Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

August is the month dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament 

Readings for the Rule of Saint Benedict for the Week:  Ch 53 The Reception of Guests - Ch 57 The Artisans of the Monastery

The glorious deeds of the Lord and His strength. 

SACRED HOST, IN WHICH THE SOUL IS FILLED WITH GRACE,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

OUR LADY, MOTHER OF THE AFFLICTED,*

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

Put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God's way of righteousness and holiness of truth.

(Ephesians 4: 22-24)

Welcome to the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time in the month dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament in this Year of Eucharistic Revival. This is a "Year of Mission" dear faithful readers, when we bring Christ to wherever we find ourselves, to our parishes, to our communities of faith. And this week, we are sandwiched between two rich Gospel texts on the Bread of Life. I am the bread of life, Jesus tells us, whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never thirst (John 6:35). Moreover, I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world (John 6:51). For the life of the world! We join the disciples on the road to Emmaus and proclaim: Were not our hearts burning within us when we listened to Him speaking! Listen to Jesus; listen and believe. And remember, "One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. Alleluia." 

This week's voices all point to the wonders of God's creation. As an intro, we hear from the great Saint and Doctor, Augustine of Hippo. Then we turn to the word of God. Let Our Lord speak! And here's a fun fact for the week. Did you know that the North Pacific Whale, the largest animal on earth, consumes some 35,000 pounds of krill a day in the summer?** That's a lot of krill folks. Let the name of the Lord be praised!

Others, in order to find God, will read a book. Well, as a matter of fact there is a certain great big book, the book of created nature. Look carefully at it top and bottom, observe it, read it. God did not make letters of ink for you to recognize Him in; He set before your eyes all these things He as made. Why look for a louder voice? Heaven and earth cry out to you, "God made me." Yes, you can read what Moses wrote. But in order to write it, what did Moses read, a man living in time? Observe heaven and earth in a religious spirit.

(Saint Augustine, 354-430, Sermon 68, 6)

When I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh.

(Genesis 9:13-15)

Ask the beasts and they will teach you;

the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

ask the planets of the earth and they will teach you.

Who among these does not know

that the hand of the bountiful Lord has done this?

In God's hand is the life of every living thing,

and the breath of every human being.

(Job 12:7-10)

God heals the brokenhearted,

and binds up their wounds;

counts out the number of the stars,

and calls each one by name.

(Psalm 147:3-4)

Mountains and hills, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt Him above all forever.

(Daniel 3:75)

All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt Him above all forever.

(Daniel 3:81)

The stars shone in their watches and were glad;

God called them, and they said, "Here we are!"

They shone with gladness for the One who made them.

(Baruch 3:34-35)

OUR LAEY OF THE SNOW,

BLESSED FREDERIC JANSSOONE,

SAINT EMYGDIUS,,

POPE SAINT SIXTUS II AND COMPANIONS,

SAINT CAJETAN,

SAINT DOMINIC,

SAINT TERESA BENEDICTA OF THE CROSS,

SAINT LAWRENCE, DEACON,

SAINT JEAN-BAPTISTE-MARIE VIANNEY, CURE OF ARS,

BLESSED FREDERIC JANSSOONE,

BLESSED NICHOLAS POSTGATE,

SAINT ALBERT OF TRAPANI,

SAINT MARY OF THE CROSS, THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN SAINT,

SAINT NATHY,

SAINT FELIM,

PRAY FOR US.

* Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917), in 1891, when discerning whether or not to assume management of a Scalabriniani hospital for an at once Italian and Catholic hospital in New York City, about ready to close its doors, received a vision in a dream from Our Lady, Mother of the Afflicted. "She saw Our Lady with her sleeves rolled up and her skirt pinned back, going from one bed to another in a hospital ward as a nurse. As soon as Frances recognized the Mother of the Afflicted, she sprang forward offering her help. Upon this Our Lady said, 'I am doing what you refuse to do.' After that there was no hesitation." Mother Cabrini assigned ten sisters to the hospital. There you have it. Work that needed to be done; not necessarily what she wanted to do. See Too Small a World: The Life of Mother Frances Cabrini (Ignatius, 2024), p. 194.

** See Elizabeth A. Johnson, Come, Have Breakfast: Meditations on God and the Earth (Orbis, 2024), p. 184.

Today's photo: The wonders that He wrought. Amen.

© Gertrude Feick 2024

Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

October is the month dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary

Readings from the Rule of Saint Benedict for the Week: Ch 7:34-58 Humility  

Teach me your paths.

MARY, MOTHER OF GOOD COUNSEL,

MARY, MIRROR OF HOLINESS,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

At the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(Ph 2:10-11)

Welcome to the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time and the month of October dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us. 

