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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 07-15-13. M, St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor/Church
USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 07-15-13 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 07/14/2013 8:07:06 PM PDT by Salvation

July 15, 2013

 

Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

 

 

Reading 1 Ex 1:8-14, 22

A new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt.
He said to his subjects, “Look how numerous and powerful
the people of the children of Israel are growing, more so than we ourselves!
Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase;
otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies
to fight against us, and so leave our country.”

Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the children of Israel
to oppress them with forced labor.
Thus they had to build for Pharaoh
the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses.
Yet the more they were oppressed,
the more they multiplied and spread.
The Egyptians, then, dreaded the children of Israel
and reduced them to cruel slavery,
making life bitter for them with hard work in mortar and brick
and all kinds of field work—the whole cruel fate of slaves.

Pharaoh then commanded all his subjects,
“Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews,
but you may let all the girls live.”

 

Responsorial Psalm PS 124:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8

R. (8a) Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Had not the LORD been with us–
let Israel say, had not the LORD been with us–
When men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive,
When their fury was inflamed against us.
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;
The torrent would have swept over us;
over us then would have swept
the raging waters.
Blessed be the LORD, who did not leave us
a prey to their teeth.
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
We were rescued like a bird
from the fowlers’ snare;
Broken was the snare,
and we were freed.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.

 

Gospel Mt 10:34—11:1

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s enemies will be those of his household.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

 



TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; ordinarytime; prayer; saints
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To: All
Saint Bonaventure, Bishop & Doctor of the Church

Saint Bonaventure,
Bishop & Doctor of the Church

Memorial
July 15th

Saint Bonaventure Joins the Franciscan Order
Francisco de Herrera, the Elder
1628
Museo del Prado, Madrid

Collect:
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that, just as we celebrate the heavenly birthday
of Bishop of Saint Bonaventure,
we may benefit from his great learning
and constantly imitate the ardor of his charity.
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. +Amen.

First Reading: Ephesians 3:14-19
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 23:8-12
You are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.


BENEDICT XVI, GENERAL AUDIENCE, Paul VI Audience Hall, Wednesday, 3 March 2010

Saint Bonaventure

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today I would like to talk about St Bonaventure of Bagnoregio. I confide to you that in broaching this subject I feel a certain nostalgia, for I am thinking back to my research as a young scholar on this author who was particularly dear to me. My knowledge of him had quite an impact on my formation. A few months ago, with great joy, I made a pilgrimage to the place of his birth, Bagnoregio, an Italian town in Lazio that venerates his memory.

St Bonaventure, in all likelihood born in 1217, died in 1274. Thus he lived in the 13th century, an epoch in which the Christian faith which had deeply penetrated the culture and society of Europe inspired imperishable works in the fields of literature, the visual arts, philosophy and theology. Among the great Christian figures who contributed to the composition of this harmony between faith and culture Bonaventure stands out, a man of action and contemplation, of profound piety and prudent government.

He was called Giovanni di Fidanza. An episode that occurred when he was still a boy deeply marked his life, as he himself recounts. He fell seriously ill and even his father, who was a doctor, gave up all hope of saving him from death. So his mother had recourse to the intercession of St Francis of Assisi, who had recently been canonized. And Giovanni recovered.

The figure of the Poverello of Assisi became even more familiar to him several years later when he was in Paris, where he had gone to pursue his studies. He had obtained a Master of Arts Diploma, which we could compare with that of a prestigious secondary school in our time. At that point, like so many young men in the past and also today, Giovanni asked himself a crucial question: "What should I do with my life?". Fascinated by the witness of fervour and evangelical radicalism of the Friars Minor who had arrived in Paris in 1219, Giovanni knocked at the door of the Franciscan convent in that city and asked to be admitted to the great family of St Francis' disciples. Many years later he explained the reasons for his decision: he recognized Christ's action in St Francis and in the movement he had founded. Thus he wrote in a letter addressed to another friar: "I confess before God that the reason which made me love the life of blessed Francis most is that it resembled the birth and early development of the Church. The Church began with simple fishermen, and was subsequently enriched by very distinguished and wise teachers; the religion of Blessed Francis was not established by the prudence of men but by Christ" (Epistula de tribus quaestionibus ad magistrum innominatum, in Opere di San Bonaventura. Introduzione generale, Rome 1990, p. 29).

So it was that in about the year 1243 Giovanni was clothed in the Franciscan habit and took the name "Bonaventure". He was immediately sent to study and attended the Faculty of Theology of the University of Paris where he took a series of very demanding courses. He obtained the various qualifications required for an academic career earning a bachelor's degree in Scripture and in the Sentences. Thus Bonaventure studied profoundly Sacred Scripture, the Sentences of Peter Lombard the theology manual in that time and the most important theological authors. He was in contact with the teachers and students from across Europe who converged in Paris and he developed his own personal thinking and a spiritual sensitivity of great value with which, in the following years, he was able to infuse his works and his sermons, thus becoming one of the most important theologians in the history of the Church. It is important to remember the title of the thesis he defended in order to qualify to teach theology, the licentia ubique docendi, as it was then called. His dissertation was entitled Questions on the knowledge of Christ. This subject reveals the central role that Christ always played in Bonaventure's life and teaching. We may certainly say that the whole of his thinking was profoundly Christocentric.

