JANUARY 2008

General:
That the Church may strengthen her commitment to full visible unity in order to manifest ever more clearly her nature as a community of love in which is reflected the communion of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Mission:
That the Church in Africa, preparing to celebrate the second Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for Africa, may continue to be a sign and channel of reconciliation and justice in a continent still suffering from war, exploitation and poverty.

From: 1 John 3:7-10

A Child of God Does Not Sin

[7] Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous,
as he is righteous. [8] He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil
has sinned from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared
was to destroy the works of the devil. [9] No one born of God commits
sin; for God’s nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is
born of God. [10] By this it may be seen who are the children of God,
and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not
of God, nor he who does not love his brother.

Commentary:

6-9. This passage acts as a preface to v. 10, where the Apostle spells
out the criteria for distinguishing the children of God from the children
of the devil—the practice of Christian virtues and the keeping of the
commandments of God, especially that of brotherly love.

To understand correctly what St John is saying here, it is useful to re-
member his controversy with the false teachers (the Gnostics): these
were trying to deceive the faithful (v. 7) and claimed to have a special
knowledge of God (gnosis), which put them above good and evil, so
that what the Church regarded as sin they saw as morally indifferent
and as incapable of undermining the union with God they claimed
they had.

To identify these heretics, the Apostle has recourse to words of our
Lord: “the tree is known by its fruit” (Mt 12:33). Thus, the genuine
Christian is recognized by deeds of righteousness (v. 7), that is, by
keeping the commandments of God and leading a holy life. And the
qualities essential to the Christian life are incompatible with sin; these
qualities are—divine filiation (”he is born of God”: v. 9), intimate union
with Christ (”who abides in him”: v. 6), and sanctifying grace, together
with the infused virtues and the gifts of the Holy Spirit (this seems to
be what the expression “God’s nature abides in him” means: v. 9).
Thus it is understandable that “No one who abides in him (Christ)
sins” (v. 6).

In fact, as long as “God’s nature abides in him...he cannot sin” (v. 9).
Clearly St John does not mean that a Christian is incapable of sinning;
at the start of the letter he said, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves” (1:8). What he wants to make quite clear is that no one can
justify his own sin by the device of claiming to be a child of God: the
righteousness of the children of God reflects itself in their actions,
whereas “he who commits sin is of the devil” (v. 8), for sin cuts one off
from God and means one has submitted to the slavery of the devil.

The ancient heresy has grown up again, in a way, in our own time: there
are those who claim that union with God is not broken by transgression
of commandments, even in grave matter, provided one does not withdraw
one’s “fundamental option” for God. Against this error, the Magisterium
of the Church reminds us that “care must be taken not to reduce mortal
sin to an act of ‘fundamental option’—as is commonly said today—against
God, intending thereby an explicit and formal contempt for God or neigh-
bor. For mortal sin exists also when a person knowingly and willingly, for
whatever reason chooses something gravely disordered. In fact, such a
choice already includes contempt for the divine law, a rejection of God’s
love for humanity and the whole of creation: the person turns away from
God and loses charity” (”Reconciliatio et Paenitentia”, 17).

10. “Children of the devil”: this is a common Semitic way of speaking
meaning “the devil’s supporters”. In St John’s writings we find references
to “children of the devil” (cf. Jn 8:44; Acts 13:10) and to people who are
“of the devil” (v. 8), and Judas is even called a “devil” (Jn 6:70; but he
never uses an expression like “born of the devil”. Therefore, the ex-
pressions “children of the devil” and “children of God” cannot be put on
the same plane.

Also, “children of God” refers here primarily to the moral dimension of
Christian life, as a description (the opposite of “the children of the devil”)
of those whose actions show they are on God’s side. However, being
children of God has a radically different meaning from being children of
the devil, because it derives from something transcendental —God’s
causing the Christian to partake of his own divine nature through the
life of grace (cf. 1 Jn 3:1-2 and notes on same).

The criteria for distinguishing the two groups mentioned are: the prac-
tice of righteousness, that is, striving for holiness and fighting against
sin, reviewed in the previous section (vv. 3-9), and the practice of bro-
therly love, as we shall see in the next section (vv. 11-24).

Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”.
Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate.
Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University
of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin,
Ireland.
Reprinted with permission from from Four Courts Press and Scepter
Publishers, the U.S. publishers.

From: John 1:35-42

The Calling of the First Disciples

[35] The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples;
[36] and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the
Lamb of God!” [37] The two disciples heard him say this, and they fol-
lowed Jesus. [38] Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to
them, “What do you seek?” And they said to Him, “Rabbi” (which
means Teacher), “where are You staying?” [39] He said to them,
“Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying; and
they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. [40]
One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew,
Simon Peter’s brother. [41] He first found his brother Simon, and said
to him, “We have found the Messiah’ (which means Christ). [42] He
brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “So you are
Simon, the son of John? You shall be called Cephas” (which means
Peter).

Commentary:

35-39. Through these words of the Baptist, these two disciples are
moved by grace to approach the Lord. John’s testimony is an example
of the special graces God distributes to attract people to Himself.
Sometimes He addresses a person directly by stirring his soul and
inviting him to follow Him; at other times, as in the present case, He
chooses to use someone close to us who knows us, to bring us to
meet Christ.

The two disciples already had a keen desire to see the Messiah; John’s
words move them to try to become friends of our Lord: it is not merely
natural curiosity but Christ’s personality which attracts them. They
want to get to know Him, to be taught by Him and to enjoy His compa-
ny. “Come and see” (John 1:39; cf. 11:34)—a tender invitation to begin
that intimate friendship they were seeking. Time and personal contact
with Christ will be needed to make them more secure in their vocation.
The Apostle St John, one of the protagonists in this scene, notes the
exact time it took place: “it was about the tenth hour”, roughly four
in the afternoon.

Christian faith can never be just a matter of intellectual curiosity; it af-
fects one’s whole life: a person cannot understand it unless he really
lives it; therefore, our Lord does not at this point tell them in detail
about His way of life; He invites them to spend the day with Him. St.
Thomas Aquinas comments on this passage saying that our Lord
speaks in a lofty, mystical way because what God is (in Himself or in
grace) can only be understood through experience: words cannot des-
cribe it. We grow in this understanding by doing good works (they
immediately accepted Christ’s invitation and as a reward “they saw”),
by recollection and by applying our mind to the contemplation of divine
things, by desiring to taste the sweetness of God, by assiduous prayer.
Our Lord invited everyone to do all this when He said, “Come and see”,
and the disciples discovered it all when, in obedience to our ord, “they
went” and were able to learn by personal experience, whereas they
could not understand the words alone (cf. “Commentary on St John,
in loc”.).

40-41. The Evangelist now gives us the name of one of the two disci-
ples involved in the previous scene; he will mention Andrew again in
connection with the multiplication of the loaves (John 6:8) and the last
Passover (John 12:22).

We cannot be absolutely sure who the second disciple was; but since
the very earliest centuries of the Christian era he has always been taken
to be the Evangelist himself. The vividness of the account, the detail of
giving the exact time, and even John’s tendency to remain anonymous
(John 19:16; 20:2; 21:7,20) seem to confirm this.

“St John the Apostle, who pours into his narrative so much that is first-
hand, tells of his first unforgettable conversations with Christ. `”Master
where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They went
and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for
it was about the tenth hour.’

“This divine and human dialogue completely changed the life of John
and Andrew, and Peter and James and so many others. It prepared
their hearts to listen to the authoritative teaching which Jesus gave
them beside the Sea of Galilee” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing
By”, 108).

Those hours spent with our Lord soon produce the first results of apos-
tolate. Andrew, unable to contain his joy, tells Simon Peter the news
that he has found the Messiah, and brings him to Him. Now, as then,
there is a pressing need to bring others to know the Lord.

