Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings 31-July-2022;

Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas

Luke CHAP. 12

12:13–15

13. And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

14. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

15. And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

AMBROSE. The whole of the former passage is given to prepare us for undergoing suffering for confessing the Lord, or for contempt of death, or for the hope of reward, or for denunciation of the punishment that will await him to whom pardon will never be granted. And since covetousness is generally wont to try virtue, for destroying this also, a precept and example is added, as it is said, And one of the company said to him, Speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

THEOPHYLACT. As these two brothers were contending concerning the division of their paternal inheritance, it follows, that one meant to defraud the other; but our Lord teaches us that we ought not to be set on earthly things, and rebukes him that called Him to the division of inheritance; as it follows, And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

BEDE. He who wills to impose the trouble of division of lands upon the Master who is commending the joys of heavenly peace, is rightly called man, according to that, whereas there is envying, strife, and divisions among you, are ye not men? (1 Cor. 3:3.)

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA. Now the Son of God, when He was made like unto us, was appointed by God the Father to be King and Prince upon his holy Mount of Sion, to make known the Divine command.

AMBROSE. Well then does He avoid earthly things who had descended for the sake of divine things, and deigns not to be a judge of strifes and arbiter of laws, having the judgment of the quick and dead and the recompensing of works. You should consider then, not what you seek, but from whom you ask it; and you should not eagerly suppose that the greater are to be disturbed by the less. Therefore is this brother deservedly disappointed who desired to occupy the steward of heavenly things with corruptible, seeing that between brothers no judge should intervene, but natural affection should be the umpire to divide the patrimony, although immortality not riches should be the patrimony which men should wait for.

BEDE. He takes occasion from this foolish petitioner to fortify both the multitudes and His disciples alike by precept and example against the plague of covetousness. Whence it follows, He said to them, Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; and he says, of all, because some things seem to be honestly done, but the internal judge decides with what intention they are done.

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA. Or he says, of all covetousness, that is, great and little. For covetousness is unprofitable, as the Lord says, Ye shall build houses of hewn stone, and shall not dwell in them. (Amos 5:11, Isa. 5:10.) And elsewhere, Yea ten acres of vineyards shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah. But also in another way it is unprofitable, as he shews, adding, For a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance, &c.

THEOPHYLACT. This our Lord says to rebuke the motives of the covetous, who seem to heap up riches as if they were going to live for a long time. But will wealth ever make thee long lived? Why then dost thou manifestly undergo evils for the sake of an uncertain rest? For it is doubtful whether thou oughtest to attain to an old age, for the sake of which thou art collecting treasures.

12:16–21

16. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17. And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18. And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

20. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21. So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

THEOPHYLACT. Having said that the life of man is not extended by abundance of wealth, he adds a parable to induce belief in this, as it follows, And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.

BASIL. (in Hom. de Avar.) Not indeed about to reap any good from his plenty of fruits, but that the mercy of God might the more appear, which extends its goodness even to the bad; sending down His rain upon the just and the unjust. But what are the things wherewith this man repays his Benefactor? He remembered not his fellow-creatures, nor deemed that he ought to give of his superfluities to the needy. His barns indeed bursting from the abundance of his stores, yet was his greedy mind by no means satisfied. He was unwilling to put up with his old ones because of his covetousness, and not able to undertake new ones because of the number, for his counsels were imperfect, and his care barren. Hence it follows, And he thought. His complaint is like that of the poor. Does not the man oppressed with want say, What shall I do, whence can I get food, whence clothing? Such things also the rich man utters. For his mind is distressed on account of his fruits pouring out from his storehouse, lest perchance when they have come forth they should profit the poor; like the glutton who had rather burst from eating, than give any thing of what remains to the starving.

GREGORY. (Mor. 15. c. 13.) O adversity, the child of plenty. For saying, What shall I do, he surely betokens, that, oppressed by the success of his wishes, he labours as it were under a load of goods.

