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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 12-04-12, OM, St. John Damascene, Priest & Doctor/Church
USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 12-04-12 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 12/03/2012 11:02:06 PM PST by Salvation

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To: All


Information:
St. John Damascus
Feast Day: December 4
Born: 676, Damascus
Died: December 4, 749, Mar Saba, Jerusalem



21 posted on 12/04/2012 8:08:34 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Information:
St. Barbara
Feast Day: December 4
Patron of: Artillery gunners, masons, mathematicians, miners, military engineers, stonecutters, against lightning, anyone who works at risk of sudden and violent death



22 posted on 12/04/2012 8:09:44 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
On St. John Damascene
On St. John Damascene (Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, 6 May 2009)
The Traditional Feast Day of St. John Damascene, Doctor of the Church (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
St. John of Damascus’s Critique of Islam
Orthodox Feast of +John the Righteous of Damascus, Dec. 4
Saint John Damascene[AKA John of Damascus]
St. John of Damascus
23 posted on 12/04/2012 8:14:22 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
St. Barbara is among the Fourteen Holy Helpers.

[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] The Feast of the Fourteen Holy Helpers
Catholic Bamberg: Vierzehnheiligen (Shrine of the Fourteen Holy Helpers in Germany)
Fourteen Holy Helpers

24 posted on 12/04/2012 8:17:43 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Interactive Saints for Kids

St. John Damascene

St. John Damascene
Feast Day: December 04
Born:676 :: Died:749

St. John was born in the city of Damascus of a good Christian family. His father Mansur was the representative of the Christians in the court of the Muslim caliph.

When his father died, he became the governor of Damascus. At this time, the emperor made a law which forbade Christians from having statues or pictures of Our Lord and the saints.

St. John Damascene knew the emperor was wrong and joined with many others to defend this tradition. The pope himself asked John to let people know that it was a good thing to have statues and holy pictures. They make us think of Our Lord, the Blessed Mother and the saints.

But the emperor would not give in to the Holy Father. He continued to forbid statues to be put in public places. St. John bravely wrote three letters. He told the emperor to give up his wrong ideas.

The emperor became so angry that he wanted revenge. So he wrote a fake letter from John, which said that John had betrayed the caliph. The caliph was hurt when he read the letter and ordered John's hand that wrote the letter to be chopped off. But Mother Mary appeared and John's cut hand was healed by a miracle.

The caliph then realized that John was telling the truth and asked John to forgive him. But John decided he should resign as governor. He gave away all his money to the poor and became a monk.

He kept writing marvelous books to defend the Catholic religion. At the same time he did all kinds of humble work in the monastery. One day he even went to sell baskets in the streets of Damascus.

People who had known him before made fun of him. The man who had once been the great governor of the city was now selling baskets. Imagine how St. John must have suffered.

But he knew that the money he got from selling baskets would be useful at the monastery. He thought of Jesus, the Son of God, who wanted to be born in a stable and he felt happy to be humble like Jesus.

St. John died a peaceful, happy death in the year 749.


25 posted on 12/04/2012 8:21:13 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
 
Catholic
Almanac:

Tuesday, December 4

Liturgical Color: Violet


The Church honors St. John of Damascus, priest and Doctor of the Church. Around 730 A.D., St. John’s hand was severed at the wrist because of his opposition to the Iconoclast Heresy, but the hand was miraculously restored.


26 posted on 12/04/2012 3:57:56 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: December 04, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Grant, we pray, O Lord, that we may be helped by the prayers of the Priest Saint John Damascene, so that the true faith, which he excelled in teaching, may always be our light and our strength. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Advent: December 4th

Optional Memorial of St. John Damascene, priest and doctor

Old Calendar: St. Peter Chrysologus, bishop, confessor and doctor; St. Barbara, virgin and martyr

St. John Damascene was a learned theologian who carefully gathered together and transmitted to us the teaching of the Greek Fathers, and is thus one of the most trustworthy witnesses to oriental tradition. He also wrote many liturgical hymns still in use today. St. John Damascene died in 749. Leo XIII proclaimed him a Doctor of the universal Church.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Peter Chrysologus, bishop, confessor and doctor whose feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on July 30. It is also the feast of St. Barbara, a virgin and martyr who died at Nicomedia about 235.

