EVANGELIO DEL DÍA

domingo, 6 de febrero de 2011

"As many as touched the tassel on his cloak were healed"

DAILY GOSPEL: 07/02/2011
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Monday of the Fifth week in Ordinary Time

Book of Genesis 1:1-19.
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." Thus evening came, and morning followed--the first day.
Then God said, "Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other." And so it happened:
God made the dome, and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome "the sky." Evening came, and morning followed--the second day.
Then God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear." And so it happened: the water under the sky was gathered into its basin, and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land "the earth," and the basin of the water he called "the sea." God saw how good it was.
Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it." And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed--the third day.
Then God said: "Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth." And so it happened:
God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night; and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed--the fourth day.

Psalms 104(103):1-2.5-6.10.12.24.35.
Bless the LORD, my soul! LORD, my God, you are great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak. You spread out the heavens like a tent;
You fixed the earth on its foundation, never to be moved.
The ocean covered it like a garment; above the mountains stood the waters.
You made springs flow into channels that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven nest; among the branches they sing.
How varied are your works, LORD! In wisdom you have wrought them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
May sinners vanish from the earth, and the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, my soul! Hallelujah!

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 6:53-56.
After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.
Mc 6,53-56
Commentary of the day 
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Sermon 306, passim
"As many as touched the tassel on his cloak were healed"
Everyone wants to be happy; there is no one who doesn't - and so strongly do they do so that they want it more than anything else. Even more: whatever they want in addition, they only want for this reason. People pursue different enthusiasms, one this and another that; there are, too, many ways of earning one's living in the world: each one chooses their profession and practices it. But whether someone is occupied in one form of life or another, all act in this life to be happy. So what is it about this life able to give a happiness that all would like but none have? Let us see...

If I were to ask anyone: «Do you want to live?», none would be tempted to answer: «No, I don't»... In the same way, if I were to ask: «Do you want to live in good health?», none would answer: «No, I don't.» Good health is a precious blessing in the eyes of the rich, and for the poor it is often the only blessing they have... All alike agree in loving life and health. But can someone who enjoys life and health be content with that?...

A rich young man asked the Lord: «Good teacher, what must I do to have eternal life?» (Mk 10,17). He feared to die and was constrained to die... He knew that a life of sorrow and misery is no kind of life and one ought rather to call it by the name of death... Eternal life alone can be happy. Health and life here below give no assurance of it, you have too much fear of losing it: call it «always fearing» not «always living»... If our lives are not eternal, if they do not eternally satisfy our desires, they cannot be happy ones, they are no longer even a life... When we enter the life to come we shall be certain of remaining there for ever. We shall have the certainty of eternally possessing true life without any fear because we shall be in the Kingdom of which it is said: «And his kingdom will have no end» (Lk 1,33).

                    

Monday, 07 February 2011

Bl. Rosalie Rendu, Daughter of Charity (1786-1856)



