CHRISTMAS NIGHT AND CHRISTMAS STAR
CHRISTMAS NIGHT
LUKE : 2, 1-20
2,1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
http://www.carm.org/kjv/Luke/luke_2.htm
*********************************************
THE CHRISTMAS STAR
MATTHEW: 2,1-12
2 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him." 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet:
6 `And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.'"
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; 8 and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." 9 When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; 11 and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
http://www.clerus.org/bibliaclerusonline/it/flz.htm#h
http://groups.google.com/group/christianbiblestudies?hl=it
domenica 21 dicembre 2008
venerdì 19 dicembre 2008
CHRISTIAN JEWS ARRESTED, PERSECUTED IN ISRAEL
National Prayer Network
CHRISTIAN JEWS ARRESTED, PERSECUTED IN ISRAEL
By Rev. Ted Pike
18 Dec 08
The state of Israel says “GO HOME!” to Christian Jews who want to become citizens or to live as authentic, Holy Spirit-led believers in Israel. Israel prohibits Christian Jews from becoming citizens. It also forbids any Christian—whether Jew or Gentile—from sharing Christianity with a minor or even buying an adult Jew a cup of coffee in the course of their religious discussion!
In Israel’s latest act of official anti-Christianity, a Messianic Jewish couple was arrested and detained for over eight hours—in what the husband described as a “particularly dirty, smelly and overcrowded” detention facility—because of their faith.
The Jerusalem Post:
A director of the US Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations and his wife were detained Sunday at Ben-Gurion Airport by Interior Ministry officials amid allegations he is involved in illegal Christian missionary activity. It is illegal in Israel to proselytize among minors. It is also prohibited to engage in missionary activities among adults when economic incentives are offered…
After over eight hours of detention, Jamie Cowen, a former president of the union, and his wife, Stacy, were permitted to enter Israel only after they agreed to sign a document that they would not engage in missionary activities during their stay…The Interior Ministry, which directed the police to arrest the Cowens, said they had classified information regarding missionary activity.
Cowen, who is also a U.S. immigration lawyer, comments: “This type of religious discrimination would be expected of Iran, not Israel…In the US we imprison individuals suspected of terrorism. Here apparently one can be jailed for his religious convictions. This is a case of blatant discrimination against basic rights.” ("Messianic Jews detained at Ben-Gurion," The Jerusalem Post, Dec. 14, 2008)
To Obey or Not Obey in Israel
In the Book of Acts, apostles Peter and John were similarly detained by Jewish authorities. Like the Cowens, they were warned that if they continued to witness for Christ they would be flogged and imprisoned – a much worse fate than simply being denied entry to Israel. Unlike the Cowens, they did not agree to be silent and deny their Lord. They were subsequently flogged and imprisoned. (Acts 4, 5) They would not insult the Holy Spirit’s right to guide their actions at any time, anywhere, even in a land where it is illegal to witness for Christ.
Today, the government of Israel requires any Christian who wants to live there unimprisoned to insult the Holy Spirit. That Christian must ignore God’s prompting to speak or teach. The Cowens were told to leave their freedom of speech and the Holy Spirit at the Tel Aviv airport. This is the worst moral assault on any true Christian – assault on his conscience and openness to God’s guidance. God’s Holy Spirit yearns to use the Cowens and all believers visiting Israel to help save lost Israelis, young and old. Now such souls may go to hell.
For the privilege of entering the "holy land” and visiting their daughters, the Cowens, like millions of visiting evangelicals every year, agreed to Israel’s anti-Christ terms of silence.
Colossal Ingratitude
Ironically, the Cowens aren’t even racists or political subversives! Hardly. They are dedicated backers of Israel with an impressive record of support for Jewish charities. “Cowen said he had visited Israel about 10 times, and had been active in social causes via the Knesset Social Lobby. ‘I’ve brought $100,000 in humanitarian aid to Israel. We’ve provided lone IDF soldiers with about $50,000 in aid.’ Of the slap in the face which Israel gave him for his altruism, Cowen says, ‘This is unbelievable.’”
The US Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations, over which Cowen formerly presided, “has 90 member congregations with membership ranging between 50 and 400 per congregation . . .” The government of Israel understands Cowen’s influence and that their harassment of him could send shockwaves among evangelicals. Yet the Interior Ministry, increasingly inhabited by ultra-Orthodox Jews, only cares about ending Christian evangelism in Israel, not about world opinion.
The government of Israel, as well as local governing bodies, continues to silently look the other way as Messianic Jews in Israel endure continuous and increasing harassment, persecution and even violence. Official anti-Christianity is documented via many graphic video clips by the oppressed Messianics at their websites. [1]
Israel’s mistreatment of the Cowens is a reminder that Israel, despite its propaganda, is not a democracy. “Calev Myers, founder and chief counsel of The Jerusalem Institute, which provides legal advice and representation to messianic Jews, said, ‘Israel is the only Western country where basic freedom of religion is denied.’”
Israeli Thought Police
Many evangelicals, led by “Israel-first” fanatics like Pastor John Hagee, believe (evidently like the Cowens) that tireless love, blessing, and financial gifts will soften Israel’s anti-Christianity. The behavior of the increasingly Orthodox government proves otherwise. Israel is developing into an anti-Christian police state, feeding on tips from Orthodox informers. The Post quotes anti-missionary spokesman Meyer Cohen saying the Interior Ministry now has its own intelligence unit to spy on missionaries and Messianic Jews. Calev Myers says, “anti-missionary associations such as Yad Le’achim often tipped off Interior Ministry officials regarding messianic Jews attempting to enter the country.” Israel, taking off her smiling mask, emerges as an ominous “speech crime” gestapo on the make.
In the United States and through world governing bodies, the Anti-Defamation League, chief PR rep for Israel, works tirelessly to conform the rest of the world to what they view as the Israeli ideal. ADL wants to make the whole world like Israel – a place where it will become a federal crime for anyone to witness for Jesus Christ in print, on the airwaves, the internet, or just on the street corner.
ADL wants Christians in heartland America, as in Israel, to face arrest and imprisonment for the “hate crime” of leading anyone to Christ. When those converted are Jews, ADL ups the ante to the crime of “anti-Semitism,” a crime against the Jewish people which conceivably could lead to deportation and imprisonment in Israel, fulfilling Christ’s prophecy (Luke 21:12). [2]
Holding the Holy Land Hostage
For millennia, the "holy land" has been viewed as owned by God, a place for individuals of all faiths to find inspiration, to visit or live in. Now Israel holds it hostage as if it belongs only to Talmudic Jews. The government legislates not only against Christians and Moslems but even Jews who believe in Jesus. The Post says, “The [Israeli] Supreme Court has ruled that Jews who embraced Christianity are not eligible for Israeli citizenship.”
When will evangelical visitors to Israel stop caving to Israel’s demands that they not witness? When will Christians, like the apostles in Acts, resolve to speak only as the Holy Spirit leads, regardless of the price? After all, authentic Christianity is about pleasing God alone, not man. If Christians do not defy Israeli law, as did the apostles, even to the point of going to prison, Israel’s anti-Christian aggression will only increase.
It’s time for Christians to do what has heretofore been unthinkable to them.
Say to Israel, "We must obey God, rather than men." (Acts 5:29)
Endnotes:
1. See Lura Maimon Beckford’s website at http://kingsmenarad.com/.
2. See ADL's Foxman: New Testament is Anti-Semitic at truthtellers.org, February 15, 2006.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rev. Ted Pike is director of the National Prayer Network, a Christian/conservative watchdog organization.
TALK SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Ted Pike on this topic. Call (503) 631-3808.
National Prayer Network, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas, OR 97015
http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/christianjewsarrestedisrael.htm
CHRISTIAN JEWS ARRESTED, PERSECUTED IN ISRAEL
By Rev. Ted Pike
18 Dec 08
The state of Israel says “GO HOME!” to Christian Jews who want to become citizens or to live as authentic, Holy Spirit-led believers in Israel. Israel prohibits Christian Jews from becoming citizens. It also forbids any Christian—whether Jew or Gentile—from sharing Christianity with a minor or even buying an adult Jew a cup of coffee in the course of their religious discussion!
In Israel’s latest act of official anti-Christianity, a Messianic Jewish couple was arrested and detained for over eight hours—in what the husband described as a “particularly dirty, smelly and overcrowded” detention facility—because of their faith.
The Jerusalem Post:
A director of the US Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations and his wife were detained Sunday at Ben-Gurion Airport by Interior Ministry officials amid allegations he is involved in illegal Christian missionary activity. It is illegal in Israel to proselytize among minors. It is also prohibited to engage in missionary activities among adults when economic incentives are offered…
After over eight hours of detention, Jamie Cowen, a former president of the union, and his wife, Stacy, were permitted to enter Israel only after they agreed to sign a document that they would not engage in missionary activities during their stay…The Interior Ministry, which directed the police to arrest the Cowens, said they had classified information regarding missionary activity.
Cowen, who is also a U.S. immigration lawyer, comments: “This type of religious discrimination would be expected of Iran, not Israel…In the US we imprison individuals suspected of terrorism. Here apparently one can be jailed for his religious convictions. This is a case of blatant discrimination against basic rights.” ("Messianic Jews detained at Ben-Gurion," The Jerusalem Post, Dec. 14, 2008)
To Obey or Not Obey in Israel
In the Book of Acts, apostles Peter and John were similarly detained by Jewish authorities. Like the Cowens, they were warned that if they continued to witness for Christ they would be flogged and imprisoned – a much worse fate than simply being denied entry to Israel. Unlike the Cowens, they did not agree to be silent and deny their Lord. They were subsequently flogged and imprisoned. (Acts 4, 5) They would not insult the Holy Spirit’s right to guide their actions at any time, anywhere, even in a land where it is illegal to witness for Christ.
Today, the government of Israel requires any Christian who wants to live there unimprisoned to insult the Holy Spirit. That Christian must ignore God’s prompting to speak or teach. The Cowens were told to leave their freedom of speech and the Holy Spirit at the Tel Aviv airport. This is the worst moral assault on any true Christian – assault on his conscience and openness to God’s guidance. God’s Holy Spirit yearns to use the Cowens and all believers visiting Israel to help save lost Israelis, young and old. Now such souls may go to hell.
For the privilege of entering the "holy land” and visiting their daughters, the Cowens, like millions of visiting evangelicals every year, agreed to Israel’s anti-Christ terms of silence.
Colossal Ingratitude
Ironically, the Cowens aren’t even racists or political subversives! Hardly. They are dedicated backers of Israel with an impressive record of support for Jewish charities. “Cowen said he had visited Israel about 10 times, and had been active in social causes via the Knesset Social Lobby. ‘I’ve brought $100,000 in humanitarian aid to Israel. We’ve provided lone IDF soldiers with about $50,000 in aid.’ Of the slap in the face which Israel gave him for his altruism, Cowen says, ‘This is unbelievable.’”
The US Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations, over which Cowen formerly presided, “has 90 member congregations with membership ranging between 50 and 400 per congregation . . .” The government of Israel understands Cowen’s influence and that their harassment of him could send shockwaves among evangelicals. Yet the Interior Ministry, increasingly inhabited by ultra-Orthodox Jews, only cares about ending Christian evangelism in Israel, not about world opinion.
The government of Israel, as well as local governing bodies, continues to silently look the other way as Messianic Jews in Israel endure continuous and increasing harassment, persecution and even violence. Official anti-Christianity is documented via many graphic video clips by the oppressed Messianics at their websites. [1]
Israel’s mistreatment of the Cowens is a reminder that Israel, despite its propaganda, is not a democracy. “Calev Myers, founder and chief counsel of The Jerusalem Institute, which provides legal advice and representation to messianic Jews, said, ‘Israel is the only Western country where basic freedom of religion is denied.’”
Israeli Thought Police
Many evangelicals, led by “Israel-first” fanatics like Pastor John Hagee, believe (evidently like the Cowens) that tireless love, blessing, and financial gifts will soften Israel’s anti-Christianity. The behavior of the increasingly Orthodox government proves otherwise. Israel is developing into an anti-Christian police state, feeding on tips from Orthodox informers. The Post quotes anti-missionary spokesman Meyer Cohen saying the Interior Ministry now has its own intelligence unit to spy on missionaries and Messianic Jews. Calev Myers says, “anti-missionary associations such as Yad Le’achim often tipped off Interior Ministry officials regarding messianic Jews attempting to enter the country.” Israel, taking off her smiling mask, emerges as an ominous “speech crime” gestapo on the make.
In the United States and through world governing bodies, the Anti-Defamation League, chief PR rep for Israel, works tirelessly to conform the rest of the world to what they view as the Israeli ideal. ADL wants to make the whole world like Israel – a place where it will become a federal crime for anyone to witness for Jesus Christ in print, on the airwaves, the internet, or just on the street corner.
ADL wants Christians in heartland America, as in Israel, to face arrest and imprisonment for the “hate crime” of leading anyone to Christ. When those converted are Jews, ADL ups the ante to the crime of “anti-Semitism,” a crime against the Jewish people which conceivably could lead to deportation and imprisonment in Israel, fulfilling Christ’s prophecy (Luke 21:12). [2]
Holding the Holy Land Hostage
For millennia, the "holy land" has been viewed as owned by God, a place for individuals of all faiths to find inspiration, to visit or live in. Now Israel holds it hostage as if it belongs only to Talmudic Jews. The government legislates not only against Christians and Moslems but even Jews who believe in Jesus. The Post says, “The [Israeli] Supreme Court has ruled that Jews who embraced Christianity are not eligible for Israeli citizenship.”
When will evangelical visitors to Israel stop caving to Israel’s demands that they not witness? When will Christians, like the apostles in Acts, resolve to speak only as the Holy Spirit leads, regardless of the price? After all, authentic Christianity is about pleasing God alone, not man. If Christians do not defy Israeli law, as did the apostles, even to the point of going to prison, Israel’s anti-Christian aggression will only increase.
