“This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it.”

DAILY GOSPEL: 03/06/2010

«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68

Thursday of the Ninth week in Ordinary Time

Second Letter to Timothy 2:8-15.
Beloved: Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David: such is my gospel,
for which I am suffering, even to the point of chains, like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.
Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, together with eternal glory.
This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with him we shall also live with him;
if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us.
If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.
Remind people of these things and charge them before God to stop disputing about words. This serves no useful purpose since it harms those who listen.
Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God, a workman who causes no disgrace, imparting the word of truth without deviation.

Psalms 25(24):4-5.8-9.10.14.
Make known to me your ways, LORD; teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. For you I wait all the long day, because of your goodness, LORD.
Good and upright is the LORD, who shows sinners the way,
Guides the humble rightly, and teaches the humble the way.
All the paths of the LORD are faithful love toward those who honor the covenant demands.
The counsel of the LORD belongs to the faithful; the covenant instructs them.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 12:28-34.
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, «Which is the first of all the commandments?»
Jesus replied, "The first is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'
The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, 'He is One and there is no other than he.'
And 'to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself' is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that (he) answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Mc 12,28-34

Commentary of the day 
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
De Trinitate, VIII, 12 ; PL 42, 958B-959A

“This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it.” (Mt 22:38-39)

“Beloved, let us love one another because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten of God and has knowledge of God. The man without love has known nothing of God, for God is love.” (1 Jn 4:7-8) In this text, the apostle John with his great authority shows clearly that fraternal love not only comes from God, but that this fraternal love, which causes us to love one another, is God himself.

Consequently, when we love our brother with a genuine love, we are loving our brother according to God, through God. And it is impossible not to love above everything that love itself, thanks to which we love our brother. From which we can conclude that these two precepts cannot exist one without the other. Since “God is love”, the person who loves love certainly loves God; and the person who loves his brother necessarily loves love. That is why the apostle John says a little later: “One who has no love for the brother he has seen cannot love the God he has not seen.” (1 Jn 4:20). What stops him from seeing God is that he does not love his brother. The person who does not love his brother is not in love; and the person who is not in love, is not in God, for “God is love.” 

Thursday, 03 June 2010 St Clotilda, Queen (476-545) SAINT CLOTILDA Queen (476-545)         St. Clotilda was daughter of Chilperic, younger brother to Gondebald, the tyrannical King of Burgundy, who put him and his wife, and his other brothers, except one, to death, in order to usurp their dominions. Clotilda was brought up in her uncle's court, and, by a singular providence, was instructed in the Catholic religion, though she was educated in the midst of Arians.         Her wit, beauty, meekness, modesty, and piety made her the adoration of all the neighboring kingdoms, and Clovis I., surnamed the Great, the victorious king of the Franks, demanded and obtained her in marriage. She honored her royal husband, studied to sweeten his warlike temper by Christian meekness, conformed herself to his humor in things that were indifferent, and, the better to gain his affections, made those things the subject of her discourse and praises in which she knew him to take the greatest delight.         When she saw herself mistress of his heart she did not defer the great work of endeavoring to win him to God, but the fear of giving offence to his people made him delay his conversion. His miraculous victory over the Alemanni, and his entire conversion in 496, were at length the fruit of our Saint's prayers. Clotilda, having gained to God this great monarch, never ceased to excite him to glorious actions for the divine honor; among other religious foundations, he built in Paris, at her request, about the year 511, the great church of Sts. Peter and Paul, now called St. Genevieve's.         This great prince died on the 27th of November, in the year 511, at the age of forty-five, having reigned thirty years. His eldest son, Theodoric, reigned at Rheims over the eastern parts of France, Clodomir reigned at Orleans, Childebert at Paris, and Clotaire I. at Soissons. This division produced wars and mutual jealousies, till in 560 the whole monarchy was reunited under Clotaire, the youngest of these brothers.         The dissension in her family contributed more perfectly to wean Clotilda's heart from the world. She spent the remaining part of her life in exercises of prayer, almsdeeds, watching, fasting, and penance, seeming totally to forget that she had been queen or that her sons sat on the throne. Eternity filled her heart and employed all her thoughts.         She foretold her death thirty days before it happened. On the thirtieth day of her illness, she received the sacraments, made a public confession of her faith, and departed to the Lord on the 3d of June, in 545.

