Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

The Month of January Dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

57th World Day of Social Communications: "Speak with the Heart Veritatem Facientes in caritate Doing the truth in charity"

Saints: Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor, Patron Saint of Writers and Journalists (1567-1622); Saint Timothy Giaccardo, Priest (1896-1948) 

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 6 Restraint of Speech

Mass: Heb 10:1-10; Resp Ps 40; Mk 3:31-35    

I have waited, waited for the Lord.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

JESUS, OUR REFUGE,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.

(Mk 3:35)

Today we commemorate another great intercessor, Saint Francis de Sales, who way before the Second Vatican Council was all about the universal call to holiness, the call to perfection, especially among the lay faithful. All of us can still turn to his classic 17th century work, Introduction to the Devout Life, available today in recent editions and even in PDF form.* An excerpt from that text is found in today's Office of Readings, some of which I will quote below. For now, it occurs to me that since Saint Francis de Sales is the patron saint of writers and journalists, it is the World Day of Social Communications, and we are in Saint Benedict's Ch 6 Restraint of Speech, Saint Francis de Sales can help all of us. Saint Benedict begins the chapter with words from the psalmist: "I said, I have resolved to keep watch over my ways that I may never sin with my tongue, I have put a guard over my mouth" (Rule of Saint Benedict, 6:1). Since so much of what we say is better left unsaid, even things that we think are good, holy or constructive, we must be on guard so as to curb any evil speech (see RB 6:2-3) and remember that in a flood of words you will not avoid sin, and the tongue holds key to life and death. And strongly, Saint Benedict condemns vulgarity and gossip (RB 6:8) whatsoever. To Saint Francis de Sales then, we pray for help. The Bishop and Doctor was a man of love and moderation, qualities to admire, be inspired by, and imitate. He once said, "whoever wants to preach effectively must preach with love." With that in mind, we just may keep better watch over our ways, and reflect more before we speak, write, text, email or communicate in any way. 

When God the Creator made all things, He commanded the plants to bring forth fruit each according to its own kind; He likewise commanded Christians, who are the living plants of the Church, to bring forth the fruits of devotion, each one in accord with his character, his station, his calling ...

the practice of devotion must be adapted to the strength, to the occupation and to the duties of each [person] in particular ...

in whatever situations we happen to be, we can and we must aspire to the life of perfection.

(From The Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Francis de Sales, bishop, in Office of Readings, January 24)

In an historical period marked by polarizations and contrasts - to which unfortunately not even the ecclesial community is immune - the commitment to communicating "with open heart and arms" does not pertain exclusively to those in the field of communications; it is everyone's responsibility.

(Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the 57th World Day of Social Communications, January 24, 2023)

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES,

SAINT TIMOTHY GIACCARDO,

PRAY FOR US.

*See, for example, Christian Classics Ethereal Library. 

Today's photo: Another little beauty from my cousin's garden that did well in the cold weather. He stooped toward me.

© Gertrude Feick 2023

Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter

Readings of the day: RB 3:1-6 Calling the Community for Counsel

Mass: Ac 22:30; 23:6-11; Resp Ps 16; Jn 17:20-26

In the monastery no one is to follow her own heart’s desire, nor shall anyone presume to contend with her abbess defiantly, or outside the monastery.

(RB 3:8)

It is thought-provoking to read today’s passage from the Acts of the Apostles along with Chapter 3 of the Holy Rule, ‘Calling the Community for Counsel’. St Benedict begins, ‘As often as anything is important to be done in the monastery, the abbess or abbot shall call the whole community together and herself explain what the business is, and after hearing the advice of the sisters, let her ponder it and follow what she judges the wiser course.’ The community has a role too: ‘The sisters, for their part, are to express their opinions with all humility, and not to presume to defend their own views obstinately.’ In the passage from Acts, the commander convenes the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin, a dispute breaks out between the gathered Sadducees and Pharisees, the group becomes divided and arguments ensue. The situation becomes so heated that Paul is removed from the midst of the crowd for fear he will be torn to pieces! I see sanity and civility coming from St Benedict’s ways of conducting business in a group. I see an example not to emulate in the situation between Paul and his adversaries. We recall Pope Francis’s words for the 50^th World Communications Day, 2016: What we say and how we say it, our every word and gesture, ought to express God’s compassion, tenderness and forgiveness for all. Love, by its nature, is communication; it leads to openness and sharing. If our hearts and actions are inspired by charity, by divine love, then our communication will be touched by God’s own power… I would like to encourage everyone to see society not as a forum where strangers compete and try to come out on top, but above all as a home or a family, where the door is always open and where everyone feels welcome.