In those years in Paris, Bonaventure's adopted city, a violent dispute was raging against the Friars Minor of St Francis Assisi and the Friars Preachers of St Dominic de Guzmán. Their right to teach at the university was contested and doubt was even being cast upon the authenticity of their consecrated life. Of course, the changes introduced by the Mendicant Orders in the way of understanding religious life, of which I have spoken in previous Catecheses, were so entirely new that not everyone managed to understand them. Then it should be added, just as sometimes happens even among sincerely religious people, that human weakness, such as envy and jealousy, came into play. Although Bonaventure was confronted by the opposition of the other university masters, he had already begun to teach at the Franciscans' Chair of theology and, to respond to those who were challenging the Mendicant Orders, he composed a text entitled Evangelical Perfection. In this work he shows how the Mendicant Orders, especially the Friars Minor, in practising the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, were following the recommendations of the Gospel itself. Over and above these historical circumstances the teaching that Bonaventure provides in this work of his and in his life remains every timely: the Church is made more luminous and beautiful by the fidelity to their vocation of those sons and daughters of hers who not only put the evangelical precepts into practice but, by the grace of God, are called to observe their counsels and thereby, with their poor, chaste and obedient way of life, to witness to the Gospel as a source of joy and perfection.

The storm blew over, at least for a while, and through the personal intervention of Pope Alexander VI in 1257, Bonaventure was officially recognized as a doctor and master of the University of Paris. However, he was obliged to relinquish this prestigious office because in that same year the General Chapter of the Order elected him Minister General.

He fulfilled this office for 17 years with wisdom and dedication, visiting the provinces, writing to his brethren, and at times intervening with some severity to eliminate abuses. When Bonaventure began this service, the Order of Friars Minor had experienced an extraordinary expansion: there were more than 30,000 Friars scattered throughout the West with missionaries in North Africa, the Middle East, and even in Peking. It was necessary to consolidate this expansion and especially, to give it unity of action and of spirit in full fidelity to Francis' charism. In fact different ways of interpreting the message of the Saint of Assisi arose among his followers and they ran a real risk of an internal split. To avoid this danger in 1260 the General Chapter of the Order in Narbonne accepted and ratified a text proposed by Bonaventure in which the norms regulating the daily life of the Friars Minor were collected and unified. Bonaventure, however, foresaw that regardless of the wisdom and moderation which inspired the legislative measures they would not suffice to guarantee communion of spirit and hearts. It was necessary to share the same ideals and the same motivations.

For this reason Bonaventure wished to present the authentic charism of Francis, his life and his teaching. Thus he zealously collected documents concerning the Poverello and listened attentively to the memories of those who had actually known Francis. This inspired a historically well founded biography of the Saint of Assisi, entitled Legenda Maior. It was redrafted more concisely, hence entitled Legenda minor. Unlike the Italian term the Latin word does not mean a product of the imagination but, on the contrary, "Legenda" means an authoritative text, "to be read" officially. Indeed, the General Chapter of the Friars Minor in 1263, meeting in Pisa, recognized St Bonaventure's biography as the most faithful portrait of their Founder and so it became the Saint's official biography.

What image of St Francis emerged from the heart and pen of his follower and successor, St Bonaventure? The key point: Francis is an alter Christus, a man who sought Christ passionately. In the love that impelled Francis to imitate Christ, he was entirely conformed to Christ. Bonaventure pointed out this living ideal to all Francis' followers. This ideal, valid for every Christian, yesterday, today and for ever, was also proposed as a programme for the Church in the Third Millennium by my Predecessor, Venerable John Paul II. This programme, he wrote in his Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, is centred "in Christ himself, who is to be known, loved and imitated, so that in him we may live the life of the Trinity, and with him transform history until its fulfilment in the heavenly Jerusalem" (n. 29).

In 1273, St Bonaventure experienced another great change in his life. Pope Gregory X wanted to consecrate him a Bishop and to appoint him a Cardinal. The Pope also asked him to prepare the Second Ecumenical Council of Lyons, a most important ecclesial event, for the purpose of re-establishing communion between the Latin Church and the Greek Church. Boniface dedicated himself diligently to this task but was unable to see the conclusion of this ecumenical session because he died before it ended. An anonymous papal notary composed a eulogy to Bonaventure which gives us a conclusive portrait of this great Saint and excellent theologian. "A good, affable, devout and compassionate man, full of virtue, beloved of God and human beings alike.... God in fact had bestowed upon him such grace that all who saw him were pervaded by a love that their hearts could not conceal" (cf. J.G. Bougerol, Bonaventura, in A. Vauchez (edited by), Storia dei santi e della santità cristiana. Vol. VI. L'epoca del rinnovamento evangelico, Milan 191, p. 91).

Let us gather the heritage of this holy doctor of the Church who reminds us of the meaning of our life with the following words: "On earth... we may contemplate the divine immensity through reasoning and admiration; in the heavenly homeland, on the other hand, through the vision, when we are likened to God and through ecstasy... we shall enter into the joy of God" (La conoscenza di Cristo, q. 6, conclusione, in Opere di San Bonaventura. Opuscoli Teologici / 1, Rome 1993, p. 187).

BENEDICT XVI, GENERAL AUDIENCE, Paul VI Audience Hall, Wednesday, 10 March 2010

Saint Bonaventure ( part 2)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In our catechesis on the Christian culture of the Middle Ages, we return to the teaching of Saint Bonaventure, the great Franciscan theologian of the thirteenth century. Bonaventure refuted the idea, based on the doctrine of Joachim of Fiore and associated with the “spiritual” Franciscans, that Saint Francis had inaugurated a new and final age of the Holy Spirit, to replace the age of Christ and the Church. In his defence of the newness of the Franciscan charism, he developed a remarkable theology of history and progress, based on the definitiveness of the Christ event and its enduring fruitfulness in the history of the Church. He insisted that Christian revelation will not be surpassed in history, and that the future fulfilment of God’s plan remains the object of our Christian hope. Bonaventure was influenced by the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius, which present God as the origin and goal of a goodness which pervades the cosmos. In his work, The Journey of the Mind to God, he guides the soul from created realities to the mystic contemplation of the Triune God. Bonaventure made Christ the centre of his theology; his writings invite us to welcome Christ’s word into our hearts and thus to experience the joy of God’s eternal love.

