Churches of the Day

Monday of the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time, Year 2

Saints of the Day: 22 June;
1.  St Paulinus of Nola, bishop (353-431)
2. Ss Thomas More, Bishop and martyr (1478-1535) 
3. St John Fisher,     Bishop and martyr (1469-1553)
c/f Short lives of these saints/martyrs can be found below todays' Readings and Reflection.

FIRST READING

A reading from the Book of Kings              17:5-8. 13-15. 18
The Lord thrust Israel away from him. There was none left but the tribe of Judah.

The king of Assyria invaded the whole country and, coming to Samaria, laid siege to it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah on the Habor, a river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

This happened because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshipped other gods, they followed the practices of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed for them.

And yet through all the prophets and all the seers, the Lord had given Israel and Judah this warning, 'Turn from your wicked ways and keep my commandments and my laws in accordance with the entire Law I laid down for your fathers and delivered to them through my servants the prophets.'

But they would not listen, they were more stubborn than their ancestors had been who had no faith in the Lord their God. They despised his laws and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and the warnings he had given them. For this, the Lord was enraged with Israel and thrust them away from him. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

The Word of the Lord.            Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm          Ps 59: 3-5. 12-13. R/v 7
Response                                Hear us, O Lord, and help us.

1. O God you have rejected us and broken us.
You have been angry; come back to us.                                                                                         Response

2. You have made the earth quake, torn it open. Repair what is shattered for it sways.
You have inflicted hardships on your people and made us drink a wine that dazed us.     Response

3. Will you utterly reject us, O God, and no longer march with our armies?
Give us help against the foe: for the help of man is vain.                                                          Response

Gospel  Acclamation          Jn 17: 17
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your word is truth, O Lord, consecrate us in the truth .
Alleluia!

or                                               2 Heb 4: 12
Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of God is something alive and active:
it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL

The Lord be with you.                       And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew  7:1-5        Glory to you, O Lord
Take the plank out of your own eye first.

Jesus said to his disciples:
'Do not judge, and you will not be judged: because the judgements you give are the judgements you will get, and the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given. Why do you observe the splinter in your brother's eye and never notice the plank in your own? How dare you say to your brother, "Let me take the splinter out of your eye", when all the time there is a plank in your own?

Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brother's eye.'

The Gospel of the Lord.          Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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Gospel Reflection         Monday           Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time            Matthew 7:1-5

We live in a somewhat judgemental society. If someone fails in some way, people can take a certain delight in drawing attention to their failure. In that sense, the message of Jesus in today’s gospel reading has a somewhat subversive feel to it: ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged.’ Jesus seems to be suggesting that when we judge others, we are leaving ourselves open to God’s judgement. Jesus may be implying that when we judge someone, we are doing something that only God can do. We simply do not have the insight into others to judge them fairly or justly. In addition, our own perception of others is restricted because of our own failings. This seems to be the point of the humorous image Jesus uses of someone with a plank in their eye trying to take a splinter out of someone else’s eye. Because of all kinds of prejudices and failings in ourselves, we don’t see clearly enough to make a sound judgement of others. There is a line in the Jewish Scriptures, ‘The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’

In John’s Gospel, it is said of Jesus, ‘He himself knew what was in everyone.’ Jesus is considered unique in this regard. No one else knows what is in everyone. Our limited insight into others, arising partly out of our own failings, should make us slow to judge others. Saint Paul was true to the teaching of Jesus in this matter of judging others. He says in his first letter to the Corinthians, ‘Do not pronounce judgement, before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and disclose the purposes of the heart.’ Only the Lord can disclose the purposes of the human heart; we can never get inside the heart of another. It is clear from the gospel reading that Jesus wants us to work on our own failings before focusing unduly on the failings of others. ‘Take the plank out of your own eye first.’ There is enough there to be going on with, for most of us.

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The scripture readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and used with the permission of the publishers.  http://dltbooks.com/The Gospel reflection comes from Reflections on the Weekday Readings : My Words Will Not Pass Away by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications  c/f www.messenger.ie/bookstore

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Saints of the Day: 22 June; 1.  St Paulinus of Nola, married man, bishop (353-431)
Living among the leisurely aristocracy of the later Roman empire, Paulinus was first a married man who became a Christian as an adult, then was ordained priest by popular acclaim. He and his wife both embraced celibacy. He spent the last twenty two years of his life as Bishop of Nola in Campania, Italy.