Blessed Rosalie Rendu
Daughter of Charity
(1786-1856)
        Jeanne Marie Rendu was born 9 September 1786 at Confort, a district of Gex in the Jura Mountains. She was the eldest of four girls. Her parents, simple living mountain people and small property owners, enjoyed a certain affluence and true respect throughout the area. Jeanne Marie was baptized the day she was born in the parish church of Lancrans. Her Godfather by proxy was Jacques Emery, a family friend and future Superior General of the Sulpicians in Paris. 
        Jeanne Marie Rendu was three years old when the Revolution broke out in France. From 1790 it was compulsory for the clergy to take an oath of support for the civil Constitution. Numerous priests, faithful to the Church, refused to take this oath. They were chased from their parishes, some were put to death and others had to hide to escape their pursuers. 
        The Rendu family home became a refuge for these priests. The Bishop of Annecy found asylum under the assumed name of Pierre. Jeanne Marie was fascinated by this hired hand who was treated better than the others. One night, she discovered that he was celebrating Mass. She was offended that she had not been told the truth. 
        Later, in a discussion with her mother, she blurted out: "Be careful or I will tell that Pierre is not really Pierre." In order to avoid any indiscretion on the part of her daughter, Madame Rendu told her the truth of the situation. 
        It was in this atmosphere of solid faith, always exposed to the dangers of denunciation, that Jeanne Marie was educated. She would make her first communion one night by candlelight in the basement of her home. This exceptional environment forged her character. 
        The death of her father, 12 May 1796, and that of her youngest sister, at four months of age, on 19 July of the same year, shook the entire family. Jeanne Marie, aware of her responsibility as the eldest, helped her mother, especially in caring for her younger sisters. 
        In the days following the Terror, people calmed down little by little and life resumed its normality. Madame Rendu, concerned about the education of her eldest daughter, sent her to the Ursuline Sisters in Gex. Jeanne Marie stayed two years in this boarding school. During her walks in town, she discovered the hospital where the Daughters of Charity cared for the sick. She had only one desire, to go and join them. Her mother gave her consent that Jeanne Marie, in spite of her young age, might spend some time at this hospital. God's call, which she had sensed for many years, made itself clear: she would become a Daughter of Charity. 
        In 1802, Armande Jacquinot, from the village of Lancrans, confided to her friend that she was preparing to leave for Paris to enter the Company of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. Jeanne Marie leaped at the opportunity and begged her mother to allow her to leave. Having consulted with Fr. de Varicourt, the senior priest at Gex, Madame Rendu, happy, but very emotional at her daughter's vocation, consented to her request. 
        On 25 May 1802, Jeanne Marie arrived at the Motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity, rue du Vieux Colombier in Paris. She was nearly 17 years old! The reopening of the Seminary, (novitiate suppressed by the Revolutionaries) took place in December 1800. On their arrival, the travelers were welcomed by 50 young women in formation. 
        Jeanne Marie was very anxious to give her very best in this new life. Her health was weakened by the sustained mental effort this demanded and by a lack of physical exercise. On the advice of her physician and that of her Godfather, Fr. Emery, Jeanne Marie was sent to the house of the Daughters of Charity in the Mouffetard District for the service of the poor. She would remain there 54 years! 
        The thirst for action, devotion and service that burned within Jeanne Marie could not have found a better place to be quenched than this district of Paris. At the time, it was the most impoverished district of the quickly expanding capital: poverty in all its forms, psychological and spiritual. There disease, unhealthy slums, and destitution were the daily lot of the people who were trying to survive. 
        Jeanne Marie, who received the name Sr. Rosalie, made her "apprenticeship" accompanying Sisters visiting the sick and the poor. Between times, she taught catechism and reading to little girls accepted at the free school. In 1807, Sr. Rosalie, surrounded by the Sisters of her Community, made vows for the first time to serve God and the poor. She made these vows with great emotion and joy. 
        In 1815 Sr. Rosalie became Superior of the Community at rue des Francs Bourgeois. Two years later the Community would move to rue de l'Epée de Bois for reasons of space and convenience. All her qualities of devotedness, natural authority, humility, compassion and her organizational abilities would be revealed. "Her poor," as she would call them, became more and more numerous during this troubled time. The ravages of a triumphant economic liberalism accentuated the destitution of those most rejected. She sent her Sisters into all the hidden recesses of St. Médard Parish in order to bring supplies, clothing, care and a comforting word. 
        To assist all the suffering, Sr. Rosalie opened a free clinic, a pharmacy, a school, an orphanage, a child‑care center, a youth club for young workers and a home for the elderly without resources. Soon a whole network of charitable services would be established to counter poverty. 
        Her example encouraged her Sisters. She often told them: "Be a milestone where all those who are tired have the right to lay down their load." She was so simple, and lived so poorly, as to let the presence of God shine through her. 
        Her faith, solid as a rock and clear as a spring, revealed Jesus Christ in all circumstances. She daily experienced this conviction of St. Vincent: "You will go and visit the poor ten times a day, and ten times a day you will find God there ... you go into their poor homes, but you find God there." Her prayer life was intense, as a Sister affirmed, "... she continually lived in the presence of God. Even if she had a difficult mission to fulfill, we were always assured of seeing her go to the chapel or finding her on her knees in her office." 
        She was attentive to assuring that her companions had time for prayer, but sometimes there was a need to "leave God for God" as Vincent de Paul taught his Daughters. Once, while accompanying a Sister on a charitable visit, she said to her: "Sister, let's begin our meditation!" She suggested the plan, the outline, in a few simple, clear words and entered into prayer. 
Like a monk in the cloister, Sr. Rosalie walked with her God. She would speak to God of this family in distress as the father no longer had any work, of this elderly person who risked dying alone in an attic: "Never have I prayed so well as in the streets," she would say. 
