Saint Damasus I, Pope
Optional Memorial
December 11th

(305-384) Of Spanish descent, he summoned synods and councils, notably, the First Council of Constantinople, to defend the Church against schismatics and heretics. He widely promoted the veneration of the martyrs. It was he who commissioned St. Jerome's translation of the Bible and who changed the liturgical language from Greek to Latin.

Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003

Collect:
Grant, we pray, O Lord,
that we may constantly exalt the merits of your Martyrs,
whom Pope Saint Damasus so venerated and loved.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with your in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: Acts 20:17-18a,28-32,36
And from Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them:

"You yourselves know how I lived among you all the time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of His own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.

And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

Gospel Reading: John 15:9-17
As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you. This I command you, to love one another.

ST DAMASUS, POPE, CONFESSOR (A.D. 305-384)

Information: St. Damasus I

Feast Day:	December 11
Born:	304 in Rome, Italy
Died:	11 December, 384 in Rome, Italy
Major Shrine:	archeologists

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Damasus

Feast Day: December 11
Born: (around) 306 :: Died: 366

Damasus was born in Rome. He was brought up in a very pious family as his father was a priest in Rome. When Damasus grew up, he served as a deacon in his father's church. Then he converted, became a Catholic and joined the priesthood.

These were exciting times for the Church. Damasus was a priest who was generous and made many sacrifices for his people. When Pope Liberius died in 366, Damasus became the pope.

He faced many severe difficulties. There was a false pope named Felix. He and his followers ill-treated Damasus. They lied about him, especially about his personal moral life.

The pope had to stand trial before the Roman authorities. He was proved innocent, but he suffered very much because of it. His great friend, St. Jerome, spoke strongly about the goodness of Damasus.

And Jerome had high standards. Pope Damasus realized that the city priest were very rich and living like kings. The country priests were a lot stricter.

Damasus asked the priests to live simple lives and not to collect money and possessions. He set a wonderful example himself.

There were also many false teachings during his time as pope. Damasus explained the true faith. He also called the Second Ecumenical Council which was held in Constantinople. It was during his rule that Christianity officially became the religion of Rome.

Pope Damasus greatly encouraged people to love the Word of God in the scriptures. He asked St. Jerome to translate the Bible into Latin. He also changed the official language of the liturgy from Greek-except for the Kyrie - to Latin.

Pope St. Damasus died at the age of about eighty on December 11, 384. He was buried with his mother and sister in a little chapel he had built.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: December 11, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Grant, we pray, O Lord, that we may constantly exalt the merits of your Martyrs, whom Pope Saint Damasus so venerated and loved. 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.

RECIPES

Skewered Beef Roman Style

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

LIBRARY

Advent: December 11th

Optional Memorial of St. Damasus I, pope

Old Calendar: St. Damasus, pope and confessor

St. Damasus was Supreme Pontiff from 366 to 384. He was a very learned man, well versed in the Scriptures. He commissioned St. Jerome to complete the translation of the Bible into the Latin language. Shortly after his reign the 72 books of the Bible, hitherto scattered in different parts of the Orient, were collected into one volume. He defended the rights of the Holy See, and beautified the Roman resting places of the Christian dead and of the saints. He also confirmed the practice of singing the Psalms day and night in the churches and adding a Glory Be at the end of each Psalm.

Jesse Tree ~ Moses

St. Damasus
On Liberius' death, riots broke out over the election of a successor. The majority favored Damasus, who was born in Rome of Spanish descent. He had served as a deacon under Liberius and upheld the Nicene Creed. In less than a month, Damasus was installed in the Lateran palace. A minority, however, refused to accept the decision; they set up the antipope Ursinus. As the violence continued, Emperor Valentinian, who now ruled the West, was compelled to intercede and expel the antipope.