Jesse Tree ~ Fall of Man


St. John Damascene
John of Damascus or Damascene, the last of the Greek Fathers, was one of the principal defenders of the veneration of images against the Iconoclasts, who condemned this practice.

When John was born, Damascus was under the jurisdiction of caliphs, but Christians were allowed to hold high offices. John's father was chief revenue officer of the caliph and a sterling Christian. He entrusted his son's education to a monk, Cosmas, who had been brought from Sicily as a slave, and who schooled the young man in theology, the sciences, and poetry.

John succeeded his father in office, and while living at the court gave an example of a model Christian. But he had set his sights higher, and after resigning his office he became a monk at St. Sabbas monastery near Jerusalem. Here he spent his time writing books and composing hymns. When Leo the Isaurian issued decrees against the veneration of images, John took up the challenge and wrote treatises defending this ancient practice.

At this time the Patriarch of Jerusalem, desirous of having John among his clergy, ordained him priest and brought him to Jerusalem. After some time, however, John returned to the monastery and devoted the rest of his life to writing. His most important work is his Fountain of Wisdom, in which he compiled and collated the teachings of all the great theologians before him; this is the first attempt at a Summa Theologica, a summary of philosophy and theology, that has come down to us. John's writings are a rich treasure of ancient traditions, and are held in high esteem. Pope Leo XIII declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1890.

St. John was such a great orator that he was known as Chrysorrhoas ("golden-stream"). He was the last of the Greek Fathers of the Church, and the first of the Christian Aristotleans. He also adapted choral music for use in the liturgy. His eloquent defense of Christian images has given him the title of "Doctor of Christian Art."

A Saint A Day © 1957

Things to Do:


St. Barbara
Barbara (from Nicomedia) was the daughter of a pagan noble who worshipped false gods. Because of her striking beauty, her father enclosed her in a tower to hide her from the snares of men. Barbara vowed virginity, and during an absence of her father had a third window added to her quarters in honor of the Blessed Trinity; at the same time, she also adorned her bath with the sign of the holy Cross. Upon his return her father was so angered over these changes that a miracle was needed to save her life. She was presented before the magistrate, subjected to much torturing, and finally her own father wielded the sword that severed her head. Immediately God's vengeance struck him dead. The holy virgin is highly honored both in the East and the West as patroness of artillery men and of miners. She is especially invoked for preservation from sudden death. She is one of the "Fourteen Holy Helpers."

In the past, the following prayer to St. Barbara was often recited:

Saint Barbara, thou noble bride,
To thee my body I confide
As well in life as at life's end.
Come, aid me when I breathe my last,
That I may, ere here all is past,
Receive the Blessed Sacrament!

In certain parts of Europe, the so-called "Barbara branch" is brought into homes today. It consists of a small cherry twig that is set in water and should blossom on Christmas eve. The custom is deeply Biblical and liturgical. "The bud from the root of Jesse and the flower from its root" is Jesus Christ, whom we expectantly await during Advent and who will blossom forth as a flower at Christmas.

Patron: against death by artillery; against explosions; against fire; against impenitence; against lightning; against mine collapse; against storms; ammunition magazines; ammunition workers; architects; armourers; artillery; artillerymen; boatmen; bomb technicians; brass workers; brewers; builders; carpenters; construction workers; dying people; explosives workers; fire; fire prevention; firefighters; fireworks; fireworks manufacturers; fortifications; founders; geologists; gravediggers; gunners; hatmakers; hatters; lightning; mariners; martyrs; masons; mathematicians; military engineers; milliners; miners; ordnance workers; prisoners; safety from storms; sailors; saltpetre workers; smelters; stone masons; stonecutters; storms; sudden death; Syria; tilers; warehouses; watermen.

