"He must take up his cross daily and follow me"

DAILY GOSPEL: 21/06/2010

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

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Book of Zechariah 12:10-11.13:1.
I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and petition; and they shall look on him whom they have thrust through, and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a first-born.
On that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be as great as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
On that day there shall be open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness.

Psalms 63:2.3-4.5-6.8-9.
O God, you are my God-- for you I long! For you my body yearns; for you my soul thirsts, Like a land parched, lifeless, and without water.
So I look to you in the sanctuary to see your power and glory.
For your love is better than life; my lips offer you worship!
I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands, calling on your name.
My soul shall savor the rich banquet of praise, with joyous lips my mouth shall honor you!
That you indeed are my help, and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you; your right hand upholds me.

Letter to the Galatians 3:26-29.
For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendant, heirs according to the promise.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 9:18-24.
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"
They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'"
Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said in reply, "The Messiah of God."
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised."
Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 

Lc 9,18-24

Commentary of the day 
Catechism of the Catholic Church
§ 306-308

"He must take up his cross daily and follow me"

God is the sovereign master of his plan. But to carry it out he also makes use of his creatures' co-operation. This use is not a sign of weakness, but rather a token of almighty God's greatness and goodness. For God grants his creatures not only their existence, but also the dignity of acting on their own... and thus of co-operating in the accomplishment of his plan.
To human beings God even gives the power of freely sharing in his providence by entrusting them with the responsibility of "subduing" the earth and having dominion over it. (Gen 1, 26-28) God thus enables men to be intelligent and free causes in order to complete the work of creation, to perfect its harmony for their own good and that of their neighbours. Though often unconscious collaborators with God's will, they can also enter deliberately into the divine plan by their actions, their prayers and their sufferings. They then fully become "God's fellow workers" and co-workers for his kingdom. (1Co 3,9 ; 1Th 3,2)

The truth that God is at work in all the actions of his creatures is inseparable from faith in God the Creator. God is the first cause who operates in and through secondary causes: "For God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Ph 2,13).

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Sunday, 20 June 2010

St. Silverius, Pope and Martyr, (+ 538)

SAINT SILVERIUS
Pope and Martyr
(+538)

        Silverius was son of Pope Hermisdas, who had been married before he entered the ministry. Upon the death of St. Agapetas, after a vacancy of forty-seven days, Silverius, then subdeacon, was chosen Pope, and ordained on the 8th of June, 536.

        Theodora, the empress of Justinian, resolved to promote the sect of the Acephali. She endeavored to win Silverius over to her interest, and wrote to him, ordering that he should acknowledge Anthimus lawful bishop, or repair in person to Constantinople and reëxamine his cause on the spot. Without the least hesitation or delay, Silverius returned her a short answer, by which he peremptorily gave her to understand that he neither could nor would obey her unjust demands and betray the cause of the Catholic faith. The empress, finding that she could expect nothing from him, resolved to have him deposed. Vigilius, archdeacon of the Roman Church, a man of address, was then at Constantinople. To him the empress made her application, and finding him taken by the bait of ambition, promised to make him Pope, and to bestow on him seven hundred pieces of gold, provided he would engage himself to condemn the Council of Chalcedon and receive to Communion the three deposed Eutychian patriarchs, Anthimus of Constantinople, Severus of Antioch, and Theodosius of Alexandria. The unhappy Vigilius having assented to these conditions, the empress sent him to Rome, charged with a letter to the general Belisarius, commanding him to drive out Silverius and to contrive the election of Vigilius to the pontificate. Vigilius urged the general to execute the project. The more easily to carry out this project the Pope was accused of corresponding with the enemy and a letter was produced which was pretended to have been written by him to the king of the Goths, inviting him into the city, and promising to open the gates to him.

        Silverius was banished to Patara in Lycia. The bishop of that city received the illustrious exile with all possible marks of honor and respect; and thinking himself bound to undertake his defence, repaired to Constantinople, and spoke boldly to the emperor, terrifying him with the threats of the divine judgments for the expulsion of a bishop of so great a see, telling him, "There are many kings in the world, but there is only one Pope over the Church of the whole world." It must be observed that these were the words of an Oriental bishop, and a clear confession of the supremacy of the Roman See. Justinian appeared startled at the atrocity of the proceedings, and gave orders that Silverius should be sent back to Rome, but the enemies of the Pope contrived to prevent it, and he was intercepted on his road toward Rome and carried to a desert island, where he died on the 20th of June, 538.