It’s time for Christians to do what has heretofore been unthinkable to them.
Say to Israel, "We must obey God, rather than men." (Acts 5:29)
Endnotes:
1. See Lura Maimon Beckford’s website at http://kingsmenarad.com/.
2. See ADL's Foxman: New Testament is Anti-Semitic at truthtellers.org, February 15, 2006.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rev. Ted Pike is director of the National Prayer Network, a Christian/conservative watchdog organization.
TALK SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Ted Pike on this topic. Call (503) 631-3808.
National Prayer Network, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas, OR 97015
http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/christianjewsarrestedisrael.htm
giovedì 18 dicembre 2008
THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST AND JOHN THE BAPTIST
THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST AND JOHN THE BAPTIST
GOSPEL OF ST.LUKE: 1, 1-2,52
1,1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,
9 According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
57 Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
2,1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?
50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
http://www.carm.org/kjv/Luke/luke_2.htm
GOSPEL OF ST.LUKE: 1, 1-2,52
1,1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,
9 According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
57 Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
2,1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?
50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
http://www.carm.org/kjv/Luke/luke_2.htm
mercoledì 17 dicembre 2008
The Birth of Jesus the Messiah
Book of
MATTHEW: 1, 1-2, 23
The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah
1 1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,
4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,
7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa,
8 and Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah,
9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah,
11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud,
15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.
The Birth of Jesus the Messiah
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; 19 and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly. 20 But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; 21 she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.
The Visit of the Wise Men
2 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him." 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet:
6 `And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.'"
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; 8 and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." 9 When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; 11 and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
The Escape to Egypt
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt have I called my son."
The Massacre of the Infants
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more."
The Return from Egypt
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, 20 "Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene."
http://www.clerus.org/bibliaclerusonline/it/flz.htm#h
SAINT LUCY
Saint Lucy
Feastday: December 13Patron of Blindness
Lucy's name means "light", with the same root as "lucid" which means "clear, radiant, understandable." Unfortunately for us, Lucy's history does not match her name. Shrouded in the darkness of time, all we really know for certain is that this brave woman who lived in Syracuse lost her life in the persecution of Christians in the early fourth century. Her veneration spread to Rome so that by the sixth century the whole Church recognized her courage in defense of the faith.
Because people wanted to shed light on Lucy's bravery, legends grew up. The one that is passed down to us tells the story of a young Christian woman who had vowed her life to the service of Christ. Her mother tried to arrange a marriage for her with a pagan. Lucy apparently knew that her mother would not be convinced by a young girl's vow so she devised a plan to convince her mother that Christ was a much more powerful partner for life. Through prayers at the tomb of Saint Agatha, her mother's long illness was cured miraculously. The grateful mother was now ready to listen to Lucy's desire to give her money to the poor and commit her life to God.
Unfortunately, legend has it, the rejected bridegroom did not see the same light and he betrayed Lucy to the governor as a Christian. This governor tried to send her into prostitution but the guards who came to take her way found her stiff and heavy as a mountain. Finally she was killed. As much as the facts of Lucy's specific case are unknown, we know that many Christians suffered incredible torture and a painful death for their faith during Diocletian's reign. Lucy may not have been burned or had a sword thrust through her throat but many Christians did and we can be sure her faith withstood tests we can barely imagine.
Lucy's name is probably also connected to statues of Lucy holding a dish with two eyes on it. This refers to another legend in which Lucy's eyes were put out by Diocletian as part of his torture. The legend concludes with God restoring Lucy's eyes.
Lucy's name also played a large part in naming Lucy as a patron saint of the blind and those with eye-trouble.
Whatever the fact to the legends surrounding Lucy, the truth is that her courage to stand up and be counted a Christian in spite of torture and death is the light that should lead us on our own journeys through life.
In Her Footsteps:
Lucy is the patron saint of the blind. Braille is an important means of communication for those with visual impairment or blindness. Support the teaching of braille in schools and learn about it yourself by calling your local chapter of the National Federation of the Blind.
Prayer:
Saint Lucy, you did not hide your light under a basket, but let it shine for the whole world, for all the centuries to see. We may not suffer torture in our lives the way you did, but we are still called to let the light of our Christianity illumine our daily lives. Please help us to have the courage to bring our Christianity into our work, our recreation, our relationships, our conversation -- every corner of our day. Amen
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=75
Feastday: December 13Patron of Blindness
Lucy's name means "light", with the same root as "lucid" which means "clear, radiant, understandable." Unfortunately for us, Lucy's history does not match her name. Shrouded in the darkness of time, all we really know for certain is that this brave woman who lived in Syracuse lost her life in the persecution of Christians in the early fourth century. Her veneration spread to Rome so that by the sixth century the whole Church recognized her courage in defense of the faith.
Because people wanted to shed light on Lucy's bravery, legends grew up. The one that is passed down to us tells the story of a young Christian woman who had vowed her life to the service of Christ. Her mother tried to arrange a marriage for her with a pagan. Lucy apparently knew that her mother would not be convinced by a young girl's vow so she devised a plan to convince her mother that Christ was a much more powerful partner for life. Through prayers at the tomb of Saint Agatha, her mother's long illness was cured miraculously. The grateful mother was now ready to listen to Lucy's desire to give her money to the poor and commit her life to God.
Unfortunately, legend has it, the rejected bridegroom did not see the same light and he betrayed Lucy to the governor as a Christian. This governor tried to send her into prostitution but the guards who came to take her way found her stiff and heavy as a mountain. Finally she was killed. As much as the facts of Lucy's specific case are unknown, we know that many Christians suffered incredible torture and a painful death for their faith during Diocletian's reign. Lucy may not have been burned or had a sword thrust through her throat but many Christians did and we can be sure her faith withstood tests we can barely imagine.
Lucy's name is probably also connected to statues of Lucy holding a dish with two eyes on it. This refers to another legend in which Lucy's eyes were put out by Diocletian as part of his torture. The legend concludes with God restoring Lucy's eyes.
Lucy's name also played a large part in naming Lucy as a patron saint of the blind and those with eye-trouble.
Whatever the fact to the legends surrounding Lucy, the truth is that her courage to stand up and be counted a Christian in spite of torture and death is the light that should lead us on our own journeys through life.
In Her Footsteps:
Lucy is the patron saint of the blind. Braille is an important means of communication for those with visual impairment or blindness. Support the teaching of braille in schools and learn about it yourself by calling your local chapter of the National Federation of the Blind.
Prayer:
Saint Lucy, you did not hide your light under a basket, but let it shine for the whole world, for all the centuries to see. We may not suffer torture in our lives the way you did, but we are still called to let the light of our Christianity illumine our daily lives. Please help us to have the courage to bring our Christianity into our work, our recreation, our relationships, our conversation -- every corner of our day. Amen
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=75
ST. NICHOLAS OF BARI
06 December
ST. NICHOLAS OF BARI
ST. NICHOLAS, the patron Saint of Russia, was born toward the end of the third century. His uncle, the Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, ordained him priest, and appointed him abbot of a monastery; and on the death of the archbishop he was elected to the vacant see.
Throughout his life he retained the bright and guileless manners of his early years, and showed himself the special protector of the innocent and the wronged. Nicholas once heard that a person who had fallen into poverty intended to abandon his three daughters to a life of sin. Determined, if possible, to save their innocence, the Saint went out by night, and, taking with him a bag of gold, flung it into the window of the sleeping father and hurried off. He, on awaking, deemed the gift a godsend, and with it dowered his eldest child. The Saint, overjoyed at his success, made like venture for the second daughter; but the third time as he stole away, the father, who was watching, overtook him and kissed his feet, saying: "Nicholas, why dost thou conceal thyself from me? Thou art my helper, and he who has delivered my soul and my daughters' from hell."
St. Nicholas is usually represented by the side of a vessel, wherein a certain man had concealed the bodies of his three children whom he had killed, but who were restored to life by the Saint. He died in 342. His relics were translated in 1807, to Bari, Italy, and there, after fifteen centuries, "the manna of St. Nicholas" still flows from his bones and heals all kinds of sick.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
http://www.dailygospel.org/www/main.php?language=AM&ordo=&localTime=12/06/2008#
ST. NICHOLAS OF BARI
ST. NICHOLAS, the patron Saint of Russia, was born toward the end of the third century. His uncle, the Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, ordained him priest, and appointed him abbot of a monastery; and on the death of the archbishop he was elected to the vacant see.
Throughout his life he retained the bright and guileless manners of his early years, and showed himself the special protector of the innocent and the wronged. Nicholas once heard that a person who had fallen into poverty intended to abandon his three daughters to a life of sin. Determined, if possible, to save their innocence, the Saint went out by night, and, taking with him a bag of gold, flung it into the window of the sleeping father and hurried off. He, on awaking, deemed the gift a godsend, and with it dowered his eldest child. The Saint, overjoyed at his success, made like venture for the second daughter; but the third time as he stole away, the father, who was watching, overtook him and kissed his feet, saying: "Nicholas, why dost thou conceal thyself from me? Thou art my helper, and he who has delivered my soul and my daughters' from hell."
St. Nicholas is usually represented by the side of a vessel, wherein a certain man had concealed the bodies of his three children whom he had killed, but who were restored to life by the Saint. He died in 342. His relics were translated in 1807, to Bari, Italy, and there, after fifteen centuries, "the manna of St. Nicholas" still flows from his bones and heals all kinds of sick.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
http://www.dailygospel.org/www/main.php?language=AM&ordo=&localTime=12/06/2008#
ST.ANDREW
The name "Andrew" (Gr., andreia, manhood, or valour), like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the second or third century B.C.
St. Andrew, the Apostle, son of Jonah, or John (Matthew 16:17; John 1:42), was born in Bethsaida of Galilee (John 1:44). He was brother of Simon (Peter) (Matthew 10:2; John 1:40). Both were fishermen (Matthew 4:18; Mark 1:16), and at the beginning of Our Lord's public life occupied the same house at Capharnaum (Mark 1:21, 29).
From the fourth Gospel we learn that Andrew was a disciple of the Baptist, whose testimony first led him and John the Evangelist to follow Jesus (John 1:35-40). Andrew at once recognized Jesus as the Messias, and hastened to introduce Him to his brother, Peter, (John 1:41). Thenceforth the two brothers were disciples of Christ. On a subsequent occasion, prior to the final call to the apostolate, they were called to a closer companionship, and then they left all things to follow Jesus (Luke 5:11; Matthew 4:19-20; Mark 1:17-18).
Finally Andrew was chosen to be one of the Twelve; and in the various lists of Apostles given in the New Testament (Matthew 10:2-4); Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13) he is always numbered among the first four. The only other explicit reference to him in the Synoptists occurs in Mark 13:3, where we are told he joined with Peter, James and John in putting the question that led to Our Lord's great eschatological discourse. In addition to this scanty information, we learn from the fourth Gospel that on the occasion of the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, it was Andrew who said: "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fishes: but what are these among so many?" (John 6:8-9); and when, a few days before Our Lord's death, certain Greeks asked Philip that they might see Jesus, Philip referred the matter to Andrew as to one of greater authority, and then both told Christ (John 12:20-22). Like the majority of the Twelve, Andrew is not named in the Acts except in the list of the Apostles, where the order of the first four is Peter, John, James, Andrew; nor have the Epistles or the Apocalypse any mention of him.
From what we know of the Apostles generally, we can, of course, supplement somewhat these few details. As one of the Twelve, Andrew was admitted to the closest familiarity with Our Lord during His public life; he was present at the Last Supper; beheld the risen Lord; witnessed the Ascension; shared in the graces and gifts of the first Pentecost, and helped, amid threats and persecution, to establish the Faith in Palestine.
When the Apostles went forth to preach to the Nations, Andrew seems to have taken an important part, but unfortunately we have no certainty as to the extent or place of his labours. Eusebius (Church History III.1), relying, apparently, upon Origen, assigns Scythia as his mission field: Andras de [eilechen] ten Skythian; while St. Gregory of Nazianzus (Oration 33) mentions Epirus; St. Jerome (Ep. ad Marcell.) Achaia; and Theodoret (on Ps. cxvi) Hellas. Probably these various accounts are correct, for Nicephorus (H.E. II:39), relying upon early writers, states that Andrew preached in Cappadocia, Galatia, and Bithynia, then in the land of the anthropophagi and the Scythian deserts, afterwards in Byzantium itself, where he appointed St. Stachys as its first bishop, and finally in Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, and Achaia. It is generally agreed that he was crucified by order of the Roman Governor, Aegeas or Aegeates, at Patrae in Achaia, and that he was bound, not nailed, to the cross, in order to prolong his sufferings. The cross on which he suffered is commonly held to have been the decussate cross, now known as St. Andrew's, though the evidence for this view seems to be no older than the fourteenth century. His martyrdom took place during the reign of Nero, on 30 November, A.D. 60); and both the Latin and Greek Churches keep 30 November as his feast.
St. Andrew's relics were translated from Patrae to Constantinople, and deposited in the church of the Apostles there, about A.D. 357. When Constantinople was taken by the French, in the beginning of the thirteenth century, Cardinal Peter of Capua brought the relics to Italy and placed them in the cathedral of Amalfi, where most of them still remain. St. Andrew is honoured as their chief patron by Russia and Scotland.
About this page
APA citation. MacRory, J. (1907). St. Andrew. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved November 30, 2008 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01471a.htm
MLA citation. MacRory, Joseph. "St. Andrew." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 30 Nov. 2008.
Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Christine J. Murray. Dedicated to Andrew E. Murray.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.
Copyright © 2008 by Kevin Knight. Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01471a.htm
St. Andrew, the Apostle, son of Jonah, or John (Matthew 16:17; John 1:42), was born in Bethsaida of Galilee (John 1:44). He was brother of Simon (Peter) (Matthew 10:2; John 1:40). Both were fishermen (Matthew 4:18; Mark 1:16), and at the beginning of Our Lord's public life occupied the same house at Capharnaum (Mark 1:21, 29).