“Open your own hearts to Jesus and tell Him your story. I don’t want
to generalize. But one day perhaps an ordinary Christian, just like you,
opened your eyes to horizons both deep and new, yet as old as the
Gospel. He suggested to you the prospect of following Christ earnest-
ly, seriously, of becoming an apostle of apostles. Perhaps you lost
your balance then and didn’t recover it. Your complacency wasn’t quite
replaced by true peace until you freely said ‘yes’ to God, because you
wanted to, which is the most supernatural of reasons. And in its wake
came a strong, constant joy, which disappears only when you abandon
Him” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 1).

42. What was it like when Jesus looked at someone? From what He
says here, He seems both imperious and tender. On other occasions
His glance is enough to invite a person to leave everything and follow
Him, as in the case of Matthew (Matthew 9:9); or He seems to be full
of love, as in His meeting with the rich young man (Mark 10:21), or He
seems angry or sad, because of the Pharisees’ unbelief (Mark 2:5), or
compassionate, towards the widow of Nain (Luke 7:13). He is able to
move Zacchaeus’ heart to conversion (Luke 19:5); and He Himself is
moved by the faith and generosity of the poor widow who gave in alms
everything she had (Mark 12:41-44). His penetrating look seems to lay
the soul bare to God and provoke one to self-examination and contrition
— as happened to the adulterous woman (John 8:10) and to Peter who,
after denying Christ (Luke 22:61) wept bitterly (Mark 14:72).

“You shall be called Cephas”: naming something is the same as taking
possession of the thing named (cf. Genesis 17:5; 22:28; 32:28; Isaiah
62:2). Thus, for example, Adam when he was made lord of creation,
gave names to creating things (Genesis 2:20). “Cephas” is the Greek
transcription of an Aramaic word meaning stone, rock: therefore, St.
John, writing in Greek, has to explain the meaning of the word Jesus
used. Cephas was not a proper name, but our Lord put it on Peter to
indicate his role as His vicar, which He will later on reveal (Matthew
16:16-18): Simon was destined to be the stone, the rock, of the Church.

The first Christians regarded this new name as so significant that they
used it without translating it (cf. Galatians 2:9, 11, 14); later its trans-
lation “Peter” (Petros, Petrus) became current, pushing the Apostle’s
old name—Simon—into the background.

“Son of John”: ancient manuscripts include variants, such as “son of
Jona”.

Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”.
Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate.
Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University
of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin,
Ireland.
Reprinted with permission from from Four Courts Press and Scepter
Publishers, the U.S. publishers.

Mass Readings

First reading	1 John 3:7 - 10 ©
My children, do not let anyone lead you astray: to live a holy life is to be holy just as he is holy; to lead a sinful life is to belong to the devil, since the devil was a sinner from the beginning. It was to undo all that the devil has done that the Son of God appeared. No one who has been begotten by God sins; because God’s seed remains inside him, he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God. In this way we distinguish the children of God from the children of the devil: anybody not living a holy life and not loving his brother is no child of God’s.

First reading

1 John 3:7 - 10 ©

My children, do not let anyone lead you astray:
to live a holy life
is to be holy just as he is holy;
to lead a sinful life is to belong to the devil,
since the devil was a sinner from the beginning.
It was to undo all that the devil has done
that the Son of God appeared.
No one who has been begotten by God sins;
because God’s seed remains inside him,
he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God.

In this way we distinguish the children of God
from the children of the devil:
anybody not living a holy life
and not loving his brother
is no child of God’s.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 97

Gospel	John 1:35 - 42 ©
On the following day as John stood there again with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God’. Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ‘What do you want?’ They answered, ‘Rabbi,’ – which means Teacher –’where do you live?’ ‘Come and see’ he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about the tenth hour. One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ – which means the Christ – and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ – meaning Rock.

Gospel

John 1:35 - 42 ©

On the following day as John stood there again with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God’. Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ‘What do you want?’ They answered, ‘Rabbi,’ – which means Teacher –’where do you live?’ ‘Come and see’ he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about the tenth hour.
One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ – which means the Christ – and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ – meaning Rock.

Office of Readings and Invitatory Prayer

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 34 (35)
The Lord, a saviour in time of persecution
Judge, Lord, those who are judging me: attack those who are attacking me. Take up your shield and come out to defend me. Brandish your spear and hold back my pursuers. Say to my soul, “I am your deliverance”. Let them be thrown into confusion, those who are after my life. Let them be weakened and put to flight, those who plan harm to me. Let them be like chaff blowing in the wind, when the angel of the Lord scatters them. Let their paths be dark and slippery, when the angel of the Lord harries them. For it was without cause that they spread out their nets to ensnare me, without cause that they dug a pit to take my life. Let death come upon them suddenly, may they be entangled in their own nets. But my soul will exult in the Lord and rejoice in his aid. My bones themselves will say “Lord, who is your equal?” You snatch the poor man from the hand of the strong, the needy and weak from those who would destroy them. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 34 (35)

The Lord, a saviour in time of persecution

Judge, Lord, those who are judging me: attack those who are attacking me.
Take up your shield and come out to defend me.
Brandish your spear and hold back my pursuers.
Say to my soul, “I am your deliverance”.

Let them be thrown into confusion, those who are after my life.
Let them be weakened and put to flight, those who plan harm to me.
Let them be like chaff blowing in the wind, when the angel of the Lord scatters them.
Let their paths be dark and slippery, when the angel of the Lord harries them.

For it was without cause that they spread out their nets to ensnare me, without cause that they dug a pit to take my life.
Let death come upon them suddenly, may they be entangled in their own nets.

But my soul will exult in the Lord and rejoice in his aid.
My bones themselves will say “Lord, who is your equal?”
You snatch the poor man from the hand of the strong,
the needy and weak from those who would destroy them.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 34 (35)
Lying witnesses rose up against me; they asked me questions I could not answer. They paid me back evil for the good I did, my soul is desolation. Yet I – when they were ill, I put on sackcloth, I mortified my soul with fasting, I prayed for them from the depths of my heart. I walked in sadness as for a close friend, for a brother; I was bowed down with grief as if mourning my own mother. But they – when I was unsteady, they rejoiced and gathered together. They gathered and beat me: I did not know why. They were tearing me to pieces, there was no end to it: they teased me, heaped derision on me, they ground their teeth at me. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 34 (35)

Lying witnesses rose up against me; they asked me questions I could not answer.
They paid me back evil for the good I did, my soul is desolation.

Yet I – when they were ill, I put on sackcloth, I mortified my soul with fasting, I prayed for them from the depths of my heart.
I walked in sadness as for a close friend, for a brother; I was bowed down with grief as if mourning my own mother.

But they – when I was unsteady, they rejoiced and gathered together. They gathered and beat me: I did not know why.
They were tearing me to pieces, there was no end to it: they teased me, heaped derision on me, they ground their teeth at me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 34 (35)
Lord, how long will you wait? Rescue my life from their attacks, my only life from the lions. I will proclaim you in the great assembly, in the throng of people I will praise you. Let not my lying enemies triumph over me, those who hate me for no reason, who conspire against me by secret signs, who do not speak of peace, who plan crimes against the innocent, who cry out slanders against me, saying “Yes! Yes! We saw it ourselves!” You see them, Lord, do not stay silent: Lord, do not leave me. Rise up and keep watch at my trial: my God and my Lord, watch over my case. Judge me according to your justice, Lord: my God, let them not rejoice over me! Let them not think to themselves, “Yes! We have what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up”. But let those who support my cause rejoice, let them say always “How great is the Lord, who takes care of his servant’s welfare”. And my tongue too will ponder your justice, and praise you all day long. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 34 (35)

Lord, how long will you wait? Rescue my life from their attacks, my only life from the lions.
I will proclaim you in the great assembly, in the throng of people I will praise you.

