DAILY GOSPEL: 15/06/2010
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68
Tuesday of the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time
1st book of Kings 21:17-29.
But the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite:
"Start down to meet Ahab, king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He will be in the vineyard of Naboth, of which he has come to take possession.
This is what you shall tell him, 'The LORD says: After murdering, do you also take possession? For this, the LORD says: In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs shall lick up your blood, too.'"
"Have you found me out, my enemy?" Ahab said to Elijah. "Yes," he answered. "Because you have given yourself up to doing evil in the LORD'S sight,
I am bringing evil upon you: I will destroy you and will cut off every male in Ahab's line, whether slave or freeman, in Israel.
I will make your house like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, and like that of Baasha, son of Ahijah, because of how you have provoked me by leading Israel into sin."
(Against Jezebel, too, the LORD declared, "The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.")
"When one of Ahab's line dies in the city, dogs will devour him; when one of them dies in the field, the birds of the sky will devour him."
Indeed, no one gave himself up to the doing of evil in the sight of the LORD as did Ahab, urged on by his wife Jezebel.
He became completely abominable by following idols, just as the Amorites had done, whom the LORD drove out before the Israelites.
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments and put on sackcloth over his bare flesh. He fasted, slept in the sackcloth, and went about subdued.
Then the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite,
"Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his time. I will bring the evil upon his house during the reign of his son."
Psalms 51(50):3-4.5-6.11.16.
Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; in your abundant compassion blot out my offense.
Wash away all my guilt; from my sin cleanse me.
For I know my offense; my sin is always before me.
Against you alone have I sinned; I have done such evil in your sight That you are just in your sentence, blameless when you condemn.
Turn away your face from my sins; blot out all my guilt.
Rescue me from death, God, my saving God, that my tongue may praise your healing power.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5:43-48.
You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
But the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite:
"Start down to meet Ahab, king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He will be in the vineyard of Naboth, of which he has come to take possession.
This is what you shall tell him, 'The LORD says: After murdering, do you also take possession? For this, the LORD says: In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs shall lick up your blood, too.'"
"Have you found me out, my enemy?" Ahab said to Elijah. "Yes," he answered. "Because you have given yourself up to doing evil in the LORD'S sight,
I am bringing evil upon you: I will destroy you and will cut off every male in Ahab's line, whether slave or freeman, in Israel.
I will make your house like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, and like that of Baasha, son of Ahijah, because of how you have provoked me by leading Israel into sin."
(Against Jezebel, too, the LORD declared, "The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.")
"When one of Ahab's line dies in the city, dogs will devour him; when one of them dies in the field, the birds of the sky will devour him."
Indeed, no one gave himself up to the doing of evil in the sight of the LORD as did Ahab, urged on by his wife Jezebel.
He became completely abominable by following idols, just as the Amorites had done, whom the LORD drove out before the Israelites.
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments and put on sackcloth over his bare flesh. He fasted, slept in the sackcloth, and went about subdued.
Then the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite,
"Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his time. I will bring the evil upon his house during the reign of his son."
Psalms 51(50):3-4.5-6.11.16.
Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; in your abundant compassion blot out my offense.
Wash away all my guilt; from my sin cleanse me.
For I know my offense; my sin is always before me.
Against you alone have I sinned; I have done such evil in your sight That you are just in your sentence, blameless when you condemn.
Turn away your face from my sins; blot out all my guilt.
Rescue me from death, God, my saving God, that my tongue may praise your healing power.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5:43-48.
You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Mt 5,43-48
Gregory of Narek (c.944-1010), Armenian monk and poet
Book of prayers, no.74 (SC 78)
"That you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good"
How many are my debts, beyond all counting,
yet they are not so amazing as your mercy.
Numerous are my sins but yet they are miniscule
by comparison with your forgiveness...
What could a little darkness do
to your divine light?
How can a little bit of shadow
compete with your rays, who are so great!
How could my weak body's earthly desires
be weighed in the balance
with your Passion and cross?
How would the whole world's sins appear
before the eyes of your goodness, O Mighty One?
Behold they are like... a drop of water
swallowed up by the outpouring
of your plentiful rain...
It is you who give sunshine
to both evil and good
and cause rain to fall on both without distinction.
The peacefulness of some is great because they expect their reward;...
but those who preferred earth
you forgive with mercy:
and you give them the medicine of life with the first
in constant expectation of their turning back to you.
yet they are not so amazing as your mercy.
Numerous are my sins but yet they are miniscule
by comparison with your forgiveness...
What could a little darkness do
to your divine light?
How can a little bit of shadow
compete with your rays, who are so great!
How could my weak body's earthly desires
be weighed in the balance
with your Passion and cross?
How would the whole world's sins appear
before the eyes of your goodness, O Mighty One?
Behold they are like... a drop of water
swallowed up by the outpouring
of your plentiful rain...
It is you who give sunshine
to both evil and good
and cause rain to fall on both without distinction.
The peacefulness of some is great because they expect their reward;...
but those who preferred earth
you forgive with mercy:
and you give them the medicine of life with the first
in constant expectation of their turning back to you.
SS. Vitus, Modestus and Crescentia, Martyrs
SAINTS VITUS, CRESCENTIA, and MODESTUS
Martyrs
Martyrs
Vitus was a child nobly born, who had the happiness to be instructed in the Faith, and inspired with the most perfect sentiments of his religion, by his Christian nurse, named Crescentia, and her faithful husband, Modestus.
His father, Hylas, was extremely incensed when he discovered the child's invincible aversion to idolatry; and finding him not to be overcome by stripes and such like chastisements, he delivered him up to Valerian, the governor, who in vain tried all his arts to work him into compliance with his father's will and the emperor's edicts. He escaped out of their hands, and, together with Crescentia and Modestus, fled into Italy. They there met with the crown of martyrdom in Lucania, in the persecution of Diocletian.
The heroic spirit of martyrdom which we admire in St. Vitus was owing to the early impressions of piety which he received from the lessons and example of a virtuous nurse. Of such infinite importance is the choice of virtuous preceptors, nurses, and servants about children.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Antiphon
The hairs of your head are all numbered;
do not be afraid,
you are of more value than many sparrows.
do not be afraid,
you are of more value than many sparrows.
Prayer:
Grant to your Church, we beseech you, o Lord, through the intercession of your holy Martyrs, Vitus, Modestus and Crescentia, not to think high-mindedly, but to grow in humility pleasing to you; that, despising what is base, she may with unbounded love diligently do whatever is right.
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