Posted on 07/17/2013 10:04:51 PM PDT by Salvation
July 18, 2013
Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 Ex 3:13-20
Moses, hearing the voice of the LORD from the burning bush, said to him,
“When I go to the children of Israel and say to them,
‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’
if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”
God replied, “I am who am.”
Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the children of Israel:
I AM sent me to you.”
God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the children of Israel:
The LORD, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,
has sent me to you.
“This is my name forever;
this my title for all generations.
“Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and tell them:
The LORD, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
has appeared to me and said:
I am concerned about you
and about the way you are being treated in Egypt;
so I have decided to lead you up out of the misery of Egypt
into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites,
Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites,
a land flowing with milk and honey.
“Thus they will heed your message.
Then you and the elders of Israel
shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him:
“The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent us word.
Permit us, then, to go a three-days’ journey in the desert,
that we may offer sacrifice to the LORD, our God.
“Yet I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go
unless he is forced.
I will stretch out my hand, therefore,
and smite Egypt by doing all kinds of wondrous deeds there.
After that he will send you away.”
Responsorial Psalm PS 105:1 and 5, 8-9, 24-25, 26-27
R. (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations—
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He greatly increased his people
and made them stronger than their foes,
Whose hearts he changed, so that they hated his people,
and dealt deceitfully with his servants.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He sent Moses his servant;
Aaron, whom he had chosen.
They wrought his signs among them,
and wonders in the land of Ham.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel Mt 11:28-30
Jesus said:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.
From: Exodus 3:13-20
The Divine Name is Revealed
________________________________________
[3] Then Moses said to God, If I come to the people of Israel and say to them,
The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, What is his
name? what shall I say to them? [4] God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM.
And he said, Say this to the people of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. [5]
God said to Moses, Say this to the people of Israel, The Lord, the God of your
fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent me
to you: this is my name forever and thus I am to be remembered throughout all
generations.
The Mission of Moses
________________________________________
[16] Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, The Lord the
God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared
to me, saying, I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt;
[17] and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt, to the land
of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the
Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey. [18] And they will hearken to your
voice; and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to
him, The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, we pray you,
let us go a three days journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the
Lord our God. [19] I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless com-
pelled by a mighty hand. [20] So I will stretch my hand and smite Egypt with all
the wonders which I will do it; after that he will let you go.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
3:13-15. Moses now raises another difficulty: he does not know the name of the
God who is commissioning him. This gives rise to the revelation of the name
Yahweh and the explanation of what it meansI am who I am.
According to the tradition recorded in Gn 4:26, a grandson of Adam, Enosh, was
the first to call upon the name of the Lord (Yahweh). Thus, the biblical text is sta-
ting that a part of mankind knew the true God, whose name was revealed to Mo-
ses in this solemn way (Ex 35:15 and 6:2). The patriarchs invoked God under
other names, to do with the divine attributes, such as the Almighty (El-Shaddai:
Gen 17:1; Ex 6:2-3). Other proper names of God which appear in very ancient
documents lead one to think that the name Yahweh had been known from along
time back. The revelation of the divine name is important in salvation history be-
cause by that name God will be invoked over the course of the centuries.
All kinds of suggestions have been put forward as to the meaning of Yahweh; not
all are mutually exclusive. Here are some of the main ones: a) God is giving an
evasive answer here because he does not want those in ancient times, contami-
nated as they were by magic rites, to think that because they knew name they
would have power over the god. According to this theory, I am who I am would
be equivalent to I am whom you cannot know. I am unnameable. This solution
stresses the transcendence of God. b) What God is revealing is his naturethat
he is subsistent being; in which case I am who I am means I am he who exists
per sibi, absolute being. The divine name refers to what he is by essence; it
refers to him whose essence it is to be. God is saying that he is, and he is gi-
ving the name by which he is to be called. This explanation is often to be found
in Christian interpretation. c) On the basis of the fact Yahweh is a causative form
of the ancient Hebrew verb hwh (to be), God revealing himself as he who cau-
ses to be, the creator, not so much in the fullest sense of the word (as creator
of the universe) but above all the creator of the present situationthe one who
gives the people its being and who always stays with it. Thus, calling upon
Yahweh will always remind the good Israelite of his reason-for-being, as an in-
dividual and as a member of a chosen people.
