Information: St. Julius I

Feast Day: April 11

Born: Rome, Italy

Died: 12 April 352

Information: St. Zeno

Feast Day: April 12

Born: 300, Mauretania

Died: April 12, 371, Verona

Major Shrine: Basilica di San Zeno, Verona

Patron of: Fishermen, anglers, newborn babies, Verona

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Joseph Moscati

Feast Day: April 12
Born: 1880 :: Died: 1927

Joseph was born at Benevento in Italy to wealthy parents. He was the seventh of nine children. Then one of his brother's died and Joseph was filled with deep sadness. He asked Jesus in the Eucharist and Mother Mary to help him understand the reason for this suffering.

He was finally convinced that all suffering had to have a purpose. He also realized the importance of expert medical care. Most important though, he understood that our life is a journey toward eternity.

It is our duty to help people and serve them as we journey. Joseph prayed and thought about what he should do with his life. He decided to become a doctor as he wanted to help cure physical pain.

When he was twenty three, Dr. Moscati who had become a learned and famous physician began his service at the Hospital of the Incurables in Naples. Later he opened his own office. All patients were welcome whether they could pay or not. He would write prescriptions for poor patients, then pay for the medicine himself.

Every day was long and hard, but Dr. Moscati remained gentle and kind. He made the effort to listen carefully to his patients. He encouraged them and prayed for them.

Besides being an excellent doctor, he was holy too. How did he do it? Each morning he went to Mass and spent time in prayer. Then the doctor would visit the sick poor in the slums of Naples. From there he would go to the hospital and begin his rounds.

He healed, taught and supported the poor and outcast, and could sometimes tell what a patient's illness was without having seen the patient and prescribe medicines for it. He knew when and how to use a patient's faith and the sacraments to cure them.

For twenty-four years, Joseph worked and prayed for his patients. He was the director of many hospitals and medical societies and poured all his strength into his life's calling. He even served as a doctor in the front lines of World War I.

On the afternoon of April 12, 1927, Dr. Moscati did not feel well, so he went to his office and relaxed in an arm chair. There he had a stroke and died. He was forty-seven.

Dr. Joseph Moscati was proclaimed a saint by Pope John Paul II on October 25, 1987. He was the first modern doctor to be canonized. After his death many pleople who have prayed to him have been healed.

Please note the name of the saint whose feast day is today in Salvation’s post #22 — St. Joseph Moscati

