Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 08-25-13, Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Saint Louis, King of France
Optional Memorial
August 25th

Saint Louis - Basilica of St. Louis King of France [Photo by Phyllis Mees]

History:
St. Louis IX, King of France, son of Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile, born at Poissy, April 25, 1215.

He was eleven years of age when the death of Louis VIII made him king, and nineteen when he married Marguerite of Provence by whom he had eleven children.

It was one of St. Louis's chief characteristics to carry on abreast his administration as national sovereign and the performance of his duties towards Christendom.

St. Louis was a patron of architecture. The Sainte Chappelle, an architectural gem, was constructed in his reign, and it was under his patronage that Robert of Sorbonne founded the "Collège de la Sorbonne," which became the seat of the theological faculty of Paris.

He was renowned for his charity. The peace and blessings of the realm come to us through the poor he would say. Beggars were fed from his table, he ate their leavings, washed their feet, ministered to the wants of the lepers, and daily fed over one hundred poor. He founded many hospitals and houses: the House of the Felles-Dieu for reformed prostitutes; the Quinze-Vingt for 300 blind men (1254), hospitals at Pontoise, Vernon, Compiégne.

He died near Tunis, August 25, 1270.

St. Louis's canonization was proclaimed at Orvieto in 1297, by Boniface VIII. Of the inquiries in view of canonization, carried on from 1273 till 1297, we have only fragmentary reports published by Delaborde ("Mémoires de la société de l'histoire de Paris et de l'Ilea de France," XXIII, 1896) and a series of extracts compiled by Guillaume de St. Pathus, Queen Marguerite's confessor, under the title of "Vie Monseigneur Saint Loys" (Paris, 1899).

(Principal source - Catholic Encyclopedia - 1913 edition )

***

Collect:

O God, who brought Saint Louis
from the cares of earthly rule
to the glory of a heavenly realm,
grant, we pray, through his intercession,
that, by fulfilling our duties on earth,
we may seek out your eternal Kingdom.
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: Isaiah 58: 6-11

"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am.

"If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire with good things, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 22:34-40

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."

***

from St. Louis' Last Instruction to his eldest son

"Fair son, the first thing I would teach thee is to set thine heart to love God; for unless he love God none can be saved. Keep thyself from doing aught that is displeasing to God, that is to say, from mortal sin. Contrariwise thou shouldst suffer every manner of torment rather than commit a mortal sin.

"If God send thee adversity, receive it in patience and give thanks to our Saviour and bethink thee that thou hast deserved it, and that He will make it turn to thine advantage. If He send thee prosperity, then thank Him humbly, so that thou becomest not worse from pride or any other cause, when thou oughtest to be better. For we should not fight against God with his own gifts.

"Confess thyself often and choose for thy confessor a right worthy man who knows how to teach thee what to do, and what not to do; and bear thyself in such sort that thy confessor and thy friends shall dare to reprove thee for thy misdoings. Listen to the services of Holy Church devoutly, and without chattering; and pray to God with thy heart and with thy lips, and especially at Mass when the consecration takes place. Let thy heart be tender and full of pity toward those who are poor, miserable, and afflicted, and comfort and help them to the utmost of thy power.

"Maintain the good customs of thy realm and abolish the bad. Be not covetous against thy people and do not burden them with taxes and imposts save when thou art in great need.

"If thou hast any great burden weighing upon thy heart, tell it to thy confessor or to some right worthy man who is not full of vain words. Thou shalt be able to bear it more easily.

"See that thou hast in thy company men, whether religious or lay, who are right worthy and loyal and not full of covetousness, and confer with them oft; and fly and eschew the company of the wicked. Hearken willingly to the Word of God and keep it in thine heart, and seek diligently after prayers and indulgences. Love all that is good and profitable and hate all that is evil, wheresoever it may be.

"Let none be so bold as to say before thee any word that would draw or move to sin, or so bold as to speak evil behind another's back for pleasure's sake; nor do thou suffer any word in disparagement of God and of His saints to be spoken in thy presence. Give often thanks to God for all the good things he has bestowed on thee, so that thou be accounted worthy to receive more.

"In order to do justice and right to thy subjects, be upright and firm, turning neither to the right hand nor to the left, but always to what is just; and do thou maintain the cause of the poor until such a time as the truth is made clear. And if anyone has an action against thee, make full inquiry until thou knowest the truth; for thus shall thy counsellors judge the more boldly according to the truth, whether for thee or against.

"If thou holdest aught that belongeth to another, whether by thine own act or the act of thy predecessors, and the matter be certain, make restitution without delay. If the matter be doubtful, cause inquiry to be made by wise men diligently and promptly.

"Give heed that thy servants and thy subjects live under thee in peace and uprightness. Especially maintain the good cities and commons of thy realm in the same estate and with the same franchises as they enjoyed under thy predecessors; and if there be aught to amend, amend and set it right, and keep them in thy favor and love. For because of the power and wealth of the great cities, thine own subjects, and especially thy peers and thy barons and foreigners also will fear to undertake aught against thee.

"Love and honor all persons belonging to Holy Church, and see that no one take away or diminish the gifts and alms paid to them by thy predecessors. It is related of King Philip, my grandfather, that one of his counsellors once told him that those of Holy Church did him much harm and damage in that they deprived him of his rights, and diminished his jurisdiction, and that it was a great marvel that he suffered it; and the good king replied that he believed this might well be so, but he had regard to the benefits and courtesies that God had bestowed on him, and so thought it better to abandon some of his rights than to have any contention with the people of Holy Church.