Symbols: cannon; chalice; host and paten; tower with three windows; tower and palm; monstrance; peacock feather; torches; fortress; spears; crown; book; sword; palm of martyrdom.
Often Portrayed As: princess in a tower with either the palm of martyrdom or chalice of happy death; woman holding a tower or feather; woman trampling a Saracen.

Things to Do:


27 posted on 12/04/2012 4:09:18 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
Luke
  English: Douay-Rheims Latin: Vulgata Clementina Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
  Luke 10
21 In that same hour, he rejoiced in the Holy Ghost, and said: I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to little ones. Yea, Father, for so it hath seemed good in thy sight. In ipsa hora exsultavit Spiritu Sancto, et dixit : Confiteor tibi Pater, Domine cæli et terræ, quod abscondisti hæc a sapientibus et prudentibus, et revelasti ea parvulis. Etiam Pater : quoniam sic placuit ante te. εν αυτη τη ωρα ηγαλλιασατο τω πνευματι ο ιησους και ειπεν εξομολογουμαι σοι πατερ κυριε του ουρανου και της γης οτι απεκρυψας ταυτα απο σοφων και συνετων και απεκαλυψας αυτα νηπιοις ναι ο πατηρ οτι ουτως εγενετο ευδοκια εμπροσθεν σου
22 All things are delivered to me by my Father; and no one knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and to whom the Son will reveal him. Omnia mihi tradita sunt a Patre meo. Et nemo scit quis sit Filius, nisi Pater : et quis sit Pater, nisi Filius, et cui voluerit Filius revelare. και στραφεις προς τους μαθητας ειπεν παντα μοι παρεδοθη υπο του πατρος μου και ουδεις γινωσκει τις εστιν ο υιος ει μη ο πατηρ και τις εστιν ο πατηρ ει μη ο υιος και ω εαν βουληται ο υιος αποκαλυψαι
23 And turning to his disciples, he said: Blessed are the eyes that see the things which you see. Et conversus ad discipulos suos, dixit : Beati oculi qui vident quæ vos videtis. και στραφεις προς τους μαθητας κατ ιδιαν ειπεν μακαριοι οι οφθαλμοι οι βλεποντες α βλεπετε
24 For I say to you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see the things that you see, and have not seen them; and to hear the things that you hear, and have not heard them. Dico enim vobis quod multi prophetæ et reges voluerunt videre quæ vos videtis, et non viderunt : et audire quæ auditis, et non audierunt. λεγω γαρ υμιν οτι πολλοι προφηται και βασιλεις ηθελησαν ιδειν α υμεις βλεπετε και ουκ ειδον και ακουσαι α ακουετε και ουκ ηκουσαν

28 posted on 12/04/2012 4:39:50 PM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex
21. In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth that you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in your sight.
22. All things are delivered to me of my Father and no man knows who the Son is, but the Father and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

THEOPHYL. As a loving father rejoices to see his sons do right, so Christ also rejoices that His Apostles were made worthy of such good things. Hence it follows, In that hour, &c.

CYRIL; He saw in truth that through the operation of the Holy Spirit, which He gave to the holy Apostles, the acquisition of many would be made, (or that many would be brought to the faith.) He is said therefore to have rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, that is, in the results which came forth through the Holy Spirit. For as one who to be mankind He considered the conversion of sinners to be a subject for rejoicing, for which He gives thanks. As it follows, I give thanks to you, O Father.

THEOPHYL; Confessing does not always signify penitence, but also thanks airing, as is frequently found in the Psalms.

CYRIL; Now here, say they whose hearts are perverted, the Son gives thanks to the Father as being inferior But what should prevent the Son of the same substance with the Father from praising His own Father, who saves the world by Him? But if you think that because of His giving thanks He shows Himself to be inferior, observe, that He calls Him His Father, and the Lord of heaven and earth.