John
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	John 11
45.	Many therefore of the Jews, who were come to Mary and Martha, and had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in him.	multi ergo ex Iudaeis qui venerant ad Mariam et viderant quae fecit crediderunt in eum	πολλοι ουν εκ των ιουδαιων οι ελθοντες προς την μαριαν και θεασαμενοι α εποιησεν ο ιησους επιστευσαν εις αυτον
46.	But some of them went to the Pharisees, and told them the things that Jesus had done.	quidam autem ex ipsis abierunt ad Pharisaeos et dixerunt eis quae fecit Iesus	τινες δε εξ αυτων απηλθον προς τους φαρισαιους και ειπον αυτοις α εποιησεν ο ιησους
47.	The chief priests therefore, and the Pharisees, gathered a council, and said: What do we, for this man doth many miracles?	collegerunt ergo pontifices et Pharisaei concilium et dicebant quid facimus quia hic homo multa signa facit	συνηγαγον ουν οι αρχιερεις και οι φαρισαιοι συνεδριον και ελεγον τι ποιουμεν οτι ουτος ο ανθρωπος πολλα σημεια ποιει
48.	If we let him alone so, all will believe in him; and the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation.	si dimittimus eum sic omnes credent in eum et venient Romani et tollent nostrum et locum et gentem	εαν αφωμεν αυτον ουτως παντες πιστευσουσιν εις αυτον και ελευσονται οι ρωμαιοι και αρουσιν ημων και τον τοπον και το εθνος
49.	But one of them, named Caiphas, being the high priest that year, said to them: You know nothing.	unus autem ex ipsis Caiaphas cum esset pontifex anni illius dixit eis vos nescitis quicquam	εις δε τις εξ αυτων καιαφας αρχιερευς ων του ενιαυτου εκεινου ειπεν αυτοις υμεις ουκ οιδατε ουδεν
50.	Neither do you consider that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.	nec cogitatis quia expedit nobis ut unus moriatur homo pro populo et non tota gens pereat	ουδε διαλογιζεσθε οτι συμφερει ημιν ινα εις ανθρωπος αποθανη υπερ του λαου και μη ολον το εθνος αποληται
51.	And this he spoke not of himself: but being the high priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation.	hoc autem a semet ipso non dixit sed cum esset pontifex anni illius prophetavit quia Iesus moriturus erat pro gente	τουτο δε αφ εαυτου ουκ ειπεν αλλα αρχιερευς ων του ενιαυτου εκεινου προεφητευσεν οτι εμελλεν ο ιησους αποθνησκειν υπερ του εθνους
52.	And not only for the nation, but to gather together in one the children of God, that were dispersed.	et non tantum pro gente sed et ut filios Dei qui erant dispersi congregaret in unum	και ουχ υπερ του εθνους μονον αλλ ινα και τα τεκνα του θεου τα διεσκορπισμενα συναγαγη εις εν
53.	From that day therefore they devised to put him to death.	ab illo ergo die cogitaverunt ut interficerent eum	απ εκεινης ουν της ημερας συνεβουλευσαντο ινα αποκτεινωσιν αυτον
54.	Wherefore Jesus walked no more openly among the Jews; but he went into a country near the desert, unto a city that is called Ephrem, and there he abode with his disciples.	Iesus ergo iam non in palam ambulabat apud Iudaeos sed abiit in regionem iuxta desertum in civitatem quae dicitur Efrem et ibi morabatur cum discipulis	ιησους ουν ουκ ετι παρρησια περιεπατει εν τοις ιουδαιοις αλλα απηλθεν εκειθεν εις την χωραν εγγυς της ερημου εις εφραιμ λεγομενην πολιν κακει διετριβεν μετα των μαθητων αυτου
55.	And the pasch of the Jews was at hand; and many from the country went up to Jerusalem, before the pasch to purify themselves.	proximum autem erat pascha Iudaeorum et ascenderunt multi Hierosolyma de regione ante pascha ut sanctificarent se ipsos	ην δε εγγυς το πασχα των ιουδαιων και ανεβησαν πολλοι εις ιεροσολυμα εκ της χωρας προ του πασχα ινα αγνισωσιν εαυτους
56.	They sought therefore for Jesus; and they discoursed one with another, standing in the temple: What think you that he is not come to the festival day? And the chief priests and Pharisees had given a commandment, that if any man knew where he was, he should tell, that they might apprehend him.	quaerebant ergo Iesum et conloquebantur ad invicem in templo stantes quid putatis quia non veniat ad diem festum	εζητουν ουν τον ιησουν και ελεγον μετ αλληλων εν τω ιερω εστηκοτες τι δοκει υμιν οτι ου μη ελθη εις την εορτην
57.	[...]	[...]	δεδωκεισαν δε και οι αρχιερεις και οι φαρισαιοι εντολην ινα εαν τις γνω που εστιν μηνυση οπως πιασωσιν αυτον

(*) Verse 57 is missing in the Vulgate and is attached to the end of verse 56 in Douay.

45. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
46. But some of them went their way to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

ALCUIN. Christ awakes, because His power it is which quickens us inwardly: the disciples loose, because by the ministry of the priesthood, they who are quickened are absolved.

47. Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man does many miracles.
48. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
49. And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said to them, You know nothing at all,
50. Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
51. And this spoke he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
52. And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
53. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

THEOPHYL. Such a miracle as this should have drawn forth wonder and praise. But they make it a reason of plotting against His life: Then gathered the chief priests and, Pharisees a council, and said, What do we?

AUG; But they had no thought of believing. The miserable men only consulted how they might hurt and kill Him, not how themselves might be saved from death. What do we? For this Man does many miracles.

CHRYS. Him of whose divinity they had received such certain proofs, they call only a man.

ORIGEN. This speech is an evidence of their audacity and blindness: of their audacity, because they testified that He had done many miracles, and yet thought that they could contend successfully against Him, and that He would have no power of withstanding their plots; of their blindness, because they did not reflect that He who had wrought such miracles could easily escape out of their hands; unless indeed they denied that these miracles were done by Divine power.

They resolved then not to let Him go; thinking that they should thus place an impediment in the way of those who wished to believe in Him, and also prevent the Romans from taking away their place and nation. If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him, and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

CHRYS. They say this to alarm the people; as if they were incurring the suspicion of setting up an usurper. If, say they, the Romans in crowds follow Him, they will suspect us of setting up a tyranny, and will destroy our state. But this was as wholly a fiction of their own.

