Thursday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Year of Saint Joseph

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

Saint: Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church (340-420)

Readings of the Day

RB: Ch 7:31-33

Mass: Neh 8:1-4a, 5-6, 7b-12; Resp Ps 19; Lk 10:1-12

The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

LORD GOD, YOUR WORDS WERE FOUND AND I CONSUMED THEM; YOUR WORD BECAME THE JOY AND THE HAPPINESS OF MY HEART.

(Communion Antiphon, Mass)

Today we commemorate the great Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor, lover of the Word, whose most important work was the translation of the Bible into Latin. Known as the Vulgate, it is "a translation which, with some revisions, is still in use today." This is not the only thing Saint Jerome labored over though. The well-known quotation, "ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ," comes from Saint Jerome's Commentary on Isaiah, included in today's Office of Readings. It is no wonder that Pope Francis referred to Saint Jerome in the 2019 Apostolic Letter Aperit illis Instituting the Sunday of the Word of God. In that Letter, Pope Francis designated the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time as "Sunday of the Word of God" to be "devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the word of God" (3). Pope Francis wrote this about our identity as Christians (1):

The relationship between the Risen Lord, the community of believers and Sacred Scripture is essential to our identity as Christians. Without the Lord who opens our mind to them, it is impossible to understand Scriptures in depth. Yet the contrary is equally true: without the Scripture, the events of the mission of Jesus and of His Church in this world remain incomprehensible. Hence, Saint Jerome could rightly claim: "Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ."

As Christians then, we should devote as much time as possible to celebrating, praying with, and studying the Word of God. This is our faith seeking to understand. May we be among the "men, women, and children old enough to understand" gathered in today's First Reading (Nehemiah 8:2-3) and immerse ourselves in the Word of God. We are better equipped then to join the 72 disciples who Jesus sent in pairs to proclaim "The Kingdom of God is at hand for you" (Lk 10:9). May we not be ignorant of Scriptures so as to not be ignorant of Christ. Saint Jerome, intercede for us, so that we bring the Christ we know to "every town and place" (Lk 9:1).  

SAINT JEROME,

SAINT JOSEPH,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: 7:00 a.m., Saint Mary's Parish, with the glorious Oregon sky welcoming a new day to the people of Mt. Angel. 

© Gertrude Feick 2021

Third Sunday of Easter

Readings of the day: RB 61:1-5 Monastic Pilgrims from Far Away

Mass: Ac 3:13-15, 17-19; Resp Ps 4; 1 Jn 2:1-5a; Lk 24:35-48

 

 John Piper: Risen Christ at Emmaus   

BUT WHOEVER KEEPS HIS WORD,

THE LOVE OF GOD IS TRULY PERFECTED IN HIM.

The prayerful reading of God’s word, which is ‘sweeter than honey’ (Ps 119:103) yet a ‘two-edged sword (Heb 4:12) enables us to pause and listen to the voice of the Master. It becomes a lamp for our steps and a light for our path (cf. Ps 119:105). As the bishops of India have reminded us, ‘devotion to the word of God is not simply one of many devotions, beautiful but somewhat optional. It goes to the very heart and identity of Christian life. The word has power to transform our lives’.

(Gaudete et Exsultate, 156)

LORD JESUS, OPEN THE SCRIPTURES TO US;

MAKE OUR HEARTS BURN WHILE YOU SPEAK TO US.

ALLELUIA.

How is the Word speaking to you today?

Tuesday before Epiphany: Saints Basil the Great (d. 379) and Gregory Nazianzen (d. 390)

Readings of the day: RB Prol. 8-13

Mass: 1 John 2:22-28; Resp. Psalm 98; John 1:19-28

 

Our Holy Father, St Benedict

Let us get up, then, at long last, for the Scriptures rouse us when they say:

It is high time for us to arise from sleep (Rom 13:11).