«Este mandamiento es el principal y primero. El segundo es semejante a él» (Mt 22,38-39)

EVANGELIO DEL DÍA: 03/06/2010

¿ Señor, a quién iremos?. Tú tienes palabras de vida eterna. Jn 6, 68

Jueves de la IX Semana del Tiempo Ordinario

Libro de Génesis 14,18-20.
Y Melquisedec, rey de Salém, que era sacerdote de Dios, el Altísimo, hizo traer pan y vino,
y bendijo a Abrám, diciendo: "¡Bendito sea Abrám de parte de Dios, el Altísimo, creador del cielo y de la tierra!
¡Bendito sea Dios, el Altísimo, que entregó a tus enemigos en tus manos!". Y Abrám le dio el diezmo de todo.

Salmo 110,1.2.3.4.
De David. Salmo. Dijo el Señor a mi Señor: "Siéntate a mi derecha, mientras yo pongo a tus enemigos como estrado de tus pies".
El Señor extenderá el poder de tu cetro: "¡Domina desde Sión, en medio de tus enemigos!".
"Tú eres príncipe desde tu nacimiento, con esplendor de santidad; yo mismo te engendré como rocío, desde el seno de la aurora".
El Señor lo ha jurado y no se retractará: "Tú eres sacerdote para siempre, a la manera de Melquisedec".

Carta I de San Pablo a los Corintios 11,23-26.
Lo que yo recibí del Señor, y a mi vez les he transmitido, es lo siguiente: El Señor Jesús, la noche en que fue entregado, tomó el pan,
dio gracias, lo partió y dijo: "Esto es mi Cuerpo, que se entrega por ustedes. Hagan esto en memoria mía".
De la misma manera, después de cenar, tomó la copa, diciendo: "Esta copa es la Nueva Alianza que se sella con mi Sangre. Siempre que la beban, háganlo en memora mía".
Y así, siempre que coman este pan y beban esta copa, proclamarán la muerte del Señor hasta que él vuelva.

Evangelio según San Lucas 9,11-17.
Pero la multitud se dio cuenta y lo siguió. El los recibió, les habló del Reino de Dios y devolvió la salud a los que tenían necesidad de ser curados.
Al caer la tarde, se acercaron los Doce y le dijeron: "Despide a la multitud, para que vayan a los pueblos y caseríos de los alrededores en busca de albergue y alimento, porque estamos en un lugar desierto".
El les respondió: "Denles de comer ustedes mismos". Pero ellos dijeron: "No tenemos más que cinco panes y dos pescados, a no ser que vayamos nosotros a comprar alimentos para toda esta gente".
Porque eran alrededor de cinco mil hombres. Entonces Jesús les dijo a sus discípulos: "Háganlos sentar en grupos de cincuenta".
Y ellos hicieron sentar a todos.
Jesús tomó los cinco panes y los dos pescados y, levantando los ojos al cielo, pronunció sobre ellos la bendición, los partió y los fue entregando a sus discípulos para que se los sirvieran a la multitud.
Todos comieron hasta saciarse y con lo que sobró se llenaron doce canastas. 

Lc 9,11-17

Leer el comentario del Evangelio por 
San Agustín (354-430), obispo de Hipona (África del Norte, doctor de la Iglesia  
Sobre la Trinidad, VIII, 12; PL 42, 958B-959A

«Este mandamiento es el principal y primero. El segundo es semejante a él» (Mt 22,38-39)

     «Queridos, amémonos unos a otros, ya que el amor es de Dios y todo el que ama ha nacido de Dios y conoce a Dios. Quien no ama no ha conocido a Dios, porque Dio es amor» (1Jn 4,7-8). El apóstol Juan, con su gran autoridad, nos enseña claramente en este texto que el amor fraterno no sólo viene de Dios, sino que ese mismo amor que hace que nos amemos los unos a los otros, es Dios mismo.