BASIL. (ubi sup.) It was easy for him to say, I will open my barn, I will call together the needy, but he has no thought of want, only of amassing; for it follows, And he said, This will I do, I will pull down my barns. Thou doest well, for the storehouses of iniquity are worthy of destruction. Pull down thy barns, from which no one receives comfort. He adds, I will build greater. But thou shalt complete these, wilt thou again destroy them? What more foolish than labouring on for ever. Thy barns, if thou wilt, are the home of the poor. But thou wilt say, Whom do I wrong by keeping what is my own? For it follows also, And there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. Tell me what is thine, from whence didst thou get it and bring it into life? As he who anticipates the public games, injures those who are coming by appropriating to himself what is appointed for the common use, so likewise the rich who regard as their own the common things which they have forestalled. For if every one receiving what is sufficient for his own necessity would leave what remains to the needy, there would be no rich or poor.

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA. Observe also in another respect the folly of his words, when he says, I will gather all my fruits, as if he thought that he had not obtained them from God, but that they were the fruits of his own labours.

BASIL. (ubi sup.) But if thou confessest that those things have come to thee from God, is God then unjust in distributing to us unequally. Why dost thou abound while another begs? unless that thou shouldest gain the rewards of a good stewardship, and be honoured with the meed of patience. Art not thou then a robber, for counting as thine own what thou hast received to distribute? It is the bread of the famished which thou receivest, the garment of the naked which rots in thy possession, the money of the pennyless which thou hast buried in the earth. Wherefore then dost thou injure so many to whom thou mightest be a benefactor.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. 8. in 2 ad Tim.) But in this he errs, that he thinks those things good which are indifferent. For there are some things good, some evil, some between the two. The good are chastity, and humility, and the like, which when a man chooses he becomes good. But opposed to these are the evil, which when a man chooses he becomes bad; and there are the neutral, as riches, which at one time indeed are directed to good, as to almsgiving, at other times to evil, as to covetousness. And in like manner poverty at one time leads to blasphemy, at another to wisdom, according to the disposition of the user.

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA. The rich man then builds barns which last not, but decay, and what is still more foolish, reckons for himself upon a long life; for it follows, And I will say unto my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years. But, O rich man, thou hast indeed fruits in thy barns, but as for many years whence canst thou obtain them?

ATHANASIUS. (non occ.) Now if any one lives so as to die daily, seeing that our life is naturally uncertain, he will not sin, for the greater fear destroys very much pleasure, but the rich man on the contrary, promising to himself length of life, secks after pleasures, for he says, Rest, that is, from toil, eat, drink, and be merry, that is, with great luxury.

BASIL. (ubi sup.) Thou art so careless with respect to the goods of the soul, that thou ascribest the meats of the body to the soul. If indeed it has virtue, if it is fruitful in good works, if it clings to God, it possesses many goods, and rejoices with a worthy joy. But because thou art altogether carnal and subject to the passions, thou speakest from thy belly, not from thy soul.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. 39, 8. in 1 ad Cor.) Now it behoves us not to indulge in delights which fattening the body make lean the soul, and bring a heavy burden upon it, and spread darkness over it, and a thick covering, because in pleasure our governing part which is the soul becomes the slave, but the subject part, namely the body, rules. But the body is in need not of luxuries but of food, that it may be nourished, not that it may be racked and melt away. For not to the soul alone are pleasures hurtful, but to the body itself, because from being a strong body it becomes weak, from being healthy diseased, from being active slothful, from being beautiful unshapely, and from youthful old.

BASIL. (Hom. in loc.) But he was permitted to deliberate in every thing, and to manifest his purpose, that he might receive a sentence such as his inclinations deserved. But while he speaks in secret, his words are weighed in heaven, from whence the answers come to him. For it follows, But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall they require of thee. Hear the name of folly, which most properly belongs to thee which not man has imposed, but God Himself.

GREGORY. (22. Mor. c. 2.) The same night he was taken away, who had expected many years, that he indeed who had in gathering stores for himself looked a long time forward, should not see even the next day.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Concio. 2. de Lazar.) They shall require of thee, for perhaps certain dread powers were sent to require it, since if when going from city to city we want a guide, much more will the soul when released from the body, and passing to a future life, need direction. On this account many times the soul rises and sinks into the deep again, when it ought to depart from the body. For the consciousness of our sins is ever pricking us, but most of all when we are going to be dragged before the awful tribunal. For when the whole accumulation of crimes is brought up again, and placed before the eyes, it astounds the mind. And as prisoners are always indeed sorrowful, but particularly at the time when they are going to be brought before the judge; so also the soul at this time is greatly tormented by sin and afflicted, but much more after it has been removed.