Let us open our eyes to the light that comes from God, and our ears to the voice from heaven that every day calls out this charge:

If you hear his voice today, harden not your hearts (Ps 94 [95]:8).

(RB Prol. 8-10)

If you’re still groggy from the New Year celebrations, Saint Benedict’s call should stir our minds and hearts to action. The Prologue almost leaves one breathless with the intensity of its summons: listen; attend; put it into practice; give up your own will; do battle; persevere; do not weaken; obey; get up; arise from sleep; open our eyes and ears; run. This is in the first 13 verses alone! Saint Benedict is about moderation, not mediocrity. We are not meant to settle for the least common denominator. The WORD calls us to get with the program so to speak, to be our best selves, for our own good, yes, but also for the good of our brothers and sisters with whom we live, work, and encounter on a daily basis. The psalmist cries, ‘Today!’, not tomorrow. The voice is crying out in the desert: ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’! We must remain in HIM, in whom we live, and move, and have our being, so that when HE appears we have confidence and are not put to shame at HIS coming.

Shall we not do today what we have been putting off until tomorrow?

Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen,

pray for us.

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Readings of the day: RB 43:1-12

Mass: 2 Maccabees 6:18-31; Resp. Psalm 3; Luke 19:1-10

Eleazar: He made up his mind in a noble manner, worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age, the merited distinction of his gray hair, and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood; and so declared that above all he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God.

Zacchaeus: He ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus.

Living and true God, may we be faithful to your covenant of LOVE.

May we be eager to seek you.

MARY, ARK OF THE CONVENANT,

PRAY FOR US.

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings of the day: RB 35:1-11

Mass: Wisdom 6:12-16; Resp. Psalm 63; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13

Today’s readings made me think of triathlon. What does triathlon have to do with the spiritual life? More than one might think. Many may think that triathlon consists of three disciplines, namely, swimming, cycling, and running. In fact, there are five disciplines—swimming, transition 1, cycling, transition 2, and running. Training for the sport requires not only physical training, but mental as well. For anyone who excels in the sport, she must spend hours training in both areas, as well as others. The motto taught me by my coach was, “Don’t forget nothing,”  adapted from Rogers’ Rangers Standing Orders, by Army Major Robert Rangers, 1759. The prepared triathlete knows what she has to do before she even does it. This is especially important during transitions, where races can be won or lost. All movements in the transition must become instinctual. Therefore, the transition area must be organized; everything in its proper place. In other words, don’t forget nothing. 

Looking to today’s gospel, Jesus tells us to stay awake, for we know neither the day nor the hour. Five of the virgins in the parable were wise. They were alert and prepared; their lamps trimmed, oil ready. They forgot nothing. They were ready to meet the bridegroom and be welcomed to the feast.

The athlete and pilgrim on the journey to God have much in common. The lover of Saint Paul knows this well (1 Cor. 9:24-27). The disciplined and trained triathlete cannot predict what will happen with weather, race conditions, or her physical and emotional responses to the intensity of the sport. What she can do is train and prepare as best she can, taking nothing for granted, and forget nothing. The one seeking God can also prepare as best she can. With grace, she is faithful to a disciplined life of prayer while serving God and her sisters and brothers in love. With the guidance of a trusted and wise spiritual companion (a coach!), she is better able to navigate the vicissitudes of life. Like an athlete, the one who seeks God cannot predict what will come on a daily basis, but she can learn to respond in ways that help her grow in intimacy with the Living and True God. Son of the Living God, grant us the grace.

Wisdom is found by those who seek her.

Saint Anthony Mary Claret (d. 1870)

Readings of the day: RB 18:12-19

Mass: Romans 5:12,15b,17-19,20b-21; Resp. Psalm 40; Luke 12:35-38

The WORD is incisive:

Gird your loins; light your lamps.

Blessed are those whom the Master finds vigilant.

Are you ready?

If not, why?

SAINT ANTHONY MARY CLARET, PRAY FOR US.