Pour into our hearts your Holy Spirit,

that You may keep us in unity of spirit and the bond of peace.

(Aelred of Rievaulx)

THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD

World Communications Day

Readings of the day: RB 16-22

Mass: Ac 1:11-14; Resp Ps 47; Ep 1:17-23 or Ep 4:1-13; Mk 16:15-20

The Ascension of Christ (detail) from the Laudario of Sant'Agnese, 

AS THE DISCIPLES WERE LOOKING ON, JESUS WAS LIFTED UP. 

I share a passage read at Vigils:

The ascension celebrates the new creation, the bringing together of heaven and earth that has begun in the life of Jesus. When Jesus is seen no more in the old way, that does not mean he has abandoned the world, so that we must go and look for him outside it—“looking up into the sky” like the disciples. His life is being lived in us: the new world is being brought to birth in us, gradually and sometimes painfully. We are caught up in the eternal movement of God’s commitment to his creation. In and through Jesus we, too, have become a sign of promise. The light is on; the morning has come. The daystar from on high has dawned on us.

(Rowan Williams, A Ray of Darkness, p. 71)

As we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, then, may St Paul encourage and inspire us to be a sign of promise in the world:

I urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

(Ep 4:1-6)

GO OUT INTO THE WHOLE WORLD AND

PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE.

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Help us to recognize the evil latent in a communication that does not build communion.
Help us to remove the venom from our judgements.
Help us to speak about others as our brothers and sisters.
You are faithful and trustworthy; may our words be seeds of goodness for the world:
where there is shouting, let us practice listening;
where there is confusion, let us inspire harmony;
where there is ambiguity, let us bring clarity;
where there is exclusion, let us offer solidarity;
where there is sensationalism, let us use sobriety;
where there is superficiality, let us raise real questions;
where there is prejudice, let us awaken trust;
where there is hostility, let us bring respect;
where there is falsehood, let us bring truth.
Amen.

(Pope Francis, Message of his Holiness Pope Francis for the 52nd World Communications Day)

Monday of the Third Week of Easter

Readings of the day: RB 61:6-14

Mass: Ac 6:8-15; Resp Ps 119; Jn 6:22-29

STEPHEN, FILLED WITH GRACE AND POWER,
WAS WORKING GREAT WONDERS AND SIGNS AMONG THE PEOPLE.
THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THE WISDOM
AND THE SPIRIT WITH WHICH HE SPOKE.

Let us ask St Stephen to intercede for us so that all the words we use to communicate with our families, friends, community members, co-workers, and all those we encounter be words of kindness, gentleness, love, and welcome.

Words from Pope Francis are fitting for all these encounters, what he calls ‘the little details of love’ in Gaudete et Exsultate, 145:

The love of friendship unifies all aspects of marital life and helps family members to grow constantly.  This love must be freely and generously expressed in words and acts.  In the family, "three words need to be used.  I want to repeat this! Three words: ‘Please’, ‘Thank you’, ‘Sorry’.  Three essential words!". "In our families when we are not overbearing and ask: ‘May I?’; in our families when we are not selfish and can say: ‘Thank you!’; and in our families when someone realizes that he or she did something wrong and is able to say ‘Sorry!’, our family experiences peace and joy". Let us not be stingy about using these words, but keep repeating them, day after day.  For "certain silences are oppressive, even at times within families, between husbands and wives, between parents and children, among siblings". The right words, spoken at the right time, daily protect and nurture love (Pope Francis, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, 133).

STEPHEN’S FACE WAS LIKE THAT OF AN ANGEL.