        One of her companions remarked that, "the poor themselves noted her way of praying and acting." "Humble in her authority, Sr. Rosalie would correct us with great sensitivity and had the gift of consoling. Her advice, spoken justly and given with all her affection, penetrated souls." 
She was very attentive to the manner of receiving the poor. Her spirit of faith saw in them our "lords and masters." "The poor will insult you. The ruder they are; the more dignified you must be," she said. "Remember, Our Lord hides behind those rags." 
        Superiors sent her postulants and young Sisters to be formed. They put in her house, for a period of time, Sisters who were somewhat difficult or fragile. To one of her Sisters in crisis, she gave this advice one day, which is the secret of her life: "If you want someone to love you, you must be the first to love; and if you have nothing to give, give yourself." As the number of Sisters increased, the charity office became a house of charity, with a clinic and a school. She saw in that the Providence of God. 
        Her reputation quickly grew in all the districts of the capital and also beyond to the towns in the region. Sr. Rosalie knew how to surround herself with many efficient and dedicated collaborators. The donations flowed in quickly as the rich were unable to resist this persuasive woman. Even the former royalty did not forget her in their generosity: The Ladies of Charity helped in the home visits. Bishops, priests, the Ambassador of Spain (Donoso Cortéz), Carlo X, General Cavaignac, and the most distinguished men of state and culture, even the Emperor Napoleon III with his wife, were often seen in her parlor. Students of law, medicine, science, technology, engineering, teacher‑training, and all the other important schools came seeking from Sr. Rosalie information and recommendations. Or, before performing a good work, they asked her at which door they should knock. Among these, Blessed Frederick Ozanam, co‑founder of the "Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul," and the Venerable Jean Léon Le Prevost, future founder of the Religious of St. Vincent de Paul, knew well the road to her office. They came, with their other friends, to Sr. Rosalie seeking advice for undertaking their projects. She was the center of a charitable movement that characterized Paris and France in the first half of the 19th century. Sr. Rosalie's experience was priceless for these young people. She directed their apostolate, guided their coming and going in the suburbs, and gave them addresses of families in need, choosing them with care. 
        She also formed a relationship with the Superioress of Bon Saveur in Caen and requested that she too welcome those in need. She was particularly attentive to priests and religious suffering from psychiatric difficulties. Her correspondence is short but touching, considerate, patient and respectful towards all. 
        Hardships were not lacking in the Mouffetard District. Epidemics of cholera followed one after another. Lack of hygiene and poverty fostered its virulence. Most particularly in 1832 and 1846, the dedication shown and risks taken by Sr. Rosalie and her Sisters were beyond imagination. She herself was seen picking up dead bodies in the streets. During the uprisings of July 1830 and February 1848, barricades and bloody battles were the marks of the opposition of the working class stirred up against the powerful. Archbishop Affre, Archbishop of Paris, was killed trying to intervene between the fighting factions. Sr. Rosalie was deeply grieved. She herself climbed the barricades to try and help the wounded fighters irrespective of the side they were fighting on. 
        Without any fear, she risked her life in these confrontations. Her courage and sense of freedom commanded the admiration of all. 
        When order was reestablished, she tried to save a number of these people she knew and who were victims of fierce repression. She was helped a great deal by the mayor of the district, Dr. Ulysse Trélat, a true republican, who was also very popular. 
        In 1852, Napoleon III decided to give her the Cross of the Legion of Honor. She was ready to refuse this individual honor but Fr. Etienne, Superior General of the Priests of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity, made her accept it. 
        Always in fragile health, Sr. Rosalie never took a moment of rest, always managing to overcome fatigue and fevers. However, age, increasing infirmity, and the amount of work needing to be done eventually broke her strong resistance and equally strong will. During the last two years of her life she became progressively blind. She died on 7 February 1856 after a brief acute illness. 
        Emotions ran high in the district and at all levels of society in both Paris and the countryside. After the funeral rite at St. Médard Church, her parish, a large and emotional crowd followed her remains to the Montparnasse Cemetery. They came to show their respect for the works she had accomplished and show their affection for this "out of the ordinary" Sister. 
        Numerous newspaper articles witnessed to the admiration and even veneration that Sr. Rosalie received. Newspapers from all sides echoed the sentiments of the people. 
L'Univers,the principal Catholic newspaper of the time, edited by Louis Veuillot, wrote as early as 8 February: "Our readers understand the significance of the sadness that has come upon the poor of Paris. They join their sufferings with the tears and prayers of the unfortunate." 
        Il Consitutionnel,the newspaper of the anticlerical left, did not hesitate to announce the death of this Daughter of Charity: "The unfortunate people of the 12th district have just experienced a regrettable loss. Sr. Rosalie, Superior of the Community at rue de l'Epée de Bois died yesterday after a long illness. For many years this respectable woman was the salvation of the numerous needy in this district." 
        The official newspaper of the Empire, le Moniteur, praised the kindly actions of this Sister: "Funeral honors were given to Sr. Rosalie with unusual splendor. For more than fifty years this holy woman was a friend to others in a district where there are many unfortunate people to care for and all these grateful people accompanied her remains to the church and to the cemetery. A guard of honor was part of the cortege." 
        Numerous visitors flocked to the Montparnasse Cemetery. They went to meditate at the tomb of the one who was their salvation. But it was difficult to find the gravesite reserved for the Daughters of Charity. The body was then moved to a more accessible site, close to the entrance of the cemetery. On the simple tomb surmounted by a large Cross are engraved these words: "To Sister Rosalie, from her grateful friends, the rich and the poor." Anonymous hands brought flowers and continue to bring flowers to this gravesite: a lasting yet discreet homage to this humble Daughter of St. Vincent de Paul.