Patrick Duffy tells his story.

Of a Roman Senatorial Family in Gaul
  Paulineus was born in Bourdeaux, France, of a Roman senatorial family, Paulinus's father was the prefect of Gaul, but owned land also in Italy and Spain. He attended the school of rhetoric and poetry established at Bourdeaux by the poet and teacher Ausonius (310–395). He practised as a lawyer and held posts in the imperial administration.

Travels and Marriage
Paulinus travelled widely. In 381 he became governor of Campania in Italy, but returned to Bourdeaux and married a Spanish wife, Therasia. After some years of pleasant leisure, they both became committed Christians and were baptised about 390.

Ordination in Barcelona
They went to live in Barcelona, Spain, where a son was born, but died in infancy. Soon after this, they began to give their wealth to the poor and to the Church. Perhaps because of this generosity, the people called for him to be ordained a priest - even though he was not a deacon and was not bonded to the diocese. The bishop of Barcelona agreed and he was ordained on Christmas Day 393.

Move to Nola in Campania
Paulinus and Therasia, however, moved on to Italy. He was welcomed in Milan by Ambrose, but not in Rome by Pope Siricius (384-399) since he had supported his rival for the papacy (St Jerome). The couple settled on an estate at Nola, near Naples, where they involved themselves in helping the needy and in public building works, including an aqueduct.

Monastic Community and Celibacy
They also set up a small monastic community as well as a hospice for the sick and for pilgrims to the shrine of the local saint, St Felix, who had been martyred in 255. They both opted to live as celibates and as hermits.

Bishop of Nola
When the local bishop died in 409, Paulinus was chosen to succeed him. He ruled with wisdom and generosity. He continued a scholarly life style, writing many poems and one for the feast of St Felix. He corresponded with many of the outstanding Christians of his time - Ss Martin of Tours, Ambrose, Augustine and Jerome. He also built and adorned with mosaics a church in honour of St Felix.

Death
Paulinus died after celebrating the Eucharist with two bishops and giving his final gift to the poor. He was buried in his own church at Nola. His relics were later taken to Rome, but restored to Nola in 1909 by Pope Pius X.

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Memorable Saying for Today

“The faith of those who live their faith is a serene faith.
What you long for will be given you; what you love will be yours forever.”

~ St. Leo the Great, pope (400-461 A.D.) ~

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2. Ss Thomas More, Bishop and martyr (1478-1535)
Pope John Paul II proclaimed Thomas More as patron of statesmen and politicians. Along with St John Fisher, the only English bishop not to capitulate to King Henry VIII's demands.

Bishop Martin Drennan explains why St Thomas More is put forward as a model.

Thomas More (1478-1535) was an English lawyer, writer and politician. Born in London, he studied law at Oxford and entered the English Parliament in 1504.  He married Jane Holt and they had four children. Like his friend Erasmus of Rotterdam, he was renowned as a humanist scholar.  He coined the word 'utopia', the name - it can mean either "good place" or "no place"! - given to an ideal imaginary island whose political system he described in a book of that title in 1516. When Henry VIII became king, he sought Thomas as his advisor and he became Chancellor of England in 1529.  In 1530 he refused to sign a letter asking the Pope to annul Henry's marriage to Catherine of Arragon and resigned in 1532. He now had neither job nor income, but both he and Bishop John Fisher of Rochester refused to acknowledge Henry as Supreme Head of the Church of England. This eventually led to their execution in 1535.  Both were canonised in 1935. During the Jubilee Year 2000 Pope John Paul II declared St Thomas More patron of lawyers, statesmen and politicians.

Support
In the course of his address Pope John Paul II said: 'At the beginning of the new century and new millennium, those responsible for public life are being faced with demanding responsibilities. It is precisely with this in mind that I have wished to offer you the support of a special patron, the martyr Saint Thomas More.