TIT. BOST. For all other things have been produced by Christ from nothing, but He alone was incomprehensibly begotten of His Father, Who therefore of the Only-begotten alone, as a true Son, is by nature the Father. Hence He alone says to His Father, I give thanks to you, O Father, Lord, &c. that is, I glorify you. Marvel not that the Son glorifies the Father. For the whole substance of the Only-begotten is the glory of the Father. For both those things which were created, and the Angels, are the glory of the Creator. But since these are placed too low in respect of His dignity, the Son alone, since He is perfect God like His Father, perfectly glorifies His Father.

ATHAN. We know also that the Savior often speaks as man. For His divine nature has human nature joined to it, yet you would not, because of His clothing Himself with a body, be ignorant that He was God. But what do they answer to this, who wish to make out a substance of evil, but form to themselves another God, other than the true Father of Christ? And they say that he is unbegotten, the creator of evil and prince of iniquity, as well as the maker of the world's fabric. Now our Lord, affirming the word of Moses, says, I give thanks to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.

EPIPH. But a Gospel composed by Marcion has, "I give thanks to You, O Lord," being silent as to the words of heaven and earth, and the word Father, lest it should be supposed that He calls the Father the Creator of the heaven and the earth.

AMBROSE; Lastly, he unveils the heavenly mystery by which it pleased God to reveal His grace, rather to the little ones than the wise of the world. Hence it follows, That you have hid these things from the wise and prudent.

THEOPHYL. The distinction may be, that it is said, the wise, meaning, the Pharisees and Scribes who interpret the law, and the prudent, meaning those who were taught by the Scribes, for the wise man is he who teaches, but the prudent man he who is taught; but the Lord calls His disciples babes, whom He chose not from the teachers of the law, but out of the multitude, and by calling, fishermen; babes, that is, as devoid of malice.

AMBROSE; Or by a babe we should here understand one who knew nothing of exalting himself, and of boasting in proud words of the excellence of his wisdom, as the Pharisees often do.

THEOPHYL; He therefore gives thanks that He had revealed to the Apostles as to babes the sacraments of His coming, of which the Scribes and Pharisees were ignorant, who think themselves wise, and are prudent in their own sight.

THEOPHYL. The mysteries then were hid from those who think themselves wise, and are not; for if they had been, these would have been revealed to them.

THEOPHYL; To the wise and prudent then He opposed not the dull and foolish, but babes; that is, the humble, to show that He condemned pride, not quickness of mind.

ORIGEN; For a feeling of deficiency is the preparation for coming perfection. For whoever by the presence of the apparent good perceives not that he is destitute of the true good, is deprived of the true good.

CHRYS. Now He does not rejoice and give thanks because the mysteries of God were hid from the Scribes and Pharisees (for this were not a subject of rejoicing, but of lament,) but for this cause gives He thanks, that what hat the wise knew not, babes knew. But moreover He gives thanks to the Father together with whom He Himself does this, to show the great love wherewith He loves us. He explains in the next place, that the cause of this thing was first His own will and Father's, who of His own will did this. As it follows, Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in your sight.

GREG. We receive these words as an example of humility, that we Moral should not rashly presume to scan the heavenly counsel, concerning the calling of some, and the rejection of others; for that cannot be unjust which seemed good to the Just One. In all things therefore, externally disposed, the cause of the visible system is the justice of the hidden will.

CHRYS. But after He had said, I thank you that you have revealed them to babes, lest you should suppose that Christ was destitute of the power to do this, He adds, All things are delivered to me of my Father.

ATHAN. The followers of Arius, not rightly understanding this, rave against our Lord, saying, If all things were given to him, that is, the dominion of the creatures, there was as a time when He had them not, and so was not of the substance of the Father. For if He had been, there would be no need for Him to receive. But hereby is their madness the rather detected. For if before He had received them, the creature was independent of the Word, how will that verse stand, In him all things consist? But if as soon as the creatures were made, they were all given to Him, where was the need to give, for by him were all things made? The dominion of the creation is not then, as they think, here meant, but the words signify the dispensation made in the flesh. For after that man sinned, all things were confounded; the Word then was made flesh, that He might restore all things. All things therefore were given Him, not because He was wanting in power, but that as Savior He should repair all things; that as by the Word all things at the beginning were brought into being, so when the Word was made flesh, He should restore all things in Himself.