From the fourth Gospel we learn that Andrew was a disciple of the Baptist, whose testimony first led him and John the Evangelist to follow Jesus (John 1:35-40). Andrew at once recognized Jesus as the Messias, and hastened to introduce Him to his brother, Peter, (John 1:41). Thenceforth the two brothers were disciples of Christ. On a subsequent occasion, prior to the final call to the apostolate, they were called to a closer companionship, and then they left all things to follow Jesus (Luke 5:11; Matthew 4:19-20; Mark 1:17-18).
Finally Andrew was chosen to be one of the Twelve; and in the various lists of Apostles given in the New Testament (Matthew 10:2-4); Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13) he is always numbered among the first four. The only other explicit reference to him in the Synoptists occurs in Mark 13:3, where we are told he joined with Peter, James and John in putting the question that led to Our Lord's great eschatological discourse. In addition to this scanty information, we learn from the fourth Gospel that on the occasion of the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, it was Andrew who said: "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fishes: but what are these among so many?" (John 6:8-9); and when, a few days before Our Lord's death, certain Greeks asked Philip that they might see Jesus, Philip referred the matter to Andrew as to one of greater authority, and then both told Christ (John 12:20-22). Like the majority of the Twelve, Andrew is not named in the Acts except in the list of the Apostles, where the order of the first four is Peter, John, James, Andrew; nor have the Epistles or the Apocalypse any mention of him.
From what we know of the Apostles generally, we can, of course, supplement somewhat these few details. As one of the Twelve, Andrew was admitted to the closest familiarity with Our Lord during His public life; he was present at the Last Supper; beheld the risen Lord; witnessed the Ascension; shared in the graces and gifts of the first Pentecost, and helped, amid threats and persecution, to establish the Faith in Palestine.
When the Apostles went forth to preach to the Nations, Andrew seems to have taken an important part, but unfortunately we have no certainty as to the extent or place of his labours. Eusebius (Church History III.1), relying, apparently, upon Origen, assigns Scythia as his mission field: Andras de [eilechen] ten Skythian; while St. Gregory of Nazianzus (Oration 33) mentions Epirus; St. Jerome (Ep. ad Marcell.) Achaia; and Theodoret (on Ps. cxvi) Hellas. Probably these various accounts are correct, for Nicephorus (H.E. II:39), relying upon early writers, states that Andrew preached in Cappadocia, Galatia, and Bithynia, then in the land of the anthropophagi and the Scythian deserts, afterwards in Byzantium itself, where he appointed St. Stachys as its first bishop, and finally in Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, and Achaia. It is generally agreed that he was crucified by order of the Roman Governor, Aegeas or Aegeates, at Patrae in Achaia, and that he was bound, not nailed, to the cross, in order to prolong his sufferings. The cross on which he suffered is commonly held to have been the decussate cross, now known as St. Andrew's, though the evidence for this view seems to be no older than the fourteenth century. His martyrdom took place during the reign of Nero, on 30 November, A.D. 60); and both the Latin and Greek Churches keep 30 November as his feast.
St. Andrew's relics were translated from Patrae to Constantinople, and deposited in the church of the Apostles there, about A.D. 357. When Constantinople was taken by the French, in the beginning of the thirteenth century, Cardinal Peter of Capua brought the relics to Italy and placed them in the cathedral of Amalfi, where most of them still remain. St. Andrew is honoured as their chief patron by Russia and Scotland.
About this page
APA citation. MacRory, J. (1907). St. Andrew. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved November 30, 2008 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01471a.htm
MLA citation. MacRory, Joseph. "St. Andrew." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 30 Nov. 2008
Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Christine J. Murray. Dedicated to Andrew E. Murray.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.
Copyright © 2008 by Kevin Knight. Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01471a.htm
Holy Name of Mary
September 12, 2008
Holy Name of Mary
This feast is a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (January 3); both have the possibility of uniting people easily divided on other matters.
The feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary began in Spain in 1513 and in 1671 was extended to all of Spain and the Kingdom of Naples. In 1683, John Sobieski, king of Poland, brought an army to the outskirts of Vienna to stop the advance of Muslim armies loyal to Mohammed IV in Constantinople. After Sobieski entrusted himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he and his soldiers thoroughly defeated the Muslims. Pope Innocent XI extended this feast to the entire Church.
Comment:
Mary always points us to God, reminding us of God's infinite goodness. She helps us to open our hearts to God's ways, wherever those may lead us. Honored under the title “Queen of Peace,” Mary encourages us to cooperate with Jesus in building a peace based on justice, a peace that respects the fundamental human rights (including religious rights) of all peoples.
Quote:
“Lord our God, when your Son was dying on the altar of the cross, he gave us as our mother the one he had chosen to be his own mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary; grant that we who call upon the holy name of Mary, our mother, with confidence in her protection may receive strength and comfort in all our needs” (Marian Sacramentary, Mass for the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary).
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1930
Holy Name of Mary
This feast is a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (January 3); both have the possibility of uniting people easily divided on other matters.
The feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary began in Spain in 1513 and in 1671 was extended to all of Spain and the Kingdom of Naples. In 1683, John Sobieski, king of Poland, brought an army to the outskirts of Vienna to stop the advance of Muslim armies loyal to Mohammed IV in Constantinople. After Sobieski entrusted himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he and his soldiers thoroughly defeated the Muslims. Pope Innocent XI extended this feast to the entire Church.
Comment:
Mary always points us to God, reminding us of God's infinite goodness. She helps us to open our hearts to God's ways, wherever those may lead us. Honored under the title “Queen of Peace,” Mary encourages us to cooperate with Jesus in building a peace based on justice, a peace that respects the fundamental human rights (including religious rights) of all peoples.
Quote:
“Lord our God, when your Son was dying on the altar of the cross, he gave us as our mother the one he had chosen to be his own mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary; grant that we who call upon the holy name of Mary, our mother, with confidence in her protection may receive strength and comfort in all our needs” (Marian Sacramentary, Mass for the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary).
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1930
THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
"Magnify, O my soul, glorious nativity of the Mother of God" - (Matins)
The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated on Septermber 8, belongs on the list of the Twelve Major Feasts of the Byzantine rite liturgical year (cf. Gospel of Sinai, 715 A.D.) We usually do not celebrate the birthday of the Saints, but rather their "birthday to heaven," that is, the anniversary of their death, considered as the beginning of their blessed life with God. Nevertheless, there are two exceptions, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist, since we commemorate not only their birthday to heaven, but also their nativity, their coming to this earth.
1.
The Holy Gospel recoreds but a few incidents from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It says nothing about her parentage, her nativity, or her childhood. All such information comes to us from the early tradition of the Church, which was recorded in the middle of the second century (about 175 A.D.) in the apocryphal book, called - the Protoevangelium of St. James.
The apocryphal books are those early Christian writings that tell us about certain events from the lives of Jesus and Mary, which are not included in the Gospels. Although the apocryphal writings are not recognized by the Church as authentic inspired works, still, much of what they relate belongs to the tradition of the primitive Church.
The so called Protoevagelium of St. James was held in high esteem by such inspired hymnographers as St. Sophronius of Jerusalem (+638), St. Germanus of Constantinople (+730), St. Andrew of Crete (+740), St. John Damascene (+749) and others, who used the Protoevangelium as the primary source for their liturgical compositions.
From the Protoevagelium of St. James we learn that the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joachim and Anna, were righteous and greatly devoted to God. Her father was a descendant from the royal house of David, while Mary's mother came from the priestly line of Aaron. Their one great sorrow was that they had no children. In the Old Testament when God blessed His chosen people, He always promised to bless them with numerous offspring. Thus, among the Jews, childlessness was considered as a sign of God's rejection, a "public disgrace" (Lk. 1:25).
But God, in His divine providence, was actually preparing Joachim and Anna for "great things" (Lk. 1:49). He was to show them a unique favor, for the child to be born to them was to become the Mother of the Messiah, the promised Saviour of the world.
The Jews were acquainted with unusual births, in which Almighty God had intervened by His divine power to show His predilection to some particular people. Such was the birth of Isaac from the childless Sarah (Gen. 21:1-3); of Samson from the barren wife of Manoh (Jud. 13:24); of Samuel from the childless Hannah (1 Sam. 1:26-28); and of course, the birth of St. John the Baptist from barren Elizabeth (Lk. 1:36-37). So, God blessed also Joachim and Anna in their old age with a providential daughter, destined to become the Mother of God.
The birth of Mary has taken away not only the "public disgrace" from her parents, but also became a source of great joy for them, according to the words of the Angel to Joachim: "Joachim, rejoice! God has heard your prayer and your wife Anna shall conceive and give birth to a daughter, whose nativity will become joy for the entire world." Consequently, the feast is celebrated in the spirit of general rejoicing and exaltation.
2.
The nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was not accidental, it was well prepared by God from the very beginning of sacred history. Already in the Garden of Eden, God promised our first parents, Adam and Eve, to send them a Savior through the providential Woman, whose "seed will curch the head (power) of the serpent" (Gen. 3:5). In other words, the Savior of the human race was to come as the "seed," the offspring of the Woman.
Then, there was the vision Jacob had of a ladder uniting heaven and earth, by which the Angels were descending and ascending to God, and the place was called "the house of God" and the "gate of heaven." (Gen. 28:10-17) The holy writers applied Jacob's vision to the Blessed Virgin Mary, in whom it was fully realized both physically and spiritually. Through Mary, as though by a ladder, the Son of God came down from heaven to earth. Mary, by carrying the Son of God in her womb for nine months, became indeed "the house of God." And giving birth to the Son of God, Mary opened for us "the gates of heaven."
Another prototype of Mary, taken from the Old Testament and used in the liturgical compositions by hymnographers, is the burning bush seen by Moses on the holy mountain Horeb (Ex. 3:1-5). As the bush was burning but was not destroyed by fire, so also the Blessed Virgin Mary, by giving birth to the Son of God, did not lose her virginity and after the birth remained a Virgin.
The Blessed Virgin Mary was unmistakably foretold by the Prophet Isaiah: "Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and he shall be called - Emmanuel, meaning God with us." (Is. 7:14). The coming of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as we sing at the Litia, was "announced beforehand." In Mary, according to the testimony of St. Andrew of Crete, all the prototypes and prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled.
3.
The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the oldest Marian solemnities, although the time of its appearance cannot be precisely determined. It was mentioned already by St. Epiphanius (+403), St. John Chrysostom (+407), St. Proclus of Constantinople (+446) and other Church Fathers. According to the Palestinian tradition, St. Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine (+330), built a basilica in Jersalem dedicated to Mary's nativity.
As happened with other Marian feasts, at the beginning the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated only locally and without any major solemnity. Only later, in the sixth and the seventh centuries, the Marian feasts were gradually spread throughout the entire East and were celebrated with greater solemnity. At the time of St. Andrew of Crete (+740) the feast was already universally observed and celebrated like other major feasts of the Byzantine rite.
The solemn celebration of Mary's nativity spread to Rome in the seventh century and then, during the following centuries, it became diffused throughout the entire West. The celebration of Mary's nativity was established on September 8, since on that day the basilica in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was dedicated in Jerusalem.
4.
On the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, numerous eloquent homilies were delivered by the Church Fathers. But the most beautiful are those delivered by St. Andrew of Crete (cf. Migne, Patrologia Graeca, vol. 97, four homilies) and St. John Damascene (cf. Migne, P. G., vol. 56, two homilies).
When the feast of Mary's nativity came to be celebrated with greater solemnity, certain liturgical hymns were composed. However, in the eighth and ninth centuries, the original hymns were replaced by more meaningful and more elaborate compositions. The only original composition still in use today is the troparion: "Your birth, O virgin Mother of God," arranged by St. Roman the Melodist at the end of the sixth century. It is used also in the Western Churches.
The present liturgical hymns of the Byzantine rite, taken at the Vespers and Matins, were composed in the eighth century by St. Germanus of Constantinople, St. Andrew of Crete, and St. John Damascene. In the ninth century some additional hymns were composed by the monks: Anatolius of Thessalonica, by Stephen and Sergius of St. Saba monastery near Jerusalem, and by Joseph the Hymnographer of the Studite monastery in Constantinople.
5.
In his forth sermon on the feast of Mary's nativity, St. Andrew of Crete, after having praised the Blessed Virgin with the most exalted titles, invites all Christians to share in the great joy of here devout parents, since "today a child is born, from whom we received our salvation, Christ, the Word of God, who, having come through her, abides with us forever." (Migne, P. G., vol. 97, col. 882) And indeed, the hagiographers present to us the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the "beginning of our salvation."
As the morning star announces the approaching sunrise, so also Mary's birth heralded the coming of the "Sun of Justice," the promised Messiah, who was to destroy the power of Satan, reopen for us the gates of heaven, and assure divine blessing to the entire human race. This is the reason of our rejoicing.
At the same time, the liturgical hymns exalt devotion and righteousness of Joachim and Anna, who by their "devout life have brought good fortune to all of us." By their devotion and persevering prayers, they proved their complete confidence in God. And it paid off, since they were blessed by a God-given child, the Bohootrokovica," as Mary is referred to in the liturgical hymns.
This is then the moral, that is, the practical lesson of the feast of Mary's nativity. Our unwavering confidence in God, supported by persevering prayer, will open for us the door of divine mercy and secure for us a constant flow of God's blessings. In our daily struggle, we must never give up. We must, as Abraham did, even "against hope believe in hope" (Rom. 14:18), trusting Almighty God.
6.
In the Old Country, the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was called "Mala Bohorodicja," the Lesser Mother of God, in contrast to her feast of Dormition, called "Velika Bohorodicja." The feast of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God was considered Mary's principle feast, for the celebration of which the faithful prepared themselves with two weeks of fasting, ready to make pilgimage in order to make confession and receive Holy Communion, and thus gain "otpust," i.e. the plenary indulgence.