For what was the fact? Did He take armed men about with Him, did He go with horsemen in His train? Did He not rather choose desert places to go to? However, that they might not be suspected of consulting only their own interests, they declare the whole state is in danger.

AUG. Or, they were afraid that, if all believed in Christ, none would remain to defend the city of God and the temple against the Romans: since they thought that Christ's teaching was directed against the temple, and their laws. They were afraid of losing temporal things, and thought not of eternal life; and thus they lost both. For the Romans, after our Lord had suffered and was glorified, did come and take away their place and nation, reducing the one by siege, and dispersing the other.

ORIGEN. Mystically: It was fit that the Gentiles should occupy the place of them of the circumcision; because by their fall salvation came to the Gentiles. The Romans represent the Gentiles, being the rulers of the Gentile world. Their nation again was taken away, because they who had been the people of God, were made not a people.

CHRYS. When they hesitated, and asked, What do we? One of them gave most cruel and shameless advice, viz. Caiaphas, who was High Priest that same year.

AUG. How is it that he is called the High Priest of that year, when God appointed one hereditary High Priest? This was owing to the ambition and contention of parties among the Jews themselves, which had ended in the appointment of several High Priests, who took the office in turn, year by year. And sometimes even there seems to have been more than one in office.

ALCUIN. Of this Caiaphas Josephus relates, that he bought the priesthood for a year, for a certain sum.

ORIGEN. The character of Caiaphas is strewn by his being called the High Priest of that same year; the year, viz. in which our Savior suffered. Being the High Priest that same year, he said to them, You know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. i.e. You sit still, and give no attention. Attend to me. So insignificant life of one man may surely be made a sacrifice for the safety of the state.

THEOPHYL. He said this with a bad intention, yet the Holy Spirit used his mouth as the vehicle of a prophecy: And this spoke he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation.

ORIGEN. Not everyone that prophesies is a prophet; as not everyone that does a just action is just, he, for example, that does one for vainglory. Caiaphas prophesied without being a prophet, as did Balaam.

Perhaps some will deny that Caiaphas prophesied by the Holy Spirit, on the ground that evil spirits may bear witness to Christ, as the one in Luke, who says, I know You who You are, the Holy One of God; the intention of Caiaphas too being not to induce his hearers to believe on Him, but to excite them to kill Him. It is expedient for us. Is this part of his prophecy true or false? If it is true, then those who contended against Jesus in the council, since Jesus died for the people, and they participate in the advantage of His death, are saved.

This you say is absurd; and hence argue that the prophecy is false, and, if false, not dictated by the Holy Spirit, since the Holy Spirit does not lie on the other side it is argued, for the truth of the prophecy that these words only meant that He by the grace of God should taste death for all men; that He is the Savior of all men, specially of them that believe. And in the same way the former part of the speech, You know nothing at all, is made out to be an assertion of the truth. They knew nothing of Jesus, who did not know that He was truth, wisdom, justice, an peace.

And again, That one man should die for the people. It was as man that He died for the people: in so far as He is the image of the invisible God, He was incapable of death. And He died for the people, in that He took upon Himself, made away with, blotted out the sins of the whole world.

And this spoke he not of himself.

Hence we see, what men say sometimes proceeds from themselves, sometimes from the influence of some power upon them. In the latter case though they may not be taken quite out of themselves, and in a certain sense go along with their own words, yet they do not go along with the meaning of them. Thus Caiaphas says nothing of himself; and therefore does not interpret his own prophecy, because he does not understand it. Thus Paul too speaks of some teachers of the law, who understand neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

AUG. We learn hence that even bad men may foretell things to come by the spirit of prophecy, which power the Evangelist ascribes to a divine sacrament, he being Pontifex, i.e. High Priest.

CHRYS. See the great virtue of the Holy Spirit, in drawing forth a prophecy from a wicked man. And see too the virtue of the pontifical office, which made him, though an unworthy High Priest, unconsciously prophesy. Divine grace only used his mouth; it touched not his corrupt heart.

AUG. Caiaphas prophesied of the Jewish nation alone; in which nation were the sheep, of which our Lord says, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But the Evangelist knew that there were other sheep, not of this fold, which were to be brought in, and therefore adds, And not for that nation only, but also that He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad; i.e. those who were predestined to be so: for as yet there were neither sheep, nor children of God.