THEOPHYL; Or by the words, All things are delivered to me, He means not the elements of the world, but those babes to whom by the Spirit the Father made known the Sacraments of His Son; and in whose salvation when He here spoke He was rejoicing.

AMBROSE; Or, when you read all things, you acknowledge the Almighty, not the Son lower than the Father; when you read delivered, you confess the Son, to whom by the nature of one substance all things rightly belong, not conferred as a gift by grace.

CYRIL; Now having said that all things were given Him by His Father, He rises to His own glory and excellence showing that in nothing He is surpassed by His Father. Hence He adds, And no one knows who the Son is but the Father, &c. For the mind of the creatures is not able to comprehend the manner of the Divine substance, which passes all understanding, and His glory transcends our highest contemplations. By Itself only is known what the Divine nature is. Therefore the Father, by that which He is, knows the Son the Son, by that which He is, knows the Father, no difference intervening as regards the Divine nature. And in another place. For that God is, we believe, but what he is by nature, is incomprehensible. But if the Son was created, how could He alone know the Father, or how could He be known only by the Father. For to know the Divine nature is impossible to any creature, but to know each created thing what it is, does not surpass every understanding, though it is far beyond our senses.

ATHAN. But though our Lord says this, it is plain that the Arians object to Him, saying that the Father is not seen by the Son. But their folly is manifest, as if the Word did not know Itself which reveals to all men the knowledge of the Father and Itself; for it follows, And to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

TIT. BOST. Now a revelation is the communication of knowledge in proportion to each man's nature and capacity; and when indeed the nature is congenial, there is knowledge without teaching; but here the instruction is by revelation.

ORIGEN; He wishes to reveal as the Word, not without the exercise of reason; and as Justice, who knows rightly both the times for revealing, and the measures of revelation; but He reveals by removing the opposing veil from the heart, and the darkness which He has made His secret place. But since upon this men who are of another opinion think to build up their impious doctrine, that in truth the Father of Jesus was sent down to the ancient saints, we must tell them that the words, To whomsoever the Son will reveal him, not only refer to the future time, after our Savior uttered this, but also to the past time But if they will not take this word reveal for what is past, the must be told, that it is not the same thing to know and to believe. To one is given by the Spirit the word of knowledge; to another faith by the same Spirit. There were then those who believed, but did not know.

AMBROSE; But that you may know that as the Son revealed the Father to whom He will, the Father also reveals the Son to whom He will, hear our Lord's words, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood have not revealed it to you, but my Father which is in heaven.

23. And he turned him to his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see:
24. For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which you hear, and have not heard them.

THEOPHYL. Having said above, No one knows who the Father is but the Son, and to whomsoever the Son will reveal him; He pronounces a blessing upon His disciples, to whom the Father was revealed through Him. Hence it is said, And he turned him to his disciples, and said, Blessed &c.

CYRIL; He turns to them indeed, since He rejected the Jews, who were deaf, with their understandings blinded, and not wishing to see, and gives Himself wholly to those who love Him; and He pronounces those eyes blessed which see the things no others had seen before. We must however know this, that seeing does not signify the action of the eyes, but the pleasure which the mind receives from benefits conferred. For instance, if any one should say, He has seen good times, that is, he has rejoiced in good times, according to the Psalm, You shall see the good of Jerusalem. For many Jews have seen Christ performing, divine works, that is to say, with their bodily sight, yet all were not fitted to rereceive the blessing, for they believed not; but these saw not His glory with their mental sight. Blessed then are our eyes, since we see by faith the Word who is made man for us, shedding upon us the glory of His Godhead, that He may make us like to Him by sanctification and righteousness.