Pope Damasus fostered the development of the Church during this period of peace by publishing a list of the books of both the Old and New Testaments. He also encouraged his longtime friend and secretary, St. Jerome, to translate the Bible into Latin. This Vulgate edition continues to serve the Church usefully. Damasus himself composed eloquent verse which he had inscribed on marble slabs and placed over the tombs of martyrs and popes alike. But Damasus is best known for his devoted project in the catacombs. He ardently searched for the tombs of martyrs which had been both blocked up and hidden during previous persecutions. He lighted the passages and stairwells of the catacombs, encouraging pilgrimages to the martyrs. He did much to beautify existing churches, such as building the baptistery in St. Peter's and laying down marble pavement in the basilica of St. Sebastian.

Damasus was a vigorous defender of the orthodoxy, as well. He condemned the heresies of such men as Macedonius and Apollinaris and continued the march against Eastern Arians. Although Emperor Valentinian was a Catholic, his less capable brother Valens was under the Arian influence. Valens kept the Eastern bishops in turmoil until his death in 378 by the determined Goths. Emperor Theodosius, who succeeded Valens, supported the orthodox and convened the Second Ecumenical Council at Constantinople in 381. The council settled the dispute by recondemning Arianism and adopting the pope's teachings.

The chair of St. Peter was never more respected than during the pontificate of Damasus. He tirelessly promoted the Roman primacy, successfully persuading the government to recognize the Holy See as a court of first instance, although it declined to give the pope himself any particular immunity against the civil courts. Next in hierarchy came Alexandria, founded by St. Mark, and then Antioch, where Peter reigned before leaving for Rome.

Pious Pope Damasus died in December of 384 after a reign of eighteen years.

— The Popes: A Papal History, J.V. Bartlett

Patron: Archeologists.

Things to Do:

Learn more about St. Damasus.
Read about the Catacombs of St. Callistus where Pope St. Damasus wrote an inscription on the tomb of Pope St Cornelius.
St. Damasus I commissioned St. Jerome to revise a translation of Scripture. Spend some time reading the Bible.
See Celebrating the Feast of St. Damasus for ideas.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Matthew 18:12-14

Saint Damasus I, Pope

“Will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?” (Matthew 18:12)

The parable of the lost sheep is one of the most powerful images from the whole New Testament. Long before they hung crosses in their homes, first-century believers prayed before pictures and sculptures of Jesus carrying a lamb over his shoulders.

And who can blame them? This story reminds all of us of Jesus’ unending love. It tells us about the lengths that he will go to in order to find us when we wander and become lost: It also gives us an image of the mercy and compassion Jesus shows us as he brings us back to safety.

Countless prayers, poems, hymns, and even plays have been written about Jesus, the Good Shepherd. They speak of him binding up our wounds, strengthening us when we are weak, and leading us to restful fields. They speak of his voice calling us by name, the firm but gentle hold he has on our lives, and his dogged determination to seek us out, even when we don’t want to be found.

One of the most moving prayers to the Good Shepherd was written in the fourth century by St. Gregory of Nyssa:

“Where are you pasturing your flock, O Good Shepherd, who carry the whole flock on your shoulders? For the whole of human nature is one sheep, and you have lifted it onto your shoulders. Show me the place of peace. Lead me to the good grass that will nourish me. Call me by name so that I, your sheep, can hear your voice. And by your speech give me eternal life… .

“Show me then (my soul says) where you pasture your flock, so that I can find that saving pasture too and fill myself with the food of heaven … and run to the spring and fill myself with the drink of God. You give it, as from a spring, to those who thirst—water pouring from your side cut open by the lance; water that, to whoever drinks it, is a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

“Jesus, shepherd of my soul, lead me and guide me today. Don’t let me stray from you, Lord. I know you are the only one who can keep me safe!”

Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 96:1-3, 10-13

Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 18
12.	What think you? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them should go astray: doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the mountains, and go to seek that which is gone astray?	Quid vobis videtur ? si fuerint alicui centum oves, et erravit una ex eis : nonne relinquit nonaginta novem in montibus, et vadit quærere eam quæ erravit ?	τι υμιν δοκει εαν γενηται τινι ανθρωπω εκατον προβατα και πλανηθη εν εξ αυτων ουχι αφεις τα ενενηκοντα εννεα επι τα ορη πορευθεις ζητει το πλανωμενον
13.	And if it so be that he find it: Amen I say to you, he rejoiceth more for that, than for the ninety-nine that went not astray.	Et si contigerit ut inveniat eam : amen dico vobis, quia gaudet super eam magis quam super nonaginta novem, quæ non erraverunt.	και εαν γενηται ευρειν αυτο αμην λεγω υμιν οτι χαιρει επ αυτω μαλλον η επι τοις ενενηκοντα εννεα τοις μη πεπλανημενοις
14.	Even so it is not the will of your Father, who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.	Sic non est voluntas ante Patrem vestrum, qui in cælis est, ut pereat unus de pusillis istis.	ουτως ουκ εστιν θελημα εμπροσθεν του πατρος υμων του εν ουρανοις ινα αποληται εις των μικρων τουτων

Christ the Good Shepherd

3rd c.
The Priscilla Catacomb, Rome

This is the same fresco in a pirated photograph that shows the interior. There are more of these rare photographs at the blog.

Christ the Good Shepherd

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

c. 1660
Oil on canvas, 161 x 123 cm
Museo del Prado, Madrid

12. How think you? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, does he not leave the ninety and nine, and go into the mountains, and seek that which is gone astray?
13 And if so be that he find it, I say to you, he rejoices more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
14. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

CHRYS; He gives yet another reason weightier than the forgoing, why the little ones are not to be despised, For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost.

REMIG; As much as to say, Despise not little ones, for I also for men condescended to become man. By that which was lost, understand the human race; for all the elements have kept their place, but man was lost, because he has broken his ordained place.

CHRYS; And to this reasoning He adds a parable, in which He sets forth the Father as seeking the salvation of men, and saying, What think you, if a man have a hundred sheep.

GREG; This refers to the Creator of man Himself; for a hundred is a perfect number, and He had a hundred sheep when He created the substance of Angels and men.

HILARY; But by the one sheep is to be understood one man, and under this one man is comprehended the whole human race. He that seeks man is Christ, and the ninety and nine are the host of the heavenly glory which He left.

GREG; The Evangelist says they were left on the mountains, to signify that the sheep which were not lost abode on high.

BEDE; The Lord found the sheep when He restored man, and over that sheep that is found there is more joy in heaven than over the ninety and nine, because there is a greater matter for thanksgiving to God in the restoration of man than in the creation of the Angels. Wonderfully are the Angels made, but more wonderfully man restored.

RABAN; Note, that nine wants only one to make it ten, and ninety and nine the same to be a hundred. Thus members which want one only to be perfect, may be larger or smaller, but yet the unit remaining invariable, when it is added makes the rest perfect. And that the number of sheep might be made up perfect in heaven, lost man was sought on earth.

JEROME; Others think that by the ninety and nine sheep are understood the number of the righteous, and by the one sheep the sinners, according to that said in another place, I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

GREG; We must consider whence it is that the Lord declares that' He has joy rather over the converted sinners, than over the righteous that stand. Because these last are often slothful and slack to practice the greater good works, as being very secure within themselves, for that they have committed none of the heavier sins. While on the other hand those who have their wicked deeds to remember, do often through the compunction of sorrow glow with the more heat in their love of God, and when they think how they have strayed from Him, they replace their former losses by gains following.

So the general in a battle loves best that soldier who turns in his flight and courageously presses the enemy, than him who never turned his back, yet et never did any valorous deed. Yet there be some righteous over whom is joy so great, that no penitent can be preferred before them, those, who though not conscious to themselves of sins, yet reject things lawful, end humble themselves in all things. How great is the joy when the righteous mourns, and humbles himself, if there be joy when the unrighteous condemns himself wherein he has done amiss?

BEDE; Or; By the ninety-nine sheep, which He left on the mountains, are signified the proud to whom a unit is still wanting for perfection. When then He has found the sinner, He rejoices over him, that is, He makes his own to rejoice over him, rather than over the false righteous.