«Los que tocaban el borde de su manto, se ponían sanos»

EVANGELIO DEL DÍA: 07/02/2011
¿ Señor, a quién iremos?. Tú tienes palabras de vida eterna. Jn 6, 68


Lunes de la V Semana del Tiempo Ordinario

Libro de Génesis 1,1-19.
Al principio Dios creó el cielo y la tierra.
La tierra era algo informe y vacío, las tinieblas cubrían el abismo, y el soplo de Dios se cernía sobre las aguas.
Entonces Dios dijo: "Que exista la luz". Y la luz existió.
Dios vio que la luz era buena, y separó la luz de las tinieblas;
y llamó Día a la luz y Noche a las tinieblas. Así hubo una tarde y una mañana: este fue el primer día.
Dios dijo: "Que haya un firmamento en medio de las aguas, para que establezca una separación entre ellas". Y así sucedió.
Dios hizo el firmamento, y este separó las aguas que están debajo de él, de las que están encima de él;
y Dios llamó Cielo al firmamento. Así hubo una tarde y una mañana: este fue el segundo día.
Dios dijo: "Que se reúnan en un solo lugar las aguas que están bajo el cielo, y que aparezca el suelo firme". Y así sucedió.
Dios llamó Tierra al suelo firme y Mar al conjunto de las aguas. Y Dios vio que esto era bueno.
Entonces dijo: "Que la tierra produzca vegetales, hierbas que den semilla y árboles frutales, que den sobre la tierra frutos de su misma especie con su semilla adentro". Y así sucedió.
La tierra hizo brotar vegetales, hierba que da semilla según su especie y árboles que dan fruto de su misma especie con su semilla adentro. Y Dios vio que esto era bueno.
Así hubo una tarde y una mañana: este fue el tercer día.
Dios dijo: "Que haya astros en el firmamento del cielo para distinguir el día de la noche; que ellos señalen las fiestas, los días y los años,
y que estén como lámparas en el firmamento del cielo para iluminar la tierra". Y así sucedió.
Dios hizo los dos grandes astros - el astro mayor para presidir el día y el menor para presidir la noche - y también hizo las estrellas.
Y los puso en el firmamento del cielo para iluminar la tierra,
para presidir el día y la noche, y para separar la luz de las tinieblas. Y Dios vio que esto era bueno.
Así hubo una tarde y una mañana: este fue el cuarto día.