Let not my lying enemies triumph over me, those who hate me for no reason,
who conspire against me by secret signs,
who do not speak of peace,
who plan crimes against the innocent,
who cry out slanders against me, saying “Yes! Yes! We saw it ourselves!”

You see them, Lord, do not stay silent: Lord, do not leave me.
Rise up and keep watch at my trial: my God and my Lord, watch over my case.

Judge me according to your justice, Lord: my God, let them not rejoice over me!
Let them not think to themselves, “Yes! We have what we wanted!”
Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up”.

But let those who support my cause rejoice, let them say always “How great is the Lord, who takes care of his servant’s welfare”.

And my tongue too will ponder your justice, and praise you all day long.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Reading	Colossians 3:17 - 4:1 ©
Never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, give way to your husbands, as you should in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and treat them with gentleness. Children, be obedient to your parents always, because that is what will please the Lord. Parents, never drive your children to resentment or you will make them feel frustrated. Slaves, be obedient to the men who are called your masters in this world; not only when you are under their eye, as if you had only to please men, but wholeheartedly, out of respect for the Master. Whatever your work is, put your heart into it as if it were for the Lord and not for men, knowing that the Lord will repay you by making you his heirs. It is Christ the Lord that you are serving; anyone who does wrong will be repaid in kind and he does not favour one person more than another. Masters, make sure that your slaves are given what is just and fair, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.

Reading

Colossians 3:17 - 4:1 ©

Never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, give way to your husbands, as you should in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives and treat them with gentleness. Children, be obedient to your parents always, because that is what will please the Lord. Parents, never drive your children to resentment or you will make them feel frustrated.
Slaves, be obedient to the men who are called your masters in this world; not only when you are under their eye, as if you had only to please men, but wholeheartedly, out of respect for the Master. Whatever your work is, put your heart into it as if it were for the Lord and not for men, knowing that the Lord will repay you by making you his heirs. It is Christ the Lord that you are serving; anyone who does wrong will be repaid in kind and he does not favour one person more than another. Masters, make sure that your slaves are given what is just and fair, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.

Reading	The Five Hundred Chapters by St Maximus the Confessor
A mystery ever new
The Word of God, born once in the flesh (such is his kindness and his goodness), is always willing to be born spiritually in those who desire him. In them he is born as an infant as he fashions himself in them by means of their virtues. He reveals himself to the extent that he knows someone is capable of receiving him. He diminishes the revelation of his glory not out of selfishness but because he recognises the capacity and resources of those who desire to see him. Yet, in the transcendence of mystery, he always remains invisible to all. For this reason the apostle Paul, reflecting on the power of the mystery, said: Jesus Christ, yesterday and today: he remains the same for ever. For he understood the mystery as ever new, never growing old through our understanding of it. Christ is God, for he had given all things their being out of nothing. Yet he is born as man by taking to himself our nature, flesh endowed with intelligent spirit. A star glitters by day in the East and leads the wise men to the place where the incarnate Word lies, to show that the Word, contained in the Law and the Prophets, surpasses in a mystical way knowledge derived from the senses, and to lead the Gentiles to the full light of knowledge. For surely the word of the Law and the Prophets when it is understood with faith is like a star which leads those who are called by the power of grace in accordance with his decree to recognise the Word incarnate. Here is the reason why God became a perfect man, changing nothing of human nature, except to take away sin (which was never natural anyway). His flesh was set before that voracious, gaping dragon as bait to provoke him: flesh that would be deadly for the dragon, for it would utterly destroy him by the power of the Godhead hidden within it. For human nature, however, his flesh was to be a remedy since the power of the Godhead in it would restore human nature to its original grace. Just as the devil had poisoned the tree of knowledge and spoiled our nature by its taste, so too, in presuming to devour the Lord’s flesh he himself is corrupted and is completely destroyed by the power of the Godhead hidden in it. The great mystery of the divine incarnation remains a mystery for ever. How can the Word made flesh be essentially the same person that is wholly with the Father? How can he who is by nature God become by nature wholly man without lacking either nature, neither the divine by which he is God nor the human by which he became man? Faith alone grasps these mysteries. Faith alone is truly the substance and foundation of all that exceeds knowledge and understanding.

Reading

The Five Hundred Chapters by St Maximus the Confessor

A mystery ever new

The Word of God, born once in the flesh (such is his kindness and his goodness), is always willing to be born spiritually in those who desire him. In them he is born as an infant as he fashions himself in them by means of their virtues. He reveals himself to the extent that he knows someone is capable of receiving him. He diminishes the revelation of his glory not out of selfishness but because he recognises the capacity and resources of those who desire to see him. Yet, in the transcendence of mystery, he always remains invisible to all.
For this reason the apostle Paul, reflecting on the power of the mystery, said: Jesus Christ, yesterday and today: he remains the same for ever. For he understood the mystery as ever new, never growing old through our understanding of it.
Christ is God, for he had given all things their being out of nothing. Yet he is born as man by taking to himself our nature, flesh endowed with intelligent spirit. A star glitters by day in the East and leads the wise men to the place where the incarnate Word lies, to show that the Word, contained in the Law and the Prophets, surpasses in a mystical way knowledge derived from the senses, and to lead the Gentiles to the full light of knowledge.
For surely the word of the Law and the Prophets when it is understood with faith is like a star which leads those who are called by the power of grace in accordance with his decree to recognise the Word incarnate.
Here is the reason why God became a perfect man, changing nothing of human nature, except to take away sin (which was never natural anyway). His flesh was set before that voracious, gaping dragon as bait to provoke him: flesh that would be deadly for the dragon, for it would utterly destroy him by the power of the Godhead hidden within it. For human nature, however, his flesh was to be a remedy since the power of the Godhead in it would restore human nature to its original grace.
Just as the devil had poisoned the tree of knowledge and spoiled our nature by its taste, so too, in presuming to devour the Lord’s flesh he himself is corrupted and is completely destroyed by the power of the Godhead hidden in it.
The great mystery of the divine incarnation remains a mystery for ever. How can the Word made flesh be essentially the same person that is wholly with the Father? How can he who is by nature God become by nature wholly man without lacking either nature, neither the divine by which he is God nor the human by which he became man?
Faith alone grasps these mysteries. Faith alone is truly the substance and foundation of all that exceeds knowledge and understanding.

Concluding Prayer
Almighty God, a new light in the sky heralded the coming of salvation and our redemption. May that salvation dawn in our hearts and renew them daily. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

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The History of Eucharistic Adoration Development of Doctrine in the Catholic Church

The Core of Monasticism Is Adoration [Catholic Caucus](Homily of Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday

Why Eucharistic Adoration?(Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)

The Real Presence and Perpetual Adoration(Catholic Caucus)

Sister Elizabeth Ann Seton

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious
Memorial
January 4th
[in the diocese of the US]

Foundress and first superior of the Sisters of Charity in the United States, born in New York City, August 28, 1774, of non-Catholic parents of high position; died at Emmitsburg, Maryland, January 4, 1821.

Her father was the first professor of anatomy at Columbia College and eminent for his work as health officer of the Port of New York. Her mother was the daughter of an Anglican minister of Staten Island, N.Y. Her mother died when Elizabeth was three yeas old, leaving two other young daughters. The father married again, and among the children of this second marriage was Guy Charleton Bayley, whose convert son, James Roosevelt Bayley, became Archbishop of Baltimore. Elizabeth always showed great affection for her stepmother, who was a devout Anglican, and for her stepbrothers and sisters. Her education was chiefly conducted by her father, a brilliant man of great natural virtue, who trained her to self-restraint as well as in intellectual pursuits. She read industriously, her notebooks indicating a special interest in religious and historical subjects. She was very religious, wore a small crucifix around her neck, and took great delight in reading the Scriptures, especially the Psalms, a practice she retained until her death.