None of these explanations is entirely satisfactory. This divine name is myste-
rious just as God is mystery. It is at once a name revealed and something like
the refusal of a name, and hence it better expresses God as what he is infini-
tely above everything that we can understand or say: he is the hidden God (Is
45:15), his name is ineffable, and he is the God who makes himself close to
men (cf. Judg 1.3:18) (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 206).
At a later time, around the 4th century BC, out of reverence for the name of Yah-
weh the use of the word was avoided; when it occurred in the sacred text it was
read as Adonai, my Lord. In the Greek version it is translated as Kyrios and
in the Latin as Dominus. It is under this title that the divinity of Jesus will be
acclaimed: Jesus is Lord (ibid., 209). The RSV always renders Yahweh as
the Lord. The medieval form Jehovah was the result of a misreading of the He-
brew text into which vowels were inserted by the Massoretes; it is simply a
mistake and there is no justification for the use of Jehovah nowadays (cf. ibid.,
446).
3:16-22. The Lord comes back again to the subject of Moses mission; despite
all the obstacles, it will be a success. The elders of Israel (v. 16), that is, the
chiefs of clans, representing the whole community, will be happy to hear what
Moses has to say. The words I have observed you (v. 16: literally, I. have car-
ried out an inspection among you) are significant because they indicate the key
thing Gods is a friendly presence; but it is also a demanding presence which
expects an account of the use we made of gifts received (cf. 32:34; Jer 9:24;
Hos 4:14). The three days journey (v. 18) would not take them to Sinai but it
was enough to get them away from Egypt. Later, three days will become a
number symbolizing divine action. See the note on 6:10-13.
The pharaoh, unlike the elders, will refuse to let the people go-making it clearer
that the Israelites will attain their freedom only if God comes to their rescue.
The despoiling of the Egyptians (v. 22) is by way of compensation for the years
they have spent with nothing to show for it (cf. Gen 15:14; Wis 10:17) and also
as a sort of booty of war (cf. Ex 11:2-3; 12:35-36): God comes out the victor in
the struggle against the pharaoh, and he gives the sons of Israel a share in the
booty. It may also be meant to signal festive joy: the Israelites are to dress up
to celebrate the victory God has given them.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
From: Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus Thanks His Father
________________________________________
[28] Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29]
Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For My yoke is easy, and My burden is
light.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
28-30. Our Lord calls everyone to come to Him. We all find things difficult in one
way or another. The history of souls bears out the truth of these words of Jesus.
Only the Gospel can fully satisfy the thirst for truth and justice which sincere peo-
ple feel. Only our Lord, our Masterand those to whom He passes on His power
can soothe the sinner by telling him, Your sins are forgiven (Matthew 9:2). In
this connection Pope Paul VI teaches: Jesus says now and always, Come to
Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. His attitude to-
wards us is one of invitation, knowledge and compassion; indeed, it is one of of-
fering, promise, friendship, goodness, remedy of our ailments; He is our comfor-
ter; indeed, our nourishment, our bread, giving us energy and life (Homily on
Corpus Christi, 13 June 1974).
Come to Me: the Master is addressing the crowds who are following Him, ha-
rassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). The Phari-
sees weighed them down with an endless series of petty regulations (cf. Acts
15:10), yet they brought no peace to their souls. Jesus tells these people, and
us, about the kind of burden He imposes: Any other burden oppresses and cru-
shes you, but Christs actually takes weight off you. Any other burden weighs
down, but Christs gives you wings. If you take a birds wings away, you might
seem to be taking weight off it, but the more weight you take off, the more you
tie it down to the earth. There it is on the ground, and you wanted to relieve it
of a weight; give it back the weight of its wings and you will see how it flies (St.
Augustine, Sermon 126).