GREG. His persecutors accomplished this wicked purpose, and put Him to death, thinking to extinguish the devotion of His followers; but faith grew from the very thing which these cruel and unbelieving men thought would destroy it. That which human cruelty had executed against Him, He turned to the purposes of His mercy.

ORIGEN. Inflamed by the speech of Caiaphas, they determined on killing our Lord: Then from that day forth they took counsel together to put Him to death. Was this then the work of the Holy Spirit, as well as the former, or was it another spirit which did both first speak by the mouth of a wicked man, and then excite others like him to kill Christ? Answer: It is not necessary that both should be the work of the same spirit.

As some turn the Scriptures themselves which were given for our good, to the support of bad doctrines; so this true prophecy respecting our Savior was understood in a wrong sense as if it were a call to put Him to death.

CHRYS. They sought before to kill Him; now their resolution was confirmed.

54. Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went from there to a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.
55. And the Jews' passover was near at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
56. Then sought they for Jesus, and spoke among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think you, that he will not come to the feast?
57. Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should show it, that they might take him.

ORIGEN After this resolution of the Chief Priests and Pharisees, Jesus was more cautious in strewing Himself among the Jews, and retired to remote parts, and avoided populous places: Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went from there into a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim.

AUG Not that His power had failed Him; for, had He pleased He might still have walked openly among the Jews, and they done nothing to Him. But He wished to show the disciples, by His own example, that believers did not sin by retiring out of the sight of their persecutors, and hiding themselves from the fury of the wicked, rather than inflame that fury in their presence.

ORIGEN. It is praiseworthy, when struggles are at hand, not to avoid confession, or refuse to suffer death for the truth's sake. And it is no less praiseworthy now to avoid giving occasion for such trial. Which we should take care to do, not only on account of the uncertainty of the event of a trial in our own case, but also not to be the occasion of increasing the impiety and guilt of others.

For he who is the cause of sin in another, shall be punished. If we do not avoid our persecutor, when we have the opportunity, we make ourselves responsible for his offence. But our Lord not only retired Himself, but to remove all occasion of offence from His persecutors, took His disciples with Him:

And there stayed with His disciples.

CHRYS. How must it have troubled the disciples to see Him save Himself by merely human means? While all were rejoicing and keeping the feast, they remained hidden, and in danger. Yet they continued with Him; as we read in Luke, You are they which have continued with Me in My temptations.

ORIGEN. Mystically, Jesus walked openly among the Jews, when the Word of God used to come to them by the Prophets. But this Word ceased, i.e. Jesus went from there. And He went to that town near the wilderness, whereof Isaiah says, More are the children of the desolate, than the children of the married wife.

Ephraim signifies fertility. Ephraim was the younger brother of Manasses: Manasses stands for the elder people forgotten; the word Manasses meaning forgotten. When the elder people were forgotten and passed over, there came an abundant harvest from the Gentiles. Our Lord left the Jews' and went forth into a country - the whole world - near the wilderness, the deserted Church, to Ephraim, the fruitful city; and there continues with His disciples up to this day.

AUG. He who came from heaven to suffer, wished to draw near the place of His Passion, His hour being now at hand: And the Jews' passover was near at hand. That passover they had resolved to celebrate by shedding our Lord's blood; the blood which consecrated the Passover, the blood of the Lamb.

The Law obliged everyone to go up to the feast: And many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover to purify themselves. But ours is the true Passover; the Jewish one was a shadow. The Jews held their passover in the dark, we in the light: their posts were stained with the blood of a slain animal, our foreheads are signed with the blood of Christ.

THEOPHYL. They went up before the passover, to be purified. For whoever had sinned willingly or unwillingly could not keep the passover, unless they were first purified by washings, fastings, and shaving of the head, and also offering certain stated oblations. While engaged in these purifications, they were plotting our Lord's death: Then sought they for Jesus, and spoke among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think you, that He will not come to the feast?

CHRYS. They lay in wait for Him at the passover, and made the feast time the time of His death.

ORIGEN. Wherefore the Evangelist does not call it the Lord's passover, but the Jews' passover. For then it was that they plotted our Lord's death.