She was married William Magee Seton, on January 25, 1794. In her sister-in-law, Rebecca Seton, she found the "friend of her soul", and as they went about on missions of mercy they were called the "Protestant Sisters of Charity". In 1803 Mr. Seton's health required a sea voyage; he started with his wife and eldest daughter for Leghorn, where the Filicchi brothers, business friends of the Seton firm, resided. The other children, William, Richard, Rebecca, and Catherine, were left to the care of Rebecca Seton.

From a journal which Mrs. Seton kept during her travels we learn of her heroic effort to sustain the drooping spirits of her husband during the voyage, followed by a long detention in quarantine, and until his death at Pisa ( December 27, 1803). She and her daughter remained for some time with the Filicchi families. While with these Catholic families and in the churches of Italy Mrs. Seton first began to see the beauty of the Catholic Faith. She reached home June 3, 1804, accompanied by Antonio Filicchi. Her sister-in-law, Rebecca, died in July. A time of great spiritual perplexity began for Mrs. Seton, whose prayer was, "If I am right Thy grace impart still in the right to say. If I am wrong Oh, teach my heart to find the better way." Mr. Hobart (afterwards an Anglican bishop), who had great influence over her, used every effort to dissuade her from joining the Catholic Church, while Mr. Filicchi presented the claims of the true religion and arranged a correspondence between Elizabeth and Bishop Cheverus. Through Mr. Filicchi she also wrote to Bishop Carroll. Elizabeth meanwhile added fasting to her prayers for light. The result was that on Ash Wednesday, March 14, 1805, she was received into the Church by Father Matthew O'Brien in St. Peter's Church, Barclay St., New York. On March 25 she made her first Communion with extraordinary fervor. She well understood the storm that her conversion would raise among her Protestant relatives and friends at the time she most needed their help. Little of her husband's fortune was left, but numerous relatives would have provided amply for her and her children had not this barrier been raised.

Mr. Cooper, a Virginian convert and seminarian, offered $10,000 to found an institution for teaching poor children. A farm was bought half a mile from the village of Emmitsburg and two miles from Mt. St. Mary's College. Meanwhile Cecilia Seton and her sister Harriet came to Mrs. Seton in Baltimore. As a preliminary to the formation of the new community, Mrs. Seton took vows privately before Archbishop Carroll and her daughter Anna. In June, 1808, the community was transferred to Emmitsburg to take charge of the new institution. In December, 1809, Harriet Seton, who was received into the Church at Emmitsburg, died there, and Cecilia in April, 1810. Bishop Flaget was commissioned in 1810 by the community to obtain in France the rules of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. Three of these sisters were to be sent to train the young community in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul, but Napoleon forbade them to leave France. The rule, with some modifications, was approved by Archbishop Carroll in January, 1812, and adopted. Against her will, and despite the fact that she had also to care for her children, Mrs. Seton was elected superior. Many joined the community; Mother Seton's daughter, Anna, died during her novitiate ( March 12, 1812), but had been permitted to pronounce her vows on her death-bed. Mother Seton and the eighteen sisters made their vows on July 19, 1813. The fathers superior of the community were the Sulpicians, Fathers Dubourg, David, and Dubois. Father Dubois held the post for fifteen yeas and laboured to impress on the community the spirit of St. Vincent's Sisters of Charity, forty of whom he had had under his care in France. The fervour of the community won admiration everywhere. The school for the daughters of the well-to-do prospered, as it continues to do (1912), and enabled the sisters to do much work among the poor. In 1814 the sisters were given charge of an orphan asylum in Philadelphia; in 1817 they were sent to New York. The previous year (1816) Mother Seton's daughter, Rebecca, after long suffering, died at Emmitsburg; her son Richard, who was placed with the Filicchi firm in Italy, died a few years after his mother. William, the eldest, joined the United States Navy and died in 1868. The most distinguished of his children are Most. Rev. Robert Seton, Archbishop of Heliopolis (author of a memoir of his grandmother, "Roman Essays", and many contributions to the "American Catholic Quarterly" and other reviews), and William Seton (q.v.).

In 1880 Cardinal Gibbons (then Archbishop) urged the steps be taken toward her canonization. The result of the official inquiries in the cause of Mother Seton, held in Baltimore during several years, were brought to Rome by special messenger, and placed in the hands of the postulator of the cause on June 7, 1911.

Elizabeth Ann Seton was beatified in 1963 and canonized on September 14, 1975.

Friday, January 4, 2008
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Memorial)

First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:

1 John 3:7-10
Psalm 98:1, 7-9
John 1:35-42

You strayed from the way and did not return because you were ashamed. It would be more logical if you were ashamed not to return.

-- St. Jose Escriva'

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for the USA your past homeland.

An Amen to your prayer!

Hope the New Year is going well for everyone so far. Happy New Year and many blessings to everyone!

Jn 1:35-42
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
35	The next day again John stood, and two of his disciples.	altera die iterum stabat Iohannes et ex discipulis eius duo
36	And beholding Jesus walking, he saith: Behold the Lamb of God.	et respiciens Iesum ambulantem dicit ecce agnus Dei
37	And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.	et audierunt eum duo discipuli loquentem et secuti sunt Iesum
38	And Jesus turning, and seeing them following him, saith to them: What seek you? Who said to him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?	conversus autem Iesus et videns eos sequentes dicit eis quid quaeritis qui dixerunt ei rabbi quod dicitur interpretatum magister ubi habitas
39	He saith to them: Come and see. They came, and saw where he abode, and they stayed with him that day: now it was about the tenth hour.	dicit eis venite et videte venerunt et viderunt ubi maneret et apud eum manserunt die illo hora autem erat quasi decima
40	And Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who had heard of John, and followed him.	erat autem Andreas frater Simonis Petri unus ex duobus qui audierant ab Iohanne et secuti fuerant eum
41	He findeth first his brother Simon, and saith to him: We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.	invenit hic primum fratrem suum Simonem et dicit ei invenimus Messiam quod est interpretatum Christus
42	And he brought him to Jesus. And Jesus looking upon him, said: Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter.	et adduxit eum ad Iesum intuitus autem eum Iesus dixit tu es Simon filius Iohanna tu vocaberis Cephas quod interpretatur Petrus

35. Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36. And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God!

CHRYS. Many not having attended to John's words at first, he rouses them a second time: Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples.

BEDE; John stood, because he had ascended that citadel of all excellences, from which no temptations could cast him down: his disciples stood with him, as stout-hearted followers of their master.

CHRYS. But wherefore went he not all about, preaching in every place of Judea; instead of standing near the river, waiting for His coming, that he might point Him out? Because he wished this to be done by the works of Christ Himself. And observe how much greater an effort was produced; He struck a small spark, and suddenly it rose into a flame. Again, if John had gone about and preached, it would have seemed like human partiality, and great suspicion would have been excited.

Now the Prophets and Apostles all preached Christ absent; the former before His appearance in the flesh, the latter after His assumption. But He was to be pointed out by the eye, not by the voice only; and therefore it follows: And looking upon Jesus as He walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God!

THEOPHYL. Looking he said, as if signifying by his looks his love and admiration for Christ.

AUG. John was the friend of the Bridegroom; he sought not his own glory, but bore witness to the truth. And therefore he wished not his disciples to remain with him, to the hindrance of their duty to follow the Lord; but rather showed them whom they should follow, saying, Behold the Lamb of God.

CHRYS. He makes not a long discourse, having only one object before him, to bring them and join them to Christ; knowing that they would not any further need his witness. John does not however speak to his disciples alone, but publicly in the presence of all. And so, undertaking to follow Christ, through this instruction common to all, they remained thenceforth firm, following Christ for their own advantage, not as an act of favor to their master. John does not exhort: he simply gazes in admiration on Christ, pointing out the gift He came to bestow, the cleansing from sin: and the mode in which this would be accomplished: both of which the word Lamb testifies to. Lamb has the article affixed to it, as a sign of preeminence.