THEOPHYL. Now He blesses them, and all truly who look with faith, because the ancient prophets and kings desired to see and hear God in the flesh, as it follows; For I say to you, that many prophets and kings have desired, &c.

THEOPHYL; Matthew more clearly calls them prophets, and righteous men. For those are great kings, who have known how, not by yielding to escape from the assaults of temptations, but by mastering to gain the rule over them.

CHRYS. Now from this saying many imagine that the prophets were without the knowledge of Christ. But if they desired to see what the Apostles saw, they knew that He would come to men, and dispense those things which He did. For no one desires what he has no conception of; they therefore knew the Son of God. Hence He does not merely say, They desired to see me, but those things which you see, nor to hear me, but those things which you hear. For they saw Him, but not yet Incarnate, nor thus conversing with men, nor speaking with such authority to them.

THEOPHYL; For those looking afar off saw Him in a glass and darkly, but the Apostles having our Lord present with them, whatever things they wished to learn had no need to be taught by angels or any other kind of vision.

ORIGEN; But why does he say that many prophets desired, and not all? Because it is said of Abraham, That he saw the day of Christ and was glad, which sight not many, but few attained to; but there were other prophets and just men not so great as to reach to Abraham's vision, and the experience of the Apostles, who, He says, saw not, but desired to see.

Catena Aurea Luke 10
29 posted on 12/04/2012 4:40:18 PM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex


Last Judgment

Giotto di Bondone

1306
Fresco, 1000 x 840 cm
Cappella Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), Padua

30 posted on 12/04/2012 4:40:57 PM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex


The Last Judgment

Lucas van Leyden

1527
Stedelijk Museum De Lakenhal, Leiden, Holland

31 posted on 12/04/2012 4:41:18 PM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: All
Doctors of the Catholic Church






Saint John Damascene is the Icon and Image Doctor. He is most famous as one who defended and favored the veneration of sacred images, holy pictures, statues and icons. His writings in the Eastern Church are what the Summa of St Thomas Aquinas are to the West.

John guarded the Church's faith and traditions zealously. His dedicated life of prayer afforded him to put his literary and preaching talents at the service of God. He was a recipent of many miracles. Praying changed everything into beauty for him.

St Damascene spent all his life under Moslem rule and, like all the doctors, had an extraordinary devotion to the Mother of God. It was reported that John received a total healing from a wound inflicted on him through the intercession of St. Mary.

The Pope, in defining the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, called St. John Damascene “the interpreter of this tradition par excellence”. He quoted St. John below. This is taken from Father Renger’s book. (noted elsewhere)

There was need of her who in childbirth had preserved intact, be preserved incorrupt after death. There was need that she who had carried her Creator as a babe on her bosom, would linger lovingly in the dwelling of her God. There was need that the bride whom the Father had betrothed to Himself should live in the bridal chamber in heaven, that she who had looked so closely upon her own Son on the Cross, and who there felt in her heart the sword-pangs of sorrow which in bearing Him she had been spared, should look upon Him seated with His Father. There was need that God’s Mother should enter into her Son’s possessions, and as a Mother of God and handmaid, be reverenced by all creation. (Par. 21).


St John Damascene 676-749. The Icon or Image Doctor, Feast Dec 4th.


32 posted on 12/04/2012 5:23:31 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
The Word Among Us

Meditation: Isaiah 11:1-10

Saint John Damascene, Priest and Doctor of the Church

“The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.” (Isaiah 11:2)

What a glorious vision Isaiah gives us! Wouldn’t you love to live in a world where there is “no harm or ruin,” a world that is “filled with knowledge of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:9)? We hear these words and wonder whether they aren’t just the idealistic dream of some ancient seer. After all, Jesus came two thou­sand years ago, and the world still hasn’t been transformed into the place of peace and perfection that Isaiah promised. Why not?

Part of the answer lies in the fact that even though Jesus has come and redeemed us, we still have this double-edged gift of free will. Couple that with a human nature that is still vulnerable to tempta­tion, and you end up with a world of light and darkness, of hope and fear, of promise and frustration.