BENEDICT XVI, GENERAL AUDIENCE, Paul VI Audience Hall, Wednesday, 17 March 2010

Saint Bonaventure ( part 3)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In our catechesis on the Christian culture of the Middle Ages, we turn once more to Saint Bonaventure. Bonaventure was a contemporary of Saint Thomas Aquinas, and the two great theologians reveal the rich diversity of the theology of the thirteenth century. Whereas Thomas saw theology as primarily a theoretical science, concerned with knowing God, Bonaventure saw it as practical, concerned with that “wisdom” which enables us to love God and conform our wills to his. Thomas’s emphasis on truth complements Bonaventure’s emphasis on love within the unity of a great common vision. As a Franciscan, Bonaventure reflects the primacy of love embodied in the life of Saint Francis. He was also deeply influenced by the theology of Pseudo-Dionysius, with its emphasis on the heavenly hierarchies which serve as steps leading the creature to communion with the Triune God. Pseudo-Dionysius also inspired his reflections on the darkness of the Cross, where, in the ascent of the mind to God, reason can go no further and love enters the divine mystery. As a great master of prayer, Bonaventure invites us to let our minds and hearts rise from the contemplation of creation to rest in God’s eternal love.

© Copyright 2010 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana


21 posted on 07/15/2013 6:18:26 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
St. Bonaventure, Bishop & Doctor of the The Church: Biography and Selected Writings
St Bonaventure 1217-1274 - Seraphic Doctor
Saint Bonaventure 1221-1274 AD
St.Bonaventure 1221-1274
22 posted on 07/15/2013 6:20:58 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Information: St. Bonaventure

Feast Day: July 15

Born: 1221, Bagnoregio, Province of Viterbo, Latium, Papal States (now modern-day Italy)

Died: July 15, 1274, Lyon, Lyonnais, Kingdom of Arles (now modern-day France)

Canonized: April 14, 1482, Rome by Pope Sixtus IV

23 posted on 07/15/2013 6:26:20 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Bonaventure

Feast Day: July 15
Born: 1221 :: Died: 1274

St. Benedict was born at Narsia in Umbria, Italy. Coming from a rich Italian family, his life was full of adventure and wonderful events. As a boy, he was sent to Rome to study in the public schools but was troubled by the bad behavior of the other students. When he was a young man, he became disgusted with the terrible lifestyle of pagan Rome (Romans who believed in false gods).

Benedict left the city and went looking for a place where he could be alone with God. He found the right spot. It was a cave in the mountain of Subiaco. Benedict spent three years there alone. The devil often tempted him to go back to his rich home and easy life. But Benedict prayed and did penance and did not give in to these temptations.

One day, when the devil sneakily tried to tempt him with bad thoughts and Benedict almost gave in to the temptation. Then he felt so sorry for the sin he would have committed that he threw himself into a bush of long, sharp thorns. He rolled around in the thorns until he was covered with scratches. From then on, his life was calm. He did not feel powerful temptations like that again.

After three years, people started coming to Benedict. They wanted to learn how to become holy. He became the leader of some men who asked for his help. But when he tried to make them do penance, they grew so angry that they even tried to poison Benedict. He made the Sign of the Cross over the poisoned wine and the glass shattered to pieces.

Later, Benedict became the leader of many good monks. He started twelve monasteries. Then he went to Monte Cassino where he built his most well-known monastery. It was here that St. Benedict wrote the wonderful rules for the Benedictine order. He taught his monks to pray and work hard. He taught them especially to be humble always.

Benedict and his monks greatly helped the people of their times. They taught them how to read and write, how to farm, and how to work at different trades. St. Benedict was able to do good because he prayed all the time. He could read minds, could tell the future and drive out demons. He destroyed many pagan statues and altars where they worshiped the false gods. He died on March 21, 547. The pope proclaimed him the patron of Europe.

Reflection: "Put Christ before all else."-the Rule of St. Benedict


24 posted on 07/15/2013 6:29:20 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

Thank you so much for including me in the Alleluia Ping. Today’s commentary has given me a new insight into the Finding in the Temple. For Jesus, the Father is before anything else, even his earthly mother and father. And that is the example we are called to follow.