AUG. For He alone and singly is the Lamb without spot, without sin; not because His spots are wiped off; but because He never had a spot. He alone is the Lamb of God, for by His blood alone can men be redeemed. This is the Lamb whom the wolves fear; even the slain Lamb, by whom the lion was slain.

BEDE. The Lamb therefore he calls Him; for that He was about to give us freely His fleece, that we might make of it a wedding garment; i.e. would leave us an example of life, by which we should be warmed into love.

ALCUIN. John stands in a mystical sense, the Law having ceased, and Jesus comes, bringing the grace of the Gospel, to which that same Law bears testimony. Jesus walks, to collect disciples.

BEDE. The walking of Jesus has a reference to the economy of the Incarnation, by means of which He has condescended to come to us, and give us a pattern of life.

37. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, What seek you? They said unto Him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwell you?
39. He said to them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
40. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

ALCUIN. John having borne witness that Jesus was the Lamb of God, the disciples who had been hitherto with him, in obedience to his command, followed Jesus: And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

CHRYS. Observe; when he said, He that comes after me is made before me, and, Whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose, he gained over none; but when he made mention of the economy, and gave his discourse a humbler turn, saying, Behold the Lamb of God, then his disciples followed Christ. For many persons are less influenced by the thoughts of God's greatness and majesty, than when they hear of His being man's Helper and Friend; or any thing pertaining to the salvation of men. Observe too, when John says, Behold the Lamb of God, Christ says nothing.

The Bridegroom stands by in silence; others introduce Him, and deliver the Bride into His hands; He receives her, and so treats her that she no longer remembers those who gave her in marriage. Thus Christ came to unite to Himself the Church; He said nothing Himself; but John, the friend of the Bridegroom, came forth, and put the Bride's right hand in His; i.e. by his preaching delivered into His hands men's souls, whom receiving He so disposed of, that they returned no more to John. And observe farther; As at a marriage the maiden goes not to meet the bridegroom, (even though it be a king's son who weds a humble handmaid,) but he hastens to her; so is it here. For human nature ascended not into heaven, but the Son of God came down to human nature, and took her to His Father's house.

Again; There were disciples of John who not only did not follow Christ, but were even enviously disposed toward Him; but the better part heard, and followed; not from contempt of their former master, but by his persuasion; because he promised them that Christ would baptize with the Holy Ghost. And see with what modesty their zeal was accompanied. They did not straightway go and interrogate Jesus on great and necessary doctrines, nor in public, but sought private converse with Him; for we are told that Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, What seek you? Hence we learn, that when we once begin to form good resolutions, God gives us opportunities enough of improvement. Christ asks the question, not because He needed to be told, but in order to encourage familiarity and confidence, and show that He thought them worthy of His instructions.

THEOPHYL. Observe then, that it was upon those who followed Him, that our Lord turned His face and looked upon them. Unless you by your good works follow Him, you shall never be permitted to see His face, or enter into His dwelling.

ALCUIN. The disciples followed behind His back, in order to see Him, and did not see His face. So He turns round, and, as it were, lowers His majesty, that they might be enabled to behold His face.

ORIGEN. Perhaps it is not without a reason, that after six testimonies John ceases to bear witness, and Jesus asks seventhly, What seek you?

CHRYS. And besides following Him, their questions showed their love for Christ; They said to Him, Rabbi, (which is, being interpreted, Master,) where dwell You? They call Him, Master, before they have learnt any thing from Him; thus encouraging themselves in their resolution to become disciples, and to show the reason why they followed.

ORIGEN. An avowal, befitting persons who came from hearing John's testimony. They put themselves under Christ's teaching, and express their desire to see the dwelling of the Son of God.

ALCUIN. They do not wish to be under His teaching for a time only, but inquire where He abides; wishing an immediate initiation in the secrets of His word, and afterwards meaning often to visit Him, and obtain fuller instruction. And, in a mystical sense too, they wish to know in whom Christ dwells, that profiting by their example they may themselves become fit to be His dwelling. Or, their seeing Jesus walking, and straightway inquiring where He resides, is an intimation to us, that we should, remembering His Incarnation, earnestly entreat Him to show us our eternal habitation. The request being so good a one, Christ promises a free and full disclosure. He said to them, Come and see: that is to say, My dwelling is not to be understood by words, but by works; come, therefore, by believing and working, and then see by understanding.

ORIGEN. Or perhaps come, is an invitation to action; see, to contemplation.

CHRYS. Christ does not describe His house and situation, but brings them after Him, showing that he had already accepted them as His own. He says not, It is not the time now, tomorrow you shall hear if you wish to learn; but addresses them familiarly, as friends who had lived with him a long time. But how is it that He said in another place, The Son of man has no where to lay His head? when here He says, Come and see where I live? His not having where to lay His head, could only have meant that He had no dwelling of His own, not that He did not live in a house at all: for the next words are, They came and saw where He dwelt, and abode with Him that day. Why they stayed the Evangelist does not say: it being obviously for the sake of His teaching.

AUG. What a blessed day and night was that! Let us too build up in our hearts within, and make Him an house, whither He may come and teach us.

THEOPHYL. And it was about the tenth hour. The Evangelist mentions the time of day purposely, as a hint both to teachers and learners, not to let time interfere with their work.

CHRYS. It showed a strong desire to hear Him, since even at sunset they did not turn from Him. To sensual persons the time after meals is unsuitable for any grave employment, their bodies being overloaded with food. But John, whose disciples these were, was not such a one. His evening was a more abstemious one than our mornings.

AUG. The number here signifies the law, which was composed of ten commandments. The time had come when the law was to be fulfilled by love, the Jews, who acted from fear, having been unable to fulfill it, and therefore was it at the tenth hour that our Lord heard Himself called, Rabbi; none but the giver of the law is the teacher of the law.

CHRYS. One of the two which heard John speak and followed Him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. Why is the other name left out? Some say, because this Evangelist himself was that other. Others, that it was a disciple of no eminence, and that there was no use in telling his name any more than those of the seventy-two, which are omitted.

ALCUIN. Or it would seem that the two disciples who followed Jesus were Andrew and Philip.

41. He first finds his own brother Simon, and said to him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
42. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, You are Simon the son of Jonas: you shall be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

CHRYS. Andrew kept not our Lord's words to himself; but ran in haste to his brother, to report the good tidings: He first finds his own brother Simon, and said to him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

BEDE. This is truly to find the Lord; viz. to have fervent love for Him, together with a care for our brother's salvation.

CHRYS. The Evangelist does not mention what Christ said to those who followed Him; but we may infer it from what follows. Andrew declares in few words what he had learnt, discloses the power of that Master Who had persuaded them, and his own previous longings after Him. For this exclamation, We have found, expresses a longing for His coming, turned to exultation, now that He was really come.

AUG. Messias in Hebrew, Christus in Greek, Unctus in Latin. Chrism is unction, and He had a special unction, which from Him extended to all Christians, as appears in the Psalm, God, even Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your fellows. All holy persons are partakers with Him; but He is specially the Holy of Holies, specially anointed.

