Churches of the Day

Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2
Saints of the day; Jan 28: St Thomas Aquinas O.P.,  doctor of the Church
C/f A short life of this saint can be found below todays' Readings and Reflection.

FIRST READING 

A reading from the second book of  Samuel         7: 4-17
Your House and your Sovereignty will always stand secure before me.

The word of the Lord came to Nathan 'Go and tell my servant David,
"Thus the Lord speaks:
'Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I have never stayed in a house from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until today, but have always led a wanderer's life in a tent. In all my journeying with the whole people of Israel, did I say to any one of the judges of Israel, whom I had appointed as shepherds of Israel my people: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"

This is what you must say to my servant David,
"The Lord Sabaoth says this:
I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel;
I have been with you on all your expeditions;
I have cut off all your enemies before you.
I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. |
I will provide a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel;
I will give them rest from all their enemies. the Lord will make you great; The Lord will make you a House.

And when your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. (It is he who shall build a house for my name, and I will make his royal throne secure for ever.)
I will be a father to him and he a son to me; if he does evil, I will punish him with the rod such as men use, with strokes such as mankind gives. Yet my will is not to withdraw my favour from him, as I withdrew it from your predecessor. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever."'

Nathan related all these words to David and this whole revelation.

The Word of the Lord.          Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm        Ps 88: 4-5, 27-28, 29-30
Response                              I will keep my love tor him always.

1. I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant:
I will establish your dynasty for ever and set up your throne through all ages.      Response

2. He will say to me: 'You are my father, my God, the rock who saves me:
And I will make him my first-born, the highest of the kings of the earth.               Response

3.  I will keep my love for him always; for him my covenant shall endure.
I will establish his dynasty for ever, make his throne as lasting as the heavens.    Response

Gospel  Acclamation                               1 Sam 3: 9
Alleluia, alleluia!
Speak, Lord, your servant is listening: you have the message of eternal life.
Alleluia!

or   
Alleluia, alleluia!
The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;
whoever finds the seed will remain for ever.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL 

The Lord be with you              And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to  Mark 4: 1-20             Glory to you, O Lord
Imagine a sower going out to sow.

Again Jesus began to teach by the lakeside, but such a huge crowd gathered round him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there. The people were all along the shore, at the water's edge. He taught them many things in parables, and in the course of his teaching he said to them,
'Listen!, Imagine a sower going out to sow. Now it happened that, as he sowed, some of the seed fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground where it found little soil and sprang up straightaway, because there was no depth of earth; and when the sun came up it was scorched and, not having any roots, it withered away. Some seed fell into thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no crop. And some seeds fell into rich soil and, growing tall and strong, produced crop; and yielded thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold.'
And he said, 'Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!'

When he was alone, the Twelve, together with the others who formed his company, asked what the parables meant.
He told them, 'The secret of the kingdom of God is given to you, but to those who are outside everything comes in parables, so that they may see and see again, but not perceive; may hear and hear again, but not understand; otherwise they might be converted and be forgiven'.

He said to them,
'Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?
What the sower is sowing is the word. Those on the edge of the path where the word is sown are people who have no sooner heard it than Satan comes and carries away the word that was sown in them.
Similarly, those who receive the seed on patches of rock are people who, when first they hear the word, welcome it at once with joy. But they have no root in them, they do not last; should some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, they fall away at once.

Then there are others who receive the seed in thorns. These have heard the word, but the worries of this world, the lure of riches and all the other passions come in to choke the word, and so it produces nothing.
And there are those who have received the seed in rich soil: they hear the word and accept it and yield a harvest, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.'

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

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Gospel Reflection            Wednesday                  Third Week in Ordinary Time              Mark 4:1-20

Those who like to do some gardening are aware that not everything that is planted will survive the various assaults of weather and insects. However, what doesn’t grow or what grows and doesn’t last can be more than compensated for by what flourishes. It can be such a joy when something that is planted reaches its full potential, even if other plantings are much less successful.

In the parable, Jesus imagines a sower scattering seed in a very liberal fashion. Much of it does not come to fruition, because of hungry birds, thin soil, thorny weeds and much else. However, some seed survived all those threats and produced an extraordinary crop. Thirty, sixty, a hundredfold is way above the yield any farmer would expect. At this point the parable loses touch a little with reality. However, perhaps that is the point. Much of Jesus’ preaching has encountered unreceptive hearts. It made little or no impact. The interpretation of the parable, which may reflect the setting of the early church rather than the setting of Jesus’ ministry, suggests reasons why the preaching of the word fails to bear fruit in people’s lives. Yet, Jesus was saying to his disciples that whenever his word is received by hearts that are open and receptive the fruits can be wonderful. In spite of so much indifference and failure, even a small number of receptive hearts can usher in the kingdom of God in ways that defy all normal expectations. We can easily get discouraged by the indifference of many to the message of the gospel. The Lord is reminding us that even in times of great loss, he can nevertheless work powerfully through those whose hearts are receptive to his word. They can be the beachhead in our world for the coming of God’s kingdom.