JEROME; What follows, Even so it is not the will &c. is to be referred to what was said above, Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones; and so He shows that this parable was set forth to enforce that same saying. Also in saying, It is not the will of my Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish, He shows that so oft as one of these little ones does perish, it is not by the Father's will that it perishes.

Catena Aurea Matthew 18

Regnum Christi

There’s No Shepherd like the Good Shepherd

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent

Matthew 18:12-14

Jesus said to his disciples: “What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”

Introductory Prayer: Dear Jesus, my Lord and God, I open my heart to your infinite love. I wish to listen and respond to the inspirations that you wish to give me this morning. I believe in you. I hope in you. I love you. Lord, you are my shepherd and the true meaning of my life.

Petition: Jesus, Good Shepherd, give me the grace to open my heart to your mercy.

1. Not All Shepherds Are the Same: In today’s society, the image of the shepherd doesn’t say as much as it did in Jesus’ time. Psalm 23 was probably one of Christ’s favorite psalms, for he uses the image of the shepherd frequently: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.” Sheep have a trusting relationship with their shepherd. Instinctively they know that the shepherd will care for them. Christ is our shepherd who loves us. In our lives, other people or material possessions can seem to promise to bring us happiness, causing us to follow after them as if they were our shepherd. But when the real trial comes, they abandon us just as a hired hand leaves the sheep when the wolf appears. Let us renew our commitment to Christ, the Good Shepherd, since he is the true shepherd of our souls.

2. Searching Out the Lost Sheep: In every group of animals there is at least one that seems to get distracted and eventually lost. In our lives we, too, can get distracted and stray from the security of Christ and his way. Sin is what separates us from Christ. If we are not careful, we can be easily seduced by the world, by the fascination of material goods or pleasures, and then mistakenly place our security in them. Then, when we experience the emptiness and spiritual hunger that comes from wandering from the Good Shepherd, we need only to recall that he is waiting for us, his wayward sheep, to carry us back into the safety of his fold. It is comforting and heartening to know that he longs for us to be reconciled with him, just as a shepherd goes out in search of the lost sheep.

3. Let the Celebration Begin! Anyone who has children and has temporarily “lost” one of them can empathize with the joy God experiences when one of us is found once again and reunited with him. We may try to outdo him in love and generosity, but that cannot happen. His love surpasses all our imagining. Today, let us take a moment to talk to God about our state in life and resolve to let him be actively present in our everyday living. Could there be any better way to prepare for Christmas than to open the doors of our hearts? Christ is there, knocking, asking to be allowed inside so he can heal us and make us whole again. It’s almost shocking to discover that we can please him simply by turning to him and letting him pick us up from where we’ve fallen and restore us to full friendship with him. Shouldn’t we permit Our Lord that pleasure, especially when the only cost is admitting our tremendous need for him, confessing our sins and inviting him back into our hearts, where he belongs?

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I know my countless falls provide me countless occasions to encounter you as the Good Shepherd, since without fail you come to pick me up again. Instead of wallowing in a sterile self-pity at the misery of my sinfulness, I intend to delight more in your tender mercy. I know this trusting attitude will please you.

Resolution: Each time I fall today, I will get back up again immediately, because I will have confidence in my Good Shepherd’s loving mercy.

The Heart of a Shepherd

by Food For Thought on December 11, 2012 ·

Whether it is the theological Advent that looks into the Second Coming of Christ, or the more familiar Advent that constitutes a preparation for Christmastime, what is particularly striking in the readings today is the insistent description that “The Lord our God comes in strength.”

Advent and Christmastime often make us imagine God in the image of the Christ Child. But this is what today’s liturgy insists, that God is strength, power, majesty, absoluteness. Even the first reading from Isaiah declares: “He is our God. Here he comes with power, the Lord God, who rules by his strong arm.” The beauty of the gospel, however, is that it specifies where God’s strength lies.