"To thy father and mother thou shalt give honor and reverence, and thou shalt obey their commandments. Bestow the benefices of Holy Church on persons who are righteous and of a clean life, and do it on the advice of men of worth and uprightness.

"Beware of undertaking a war against any Christian prince without great deliberation; and if it has to be undertaken, see that thou do no hurt to Holy Church and to those that have done thee no injury. If wars and dissensions arise among thy subjects, see that thou appease them as soon as thou art able. "Use diligence to have good provosts and bailiffs, and inquire often of them and of those of thy household how they conduct themselves, and if there be found in them any vice of inordinate covetousness or falsehood or trickery. Labor to free thy land from all vile iniquity, and especially strike down with all thy power evil swearing and heresy. See to it that the expense of thy household be reasonable.

"Finally, my very dear son, cause Masses to be sung for my soul, and prayers to be said throughout thy realm; and give to me a special share and full part in all the good thou doest. Fair, dear son, I give thee all the blessings that a good father can give to his son. And may the blessed Trinity and all the saints keep and defend thee from all evils; and God give thee grace to do His will always, so that He be honored in thee, and that thou and I may both, after this mortal life is ended, be with Him together and praise Him everlastingly. Amen."

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 13
22.	And he went through the cities and towns teaching, and making his journey to Jerusalem.	Et ibat per civitates et castella, docens, et iter faciens in Jerusalem.	και διεπορευετο κατα πολεις και κωμας διδασκων και πορειαν ποιουμενος εις ιερουσαλημ
23.	And a certain man said to him: Lord, are they few that are saved? But he said to them:	Ait autem illi quidam : Domine, si pauci sunt, qui salvantur ? Ipse autem dixit ad illos :	ειπεν δε τις αυτω κυριε ει ολιγοι οι σωζομενοι ο δε ειπεν προς αυτους
24.	Strive to enter by the narrow gate; for many, I say to you, shall seek to enter, and shall not be able.	Contendite intrare per angustam portam : quia multi, dico vobis, quærent intrare, et non poterunt.	αγωνιζεσθε εισελθειν δια της στενης πυλης οτι πολλοι λεγω υμιν ζητησουσιν εισελθειν και ουκ ισχυσουσιν
25.	But when the master of the house shall be gone in, and shall shut the door, you shall begin to stand without, and knock at the door, saying: Lord, open to us. And he answering, shall say to you: I know you not, whence you are.	Cum autem intraverit paterfamilias, et clauserit ostium, incipietis foris stare, et pulsare ostium, dicentes : Domine, aperi nobis : et respondens dicet vobis : Nescio vos unde sitis :	αφ ου αν εγερθη ο οικοδεσποτης και αποκλειση την θυραν και αρξησθε εξω εσταναι και κρουειν την θυραν λεγοντες κυριε κυριε ανοιξον ημιν και αποκριθεις ερει υμιν ουκ οιδα υμας ποθεν εστε
26.	Then you shall begin to say: We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.	tunc incipietis dicere : Manducavimus coram te, et bibimus, et in plateis nostris docuisti.	τοτε αρξεσθε λεγειν εφαγομεν ενωπιον σου και επιομεν και εν ταις πλατειαις ημων εδιδαξας
27.	And he shall say to you: I know you not, whence you are: depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.	Et dicet vobis : Nescio vos unde sitis : discedite a me omnes operarii iniquitatis.	και ερει λεγω υμιν ουκ οιδα υμας ποθεν εστε αποστητε απ εμου παντες οι εργαται της αδικιας
28.	There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.	Ibi erit fletus et stridor dentium : cum videritis Abraham, et Isaac, et Jacob, et omnes prophetas in regno Dei, vos autem expelli foras.	εκει εσται ο κλαυθμος και ο βρυγμος των οδοντων οταν οψησθε αβρααμ και ισαακ και ιακωβ και παντας τους προφητας εν τη βασιλεια του θεου υμας δε εκβαλλομενους εξω
29.	And there shall come from the east and the west, and the north and the south; and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.	Et venient ab oriente, et occidente, et aquilone, et austro, et accumbent in regno Dei.	και ηξουσιν απο ανατολων και δυσμων και βορρα και νοτου και ανακλιθησονται εν τη βασιλεια του θεου
30.	And behold, they are last that shall be first; and they are first that shall be last.	Et ecce sunt novissimi qui erunt primi, et sunt primi qui erunt novissimi.	και ιδου εισιν εσχατοι οι εσονται πρωτοι και εισιν πρωτοι οι εσονται εσχατοι

22. And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
23. Then said one to him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said to them,
24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say to you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
25. When once the master of the house is risen up, and has shut to the door, and you begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us; and he shall answer and say to you, I know you not whence you are:
26. Then shall you begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in your presence, and you have taught in our streets.
27. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence you are; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity.
28. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.
29. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.
30. And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.

GLOSS. Having spoken in parables concerning the increase of the teaching of the Gospel, he every where endeavors to spread it by preaching. Hence it is said, And he went through the cities and villages.

THEOPHYL. For he did not visit the small places only, as they do who wish to deceive the simple, nor the cities only, as they who are fond of show, and seek their own glory; but as their common Lord and Father providing for all, He went about every where. Nor again did He visit the country towns only, avoiding Jerusalem, as if He feared the cavils of the lawyers, or death, which might follow therefrom; and hence he adds, And journeying towards Jerusalem. For where there were many sick, there the Physician chiefly showed Himself. It follows, Then said one to him, Lord, are there few that be saved?