'Thomas More's life is truly an example for you who are called to serve humanity and society in the civic and political sphere. The eloquent testimony which he bore is as timely as ever at a historical moment which presents crucial challenges to everyone involved in governing.

'As a statesman he always placed himself at the service of the person, especially the weak and the poor. Honour and wealth had no sway over him, guided as he was by an outstanding sense of fairness. Above all, he never compromised his conscience, even to the point of making the supreme sacrifice so as not to disregard its voice. Invoke him, follow him, imitate him! His intercession will not fail - even in the most difficult situations - to bring you strength, good naturedness, patience and perseverance.'

Noble Calling
Pope John Paul II strongly affirms the noble calling of Christians to serve in the sphere of politics and law-making and goes on to say that for a faithful living out of their calling as public servants Christians need to be clear about their convictions if they are to have the courage to live by them.

Thomas More is a model of someone who based his choices on Christian principles. One of his best known statements is: 'When a statesman forsakes his own private conscience for the sake of his public duty he leads his country by a short road to chaos.' This is the wisdom of a man who knew how to put loyalty to God in first place. This is the conviction of a man who was a servant of his people but God's servant first. For Thomas had the wisdom to understand that if our relationship with God is distorted then our relationship with people can't be right. He knew that if a nation is to have good laws those laws begin from respect for the law of God.

Respect for life
On this point Pope John Paul II says, 'A law that does not respect the right to life from conception to the natural death of every human being, whatever his or her condition - healthy or ill, still in the embryonic stage, elderly or close to death - is not a law in harmony with the divine plan. Christian legislators may neither contribute to the formulation of such a law nor may they approve it in parliamentary assembly.' This offers a clear guideline for lawgivers as they respond to new scientific discoveries in the areas of biology and genetics. Consequently, legislators have to remember that human life is a gift of God to be respected, never an object to be exploited for the sake of short-term needs.

Jubilee Day
A second event from the Jubilee Year is significant for helping us to understand what the Pope invites us to do in our prayers of intercession. On November 4th, 2000, a Jubilee Day for Members of Parliament and Government Leaders, the Holy Father recalled a statement of Pope Paul VI in which he stressed that 'politics is a demanding way of living the Christian commitment to serve others'. He went on to call on Christians who are engaged in politics to act selflessly, to work for the good of one and all, especially for the less fortunate members of society.

Justice
As part of that appeal The Holy Father invited leaders to make some gesture of clemency to prisoners during the Jubilee Year, one that would encourage them on the path of conversion and give them an incentive to sincerely accept the values of justice. He went on to say that justice must be the fundamental concern of political leaders and legislators, a justice which aims at creating conditions of equal opportunity among people. True justice builds solidarity; it fosters good relationships and it is inclusive. 'Peace is the fruit of justice,' he says. The justice which brings peace serves to oppose all violence against human life at every stage of its development. In working for justice the tasks of politics and lawmaking are to formulate and approve laws that promote the real good of every person. To fulfil their responsibilities to God, the sole master of human life, legislators need wisdom.  They are called on to witness to their own faith and to be faithful to their own principles in the ever new situations which they face.



Say a Prayer for the integrity of our legislators
If our legislators are to make the Gospel of Christ their guide and be effective as a leaven in society they need our support and our prayer. We need to intercede for them so that, guided by the wisdom that God is master of all of life, their work may be fruitful as they seek to build a just future, a future where the world will continue to be civilized more and more by love.



This article first appeared in The Messenger (August 2001), a publication of the Irish Jesuits.

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Memorable Sayings for Today

When a statesman forsakes his own private conscience for the sake of his public duty
he leads his country by a short road to chaos.'

~ St Thomas More ~

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Saints of the Day: 22 June; 3. St John Fisher,     Bishop and martyr (1469-1553)
c/f Short live of this saint/martyr can be found below todays' Readings and Reflection.

John Fisher was a quiet, scholarly man, who, as Bishop of Rochester refused to recognise Henry VIII as Head of the Church in England. He was imprisoned, found guilty of treason and  was beheaded on 22nd June 1535.

Henry Peel OP recalls his story.