ALCUIN. They sought Jesus with bad intent. We seek Him, standing in God's temple, mutually encouraging one another, and praying Him to come to our feast, and sanctify us by His presence.

THEOPHYL. If the common people only had done these things, the Passion would have seemed owing to men's ignorance; but the Pharisees it is, who order Him to be taken: Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where He were, he should show it, that they might take Him.

ORIGEN. Observe, they did not know where He was; they knew that He had gone away. Mystically, they did not know where He was, because, in the place of the divine commandments, they taught the doctrines and commandments of men.

AUG. Let us at least show the Jews where He is; O that they would hear, that they would come to the Church, and take hold of Him for themselves!

Catena Aurea John 11

Christ Before Caiaphas

Duccio di Buoninsegna

1308-11
Tempera on wood, 45,5 x 53,5 cm
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Siena

Thanks. I wonder if St. Joseph Moscati is any relation to the husband of our former student minister, Rev. Robin Moscati.

Catholic

Almanac:

Thursday, April 12
Liturgical Color: Violet
Today the Church honors St. Sabbas. In 372 A. D. Sabbas was captured by pagan Goths in what is now present day Romania. Because he refused to eat meat that was sacrificed to pagan gods, he was tortured and killed.

Which sacraments can be received only once?

Why do the sacraments belong to the Church? Why cannot anyone use them however he wants?

Sacraments are Christ's gift to his Church. It is her duty to administer them and to protect them from misuse.

Jesus entrusted his words and signs to specific men, namely, the apostles, who were to hand them on; he did not hand them over to an anonymous crowd. Today we would say: He did not post his inheritance on the Internet for free access but rather registered it under a domain name. Sacraments exist for the Church and through the Church. They are for her, because the Body of Christ, which is the Church, is established, nourished, and perfected through the sacraments. They exist through her, because the sacraments are the power of Christ's Body, for example in confession, where Christ forgives our sins through the priest.

Which sacraments can be received only once in a lifetime?

Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders. These sacraments imprint an indelible mark on the soul of the Christian. Baptism and Confirmation make him once and for all a child of God and Christlike. Holy Orders similarly leaves an imprint on a Christian man.

Just as someone always is and remains a child of his parents (and not just "sometimes" or "a little bit"), so also through Baptism and Confirmation one becomes forever a child of God, Christlike, and a member of his Church. Similarly, Holy Orders is not a "job" that a man does until retirement; rather, it is an irrevocable charism (gift of grace). Because God is faithful, the effect of these sacraments is maintained forever for the Christian - as receptivity to God's call, as a vocation, and as protection. Consequently these sacraments cannot be repeated. (YOUCAT questions 175-176)

Dig Deeper: CCC section (1117-1121) and other references here.

Part 2: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (1066 - 1690)

Section 1: The Sacramental Economy (1076 - 1209)

Chapter 1: The Paschal Mystery in the Age of the Church (1077 - 1134)

Article 2: The Paschal Mystery in the Church's Sacraments (1113 - 1134)

II. THE SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH ⇡

120
(all)

1117

As she has done for the canon of Sacred Scripture and for the doctrine of the faith, the Church, by the power of the Spirit who guides her "into all truth," has gradually recognized this treasure received from Christ and, as the faithful steward of God's mysteries, has determined its "dispensation."³⁴ Thus the Church has discerned over the centuries that among liturgical celebrations there are seven that are, in the strict sense of the term, sacraments instituted by the Lord.

34.

Jn 16:13; cf. Mt 13:52; 1 Cor 4:1.

1396
(all)

1118

The sacraments are "of the Church" in the double sense that they are "by her" and "for her." They are "by the Church," for she is the sacrament of Christ's action at work in her through the mission of the Holy Spirit. They are "for the Church" in the sense that "the sacraments make the Church,"³⁵ since they manifest and communicate to men, above all in the Eucharist, the mystery of communion with the God who is love, One in three persons.

35.

St. Augustine, De civ. Dei, 22,17:PL 41,779; cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III,64,2 ad 3.

792
(all)

1119

Forming "as it were, one mystical person" with Christ the head, the Church acts in the sacraments as "an organically structured priestly community."³⁶ Through Baptism and Confirmation the priestly people is enabled to celebrate the liturgy, while those of the faithful "who have received Holy Orders, are appointed to nourish the Church with the word and grace of God in the name of Christ."³⁷

36.

LG 11; cf. Pius XII, Mystici Corporis (1943).