But all is not lost. Jesus told his disciples that they were blessed because of what they were priv­ileged to see and hear. He even rejoiced that they had received divine revelation about the myster­ies of the kingdom of God (Luke 10:21-24). These simple Jewish tradesmen—these “childlike” fol­lowers—were coming to understand what mighty kings and holy proph­ets longed for. And it was all coming because of the Holy Spirit!

How does this answer our ques­tion about Isaiah’s prophecy? It tells us that those of us who try to remain humble and childlike will see the promised kingdom of God in the world around them. It tells us that any of us who asks for divine revelation can be filled with the hope of a new kingdom, simply because Jesus is opening our eyes to see his presence in the midst of a darkened world.

At your baptism, Jesus gave you the Spirit of counsel, wisdom, and understanding. You can begin to see signs of his kingdom if you take the time to ask and seek. Just put in a little time each day and learn how to open your heart to his word and his presence. All you need is a glimpse of his kingdom, and your life will begin to change!

“Jesus, I give you my heart, my mind, my ears, and my eyes. Show me your kingdom. Help me to obey you today, so that I can know the joy of living in your presence.”

Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17; Luke 10:21-24


33 posted on 12/04/2012 5:40:56 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
 
Marriage = One Man and One Woman
Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for December 4, 2012:

Reconciliation is crucial in every marriage. Does your parish have an Advent Penance Service? Make plans to receive the Sacrament of Penance before Christmas.


34 posted on 12/04/2012 5:51:09 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Regnum Christi

God’s Ways
| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY
Tuesday of the First Week of Advent



Father Jon Budke, LC

 

Luke 10: 21-24

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,

but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

Introductory Prayer: Christ, I believe that you can put my talents to good use. I hope that you will allow me to come to know you better each day. I love you and trust that you are guiding me through life. Not only are you guiding me in my life; you are also letting others be edified by my example.

Petition: Lord, help me to trust in you through every circumstance of life.

1. God Reveals Himself to the Childlike: We long to know Christ better. How we yearn to understand a little more about God and his infinite love! Our small intellects can barely lay hold of any notion or attribute of the Divine Persons. Even if we were to study long hours, we would come to the conclusion that our learning is nothing. True knowledge of Christ and of God doesn’t come by learning from books. True knowledge of Christ and of God is revealed to those who learn to quiet their souls in prayer. We need to imitate the resourceful little child who falls on the ground and then runs to his mother to be scooped up in a loving embrace. If we can remember our littleness on one hand and God’s pure, loving benevolence on the other, we’ll permit—even delight in—his wiping away from our faces the blood and tears caused by our sins. Only when we surrender ourselves into God’s forgiving, tender hands can we say that we know him.

2. God Chooses the Childlike: Christ singles out each one of us for a particular mission in life. We might think of the many people around us––educated, wise, learned people––who would surely be better suited for the calling at hand, who could do a far better job than we could. However, Christ isn’t looking always for the cleverest person, the one with the quickest wit, or the one with the best education. Many times he scrutinizes the corners of the globe for the soul that is innocent, open to his plan, and willing to carry it out. Simplicity and humility are the key words when it comes to being chosen by God to participate more actively in his plan of redemption.

3. The Childlike Can Entrust the Bigger Picture to God: How many prophets and kings longed for the time of Christ, when the work of salvation would be fulfilled! During their time of waiting they left us an example of constancy and dedication to the things of God, despite never seeing many of the things promised them. They played an active role in leading and guiding the people of their time, but they didn’t see the fulfillment of all God’s entire design. God asks us to be like them, planting the seeds of redemption that may not sprout for years. We, like the prophets, aren’t always given the grace to see the entire picture. That is part of being childlike: trusting that God our Father knows what he is doing. Cardinal John Henry Newman prayed in his famous poem, The Pillar of the Cloud:

“Keep thou my feet: I do not ask to see

the distant scene – one step enough for me”.