Those people that were unable to make their pilgrimage of the Dormition, were expected to make it on the feast of Mary's nativity ("Mala Bohodricja"). It is very important for all of us to remember that the best way to express our love and devotion to the Blessed Mother is to receive the holy sacraments (confession and communion) on her feast days. Thus, after reciving Holy Communion, we are carying in our hearts our divine Savior, just as Mary carried Him under her immaculate heart for nine months.
Tradition ... Tradition ...
Yes, the religious traditions of our people have very deep spiritual meaning, but we must be acquainted with them and try to preserve them!
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TROPARIAN OF THE FEAST
Your birth, O virgin Mother of God, heralded joy to the universe, for from you rose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God. He took away the curse, He imparted the blessing and, by abolishing death, He gave us everlasting life.
KONTAKION OF THE FEAST
Through your holy birth, O Immaculate One, Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness, and Adam and Eve from the corruption of death. Delivered from the guilt of sin, your people celebrate and cry out to you: - She who is barren gives birth to the Mother of God, the Sustainer of our life.
ST. JOHN DAMASCENE (+749)
"The day of the Nativity of the Mother of God is a day of universal joy, because through the Mother of God, the entire human race was renewed, and the sorrow of the first mother, Eve, was transformed into joy."
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Byzantine Leaflet Series
No. 58
With Ecclesiastical Approbation September 1993
BYZANTINE SEMINARY PRESS
Pittsburgh, PA 15214
http://www.byzantines.net/SaintAthanasius/tract58.htm
"Magnify, O my soul, glorious nativity of the Mother of God" - (Matins)
The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated on Septermber 8, belongs on the list of the Twelve Major Feasts of the Byzantine rite liturgical year (cf. Gospel of Sinai, 715 A.D.) We usually do not celebrate the birthday of the Saints, but rather their "birthday to heaven," that is, the anniversary of their death, considered as the beginning of their blessed life with God. Nevertheless, there are two exceptions, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist, since we commemorate not only their birthday to heaven, but also their nativity, their coming to this earth.
1.
The Holy Gospel recoreds but a few incidents from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It says nothing about her parentage, her nativity, or her childhood. All such information comes to us from the early tradition of the Church, which was recorded in the middle of the second century (about 175 A.D.) in the apocryphal book, called - the Protoevangelium of St. James.
The apocryphal books are those early Christian writings that tell us about certain events from the lives of Jesus and Mary, which are not included in the Gospels. Although the apocryphal writings are not recognized by the Church as authentic inspired works, still, much of what they relate belongs to the tradition of the primitive Church.
The so called Protoevagelium of St. James was held in high esteem by such inspired hymnographers as St. Sophronius of Jerusalem (+638), St. Germanus of Constantinople (+730), St. Andrew of Crete (+740), St. John Damascene (+749) and others, who used the Protoevangelium as the primary source for their liturgical compositions.
From the Protoevagelium of St. James we learn that the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joachim and Anna, were righteous and greatly devoted to God. Her father was a descendant from the royal house of David, while Mary's mother came from the priestly line of Aaron. Their one great sorrow was that they had no children. In the Old Testament when God blessed His chosen people, He always promised to bless them with numerous offspring. Thus, among the Jews, childlessness was considered as a sign of God's rejection, a "public disgrace" (Lk. 1:25).
But God, in His divine providence, was actually preparing Joachim and Anna for "great things" (Lk. 1:49). He was to show them a unique favor, for the child to be born to them was to become the Mother of the Messiah, the promised Saviour of the world.
The Jews were acquainted with unusual births, in which Almighty God had intervened by His divine power to show His predilection to some particular people. Such was the birth of Isaac from the childless Sarah (Gen. 21:1-3); of Samson from the barren wife of Manoh (Jud. 13:24); of Samuel from the childless Hannah (1 Sam. 1:26-28); and of course, the birth of St. John the Baptist from barren Elizabeth (Lk. 1:36-37). So, God blessed also Joachim and Anna in their old age with a providential daughter, destined to become the Mother of God.
The birth of Mary has taken away not only the "public disgrace" from her parents, but also became a source of great joy for them, according to the words of the Angel to Joachim: "Joachim, rejoice! God has heard your prayer and your wife Anna shall conceive and give birth to a daughter, whose nativity will become joy for the entire world." Consequently, the feast is celebrated in the spirit of general rejoicing and exaltation.
2.
The nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was not accidental, it was well prepared by God from the very beginning of sacred history. Already in the Garden of Eden, God promised our first parents, Adam and Eve, to send them a Savior through the providential Woman, whose "seed will curch the head (power) of the serpent" (Gen. 3:5). In other words, the Savior of the human race was to come as the "seed," the offspring of the Woman.
Then, there was the vision Jacob had of a ladder uniting heaven and earth, by which the Angels were descending and ascending to God, and the place was called "the house of God" and the "gate of heaven." (Gen. 28:10-17) The holy writers applied Jacob's vision to the Blessed Virgin Mary, in whom it was fully realized both physically and spiritually. Through Mary, as though by a ladder, the Son of God came down from heaven to earth. Mary, by carrying the Son of God in her womb for nine months, became indeed "the house of God." And giving birth to the Son of God, Mary opened for us "the gates of heaven."
Another prototype of Mary, taken from the Old Testament and used in the liturgical compositions by hymnographers, is the burning bush seen by Moses on the holy mountain Horeb (Ex. 3:1-5). As the bush was burning but was not destroyed by fire, so also the Blessed Virgin Mary, by giving birth to the Son of God, did not lose her virginity and after the birth remained a Virgin.
The Blessed Virgin Mary was unmistakably foretold by the Prophet Isaiah: "Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and he shall be called - Emmanuel, meaning God with us." (Is. 7:14). The coming of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as we sing at the Litia, was "announced beforehand." In Mary, according to the testimony of St. Andrew of Crete, all the prototypes and prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled.
3.
The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the oldest Marian solemnities, although the time of its appearance cannot be precisely determined. It was mentioned already by St. Epiphanius (+403), St. John Chrysostom (+407), St. Proclus of Constantinople (+446) and other Church Fathers. According to the Palestinian tradition, St. Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine (+330), built a basilica in Jersalem dedicated to Mary's nativity.
As happened with other Marian feasts, at the beginning the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated only locally and without any major solemnity. Only later, in the sixth and the seventh centuries, the Marian feasts were gradually spread throughout the entire East and were celebrated with greater solemnity. At the time of St. Andrew of Crete (+740) the feast was already universally observed and celebrated like other major feasts of the Byzantine rite.
The solemn celebration of Mary's nativity spread to Rome in the seventh century and then, during the following centuries, it became diffused throughout the entire West. The celebration of Mary's nativity was established on September 8, since on that day the basilica in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was dedicated in Jerusalem.
4.
On the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, numerous eloquent homilies were delivered by the Church Fathers. But the most beautiful are those delivered by St. Andrew of Crete (cf. Migne, Patrologia Graeca, vol. 97, four homilies) and St. John Damascene (cf. Migne, P. G., vol. 56, two homilies).
When the feast of Mary's nativity came to be celebrated with greater solemnity, certain liturgical hymns were composed. However, in the eighth and ninth centuries, the original hymns were replaced by more meaningful and more elaborate compositions. The only original composition still in use today is the troparion: "Your birth, O virgin Mother of God," arranged by St. Roman the Melodist at the end of the sixth century. It is used also in the Western Churches.
The present liturgical hymns of the Byzantine rite, taken at the Vespers and Matins, were composed in the eighth century by St. Germanus of Constantinople, St. Andrew of Crete, and St. John Damascene. In the ninth century some additional hymns were composed by the monks: Anatolius of Thessalonica, by Stephen and Sergius of St. Saba monastery near Jerusalem, and by Joseph the Hymnographer of the Studite monastery in Constantinople.
5.
In his forth sermon on the feast of Mary's nativity, St. Andrew of Crete, after having praised the Blessed Virgin with the most exalted titles, invites all Christians to share in the great joy of here devout parents, since "today a child is born, from whom we received our salvation, Christ, the Word of God, who, having come through her, abides with us forever." (Migne, P. G., vol. 97, col. 882) And indeed, the hagiographers present to us the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the "beginning of our salvation."
As the morning star announces the approaching sunrise, so also Mary's birth heralded the coming of the "Sun of Justice," the promised Messiah, who was to destroy the power of Satan, reopen for us the gates of heaven, and assure divine blessing to the entire human race. This is the reason of our rejoicing.
At the same time, the liturgical hymns exalt devotion and righteousness of Joachim and Anna, who by their "devout life have brought good fortune to all of us." By their devotion and persevering prayers, they proved their complete confidence in God. And it paid off, since they were blessed by a God-given child, the Bohootrokovica," as Mary is referred to in the liturgical hymns.
This is then the moral, that is, the practical lesson of the feast of Mary's nativity. Our unwavering confidence in God, supported by persevering prayer, will open for us the door of divine mercy and secure for us a constant flow of God's blessings. In our daily struggle, we must never give up. We must, as Abraham did, even "against hope believe in hope" (Rom. 14:18), trusting Almighty God.
6.
In the Old Country, the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was called "Mala Bohorodicja," the Lesser Mother of God, in contrast to her feast of Dormition, called "Velika Bohorodicja." The feast of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God was considered Mary's principle feast, for the celebration of which the faithful prepared themselves with two weeks of fasting, ready to make pilgimage in order to make confession and receive Holy Communion, and thus gain "otpust," i.e. the plenary indulgence.
Those people that were unable to make their pilgrimage of the Dormition, were expected to make it on the feast of Mary's nativity ("Mala Bohodricja"). It is very important for all of us to remember that the best way to express our love and devotion to the Blessed Mother is to receive the holy sacraments (confession and communion) on her feast days. Thus, after reciving Holy Communion, we are carying in our hearts our divine Savior, just as Mary carried Him under her immaculate heart for nine months.
Tradition ... Tradition ...
Yes, the religious traditions of our people have very deep spiritual meaning, but we must be acquainted with them and try to preserve them!
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TROPARIAN OF THE FEAST
Your birth, O virgin Mother of God, heralded joy to the universe, for from you rose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God. He took away the curse, He imparted the blessing and, by abolishing death, He gave us everlasting life.
KONTAKION OF THE FEAST
Through your holy birth, O Immaculate One, Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness, and Adam and Eve from the corruption of death. Delivered from the guilt of sin, your people celebrate and cry out to you: - She who is barren gives birth to the Mother of God, the Sustainer of our life.
ST. JOHN DAMASCENE (+749)
"The day of the Nativity of the Mother of God is a day of universal joy, because through the Mother of God, the entire human race was renewed, and the sorrow of the first mother, Eve, was transformed into joy."
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Byzantine Leaflet Series
No. 58
With Ecclesiastical Approbation September 1993
BYZANTINE SEMINARY PRESS
Pittsburgh, PA 15214
http://www.byzantines.net/SaintAthanasius/tract58.htm
ST.SABINA
St. Sabina
According to legend, Sabina was born in Vindena, Umbria, and became the wife of a notable person having the name Valentine. She was converted to the faith by her maid Serapia, a Christian virgin. When Serapia died a martyr's death (her feast occurs on September 3 in the Roman Martyrology), Sabina gave her servant's holy body an honorable burial. On that account she was cast into prison by Emperor Hadrian and brought before the judge Elpidius. "Are you Sabina, illustrious by family and marriage?" he asked. "Yes, I am," came the reply, "but I thank my Savior Jesus Christ that through His servant Serapia He has freed me from the power of hell." Due to her contempt of the gods, she was condemned to death. Christians buried her body in the same grave as her teacher in the faith.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2008-08-29
According to legend, Sabina was born in Vindena, Umbria, and became the wife of a notable person having the name Valentine. She was converted to the faith by her maid Serapia, a Christian virgin. When Serapia died a martyr's death (her feast occurs on September 3 in the Roman Martyrology), Sabina gave her servant's holy body an honorable burial. On that account she was cast into prison by Emperor Hadrian and brought before the judge Elpidius. "Are you Sabina, illustrious by family and marriage?" he asked. "Yes, I am," came the reply, "but I thank my Savior Jesus Christ that through His servant Serapia He has freed me from the power of hell." Due to her contempt of the gods, she was condemned to death. Christians buried her body in the same grave as her teacher in the faith.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2008-08-29
The Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist
GOSPEL OF ST.MATTHEW : 14, 1-13
[1] At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,
[2] And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
[3] For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.
[4] For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
[5] And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
[6] But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.
[7] Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.
[8] And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.
[9] And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.
[10] And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
[11] And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.
[12] And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
[13] When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/matthew-kjv.html
[1] At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,
[2] And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
[3] For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.
[4] For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
[5] And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
[6] But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.
[7] Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.
[8] And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.
[9] And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.
[10] And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
[11] And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.
[12] And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
[13] When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/matthew-kjv.html
The Beheading of John the Baptist
The Beheading of John the Baptist
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 6,17-29.
Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him.
She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee.
Herodias's own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."
He even swore (many things) to her, "I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom."
She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the Baptist."
The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request, "I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist."
The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
http://www.dailygospel.org/www/main.php?language=AM&localTime=08/29/2008
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 6,17-29.
Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him.
She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee.
Herodias's own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."
He even swore (many things) to her, "I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom."
She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the Baptist."
The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request, "I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist."
The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
http://www.dailygospel.org/www/main.php?language=AM&localTime=08/29/2008
St. Bartholomew
St. Bartholomew
Feastday: August 24
St. Bartholomew
St. Bartholomew, 1st. century, one of the 12.