     Por consiguiente, amando a nuestro hermano con un amor verdadero, le amamos a según Dios. Y no es posible no amar por encima de todo a ese mismo amor gracias al cual amamos a nuestro hermano. De ahí se concluye que estos dos preceptos no pueden existir el uno sin el otro. En efecto, puesto que «Dios es amor» el que ama, ciertamente que ama a Dios que ama el amor; y el que ama a su hermano necesariamente ama el amor. Por eso un poco más adelante el apóstol Juan dice: «Quien no ama a su hermano a quien ve, ¿cómo puede amar a Dios a quien no ve?» (1Jn 4,20); la razón que le priva de ver a Dios es que no ama a su hermano. El que no ama a su hermano no está en el amor; y el que no está en el amor no está con Dios, porque «Dios es amor».   

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jueves 03 Junio 2010

San Isaac

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San Isaac mártir mozárabe 1

Se llaman mozárabes los cristianos que vivieron en tierra de musulmanes en España (711-1492) manteniendo su fe. En general, se puede decir que llevaron una vida muy difícil, y los que aquí enumeramos pagaron su fidelidad a Cristo con el martirio. También hoy son un modelo para el que quiera vivir al Evangelio fielmente.
El elenco de los santos mozárabes, que recoge el "Martyrologium Romanum" (Roma 2001), está compuesto en su mayoría por mártires, y por unos pocos confesores. Tenemos relatos de los martirios de la mayoría de ellos, escritos por contemporáneos, que los conocieron personalmente, y, que incluso compartieron la cárcel con ellos, y, posteriormente, padecieron el martirio².

Isaac y compañeros, mártires cordobeses († 851)  En la ciudad los moros están cansados de matar; los cristianos que conviven allí se han instalado en los alrededores, ocupando las cuevas de la montaña donde viven como ermitaños.   Con frecuencia reciben la visita de Eulogio que les conforta con la palabra clara, fuerte y enérgica que deja en sus almas regustos de mayor entrega a Dios, mezclada con deseos de fidelidad a la fe cristiana y a los derechos de la patria.    

Pasan el día y la noche repitiendo las costumbres ascéticas de los antiguos anacoretas entre la meditación y la alabanza. Estalló la tormenta con el martirio del sacerdote cordobés Perfecto que fue arrastrado al tribunal, condenado y degollado.  

Isaac es un joven sacerdote de Tábanos, hijo de familia ilustre cordobesa; de buena educación, conocedor excelente del árabe, hábil en los negocios, servidor en la administración de Abderramán y de sus rentas. Pero amargado en la casa de su amo por la insolencia de los dominantes, por su prepotencia altanera, o quizá por escrúpulos de conciencia, decidió irse y entrar en Tábanos donde le trató Eulogio.    

Tan de plano rechaza ante el público reunido la mentira del Profeta, la bajeza de la vida del mahometano y la falsía de la felicidad prometida que, resaltando la verdad del Crucificado, la dignidad que pide a sus fieles y la verdad del único Cielo prometido.   Abderramán II mandó aplicar el rigor de la ley a su antiguo servidor; y para que los cristianos no pudieran hacer de su cadáver un estandarte dándole veneración, lo mantuvo dos días en la horca, lo hizo quemar y desparramar después sus cenizas por el río Guadalquivir.  

Eso sucedió el miércoles 3 de junio. Dos días más tarde, el mártir es Sancho, un joven admirador de Eulogio, nacido cerca del Pirineo, que era un esclavo de la guardia del sultán; a éste, por ser culpado de alta traición además de impío. Lo someten a  la muerte de los empalados.   Seis hombres que vestían con cogulla monacal se presentaron el domingo, día 7, ante el juez musulmán, eran Pedro, un joven sacerdote y Walabonso, diácono, nacido en Niebla, ambos del monasterio de Santa María de Cute clara.

(1) Cf.CONGREGATIO DE CULTU DIVINO ET DISCIPLINA SACRAMENTORUM "Martyrologium Romanum" (Roma 2001).
(2) SAN EULOGIO, "Memorial de los santos"; "Documento martirial"; "Apologético de los mártires"; ÁLVARO DE CÓRDOBA, "Vida de Eulogio".

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Oremos  

Himno

  Espíritus sublimes,

¡ Oh mártires gloriosos!,

felices moradores

de la inmortal Sión,

rogad por los que luchan

en las batallas recias,

que alcancen la victoria

y eterno galardón.  