GREGORY. (ubi sup.) But in the night the soul was taken away which had gone forth in the darkness of its heart, being unwilling to have the light of consideration, so as to foresee what it might suffer. But He adds, Then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. 23. in Gen.) For here shalt thou leave those things, and not only reap no advantage from them, but carry a load of sins upon thy own shoulders. And these things which thou hast laid up will for the most part come into the hands of enemies, but of thee shall an account of them be required. It follows, So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

BEDE. For such a one is a fool, and will be taken off in the night. He then who wishes to be rich toward God, will not lay up treasures for himself, but distribute his possessions to the poor.

AMBROSE. For in vain he amasses wealth who knows not how to use it. Neither are these things ours which we cannot take away with us. Virtue alone is the companion of the dead, mercy alone follows us, which gains for the dead an everlasting habitation.

NAVARRE BIBLE COMMENTARY (RSV)

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)

From: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23

All is Vanity
------------------
[2] Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

[21] [B]ecause sometimes a man must leave all to be enjoyed by a man who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. [22] What has a man from all the toil and strain with which he toils beneath the sun? [23] For all his days are full of pain, and his work is a vexation; even in the night his mind does not rest. This also is vanity.

***************************************************************************
Commentary:

1:1-2. The book begins and ends with the same words: “Vanity of vanities…” (v. 2; cf. 12:8). The phrase sums up wonderfully well the central idea of the book and is the sacred author’s assessment of the things of the world and the fruits of human endeavour, included among the latter being the acquisition of a superficial type of knowledge or wisdom that is clearly at odds with what we know from experience. The Hebrew root of the word translated as “vanity” means something like the “vapour”, “air”, and conveys the idea of something with no consistency to it, illusion, unreality. Some scholars link it to another root that means “fleeting”, “evanescent”, in the sense of something that man cannot grasp, and that is certainly an aspect of what the author is saying throughout the book. “Vanity of vanities” is the Hebrew form of the superlative, as in “Song of Songs”, On the Preacher, Qoheleth, see the “Introduction” [in the “Navarre Bible, Wisdom Books,” p. 257, above.

When reading this book it is useful to bear in mind that the author is a Jewish teacher, very familiar with the Law and the wisdom tradition of Israel, which, in reaction to the arrival in Judea of various currents of Greek thought, was asking itself very seriously about the validity of its own answers about the value of human actions and the rewards or punishments that applied to them; could it be that the hedonistic ideas (which took no account of God) being put forward by Greek philosophers in the squares and streets – could these have some validity? The Preacher takes issue with both traditional wisdom and the Greeks. With a great deal of common sense, he questions all these teachings (which were widely accepted) and concludes that they are approaching the subject in the wrong way. It is not that he is skeptical about the human mind’s ability to know reality; what he objects to is the failure of seekers after wisdom to go to the root of the problem: “The book of Ecclesiastes explains that exactly things are made of, and shows and makes clear to us the vanity of many of the things of the world, so that we might come to understand that the passing things of this life are not worth hungering for, and that we should not devote our attention to useless things or fix our desires on any creating thing” (St. Basil, In principium Proverbiorum, 1).

1:3-6:12. The first part of the book is devoted to showing that the type of wisdom man is bent on acquiring is of no use at all. To do this, it points out that if one looks around, one gets the impression that everything in the world forms part of one continuous cyclical movement in which one can never expect anything new to happen: things that seem new are not new at all (1:3-11). It goes on to argue, from experience, that the search for wisdom serves no purpose, for the wise man’s lot remains unchanged, no matter what he learns (1:12-2:26). To compound his argument, the Preacher goes on to report what he has seen – fraud and loneliness . . . And from his observation of things around him, he draws a similar conclusion: this, too, is vanity and a waste of effort (3:1-4:16). That being so, in a series of counsels (5:1-12) he expounds the key lesson of the book: “Do you fear God” (5:7). In other words, if one does not take God into account, even riches bring only evils (5:13-6:7). That being the case, what advantages does wisdom offer (6:8-12)? In this way the teacher of Israel, using a rhetoric similar to that of his Hellenist adversaries, composes a diatribe to show that the reasonable thing to do is to put one’s trust in God, for all the wisdom of this world is in vain.