25 posted on 07/15/2013 7:20:31 AM PDT by rwa265
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To: Salvation
Matthew
  English: Douay-Rheims Latin: Vulgata Clementina Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
  Matthew 10
34 Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword. Nolite arbitrari quia pacem venerim mittere in terram : non veni pacem mittere, sed gladium : μη νομισητε οτι ηλθον βαλειν ειρηνην επι την γην ουκ ηλθον βαλειν ειρηνην αλλα μαχαιραν
35 For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. veni enim separare hominem adversus patrem suum, et filiam adversus matrem suam, et nurum adversus socrum suam : ηλθον γαρ διχασαι ανθρωπον κατα του πατρος αυτου και θυγατερα κατα της μητρος αυτης και νυμφην κατα της πενθερας αυτης
36 And as a man's enemies shall be they of his own household. et inimici hominis, domestici ejus. και εχθροι του ανθρωπου οι οικειακοι αυτου
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. Qui amat patrem aut matrem plus quam me, non est me dignus : et qui amat filium aut filiam super me, non est me dignus. ο φιλων πατερα η μητερα υπερ εμε ουκ εστιν μου αξιος και ο φιλων υιον η θυγατερα υπερ εμε ουκ εστιν μου αξιος
38 And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth me, is not worthy of me. Et qui non accipit crucem suam, et sequitur me, non est me dignus. και ος ου λαμβανει τον σταυρον αυτου και ακολουθει οπισω μου ουκ εστιν μου αξιος
39 He that findeth his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for me, shall find it. Qui invenit animam suam, perdet illam : et qui perdiderit animan suam propter me, inveniet eam. ο ευρων την ψυχην αυτου απολεσει αυτην και ο απολεσας την ψυχην αυτου ενεκεν εμου ευρησει αυτην
40 He that receiveth you, receiveth me: and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. Qui recipit vos, me recipit : et qui me recipit, recipit eum qui me misit. ο δεχομενος υμας εμε δεχεται και ο εμε δεχομενος δεχεται τον αποστειλαντα με
41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive the reward of a prophet: and he that receiveth a just man in the name of a just man, shall receive the reward of a just man. Qui recipit prophetam in nomine prophetæ, mercedem prophetæ accipiet : et qui recipit justum in nomine justi, mercedem justi accipiet. ο δεχομενος προφητην εις ονομα προφητου μισθον προφητου ληψεται και ο δεχομενος δικαιον εις ονομα δικαιου μισθον δικαιου ληψεται
42 And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward. Et quicumque potum dederit uni ex minimis istis calicem aquæ frigidæ tantum in nomine discipuli : amen dico vobis, non perdet mercedem suam. και ος εαν ποτιση ενα των μικρων τουτων ποτηριον ψυχρου μονον εις ονομα μαθητου αμην λεγω υμιν ου μη απολεση τον μισθον αυτου
  Matthew 11
1 AND it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he passed from thence, to teach and preach in their cities. Et factum est, cum consummasset Jesus, præcipiens duodecim discipulis suis, transiit inde ut doceret, et prædicaret in civitatibus eorum. και εγενετο οτε ετελεσεν ο ιησους διατασσων τοις δωδεκα μαθηταις αυτου μετεβη εκειθεν του διδασκειν και κηρυσσειν εν ταις πολεσιν αυτων

26 posted on 07/15/2013 5:33:39 PM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex
34. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

JEROME; He had before said, What I say to you in darkness, that speak you in the light; He now tells them what will follow upon that preaching, saying, Think not that I am come to send peace upon earth; I am not come to send peace, but a sword.

GLOSS. Or connect it with what has gone before, As the fear of death ought not to draw you away, so neither ought carnal affection.

CHRYS. How then did He enjoin them, that when they should enter any house they should say, Peace be to this house, as also the Angels sung, Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace to men. That is the most perfect peace when that which is diseased is lopped off, when that which introduces strife is taken away, for so only is it possible that heaven should be joined to earth. For so does the physician save the rest of the body, namely by cutting off that which cannot be healed. So it came to pass at the tower of Babel; a happy discord broke up their bad union. So also Paul divided those who were conspired together against him. For concord is not in all cases good; for there is honor among thieves. And this combat is not of His setting before them, but of the plots of the world.

JEROME; For in the matter of belief in Christ, the whole world was divided against itself; each house had its believers and its unbelievers; and therefore was this holy war sent, that an unholy peace might be broken through.

CHRYS. This He said as it were comforting His disciples, as much as to say, Be not troubled as though these things fell upon you unexpectedly; for, for this cause I came that I might send war upon the earth - nay He says not 'war,' but what is yet harder, a sword. For He sought by sharpness of speech so to rouse their attention, that they should not fall off in time of trial and difficulty, or say that He had told them smooth things, and had hid the difficulties. For it is better to meet with softness in deeds than in words; and therefore He stayed not in words, but showing them the nature of their warfare, He taught them that it was more perilous than a civil war; saying, I am come to set a man against his father, and daughter against her mother, and daughter-in -law against her mother-in-law. So this warfare will be between not acquaintances merely, but the nearest and dearest kindred; and this shows Christ's very great power; that His disciples after having heard this, yet undertook the mission, and brought over others. Yet was it not Christ who made this division, but the evil nature of the parties; when He says that it is He that does it, He speaks according to the manner of Scripture. As it is written, God has given them eyes that they should not see. Here is also a great proof that the Old Testament is like the New. For among the Jews a man was to put his neighbor to death if he found him making a calf; or sacrificing to Baalphegor; so here to show that it was the same God who ordained both that and these precepts, He reminds them of the prophecy, A man's foes are they of his household. For this same thing happened among the Jews; there were Prophets, and false Prophets; there the multitude was divided, and houses were set against themselves; there some believed one part, and some another.

JEROME; These are almost the words of the Prophet Micah. We should always take note when a passage is cited out of the Old Testament, whether the sense only, or the very words are given.

HILARY; Mystically; A sword is the sharpest of all weapons, and thence it is the emblem of the right of authority, the impartiality of justice, the correction of offenders. The word of God, we may remember, is likened to a sword; so here the sword that is sent upon the earth is His preaching poured into the heart of man. The five inhabiting one house, whom He divides three against two, and two against three, we may explain thus; The three are the three parts of man, the body, the soul, and the will; for as the soul is bestowed in the body, so the will has power of using both in any way it chooses; and thence when a law is given it is given to the will. But this is only found in those who were first formed by God. By the sin and unbelief of the first parent, all the generations of men since have had sin for the father of their body, and unbelief for the mother of their soul. And as each man has his will within him, there are thus five in one house. When then we are renewed in the lover of baptism, by virtue of the word we are set apart from our original guilt, and severed, as it were, by the sword of God, from the lusts of this our father and mother, and thus there is great discord made in one house; the new man finding his foes within, he seeks with joy to live in newness of spirit; they which are derived from the old stock, lust to remain in their old pleasures.

