EVANGELIO DEL DÍA

viernes, 23 de abril de 2010

"The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life"

DAILY GOSPEL: 24/04/2010
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Saturday of the Third week of Easter

Acts of the Apostles 9:31-42.
The Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria  was at peace.  She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord,  and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers.
As Peter was passing through every region, he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda.
There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed.
Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed." He got up at once.
And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated means Dorcas). She was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving.
Now during those days she fell sick and died, so after washing her, they laid (her) out in a room upstairs.
Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, "Please come to us without delay."
So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs where all the widows came to him weeping and showing him the tunics and cloaks that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her body and said, "Tabitha, rise up." She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.
He gave her his hand and raised her up, and when he had called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive.
This became known all over Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord.

Psalms 116(115):12-17.
How can I repay the LORD for all the good done for me?
I will raise the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
Too costly in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful.
LORD, I am your servant, your servant, the child of your maidservant; you have loosed my bonds.
I will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 6:60-69.
Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said,  «This saying is hard; who can accept it?»
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him.
And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father."
As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." 
Jn 6,60-69
Commentary of the day 
Saint Jerome (347-420), priest, translator of the Bible, Doctor of the Church
Lettre 53 to Paulinus
"The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life"
We read Holy Scripture: in my view, I think the Gospel is Jesus' body, Holy Scripture is his teaching. It's true that the text: «He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood» finds its most complete application in the mystery of the eucharist. But the true Body of Christ, the true Blood, is also contained in the word of Scripture and divine teaching. When we take part in the holy mysteries, we are concerned about it if a crumb should fall to the ground. When we hear the word of God, if we are thinking of something else while it enters our ears, what sort of responsibility will we not incur?

       Since the Lord's flesh is food indeed and his blood is real drink, to eat his flesh and drink his blood is our only good, not just in the eucharistic mystery but in the reading of Scripture, too.

                    

Saturday, 24 April 2010

St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Capuchin Priest & Martyr (1577-1622)



SAINT FIDELIS OF SIGMARINGEN
Capuchin Priest and Martyr
(1577-1622)
        Fidelis was born at Sigmaringen in 1577, of noble parents. In his youth he frequently approached the sacraments, visited the sick and the poor, and spent moreover many hours before the altar. For a time he followed the legal profession, and was remarkable for his advocacy of the poor and his respectful language towards his opponents.
        Finding it difficult to become both a rich lawyer and a good Christian, Fidelis entered the Capuchin. Order, and embraced a life of austerity and prayer. Hair shirts, iron-pointed girdles, and disciplines were penances too light for his fervor; and being filled with a desire of martyrdom, he rejoiced at being sent to Switzerland by the newly-founded Congregation of Propaganda, and braved every peril to rescue souls from the diabolical heresy of Calvin.
        When preaching at Sevis he was fired at by a Calvinist, but the fear of death could not deter him from proclaiming divine truth. After his sermon he was waylaid by a body of Protestants headed by a minister, who attacked him and tried to force him to embrace their so-called. reform. But he said, "I came to refute your errors, not to embrace them; I will never renounce Catholic doctrine, which is the truth of all ages, and I fear not death." On this they fell upon him with their poignards, and the first martyr of Propaganda went to receive his palm.


Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

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