«La medida que uséis la usarán con vosotros»

EVANGELIO DEL DÍA: 21/06/2010

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

Lunes de la XII Semana del Tiempo Ordinario

Segundo Libro de los Reyes 17,5-8.13-15.18.
Luego invadió todo el país, subió contra Samaría y la sitió durante tres años.
En el noveno año de Oseas, el rey de Asiria conquistó Samaría y deportó a los israelitas a Asiria. Los estableció en Jalaj y sobre el Jabor, río de Gozán, y en las ciudades de Media.
Esto sucedió porque los israelitas pecaron contra el Señor, su Dios, que los había hecho subir del país de Egipto, librándolos del poder del Faraón, rey de Egipto, y porque habían venerado a otros dioses.
Ellos imitaron las costumbres de las naciones que el Señor había desposeído delante de los israelitas, y las que habían introducido los reyes de Israel.
El Señor había advertido solemnemente a Israel y a Judá por medio de todos los profetas y videntes, diciendo: "Vuelvan de su mala conducta y observen mis mandamientos y mis preceptos, conforme a toda la Ley que prescribí a sus padres y que transmití por medio de mis servidores los profetas".
Pero ellos no escucharon, y se obstinaron como sus padres, que no creyeron en el Señor, su Dios.
Rechazaron sus preceptos y la alianza que el Señor había hecho con sus padres, sin tener en cuenta sus advertencias. Fueron detrás de ídolos vanos, volviéndose así vanos ellos mismos, por ir detrás de las naciones que los rodeaban, aunque el Señor les había prohibido obrar como ellas.
El Señor se irritó tanto contra Israel, que lo arrojó lejos de su presencia. Sólo quedó la tribu de Judá.

Salmo 60,3.4-5.12-13.
¡Tú nos has rechazado, Señor, nos has deshecho! Estabas irritado: ¡vuélvete a nosotros!
Hiciste temblar la tierra, la agrietaste: repara sus grietas, porque se desmorona.
Impusiste a tu pueblo una dura prueba, nos hiciste beber un vino embriagador.
si tú, Señor, nos has rechazado y ya no sales con nuestro ejército?
Danos tu ayuda contra el adversario, porque es inútil el auxilio de los hombres.

Evangelio según San Mateo 7,1-5.
No juzguen, para no ser juzgados.
Porque con el criterio con que ustedes juzguen se los juzgará, y la medida con que midan se usará para ustedes.
¿Por qué te fijas en la paja que está en el ojo de tu hermano y no adviertes la viga que está en el tuyo?
¿Cómo puedes decirle a tu hermano: 'Deja que te saque la paja de tu ojo', si hay una viga en el tuyo?
Hipócrita, saca primero la viga de tu ojo, y entonces verás claro para sacar la paja del ojo de tu hermano. 

Mt 7,1-5

Leer el comentario del Evangelio por 
Beata Teresa de Calcuta (1910-1997), fundadora de la Hermanas Misioneras de la Caridad
Nadie tiene amor más grande

«La medida que uséis la usarán con vosotros»

     Existen diversos medicamentos y tratamientos según cada enfermedad. Pero sin una mano dulce dispuesta a servir y un corazón generoso dispuesto a amar, no creo se pueda curar esta terrible enfermedad que es la falta de amor.

     Ninguno de entre nosotros tiene el derecho de condenar nada. Y eso a pesar de ver a alguien que cae sin comprender el porque. ¿No es cierto que Jesús nos invita a no juzgar? Es posible que nosotros mismos hayamos colaborado a que esas personas sean como son. Hemos de comprender que son hermanos y hermanas nuestros. Ese leproso, ese borracho, ese enfermo son nuestros hermanos porque también ellos han sido creados para un amor más grande. No deberíamos olvidarlo jamás. El mismo Jesucristo se identifica con ellos cuando dice: «Lo que hicisteis con uno de estos mis humildes hermanos, conmigo lo hicisteis» (Mt 25,40). Es posible que estas personas se encuentren en la calle, con falta de todo amor y de todo cuidado porque hemos rechazado ayudarles, darles nuestro cariño. Seamos mansos, infinitamente suaves con el pobre que sufre. ¡Comprendemos tan poco lo que está viviendo! Lo más difícil es no sentirse aceptado.

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lunes 21 Junio 2010

San Inocente de Mérida

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San Inocente 

San Inocente (Inocencio)de Mérida, obispo emeritense, confesor (s. VII)  Su vida hizo honor a su nombre.   Parece ser que su candidez y humildad jalonaron su ministerio en Mérida, capital de la provincia Lusitana, en el tiempo de la España visigoda.  Se cuenta de él que su santidad y penitencia las ponía al servicio para impetrar las lluvias, tan deseadas en los tiempos de sequía, presidiendo rogativas, que siempre eran escuchadas por el Omnipotente.

Cuando lo eligieron para ser consagrado obispo, era, según se nos dice, el último en el orden de los diáconos. Y lo consagraron para servir a la diócesis emeritense como sucesor del gran obispo visigodo Masona que abrió la «Edad de Oro» del episcopado de Mérida. «Después de él fue elegido un virtuoso varón, de suma santidad y llaneza, llamado Inocencio, cuya condición la expresa bien su propio nombre. Inocente, en verdad, y cándido; que a nadie juzgó, a nadie condenó, a nadie enjuició; y vivió humilde y piadoso todos los días de su vida»   Asistió al Concilio de Toledo del año 610 que preside San Leandro de Sevilla en tiempos de Gundemaro.   Debió estar pocos años al frente de su sede.