Both of these notions – true wisdom and the fear of God – will be perfected in the New Testament message. True wisdom is in “Christ, in whom are had all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:2-3). And the fear of God should be understood as love, not servile fear, because God is our Father. That conviction should govern what we do: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment and he who fears is not perfected in love (1 Jn 4:18).

2:12-23. Continuing with his argument, the Preacher lists some examples of how impossible it is to attain happiness by following the paths of mere human experience. Now he takes up another matter, also to do with traditional wisdom: the idea that the prospect of descendants makes a man happy, because they will appreciate all the work he has done and will benefit from it (cf. Prov 10:7; Sir 44:9). Seemingly the wise man thinks that that gives meaning to what he does and he derives satisfaction from it (vv. 14a-b). But as the sacred writer sees it, this also is vanity: wise man and fool, “the one fate comes to all of them” (v. 14c). Therefore the thought of posterity is sheer vanity, for both wise man and fool will be forgotten (vv. 15-16). So, life seems, in fact, hateful and depressing (v. 20). Indeed, all striving after these things leads nowhere (vv. 22-23).

From: Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11

Seek the Things That Are Above
------------------------------
[1] If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Avoid Sin
---------
[2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. [3] For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. [4] When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. [5] Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

[9] Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices [10] and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. [11] Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.

***********************************************************************
Commentary:

1-4. The more ethical and exhortatory part of the letter begins at this point. It is a practical application of the teaching given in the earlier chapters, designed to suit the circumstances that have arisen in the Colossian church.

By His death and resurrection, the Son of God frees us from the power of Satan and of death. "By Baptism men are grafted into the paschal mystery of Christ; they die with him, are buried with Him, and rise with Him" (Vatican II, "Sacrosanctum Concilium", 6). In other words, Christians have been raised to a new kind of life, a supernatural life, whereby they share, even while on earth, in the glorious life of the risen Jesus. This life is at present spiritual and hidden, but when our Lord comes again in glory, it will become manifest and glorious. Two practical consequences flow from this teaching--the need to seek the "things that are above", that is, the things of God; and the need to pass unnoticed in one's everyday work and ordinary life, yet to do everything with a supernatural purpose in mind.

As regards the first of these the Second Vatican Council has said: "In their pilgrimage to the Heavenly city Christians are to seek and relish the things that are above (cf. Colossians 3:1-2): this involves not a lesser, but a greater commitment to working with all men to build a world that is more human" ("Gaudium Et Spes", 57). Work, family relationships, social involvements--every aspect of human affairs-- should be approached in a spirit of faith and done perfectly, out of love: "The true Christian, who acts according to this faith", St J. Escriva comments, "always has his sights set on God. His outlook is supernatural. He works in this world of ours, which he loves passionately; he is involved in all its challenges, but all the while his eyes are fixed on Heaven" ("Friends of God", 206).

Ordinary life, everyday interests, the desire to be better and to serve others without seeking public recognition of one's merits--all this makes for holiness if done for love of God. A simple life "hid with Christ in God" (verse 3) is so important that Jesus Himself chose to spend the greater part of His life on earth living like an ordinary person: He was the son of a tradesman. "As we meditate on these truths, we come to understand better the logic of God. We come to realize that the supernatural value of our life does not depend on accomplishing great undertakings suggested to us by our over-active imagination. Rather it is to be found in the faithful acceptance of God's will, in welcoming generously the opportunities for small, daily sacrifice" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 172).

This means that those who try to seek holiness by imitating Jesus in His hidden life will be people full of hope; they will be optimistic and happy people; and after their death they will share in the glory of the Lord: they will hear Jesus' praise, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your Master" (Matthew 25:21).

On the value of the hidden life, see the note on Luke 2:51.

