Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah according to Saint Mark 1:29 They left the synagogue and went with Ya‘akov and Yochanan to the home of Shim‘on and Andrew. 30 Shim‘on’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever, and they told Yeshua about her. 31 He came, took her by the hand and lifted her onto her feet. The fever left her, and she began helping them.

32 That evening after sundown, they brought to Yeshua all who were ill or held in the power of demons, 33 and the whole town came crowding around the door. 34 He healed many who were ill with various diseases and expelled many demons, but he did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who he was.

35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Yeshua got up, left, went away to a lonely spot and stayed there praying. 36 But Shim‘on and those with him went after him; 37 and when they found him, they said, “Everybody is looking for you.” 38 He answered, “Let’s go somewhere else — to the other villages around here. I have to proclaim the message there too — in fact this is why I came out.” 39 So he traveled all through the Galil, preaching in their synagogues and expelling demons.

Wednesday of the First week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day:
Isaac the Syrian (7th century), monk near Mosul 
Ascetical discourses

"Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place"

Nothing renders the soul so pure and joyful, nor illumines and distances it from evil thoughts, so much as keeping vigil. For this reason our fathers all persevered in this work of keeping vigil and adopted the rule of remaining awake through the night throughout the course of their life of asceticism. In particular, they did this because they had heard our Savior call us to it urgently in various places through his living Word: “Be vigilant at all times and pray” (Luke 21:36); “Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test” (Matthew 26:41); and again, “Pray without ceasing” (1Thessalonians 5:17).
Nor was he satisfied with having warned us by his words. He also set us an example in his own person by favoring the practice of prayer above everything else. That is why he frequently went off alone to pray, and not arbitrarily but choosing night as his time and the desert as his place that we too, avoiding the crowds and the bustle, might become able to pray in solitude.
That is why our fathers received this high teaching concerning prayer as though it came from Christ himself. And they chose to watch in prayer following the command of the apostle Paul so that, above all, they might be able to remain close to God without interruption through continual prayer... Nothing external touches them nor moves the purity of their mind, which would trouble those vigils that fill them with joy and are the light of their souls.

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