¡ Oh mártires gloriosos

de rojas vestiduras,

que brillan con eternos

fulgores ante Dios!

Con vuestro riego crezca

De Cristo la semilla,

Y el campo de las mieses

Se cubra ya en sazón. 

 Amén    

Dios todopoderoso y eterno, que diste a los santos mártires Isaac y compañeros la valentía de aceptar la muerte por el nombre de Cristo: concede también tu fuerza a nuestra debilidad para que, a ejemplo de aquellos que no dudaron en morir por ti, nosotros sepamos también ser fuertes, confesando tu nombre con nuestras vidas. Por nuestro Señor Jesucristo, tu Hijo.

« I believe in the resurrection of the flesh»

DAILY GOSPEL: 02/06/2010

«Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6,68

Wednesday of the Ninth week in Ordinary Time

Second Letter to Timothy 1:1-3.6-12.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God for the promise of life in Christ Jesus,
to Timothy, my dear child: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am grateful to God, whom I worship with a clear conscienceas my ancestors did, as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day.
For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.
He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began,
but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
for which I was appointed preacher and apostle and teacher.
On this account I am suffering these things; but I am not ashamed, for I know him in whom I have believed and am confident that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.

Psalms 123(122):1-2.
A song of ascents. To you I raise my eyes, to you enthroned in heaven.
Yes, like the eyes of a servant on the hand of his master, Like the eyes of a maid on the hand of her mistress, So our eyes are on the LORD our God, till we are shown favor.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 12:18-27.
Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and put this question to him,
saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, 'If someone's brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.'
Now there were seven brothers. The first married a woman and died, leaving no descendants.
So the second married her and died, leaving no descendants, and the third likewise.
And the seven left no descendants. Last of all the woman also died.
At the resurrection (when they arise) whose wife will she be? For all seven had been married to her."
Jesus said to them, "Are you not misled because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God?
When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven.
As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, 'I am the God of Abraham, (the) God of Isaac, and (the) God of Jacob'?
He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly misled." 

Mc 12,18-27

Commentary of the day 
Saint Justin (c.100-160), philosopher and martyr
Treatise on the resurrection, 2.4.7-9

« I believe in the resurrection of the flesh» (Creed)

       People who are in error say there is no resurrection of the body and that it is impossible for it to be restored to its integrity once it has been destroyed and reduced to dust. According to these same people the salvation of the flesh would not only be impossible but even harmful. They blame the flesh, accuse its faults and make it responsible for sin and thus they say that, if this flesh is to rise again, its faults will rise with it... Further, our Savior said that: «Those who rise from the dead do not marry but are like angels in heaven». But angels, they say, have no flesh, nor do they eat or unite in marriage. Therefore, they say, there will be no resurrection of the flesh...

       How blind are the eyes of the intellect on its own! For they have not noticed that «the blind see, the lame walk» (Mt 11,5) on earth at the Savior's word... so that we might believe that the flesh in its entirety will rise again at the resurrection. If he cured diseases of the flesh on this earth and restored wholeness to the body, how much more will he do so at the moment of resurrection so that the flesh might rise again wholly and without blemish ... It seems to me that such people fail to look at the divine action in its totality at the beginning of creation, in the forming of man. They don't attend to the reason why earthly things were made.

The Word said: «Let us make man in our image and likeness» (Gn 1,26)... Obviously man, formed in the image of God, was flesh. Therefore how absurd it is to claim that flesh formed by God in his own image is despicable and worthless! Clearly flesh must be precious in God's eyes since it is his creation. And since the culmination of his plan for all the rest of creation is to be found in it, this is what has the greatest worth in the eyes of the Creator.

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Wednesday, 02 June 2010

Sts. Peter & Marcellinus, Martyrs (+ c. 304)

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SAINTS MARCELLINUS, PETER
Martyrs
(+ c. 304)

        Pope Damasus received the information about the martyrdom of Saints Marcellinus and Peter during the Diocletian persecution from the executioner himself. They were beheaded.

The saints are happy in heaven because they followed Christ.
They rejoice with him for ever because they shed their blood for love of him.
(Entrance antiphon)