In this month loaded with heavy hitter saints including two Doctors of the Church and the beloved il Poverello to intercede for us as we respond to the universal call to holiness, our introduction comes from the Holy Father Pope Francis in the Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, 32, 34:

Do not be afraid of holiness. It will not take away your energy, vitality or joy. On the contrary, you will become what the Father had in mind when He created you, and you will be faithful to your deepest self. To depend on God sets us free from every form of enslavement and leads us to recognize our great dignity ... Holiness does not make you less human, since it is an encounter between your weakness and the power of God's grace. For in the words of Leon Bloy, when all is said and done, "the only great tragedy in life is not to become a saint."

So, our voices this week come from a great Saint who did not shy away from becoming one. I will turn things over, then, to the Little Flower, that is, Saint Therese of Lisieux, also called Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.* 

I understood that to become a saint one had to suffer much, seek out always the most perfect thing to do, and forget self. I understood, too, there were many degrees of perfection and each soul was free to respond to the advances of Our Lord, to do little or much for Him, in a word, to choose among the sacrifices He was asking. Then, as in the days of my childhood, I cried out, "My God, 'I choose all!' I don't want to be a saint by halves, I'm not afraid to suffer for You, I fear only one thing: to keep my own will; so take it, for 'I choose all' that You will!"

(Manuscript A, Chapter I)

Was not Jesus my only Friend! I knew how to speak only to Him; conversations with creatures, even pious conversations, fatigued my soul. I felt it was far more valuable to speak to God than to speak about Him, for there is so much self-love intermingled with spiritual conversations.

(Manuscript A, Chapter IV)

Jesus does not demand great actions from us but simply surrender and gratitude.

(Manuscript B, Chapter IX)

I feel the vocation of the WARRIOR, THE PRIEST, THE APOSTLE, THE DOCTOR, THE MARTYR. Finally, I feel the need and the desire of carrying out the most heroic deeds for You, O Jesus. I feel within my soul the courage of the Crusader, the Papal Guard, and I would want to die on the field of battle in defense of the Church.

(Manuscript B, Chapter IX)

Charity gave me the key to my vocation ... LOVE COMPRISED ALL VOCATIONS, THAT LOVE WAS EVERYTHING, THAT IT EMBRACED ALL TIMES AND PLACES ... IN A WORD, THAT IT WAS ETERNAL!

Then, in the excess of my delirious joy, I cried out: O Jesus, my Love ... my vocation at last I have found it ... MY VOCATION IS LOVE!

(Manuscript B, Chapter IX)

Everything I have, everything I merit, is for the good of the Church and for souls.

(Epilogue)

And finally, some words from The Little Flower about three months before she died, words that certainly ring true:

I feel that my mission is about to begin, my mission of making others love God as I love Him, my mission of teaching my little way to souls. If God answers my requests, my heaven will be spent on earth up until the end of the world. Yes, I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth.

(Epilogue)

Beloved Saint Therese of Child Jesus and all of the holy ones commemorated this week, please help us to preserve our lives and live by turning away for all the sins that we have committed (See Ezk 18:27-28). Help us to do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than ourselves, each of us looking out not for our own interests, but all for those of others (See Ph 2:3-4). In faith and with prayer, may we be of the same mind, with the same love, and united in heart (See Ph 2:2). Keep going!

SAINT THERESE OF LISIEUX,

ALL THE HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS,

THE BLESSED MARTYRS OF SUSSEX,

SAINT THOMAS CANTILUPE,

BLESSED ANDRE DE SOVERAL AND COMPANIONS,

SAINT FRANCIS BORGIA,

SAINT THEODORE GUERIN,

SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI,

SAINT FAUSTINA KOWALSKA,

BLESSED FRANCIS XAVIER SEELOS,

SAINT BRUNO,

BLESSED MARIE ROSE DUROCHER,

OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY,

PRAY FOR US.

*All quotations come from Saint Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of Saint Therese of Lisieux Study Edition (ICS, 2005). This edition might be considered for a book club or discussion group. ☺ Another book to consider, perhaps as a companion book, or introduction to the Little Flower, is Heather King, Shirt of Flame: A Year with Saint Therese of Lisieux. In fact, I stumbled across that little gem while cleaning some shelves one day. It jumped out at me as happens sometimes; it turned out to be just the book I needed. 

Today's photo: In honor of “The Little Flower," she speaks again: "It seems to me that if a little flower could speak, it would tell simply what God has done for it without trying to hide its blessings" (Manuscript A, Chapter I).

© Gertrude Feick 2023