AUG. Otherwise; I am come to set a man against his father; for he renounces the devil who was his son; the daughter against her mother, that is, the people of God against the city of the world, that is, the wicked society of mankind, which is spoken of in Scripture under the names of Babylon, Egypt, Sodom, and other names. The daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, that is, the Church against the Synagogue, which according to the flesh, brought forth Christ the spouse of the Church. They are severed by the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And a man's foes are they of his household, those, that is, with whom he before lived as intimates.

RABAN. For no other mutual rights can be preserved between those who are at war in their creeds.

GLOSS. Otherwise; He means, I am not come among men to strengthen their carnal affections, but to cut them off with the sword of the Spirit; whence it is rightly added, And a man's foes are they of his household.

GREG. For the subtle enemy when he sees himself driven our of the hearts of the good, seeks out those who most love them, and speaking by the mouth of those who are dearest, endeavors while the heart is penetrated by love, that the sword of conviction may pierce to the inmost bulwarks of virtue.

37. He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38. And he that takes not his cross, and follows after me, is not worthy of me.
39. He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.

JEROME; Because of what He had said, I am not come to send peace but a sword, &c. that none might suppose that family affection was banished from His religion, He now adds, He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. So in the Song of Songs we read, Order love in me. For this order is needed in every affection; after God love your father, your mother, and your children; but if a necessity should occur that the love of parents and children comes into competition with the love of God, and where both cannot be preserved, remember that hatred of our kindred becomes then love to God. He forbids not to love parent or child, but adds emphatically, more than me.

HILARY; For they who have esteemed domestic affection of relations higher than God, are unworthy to inherit good things to come.

CHRYS. Yet when Paul bids us obey our parents in all things, we are not to marvel; for we are only to obey in such things as are not hurtful to our piety to God. It is holy to render them every other honor, but when they demand more than is due, we ought not to yield. This is likewise agreeable to the Old Testament; in it the Lord commands that all who worshipped idols, should not only be held in abhorrence, but should be stoned. And in Deuteronomy it is said, He who said to his father and his mother, I know you not; and to his brethren, You are strangers; he has kept your saying.

GLOSS. It seems to happen in many cases that the parents love the children more than the children love the parents; therefore having taught that His love is to be preferred to the love of parents, as in an ascending scale, He next teaches that it is to be preferred to the love of children, saying, And whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

RABAN. He is unworthy of the divine communion who prefers the carnal affection of kindred to the spiritual love of God.

CHRYS. Then that those to whom the love of God is preferred should not be offended thereat, He leads them to a higher doctrine. Nothing is nearer to a man than his soul, and yet He enjoins that this should not only he hated, but that a man should be ready to deliver it up to death, and blood; not to death only, but to a violent and most disgraceful death, namely, the death of the cross; therefore it follows, And whoever takes not up his cross and follows me, is not worthy of me. He had as yet said nothing to them respecting his own sufferings, but instructs them in the meanwhile in these things, that they may the more readily receive His words concerning His passion.

HILARY; Or; They that are Christ's have crucified the body with its vices and lusts. And he is unworthy of Christ who does not take up His cross, in which we suffer with Him, die with Him, are buried and rise again with Him, and follow his Lord, purposing to live in newness of spirit in this sacrament of the faith.

GREG. The cross is so called from torment; and there are two ways in which we bear the Lord's cross; either when we afflict the flesh by abstinence; or when in compassion for our neighbor we make his afflictions our own. But it should be known that there are some who make a show of abstinence not for God, but for ostentation; and some there are who show compassion to their neighbor, not spiritually but carnally, not that they may encourage him in virtue, but rather countenancing him in faults. These indeed seem to bear their cross, but do not fellow the Lord; therefore He adds, And follows me.

CHRYS. Because these commands seemed burdensome, He proceeds to show their great use and benefit, saying, He that finds his life shall lose it. As much as to say, Not only do these things that I have inculcated do no harm, but they are of great advantage to a man; and the contrary thereof shall do him great hurt - and this is His manner every where. He uses those things which men's affections are set upon as a means of bringing them to their duty. Thus: Why are you loath to contemn your life? Because you love it? For that very reason contemn it, and you will do it the highest service.

REMIG. The life in this place is not to be understood as the substance, (the soul,) but as this present state of being; and the sense is, He who finds his life, i.e. this present life, he who so loves this light, its joys and pleasures, as to desire that he may always find them; he shall lose that which he wishes always to keep, and prepare his soul for eternal damnation.

RABAN. Otherwise; He who seeks an immortal life, does not hesitate to lose his life, that is, to offer it to death. But either sense suits equally well with that which follows, And whoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.

REMIG. That is, he who in confession of My name in time of persecution despises this temporal world, its joys, and pleasures, shall find eternal salvation for his soul.

HILARY; Thus the gain of life brings death, the loss of life brings salvation; for by the sacrifice of this short life we gain the reward of immortality.

40. He that receives you receives me, and he that receives me receives him that sent me.
41. He that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
42. And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say to you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

JEROME; The Lord when He sends forth His disciples to preach, teaches them that dangers are not to be feared, that natural affection is to be postponed to religion - gold He had above taken from them, brass He had shaken out of their purses - hard then surely the condition of the preachers! Whence their living? Whence their food and necessaries? Therefore He tempers the rigor of His precepts by the following promises, that in entertaining the Apostles each believer may consider that he entertains the Lord.

CHRYS. Enough had been said above to persuade those who should have to entertain the Apostles. For who would not with all willingness take in to his house men who were so courageous, that they despised all dangers that others might be saved? Above He had threatened punishment to those who should not receive them, He now promises reward to such as should receive them. And first He holds out to those who should entertain them the honor, that in so doing they were entertaining Christ, and even the Father; He who receives me, receives him that sent me. What honor to be compared to this of receiving the Father and the Son?

