Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

The Month of January Dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus

Saint: Saint Anthony the Great, Abbot (251-356)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 3:7-13 Summoning the Brothers for Counsel

Mass: Heb 6:10-20; Resp Ps 111; Mk 2:23-28 

Great are the works of the Lord.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

MARY, QUEEN OF MONKS AND NUNS,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

JESUS, LORD OF THE SABBATH,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God,

For great is the power of God; by the humble He is glorified.

(Sirach 3:18-19)

We have the privilege to commemorate Saint Anthony the Great, the Father of Western Monasticism, on this Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary. That alone makes this time anything but ordinary. There is plenty to say about dear to all monks and nuns Saint Anthony. The best way to learn about his life is by reading The Life of St. Anthony, written by another great saint, Saint Athanasius (c. 296-373). You can also turn to the second reading in the Office of Readings for January 17. It is in that excerpt from the Life of Saint Anthony that one learns how Anthony got started. When Anthony was about 20 years old, his parents died; Anthony and his younger sister were left to care for themselves. Some months after the death of his parents, Anthony was entering a church just as the Gospel was being proclaimed and he heard the words of the Lord to the rich young man: If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor- you will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me. In brief, Anthony listened to the Lord's call and gave away all the property he inherited, and his possessions too. He placed his sister in the care of some well-known virgins and arranged for her to be brought up in the convent (I wonder whatever came of the dear nameless girl). Then Anthony gave himself to the ascetical life of prayer and manual labor. People in the local area called Anthony "the friend of God, and they loved him as both son and brother." And from that time on, many men and women have responded to the same call from the Lord and followed Anthony's lead. And we keep at it. Anthony died at the ripe age of 105. Well done, good and faithful servant. 

At the same time, it is a good day to reflect on The Sayings of the Desert Father, here from the alphabetical collection, translated by the late Anglican nun, theologian and historian, Benedicta Ward, SLG (1933-2022). Not surprisingly, the first sayings under Alpha come from Anthony the Great. I've included a few sayings for you here.

Abba Anthony said, 'A time is coming when men will go mad, and they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him saying, "You are mad, you are not like us."'

They said that a certain old man asked God to let him see the Fathers and he saw them all except Abba Anthony. So he asked his guide, 'Where is Abba Anthony?' He told him in reply that in the place where God is, there Anthony will be.

Some say of Saint Anthony that he was 'Spirit-born', that is, carried along by the Holy Spirit, but he would never speak of this to men. Such men see what is happening in the world, as well as knowing what is going to happen. 

Abba Anthony said, 'I no longer fear God, but I love Him. For love casts out fear.' 

Abba Anthony said, 'Whoever hammers a lump of iron, first decides what he is going to make of it, a scythe, a sword, or an axe. Even so we ought to make up our minds what kind of virtue we want to forge or we labor in vain.'

He also said, 'Obedience with abstinence gives men power over wild beasts.'

He also said, 'Nine monks fell away after many labours and were obsessed with spiritual pride, for they put their trust in their own works and being deceived they did not give to the commandment that says, "Ask your father and he will tell you."

And he said this, 'If he is able to, a monk ought to tell his elders confidently how many steps he takes and how many drops of water he drinks in his cell, in case he is in error about it.'

SAINT ANTHONY THE GREAT,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: I thought it would be a while before we had this glorious sky. However, things cleared some yesterday. And it looks like some of the same is on tap for today. I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart.

© Gertrude Feick 2023

Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

Saints: Saint Stephen of Hungary, First King of Hungary, Patron Saint of Hungary (969-1038); Saint Rock (-1378); Blessed Maria Sagrario of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (1881-1936)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 61:6-14 The Reception of Visiting Monks 

Mass: Ezk 28:1-10; Resp Ps (Dt 32); Mt 19:23-30

Surely, the Lord shall do justice for His people.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

HEART OF MARY, HOLOCAUST OF DIVINE LOVE,

PRAY FOR US.

The younger monks, then, must respect their seniors, and the seniors must love their juniors ...

they should each try to be the first to show respect to the other.

(Rule of Saint Benedict, 58:10, 17/Rom 12:10)

With Saint Benedict's teaching from the 6th century, and Saint Stephen's counsel for his son Emeric in the 10th-11th century, all the faithful are given sound advice.  O, the beauty of our faith tradition. Let us be thankful.