Salmo 104(103),1-2.5-6.10.12.24.35.
Bendice al Señor, alma mía: ¡Señor, Dios mío, qué grande eres! Estás vestido de esplendor y majestad
y te envuelves con un manto de luz. Tú extendiste el cielo como un toldo
Afirmaste la tierra sobre sus cimientos: ¡no se moverá jamás!
El océano la cubría como un manto, las aguas tapaban las montañas;
Haces brotar fuentes en los valles, y corren sus aguas por las quebradas.
Las aves del cielo habitan junto a ellas y hacen oír su canto entre las ramas.
¡Qué variadas son tus obras, Señor! ¡Todo lo hiciste con sabiduría, la tierra está llena de tus criaturas!
Que los pecadores desaparezcan de la tierra y los malvados ya no existan más. ¡Bendice al Señor, alma mía! ¡Aleluya!

Evangelio según San Marcos 6,53-56.
Después de atravesar el lago, llegaron a Genesaret y atracaron allí.
Apenas desembarcaron, la gente reconoció en seguida a Jesús,
y comenzaron a recorrer toda la región para llevar en camilla a los enfermos, hasta el lugar donde sabían que él estaba.
En todas partes donde entraba, pueblos, ciudades y poblados, ponían a los enfermos en las plazas y le rogaban que los dejara tocar tan sólo los flecos de su manto, y los que lo tocaban quedaban curados. 
 Mc 6,53-56
Leer el comentario del Evangelio por 
San Agustín (354-430), obispo de Hipona (África del Norte) y doctor de la Iglesia
Sermón 306, passim
«Los que tocaban el borde de su manto, se ponían sanos»
     Todo hombre quiere ser feliz; no hay nadie que no lo quiera, y tan fuertemente, que lo desea por encima de todo. Aún más: todo lo que quiere además de esto, sólo lo quiere por eso. Los hombres van detrás de diferentes pasiones, uno ésta, el otro aquella; en el mundo hay también maneras distintas de ganarse la vida: cada uno escoge su profesión y la ejerce. Mas, cuando se comprometen en una forma de vida, todos los hombres actúan en ella buscando ser felices... ¿Qué cosa hay, pues, en esta vida capaz de hacer feliz, que todos la buscan pero que no todos la encuentran? Busquémosla...

     Si pregunto a alguno: «¿Quieres vivir?», nadie estará tentado de contestarme: «No lo quiero»... Igualmente si pregunto: «¿Quieres vivir con buena salud?», nadie me responderá: «No quiero». La salud es un don precioso a los ojos del rico, y para el pobre es, a menudo, el único bien que posee... Todos están de acuerdo en amar la vida y la salud. Ahora bien, cuando el hombre goza de vida y de una buena salud, ¿se puede contentar con esto?...