All that is known of him with certainty is that he is mentioned in the synoptic gospels and Acts as one of the twelve apostles. His name, a patronymic, means "son of Tolomai" and scholars believe he is the same as Nathanael mentioned in John, who says he is from Cana and that Jesus called him an "Israelite...incapable of deceit." The Roman Martyrology says he preached in India and Greater Armenia, where he was flayed and beheaded by King Astyages. Tradition has the place as Abanopolis on the west coast of the Caspian Sea and that he also preached in Mesopotamia, Persia, and Egypt. The Gospel of Bartholomew is apochryphal and was condemned in the decree of Pseudo-
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=390
Feastday: August 24
St. Bartholomew
St. Bartholomew, 1st. century, one of the 12.
All that is known of him with certainty is that he is mentioned in the synoptic gospels and Acts as one of the twelve apostles. His name, a patronymic, means "son of Tolomai" and scholars believe he is the same as Nathanael mentioned in John, who says he is from Cana and that Jesus called him an "Israelite...incapable of deceit." The Roman Martyrology says he preached in India and Greater Armenia, where he was flayed and beheaded by King Astyages. Tradition has the place as Abanopolis on the west coast of the Caspian Sea and that he also preached in Mesopotamia, Persia, and Egypt. The Gospel of Bartholomew is apochryphal and was condemned in the decree of Pseudo-
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=390
mercoledì 30 luglio 2008
THE MARTYRDOM OF ST.JAMES THE GRATER-THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES : 12,1-25
The Acts of the Apostles: 12, 1-25
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THE MARTYRDOM OF ST.JAMES THE GREATER
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Now about that time Herod the king put forth his hands to afflict certain of the church
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12:1Now about that time Herod the king put forth his hands to afflict certain of the church. 12:2And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 12:3And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. And those were the days of unleavened bread. 12:4And when he had taken him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him; intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people. 12:5Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him. 12:6And when Herod was about to bring him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and guards before the door kept the prison. 12:7And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in the cell: and he smote Peter on the side, and awoke him, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 12:8And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And he did so. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 12:9And he went out, and followed; and he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision. 12:10And when they were past the first and the second guard, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth into the city; which opened to them of its own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and straightway the angel departed from him. 12:11And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a truth, that the Lord hath sent forth his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. 12:12And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together and were praying. 12:13And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a maid came to answer, named Rhoda. 12:14And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for joy, but ran in, and told that Peter stood before the gate. 12:15And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she confidently affirmed that it was even so. And they said, It is his angel. 12:16But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed. 12:17But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison. And he said, Tell these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went to another place. 12:18Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. 12:19And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and tarried there. 12:20Now he was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: and they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was fed from the king's country. 12:21And upon a set day Herod arrayed himself in royal apparel, and sat on the throne, and made an oration unto them. 12:22And the people shouted, saying, The voice of a god, and not of a man. 12:23And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. 12:24But the word of God grew and multiplied. 12:25And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministration, taking with them John whose surname was Mark.
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/acts-asv.html
http://groups.google.com/group/christianbiblestudies?hl=it
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THE MARTYRDOM OF ST.JAMES THE GREATER
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Now about that time Herod the king put forth his hands to afflict certain of the church
_______________________________§_____________________________
12:1Now about that time Herod the king put forth his hands to afflict certain of the church. 12:2And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 12:3And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. And those were the days of unleavened bread. 12:4And when he had taken him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him; intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people. 12:5Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him. 12:6And when Herod was about to bring him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and guards before the door kept the prison. 12:7And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in the cell: and he smote Peter on the side, and awoke him, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 12:8And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And he did so. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 12:9And he went out, and followed; and he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision. 12:10And when they were past the first and the second guard, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth into the city; which opened to them of its own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and straightway the angel departed from him. 12:11And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a truth, that the Lord hath sent forth his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. 12:12And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together and were praying. 12:13And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a maid came to answer, named Rhoda. 12:14And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for joy, but ran in, and told that Peter stood before the gate. 12:15And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she confidently affirmed that it was even so. And they said, It is his angel. 12:16But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed. 12:17But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison. And he said, Tell these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went to another place. 12:18Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. 12:19And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and tarried there. 12:20Now he was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: and they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was fed from the king's country. 12:21And upon a set day Herod arrayed himself in royal apparel, and sat on the throne, and made an oration unto them. 12:22And the people shouted, saying, The voice of a god, and not of a man. 12:23And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. 12:24But the word of God grew and multiplied. 12:25And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministration, taking with them John whose surname was Mark.
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/acts-asv.html
http://groups.google.com/group/christianbiblestudies?hl=it
ST.JAMES THE GREATER
WALDTRAUD
Philippians 4:19 and 1 Thessalonians 5:18 -
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in
Christ Jesus.
...give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in
Christ Jesus.
____________________________________________________________________________
Lord, I am willing to -
Receive what you give,
Lack what you withhold,
Relinquish what you take.
<><><><><>
July 25th - St. James the Greater
(Hebrew Yakob; Septuagint Iakob; N.T. Greek Iakobos; a favourite name among
the
later Jews).
The son of Zebedee and Salome (Cf. Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40; 16:1). Zahn
asserts that Salome was the daughter of a priest. James is styled "the
Greater"
to distinguish him from the Apostle James "the Less", who was probably
shorter
of stature. We know nothing of St. James's early life. He was the brother of
John, the beloved disciple, and probably the elder of the two.
His parents seem to have been people of means as appears from the following
facts.
* Zebedee was a fisherman of the Lake of Galilee, who probably lived in
or
near Bethsaida (John 1:44), perhaps in Capharnaum; and had some boatmen or
hired
men as his usual attendants (Mark 1:20).
* Salome was one of the pious women who afterwards followed Christ and
"ministered unto him of their substance" (cf. Matthew 27:55, sq.; Mark
15:40;
16:1; Luke 8:2 sq.; 23:55-24:1).
* St. John was personally known to the high-priest (John 18:16); and
must
have had wherewithal to provide for the Mother of Jesus (John 19:27).
It is probable, according to Acts 4:13, that John (and consequently his
brother
James) had not received the technical training of the rabbinical schools; in
this sense they were unlearned and without any official position among the
Jews.
But, according to the social rank of their parents, they must have been men
of
ordinary education, in the common walks of Jewish life. They had frequent
opportunity of coming in contact with Greek life and language, which were
already widely spread along the shores of the Galilean Sea.
Relation of St. James to Jesus
Some authors, comparing John 19:25 with Matthew 28:56 and Mark 15:40,
identify,
and probably rightly so, Mary the Mother of James the Less and of Joseph in
Mark
and Matthew with "Mary of Cleophas" in John. As the name of Mary Magdalen
occurs
in the three lists, they identify further Salome in Mark with "the mother of
the
sons of Zebedee" in Matthew; finally they identify Salome with "his mother's
sister" in John. They suppose, for this last identification, that four women
are
designated by John 19:25; the Syriac "Peshito" gives the reading: "His
mother
and his mother's sister, and Mary of Cleophas and Mary Magdalen." If this
last
supposition is right, Salome was a sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and
James
the Greater and John were first cousins of the Lord; this may explain the
discipleship of the two brothers, Salome's request and their own claim to
the
first position in His kingdom, and His commendation of the Blessed Virgin to
her
own nephew. But it is doubtful whether the Greek admits of this construction
without the addition or the omission of kai (and). Thus the relationship of
St.
James to Jesus remains doubtful.
His life and apostolate
The Galilean origin of St. James in some degree explains the energy of
temper
and the vehemence of character which earned for him and St. John the name of
Boanerges, "sons of thunder" (Mark 3:17); the Galilean race was religious,
hardy, industrious, brave, and the strongest defender of the Jewish nation.
When John the Baptist proclaimed the kingdom of the Messias, St. John became
a
disciple (John 1:35); he was directed to "the Lamb of God" and afterwards
brought his brother James to the Messias; the obvious meaning of John 1:41,
is
that St. Andrew finds his brother (St. Peter) first and that afterwards St.
John
(who does not name himself, according to his habitual and characteristic
reserve
and silence about himself) finds his brother (St. James). The call of St.
James
to the discipleship of the Messias is reported in a parallel or identical
narration by Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:19 sq.; and Luke 5:1-11. The two sons
of
Zebedee, as well as Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew with whom they were
in
partnership (Luke 5:10), were called by the Lord upon the Sea of Galilee,
where
all four with Zebedee and his hired servants were engaged in their ordinary
occupation of fishing. The sons of Zebedee "forthwith left their nets and
father, and followed him" (Matthew 4:22), and became "fishers of men".
St. James was afterwards with the other eleven called to the Apostleship
(Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16; Acts 1:13). In all four lists
the
names of Peter and Andrew, James and John form the first group, a prominent
and
chosen group (cf. Mark 13:3); especially Peter, James, and John. These three
Apostles alone were admitted to be present at the miracle of the raising of
Jairus's daughter (Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51), at the Transfiguration (Mark 9:1;
Matthew 17:1; Luke 9:28), and the Agony in Gethsemani (Matthew 26:37; Mark
14:33). The fact that the name of James occurs always (except in Luke 8:51;
9:28; Acts 1:13 -- Greek Text) before that of his brother seems to imply
that
James was the elder of the two. It is worthy of notice that James is never
mentioned in theGospel of St. John; this author observes a humble reserve
not
only with regard to himself, but also about the members of his family.
Several incidents scattered through the Synoptics suggest that James and
John
had that particular character indicated by the name "Boanerges," sons of
thunder, given to them by the Lord (Mark 3:17); they were burning and
impetuous
in their evangelical zeal and severe in temper. The two brothers showed
their
fiery temperament against "a certain man casting out devils" in the name of
the
Christ; John, answering, said: "We [James is probably meant] forbade him,
because he followeth not with us" (Luke 9:49). When the Samaritans refused
to
receive Christ, James and John said: "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire
to
come down from heaven, and consume them?" (Luke 9:54; cf. 9:49).
His martyrdom
On the last journey to Jerusalem, their mother Salome came to the Lord and
said
to Him: "Say that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and
the
other on thy left, in thy kingdom" (Matthew 20:21). And the two brothers,
still
ignorant of the spiritual nature of the Messianic Kingdom, joined with their
mother in this eager ambition (Mark 10:37). And on their assertion that they
are
willing to drink the chalice that He drinks of, and to be baptized with the
baptism of His sufferings, Jesus assured them that they will share His
sufferings (Mark 5:38-39).
James won the crown of martyrdom fourteen years after this prophecy, A.D.
44.
Herod Agrippa I, son of Aristobulus and grandson of Herod the Great, reigned
at
that time as "king" over a wider dominion than that of his grandfather. His
great object was to please the Jews in every way, and he showed great regard
for
the Mosaic Law and Jewish customs. In pursuance of this policy, on the
occasion
of the Passover of A.D. 44, he perpetrated cruelties upon the Church, whose
rapid growth incensed the Jews. The zealous temper of James and his leading
part
in the Jewish Christian communities probably led Agrippa to choose him as
the
first victim. "He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword." (Acts
12:1-2). According to a tradition, which, as we learn from Eusebius (Hist.
Eccl., II, ix, 2, 3), was received from Clement of Alexandria (in the
seventh
book of his lost "Hypotyposes"), the accuser who led the Apostle to
judgment,
moved by his confession, became himself a Christian, and they were beheaded
together. As Clement testifies expressly that the account was given him "by
those who were before him," this tradition has a better foundation than many
other traditions and legends respecting the Apostolic labours and death of
St.
James, which are related in the Latin "Passio Jacobi Majoris", the Ethiopic
"Acts of James", and so on.
St. James in Spain
The tradition asserting that James the Greater preached the Gospel in Spain,
and
that his body was translated to Compostela, claims more serious
consideration.
According to this tradition St. James the Greater, having preached
Christianity
in Spain, returned to Judea and was put to death by order of Herod; his body
was
miraculously translated to Iria Flavia in the northwest of Spain, and later
to
Compostela, which town, especially during the Middle Ages, became one of the
most famous places of pilgrimage in the world. The vow of making a
pilgrimage to
Compostela to honour the sepulchre of St. James is still reserved to the
pope,
who alone of his own or ordinary right can dispense from it. In the twelfth
century was founded the Order of Knights of St. James of Compostela.
With regard to the preaching of the Gospel in Spain by St. James the
greater,
several difficulties have been raised:
* St. James suffered martyrdom A.D. 44 (Acts 12:2), and, according to
the
tradition of the early Church, he had not yet left Jerusalem at this time
(cf.
Clement of Alexandria, "Strom.", VI; Apollonius, quoted by Eusebius, "Hist.
Eccl." VI, xviii).
* St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans (A.D. 58) expressed the
intention to
visit Spain (Romans 15:24) just after he had mentioned (15:20) that he did
not
"build upon another man's foundation."
* The argument ex silentio: although the tradition that James founded an
Apostolic see in Spain was current in the year 700, no certain mention of
such
tradition is to be found in the genuine writings of early writers nor in the
early councils; the first certain mention we find in the ninth century, in
Notker, a monk of St. Gall (Martyrol., 25 July), Walafried Strabo (Poema de
XII
Apost.), and others.
* The tradition was not unanimously admitted afterwards, while numerous
scholars reject it. The Bollandists however defended it (see Acta Sanctorum,
July, VI and VII, where other sources are given).
The authenticity of the sacred relic of Compostela has been questioned and
is
still doubted. Even if St. James the Greater did not preach the Christian
religion in Spain, his body may have been brought to Compostela, and this
was
already the opinion of Notker. According to another tradition, the relics of
the
Apostle are kept in the church of St-Saturnin at Toulouse (France), but it
is
not improbable that such sacred relics should have been divided between two
churches. A strong argument in favour of the authenticity of the sacred
relics
of Compostela is the Bull of Leo XIII, "Omnipotens Deus," of 1 November,
1884.
From
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08279b.htm
Saint Quote:
Thou knowest well how to excuse and color thine own deeds; but thou art not
willing to receive the excuses of others. It were more just that thou
shouldest
accuse thyself, and excuse thy brother.