Note on Luke 2:51: 51. The Gospel sums up Jesus' life in Nazareth in just three words: "erat subditus illis", he was obedient to them. "Jesus obeys, and he obeys Joseph and Mary. God has come to the world to obey, and to obey creatures. Admittedly they were very perfect creatures--Holy Mary, our mother, greater than whom God alone; and that most chaste man Joseph. But they are only creatures, and yet Jesus, who is God, obeyed them. We have to love God so as to love his will and desire to respond to his calls. They come to us through the duties of our ordinary life—duties of state, profession, work, family, social life, our own and other people's difficulties, friendship, eagerness to do what is right and just" (St J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 17).

Jesus lived like any other inhabitant of Nazareth, working at the same trade as St Joseph and earning his living by the sweat of his brow. "His hidden years are not without significance, nor were they simply a preparation for the years which were to come after--those of his public life. Since 1928 I have understood clearly that God wants our Lord's whole life to be an example for Christians. I saw this with special reference to his hidden life, the years he spent working side by side with ordinary men. Our Lord wants many people to ratify their vocation during years of quiet, unspectacular living. Obeying God's will always means leaving our selfishness behind, but there is no reason why it should entail cutting ourselves off from the normal life of ordinary people who share the same status, work and social position with us.

"I dream--and the dream has come true--of multitudes of God's children, sanctifying themselves as ordinary citizens, sharing the ambitions and endeavors of their colleagues and friends. I want to shout to them about this divine truth: If you are there in the middle of ordinary life, it doesn't mean Christ has forgotten about you or hasn't called you. He has invited you to stay among the activities and concerns of the world. He wants you to know that your human vocation, your profession, your talents, are not omitted from his divine plans. He has sanctified them and made them a most acceptable offering to his Father" (St J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 20). ]

5-17. The Christian, who in Baptism has risen with Christ, should not live for himself but for God. This means that every day he needs to put off his old nature and put on the new.

The "old nature", the "old man": one who lets himself be led by disorderly passions (cf. Rom 7:8), who lets his body do evil in the service of sin (v. 5; cf. Rom 6:12f). With the help of grace the old nature is being more and more broken down, while the new nature is constantly being renewed (cf. 2 Cor 6:16). Impurity and the other vices need to be uprooted so as to make room for goodness and its train of Christian virtues (vv. 12-13), especially charity (v. 14), which are features of the new nature.

Christ's disciple, who has been made a new person and who lives for the Lord, has a new and more perfect knowledge of God and of the world (v. 10). Thanks to this he see things from a more elevated viewpoint; he has a "supernatural insight". This enables him to love and understand everyone without distinction of race, nation or social status (v. 11), and to imitate Christ, who has given himself up for all. "The Only-begotten of the Eternal Father vouchsafed to become a son of man, that we might be made conformable to the image of the Son of God and be renewed according to the likeness of him who created us. Therefore let all those who glory in the name of Christians not only look upon our divine Savior as the most sublime and most perfect model of all virtues, but also, by the careful avoidance of sin and the unremitting practice of holiness, so reproduce in their conduct his teaching and life, that when the Lord appears they may be like to him in glory, seeing him as he is (cf. 1 Jn 3:2)" (Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis", 20).

From: Luke 12:13-21

Parable of the Rich Fool
------------------------
[13] One of the multitude said to Him (Jesus), "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me." [14] But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or divider over you?" [15] And He said to them, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." [16] And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; [17] and he thought to himself, `What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' [18] And he said, `I will do this: I will store all my grain and my goods. [19] And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' [20] But God said to him, `Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' [21] So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

***********************************************************************
Commentary:

13. This man is only interested in his own problems; he sees in Jesus only a teacher with authority and prestige who can help sort out his case (cf. Deuteronomy 21:17). He is a good example of those who approach religious authorities not to seek advice on the way they should go in their spiritual life, but rather to get them to solve their material problems. Jesus vigorously rejects the man's request--not because He is insensitive to the injustice which may have been committed in this family, but because it is not part of His redemptive mission to intervene in matters of this kind. By His word and example the Master shows us that His work of salvation is not aimed at solving the many social and family problems that arise in human society; He has come to give us principles and moral standards which should inspire our actions in temporal affairs, but not to give us precise, technical solutions to problems which arise; to that end He has endowed us with intelligence and freedom. 15-21. After His statement in verse 15, Jesus tells the parable of the foolish rich man: what folly it is to put our trust in amassing material goods to ensure we have a comfortable life on earth, forgetting the goods of the spirit, which are what really ensure us--through God's mercy--of eternal life.