All you who go about tormented, afflicted and burdened with the burden of your
cares and desires, go forth from them, come to Me and I will refresh you and you
shall find for your souls the rest which your desires take from you (St. John of
the Cross, Ascent of Mount Carmel, Book 1, Chapter 7, 4).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
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Audience: Do not be part-time Christians
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On Abraham's Faith
On Christ As Mediator Between God and Man
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Jesus, High PriestWe thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
First reading |
Exodus 3:13-20 © |
Moses, hearing the voice of God coming from the middle of the bush, said to him, ‘I am to go, then, to the sons of Israel and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you.” But if they ask me what his name is, what am I to tell them?’ And God said to Moses, ‘I Am who I Am. This’ he added ‘is what you must say to the sons of Israel: “I Am has sent me to you.”’ And God also said to Moses, ‘You are to say to the sons of Israel: “The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.” This is my name for all time; by this name I shall be invoked for all generations to come.
‘Go and gather the elders of Israel together and tell them, “The Lord, the God of your fathers, has appeared to me, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob; and he has said to me: I have visited you and seen all that the Egyptians are doing to you. And so I have resolved to bring you up out of Egypt where you are oppressed, into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land where milk and honey flow.” They will listen to your words, and with the elders of Israel you are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has come to meet us. Give us leave, then, to make a three days’ journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifice to the Lord our God.” For myself, knowing that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless he is forced by a mighty hand, I shall show my power and strike Egypt with all the wonders I am going to work there. After this he will let you go.’
Psalm |
Psalm 104:1,5,8-9,24-27 © |
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or
Alleluia!
Give thanks to the Lord, tell his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, the judgements he spoke.
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or
Alleluia!
He remembers his covenant for ever,
his promise for a thousand generations,
the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or
Alleluia!
He gave his people increase;
he made them stronger than their foes,
whose hearts he turned to hate his people
and to deal deceitfully with his servants.
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or
Alleluia!
Then he sent Moses his servant
and Aaron the man he had chosen.
Through them he showed his marvels
and his wonders in the country of Ham.
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation |
cf.Ps129:5 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
My soul is waiting for the Lord,
I count on his word.
Alleluia!
Or |
Mt11:28 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 11:28-30 © |
Jesus exclaimed, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.
From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:
"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"
PLEASE JOIN US -
|
A Prayer for PriestsO my God, help those priests who are faithful to remain faithful; to those who are falling, stretch forth Your Divine Hand that they may grasp it as their support. In the great ocean of Your mercy, lift those poor unfortunate ones who have fallen, that being engulfed therein they may receive the grace to return to Your Great Loving Heart. Amen. Precious Blood of Jesus, protect them!
The Most Precious Blood of Jesus
July is traditionally associated with the Precious Blood of Our Lord. It may be customary to celebrate the votive Mass of the Precious Blood on July 1.
The extraordinary importance of the saving Blood of Christ has ensured a central place for its memorial in the celebration of this cultic mystery: at the centre of the Eucharistic assembly, in which the Church raises up to God in thanksgiving "the cup of blessing" (1 Cor 10, 16; cf Ps 115-116, 13) and offers it to the faithful as a "real communion with the Blood of Christ" (1 Cor 10, 16); and throughout the Liturgical Year. The Church celebrates the saving Blood of Christ not only on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, but also on many other occasions, such that the cultic remembrance of the Blood of our redemption (cf 1 Pt 1, 18) pervades the entire Liturgical Year. Hence, at Vespers during Christmastide, the Church, addressing Christ, sings: "Nos quoque, qui sancto tuo redempti sumus sanguine, ob diem natalis tui hymnum novum concinimus." In the Paschal Triduum, the redemptive significance and efficacy of the Blood of Christ is continuously recalled in adoration. During the adoration of the Cross on Good Friday the Church sings the hymn: "Mite corpus perforatur, sanguis unde profluit; terra, pontus, astra, mundus quo lavanturflumine", and again on Easter Sunday, "Cuius corpus sanctissimum in ara crucis torridum, sed et cruorem roesum gustando, Deo vivimus (194).