Friday, Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Readings of the day: RB 10

Mass: Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2; Resp. Psalm 9; Luke 11:15-26

The gospel passage proclaimed at today’s Mass leaves out the whole of verse 14:

When Jesus had driven out a demon that was mute, the demon came out,

the mute person spoke, and the crowds were amazed.

How do you suppose the previously mute person felt after being relieved of the demon?

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart;

I will declare all you wondrous deeds.

I will be glad and exult in you;

I will sing praise to your name, Most High.

Psalm 9

 

Christ the Healer through the hand of Mary Katsilometes

Tuesday, Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Readings of the day: RB 7:62-70

Mass: Jonah 3:1-10; Resp. Psalm 130; Luke 10:38-42

Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.

(Gospel Acclamation, Mass)

It seems dear Jonah has had a change of heart, not without God in hot pursuit. Today Jonah heeds the Lord’s bidding and sets off for Nineveh. That said, there is more to come.

We are also presented with Martha and Mary, friends of the Lord. Martha was busy asking Jesus questions and telling him what to do. Mary was busy listening to Jesus speak.

Who am I today? Jonah, Martha, or Mary?

The first step of humility is to cherish at all times the sense of awe with which we should ever turn to God. It should drive all forgetfulness away; it should keep our minds alive to God’s guidance and commandments.

(RB 7:10-11)

BLESSED FRANCIS XAVIER SEELOS (d. 1897)

Readings of the day: RB 7:51-54

Mass: Nehemiah 8:1-4a,5-6,7b-12; Resp. Psalm 19; Luke 10:1-12

The reading from the Book of Nehemiah is one of my favorites, especially the line, “men, women, and those children old enough to understand.” The line is so good it is repeated. The passage also reminds me of something I heard some years ago from a Trappist monk. In a conference on forming new members into the monastic tradition, the monk shared what he tells all newcomers. It also bears repeating. If you are going to fidget, move around, cough, sneeze, slouch, or otherwise lose attention at Mass or during the celebration of the Divine Office, never do so when the Word is proclaimed. When the Word is proclaimed, one should be still, attentive, and mind their posture so to speak. I think of those assembled when Ezra read from the book of the law of Moses. They listened attentively; they rose when Ezra opened the scroll; they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the Lord. The whole people was so moved they wept. And Ezra, he read plainly so that all could understand what was read. 

Do I exhibit the same reverence when the Word is proclaimed? Are my ears and heart open to receive the Word? What about my posture? When I proclaim the Word am I prepared? Am I audible so the men, the women, and those children old enough to understand can understand?

Then all the people went to eat and drink, to distribute portions, and to celebrate with great joy, for they understood the words that had been expounded to them.

BLESSED FRANCIS XAVIER SEELOS, PRAY FOR US.

SAINT JEROME

Readings of the day: RB 7:31-33

Mass: Zechariah 2:5-9;14-15a; Resp. Psalm (Jer. 31); Luke 9:43b-45

The Council is clear in explaining why we are to be lovers of the Word: “For in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them; and the force and power in the word of God is so great that it stands as the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons and daughters, the food of the soul, the pure and everlasting source of spiritual life” (Dei Verbum, 21).

Today’s liturgy is rich with reminders for the faithful to embrace the Word as the everlasting source of the spiritual life, apt for the celebration of Saint Jerome who did not mince words: “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (Saint Jerome in Dei Verbum, 25). 

One may look to the Presidential Prayers and both antiphons for inspiration. Included here are my favorites.

O God, who gave the Priest Saint Jerome

a living and tender love for Sacred Scripture,

grant that your people

may be ever more fruitfully nourished by your Word

and find in it the fount of life.

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.

(Collect, Mass)

Lord, God, your words were found and I consumed them;

your word became the joy and the happiness of my heart.

(Communion Antiphon, Mass)

SAINT JEROME, INTERCEDE FOR US.