This is how St. Athanasius explained these words of our Lord: "A person who lives as if he were to die every day--given that our life is uncertain by definition--will not sin, for good fear extinguishes most of the disorder of our appetites; whereas he who thinks he has a long life ahead of him will easily let himself be dominated by pleasures" ("Adversus Antigonum").

19. This man's stupidity consisted in making material possession his only aim in life and his only insurance policy. It is lawful for a person to want to own what he needs for living, but if possession of material resources becomes an absolute, it spells the ultimate destruction of the individual and of society. "Increased possession is not the ultimate goal of nations nor of individuals. All growth is ambivalent. It is essential if man is to develop as a man, but in a way it imprisons man if he considers it the supreme good, and it restricts his vision. Then we see hearts harden and minds close, and men no longer gather together in friendship but out of self-interest, which soon leads to strife and disunity. The exclusive pursuit of possessions thus becomes an obstacle to individual fulfillment and to man's true greatness. Both for nations and for individual, avarice is the most evident form of underdevelopment" ([Pope] Paul VI, "Populorum Progressio", 19).

Source: Daily Word for Reflection—Navarre Bible Commentary

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 12
13.	And one of the multitude said to him: Master, speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me.	Ait autem ei quidam de turba : Magister, dic fratri meo ut dividat mecum hæreditatem.	ειπεν δε τις αυτω εκ του οχλου διδασκαλε ειπε τω αδελφω μου μερισασθαι μετ εμου την κληρονομιαν
14.	But he said to him: Man, who hath appointed me judge, or divider, over you?	At ille dixit illi : Homo, quis me constituit judicem, aut divisorem super vos ?	ο δε ειπεν αυτω ανθρωπε τις με κατεστησεν δικαστην η μεριστην εφ υμας
15.	And he said to them: Take heed and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life doth not consist in the abundance of things which he possesseth.	Dixitque ad illos : Videte, et cavete ab omni avaritia : quia non in abundantia cujusquam vita ejus est ex his quæ possidet.	ειπεν δε προς αυτους ορατε και φυλασσεσθε απο της πλεονεξιας οτι ουκ εν τω περισσευειν τινι η ζωη αυτω εστιν εκ των υπαρχοντων αυτου
16.	And he spoke a similitude to them, saying: The land of a certain rich man brought forth plenty of fruits.	Dixit autem similitudinem ad illos, dicens : Hominis cujusdam divitis uberes fructus ager attulit :	ειπεν δε παραβολην προς αυτους λεγων ανθρωπου τινος πλουσιου ευφορησεν η χωρα
17.	And he thought within himself, saying: What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?	et cogitabat intra se dicens : Quid faciam, quia non habeo quo congregam fructus meos ?	και διελογιζετο εν εαυτω λεγων τι ποιησω οτι ουκ εχω που συναξω τους καρπους μου
18.	And he said: This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and will build greater; and into them will I gather all things that are grown to me, and my goods.	Et dixit : Hoc faciam : destruam horrea mea, et majora faciam : et illuc congregabo omnia quæ nata sunt mihi, et bona mea,	και ειπεν τουτο ποιησω καθελω μου τας αποθηκας και μειζονας οικοδομησω και συναξω εκει παντα τα γενηματα μου και τα αγαθα μου
19.	And I will say to my soul: Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thy rest; eat, drink, make good cheer.	et dicam animæ meæ : Anima, habes multa bona posita in annos plurimos : requiesce, comede, bibe, epulare.	και ερω τη ψυχη μου ψυχη εχεις πολλα αγαθα κειμενα εις ετη πολλα αναπαυου φαγε πιε ευφραινου
20.	But God said to him: Thou fool, this night do they require thy soul of thee: and whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?	Dixit autem illi Deus : Stulte, hac nocte animam tuam repetunt a te : quæ autem parasti, cujus erunt ?	ειπεν δε αυτω ο θεος αφρον ταυτη τη νυκτι την ψυχην σου απαιτουσιν απο σου α δε ητοιμασας τινι εσται
21.	So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.	Sic est qui sibi thesaurizat, et non est in Deum dives.	ουτως ο θησαυριζων εαυτω και μη εις θεον πλουτων

St. Ignatius of Loyola

St. Ignatius of Loyola founded the Society of Jesus—known as the Jesuits today—and transformed Christian spirituality with his life of prayer.