GLOSS. This question seems to have reference to what had gone before. For in the parable which was given above, He had said, that the birds of the air rested on its branches, by which it might be supposed that there would be many who would obtain the rest of salvation. And because one had asked the question for all, the Lord does not answer him individually, as it follows, And he said to them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate.

BASIL; For as in earthly life the departure from right is exceeding broad, so he who goes out of the path which leads to the kingdom of heaven, finds himself in a vast extent of error. But the right way is narrow, the slightest turning aside being full of danger, whether to the right or to the left, as on a bridge, where he who slips on either side is thrown into the river.

CYRIL; The narrow gate also represents the toils and sufferings of the saints. For as a victory in battle bears witness to the strength of the soldiers, so a courageous endurance of labors and temptations will make a man strong.

CHRYS. What then is that which our Lord says elsewhere, My yoke is easy, and my burden is light? There is indeed no contradiction, but the one was said because of the nature of temptations, the other with respect to the feeling of those who overcame them. For whatever is troublesome to our nature may be considered easy when we undertake it heartily. Besides also, though the way of salvation is narrow at its entrance, yet through it we come into a large space, but on the contrary the broad way leads to destruction.

GREG. Now when He was about to speak of the entrance of the narrow gate, He said first, strive, for unless the mind struggles manfully, the wave of the world is not overcome, by which the soul is ever thrown back again into the deep.

CYRIL; Now our Lord does not seem to satisfy him who asked whether there are few that be saved, when He declares the way by which man may become righteous. But it must be observed, that it was our Savior's custom to answer those who asked Him, not according as they might judge light, as often as they put to Him useless questions, but with regard to what might be profitable to His hearers. And what advantage would it have been to His hearers to know whether there should be many or few who would be saved. But it was more necessary to know the way by which man may come to salvation. Purposely then He says nothing in answer to the idle question, but turns His discourse to a more important subject.

AUG. Or else, our Lord confirmed the words He heard, that is, by saying that there are few who are saved for few enter by the strait gate, but in another place He says this very thing, Narrow is the way which leads to life, and few there are who enter into it. Therefore He adds, For many I say to you shall seek to enter;

BEDE; Urged thereto by their love of safety, yet shall not be able, frightened by the roughness of the road.

BASIL; For the soul wavers to and fro, at one time choosing virtue when it considers eternity, at another preferring pleasures when it looks to the present. Here it beholds ease, or the delights of the flesh, there its subjection or captive bondage; here drunkenness, there sobriety; here wanton mirth, there overflowing of tears; here dancing, there praying; here the sound of the pipe, there weeping; here lust, there chastity.

AUG. Now our Lord in no wise contradicts Himself when He says, that there are few who enter in at the strait gate, and elsewhere, Many shall come from the east and the west; for there are few in comparison with those who are lost, many when united with the angels. Scarcely do they seem a grain when the threshing floor is swept, but so great a mass will come forth from this floor, that it will fill the granary of heaven.

CYRIL; But that they who cannot enter are regarded with wrath, He has strewn by an obvious example, as follows, When once the master of the house has risen up, &c. as if when the master of the house who has called many to the banquet has entered in with his guests, and shut to the door, then shall come afterwards men knocking.

BEDE; The master of the house is Christ, who since as very God He is every where, is already said to be within those whom though He is in heaven He gladdens with His visible presence, but is as it were without to those whom while contending in this pilgrimage, He helps in secret. But He will enter in when He shall bring the whole Church to the contemplation of Himself. He will shut the door when He shall take away from the reprobate all room for repentance. Who standing without will knock, that is, separated from the righteous will in vain implore that mercy which they have despised. Therefore it follows, And he will answer and say to you, I know you not whence you are.

GREG. For God not to know is for Him to reject, as also a man who speaks the truth is said not to know how to lie, for he disdains to sin by telling a lie, not that if he wished to lie he knew not how, but that from love of truth he scorns to speak what is false. Therefore the light of truth knows not the darkness which it condemns. It follows, Then shall you begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in your presence, &c.

CYRIL; This refers to the Israelites, who, according to the practice of their law, when offering victims to God, eat and are merry. They heard also in the synagogues the books of Moses, who in his writings delivered not his own words, but the words of God.

THEOPHYL. Or it is said to the Israelites, simply because Christ was born of them according to the flesh, and they ate and drank with Him, and heard Him preaching. But these things also apply to Christians. For we eat the body of Christ and drink His blood as often as we approach the mystic table, and He teaches in the streets of our souls, which are open to receive Him.

BEDE; Or mystically, he eats and drinks in the Lord's presence who eagerly receives the food of the word. Hence it is added for explanation, You have taught in our streets. For Scripture in its more obscure places is food, since by being expounded it is as it were broken and swallowed. In the clearer places it is drink, where it is taken down just as it is found. But at a feast the banquet does not delight him whom the piety of faith commends not. The knowledge of the Scriptures does not make him known to God, whom the iniquity of his works proves to be unworthy; as it follows, And he will say to you, I know not whence you are; depart from me.

BASIL; He perhaps speaks to those whom the Apostle describes in his own person, saying, If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have all knowledge, and give all my goods to feed the poor, but have not charity, it profits me nothing. For whatever is done not from regard to the love of God, but to gain praise from men, obtains no praise from God.

THEOPHYL. Observe also that they are objects of wrath in whose street the Lord teaches. If then we have heard Him teaching not in the streets, but in poor and lowly hearts, we shall not be regarded with wrath.