CHRYS. And therefore he said not Messias, but the Messias. Mark the obedience of Peter from the very first; he went immediately without delay, as appears from the next words: And he brought him to Jesus. Nor let us blame him as too yielding, because he did not ask many questions, before he received the word. It is reasonable to suppose that his brother had told him all, and sufficiently fully; but the Evangelists often make omissions for the sake of brevity. But, besides this, it is not absolutely said that he did believe, but only, He took him to Jesus; i.e. to learn from the mouth of Jesus Himself, what Andrew had reported. Our Lord begins now Himself to reveal the things of His Divinity, and to exhibit them gradually by prophecy. For prophecies are no less persuasive than miracles; inasmuch as they are preeminently God's work, and are beyond the power of devils to imitate, while miracles may be fantasy or appearance: the foretelling future events with certainty is an attribute of the incorruptible nature alone: And when Jesus beheld him, He said, You are Simon the son of Jonas; you shall be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

BEDE. He beheld him not with His natural eye only, but by the insight of His Godhead discerned from eternity the simplicity and greatness of his soul, for which he was to be elevated above the whole Church. In the word Peter, we must not look for any additional meaning, as though it were of Hebrew or Syriac derivation; for the Greek and Latin word Peter, has the same meaning as Cephas; being in both languages derived from petra. He is called Peter on account of the firmness of his faith, in cleaving to that Rock, of which the Apostle speaks, And that Rock was Christ; which secures those who trust in it from the snares of the enemy, and dispenses streams of spiritual gifts.

AUG. There was nothing very great in our Lord saying whose son he was, for our Lord knew the names of all His saints, having predestinated them before the foundation of the world. But it was a great thing for our Lord to change his name from Simon to Peter. Peter is from petra, rock, which rock is the Church: so that the name of Peter represents the Church. And who is safe, unless he build upon a rock? Our Lord here rouses our attention: for had he been called Peter before, we should not have seen the mystery of the Rock, and should have thought that he was called so by chance, and not providentially. God therefore made him to be called by another name before, that the change of that name might give vividness to the mystery.

CHRYS. He changed the name too to show that He was the same who done so before in the Old Testament; who had called Abram Abraham, Sarai Sarah, Jacob Israel. Many He had named from their birth, as Isaac and Samson; others again after being named by their parents, as were Peter, and the sons of Zebedee. Those whose virtue was to be eminent from the first, have names given them from the first; those who were to be exalted afterwards, are named afterwards.

AUG. The account A here of the two disciples on the Jordan, who follow Christ (before he had gone into Galilee) in obedience to John's testimony; viz. of Andrew bringing his brother Simon to Jesus, who gave him, on this occasion, the name of Peter; disagrees considerably with the account of the other Evangelists, viz. that our Lord found these two, Simon and Andrew, fishing in Galilee, and then bid them follow Him: unless we understand that they did not regularly join our Lord when they saw Him on the Jordan; but only discovered who He was, and full of wonder, then returned to their occupations. Nor must we think that Peter first received his name on the occasion mentioned in Matthew, when our Lord says, You are Peter, and upon this rock will I build My Church; but rather when our Lord says, You shall be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

ALCUIN; Or perhaps He does not actually give him the name now, but only fixes beforehand what He afterwards gave him when He said, You are Peter, and upon this rock will I build My Church. And while about to change his name, Christ wishes to show that even that which his parents had given him, was not without a meaning. For Simon signifies obedience, Joanna grace, Jona a dove: as if the meaning was; You are an obedient son of grace, or of the dove, i.e. the Holy Spirit; for you have received of the Holy Spirit the humility, to desire, at Andrew's call, to see Me. The elder disdained not to follow the younger; for where there is meritorious faith, there is no order of seniority.

Catena Aurea John 1

Lamb and Angels

Vault Mosaic
c. 532-47
St. Vitale, Ravenna

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings (on USCCB site):
» January 04, 2008
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Collect: Lord God, you blessed Elizabeth Seton with gifts of grace as wife and mother, educator and foundress, so that she might spend her life in service to your people. Through her example and prayers may we learn to express our love for you in love for others. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

« January 04, 2008 »

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious

Born in New York, Elizabeth Seton married and became a mother of five children. After her husband's death, she converted to Catholicism and founded the American Sisters of Charity, a community of teaching sisters which began Catholic schools throughout the United States, especially helping with the education of underprivileged children. Mother Seton laid the foundation of the American parochial school system and was the first native-born American to be canonized.

The Eleventh Day of Christmas

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
This wife, mother and foundress of a religious congregation was born Elizabeth Ann Bayley on August 28, 1774 in New York City, the daughter of an eminent physician and professor at what is now Columbia University. Brought up as an Episcopalian, she received an excellent education, and from her early years she manifested an unusual concern for the poor.

In 1794 Elizabeth married William Seton, with whom she had five children. The loss of their fortune so affected William's health that in 1803 Elizabeth and William went to stay with Catholic friends at Livorno, Italy. William died six weeks after their arrival, and when Elizabeth returned to New York City some six months later, she was already a convinced Catholic. She met with stern opposition from her Episcopalian friends but was baptized a Catholic on March 4, 1805.

Abandoned by her friends and relatives, Elizabeth was invited by the superior of the Sulpicians in Baltimore to found a school for girls in that city. The school prospered, and eventually the Sulpician superior, with the approval of Bishop Carroll, gave Elizabeth and her assistants a rule of life. They were also permitted to make religious profession and to wear a religious habit.

In 1809 Elizabeth moved her young community to Emmitsburg, Maryland, where she adopted as a rule of life an adaptation of the rule observed by the Sisters of Charity, founded by St. Vincent de Paul. Although she did not neglect the ministry to the poor, and especially to Negroes, she actually laid the foundation for what became the American parochial school system. She trained teachers and prepared textbooks for use in the schools; she also opened orphanages in Philadelphia and New York City.

She died at Emmitsburg on January 4, 1821, was beatified by Pope John XXIII in 1963, and was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1975.

— Excerpted from Saints of the Roman Calendar by Enzo Lodi

Patron: Death of children; in-law problems; loss of parents; opposition of Church authorities; people ridiculed for their piety; Diocese of Shreveport, Louisiana; widows.

Things to Do:

Meditate on these words of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, "What was the first rule of our dear Savior's life? You know it was to do His Father's will. Well, then, the first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly to do it in the manner He wills; and thirdly, to do it because it is His willl. I know what is His will by those who direct me; whatever they bid me do, if it is ever so small in itself, is the will of God for me. Then, do it in the manner He wills it."

And happy Eleventh Day of Christmas to you!

January 4, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Elizabeth Seton was born on August 28, 1774, of a wealthy and distinguished Episcopalian family. She was baptized in the Episcopal faith and was a faithful adherent of the Episcopal Church until her conversion to Catholicism.

She established her first Catholic school in Baltimore in 1808; in 1809, she established a religious community in Emmitsburg, Maryland. After seeing the expansion of her small community of teaching sisters to New York and as far as St. Loius, she died on January 4, 1821, and was declared a saint by Pope Paul VI on September 14, 1975. She is the first native born American to be canonized a saint.

Day Eleven activity (Story Time)
Day Eleven recipe (Colonial Wassail)

Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 50 (51)
God, have mercy on me
Take pity on me, Lord, in your mercy; in your abundance of mercy wipe out my guilt. Wash me ever more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I know how guilty I am: my sin is always before me. Against you, you alone have I sinned, and I have done evil in your sight. Know this, so that you may give just sentence and an unbiased judgement. See, I was conceived in guilt, in sin my mother conceived me; but you love truth in the heart, and deep within me you have shown me your wisdom. You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be made clean; you will wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. You will make me hear the sound of joy and gladness; the bones you have crushed will rejoice. Turn your face away from my sins and wipe out all my transgressions; create a pure heart in me, God, put a steadfast spirit into me. Do not send me away from your presence, or withdraw your holy spirit from me; give me again the joy of your salvation, and be ready to strengthen me with your spirit. I will teach the unjust your ways, and the impious will return to you. Free me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, God my saviour, and my voice will glory in your justice. Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will proclaim your praise; for you do not delight in sacrifices: if I offered you a burnt offering, it would not please you. The true sacrifice is a broken spirit: a contrite and humble heart, O God, you will not refuse. Be pleased, Lord, to look kindly on Sion, so that the walls of Jerusalem can be rebuilt, Then indeed you will accept the proper sacrifices, gifts and burnt offerings; then indeed will bullocks be laid upon your altar. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 50 (51)

God, have mercy on me

Take pity on me, Lord, in your mercy; in your abundance of mercy wipe out my guilt.
Wash me ever more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know how guilty I am: my sin is always before me.