HILARY; These words show that He has a Mediator's office, and since He came from God, when He is received by us, through Him God is transfused into its; and by this disposition of grace to have received the Apostles is no other than to have received God; for Christ dwells in them, and God in Christ.

CHRYS. A further reward also He promises, saying, He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward. He said not merely, Whoever receives a prophet, or a righteous man, but in the name of a prophet, and in the name of a righteous man; that is, not for any greatness in this life, or other temporal account, but because he is a prophet, or a righteous man.

JEROME; Otherwise; To this His exhortation to the disciple to entertain his teacher, there might a secret objection arise among the faithful; then shall we have to support the false prophets, or Judas the traitor. To this end it is that the Lord instructs them in these words, that it is not the person but the office that they should look to; and that the entertainer loses not his reward, though he whom he entertains be unworthy.

CHRYS. A prophet's reward, and a righteous man's reward, are such rewards as it is fitting he should have who entertains a prophet, or a righteous man: or, such a reward as a prophet or righteous man should have.

GREG. He says not, a reward from a prophet, or righteous man, but the reward of a prophet or righteous man. For the prophet is perhaps a righteous man, and the less he possesses in this world, the greater confidence has he in speaking in behalf of righteousness. He who has of this world's goods, in supporting such a man, makes himself a free partaker in his righteousness, and shall receive the reward of righteousness together with him whom he has aided by supporting him. He is full of the spirit of prophecy, but he lacks bodily sustenance, and if the body is not supported, it is certain that the voice will fail. Whoever then gives a prophet food, gives him strength for speaking, therefore together with the prophet shall receive the prophet's reward, when He shows before the face of God what bounty he showed him.

JEROME; Mystically; he who receives a prophet as a prophet, and understands him speaking of things to come, he shall receive reward of that prophet. The Jews therefore, who understand the prophets carnally, do not receive the prophet's reward.

REMIG. Some understand by the prophet here, the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom Moses says, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you; and the same also by the righteous man, because he is beyond comparison righteous. He then who shall receive a prophet or righteous man in the name of the prophet or righteous man, i.e. of Christ, shall receive reward from Him for love of whom he received Him.

JEROME; That none should say, I am poor and therefore cannot be hospitable, He takes away even this plea by the instance of a cup of cold water, given with good will. He says cold water, because in hot, poverty and lack of fuel might be pleaded. And whosoever shall give to drink to one of the least of these a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.

REMIG. The least of these, that is, not a prophet, or a righteous man, hut one of these least.

GLOSS. Note, that God looks more to the pious mind of the giver, than to the abundance of the thing given.

GLOSS. Or, the least are they who have nothing at all in this world, and shall be judges with Christ.

HILARY; Or; Seeing beforehand that there would be many who would only glory in the name of Apostleship, but in their whole life and walk would be unworthy of it, He does not therefore deprive of its reward that service which might be rendered to them in belief of their religious life. For though they were the very least, that is, the greatest of sinners, yet even small offices of mercy shown them, such as are denoted by the cup of cold water, should not be shown in vain. For the honor is not done to a man that is a sinner, but to his title of disciple.

Catena Aurea Matthew 10

1. And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed to teach and to preach in their cities.

RABAN. The Lord having sent out His disciples to preach with the foregoing instructions, Himself now fulfills in action what He had taught in words, offering His preaching first to the Jews; And it came to pass when Jesus had ended all these sayings, he passed.

CHRYS. Having sent them forth, He withdrew Himself, giving them opportunity and time to do, the things that He had enjoined; for while He was present and ready to heal, no man would come to His disciples.

REMIG. He well passes from the special teaching which He had delivered to His disciples, to the general which He preached in the cities; passing therein as it were from heaven to earth, that He might give light to all. By this deed of the Lord, all holy preachers are admonished that they should study to benefit all.

Catena Aurea Matthew 11
27 posted on 07/15/2013 5:34:02 PM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex


Apostle Paul Preaching on the Ruins

Giovanni Paolo Pannini

1744
Oil on canvas, 64 x 84 cm
The Hermitage, St. Petersburg

28 posted on 07/15/2013 5:34:25 PM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex

29 posted on 07/15/2013 7:03:22 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Catholic Almanac

Monday, July 15>

Liturgical Color: White>

Today is the Memorial of St. Teresa of Jesus,
virgin and Doctor of the Church. St. Teresa
helped reform the Carmelite Order, founding
17 convents. She died in 1528.

30 posted on 07/15/2013 7:09:03 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
The Word Among Us

Meditation: Psalm 124:1-8

Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

“Blessed is the Lord, who did not leave us.” (Psalm 124:6)

Things certainly looked dark for the Israelites. A clan that had once been treated as close to royalty as possible, the children of Jacob were now slaves in Egypt, forced into back-breaking toil. Pharaoh was even taking steps to wipe them out by killing their male children. What grounds could the people possibly have for hope?

Appearing in the desert, God gave Moses a very simple message for his people: I am with you. “I have come down to rescue you” (Exodus 3:8), he told them. Now, this was just a message, little more than a promise. God didn’t save them right away. Their terrible circumstances didn’t change overnight. The same threats and dangers remained for quite some time, so they had to believe and hope.

And yet things were vastly different. Now they knew that God was with them. He had heard their cry, and he was setting events in motion that would bring about their deliverance.

Sometimes when darkness seems to surround us, we can feel overwhelmed and without any hope. Caught up in our challenges, we risk losing sight of the big picture. In the name of being realistic, we surrender to despair. But God is with us.