BEDE; But the twofold punishment of hell is here described, that is, the feeling cold and heat. For weeping is wont to be excited by heat, gnashing of teeth by cold. Or gnashing of teeth betrays the feeling of indignation, that he who repents too late, is too late angry with himself.

GLOSS; Or the teeth will gnash which here delighted in eating, the eyes will weep which here wandered with desire. By each He represents the real resurrection of the wicked.

THEOPHYL. This also refers to the Israelites with whom He was speaking, who receive from this their severest blow, that the Gentiles have rest with the fathers, while they themselves are shut out. Hence He adds, When you shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of God, &c.

EUSEB. For the Fathers above mentioned, before the times of the Law, forsaking the sins of many gods to follow the Gospel way, received the knowledge of the most high God; to whom many of the Gentiles were conformed through a similar manner of life, but their children suffered estrangement from the Gospel rules; and herein it follows, And behold they are last which shall be first, and they are first which shall be last.

CYRIL; For to the Jews who held the first place have the Gentiles been preferred.

THEOPHYL. But we as it seems are the first who have received from our very cradles the rudiments of Christian teaching, and perhaps shall be last in respect of the heathens who have believed at the end of life.

BEDE; Many also at first burning with zeal, afterwards grow cold; many at first cold, on a sudden become warm; many despised in this world, will be glorified in the world to come; others renowned among men, will in the end be condemned.

Catena Aurea Luke 13

St. Joseph Calasanz, Priest

Saint Joseph Calasanz, Priest
Optional Memorial
August 25th

Francisco de Goya -1819
The Last Communion of Saint Jose de Calasanz
Oil on canvas, 250 x 180 cm.
Church of the Escuelas Pias de San Antón, Madrid, Spain.

Called in religion "a Matre Dei", founder of the Piarists, born September 11, 1556, at the castle of Calasanza near Petralta de la Sal in Aragon; died August 25, 1648, at Rome. His parents, Don Pedro Calasanza and Donna Maria Gastonia, gave Joseph, the youngest of five children, a good education at home and then at the school of Petralta. After his classical studies at Estadilla he took up philosophy and jurisprudence at Lerida and merited the degree of Doctor of Laws, and then with honors completed his theological course at Valencia and Alcalá de Henares. He was ordained priest December 17, 1583, by Hugo Ambrose de Moncada, Bishop of Urgel. Joseph began his labors as priest in the Diocese of Albarracin, where Bishop della Figuera appointed him his theologian and confessor, synodal examiner, and procurator, and when the bishop was transferred to Lerida his theologian followed him to the new diocese. In 1586 della Figuera was sent as Apostolic visitator to the Abbey of Montserrat, and Joseph accompanied him as secretary. The bishop died the following year and Joseph left, though urgently requested to remain. He hurried to Calasanza only to be present at the death of his father. He was then called by his Bishop of Urgel to act as vicar-general for the district of Trempe. In 1592 he embarked for Rome, where he found a protector in Cardinal Marcantonio Colonna who chose him as his theologian and instructor to his nephew. Rome offered a splendid field for works of charity, especially for the instruction of neglected and homeless children, many of whom had lost their parents. Joseph joined a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine and gathered the boys and girls from the streets and brought them to school. The teachers, being poorly paid, refused to accept the additional labor without remuneration. The pastor of St. Dorotea, Anthony Brendani, offered him two rooms and promised assistance in teaching, and when two other priests promised similar help, Joseph, in November, 1597, opened the first public free school in Europe. Pope Clement VIII gave an annual contribution and many others shared in the good work, so that in a short time Joseph had about a thousand children under his charge. In 1602 he rented a house at S. Andrea della Valle and commenced a community life with his assistants and laid the foundation of the Order of Piarists. Much envy and opposition arose against him and his new institute, but all were overcome in time. In 1612 the school was transferred to the Torres palace adjoining S. Pantaleone. Here Joseph spent the remaining years of his life in his chosen calling. He lived and died a faithful son of the church, a true friend of forsaken children. His body rests in S. Paltaleone. His beatification was solemnized on August 7., 1748, and his canonization by Clement XIII, July 16, 1767.

(Principal source - Catholic Encyclopedia - 1913 edition )

Collect:

O God, who adorned the Priest Saint Joseph Calasanz
with such charity and patience
that he labored tirelessly
to educate children and endow them with every virtue,
grant, we pray, that we, who venerate him as a teacher of wisdom,
may constantly imitate him,
for he was a co-worker of your truth.
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 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 or [13:4-13]

[But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.]

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:1-5

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst of them, and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

"Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me."

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Louis of France

Feast Day: August 25
Born: 1214 :: Died: 1270

Louis was born in France and was the son of King Louis VIII of France and Queen Blanche.

When Prince Louis was small, his mother hugged him tightly and said, "I love you very, very much, my dear son. But I would rather see you dead at my feet than ever to have you commit a mortal sin."

Louis never forgot those words. He grew to treasure his Catholic faith. When he was twelve, his father died and he became the king. Queen Blanche ruled until her son was twenty-one.

Louis became a remarkable king. He married Margaret, the daughter of a count. They loved each other very much. They had eleven children. Louis was a good husband and father. And as long as his mother, Queen Blanche lived, he showed her great respect.

Busy as he was, the king found time for daily Mass and the recitation of the Divine Office. He was a Third Order Franciscan and lived a simple lifestyle as a good Catholic. He was generous and fair. He ruled his people with wisdom, charity and true Christian principles.