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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd. and used with the permission of the publishers.  http://dltbooks.com/
The Scripture Reflection is made available with our thanks from his book Reflections on the Weekday Readings : The Word is near to you, on your lips and in your heart by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/

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Saints of the day; Jan 28: St Thomas Aquinas O.P., priest and  doctor of the Church

Thomas was born near Aquino (Italy) about 1225; Educated at Monte Cassino, Naples, Paris, and Cologne, he became a Dominican in 1244 and died on his way to the Council of Lyons in 1274. He is regarded as one of the greatest theologians in the history of the Church.

Patrick Duffy traces his story.

Early life
Thomas was born of aristocratic parents at the castle of his father Count Landulf at Rocca Secca near the Roman municipium of Aquinum, also the birthplace of the Roman poet Juvenal. His mother Countess Theodora was related to the Hohenstaufen dynasty of the Roman Emperor. His father's brother Sinibaldo was abbot of the nearby Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino.
At five Thomas was sent there for his education with the hope perhaps that he might become the abbot there like his uncle. At sixteen he went to the University of Naples where he became interested in the Dominican friars. When his brothers heard he wished to become a Dominican, they held him captive at one of their castles and even brought a woman to tempt him, but he persisted and in the end his now widowed mother allowed him go back to the Dominicans. 

Cologne and Paris (1244-59)
The Dominicans soon sent him to Cologne where Albertus Magnus (Albert the Great 1200-1280) was lecturing in philosophy and theology. Thomas accompanied him to Paris. Here he graduated and became a master in theology in 1252. He was ordained a priest at Cologne. This was the time when the works of Aristotle with commentaries by the Islamic scholars Avicenna and Averrhoes were debated at Paris. Where others feared Aristotle as a "pagan", Aquinas valued his enquiring mind, the power of his reasoning and always referred to him very respectfully as "the philosopher".

At this time too, persuaded by fellow Dominican Raymund of Peñafort to help to confute the teaching of the Moors and Jews in Spain, Thomas began writing the Summa contra Gentes. It is a treatise that  moves from truths known from natural reason, such as creation, to truths of Christian revelation, centering on the person of Jesus.

Thomas in Italy (1259-69)
Thomas was recalled to Italy in 1259 and for ten years taught at and organised schools of the Dominican Order in Orvieto, Viterbo and Rome. After completing the Summa contra Gentes in 1264, he began his life's most important work, the Summa Theologica, which is a comprehensive explanation of the Christian faith, the moral life and the sacraments. In 1264 at the request of Pope Urban IV, he composed the Office and Mass for the new feast of Corpus Christi. This included the famous eucharistic hymns Adoro te devote, Verbum supernum, Lauda Sion Salvatorem and Pange lingua gloriosi (eucharistic version).

Friendship with King (Saint) Louis (1269-72)
In 1269 Thomas returned to Paris for three years, lecturing at the university of Paris and frequently a guest at the table of King (St) Louis IX. Once while dining with the King, he became absorbed in thought. Suddenly he banged on the table with his fist, shouting: "That finishes the heresy of the Manichees!". After this outburst he was rebuked by his prior and Thomas's secretary was ushered in quickly to write down his argument!

Later years in Italy (1272-74)
In 1272 Thomas was recalled to Italy to be regent of studies for the Dominicans in Naples. It was here on 6th December that he had a vision during Mass that caused him to stop work on the Summa Theologica and declare: "All that I have written seems to me like so much straw compared with what I have seen and what has been revealed to me."

Death and Influence
In January 1274 Pope Gregory X called him to attend the Second Council of Lyon where he hoped to re-unite the Eastern Church with the West. Thomas, though unwell, set out, but suffered a stroke en route and died at the Cistercian monastery of Fossanuova.

P.S. Thomas's written output is enormous.
See www.corpusthomisticum.org. The Council of Trent placed his Summa Theologica on the altar beside the Bible; a less dynamic Thomistic system dominated Catholic theology between Trent and Vatican II. His philosophy, especially his 'Five ways' towards the existence of God and his ethical teaching on the virtues, have been consistently influential in the Western philosophical tradition.