-Thomas à Kempis
Bible Quote:
"I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,
and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in
him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of
God by faith" (Philippians 3:8-9)
<><><><>
St. Teresa's Bookmark
Let nothing disturb thee.
Let nothing affright thee.
All things are passing.
Only God is changeless.
Patience attaineth all things.
Whoever hath God
lacks for nothing.
God alone suffices!
St. Teresa of Avila
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.religion.christian.campus-crusade/browse_frm/thread/73fa35a8ef47ea4f?hl=it#
Philippians 4:19 and 1 Thessalonians 5:18 -
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in
Christ Jesus.
...give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in
Christ Jesus.
____________________________________________________________________________
Lord, I am willing to -
Receive what you give,
Lack what you withhold,
Relinquish what you take.
<><><><><>
July 25th - St. James the Greater
(Hebrew Yakob; Septuagint Iakob; N.T. Greek Iakobos; a favourite name among
the
later Jews).
The son of Zebedee and Salome (Cf. Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40; 16:1). Zahn
asserts that Salome was the daughter of a priest. James is styled "the
Greater"
to distinguish him from the Apostle James "the Less", who was probably
shorter
of stature. We know nothing of St. James's early life. He was the brother of
John, the beloved disciple, and probably the elder of the two.
His parents seem to have been people of means as appears from the following
facts.
* Zebedee was a fisherman of the Lake of Galilee, who probably lived in
or
near Bethsaida (John 1:44), perhaps in Capharnaum; and had some boatmen or
hired
men as his usual attendants (Mark 1:20).
* Salome was one of the pious women who afterwards followed Christ and
"ministered unto him of their substance" (cf. Matthew 27:55, sq.; Mark
15:40;
16:1; Luke 8:2 sq.; 23:55-24:1).
* St. John was personally known to the high-priest (John 18:16); and
must
have had wherewithal to provide for the Mother of Jesus (John 19:27).
It is probable, according to Acts 4:13, that John (and consequently his
brother
James) had not received the technical training of the rabbinical schools; in
this sense they were unlearned and without any official position among the
Jews.
But, according to the social rank of their parents, they must have been men
of
ordinary education, in the common walks of Jewish life. They had frequent
opportunity of coming in contact with Greek life and language, which were
already widely spread along the shores of the Galilean Sea.
Relation of St. James to Jesus
Some authors, comparing John 19:25 with Matthew 28:56 and Mark 15:40,
identify,
and probably rightly so, Mary the Mother of James the Less and of Joseph in
Mark
and Matthew with "Mary of Cleophas" in John. As the name of Mary Magdalen
occurs
in the three lists, they identify further Salome in Mark with "the mother of
the
sons of Zebedee" in Matthew; finally they identify Salome with "his mother's
sister" in John. They suppose, for this last identification, that four women
are
designated by John 19:25; the Syriac "Peshito" gives the reading: "His
mother
and his mother's sister, and Mary of Cleophas and Mary Magdalen." If this
last
supposition is right, Salome was a sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and
James
the Greater and John were first cousins of the Lord; this may explain the
discipleship of the two brothers, Salome's request and their own claim to
the
first position in His kingdom, and His commendation of the Blessed Virgin to
her
own nephew. But it is doubtful whether the Greek admits of this construction
without the addition or the omission of kai (and). Thus the relationship of
St.
James to Jesus remains doubtful.
His life and apostolate
The Galilean origin of St. James in some degree explains the energy of
temper
and the vehemence of character which earned for him and St. John the name of
Boanerges, "sons of thunder" (Mark 3:17); the Galilean race was religious,
hardy, industrious, brave, and the strongest defender of the Jewish nation.
When John the Baptist proclaimed the kingdom of the Messias, St. John became
a
disciple (John 1:35); he was directed to "the Lamb of God" and afterwards
brought his brother James to the Messias; the obvious meaning of John 1:41,
is
that St. Andrew finds his brother (St. Peter) first and that afterwards St.
John
(who does not name himself, according to his habitual and characteristic
reserve
and silence about himself) finds his brother (St. James). The call of St.
James
to the discipleship of the Messias is reported in a parallel or identical
narration by Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:19 sq.; and Luke 5:1-11. The two sons
of
Zebedee, as well as Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew with whom they were
in
partnership (Luke 5:10), were called by the Lord upon the Sea of Galilee,
where
all four with Zebedee and his hired servants were engaged in their ordinary
occupation of fishing. The sons of Zebedee "forthwith left their nets and
father, and followed him" (Matthew 4:22), and became "fishers of men".
St. James was afterwards with the other eleven called to the Apostleship
(Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16; Acts 1:13). In all four lists
the
names of Peter and Andrew, James and John form the first group, a prominent
and
chosen group (cf. Mark 13:3); especially Peter, James, and John. These three
Apostles alone were admitted to be present at the miracle of the raising of
Jairus's daughter (Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51), at the Transfiguration (Mark 9:1;
Matthew 17:1; Luke 9:28), and the Agony in Gethsemani (Matthew 26:37; Mark
14:33). The fact that the name of James occurs always (except in Luke 8:51;
9:28; Acts 1:13 -- Greek Text) before that of his brother seems to imply
that
James was the elder of the two. It is worthy of notice that James is never
mentioned in theGospel of St. John; this author observes a humble reserve
not
only with regard to himself, but also about the members of his family.
Several incidents scattered through the Synoptics suggest that James and
John
had that particular character indicated by the name "Boanerges," sons of
thunder, given to them by the Lord (Mark 3:17); they were burning and
impetuous
in their evangelical zeal and severe in temper. The two brothers showed
their
fiery temperament against "a certain man casting out devils" in the name of
the
Christ; John, answering, said: "We [James is probably meant] forbade him,
because he followeth not with us" (Luke 9:49). When the Samaritans refused
to
receive Christ, James and John said: "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire
to
come down from heaven, and consume them?" (Luke 9:54; cf. 9:49).
His martyrdom
On the last journey to Jerusalem, their mother Salome came to the Lord and
said
to Him: "Say that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and
the
other on thy left, in thy kingdom" (Matthew 20:21). And the two brothers,
still
ignorant of the spiritual nature of the Messianic Kingdom, joined with their
mother in this eager ambition (Mark 10:37). And on their assertion that they
are
willing to drink the chalice that He drinks of, and to be baptized with the
baptism of His sufferings, Jesus assured them that they will share His
sufferings (Mark 5:38-39).
James won the crown of martyrdom fourteen years after this prophecy, A.D.
44.
Herod Agrippa I, son of Aristobulus and grandson of Herod the Great, reigned
at
that time as "king" over a wider dominion than that of his grandfather. His
great object was to please the Jews in every way, and he showed great regard
for
the Mosaic Law and Jewish customs. In pursuance of this policy, on the
occasion
of the Passover of A.D. 44, he perpetrated cruelties upon the Church, whose
rapid growth incensed the Jews. The zealous temper of James and his leading
part
in the Jewish Christian communities probably led Agrippa to choose him as
the
first victim. "He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword." (Acts
12:1-2). According to a tradition, which, as we learn from Eusebius (Hist.
Eccl., II, ix, 2, 3), was received from Clement of Alexandria (in the
seventh
book of his lost "Hypotyposes"), the accuser who led the Apostle to
judgment,
moved by his confession, became himself a Christian, and they were beheaded
together. As Clement testifies expressly that the account was given him "by
those who were before him," this tradition has a better foundation than many
other traditions and legends respecting the Apostolic labours and death of
St.
James, which are related in the Latin "Passio Jacobi Majoris", the Ethiopic
"Acts of James", and so on.
St. James in Spain
The tradition asserting that James the Greater preached the Gospel in Spain,
and
that his body was translated to Compostela, claims more serious
consideration.
According to this tradition St. James the Greater, having preached
Christianity
in Spain, returned to Judea and was put to death by order of Herod; his body
was
miraculously translated to Iria Flavia in the northwest of Spain, and later
to
Compostela, which town, especially during the Middle Ages, became one of the
most famous places of pilgrimage in the world. The vow of making a
pilgrimage to
Compostela to honour the sepulchre of St. James is still reserved to the
pope,
who alone of his own or ordinary right can dispense from it. In the twelfth
century was founded the Order of Knights of St. James of Compostela.
With regard to the preaching of the Gospel in Spain by St. James the
greater,
several difficulties have been raised:
* St. James suffered martyrdom A.D. 44 (Acts 12:2), and, according to
the
tradition of the early Church, he had not yet left Jerusalem at this time
(cf.
Clement of Alexandria, "Strom.", VI; Apollonius, quoted by Eusebius, "Hist.
Eccl." VI, xviii).
* St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans (A.D. 58) expressed the
intention to
visit Spain (Romans 15:24) just after he had mentioned (15:20) that he did
not
"build upon another man's foundation."
* The argument ex silentio: although the tradition that James founded an
Apostolic see in Spain was current in the year 700, no certain mention of
such
tradition is to be found in the genuine writings of early writers nor in the
early councils; the first certain mention we find in the ninth century, in
Notker, a monk of St. Gall (Martyrol., 25 July), Walafried Strabo (Poema de
XII
Apost.), and others.
* The tradition was not unanimously admitted afterwards, while numerous
scholars reject it. The Bollandists however defended it (see Acta Sanctorum,
July, VI and VII, where other sources are given).
The authenticity of the sacred relic of Compostela has been questioned and
is
still doubted. Even if St. James the Greater did not preach the Christian
religion in Spain, his body may have been brought to Compostela, and this
was
already the opinion of Notker. According to another tradition, the relics of
the
Apostle are kept in the church of St-Saturnin at Toulouse (France), but it
is
not improbable that such sacred relics should have been divided between two
churches. A strong argument in favour of the authenticity of the sacred
relics
of Compostela is the Bull of Leo XIII, "Omnipotens Deus," of 1 November,
1884.
From
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08279b.htm
Saint Quote:
Thou knowest well how to excuse and color thine own deeds; but thou art not
willing to receive the excuses of others. It were more just that thou
shouldest
accuse thyself, and excuse thy brother.
-Thomas à Kempis
Bible Quote:
"I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,
and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in
him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of
God by faith" (Philippians 3:8-9)
<><><><>
St. Teresa's Bookmark
Let nothing disturb thee.
Let nothing affright thee.
All things are passing.
Only God is changeless.
Patience attaineth all things.
Whoever hath God
lacks for nothing.
God alone suffices!
St. Teresa of Avila
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.religion.christian.campus-crusade/browse_frm/thread/73fa35a8ef47ea4f?hl=it#
ST.MARTHA OF BETHANY
St. Martha
Virgin (First Century)
Martha was the sister of Mary of Bethany. We know only what we read about her in the Gospels of Luke and John. Whatever is said about her early life comes to us from apocryphal writings which usually are no more than the work of somebody's imagination. We know that she busied herself preparing a meal for Jesus and his disciples, then went to Jesus to complain that Mary did nothing while she had to do all the housework. It was at that time Jesus reminder her that Mary had chosen "the best part".
We see her again when, at the tomb of her brother Lazarus, she pronounces those profound words of faith which have come into our funeral liturgy: "I know He will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her: "I am the resurrection and the life: whoever believes in me, though he should die, will come to life;...Do you believe this?" "Yes Lord", she replied, "I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God; he who is to come into the world."
The cult of St. Martha began about the year 1200. Where or how she died we do not know. Whether hers was a matyr's death or a natural one we do not know. We do know that she is our patroness for whom Jesus was like family, and therefore, a powerful one in the presence of God. Because she took care of the hungry, followers of Jesus traditionally know her as the Patroness of housewives, waiters, and waitresses. Let us follow her example in caring for our homeless, poor, HIV sufferers among us! If we were up in the cool North, we would probably be enjoying a bazaar or a fair, but because of our sweltering heat our Patroness' feast will be celebrated only in our hearts, in our prayers, and in our re-commitment to the needy. Let us pray to her for the needs of the parish and for our own personal needs, material and spiritual. The Prayer to St. Martha is:
'St. Martha, I resort to thy protection and aid and as a proof of my affection and faith I offer this light which I shall burn every Tuesday. Comfort me in all my difficulties and through the great favor thou didst enjoy when the Savior was lodged in thy house,. Intercede for my family that we may always hold God in our hearts, and that we may be provided for in all our necessities, I ask, St. Martha, to overcome all difficulties as thou didst overcome the dragon at thy feet.'
As a Novena, this may be said for nine Tuesdays with the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father."
Father Fausto Stampiglia, STD, S.A.C. in St. Martha's Sunday Bulletin of 28 July 1996
http://www.stmartha.org/St.%20Martha.htm
Virgin (First Century)
Martha was the sister of Mary of Bethany. We know only what we read about her in the Gospels of Luke and John. Whatever is said about her early life comes to us from apocryphal writings which usually are no more than the work of somebody's imagination. We know that she busied herself preparing a meal for Jesus and his disciples, then went to Jesus to complain that Mary did nothing while she had to do all the housework. It was at that time Jesus reminder her that Mary had chosen "the best part".
We see her again when, at the tomb of her brother Lazarus, she pronounces those profound words of faith which have come into our funeral liturgy: "I know He will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her: "I am the resurrection and the life: whoever believes in me, though he should die, will come to life;...Do you believe this?" "Yes Lord", she replied, "I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God; he who is to come into the world."
The cult of St. Martha began about the year 1200. Where or how she died we do not know. Whether hers was a matyr's death or a natural one we do not know. We do know that she is our patroness for whom Jesus was like family, and therefore, a powerful one in the presence of God. Because she took care of the hungry, followers of Jesus traditionally know her as the Patroness of housewives, waiters, and waitresses. Let us follow her example in caring for our homeless, poor, HIV sufferers among us! If we were up in the cool North, we would probably be enjoying a bazaar or a fair, but because of our sweltering heat our Patroness' feast will be celebrated only in our hearts, in our prayers, and in our re-commitment to the needy. Let us pray to her for the needs of the parish and for our own personal needs, material and spiritual. The Prayer to St. Martha is:
'St. Martha, I resort to thy protection and aid and as a proof of my affection and faith I offer this light which I shall burn every Tuesday. Comfort me in all my difficulties and through the great favor thou didst enjoy when the Savior was lodged in thy house,. Intercede for my family that we may always hold God in our hearts, and that we may be provided for in all our necessities, I ask, St. Martha, to overcome all difficulties as thou didst overcome the dragon at thy feet.'