ST. GASPAR: Founder of the Society of the Precious Blood
Mass in the Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (London, 9/18)
Devotion to the Drops of Blood Lost by our Lord Jesus Christ on His Way to Calvary (Prayer/Devotion)
Chaplet of the Most Precious Blood
Catholic Word of the Day: PRECIOUS BLOOD, 12-03-11
The Traditional Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Catholic Caucus)
Devotion to the Precious Blood
DOCTRINE OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,And More on the Precious Blood
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
NOTHING IS MORE POTENT AGAINST EVIL THAN PLEADING THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
July 2013
Pope's Intentions
World Youth Day. That World Youth Day in Brazil may encourage all young Christians to become disciples and missionaries of the Gospel.
Asia. That throughout Asia doors may be open to messengers of the Gospel.
Thursday of the Fifteenth week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the day
Pope Francis
Homily of 19/03/2013, Pontifical inauguration Mass (trans. © Libreria Editrice Vaticana)
Become my disciples "for I am meek and humble of heart"
Dear friends... the core of the Christian vocation is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so that we can protect creation! The vocation of being a “protector”, however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live.
It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships... In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God’s gifts!...
Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be “protectors” of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world! But to be “protectors”, we also have to keep watch over ourselves! Let us not forget that hatred, envy and pride defile our lives! Being protectors, then, also means keeping watch over our emotions, over our hearts, because they are the seat of good and evil intentions (Lk 6,45): intentions that build up and tear down! We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness!
Just A Minute (Listen) Some of EWTN's most popular hosts and guests in a collection of one minute inspirational messages. A different message each time you click. |
|
The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. |
Saint Camillus de Lellis, Priest
Optional Memorial
July 18th
(in the United States this memorial is transferred from July 14th)
(1550-1614). Born of a noble family of Chieti in Italy, Camillus was a young soldier of fortune and had become penniless because of an addiction to gambling when he decided to consecrate his life to the service of the sick. He improved the treatment and care of hospital patients, and founded the order of Ministers of the sick (now known as the Camellians).
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
Collect:
O God, who adorned the Priest Saint Camillus
with a singular grace of charity towards the sick,
pour out upon us, by his merits,
a spirit of love for you,
so that, serving you in our neighbor,
we may, at the hour of our death,
pass safely over to you.
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: 1 John 3:14-18
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Any one who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But if any one has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.
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.
Feast Day: July 18
Born: 1049 at Solero, Piedmont, Italy
Died: 1123
Canonized: 5 September 1183 by Pope Lucius III
Patron of: Segni, Italy
St. Frederick
Feast Day: July 18
Died: 838
Frederick lived in Utrecht, in the central part of the Netherlands and was the grandson of King Radbon of the Frisians. He studied hard to become a priest and was very prayerful. When he was ordained, Bishop Ricfried put him in charge of newly converted Christians. Frederick taught them about the Catholic faith.
A few years later, he was chosen as bishop of Utrecht. Bishop Frederick got to know the people of his diocese and really cared about them. He gave much importance to missionary work too. In fact, he sent St. Odulf and other brave priests to areas where the people were still pagan and believed in false gods. He wanted them to hear the Good News of salvation.
Because of his position as bishop, Frederick made a few enemies. Emperor Louis' sons asked Bishop Frederick to speak to their stepmother, Empress Judith, about her wicked lifestyle. The bishop corrected her gently but honestly. Unfortunately, the empress did not take the advice well and she grew angry and was insulted.
Another challenge was the pagan people who lived in the northern part of Frederick's diocese called Walcheren. St. Frederick sent priests to bring these people the love of Jesus. Frederick knew the area was dangerous and unfriendly. He kept close to the priests whom he sent. He encouraged them and tried to help the people receive Christianity. But they were not ready to listen in any way. They resented the bishop's concern for them.
St. Frederick continued his work in the diocese with love and care. Then on July 18, 838, after the bishop celebrated Mass, he was quietly making his thanksgiving when two men attacked him with knives. A sentence from Psalm 116 crossed his mind. Slowly, the dying bishop prayed: "I walk before the Lord in the land of the living." A few minutes later he died.
Some say Empress Judith sent the hired killers because she hated the bishop. Others think the people from Walcheren were responsible. The murderers were never caught and punished. But Bishop Frederick is honored as a martyr and a saint.
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