On June 7th, 1535, John Fisher was found guilty of treason on the grounds that he had said these words: 'The King, our Sovereign Lord, is not Supreme Head in earth of the Church of England," On June 22nd of that same year he was beheaded on Tower Hill in London.

Before he died he proclaimed to the crowd who had gathered to watch the execution: "Christian people, I am come hither to die for the Faith of Christ's Holy Catholic Church." While in prison awaiting trial John Fisher had been created a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. (He was the first member of the College of Cardinals to suffer martyrdom.)

In 1935 he was canonised as a Saint in St Peter's Basilica in Rome. His Feast Day is kept on June 22nd together with that of his companion martyr, St Thomas More. More was a layman who had been Lord Chancellor of England. Thus the chief law officer of the Crown and the highest dignitary of ecclesiastical rank in England, died in defence of the principle that the Pope is the Supreme Head in earth of the Church of England.

Henry VIII Defender of the Faith


[caption id="attachment_46706" align="alignright" width="224"] Pope Leo X was so impressed with Henry's endeavors to preserve Catholic beliefs that he conferred him the title of 'Fidei defensor' or 'Defender of the faith .[/caption]

Only ten years before his execution John Fisher and King Henry VIII had jointly defended the old Faith against the attack of Martin Luther. The King had written 'A defence of the seven sacraments' against Luther's new ideas. John Fisher had written 'A defence of the assertions of the King of England against Luther's Babylonian Captivity.' The latter work was published at Cologne in 1525. The King's book had appeared in the late summer of 1520. In September 1520 King Henry's book, which contained a strong defence of the Pope as the divinely appointed Head of the Church was presented to Pope Leo X. In recognition of the King's defence of the Catholic Faith the Pope conferred on him the title of Defender of the Faith. The Papal Bull conferring this title granted it also to his successors as a permanent memorial of his orthodox faith and of his zealous skill in its defence. This papal title is still included in the official title of English monarchs.

Scholarly Man
John Fisher was a quiet, scholarly man. He was born in Yorkshire in 1469. His father was a wool merchant and he sent his son to Cambridge. John Fisher graduated as a Bachelor in 1488. In 1491 he took his Mastership and became a Fellow of Michael House. In 1501 he became a Doctor of Divinity and Vice Chancellor. In 1504 he was Chancellor of the University. This progress shows his scholarly interests. Even more significant was his choice of the famous humanist, Erasmus, to lecture at the University. He was a friend of More and of those who aimed at a reform of education especially for the clergy. Indicative also of his character and of his interest is that at the age of forty seven he took up the serious study of Greek and began to study Hebrew. In 1504 he was appointed Bishop of Rochester.

The diocese of Rochester was the poorest of the English dioceses. Its bishop had no interest in promotion to any higher dignity. When such promotion was offered him he said: "I would rather keep my poor wife than marry the richest widow of England." He devoted the same care to his diocese as he had devoted to the promotion of education. In appearance he was a tall, handsome man, of slim build and dark, greying hair.

The events which led to his death was the king's decision to repudiate his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and to claim Headship of the Church of England when the Pope refused to sanction the King's decision.
On 16 April, 1534 John Fisher  was lodged in the Tower of London together with Thomas More. Both had refused to take the oath of Succession acknowledging the issue of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as legitimate heirs to the Throne. "Not that I condemn any other men's conscience," he wrote, "their conscience may save them and mine must save me." Fisher's trial took place in Westminster Hall on June 17th 1535. He was found guilty of high treason for denying that the King was Supreme Head of the Church of England.

John Fisher Dies on Scaffold
On the morning of June 22nd, 1535, John Fisher was roused from sleep before five o'clock. The Lieutenant of the Tower told him that he was to die that day. "Well", he said, "if this be your errand you bring me no great news, for I have long looked for this message. And I must humbly thank the King's Majesty that it pleaseth him to rid me from all this worldly business. And I thank you also for your tidings." He then asked what time it was and being told that it was about five he said: "Well then let me by your patience sleep an hour or two. For I have slept very little this night. And yet to tell the truth, not for any fear of death, thank God, but by reason of my great infirmity and weakness."