37.

LG 11 § 2.

1547
(all)

1120

The ordained ministry or ministerial priesthood is at the service of the baptismal priesthood.³⁸ The ordained priesthood guarantees that it really is Christ who acts in the sacraments through the Holy Spirit for the Church. The saving mission entrusted by the Father to his incarnate Son was committed to the apostles and through them to their successors: they receive the Spirit of Jesus to act in his name and in his person.³⁹ The ordained minister is the sacramental bond that ties the liturgical action to what the apostles said and did and, through them, to the words and actions of Christ, the source and foundation of the sacraments.

38.

Cf. LG 10 § 2.

39.

Cf. Jn 20:21-23; Lk 24:47; Mt 28:18-20.

1272
1304
1582
(all)

1121

The three sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders confer, in addition to grace, a sacramental character or "seal" by which the Christian shares in Christ's priesthood and is made a member of the Church according to different states and functions. This configuration to Christ and to the Church, brought about by the Spirit, is indelible,⁴⁰ it remains forever in the Christian as a positive disposition for grace, a promise and guarantee of divine protection, and as a vocation to divine worship and to the service of the Church. Therefore these sacraments can never be repeated.

40.

Cf. Council of Trent (1547): DS 1609.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for:April 12, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, who have made all those reborn in Christ a chosen race and a royal priesthood, grant us, we pray, the grace to will and to do what you command, that the people called to eternal life may be one in the faith of their hearts and the homage of their deeds. 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 Pea Soup

ACTIVITIES

o Miniature Mystical Body -- Raising Children to Be Adults

PRAYERS

o Prayer for the Fifth Week of Lent

o Novena to St. Bernadette

· Lent: April 12th

· Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Old Calendar: Julius I, pope (Hist)

Historically today is the feast of St. Julius, a Roman who was chosen Pope on the 6th of February in 337. He ruled the Church until 352 and received the appeal from St. Athanasius, whom he defended against his Arian accusers. The letter he wrote to the East on this occasion is one of the most momentous pronouncements of the Roman See. He built several churches in Rome and ranks as one of the most distinguished occupants of the Holy See.

Stational Church

St. Julius I

With Pope St. Julius the Papacy finds at its doorstep the vexing problem of the Eastern Arians. It is true that the Council of Nicaea had condemned Arianism, but in spite of that Arians had been growing in strength and had even gained the ear of Constantine, and what was more crucial, that of his son Constantius who succeeded him in the East.

The man who was compelled to face the problem was Julius, a Roman who had been chosen to succeed Mark after an unexplained interval of four months. He soon received delegates from Alexandria asking him to acknowledge a certain Pistus as bishop of Alexandria in place of Athanasius, the mighty fighter for orthodoxy. The delegates tried to prove that Athanasius, who actually had been the victim of Arian intrigue, had been validly deposed. Athanasius on his part also sent envoys and later came to Rome in person to plead his case before the Pope. The Arians asked Julius to hold a synod to decide the case, but when in 341 Julius actually did convene it, they refused to attend. The Pope held it without them and over fifty bishops decreed that Athanasius had been unjustly condemned. Julius informed the Arians at Alexandria of this decision and let them know that he was displeased at their uncooperative attitude.

The Emperor Constans, who ruled in the West, was favorable to the orthodox Christians while his brother Constantius, who ruled the East, was pro Arian. At this time both Emperors agreed to hold a big general council to see if religious unity could be achieved. Pope Julius approved of the plan and sent legates to Sardica, the modern Sofia, where the council gathered. The council did not achieve religious unity because the Arians, when they found themselves outnumbered, walked out. The council once again vindicated Athanasius and once more repeated the solemn Nicene Creed. It also left an interesting set of regulations on the manner in which appeals to the pope should be made.

In spite of the repeated vindications of Athanasius, that good man was unable to return to his see. Emperor Constans supported the Arian George until the usurper died. Then and only then was the long-suffering Athanasius allowed to go home. Pope Julius, delighted, wrote a letter to the people of Alexandria, congratulating them on the return of their true bishop.

At Rome the number of Christians continued to grow during the pontificate of Julius. He built two new basilicas and three cemetery churches. The stay of St. Athanasius at Rome helped to popularize Egyptian monasticism and gave an impetus to religious life there.

Pope St. Julius died April 12, 352. He was buried in the Cemetery of Calepodius. His feast is kept on April 12.