As a Novena, this may be said for nine Tuesdays with the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father."
Father Fausto Stampiglia, STD, S.A.C. in St. Martha's Sunday Bulletin of 28 July 1996
http://www.stmartha.org/St.%20Martha.htm
venerdì 11 luglio 2008
ST.BENEDICT
ST. BENEDICT
Abbot and Patriarch of the Western Monks
JULY 11
A.D. 543
ST. BENEDICT, or BENNET, was a native of Norcia, formerly an episcopal see in Umbria, and was descended from a family of note and born about the year 480. The name of his father was Eutropius, and that of his grandfather, Justinian. When he was fit for the higher studies, he was sent by his parents to Rome and there placed in the public schools. He, who till that time knew not what vice was and trembled at the shadow of sin, was not a little shocked at the licentiousness which he observed in the conduct of some of the Roman youth, with whom he was obliged to converse; and he was no sooner come into the world, but he resolved to bid an eternal farewell to it, not to be entangled in its snares. He therefore left the city privately and made the best of his way towards the deserts. His nurse, Cyrilla, who loved him tenderly, followed him as far as Afilum, thirty miles from Rome, where he found means to get rid of her and pursued his journey alone to the desert mountains of Sublacum, near forty miles from Rome. It is a barren, hideous chain of rocks, with a river and lake in the valley. Near this place the saint met a monk of a neighboring monastery, called Romanus, who gave him the monastic habit, with suitable instructions, and conducted him to a deep narrow cave in the midst of these mountains, almost inaccessible to men. In this cavern, now called the Holy Grotto, the young hermit chose his abode and Romanus, who kept his secret, brought him hither, from time to time, bread and the like slender provisions, which he retrenched from his own meals, and let them down to the holy recluse with a line, hanging a bell to the cord to give him notice. Bennet seems to have been about fourteen or fifteen years old when he came to Sublacum; St. Gregory says he was yet a child. He lived three years in this manner, known only to Romanus. But God was pleased to manifest his servant to men, that he might shine forth as a light to many. In 497, a certain pious priest in that country, while he was preparing a dinner for himself on Easter-Sunday, heard a voice which said, "You are preparing for yourself a banquet, while my servant Bennet, at Sublacum, is distressed with hunger." The priest immediately set out in quest of the hermit and with much difficulty found him out. Bennet was surprised to see a man come to him; but before he would enter into conversation with him, he desired they might pray together. They then discoursed for some time on God and heavenly things. At length the priest invited the saint to eat, saying it was Easter-day, on which it is not reasonable to fast; though St. Bennet answered him that he knew not that it was the day of so great a solemnity, nor is it to be wondered at that one so young should not be acquainted with the day of a festival which was not then observed by all on the same day, or that he should not understand the Lunar Cycle, which at that time was known by very few. After their repast the priest returned home. Soon after certain shepherds discovered the saint near his cave, but at first took him for a wild beast; for he was clad with the skins of beasts, and they imagined no human creature could live among those rocks. When they found him to be a servant of God, they respected him exceedingly, and many of them were moved by his heavenly discourses to embrace with fervor a course of perfection. From that time he began to be known, and many visited him and brought him such sustenance as he would accept, in requital for which he nourished their souls with spiritual instructions. Though he lived sequestered from the world, he was not yet secure from the assaults of the tempter. Wherever we fly the devil still pursues us, and we carry a domestic enemy within our own breasts. St. Gregory relates that while St. Bennet was employed in divine contemplation, the fiend endeavored to withdraw his mind from heavenly objects by appearing in the shape of a little black-bird; but that, upon his making the sign of the cross, the phantom vanished. After this, by the artifices of this restless enemy, the remembrance of a woman whom the saint had formerly seen at Rome occurred to his mind and so strongly affected his imagination that he was tempted to leave his desert. But blushing at so base a suggestion of the enemy, he threw himself upon some briers and nettles which grew in the place where he was, and rolled himself a long time in them, till his body was covered with blood. The wounds of his body stifled all inordinate inclinations, and their smart extinguished the flame of concupiscence. This complete victory seemed to have perfectly subdued that enemy; for he found himself no more molested with its stings.
The fame of his sanctity being spread abroad, it occasioned several to forsake the world and imitate his penitential manner of life. Some time after, the monks of Vicovara, on the death of their abbot, pitched upon him to succeed him. He was very unwilling to take upon him that charge, which he declined in the spirit of sincere humility, the beloved virtue which he had practiced from his infancy, and which was the pleasure of his heart, and is the delight of a God humbled even to the cross for the love of us. The saint soon found by experience that their manners did not square with his just idea of a monastic state. Certain sons of Belial among them carried their aversion so far as to mingle poison with his wine; but when, according to his custom, before he drank of it he made the sign of the cross over the glass, it broke as if a stone had fallen upon it. "God forgive you, brethren," said the saint, with his usual meekness and tranquillity of soul, "you now see I was not mistaken when I told you that your manners and mine would not agree." He therefore returned to Sublacum, which desert he soon peopled with monks, for whom he built twelve monasteries, placing in each twelve monks with a superior. 1 In one of these twelve monasteries there lived a monk, who, out of sloth, neglected and loathed the holy exercise of mental prayer, inasmuch that after the psalmody or divine office was finished, he every day left the church to go to work, while his brethren were employed in that holy exercise; for by this private prayer in the church, after the divine office, St. Gregory means pious meditation, as Dom. Mege demonstrates. This slothful monk began to correct his fault upon the charitable admonition of Pompeian, his superior; but, after three days, [he] relapsed into his former sloth. Pompeian acquainted St. Benedict, who said, "I will go and correct him myself." Such indeed was the danger and enormity of this fault as to require the most effectual and speedy remedy. For it is only by assiduous prayer that the soul is enriched with the abundance of the heavenly water of divine graces, which produces in her the plentiful fruit of all virtues. If we consider the example of all the saints, we shall see that prayer was the principal means by which the Holy Ghost sanctified their souls, and that they advanced in perfection in proportion to their progress in the holy spirit of prayer. If this be neglected, the soul becomes spiritually barren, as a garden loses all its fruitfulness and all its beauty, if the pump raises not up a continual supply of water, the principle of both. St. Benedict, deploring the misfortune and blindness of this monk, hastened to his monastery and coming to him at the end of the divine office, saw a little black boy leading him by the sleeve out of the church. After two days' prayer, St. Maurus saw the same, but Pompeian could not see this vision, by which was represented that the devil studies to withdraw men from prayer, in order that, being disarmed and defenseless, they may easily be made a prey. On the third day, St. Benedict finding the monk still absent from church in the time of prayer, struck him with a wand, and by that correction the sinner was freed from the temptation. Dom. German Millet tells us, from the tradition and archives of the monastery of St. Scholastica, that this happened in St. Jerome's. In the monastery of St. John, a fountain sprung up at the prayers of the saint; this, and two other monasteries, which were built on the summit of the mountain, being before much distressed for want of water. In that of St. Clement, situated on the bank of a lake, a Goth, who was a monk, let fall the head of a sickle into the water as he was cutting down thistles and weeds in order to make a garden, but St. Maur, who with St. Placidus lived in that house, holding the wooden handle in the water, the iron of its own accord swam, and joined it again, as St. Gregory relates. St. Benedict's reputation drew the most illustrious personages from Rome and other remote parts to see him. Many, who came clad in purple, sparkling with gold and precious stones, charmed with the admirable sanctity of the servant of God, prostrated themselves at his feet to beg his blessing and prayers, and some, imitating the sacrifice of Abraham, placed their sons under his conduct in their most tender age, that they might be formed to perfect virtue from their childhood. Among others, two rich and most illustrious senators, Eutychius, or rather Equitius, and Tertullus, committed to his care their two sons Maurus, then twelve years old, and Placidus, also a child, in 522. 2 The devil, envying so much good, stirred up his wicked instruments to disturb the tranquillity of the servant of God. Florentius, a priest in the neighboring country, though unworthy to bear that sacred character, moved by a secret jealousy, persecuted the saint, and aspersed his reputation with grievous slanders. Bennet, being a true disciple of Christ, knew no revenge but that of meekness and silence and, not to inflame the envy of his adversary, left Sublacum and repaired to Mount Cassino. He had not gotten far on his journey when he heard that Florentius was killed by the fall of a gallery in which he was. The saint was much afflicted at his sudden and unhappy death and enjoined Maurus a penance for calling it a deliverance from persecution. Cassino is a small town, now in the kingdom of Naples, built on the brow of a very high mountain, on the top of which stood an old temple of Apollo surrounded with a grove in which certain idolaters still continued to offer their abominable sacrifices. The man of God having, by his preaching and miracles, converted many of them to the faith, broke the idol to pieces, overthrew the altar, demolished the temple, and cut down the grove. Upon the ruins of which temple and altar he erected two oratories or chapels; one bore the name of St. John the Baptist, the other of St. Martin. This was the origin of the celebrated abbey of Mount Cassino, the foundation of which the saint laid in 529, the forty-eighth year of his age, the third of the emperor Justinian -- Felix IV being pope, and Athalaric king of the Goths in Italy. The patrician, Tertullus, came about that time to pay a visit to the saint and to see his son Placidus, and made over to this monastery several lands which he possessed in that neighborhood and also a considerable estate in Sicily. St. Bennet met on Mount Cassino one Martin, a venerable old hermit, who, to confine himself to a more austere solitude, had chained himself to the ground in his cell, with a long iron chain. The holy abbot, fearing this singularity might be a mark of affectation, said to him: "If you are a servant of Jesus Christ, let the chain of his love, not one of iron, hold you fixed in your resolution." Martin gave proof of his humility by his obedience and immediately laid aside his chain. St. Bennet governed also a monastery of nuns, situated near Mount Cassino, as is mentioned by St. Gregory; he founded an abbey of men at Terracina and sent St. Placidus into Sicily to establish another in that island. Though ignorant of secular learning, he was eminently replenished with the Spirit of God and an experimental science of spiritual things -- on which account he is said by St. Gregory the Great to have been "learnedly ignorant and wisely unfettered." For the alphabet of this great man is infinitely more desirable than all the empty science of the world, as St. Arsenius said of St. Antony. From certain very ancient pictures of St. Benedict, and old inscriptions, Mabillon proves this saint to have been in holy orders and a deacon. Several moderns say he was a priest but, as Muratori observes, without grounds. By the account which St. Gregory has given us of his life, it appears that he preached sometimes in neighboring places, and that a boundless charity opening his hand, he distributed among the needy all that he had on earth, to lay up his whole treasure in heaven. St. Bennet, possessing perfectly the science of the saints and being enabled by the Holy Ghost to be the guide of innumerable souls in the most sublime paths of Christian perfection, compiled a monastic rule, which, for wisdom and discretion, St. Gregory the Great preferred to all other rules, and which was afterwards adopted, for some time, by all the monks of the West. It is principally founded on silence, solitude, prayer, humility, and obedience.
St. Bennet calls his Order a school in which men learn how to serve God; and his life was to his disciples a perfect model for their imitation and a transcript of his rule. Being chosen by God, like another Moses, to conduct faithful souls into the true promised land, the kingdom of heaven, he was enriched with eminent supernatural gifts, even those of miracles and prophecy. He seemed, like another Eliseus, endued by God with an extraordinary power, commanding all nature and, like the ancient prophets, foreseeing future events. He often raised the sinking courage of his monks and baffled the various artifices of the devil with the sign of the cross, rendered the heaviest stone light in building his monastery by a short prayer, and, in presence of a multitude of people, raised to life a novice who had been crushed by the fall of a wall at Mount Cassino. He foretold, with many tears, that this monastery should be profaned and destroyed, which happened forty years after, when the Lombards demolished it about the year 580. He added that he had scarce been able to obtain of God that the inhabitants should be saved. It was strictly forbidden by the rule of St. Benedict for any monk to eat out of his monastery, unless he was at such a distance that he could not return home that day, and this rule, says Saint Gregory, was inviolably observed. Indeed, nothing more dangerously engages monks in the commerce of the world; nothing more enervates the discipline of abstinence and mortification than for them to eat and drink with seculars abroad. St. Gregory tells us that St. Bennet knew by revelation the fault of one of his monks who had accepted of an invitation to take some refreshment when he was abroad on business. A messenger who brought the saint a present of two bottles of wine, and had hid one of them, was put in mind by him to beware of drinking of the other, in which he afterwards found a serpent. One of the monks, after preaching to the nuns, had accepted of some handkerchiefs from them, which he hid in his bosom; but the saint, upon his return, reproved him for his secret sin against the rule of holy poverty. A novice, standing before him, was tempted with thoughts of pride on account of his birth; the saint discovered what passed in his soul and bid him make the sign of the cross on his breast.