He knew how to settle arguments and disputes. He listened to the poor and the needy. He had time for everybody, not only for rich and important people. He supported Catholic education and built monasteries.

King Louis never used bad language and did not allow anyone in the castle to use it either.

St. Louis felt it was his duty to help the suffering Christians in the Holy Land. He wanted to be part of the Crusades and protect them.

Twice he led an army against the Turks. The first time, he was taken prisoner. But even in jail, he behaved as a true Christian knight. He was unafraid and noble in all his ways.

He was freed and returned to take care of his kingdom in France. Yet as soon as he could, he returned to fight the enemies of the faith again. But on the way, this greatly loved king became sick with typhoid fever. A few hours before he died, he prayed, "Lord, I will enter into your house, worship in your holy temple, and give glory to your name."

St. Louis died at the age of 56, on August 25, 1270.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: August 25, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, who cause the minds of the faithful to unite in a single purpose, grant your people to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, amid the uncertainties of this world, our hearts may be fixed on that place where true gladness is found. 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

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Ordinary Time: August 25th

Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time

Old Calendar: Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" He answered them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from.'"

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from Isaiah 66:18-21 and was written after the return from exile, 538 B.C. The aim was to console the returned exiles, who were depressed when they saw the sad state of Jerusalem and the poverty of the country. Isaiah foretold the future glory of Jerusalem to which people of all nations would come. It would be the center from which the knowledge of the true God would be dispersed.

The second reading is from St. Paul to the Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13. In last Sunday's lesson St. Paul encouraged Christians to be ready to face adversity and hardships. He compared them with athletes who endure so much in order to win a contest. Today he reiterates that we must expect hardship — it is part of our training. We cannot win this prize unless we undergo this training. It is God who sends us these trials. He wants us to win the eternal prize because he loves us; he is our Father.

The Gospel is from St. Luke 13:22-30 and concerns those who hear Christ's message but refuse to follow it. While the questioner who asked how many would be saved did not get a direct answer from Christ, nevertheless it was made very clear to him and to all of us that each one's salvation is in his own hands. All those who accept Christ, his teaching and the helps he has made available to them, will enter the kingdom of God. On the other hand, those who are excluded from that eternal kingdom will have only themselves to blame. God invites all men to heaven. He gives all the help necessary to every man, but, because men have a free will which God cannot force, some will abuse that freedom and choose wrongly.

Christ mentions the narrow door through which we must enter into God's kingdom. This means that we must exercise self-restraint and mortification and this we do when we respect and keep his commandments. When we are called to judgment it will be too late to shout "Sir, open for us." We should have sought his mercy and his forgiveness during our earthly life, and he would have granted it.

Neither will it avail us to say that we knew him in life. Acquaintance with Christ is not enough. We should have loved him and become his real friends, which we could only do by being loyal followers of his. "He taught in our streets" will only prove our guilt. We could have learned his doctrine; we could have become his disciples, but we would not. The pagan who never heard of Christ will not be condemned for not following his teaching, but the Christian who did hear his doctrine and refused to carry it out, will deserve condemnation.

As descent from Abraham was not a claim for special consideration on the part of the Jews, neither will any other circumstances of nationality, birth or earthly privilege help us on the day of judgment Each one will stand or fall by his own mode of life during his term on earth. Nothing and nobody else can change the just judgment of God when that moment arrives for each one of us.

The thought of our moment of judgment is a staggering one even for the holiest of us. Things and actions that do not trouble us much now, will appear in a different light then. The prayers we omitted or said carelessly, the Masses we missed on flimsy excuses the little bit of continual injustice to a workman or customer, or the dishonesty practiced by a worker against his employer, the sins of impurity of which we thought rather lightly, the bad language so freely used and the scandal we spread so flippantly, the money wasted on drink or gambling when our children needed nourishment and clothing — these, and many other such faults of which we excuse ourselves so easily now, will not be a source of joy or consolation for us on that dread day, if we arrive at God's justice-seat still burdened with them.

We are dealing with God's mercy while alive. He will forgive any sin and any number of sins if we truly repent, and resolve to correct these faults. To do this is the only one guarantee that even God himself can give us of a successful judgment Every man who lives in God's grace will die in God's grace and be numbered among the saved. The man who lives habitually in sin, and refuses to amend his life, will die in his sinful state, and thus exclude himself from eternal salvation.

I have a free will. I can choose to pass that final examination or to fail it. The whole of my eternity, the unending life after death, depends on my choice now. If I choose to follow Christ and live according to his laws during the few years I have on this earth, I shall pass and shall be among the saved. If I ignore Christ and his laws now, he will not know me on the day of judgment I shall be among the lost. God forbid that I should choose the latter course.

— Excerpted from The Sunday Readings Cycle C, Fr. Kevin O' Sullivan, O.F.M

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 13:22-30

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Lord, will only a few people be saved?” (Luke 13:23)

These are perhaps the scariest words in Scripture. Embedded within this fellow’s question is the fear that many will not be saved—will end up in hell. Now hell is a miserable, lonely place devoid of all love. So how should we think about these words? Are we to walk around in fear, constantly worrying if we are among the many or the few?

No. In his answer, Jesus shifts the focus from a general question to a specific one. He is not interested in addressing this man’s curiosity or in giving population statistics of heaven and hell. Instead he says that every person should do everything possible to make sure he or she is among the “saved.” Then he tells how: “Strive to enter through the narrow door” (Luke 13:24). Yes, we are saved by faith. But our faith must be backed up by our actions. We still have to strive to enter heaven.