Yes, a diagnosis of terminal illness is a crushing blow. Yes, a prison sentence is foreboding. Yes, losing a job puts your whole life and the welfare of your family in jeopardy. Yes, a rupture in the family is wrenching, devastating. Without God, we are at the mercy of so many hostile or indifferent forces. But God is with us. 

No matter who you are, no matter what you have done, no matter what you are facing, God loves you. Our faithful, miracle-working God has a plan for your life and the lives of those you love. When we lose sight of this reality, we don’t have the true picture. Everything gets out of focus. So always remember that whatever the reality of your present situation, there is always reason to trust in God. As he showed the Israelites through Moses, our God will never let us down.

“Almighty God, your love is more powerful than every evil in my life. I cast myself on your great mercy.”

Exodus 1:8-14, 22; Matthew 10:34–11:1


31 posted on 07/15/2013 7:34:34 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Catholic Culture

 

Daily Readings for: July 15, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, just as we celebrate the heavenly birthday of the Bishop Saint Bonaventure, we may benefit from his great learning and constantly imitate the ardor of his charity. 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

o    Apple Dowdy

o    Summer Apple Cake

ACTIVITIES

o    Weather Saints

PRAYERS

o    Prayer after Communion

o    Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

o    Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Ordinary Time: July 15th

Memorial of St. Bonaventure, bishop and doctor

Old Calendar: St. Henry, emperor and confessor

St. Bonaventure was born in Italy in 1221. He joined the Franciscan Order and went to Paris for his studies. He was made General of his Order and deserves to be reckoned its second founder for his work in consolidating an institution that was as yet ill-defined in nature. St. Bonaventure died at Lyons in 1274 during the general Council between Greeks and Latins held in this city. Dante had already included him among the inhabitants of his "Paradise". He is known as the Seraphic Doctor.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Henry. His feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on July 13. In England this day is known as "St. Swithin's Day," celebrating the day his relics were transferred. The Catholic Church celebrates St. Swithin's feast on July 2.


St. Bonaventure
"In Bonaventure we meet a unique personality. He was unsurpassed in sanctity, wisdom, eloquence, and gifted with a remarkable skill of accomplishing things, a heart full of love, a winning disposition, benevolent, affable, pious, charitable, rich in virtue, beloved by God and man. . . . The Lord endowed him with such a charming disposition that everyone who saw him was immediately attracted to him." In these words the historian of the Council of Lyons concludes his account on St. Bonaventure.

At an early age he was a celebrated teacher and a powerful preacher. At thirty-six he was called to the highest post among the Franciscans, the Order which honors him as a second founder. He was an important figure at the Council of Lyons. His virtue and wisdom, his versatility and mildness were major factors in attaining the happy result that the Greeks so easily returned to the unity of the Church.

Bonaventure was a subtle scholastic and a profound mystic. Because of the latter he is known as the "Seraphic Teacher." In philosophy he was the principal leader of the Platonic-Augustinian school of Franciscan thought; as such he stood opposed to the Aristotelianism that was making its way into the schools of the time (Thomas of Aquin). Bonaventure's Life of St. Francis was a favorite book of the Middle Ages. When St. Thomas was told about Bonaventure's work, he said: "Let us allow one saint to labor for another." His contemporaries are said to have believed that no one was "more handsome, more holy, or more learned" than he.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Bowel disorders.

Symbols: Cardinal's hat; ciborium; communion.
Often portrayed as: Cardinal in Franciscan robes, usually reading or writing.

Things to Do:


St. Swithin's Day
The Roman Martyrology mentions St. Swithin, Bishop of Winchester, England. He died on July 2, but "St. Swithin's Day" is July 15 in the Anglican Church. He is another of the "weather saints" — if it rains on July 15, it will rain forty more days. If no rain, it will be fair for forty more days, as the old rhyme says:

St. Swithin's day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St. Swithin's day if thou be fair
For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.

This weather patronage traces back to July 15, 871 when the monks were translating his body (relics) from the outdoor grave to an indoor shrine in the Cathedral. The saint apparently did not approve, as it rained for 40 days afterward. See July 2 for more biographical details of this saint.


32 posted on 07/15/2013 7:52:59 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Doctors of the Catholic Church







St Bonaventure is called the "Seraphic Doctor" because he revealed certain warmth toward others as a divine fire. His leadership with the Franciscans, following St Francis of Assisi, expressed itself by showing charity, goodwill and ardent affection toward others besides having great discernment in decision-making and judgment.

He offers to help us, as will all those in heaven, when we petition him for help. We can truly be transformed and change our habits and attitudes only with divine assistance. We must help ourselves but most interior betterment only comes with divine assistance.
Do you really want to live and love passionately? Everyone loves cheerful, enthusiastic and unselfish givers. Our doctor's generosity and kindness toward others were fervent and caring. How do we obtain that kindness and caring?

St Bonaventure tells us to look carefully at the crucified Christ. Gradually this practice will enable us to become more compassionate and understanding toward others. People will begin to see God in you, even if you don't. Then, you will shine like a seraph, the highest rank of angels, as Bonaventure.

When we humble ourselves, reflect upon the crucified Lord often, and share unselfishly, acting with goodness toward others, Jesus mysteriously becomes alive in us, and is plainly seen by others.


St. Bonaventure, 1217-1274. Seraphic Doctor, Feast July 15th.


33 posted on 07/15/2013 8:03:31 PM PDT 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 July 15, 2013:

Some spouses need to bite their tongues more; others need to loosen their tongues and share more. Which are you? With time, hopefully you become like Goldilocks and find the middle ground that is “just right.”