The power that makes God truly unmatched in strength and stability is this: God has the heart of a shepherd who never tires taking care of us, a shepherd who never tires of searching for lost sheep. Applied to us, we often get lost and we make the same mistakes, the same favorite sins. Each one of us, in our own uniqueness and weaknesses, are black sheep. Amidst all this, God remains unmoved in his compassion, patience, understanding, love and mercy for us.

The parable of the lost sheep shows us how much emphasis Jesus places on love, mercy and compassion. Just as the Good Shepherd reaches out to the one sheep that is lost, so must we. As true disciples of Jesus, there is no place for self-righteousness. We must be on our guard lest self-righteousness displaces compassion and mercy in our hearts. Try to put Jesus’ teaching today into practice by reaching out with compassion to someone who is lost or in need. We don’t have to look far. People in need are all around us.

One Bread, One Body

<< Tuesday, December 11, 2012 >>

Pope St. Damasus I

Isaiah 40:1-11
View Readings

Psalm 96:1-3, 10-13

Matthew 18:12-14

ACCEPTABLE LOSSES?

"What is your thought on this...will he not leave the ninety-nine...and go in search of the stray?" —Matthew 18:12

In the Western business world, certain losses are expected. Damaged goods, breakage, stains, defects, bruising or spoilage, theft, or misplacement in transit are simply written off.

In God's business, no loss is acceptable! "It is the will of Him Who sent Me that I should lose nothing of what He has given Me" (Jn 6:39; see also 17:12; 18:9).

Jesus, the Good Shepherd:

removes stains. He gave Himself up to present a holy and glorious Church "without stain or wrinkle or anything of that sort" (Eph 5:25, 27),
heals the broken (Ps 147:3; Is 61:1),
protects the bruised (Is 42:3),
restores the damaged (Is 61:3),
seeks out the lost (Ez 34:12, 16), and
recovers what was stolen (see Jl 2:24-26; Is 49:25).

What is your assessment of the one missing sheep? How would you determine its worth? Like Jesus, would you hunt for a broken, dirty, and defective one to offer comfort and tenderness? (see Is 40:1-2) Is there anyone that you have "written off" as a loss? Perhaps this might be someone whose stain of sin is too repulsive, who has gone too far, who seems too broken to fix.

Jesus said, " 'Simon, son of John, do you love Me?' 'Yes Lord,' Peter said, 'You know that I love You.' Jesus replied, 'Tend My sheep' " (see Jn 21:16). Do you love Jesus?

Prayer: "Change my heart, O God, may I be like You."

Promise: "Like a shepherd He feeds His flock; in His arms He gathers the lambs, carrying them in His bosom, and leading the ewes with care." —Is 40:11

Praise: Pope St. Damasus left the world a great treasure by initiating intense Biblical studies and commissioning the translation of the Scriptures into Latin, the common language of his time.

To Obama, Sebelius and Planned Parenthood --

Are you still killing your unborn?

-- GOD

December 11, 2012

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent

Reading 1 Is 40:1-11

Responsorial Psalm Ps 96:1-2, 3 and 10ac, 11-12, 13

Gospel Mt 18:12-14

St. Damasus

Daily Readings for: December 11, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

RECIPES

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

LIBRARY

Optional Memorial of St. Damasus I, pope

Meditation: Matthew 18:12-14

The Heart of a Shepherd

One Bread, One Body

ACCEPTABLE LOSSES?

December 11, 2012

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent

Reading 1 Is 40:1-11

Responsorial Psalm Ps 96:1-2, 3 and 10ac, 11-12, 13

Gospel Mt 18:12-14

St. Damasus

Daily Readings for: December 11, 2012(Readings on USCCB website)

RECIPES

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

LIBRARY

Optional Memorial of St. Damasus I, pope

Meditation: Matthew 18:12-14

The Heart of a Shepherd

One Bread, One Body

ACCEPTABLE LOSSES?

Daily Readings for: December 11, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)