     Un joven rico preguntó al Señor: «Maestro bueno, ¿qué debo hacer para heredar la vida eterna?» (Mc 10,17). Temía morir y no podía escapar de morir... Sabía que una vida con dolores y tormentos no es una vida, sino que más bien debería llamarse muerte... Sólo la vida eterna puede ser feliz. La salud y la vida de aquí abajo nadie os la asegura, teméis mucho perderla: llamad a eso «siempre temer» y no «siempre vivir»... Si nuestra vida no es eterna, si no puede eternamente llenar nuestros deseos, no puede ser feliz, e incluso no es una vida... Cuando entremos en aquella vida de allá, estaremos seguros que permaneceremos siempre en ella. Tendremos la certeza de poseer eternamente la verdadera vida, sin ningún temor, porque estaremos en el Reino del cual se ha dicho: «Y su reino no tendrá fin» (Lc 1,33).


lunes 07 Febrero 2011

San Teodoro

image Saber más cosas a propósito de los Santos del día

Uno de los mártires orientales provenientes del mundo de la milicia. Fue capitán de soldados. Hizo honor a su nombre -Teodoro es Adorador de Dios- con el testimonio de su sangre derramada. Ejerce el mando en tiempos del emperador Licinio. Murió mártir, en Heraclea, por el año 319, defendiendo la fe y sabiendo anteponer a su lealtad de soldado la preeminencia de obedecer a Dios.
El resto es otro cantar. Muchos consideran los relatos como producto de la fábula que se hace en torno a su persona y a su entrega; puede que tengan razón. Siendo sinceros, también nosotros encontramos dificultades para aceptar el relato tal cual nos lo entrega el tiempo sin pasarlo por la criba de la historia que lo purifique. Muy probablemente hay elementos del relato bordados en el telar de la leyenda.
Porque dicen que pasaba su valiente vida librando las tierras de alimañas, monstruos y dragones. Y donde se resalta su condición de hombre de fe es en una de las caminatas que hacía el emperador visitando el imperio, revisando sus fuerzas militares y comprobando el estado de las posiciones. En esta ocasión, lleva consigo todas las imágenes idolátricas de los dioses romanos. Son ricas y minuciosamente trabajadas por los artistas palatinos. Quiere donarlas a sus tropas para que le sirvan de protección en las campañas.
El capitán Teodoro hace los honores del recibimiento. Luego, de modo ingenuo y servicial, pide permiso al emperador para que las estatuas de los dioses paganos sean depositadas en las dependencias de su casa con el pretexto de custodiarlas y perfumarlas. Así -asegura con pillería- estarán más vistosas a la hora de ser presentadas al gran público. Y lo más ocurrente que resuelve es destruir las imágenes de los dioses falsos, obtener el oro que las recubre y posteriormente donarlo a los pobres para que remedien sus miserias.
¡Claro que con su actuación alegre y decidida da un testimonio de dónde tiene puestos sus valores y de en quién tiene depositada su fe! Pero le valió el martirio por degüello precedido de incontables tormentos que ya están previstos en los relatos de las actas martiriales tardías. Sí, se habla de sus muchas heridas sanadas por ángeles y de conversiones multitudinarias de testigos presenciales al comprobar su firmeza hasta el último momento de su muerte.
En el cielo nos encontraremos con Teodoro, el capitán de Heraclea y, si lo cree oportuno, nos contará la verdad de lo que pasó. No deja por ello de animar nuestra existencia conocer lo que los ancestros dijeron de este intrépido santo soldado pícaro, queriendo personificar en él que la fe no está reñida con el sentido práctico y que la valentía profesional debe acompañar a la fortaleza que da la entrega a Dios.

"Your light must shine before others"

DAILY GOSPEL: 06/02/2011
«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68


Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Book of Isaiah 58:7-10.
Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; Then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday;

Psalms 112(111):4-5.6-7.8-9.
They shine through the darkness, a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and just.
All goes well for those gracious in lending, who conduct their affairs with justice.
They shall never be shaken; the just shall be remembered forever.
They shall not fear an ill report; their hearts are steadfast, trusting the LORD.
Their hearts are tranquil, without fear, till at last they look down on their foes.
Lavishly they give to the poor; their prosperity shall endure forever; their horn shall be exalted in honor.

First Letter to the Corinthians 2:1-5.
When I came to you, brothers, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,
and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive (words of) wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power,
so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5:13-16.
You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. 
Mt 5,13-16
Commentary of the day 
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), founder of the Missionary Sisters of Charity
Something Beautiful for God
"Your light must shine before others"
Christians are like lights for others, for everyone in all the world. If we are christians then we must become like Christ.