Against you, you alone have I sinned, and I have done evil in your sight.
Know this, so that you may give just sentence and an unbiased judgement.

See, I was conceived in guilt, in sin my mother conceived me;
but you love truth in the heart, and deep within me you have shown me your wisdom.

You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be made clean; you will wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
You will make me hear the sound of joy and gladness; the bones you have crushed will rejoice.

Turn your face away from my sins and wipe out all my transgressions;
create a pure heart in me, God, put a steadfast spirit into me.

Do not send me away from your presence, or withdraw your holy spirit from me;
give me again the joy of your salvation, and be ready to strengthen me with your spirit.

I will teach the unjust your ways, and the impious will return to you.
Free me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, God my saviour, and my voice will glory in your justice.

Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will proclaim your praise;
for you do not delight in sacrifices: if I offered you a burnt offering, it would not please you.
The true sacrifice is a broken spirit: a contrite and humble heart, O God, you will not refuse.

Be pleased, Lord, to look kindly on Sion, so that the walls of Jerusalem can be rebuilt,
Then indeed you will accept the proper sacrifices, gifts and burnt offerings; then indeed will bullocks be laid upon your altar.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Canticle	Isaiah 45
All peoples, turn to the Lord
In truth you are a hidden God, the God and Saviour of Israel. They were dismayed and ashamed, all the makers of idols, all of them fled in dismay. Israel has been saved by the Lord, saved for ever; you will not be dismayed or ashamed, to the end of time. For thus says the Lord, the God who made the heavens, who made the earth, shaped it, set it firm – he did not make it to be empty, but to be full of life – “I am the Lord, there is no other. “I have not spoken secretly, in some dark corner of the earth. I have not said to the children of Jacob, ‘seek me in vain’. I am the Lord who speaks justice, who proclaims uprightness. “Gather together, come, approach me all of you who have been rescued from the Gentiles. They were ignorant, who raised up wooden idols and begged favours of a god without power. Announce it – come, ponder it together – who was saying this from the beginning, who foretold this from the start? Am I not the Lord? Is there any other God but me? Do you seek a just God who will save you? There is no other. “Turn to me and you will be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, there is no other. “I have sworn by my own being, I have decreed a judgement that will not be revoked; for every knee will bend to me, every tongue swear by my name.” “Only in the Lord,” they will say, “are there justice and strength!” All who resisted him will come to him, and be dismayed; but in the Lord all descendants of Israel will receive justice and glory. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Isaiah 45

All peoples, turn to the Lord

In truth you are a hidden God, the God and Saviour of Israel.

They were dismayed and ashamed, all the makers of idols, all of them fled in dismay.
Israel has been saved by the Lord, saved for ever; you will not be dismayed or ashamed, to the end of time.

For thus says the Lord, the God who made the heavens, who made the earth, shaped it, set it firm – he did not make it to be empty, but to be full of life – “I am the Lord, there is no other.

“I have not spoken secretly, in some dark corner of the earth. I have not said to the children of Jacob, ‘seek me in vain’. I am the Lord who speaks justice, who proclaims uprightness.

“Gather together, come, approach me all of you who have been rescued from the Gentiles.
They were ignorant, who raised up wooden idols and begged favours of a god without power.
Announce it – come, ponder it together – who was saying this from the beginning, who foretold this from the start?
Am I not the Lord? Is there any other God but me?
Do you seek a just God who will save you? There is no other.

“Turn to me and you will be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, there is no other.

“I have sworn by my own being, I have decreed a judgement that will not be revoked; for every knee will bend to me, every tongue swear by my name.”

“Only in the Lord,” they will say, “are there justice and strength!”
All who resisted him will come to him, and be dismayed; but in the Lord all descendants of Israel will receive justice and glory.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 99 (100)
Enter the Temple with joy
Rejoice in the Lord, all the earth. Exult in his presence and serve him with joy. Know that the Lord is God. He made us and we are his – his people, the sheep of his flock. Cry out his praises as you enter his gates, fill his courtyards with songs. Proclaim him and bless his name; for the Lord is our delight. His mercy lasts for ever, his faithfulness through all the ages. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 99 (100)

Enter the Temple with joy

Rejoice in the Lord, all the earth. Exult in his presence and serve him with joy.

Know that the Lord is God. He made us and we are his – his people, the sheep of his flock.

Cry out his praises as you enter his gates, fill his courtyards with songs. Proclaim him and bless his name;
for the Lord is our delight. His mercy lasts for ever, his faithfulness through all the ages.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Short reading	Isaiah 45:22 - 23 ©
Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God unrivalled. By my own self I swear it, what comes from my mouth is truth, a word irrevocable: before me every knee shall bend, by me every tongue shall swear.

Canticle	Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.
He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David,
as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages:
to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers,
to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,
that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies –
in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,
to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven.
Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us
to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death;
to lead our feet in the path of peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Prayers and Intercessions

?

The Word of God was made manifest in the flesh, appeared to the angels and was preached to the nations. Let us give him glory as we devoutly say: - Only-begotten Son of God, we worship you.
Liberator of the human race, born of the Virgin Mary for the renewal of mankind,: by her intercession free us from our old and fallen state.
From heaven you gave your eternal uncreated justice to shine on earth:: guide us by the light of its rays, today and through our lives.
Son of God, you showed us the Father’s love for us:: may we lovingly show him to all men.
You chose our habitation as your own:: make us worthy to be in your company.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Almighty God, a new light in the sky
heralded the coming of salvation and our redemption.
May that salvation dawn in our hearts and renew them daily.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

St. Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton

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Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton: A Eucharistic Saint

William Magee Seton gave this lithograph of Christ the Redeemer to his beloved wife, Elizabeth Ann Seton, sometime between 1774 and 1803. Its Eucharistic theme prophetically reflected the profound devotion to the Most Holy Eucharist that would characterize her piety as a Catholic.

Below is a photograph of a copy of the Memorare handwritten by Elizabeth Ann Seton. At the end of text she added the touching plea, "Love me, my Mother.

January 4
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Widow and Religious

John 3:7-10
Psalm 97: 1, 7-8, 9 (R. 3a)
John 1: 35-42

The Italian Experience

The conversion of Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton began in 1803 while she, a twenty-nine year old widow with one of her five children, were the guests of the Filicchi family in Livorno, or Leghorn, Italy. The Catholic Filicchis, Antonio and his wife Amabilia, offered her a gracious hospitality and unfailing emotional support in a time of crisis.

The Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin

In one of Signora Filicchi’s prayer books, Mrs. Seton came upon the text of Saint Bernard’s Memorare; she found in the Virgin Mary the tenderness and the pity of a mother. “That night,” she writes, “I cried myself to sleep in her heart.”

The Tabernacle

The Filicchi home contained a private chapel where the Blessed Sacrament was reserved. Elizabeth was drawn to the tabernacle. Even before her mind had been instructed in the mysteries of the Catholic faith, her heart recognized the living presence of the Lord in the Most Holy Eucharist. Her American Protestant sensibility was perplexed and, yet, she could not deny her heart’s fascination with the Lamb of God hidden beneath the sacramental veils.

Return to New York

Elizabeth’s long personal memoir, The Italian Journal, recounts the intimate details of her inner struggle and conversion to Catholicism. Elizabeth and her ten year old daughter, Anna Maria, returned to New York on June 3, 1804, accompanied by Antonio Filicchi — a man to whom Elizabeth had become deeply attached. He had become for her a friend and a spiritual counselor.