Striving is not wishful thinking. It’s not a vague hope. It’s not something we take care of in our spare time. No, striving to enter heaven should be the top priority of our lives. It’s what we “seek first” above everything else (Matthew 6:33).

Striving has to do with contending, putting forth a great effort, even pushing through some agonizing moments. A person who strives protects every time of prayer, stays focused on Jesus during every Mass, and does everything possible to care for the poor and needy. She or he has one goal in mind: to win the prize of heaven. Nothing takes precedence over that goal.

Jesus also told his followers that heaven is not foregone conclusion. He says, in fact, that some people will be surprised to find that they don’t sail right through the pearly gates (Luke 13:25-27). But he does promise that everyone who believes in him, follows him, and bears fruit for him will find the way. And those are hopeful words indeed.

“Jesus, I want to be with you forever. Please keep me on the pathway to salvation.”

Isaiah 66:18-21; Psalm 117:1-2; Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion

1. In the first reading, we hear these words spoken by the Lord, “I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.” Even if we are not able to be missionaries in a foreign land, we can still pray for countries where the Gospel cannot be preached and Christians are persecuted. Who are some countries that are in desperate need of hearing the Gospel preached and seeing the glory of the Lord? Are you willing to spend time on a regular basis praying for them? If not, why not?

2. In the Responsorial Psalm, the response is “Go out to all the world and tell the good news.” What are some new steps you can take to tell the good news of Jesus Christ to those who need to hear it, especially your family, coworkers, neighbors, or friends?

3. The second reading speaks of the disciplining and scourging of the Lord to those he loves and are his sons (and daughters). How does knowing that you are loved, and a son or daughter of your heavenly Father, make a difference to you when experiencing the Lord’s purifying work in your life?

4. In the Gospel reading, what message do you think the Lord was trying to convey in the parable when the master of the house says, “I do not know where you are from”? How would you contrast these words with the words in the parable in Matthew 25:21,23 when the master of the house says, “Well done my good and faithful servant”? What caused the difference between these responses? What are some additional steps you can take that will help you to be a good and faithful servant?

5. It has been said that when Catholics are asked the question, “Do you believe you are going to Heaven?” the typical answer is “I hope so.” The meditation does encourage us to remember that the Lord does “promise that everyone who believes in him, follows him, and bears fruit for him will find the way (to heaven). And those are hopeful words indeed.” By the way, how would you answer this question?

6. Take some time now to pray and ask the Lord for the grace to “know, love, and serve” Him. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as a starting point.

A Christian Pilgrim

STRIVE TO ENTER BY THE NARROW DOOR

(A biblical reflection on the 21^st ORDINARY SUNDAY [Year C] – 25 August 2013)

Gospel Reading: Luke 13:22-30

First Reading: Isaiah 66:18-21; Psalms: Psalm 117:1,2; Second Reading: Hebrews 13:22-30

The Scripture Text

He went on His way through towns and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. And some one said to Him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us.’ He will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drink in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ But He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity!’ There you will weep and gnash your teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out. And men will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the Kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” (Luke 13:22-30 RSV)

Picture a small, rough wooden door, almost unrecognizable as an opening because it blends in with the weathered exterior of a nondescript hut. Next, imagine a tall heavy door, massive and ornate – the door to a castle, perhaps. Which would you choose to enter? Most of us would be attracted to the large, rustic door opened to heaven, with a banquet table inside filled with the finest, richest foods? What if the large, impressive door opened to darkness and emptiness?

Jesus urged His disciples to enter by “the narrow door”, referring to belief in Him as the Messiah, and to a level of obedience to God that many people will reject. The world, the flesh, and the devil all beckon us to find the easiest, most comfortable, and most impressive road in life. But the way to heaven is neither easy, comfortable nor impressive. It is at once demanding and infinitely rewarding.

When we rely on our own notions about what is best for us, we can be tempted to choose the easier route. Jesus, however, calls us to choose the door that leads to life. To pass through this narrow doorway, He asks us to be repentant and free of the sin that causes us to choose the wider way. He invites us to come with trust, knowing that the way to Him is narrow, but open to all.

Jesus lived the narrow way. He even accepted death on the cross for our sake. Through His cross, our sins are forgiven and, even today, His blood has the power to cleanse us. Jesus left us His Holy Spirit to equip us with the courage, vision, and love to follow Him – no matter the cost. The Holy Spirit will empower us to do whatever the Lord asks of us so that we too can enter through the narrow door.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for choosing the narrow way. Strengthen us in the choices we will make today, that we will always choose the narrow door leading us to You. Amen.

Perfected Through Suffering

Pastor’s Column

21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 25, 2013

“…For whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son or daughter he acknowledges. So endure your trials as ‘discipline;’ God treats you as his sons. At the time, all discipline seems a cause for pain and not for joy, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness in those trained by it.”

from Hebrews 12:5-13

Sometimes the things that God permits in our lives can seem like a scourging; we feel we don't deserve it. Yet scripture tells us that unless God disciplines us, we are not sons or daughters of God! We do tend to forget that we are in training while we live on earth, that paradise cannot be truly found here. Whether our lives at the moment are filled with much happiness or great suffering, this too will pass, for everything on earth lasts only for a time. Life is a series of trials and difficulties intermixed with joy, and this is intended for spiritual growth. God has all of that in mind though it does not always seem so. God will not leave us in our trials!