34 posted on 07/15/2013 8:09:52 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
Regnum Christi

Love is Demanding

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY
Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, bishop and doctor of the Church



Father Shawn Aaron, LC

Matthew 10: 34-11:1

Jesus said to his Apostles: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man ´against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one´s enemies will be those of his household.´ Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet´s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man´s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple-- amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward." When Jesus finished giving these commands to his twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

Introductory Prayer: Almighty and ever-living God, I seek new strength from the courage of Christ our shepherd. I believe in you, I hope in you, and I seek to love you with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength. I want to be led one day to join the saints in heaven, where your Son Jesus Christ lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

Petition: Jesus, I want to love as you have loved me.

1. Not Peace but the Sword: Complacency can be defined as "self-satisfaction accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies". This is a false peace, even a harmful peace. It is a self-satisfied peace that lulls us to sleep and can result in the loss of those things that are truly most valuable in life: God, faith, family, etc.... Jesus comes to interrupt that false peace by upending the tables of our lives (cf. John 2:15) in an effort to awaken us to the dangers that our false peace has blinded us to. As he drove out the sheep and oxen from the temple, so, too, he will use circumstances, trials and difficulties as his "sword" to drive out from our lives whatever is opposed to God´s goodness and our own dignity.

2. Nothing Before God: With this phrase we start getting an inkling of the type of sword our Lord is wielding. He is giving us a criterion that starts from heaven downward because he is trying to lift us from the earth upward. What natural relationship is closer than the one between a parent and child, especially a mother and child? Yet even this bond must be subordinate to the love we have for God. Why? Well, no creature, not even our parents, can bring us to the fullness of life and happiness that comes only from God. God wants us to love him, not because he needs our love but because we need him. He is objective reality, and we must always move from the subjective to the objective if we are to possess the truth. Jesus invites us to adapt our standards from the merely natural and passing to the supernatural and everlasting.

3. Love of God Is Inclusive Not Exclusive: Giving a cup of water to one of the least of our brothers and sisters will not go unrewarded, and therefore, unnoticed. In this way, Jesus shows that he is not calling us to a love of God that excludes others. The standard of placing God first does not exclude love for mother or father, sister or brother. Once we love God as he deserves, we will learn to love others as they truly deserve. In fact, we merit the vision of the God we cannot see by loving the neighbor we do see.

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, following you demands my all, and at times it seems that I do not have the strength to give what you ask. Help me to stay close to you in prayer and in the sacraments so as to have the grace to live the standard of love and generosity that you ask. Mother Most Pure, make my heart only for Jesus.

Resolution: Today I will make three acts of self-denial and offer them for someone in need of prayers.


35 posted on 07/15/2013 8:15:34 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

There is No Middle Road

by Food For Thought on July 15, 2013 ·

 

8

Our own personal decision to follow Jesus will bring us face-to-face with struggles from within and without, and both will challenge that decision. Sometimes, even our nearest and dearest friends will not understand, and may even reject us. Even then, our determination to follow Jesus must remain intact. There is no middle road to Jesus. Jesus forces us to make some fundamental and basic options in life. No one can be indifferent to Jesus. We are either for him, or against him. Jesus is the rock against which generations of men and women have clashed, and continue to clash. Whoever does not love Jesus, winds up hating him. Jesus is such a challenge to our pride and love of comfort, that we either love him and hate our selfishness, or we cling to our selfishness and wind up becoming indifferent and opposed to him. This is the biggest cross: our own self-denial, loving Jesus above all things, including our very self.

 


36 posted on 07/15/2013 8:19:26 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 29, Issue 4

<< Monday, July 15, 2013 >> St. Bonaventure
 
Exodus 1:8-14, 22
View Readings
Psalm 124:1-8 Matthew 10:34—11:1
Similar Reflections
 

"PRESERVE LIFE" (Mk 3:4)

 
"Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase." —Exodus 1:10
 

The Lord's first words to the newly created human race were: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth" (Gn 1:28). In reaction, Satan tries to stop our increase by oppressing and enslaving us (see Ex 1:11-14) and by passing anti-life legislation (see Ex 1:22). We must refuse to take part in the "politically correct," contraceptive, and abortifacient prejudice of our society. We must also refuse to buy into the ungodly economic system, which is an essential aspect of our anti-life culture (see Rv 13:16-17).

Like Moses, we must challenge the system. We must insist on the priority of communal worship over secular work (see Ex 5:1). We must refuse to let ourselves be manipulated by Pharaoh, Egypt, "the love of money" (1 Tm 6:10), and our fleshly desire for possessions (see Gal 5:17).

We won't obey God's first command to us and fill the earth with life until we stop contraception and abortion. We won't stop the culture of death until we stop compromising economically with the ways of the world. Therefore, work for imperishable food (Jn 6:27), get out of debt (see Rm 13:8), simplify your life, and build Christian community. Work to "preserve life" (Mk 3:4).

 
Prayer: Father, show me the relationship between economics and the anti-life attitudes of our society.
Promise: "He who seeks only himself brings himself to ruin, whereas he who brings himself to nought for Me discovers who he is." —Mt 10:39
Praise: St. Bonaventure wrote the inspiring biography of St. Francis of Assisi. Praise You, Lord Jesus, for the communion of saints!
 
(For a related teaching, order our leaflet Sexual Sin, Abortion, and the Pill.)
 
 

37 posted on 07/15/2013 8:29:26 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

38 posted on 07/15/2013 8:49:23 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: rwa265

**For Jesus, the Father is before anything else, even his earthly mother and father. And that is the example we are called to follow.**

Please pass the word to my sister in St. Louis! And thanks!


39 posted on 07/15/2013 9:14:54 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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