Excerpted from Popes Through the Ages by Joseph Brusher

Today's Station takes place in the Church of St. John before the Latin Gate. This ancient basilica is built near the spot where the beloved disciple was, by Domitian's order, plunged into the cauldron of boiling oil.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Ezekiel 37:21-28

5th Week of Lent

I will … cleanse them so that they may be my people and I may be their God. (Ezekiel 37:23)

It has become common to think of a prophet as a person who can foretell the future. But really, a prophet is someone who hears from the Lord and shares what he has heard with the people around him. Ezekiel was given one clear word, which he announced over and over: Yahweh is the Lord. Not the rulers in the lands to which the Israelites were exiled. Not the gods of these rulers. Only Yahweh. He alone has the authority and power and desire to restore his people.

This message from Ezekiel had a special sense of urgency about it because of the state of the people to whom he spoke it. Israel was in exile, banished from the familiar sights, sounds, and smells of their Promised Land. That’s exile: living in unfamiliar territory. But despite the people’s exile, God promised that he would bring them home. No longer would they be divided or defiled. No longer would they be isolated or abandoned. No, God was going to deliver them and make them his people again. He wanted to shepherd them, establish peace with them, and live with them forever.

Few of us are exiled literally, but all of us have at times lived as exiles from the kingdom of God. These “lands” each have their own idols. They all have their own particular sins and, honestly, fairly dense populations. It might be an exile to the domain of drug and alcohol abuse or the realm of bitterness, anger, and resentment. Perhaps it’s the land of lying, cheating, or stealing or the nation of competition, acquisition, and pride.

It may seem dark in your land of exile, but Ezekiel has a word for you: God wants to bring you home! He is the one true God, the only one powerful enough to rescue you and plant you firmly in his kingdom. No matter how deep your pain, how strong your sin, or how stubborn your heart, God is greater. His eye is upon you. His hand is stretched out toward you. Reach out to him!

“Father, I believe that you are Lord and God. Come take me by the hand, and lead me home!”

(Psalm) Jeremiah 31:10-13; John 11:45-56

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for April 12, 2014:

Take a trip down memory lane. Retell the story of your engagement and wedding day to each other or your kids. What was the craziest, funniest, most endearing part of these milestones for you?

On EWTN TV tonight at 8pm EST, is a movie biography/documentary on St. Joseph Moscati “Doctor of the Poor.”

I have the DVD. It is an exceptional movie.

Vultus Christi

Recordare

Saturday, 12 April 2014 12:44

Beata Passio

The vessel of the Church, having navigated the dark and stormy seas of Lent, prepares today to enter the serene port of the Passion of the Lord. The Roman Canon calls it His beata Passio, His blessed Passion. The Passion of Our Lord is as blessed as it was bitter; its bitterness contains the source of all blessedness, that is, of all our bliss, of eternal beatitude.

The Prayer of Jeremias

The prophet Jeremias threatened, hated, and rejected by his enemies, is a figure of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In today’s Mass the Church gives us Jeremias’ prayer in great anguish:

Give heed to me, O Lord,
and listen to my plea . . .
Remember how I stood before Thee to speak good for them,
to turn away Thy wrath from them. (Jeremias 18:19–20)

The Prayer of Jesus

The prayer of Jeremias announces the prayer of Jesus in His Passion. The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that, “In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard for His godly fear” (Hebrews 5:7). From the Cross, Jesus interceded for those who hated Him, and for those who nailed Him to the awful Tree: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Down through the ages, the Holy Ghost has moved the Church to enter into the prayer of Christ: to pray as He prayed.

The Prayer of Mary

So deeply did today’s text from Jeremiah penetrate the heart of the Church that it became the Offertory Antiphon of the Mass of September 15th, the feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

Recordare, Virgo Mater Dei . . .
Be mindful, O Virgin Mother of God,
when thou standest in the sight of the Lord,
to speak good things for us,
and to turn away His anger from us.

The Church recognizes in the Mother of Sorrows the New Eve, the Woman in whom the whole mystery of the Church is contained and revealed. The prayer of Christ becomes her prayer. Mary, the spotless image of the Church and the Mediatrix of All Graces, stands with her Son in ceaseless intercession, “since He always lives to make intercession for those who draw near to God through Him” (cf. Hebrews 7:25). The

Regnum Christi

Whoever is not With Me is Against Me

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Father Alex Yeung, LC

John 11:45-56

Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, "What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation." But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish." He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to kill him. So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews, but he left for the region near the desert, to a town called Ephraim, and there he remained with his disciples. Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves. They looked for Jesus and said to one another as they were in the Temple area, "What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?"