The more I submit to God's plan for my life, the more fruitful my life can be. What may seem like terrible suffering at the beginning, according to the letter of the Hebrews, God will work later into great fruits of righteousness if I submit to the great plan the Holy Spirit has prepared for my life! Hebrews notes that while discipline seems at first not a cause for joy, but for pain, yet paradoxically it later brings righteousness and good fruitfulness.

I have to admit I don't usually appreciate being disciplined by God, at least not at first! I recently read a story about a young man who credited his great success at 27 years old to the fact that his parents disciplined him by cutting off his financial assistance when he was 18. I don't know what caused them to do this to him, but he said that while he resented it at the time it was the source of his success later on. He now thanks his parents profusely for this “tough love!”

It does seem to many of us that sometimes God has cut us off somehow, but the whole idea of it is so that we will grow in an area we never would have without the trial which came first. This reading ties in well with the image of a runner which precedes this passage (Hebrews 12:1-4) who perseveres in a race, heedless of his suffering, because he has his eye on the prize, Christ Jesus!

When faced with many trials or a difficult decision, a good question to ask oneself would be what good things will never be unless I am willing to suffer a little bit now? Sometimes it is as simple as a bad habit to be overcome, or as tough as a sacrifice one must make for a sick loved one. We can see this in the sufferings and sacrifices we have all made together to build a new church. Even in the loss of a loved one, one of the most difficult things God can ask of us, there is the hoped joy of a reunion at the end of our lives, when all will be explained.

Father Gary

St. Paul Center Blog

Gateway to Life: Scott Hahn Reflects on the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted by Dr. Scott Hahn on 08.23.13 |

Isaiah 66:18-21
Psalm 117:1, 2
Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13
Luke 13:22-30

Jesus doesn’t answer the question put to Him in this Sunday’s Gospel. It profits us nothing to speculate on how many will be saved. What we need to know is what He tells us today - how to enter into salvation and how urgent it is to strive now, before the Master closes the door.

Jesus is “the narrow gate,” the only way of salvation, the path by which all must travel to enter the kingdom of the Father (see John 14:6).

In Jesus, God has come - as He promises in this week’s First Reading - to gather nations of every language, to reveal to them His glory.

Eating and drinking with them, teaching in their streets, Jesus in the Gospel is slowly making His way to Jerusalem. There, Isaiah’s vision will be fulfilled: On the holy mountain He will be lifted up (see John 3:14), will draw to Himself bretheren from among all the nations - to worship in the heavenly Jerusalem, to glorify Him for His kindness, as we sing in Sunday’s Psalm.

In God’s plan, the kingdom was proclaimed first to the Israelites and last to the Gentiles (see Romans 1:16; Acts 3:25-26), who in the Church have come from the earth’s four corners to make up the new people of God (see Isaiah 43:5-6; Psalm 107:2-3).

Many however will lose their place at the heavenly table, Jesus warns. Refusing to accept His narrow way they will weaken, render themselves unknown to the Father (see Isaiah 63:15-16).

We don’t want to be numbered among those of drooping hands and weak knees (see Isaiah 35:3). So we must strive for that narrow gate, a way of hardship and suffering - the way of the beloved Son.

As this week’s Epistle reminds us, by our trials we know we are truly God’s sons and daughters. We are being disciplined by our afflictions, strengthened to walk that straight and narrow path - that we may enter the gate, take our place at the banquet of the righteous.

21^st Sunday: salvation – Entitlement or Gift?

"Strive to enter through the narrow gate."

Sunday Scriptures: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/082513.cfm

Is 66: 18-21
Hb 12: 5-7, 11-13
Lk 13: 22-30

Entitlement programs such as our Social Security and Medicare are written on stone in the mind of all our citizens. All those who work contribute to Social Security throughout their working life and when the time comes to begin collecting, we indeed feel “entitled” to be recompensed. While much chatter has been going on about the future of this “entitlement” program, we all still feel that we deserve our pay.

The same is true about Medicare. We deserve affordable medical care and basically expect that it will be provided for us. Again, all the controversy swirling these days about affordable medical care and the exorbitant cost of any government health care program is, in the mind of most of us, still something we deserve.

Much can be said about entitlements but one thing may be implied in this Sunday’s Gospel from Luke 13: 22-30: Salvation is not an entitlement program. Those who cried to the master of the house (God): “. . . We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets . . .” are somewhat put aside to hear the master say: “. . . I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!” Harsh words, these.

In other words, Jesus reminds us that all are called to his good news but it isn’t about nationality, language, or geography. Just because, historically speaking, our Lord walked among the citizens of ancient Israel (“We ate and drank in your company . . .”) does not mean they have an automatic in. Salvation, though accomplished in the death and resurrection of Christ, is still an invitation to conversion of heart and life. No one has a special “in” with God but only those who conform their lives to the Gospel.

In answer to the question posed, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Jesus states, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate . . .” The Christian disciple, regardless of who he/she may be, must be focused and resolute. The narrow gate spoken of is that of Jesus himself – he is the gate through which salvation is accomplished for all – not as entitlement but as gift for those who seek the way he offers. To mold and shape ourselves into the image of Christ himself, the narrow door, implies a lifetime of shaping, sculpting, squeezing, and pushing ourselves in order to fit the space of the door. A life lived in grace and love from Christ is this call. Easy? No - that's why the door is narrow.

It certainly begs the question, the same as posed in the Gospel, “who can be saved?” Only Catholics? Only Christians? What about Jews, Hindus, Moslems and even the non-believers?