Despite ecclesiastical opposition at the time, the substance of his life's work has endured as an authentic exposition of Christian teaching and carries unique official approval. He was recognised for his modesty, the prayerfulness of his personal life, and the abiding influence of his thought. He was declared  patron of catholic schools, colleges and universities. But he is also invoked for protection against lightening, since, once when he was a young boy, his baby sister was killed by a bolt in a storm.

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Thomistic  wise words for today

“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary.
To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”

also 

"The things we love tell us what we are"

~ St. Thomas Aquinas ~

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Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A
Jesus revealed  the Beatitudes himself as his and his Father's, secret of happiness.
Jesus invites us to watch they was lived out in his life.

Saint of the Day, in Ireland, Feb 1 St Brigid, Abbess, Secondary Patron of Ireland
C/f A short life of this saint can be found below todays' Readings and Reflection.

FIRST  READING

A reading from the book of the Prophet Zephaniah     2:3. 3:12-13
 In your midst I will leave a humble and lowly people.

Seek the Lord, all you, the humble of the earth, who obey his commands.
Seek integrity, seek humility:  you may perhaps find shelter
on the day of the anger of the Lord.

In your midst I will leave a humble and lowly people, and those who are left in Israel will seek refuge in the name of the Lord.
They will do no wrong, will tell no lies; and the perjured tongue will no longer be found in their mouths.
But they will be able to graze and rest with no one to disturb them.

The Word of the Lord        Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm    Ps 145: 7-10 R/v Mat 5:3
Response                          How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

1. It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever, who is just to those who are oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry, the Lord, who sets prisoners free.                     Response

2. It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind, who raises up those who are bowed down,
the Lord, who protects the stranger and upholds the widow and orphan.              Response

3. It is the Lord who loves the just but thwarts the path of the wicked.
The Lord will reign for ever, Zion's God, from age to age.                             Response

SECOND READING  

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians  1:26-31
God chose what is foolish by human reckoning.

Take yourselves, brothers, at the time when you were called: how many of you were wise in the ordinary sense of the word, how many were influential people, or came from noble families? No, it was to shame the wise that God chose what is foolish by human reckoning, and to shame what is strong that he chose what is weak by human reckoning; those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones that God has chosen - those who are nothing at all to show up those who are everything.

The human race has nothing to boast about to God, but you, God have made members of Christ Jesus and by God's doing he has become our wisdom, and our virtue, and our holiness, and our freedom.
As scripture says: 'If anyone wants to boast, let him boast about the Lord.'

The Word of the Lord                 Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation            Mt 11:25
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children.
Alleluia!

or                                          Mt 5: 12
Alleluia, alleluia!
Rejoice and be glad: your reward will be great in Heaven.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL 

The Lord be with you.                    And with your spirit
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew     5:1-12       Glory to you, O Lord
'How happy are the poor in spirit.

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples.
Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

'How blessed are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the gentle: they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Blessed are those who mourn: they shall be comforted.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.
Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

'Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.

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



The scripture readings are taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and used with permission of the publishers.

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

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Saint of the Day, Feb 1 St Brigid, Abbess, Secondary Patron of Ireland
C/f A short life of this saint can be found below todays' Readings and Reflection.

Bridget patroness of those who have a care for the earth, for justice, equality and peace and also model for contemplative prayer.

Brigidine Sister Rita Minehan profiles St Brigid here as a model for contemplative prayer.

A great resurgence of interest in all aspects of our Celtic heritage is leading many individuals and groups to rediscover - and draw inspiration from - the lives of the early Irish saints. St Brigid, the patroness of Ireland, is emerging as one whose life has relevance and inspiration for us as we try to face the issues that confront our country and our world at this time. When we look at the life of Brigid and at some of these issues we can see more clearly why she continues to be relevant to us today. (The image left is of Brigid with lepers,  taken from  the mosaic in Armagh Cathedral.)

Carer of the Earth
The feast of St Brigid on the 1st of February is a celebration of the wonderful springing back of the earth from its winter sleep. It is the season when we celebrate new beginnings and new life on earth. The sod is turned. The day lengthens. Seeds are sown and sails are hoisted.

Many of the stories about Brigid tell of her milking the cows, churning the milk, making up the firkins of butter, shepherding her flocks of sheep, helping with the harvest and even brewing the ale! Brigid, in keeping with her Celtic traditions, was wonderfully attuned to the seasons and cycles of nature. She valued the elements of nature: earth, air, fire and water.

Light the Fire


Today, we are becoming more aware of the fragility of our planet. Lands are becoming barren, skies fouled, waters poisoned. Many individuals and groups concerned about the environment draw inspiration from the reverence and respect which Brigid had for the land. She is often referred to as the' Saint of Agriculture.' In a new hymn, composed by Fr Liam Lawton, Brigid is invoked 'to heal our wounds and green our earth again.'