Be merciful to all who are suffering violence, keeping always in your heart the example of the Lord who said: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. Be patient with everyone, not only with the powerful, but also the weak ... 

Be humble in this life, that God may raise you up in the next. Be truly moderate and do not punish or condemn anyone immoderately. Be gentle so that you may never oppose justice. Be honorable so that you may never voluntarily bring disgrace upon anyone. Be chaste so that you may avoid all the foulness of lust like the pangs of death.

(From admonitions to his son by Saint Stephen, in Office of Readings, August 16)

With God all things are possible ...

Everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, the last will be first.

(Mt 19:26, 29-30)

SAINT STEPHEN OF HUNGARY,

SAINT ROCK,

BLESSED MARIA SAGRARIO OF SAINT ALOYSIUS GONZAGA,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: More than a few things around here are healthy and green. Discard not the work of your hands, Lord.

© Gertrude Feick 2022

Saturday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

Year of Saint Joseph

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

National Back to School Month

Saint: Pope Saint Pius X (1835-1914); 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, Korea's First Native-Born Priest (1821-1846)

Readings of the Day

RB: Ch 63:7-22

Mass: Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17; Resp Ps 128; Mt 23:1-12

See how the Lord blesses those who fear Him.

Two things for today. First, why not read and reflect on the Book of Ruth. A beautiful story of fidelity, it is not long, only four short chapters. I love Ruth, and especially something she said to Naomi: "Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you! for wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Wherever you do die I will die, and there be buried. May the Lord do so and so to me, and more besides, if aught but death separate me from you?" (Ruth 1:16-17). 

Second, considering the words of Pope Saint Pius X below, why not pray with the psalms? Do you have a favorite psalm? If you don't have a favorite psalm, find one and make a new friend with it. 😊

The psalms have a wonderful power to awaken in our hearts the desire for every virtue ... Indeed, who could fail to be moved by those many passages in the psalms which set forth so profoundly the infinite majesty of God, his omnipotence, his justice and goodness and clemency, too deep for words, and other infinite qualities of his that deserve our praise? Who could fail to be roused to the same emotions by the prayers of thanksgiving to God for blessings received, by the petitions, so humble and confident, for blessings still awaited, by the cries of a soul in sorrow for sin committed? Who could not be fired with love as he looks on the likeness of Christ, the redeemer, here so lovingly foretold? His was the voice Augustine heard in every psalm, the voice of praise, of suffering, of joyful expectation, of present distress.

(From the apostolic constitution Divino afflatu of Pope Saint Pius X, in Office of Readings, August 21, 2021)

POPE SAINT PIUS X,

SAINT JOSEPH,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: How's this for a dinner plate dahlia!

© Gertrude Feick 2021

Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Year of Saint Joseph

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

Blessed Virgin Mary

Saint: Blessed Mary Josephine Catanea (1894-1948)

Readings of the Day

RB: Ch 19 The Discipline of Psalmody

Mass: Gn 18:1-5; Resp Ps (Lk 1); Mt 8:5-17

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.

MARY MOTHER OF MERCY,

PRAY FOR US.

There are three stories in today's Gospel, stories about people of faith who go to Jesus to be healed of their infirmities. One of my favorites is the second one, it's brief. Jesus enters Peter's house; He sees Peter's mother-in-law in bed with a fever; the Divine Physician touches her hand; the fever leaves her; she rises and waits on Jesus (Mt 8:14-15). May we be people of such faith and action and go to Jesus who took away our infirmities and bore our diseases (Mt 8:17). 

Serve the Lord with fear, and again, In the presence of the angels I will sing to you. Let us consider, then, how we ought to behave in the presence of God and His angels, and let us stand to sing the psalms in such a way that our minds are in harmony with our voices.

(Rule of Saint Benedict, 19:3-7)

If by a diligent life of virtue you wash away the film of dirt that covers yours heart, then the divine beauty will shine forth in you.

(From a homily by Saint Gregory of Nyssa, bishop, in Office of Readings, Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday) 

BLESSED MARY JOSEPHINE CATANEA,

SAINT JOSEPH,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Another look at the sunrise from the top of Black Butte, OR. God is praised.

© Gertrude Feick 2021