If you want to learn how, then the art of foresight will make you more and more like Christ, for he was humble of heart and always attentive to people's needs. Great sanctity begins with this attention to others. If it is to be beautiful then our vocation must be wholly filled with this attention. Wherever Jesus passed, he did good. And the Virgin Mary at Cana only thought of the needs of others and passed them on to Jesus.

A christian is a tabernacle of the living God. He created me, chose me, came to live in me because he needed me. Now you have learned how much God loves you, what could be more natural than for you to spend the rest of your life spreading this love? To be truly a christian is truly to welcome Christ and become another Christ. It is to love as we are loved, as Christ loved us on the cross.


Sunday, 06 February 2011

St. Dorothy, Virgin and Martyr (+ 304)



SAINTE DOROTHY
Virgin and Martyr
(+ 304)
        St. Dorothy was a young virgin, celebrated at Cæsarea, where she lived, for her angelic virtue. Her parents seem to have been martyred before her in the Diocletian persecution, and when the Governor Sapricius came to Cæsarea he called her before him, and sent this child of martyrs to the home where they were waiting for her.
        She was stretched upon the rack, and offered marriage if she would consent to sacrifice, or death if she refused. But she replied that "Christ was her only Spouse, and death her desire." She was then placed in charge of two women who had fallen away from the faith, in the hope that they might pervert her; but the fire of her own heart rekindled the flame in theirs, and led them back to Christ. When she was set once more on the rack, Sapricius himself was amazed at the heavenly look she wore, and asked her the cause of her joy. "Because," she said, "I have brought back two souls to Christ, and because I shall soon be in heaven rejoicing with the angels." Her joy grew as she was buffeted in the face and her sides burned with plates of red-hot iron. "Blessed be Thou," she cried, when she was sentenced to be beheaded,-"blessed be Thou, O Thou Lover of souls! Who dost call me to Paradise, and invitest me to Thy nuptial chamber."
        St. Dorothy suffered in the dead of winter, and it is said that on the road to her passion a lawyer called Theophilus, who had been used to calumniate and persecute the Christians, asked her, in mockery, to send him "apples or roses from the garden of her Spouse." The Saint promised to grant his request, and, just before she died, a little child stood by her side bearing three apples and three roses. She bade him take them to Theophilus and tell him this was the present which he sought from the garden of her Spouse. St. Dorothy had gone to heaven, and Theophilus was still making merry over his challenge to the Saint when the child entered his room. He saw that the child was an angel in disguise, and the fruit and flowers of no earthly growth. He was converted to the faith, and then shared in the martyrdom of St. Dorothy.


« Alumbre así vuestra luz a los hombres »

EVANGELIO DEL DÍA: 06/02/2011
¿ Señor, a quién iremos?. Tú tienes palabras de vida eterna. Jn 6, 68


V Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario A

Libro de Isaías 58,7-10.
Compartir tu pan con el hambriento y albergar a los pobres sin techo; cubrir al que veas desnudo y no despreocuparte de tu propia carne.
Entonces despuntará tu luz como la aurora y tu llaga no tardará en cicatrizar; delante de ti avanzará tu justicia y detrás de ti irá la gloria del Señor.
Entonces llamarás, y el Señor responderá; pedirás auxilio, y él dirá: "¡Aquí estoy!".
si ofreces tu pan al hambriento y sacias al que vive en la penuria, tu luz se alzará en las tinieblas y tu oscuridad será como el mediodía.

Salmo 112(111),4-5.6-7.8-9.
Para los buenos brilla una luz en las tinieblas : es el Bondadoso, el Compasivo y el Justo.
Dichoso el que se compadece y da prestado, y administra sus negocios con rectitud.
El justo no vacilará jamás, su recuerdo permanecerá para siempre.
No tendrá que temer malas noticias : su corazón está firme, confiado en el Señor.
Su ánimo está seguro, y no temerá, hasta que vea la derrota de sus enemigos.
El da abundantemente a los pobres : su generosidad permanecerá para siempre, y alzará su frente con dignidad.