Introductory Prayer: Lord, you are life and truth and goodness. You are also peace and mercy. How grateful I am to have this moment to turn to you. Without you I can do nothing good. In fact, when I do good, it is you working through me, despite my failings. Thank you, Lord. Here I am ready to love you more.

Petition: Help me to see your will, Lord, above and beyond my own will and my own plans.

1. No Middle Ground: Today’s Gospel opens with the response to Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead. Some eyewitnesses of the miracle believed in him, but others did not; in fact, they went to “pour fuel on the fire” with the adversaries of Christ who were seeking a reason to condemn him. Here we see the mystery of human freedom at work. The overt action of God in our lives obliges us, in a certain sense, to move to either side of the truth. To what side of the truth am I moved when I sense the manifest action of God at work in my life, in the voice of my conscience, or in the lives of others? Does it help me to believe ever more deeply in Christ?

2. Is it All About Power? Why did the Pharisees so oppose the message and action of Jesus? One way of looking at the problem is to see it as the natural consequence of the human tendency toward control – even the control of things spiritual. The religious authorities of Christ’s time no doubt saw themselves as the custodians of the faith handed down to them by their forefathers. But it seems that slowly this custody became control. The authorities become less interested in the legitimacy of Jesus’ identity, message and mission and more interested in maintaining the established religious and political order. Yet even their resistance is incorporated into God’s plan. Their rejection leads Jesus to die for the nation, “and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.” How much do I try to control God’s action in my life?

3. Willingly Embracing the Father’s Will: We can only imagine the inner thoughts and feelings of Christ as the events leading to his suffering and death begin to unfold, just as he knows they will. Instead of resisting the Father’s plan, we see Christ serene and composed as the tension builds. We see his sense of determination and decision increase. He is fully committed to the Father’s will. Jesus teaches us the wisdom of letting go of circumstances that are fully within the Father’s purview. He teaches us to embrace the divine will with total trust and serenity, no matter how difficult it may be for us.

Conversation with Christ: You know, Lord, what is best for me because you are my Father, immensely good, inclined towards me, attentive to my pleas, eager to give me the body of your Son ever present in the great mystery of your Eucharist.

Resolution: I will embrace with faith what I cannot – and should not – control.

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 30, Issue 3

<< Saturday, April 12, 2014 >>

Ezekiel 37:21-28
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Jeremiah 31:10-13

John 11:45-56
Similar Reflections

LEAD-OFF BATTER-ED

"I will make them one nation upon the land, in the mountains of Israel, and there shall be one Prince for them all." —Ezekiel 37:22

Ezekiel prophesied that Israel and Judah would be united after hundreds of years of division. This miracle of unity would be done by David's Descendant, Who would be the one Prince and the one Shepherd of the reunited nation (Ez 37:24). Ezekiel prophesied unity through divinely ordained leadership.

Caiaphas, the high priest when Jesus died, also prophesied. He said: "It is better for you to have one Man die [for the people] than to have the whole nation destroyed" (Jn 11:50). Caiaphas "prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation — and not for this nation only, but to gather into one all the dispersed children of God" (Jn 11:51-52). Unity would be effected by a Leader — not by a leader in governing, organizing, building, or even fighting, but by a Leader in dying. Jesus led the way in dying and made two into one through the blood of His cross (Eph 2:16; Col 1:20).

If we want unity in our world, among denominations, within the Church, in marriage and family, and in Christian community, we, with Jesus, must lead the way in dying. We must continually "carry about in our bodies the dying of Jesus" (2 Cor 4:10). We must lead the daily Way of the Cross (Lk 9:23).

All Christians "are constantly being delivered to death for Jesus' sake" (2 Cor 4:11). However, those who volunteer to be the first to die and sacrifice make us one as the Father and Jesus are one (see Jn 17:21). Lead in dying.

Prayer: Father, for love of You, in this Holy Week, may I take over the lead in the contest of suffering (see Heb 10:32).

Promise: "I will make with them a covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will multiply them." —Ez 37:26

Praise: Jesus healed Kim of breast cancer.