The Church has come a long way in its understanding of who’s in and who’s out. – if anyone is indeed “out”? Among our Protestant brethren, there are variations on what it means to be saved. One branch of a more fundamentalist bent sees salvation as a one-time conviction – to Jesus as my personal savior. If I believe this to be true, I am saved and nothing can change that truth. It isn’t about baptism or the reception of any particular sacrament, it is rather about turning one’s life around to follow the Lord. What choices I may engage in later does not change the fact that I am still saved – so goes the belief of certain branches of the Christian community.

We as Catholics, however, while believing in Jesus as our savior view salvation as ultimately accomplished once we find ourselves in heaven before God himself. There we know “we are saved.” Before that time comes, baptized into Christ and his Holy Church we work out our salvation through a life lived in faith, good works, prayer and lives of Christian virtue. The saints tell us this time and time again and for that reason the Church offers them as examples of heroic Christian virtue.

How we live here does make a difference in the life to come. It isn’t something we are entitled to it is something that God invites us to embrace. The tools of our spiritual life, our self-discipline, our sacrifices, our efforts to live within the confines of that narrow gate mean that we try to do things the right and good way. Like trying to master a musical instrument or a sport. There is a right and wrong way to become a master. Certain skills that are specific to the instrument or the sport itself. God's call to holiness is a gift offered through love and mercy. How I choose to accept that gift, or not, is my choice.

What about the non-Christian believers? As the Second Vatican Council reminded us in its document on the Church (I paraphrase), as non-Christians live their lives in ways that are compatible with their belief in God – peace, love, unity, respect, forgiveness – are universal traits of all religions, because of the salvation already accomplished in the death and resurrection of Christ, they too can be saved. God’s mercy and love are not restricted.

The first reading from Isaiah 66 this Sunday parallels that of the Gospel. It is expansive in its view: “I come to gather nations of every language . . .” and goes on to name some of the ancient peoples of the time. By this sign, God speaks through Isaiah about his desire for universal salvation that he accomplished through the chosen people.

In the heavenly banquet of heaven we may indeed be surprised about who is there and who isn’t. Meanwhile, as we work out our salvation this side of eternal bliss, we are challenged to have an expansive view of who is welcome in God’s house and by association who deserves of our prayers, our welcome, and our humble service in Jesus’ name.
As we work out our salvation, we live in Christian hope as we “live by faith and not by sight” (St. Paul: 2 Cor 5:7)

Our Eucharist calls us to look around the Church sometime. Who is there? Isn’t this a sign of how we live here and what our ultimate future is meant to be? While we are not entitled to salvation it is offered to us so that we may conform our lives to that of Christ and live accordingly in imitation of him. If at times we stumble and backtrack, we are assured that God desires us to be with him, perhaps more than we ourselves at times, but his mercy and forgiveness is consistently available. Think about that in your next celebration of Reconciliation. Hans Urs Von Balthasar, a popular theologian once wrote: We not only dare to hope all will be saved, we are obliged to hope that all will be saved.

O God, who cause the minds of the faithful
to unite in a single purpose,
grant your people to love what you command
and to desire what you promise,
that, amid the uncertainties of this world,
our hearts may be fixed on that place
where true gladness is found.

(Roman Missal – Collect for this Sunday)

Fr. Tim

Sunday Scripture Study

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle C

August 25, 2013

Click here for USCCB readings

Opening Prayer

First Reading: Isaiah 66:18-21

Psalm: 117:1-2

Second Reading: Hebrews 12:5-7,11-13

Gospel Reading: Luke 13:22-30

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus continues his last, fateful journey toward Jerusalem, teaching both his disciples and those he meets along the way. Someone in the crowd asks him about the number of those who will be saved. Will they be few?

While most Jews of the time assumed that as members of God’s chosen people, they had a right to be saved, there was disagreement as to how far one had to stray to be excluded. There was general agreement that non-Jews would not be saved.

Jesus shatters this narrow understanding of salvation in two ways. First, he reveals that no one will enter the Kingdom of God merely by the fact of being a member of the covenanted community. He pointedly used the word “strive” (verse 24), the Greek root of which denotes an agonizing struggle, like that of an athlete.

Secondly, he makes it clear that not only may his listeners not find themselves sharing eternity with the revered Old Testament patriarchs and prophets (verse 28), but, amazingly, many outside of Israel will be included before some of them (verses 29-30). For us, this serves as both encouragement—and a warning.

QUESTIONS:

What does it mean to be saved? Saved from what? Saved for what? (see Ephesians 2:1-10)

In the First Reading, Isaiah is prophesying that many will come from every corner of the earth to become part of God’s people. What made this possible (see Ephesians 2:11-22)? How has this been unfolded in history?

In the Gospel Reading, what is the exact question that Jesus is asked (verse 23)? Does he answer it directly?

What does the image of the narrow gate represent? According to Jesus, who will make it through the narrow gate and who won’t (verse 30)?

If God loves all people, why isn’t the gate wider? Who are the ones outside? Why isn’t “eating and drinking” (just being associated) with Jesus enough?

What does Jesus mean by “evil doers” (verse 27)? In the end, will only a few, or many or all people be saved? Why?

What kind of strength does it take to enter the narrow gate? How will you get the strength? Do you trust in and depend on God’s grace and strength—or what? (see the Second Reading)

Closing Prayer

Catechism of the Catholic Church: §§ 1696, 2611, 1036, 2092

If men go to so much trouble and effort to live here a little longer, ought they not strive so much harder to live eternally? -St. Augustine

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