Do I entrust the big picture of my life to God my Father, or do I try to yank the “video control” from his loving hands?

Conversation with Christ: Christ, I don’t ask for great understanding or knowledge. Help me to accept with the simplicity and trust of a child all that you want to do in me. I don’t ask for great insight into the depths of your divine attributes. I just want to grow in friendship with you, and I know that means I need an unshakeable confidence in your infinite love for me. I want to allow you to love me and direct me according to your good will.

Resolution: I will open my heart more widely to God’s plan for my life.


35 posted on 12/04/2012 5:55:51 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

Fulfillment

 

by Food For Thought on December 4, 2012 ·

In the first reading Isaiah foretells that the Messiah will introduce what humans have always called the “golden age.” The anointed of the Lord will be blest with the gifts of the Lord’s Spirit, and these will enable him to bring peace and justice to the world. Isaiah uses images from the animal kingdom to describe the new, universal peace that the Messiah will bestow on the world. Animals, he says, that are natural enemies will live at peace with one another. A defenseless child will play unharmed in a den of snakes.

In the Gospel Jesus thanks his Father because this revelation, this glorious dream of the prophet has been fulfilled in himself, in Jesus.

But has it been fulfilled? We look at the world, we look at our nation: hatred, murder, mania for power, oppression, injustice, genocide, terrorism. Can anyone possibly believe that a new age, a golden age has found fulfillment in Jesus?

Jesus lived by values that, in spite of the pain and injustice imposed on him, created within him abiding peace, spiritual tranquility. In spite of the agony that gashed his body and the turmoil that rent his soul-”My God, my God, why have you abandoned me”-when he looked into the darkness and the emptiness of death, his spirit rested securely, at peace in the Lord-”Father, I commend my spirit into your care.”

The values by which Jesus lived and died formed within him an interior peace that even the ultimate violence and the most painful rejection was incapable of disturbing.

Let us pray to God for this inner peace, and for the source from which it flows. Let us pray for absolute trust in God’s love and dedication to his will, that we might find Jesus’ peace within us, and find also the Advent promise reaching for fulfillment, peace in our world.


36 posted on 12/04/2012 6:07:15 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 


<< Tuesday, December 4, 2012 >> St. John of Damascus
 
Isaiah 11:1-10
View Readings
Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 Luke 10:21-24
 

THE GIFT OF USING GIFTS

 
"The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him." —Isaiah 11:2
 

This Christmas, the Lord wants to do in our lives and in our world more than we can ever ask for or imagine (Eph 3:20). He wants to restore us to the harmony of paradise where "the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid" (Is 11:6). In His love, the Lord wills that there "be no harm or ruin" to us (Is 11:9).

Although we find it difficult to allow the Lord to show His love for us to this extent until we see Him face to face in heaven, we can already begin to live in heavenly harmony. We do this not by our power, but by the grace of the Holy Spirit (see Zec 4:6). If we are baptized and confirmed, the Spirit has gifted us with wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, piety, fortitude, the fear of the Lord, and many other gifts (see Is 11:2). If by faith we use these spiritual gifts, we will build God's kingdom of justice, joy, and peace on this earth (Rm 14:17). As Pope Paul VI proclaimed, we will build a "civilization of love."

Christmas is Christ's birthday. Usually, the person who has the birthday receives all the gifts. However, Jesus does things differently. He gives gifts to all those who celebrate His birthday. Using the gifts He has given us is our gift to Him. Give Christ the Christmas gift He desires. Use your spiritual gifts to renew the face of the earth (see Ps 104:30).

 
Prayer: Father, today and this Advent may I use a spiritual gift which I have never consciously used before.
Promise: "Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said: 'I offer You praise, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because what You have hidden from the learned and the clever You have revealed to the merest children.' " —Lk 10:21
Praise: As punishment for opposing heresy, St. John of Damascus lost his hand. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, his hand was miraculously restored.

37 posted on 12/04/2012 6:10:13 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

38 posted on 12/04/2012 6:12:11 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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