He was born in Spain to a family of nobility in 1491, the youngest of 13 children. As a boy he served as a page in the royal Spanish court, and grew up to become a soldier. In a battle with the French in 1521, a cannon ball broke his leg. It was badly set on the field, and required several other operations. In the end, his leg was permanently damaged—he walked with a pronounced limp for the rest of his life.

He spent months in a hospital bed recovering from this wound. He asked for books to read about knights and romances, but he only had access to two works—a collection of stories about saints, and a telling of the life of Christ. He read them reluctantly just to pass the time, but became enthralled by the heroism of holiness. He said to himself, “These people were of the same stuff as I am, why shouldn’t I do what they have done?”

He resolved to spend his life seeking holiness and went to live near a house of Dominicans, finding shelter in a simple hut and sometimes in a cave. He spent a year growing in prayer and discipline. During this time, he began to experience turbulence in his spiritual life—he saw visions and had great consolations, yet within a year was nearly driven to despair by fear. He began to keep a record of his spiritual life and his prayer, which led him to eventually compose his famous “Spiritual Exercises.”

Prayer and meditation have always been a part of the Christian way of life, but not until Ignatius had someone written a structured program for prayer of this kind. His Exercises describes an order for meditations and suggests guidelines and insights about the experience of prayer. Discernment is the ultimate aim of the Exercises—the clarification of what will most glorify God and lead to perfection.

Ignatius later decided to travel to Rome and the Holy Land to see if he could help the cause of Christianity there. He took on the clothes and lifestyle of a pilgrim and dedicated himself to God, but returned not knowing what he might do with his life.

At the age of 33, he decided to pursue an education as a way to help him learn better how he could serve others, but he had to start at the beginning. He sat in a classroom with young boys and began learning basic Latin grammar. He progressed in his studies, and traveled to several different schools, finally earning a masters degree at the age of 43 at the University of Paris.

He lived a humble life as a student, begging for food and living in common lodging. He served the poor, and gathered children to teach them the faith. Several other students were attracted to his way of life, and a community was formed. They gave themselves to the service of God, and, if asked who they were, they decided to tell people that they were “in the company of Jesus.” The Society of Jesus was born, and the order came to place a priority on education as the arena for their work and ministry.

Ignatius spent the rest of his life organizing and leading this new society. He was known for his deep affection for people, and for his simplicity and humility. The first band of men who had gathered around him had been sent to the corners of the known world, and in his 15 years of leadership, the order grew to more than 1,000 members.

Ignatius was frequently ill during his life, and so no one paid special notice when he fell sick in July of his 65th year. His death on this date in 1556 surprised everyone—he had not even been anointed.

Today the Jesuits are the largest order of priests and brothers in the world. They are well-known for their ministry of education—the order has some 17,000 members, and leads more than 500 universities and colleges. They teach hundreds of thousands of students every year.

Ignatius adopted the IHS symbol, a Greek monogram for the name of Jesus Christ, as an emblem for the order. He is shown in this mural from the Basilica holding a book with this symbol and with the words, Ad maiorem Dei gloriam, which is Latin for “To the greater glory of God,” a phrase that he often used. St. Ignatius is also depicted in a stained glass window in the Dillon Hall chapel, and his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.

St. Ignatius, you were inspired by the lives of the saints to give your life for the glory of God—pray for us!

To learn even more about Saint Ignatius, watch this video lecture from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame

faith.nd.edu

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Sunday of week 18 in Ordinary time

Readings at Mass

Vanity of vanities; all is vanity

You must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is

Fool! This very night your soul will be demanded of you

Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas

Luke CHAP. 12

St. Ignatius of Loyola