Reception into the Catholic Church

In spite of the hostility of her family and the sneering disapproval of New York society, Mrs. Seton made her profession of faith as a Catholic in the old Saint Peter’s Church on Barcay Street in Lower Manhattan on March 14, 1805. The Reverend Matthew O’Brien received her into the Catholic Church. She returned home feeling, in her own words, “light of heart and cool of head, the first time these many months.” She asked Our Lord to wrap her heart “deep in His open side,” or “lock it up forever in His little Tabernacle.” Two weeks later, she received her First Holy Communion. The Divine Dweller of the tabernacle came to dwell in her heart.

The rest of Elizabeth Ann Seton’s life is well known: her sufferings from the rampant anti-Catholic prejudice in New York; her move to Baltimore; the beginnings of an American Sisterhood modeled after Saint Vincent de Paul’s Daughters of Charity.

What Dost Thou Seek?

In more than one way, the spiritual journey of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton resembles that of the two disciples of John the Baptist in today’s Gospel. Magnetized by the mystery of the tabernacle, it was as if she heard an inward voice saying, “Elizabeth, behold the Lamb of God.” Jesus, turning His Eucharistic Face to her, said, “What dost thou seek?” “Master,” she answered, “where dwellest thou?” And He replied with an infusion of the love of His Eucharistic Heart, saying, “Come and see.”

Obedience

Elizabeth obeyed. She came to the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. She submitted to the authority, teaching, and care of the Successor of Peter and of the bishops in communion with him. In the words of the Gospel, “She came, and saw where He abode, and she stayed with Him that day,” and not that day alone, but every day until her death at the age of forty-six on January 4, 1821.

A Eucharistic Saint

It is time for American Catholics, ever inclined to activism, to recognize that Elizabeth Ann Seton was, more than anything else, a Eucharistic soul. She was converted by the Eucharist. Her first instructions in the Catholic faith emanated from the silence of the tabernacle. As she went forward, following the Lamb of God wheresoever it pleased Him to lead her, Eucharistic adoration marked her spiritual journey more and more until, in the final years of her life, she was often seen in ecstatic adoration of the Real Presence.

The Errors of Americanism

Paradoxically, it is this thoroughly American saint, who, by her devotion to the Mother of God, her attachment to the Mystery of the Eucharist, and her obedience to the Chair of Peter, offers the antidote to the errors of condemned by Pope Leo XIII in 1899.

“The underlying principle of these new opinions,” declared the Pope, “is that, in order to more easily attract those who differ from her, the Church should shape her teachings more in accord with the spirit of the age and relax some of her ancient severity and make some concessions to new opinions. Many think that these concessions should be made not only in regard to ways of living, but even in regard to doctrines which belong to the deposit of the faith. They contend that it would be opportune, in order to gain those who differ from us, to omit certain points of her teaching which are of lesser importance, and to tone down the meaning which the Church has always attached to them. It does not need many words, beloved son, to prove the falsity of these ideas if the nature and origin of the doctrine which the Church proposes are recalled to mind.”

Bound in Fellowship With the Chair of Peter

In the same letter, addressing the problems of Americanism, Pope Leo XIII, offers what is, to my mind, a most fitting commentary on today’s Gospel and on Elizabeth Ann Seton’s conversion to the Church built upon the rock of Peter:

“The true church is one, as by unity of doctrine, so by unity of government, and she is catholic also. Since God has placed the center and foundation of unity in the chair of Blessed Peter, she is rightly called the Roman Church, for "where Peter is, there is the church." Wherefore, if anybody wishes to be considered a real Catholic, he ought to be able to say from his heart the selfsame words which Jerome addressed to Pope Damasus: "I, acknowledging no other leader than Christ, am bound in fellowship with Your Holiness; that is, with the chair of Peter. I know that the church was built upon him as its rock, and that whosoever gathereth not with you, scattereth."

Regnum Christi

The Right Word at the Right Time
January 4, 2008

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious
Father Matthew Green, LC

John 1: 35-42
John was with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” which is translated Christ. Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas” which is translated Peter.

Introductory Prayer:Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Lamb of God come into the world to save us. Thank you for revealing yourself to us. Help me now to focus my mind and heart on your Divine Word, so I may better know and understand your will for me.

Petition:Jesus, help me to imitate the faith, hope and love of St. John the Baptist, putting you first in my life and seeking to help others to know you.

1. Knowing When to Let Go Here, we see St. John the Baptist in action and the fruits of his fidelity to God’s plan. As he discreetly redirects two of his best disciples to follow Christ, his humility is in full play. Not only does he accept the fact that he must take second stage to Jesus; he actively works for this to happen. It can be very difficult for us to seek only God’s glory and the good of those around us. Our hearts easily attach themselves to people, to areas of responsibility and to the attention we may get because of what we do — whether it be in our profession, private lives, parish or volunteer religious organization. However, if we really want to do God’s will, we have to know when it’s time for us to let go. Like John the Baptist, the only thing we should have our hearts totally set on is establishing Christ’s kingdom.

2. Facing the Consequences Thanks to St. John the Baptist’s faithfulness to his mission, two men — Andrew and John — meet Jesus and recognize that he is the Messiah. John the Baptist never knew the final results of his actions, but he trusted in the Holy Spirit and did what he felt God wanted. The one phrase he spoke in that moment — “Behold the Lamb of God” — had repercussions for the history of the Church and the world. Without those words spoken at that moment, we might never have had the Gospel of St. John, his letters and the book of Revelation, or the evangelizing work of St. Andrew. Jesus might have called Andrew and John some other way, but they would have lost precious time. We ourselves do not know how much is hanging on our fidelity to God’s plan in our life. Before saying “no” to God, we should ask ourselves if we’re willing to risk the consequences for ourselves and for others.

3. Sharing the Treasure Andrew, in turn, went to share the news of meeting Jesus and recognizing him as the Messiah with his brother Simon. Simon might well have laughed at him or ignored him. Jesus was not considered a likely figure for Messiahship — he was a carpenter’s son from a little town that another future apostle, Nathaniel, referred to with scorn. However, Andrew knew that he’d found a treasure and felt the need to share his discovery with his family and friends. Thanks to his enthusiasm, Simon, the future St. Peter, met Jesus. The rest is history. We should ask ourselves: Have I really discovered Jesus in the light of faith? Have I discovered the hope and joy that come from knowing him as my savior? If so, have I overcome any fear, timidity or human respect that might keep me from sharing this treasure with others?

Conversation with Christ: Thank you, my Lord, for helping me to see the way to serve you better. Thank you for the saints, who show us of how to be your apostles in the world. Give me the wisdom to know your will in my life and the strength and trust to follow through with it!

Resolution: From now on, I will try to be more courageous in sharing my faith with others and in getting them involved so that they can have a life-changing personal encounter with Christ.

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph. D.

Other Articles by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph. D.
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What Are You Looking For?

January 4, 2008

1 Jn 3:7-10 / Jn 1:35-42

Most people are fairly well along in life before they can answer with real insight the simple question that Jesus asked those two prospective disciples in today's gospel: "What are you looking for? What do you want?" The two young men fumbled for an answer and finally replied with another question, "Where do you live?"

They knew something was missing in their lives, and they couldn't quite name it, but they had a sense that Jesus might have the answer. So when he said, 'Come and see,' they went and they were not disappointed. It wasn't just Jesus' words and ideas that captured their imaginations and their hearts. It was his very being. The way that he always was towards them — even when not speaking a word — revealed a goodness in him that moved them deeply and bonded their souls to his forever. They could tell that he KNEW the Father, and that he wanted them to know the Father too.

Ever so slowly, that is what happened as those disciples walked with Jesus across those three years: Through Jesus they came to know the Father, and through Jesus they came to be more and more like the Father — merciful, compassionate, forgiving, and faithful to the end.

Jesus wants to show us the Father, and more. He wants to help us reshape our lives in the Father's own image. It's a lifetime task, and it's the very thing we've been looking for all along.

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inse