When he awoke after a brief sleep, John Fisher began his final preparation. He asked that his best clothes, such as they were, should be laid out for him, remarking: "This is our marriage day and it behooveth us to use more cleanliness for the solemnity thereof." He was very weak and had to be carried in a chair to the Tower Gate for the formality of handing him over to the Sheriff of London. He was escorted by soldiers with arms at the ready. There was a pause at the Tower gate. Fisher opened his New Testament and his eyes fell on the passage of the Gospel according to St John; "This is eternal life to know Thee, the only true God and Him whom Thou hast sent, Jesus Christ. I have glorified Thee on earth. I have finished the work Thou gavest me to do. And now glorify Thou me, Father, with Thyself, with the glory which I had with Thee, before the world was made." He then said: "There is enough learning in that to last me to the end of my life." His scholarship had reached its fulfilment.

At the scaffold Fisher declined an offer to help him mount the steps saying: "No, masters, since I came so far ye shall see me shift for myself well enough." From the scaffold he said that he was about to die for the faith -' that hitherto by God's grace he had not been afraid - but that he asked their prayers lest at the very stroke of death he might not stand steadfast. He invoked a blessing on England, that God would hold His holy hand over it. And he prayed for the King that God would send him good counsel. He recited the Te Deum, forgave his enemies and laid his head of the block. At one blow of the axe it was severed from his body.

His friend Thomas More, who was to follow him to the scaffold within a few days, wrote of him: "I reckon in this realm no one man, in wisdom, learning and long approved virtue together, meet to be matched and compared with him."



This article first appeared in The St Martin Magazine (June 2001), a publication of the Irish Dominicans.

 

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

FIRST READING

A reading from the Second Book of Kings              4:8-11. 14-16
The man who is constantly passing our way must be a holy man of God.

One day as Elisha was on his way to Shunem, a woman of rank who lived there
pressed him to stay and eat there. After this he always broke his journey for a meal when he passed that way. She said to her husband,
'Look, I am sure the man who is constantly passing our way must be a holy man of God. Let us build him a small room on the roof, and put a bed in it, and a table and chair and lamp; whenever he comes to us he can rest there.'

One day when he came, he retired to the upper room and lay down.
'What can be done for her then?' he asked.
Gehazi answered, 'Well, she has no son and her husband is old'.
Elisha said, 'Call her'. The servant called her and she stood at the door.
'This time next year,' he said 'you will hold a son in your arms.'

The Word of the Lord.        Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm      Ps 88: 2-3. 16-19. R/v 2
Response                            I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

1. I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord; through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.
    Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever, that your truth is firmly established as the heavens. Response

2. Happy the people who acclaim such a king, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
    who find their joy every day in your name, who make your justice the source of their bliss.               Response

3. For it is you, O Lord, who are the glory of their strength; it is by your favour that our might is exalted:
   for our ruler is in the keeping of the Lord; our king in the keeping of the Holy One of  lsrael.           Response

SECOND READING

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Romans         6: 3-4. 8-11
When we were baptised we went into the tomb with Christ, so that we too might live a new life.

You have been taught that when we were baptised in Christ Jesus we were baptised in his death; in other words, when we were baptised we went into the tomb with him and joined him in death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father's glory, we too might live a new life.

But we believe that having died with Christ we shall return to life with him: Christ, as we know, having been raised from the dead will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. When he died, he died, once for all, to sin, so his life now is life with God; and in that way, you too must consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.

The Word of the Lord.            Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation         Acts 16: 10
Alleluia, alleluia!
Open our heart, O Lord, to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!

Or                                          1 Peter 2:9
Alleluia, alleluia!
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a people set apart, to sing
the praises of God who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL                 

A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew           10:37-42
Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me.
Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me.

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows :
'Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me.
Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me.
Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me.

Anyone who finds his life will lose it;
anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.

Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me;
and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me.
Anyone who welcomes a prophet will have a prophet's reward;
and anyone who welcomes a holy man will have a holy man's reward.

'If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple,
then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.'

 The Gospel of the Lord.            Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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For homily resources for this Sunday's Gospel click here:  https://www.catholicireland.net/sunday-homily/



Taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published and copyright 1966 by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House Inc, and used by permission of the publishers.