"A Life of Brigid" (Vita Brigitae), composed by Cogitosus about 650 AD,  places great emphasis on Brigid's faith, her healing powers, her hospitality, her generosity, her great skill with animals, and her compassion for the poor and the oppressed. Twenty three of the thirty two chapters tell of her extraordinary concern for the poor. One of the Brigidine legends illustrates this very effectively.

Woman of Compassion
One day when Brigid was on a long journey she stopped to rest by the wayside. A rich lady heard about this and brought her a beautiful basket of choice apples. No sooner had she received them than a group of very poor people came by and begged her for food. Without a moment's hesitation, Brigid gave them the choice apples. The rich lady was utterly disgusted and she complained to Brigid, "I brought those apples for you, not for them." Brigid's reply was: "What is mine is theirs." This Brigidine legend poses a challenge to all of us in terms of our world today, where forty-five thousand people die from hunger and hunger-related diseases every day and where twenty percent of the population own and consume about eighty percent of the earth's resources. The poverty gap continues to widen both within and between countries, as the rich grow richer and the poor grow poorer. This legend challenges us to work for a more equitable distribution of the world's resources.

Model of Equality
It is generally accepted that Brigid established her abbey and church in Kildare around 480 AD, on the site now occupied by St Brigid's Cathedral. Brigid held a unique position in the Irish Church and society of her day. As Abbess, she presided over the local Church of Kildare and was leader of a double monastery for men and women.

Tradition suggests that she invited Conleth, a hermit from Old Connell near Newbridge, to assist her in Kildare. Cogitosus tells us that 'they governed their Church by means of a mutually happy alliance.'

What emerges from many of these stories and legends about Brigid is the portrait of a strong and gentle woman, a powerful leader, a good organiser, a skillful healer and a wise spiritual guide. Brigid has become - for men as well as women - a potent symbol of Christian womanhood, showing us in so many different ways the feminine face of God.

Woman of Peace
There was no lack of domestic strife in the Ireland of Brigid's day, where feuds between clans were commonplace. She is often depicted as a peacemaker who intervened in disputes between rival factions and brought healing and reconciliation. Folklorists tell us that in some parts of Ireland a St Brigid's cross was often used as a token of goodwill between neighbours, indicating a desire for peace and friendship after a local quarrel.

One of the best-known stories associated with St Brigid is that of her giving away her father's precious sword to a poor man so that he could barter it for food to feed his family. Thus, a sword, a weapon of war, was transformed into a life-giving instrument. This story offers an important lesson for our world today where every minute thirteen million pounds is being spent on weapons of war. One wonders what links Brigid would make today between the massive expenditure on arms and the welfare of the poor people of the world?

Woman of Contemplation
Brigid emerges as a woman of action in the stories, legends and poems about her. If one, however, were to seek the source from which she drew her strength and energy, one could probably find the answer in this story.

One day, St Brendan the Navigator stood on a cliff top and watched two whales engaging in fierce combat. Suddenly, the smaller whale, in a human voice, cried out for help not to Brendan but to Brigid, who was not even present. The cry was answered immediately, and the combat ceased. Brendan was puzzled as to why he had been ignored. 'Do you always think about God?' asked Brigid, when the two met. 'Yes,' replied Brendan, 'except at times when my boat is caught in a storm at sea and I have to concentrate on keeping it afloat.' 'That's the explanation,' Brigid answered. 'From the moment I first knew God I have never let him out of my mind, and I never shall.'

An old Irish poem, written in the seventh century, speaks of her contemplation of the Trinity:

Deeper than the seas,
Greater than words can express,
Three persons in one only God;
Overflowing with wonder.'

Woman of Inspiration
Even today, poets, writers and artists still find inspiration in the symbols, customs and folklore surrounding Brigid. One writer recently referred to her as 'the woman who, above all others, embodies the spirit of pre-Christian and Christian Ireland'.

In a beautiful leadlight window in Kildare College Chapel, Holden Hill, South Australia, the artist depicts Brigid dancing the dance of the new life of creation, carrying the Spirit of Jesus into the twenty-first century.

Many of the values associated with Brigid are captured in this delightful poem:
Lady, from winters dark,
Star of Imbolc, rise!
Dance around our threshold,
Scattering warm laughter,
Seeds of hospitality,
Tolerance, forgiveness!
Return again to the folk;
You the spring we yearn for!

What a lovely image to carry with us into the future!

This article first appeared in The Messenger (February 2002), a publication of the Irish Jesuits. c/f  c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/

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Memorable Irish Proverbs for today

I should like a great lake of ale, for the King of Kings.
I should like the family of heaven to be drinking it through time eternal.