Carta I de San Pablo a los Corintios 2,1-5.
Por mi parte, hermanos, cuando los visité para anunciarles el misterio de Dios, no llegué con el prestigio de la elocuencia o de la sabiduría.
Al contrario, no quise saber nada, fuera de Jesucristo, y Jesucristo crucificado.
Por eso, me presenté ante ustedes débil, temeroso y vacilante.
Mi palabra y mi predicación no tenían nada de la argumentación persuasiva de la sabiduría humana, sino que eran demostración del poder del Espíritu,
para que ustedes no basaran su fe en la sabiduría de los hombres, sino en el poder de Dios.

Evangelio según San Mateo 5,13-16.
Ustedes son la sal de la tierra. Pero si la sal pierde su sabor, ¿con qué se la volverá a salar? Ya no sirve para nada, sino para ser tirada y pisada por los hombres.
Ustedes son la luz del mundo. No se puede ocultar una ciudad situada en la cima de una montaña.
Y no se enciende una lámpara para meterla debajo de un cajón, sino que se la pone sobre el candelero para que ilumine a todos los que están en la casa.
Así debe brillar ante los ojos de los hombres la luz que hay en ustedes, a fin de que ellos vean sus buenas obras y glorifiquen al Padre que está en el cielo. 
Mt 5,13-16
Leer el comentario del Evangelio por 
Beata Teresa de Calcuta (1910-1997), fundadora de las Hermanas Misioneras de la Caridad
El gozo del don
« Alumbre así vuestra luz a los hombres »
     Los cristianos son, para los demás, para los hombres todos del mundo entero, como la luz. Si somos cristianos debemos asemejarnos a Cristo. Si aprendéis el arte de la deferencia, cada día os asemejaréis más y más a Cristo cuyo corazón era humilde y estaba siempre atento a las necesidades de los hombres. Una santidad grande empieza por esa atención a los demás; nuestra vocación, si queremos que sea bella, debe estar del todo llena de esa atención. Allí por donde ha pasado Jesús, ha hecho el bien. Y la Virgen María, en Caná sólo ha pensado en las necesidades de los demás y en comunicarlas a Jesús.

     Un cristiano es un tabernáculo del Dios vivo. Él me ha creado, me ha escogido, ha venido a habitarme, porque tenía necesidad de mí. Ahora que habéis aprendido cuánto os ama Dios ¿hay algo que sea más natural para vosotras que pasar el resto de la vida en irradiar este amor? Ser verdaderamente cristiano es acoger plenamente a Cristo y llegar a ser otro Cristo. Es amar como somos amados, como Cristo nos ha amado en la cruz.


domingo 06 Febrero 2011

San Tito



San Tito 

Obispo de Creta
Nació gentil y parece que fue convertido por San Pablo. Su virtud y sus méritos le ganaron el afecto del apóstol, pues encontramos que lo empleaba como secretario. San Pablo envió a Tito de Efeso a Corinto para poner fin a varias ocasiones de escándalo y también para apaciguar las discordias en aquella Iglesia.


Luego, San Pablo lo envió por segunda vez a Corinto a reunir limosnas para los cristianos pobres de Jerusalén. San Pablo se detuvo algún tiempo en la isla de Creta para predicar la fe cristiana, pero como las necesidades de otras iglesias requerían su presencia, consagró a Tito obispo para aquella isla y lo dejó para que terminara el trabajo que él había comenzado.


Murió de una muerte tranquila a edad muy avanzada y es considerado como el primer Arzobispo de la isla.




oremos 

Señor, tú que colocaste a San Tito en el número de los santos pastores y lo hiciste brillar por el ardor de la caridad y de aquella fe que vence al mundo, haz que también nosotros, por su intercesión, perseveremos firmes en la fe y arraigados en el amor y merezcamos así participar de su gloria. Por nuestro Señor Jesucristo, tu Hijo.