When Belisarius, the emperor's general, was recalled to Constantinople, Totila, the Arian king of the Goths, invaded and plundered Italy. Having heard wonders of the sanctity of St. Bennet and of his predictions and miracles, he resolved to try whether he was really that wonderful man which he was reported to be. Therefore, as he marched through Campania, in 542, he sent the man of God word that he would pay him a visit. But instead of going in person, he dressed one of his courtiers, named Riggo, in his royal purple robes, and sent him to the monastery, attended by the three principal lords of his court and a numerous train of pages. St. Bennet, who was then sitting, saw him coming to his cell and cried out to him at some distance: "Put off, my son, those robes which you wear and which belong not to you." The mock king, being struck with a panic for having attempted to impose upon the man of God, fell prostrate at his feet, together with all his attendants. The saint, coming up, raised him with his hand; and the officer returning to his master, related trembling what had befallen him. The king then went himself, but was no sooner come into the presence of the holy abbot but he threw himself on the ground and continued prostrate till the saint, going to him, obliged him to rise. The holy man severely reproved him for the outrages he had committed, and said, "You do a great deal of mischief, and I foresee you will do more. You will take Rome; you will cross the sea, and will reign nine years longer; but death will overtake you in the tenth, when you shall be arraigned before a just God to give an account of your conduct." All which came to pass as St. Benedict had foretold him. Totila was seized with fear and recommended himself to his prayers. From that day the tyrant became more humane; and when he took Naples, shortly after, treated the captives with greater lenity than could be expected from an enemy and a barbarian. When the bishop of Camusa afterwards said to that saint that Totila would leave Rome a heap of stones, and that it would be no longer inhabited, he answered: "No; but it shall be beaten with storms and earthquakes and shall be like a tree which withers by the decay of its root." Which prediction St. Gregory observes to have been accomplished.
The death of this great saint seems to have happened soon after that of his sister St. Scholastica, and in the year after his interview with Totila. He foretold it his disciples and caused his grave to be opened six days before. When this was done he fell ill of a fever and on the sixth day would be carried into the chapel, where he received the body and blood of our Lord, and having given his last instructions to his sorrowful disciples, standing and leaning on one of them, with his hands lifted up, he calmly expired, in prayer, on Saturday, the 21st of March, probably in the year 543, and of his age the sixty-third, having spent fourteen years at Mount Cassino. The greatest part of his relics remains still in that abbey; though some of his bones were brought into France, about the close of the seventh century, and deposited in the famous abbey of Fleury, which, on that account, has long borne the name of St. Bennet's on the Loire. 3 It was founded in the reign of Clovis II, about the year 640, and belongs at present to the congregation of St. Maur.
St. Gregory, in two words, expresses the characteristic virtue of this glorious patriarch of the monastic order, when he says that, returning from Vicovara to Sublaco, he dwelt alone with himself; which words comprise a great and rare perfection, in which consists the essence of holy retirement. A soul dwells not in true solitude unless this be interior as well as exterior, and unless she cultivates no acquaintance but with God and herself, admitting no other company. Many dwell in monasteries, or alone, without possessing the secret of living with themselves. Though they are removed from the conversation of the world, their minds still rove abroad, wandering from the consideration of God and themselves, and dissipated amid a thousand exterior objects which their imagination presents to them, and which they suffer to captivate their hearts and miserably entangle their will with vain attachments and foolish desires. Interior solitude requires the silence of the interior faculties of the soul, no less than of the tongue and exterior senses; without this, the enclosure of walls is a very weak fence. In this interior solitude, the soul collects all her faculties within herself, employs all her thoughts on herself and on God, and all her strength and affections in aspiring after him. Thus, St. Benedict dwelt with himself, being always busied in the presence of his Creator, in bewailing the spiritual miseries of his soul and past sins, in examining into the disorders of his affections, in watching over his senses and the motions of his heart, and in a constant attention to the perfection of his state, and the contemplation of divine things. This last occupied his soul in the sweet exercises of divine love and praise, but the first-mentioned exercises, or the consideration of himself and of his own nothingness and miseries, laid the foundation by improving in him continually the most profound spirit of humility and compunction. The twelve degrees of humility, which he lays down in his Rule, are commended by St. Thomas Aquinas. The first is a deep compunction of heart and holy fear of God and his judgments, with a constant attention to walk in the divine presence, sunk under the weight of this confusion and fear. 2. The perfect renunciation of our own will. 3. Ready obedience. 4. Patience under all sufferings and injuries. 5. The manifestation of our thoughts and designs to our superior or director. 6. To be content and to rejoice in all humiliations; to be pleased with mean employments, poor clothes, &c., to love simplicity and poverty (which he will have among monks, to be extended even to the ornaments of the altar), and to judge ourselves unworthy and bad servants in everything that is enjoined us. 7. Sincerely to esteem ourselves baser and more unworthy than every one, even the greatest sinners. 4 8. To avoid all love of singularity in words or actions. 9. To love and practice silence. 10. To avoid dissolute mirth and loud laughter. 11. Never to speak with a loud voice, and to be modest in our words. 12. To be humble in all our exterior actions, by keeping our eyes humbly cast down with the publican, and the penitent Manasses. St. Benedict adds that divine love is the sublime recompense of sincere humility, and promises, upon the warrant of the divine word, that God will raise that soul to perfect charity which, faithfully walking in these twelve degrees, shall have happily learned true humility. Elsewhere he calls obedience without delay the first degree of humility, but means the first among the exterior degrees; for he places before it interior compunction of soul, and the renunciation of our own will.
From St. Gregory, (Dial. 1. 2, c. 1) who assures us that he received his account of this saint from four abbots, the saint's disciples: namely, Constantine, his successor at Monte Cassino; Simplicius, third abbot of that house; Valentinian, the first abbot of the monastery of Lateran; and Honoratus, who succeeded St. Benedict at Subiaco. See the remarks of Mabillon, Annal. sent l. 1, p. 3, and l. 2, p. 38, and Act. Sanct. Bened. t. 1, p. 80. Also Dom. Mege, Vie de St. Benoit, avec une Histoire Abr�g�e de son Ordre in 4to. An. 1690. Haeften's Disquisitions, and abbot Steingelts abridgment of the same and Ziegel bauer and Legipont, Historia Literaria Ord. S. Benedicti, Ann. 1754, t. 1, p. 3, and principally t. 3, p. 2.
From Butler's Lives of the Saints on CD-ROM (Harmony Media Inc., Salem, OR)
The St. Benedict Medal
http://www.stbenedictchapel.org/lives/benedict.html
Abbot and Patriarch of the Western Monks
JULY 11
A.D. 543
ST. BENEDICT, or BENNET, was a native of Norcia, formerly an episcopal see in Umbria, and was descended from a family of note and born about the year 480. The name of his father was Eutropius, and that of his grandfather, Justinian. When he was fit for the higher studies, he was sent by his parents to Rome and there placed in the public schools. He, who till that time knew not what vice was and trembled at the shadow of sin, was not a little shocked at the licentiousness which he observed in the conduct of some of the Roman youth, with whom he was obliged to converse; and he was no sooner come into the world, but he resolved to bid an eternal farewell to it, not to be entangled in its snares. He therefore left the city privately and made the best of his way towards the deserts. His nurse, Cyrilla, who loved him tenderly, followed him as far as Afilum, thirty miles from Rome, where he found means to get rid of her and pursued his journey alone to the desert mountains of Sublacum, near forty miles from Rome. It is a barren, hideous chain of rocks, with a river and lake in the valley. Near this place the saint met a monk of a neighboring monastery, called Romanus, who gave him the monastic habit, with suitable instructions, and conducted him to a deep narrow cave in the midst of these mountains, almost inaccessible to men. In this cavern, now called the Holy Grotto, the young hermit chose his abode and Romanus, who kept his secret, brought him hither, from time to time, bread and the like slender provisions, which he retrenched from his own meals, and let them down to the holy recluse with a line, hanging a bell to the cord to give him notice. Bennet seems to have been about fourteen or fifteen years old when he came to Sublacum; St. Gregory says he was yet a child. He lived three years in this manner, known only to Romanus. But God was pleased to manifest his servant to men, that he might shine forth as a light to many. In 497, a certain pious priest in that country, while he was preparing a dinner for himself on Easter-Sunday, heard a voice which said, "You are preparing for yourself a banquet, while my servant Bennet, at Sublacum, is distressed with hunger." The priest immediately set out in quest of the hermit and with much difficulty found him out. Bennet was surprised to see a man come to him; but before he would enter into conversation with him, he desired they might pray together. They then discoursed for some time on God and heavenly things. At length the priest invited the saint to eat, saying it was Easter-day, on which it is not reasonable to fast; though St. Bennet answered him that he knew not that it was the day of so great a solemnity, nor is it to be wondered at that one so young should not be acquainted with the day of a festival which was not then observed by all on the same day, or that he should not understand the Lunar Cycle, which at that time was known by very few. After their repast the priest returned home. Soon after certain shepherds discovered the saint near his cave, but at first took him for a wild beast; for he was clad with the skins of beasts, and they imagined no human creature could live among those rocks. When they found him to be a servant of God, they respected him exceedingly, and many of them were moved by his heavenly discourses to embrace with fervor a course of perfection. From that time he began to be known, and many visited him and brought him such sustenance as he would accept, in requital for which he nourished their souls with spiritual instructions. Though he lived sequestered from the world, he was not yet secure from the assaults of the tempter. Wherever we fly the devil still pursues us, and we carry a domestic enemy within our own breasts. St. Gregory relates that while St. Bennet was employed in divine contemplation, the fiend endeavored to withdraw his mind from heavenly objects by appearing in the shape of a little black-bird; but that, upon his making the sign of the cross, the phantom vanished. After this, by the artifices of this restless enemy, the remembrance of a woman whom the saint had formerly seen at Rome occurred to his mind and so strongly affected his imagination that he was tempted to leave his desert. But blushing at so base a suggestion of the enemy, he threw himself upon some briers and nettles which grew in the place where he was, and rolled himself a long time in them, till his body was covered with blood. The wounds of his body stifled all inordinate inclinations, and their smart extinguished the flame of concupiscence. This complete victory seemed to have perfectly subdued that enemy; for he found himself no more molested with its stings.
The fame of his sanctity being spread abroad, it occasioned several to forsake the world and imitate his penitential manner of life. Some time after, the monks of Vicovara, on the death of their abbot, pitched upon him to succeed him. He was very unwilling to take upon him that charge, which he declined in the spirit of sincere humility, the beloved virtue which he had practiced from his infancy, and which was the pleasure of his heart, and is the delight of a God humbled even to the cross for the love of us. The saint soon found by experience that their manners did not square with his just idea of a monastic state. Certain sons of Belial among them carried their aversion so far as to mingle poison with his wine; but when, according to his custom, before he drank of it he made the sign of the cross over the glass, it broke as if a stone had fallen upon it. "God forgive you, brethren," said the saint, with his usual meekness and tranquillity of soul, "you now see I was not mistaken when I told you that your manners and mine would not agree." He therefore returned to Sublacum, which desert he soon peopled with monks, for whom he built twelve monasteries, placing in each twelve monks with a superior. 1 In one of these twelve monasteries there lived a monk, who, out of sloth, neglected and loathed the holy exercise of mental prayer, inasmuch that after the psalmody or divine office was finished, he every day left the church to go to work, while his brethren were employed in that holy exercise; for by this private prayer in the church, after the divine office, St. Gregory means pious meditation, as Dom. Mege demonstrates. This slothful monk began to correct his fault upon the charitable admonition of Pompeian, his superior; but, after three days, [he] relapsed into his former sloth. Pompeian acquainted St. Benedict, who said, "I will go and correct him myself." Such indeed was the danger and enormity of this fault as to require the most effectual and speedy remedy. For it is only by assiduous prayer that the soul is enriched with the abundance of the heavenly water of divine graces, which produces in her the plentiful fruit of all virtues. If we consider the example of all the saints, we shall see that prayer was the principal means by which the Holy Ghost sanctified their souls, and that they advanced in perfection in proportion to their progress in the holy spirit of prayer. If this be neglected, the soul becomes spiritually barren, as a garden loses all its fruitfulness and all its beauty, if the pump raises not up a continual supply of water, the principle of both. St. Benedict, deploring the misfortune and blindness of this monk, hastened to his monastery and coming to him at the end of the divine office, saw a little black boy leading him by the sleeve out of the church. After two days' prayer, St. Maurus saw the same, but Pompeian could not see this vision, by which was represented that the devil studies to withdraw men from prayer, in order that, being disarmed and defenseless, they may easily be made a prey. On the third day, St. Benedict finding the monk still absent from church in the time of prayer, struck him with a wand, and by that correction the sinner was freed from the temptation. Dom. German Millet tells us, from the tradition and archives of the monastery of St. Scholastica, that this happened in St. Jerome's. In the monastery of St. John, a fountain sprung up at the prayers of the saint; this, and two other monasteries, which were built on the summit of the mountain, being before much distressed for want of water. In that of St. Clement, situated on the bank of a lake, a Goth, who was a monk, let fall the head of a sickle into the water as he was cutting down thistles and weeds in order to make a garden, but St. Maur, who with St. Placidus lived in that house, holding the wooden handle in the water, the iron of its own accord swam, and joined it again, as St. Gregory relates. St. Benedict's reputation drew the most illustrious personages from Rome and other remote parts to see him. Many, who came clad in purple, sparkling with gold and precious stones, charmed with the admirable sanctity of the servant of God, prostrated themselves at his feet to beg his blessing and prayers, and some, imitating the sacrifice of Abraham, placed their sons under his conduct in their most tender age, that they might be formed to perfect virtue from their childhood. Among others, two rich and most illustrious senators, Eutychius, or rather Equitius, and Tertullus, committed to his care their two sons Maurus, then twelve years old, and Placidus, also a child, in 522. 2 The devil, envying so much good, stirred up his wicked instruments to disturb the tranquillity of the servant of God. Florentius, a priest in the neighboring country, though unworthy to bear that sacred character, moved by a secret jealousy, persecuted the saint, and aspersed his reputation with grievous slanders. Bennet, being a true disciple of Christ, knew no revenge but that of meekness and silence and, not to inflame the envy of his adversary, left Sublacum and repaired to Mount Cassino. He had not gotten far on his journey when he heard that Florentius was killed by the fall of a gallery in which he was. The saint was much afflicted at his sudden and unhappy death and enjoined Maurus a penance for calling it a deliverance from persecution. Cassino is a small town, now in the kingdom of Naples, built on the brow of a very high mountain, on the top of which stood an old temple of Apollo surrounded with a grove in which certain idolaters still continued to offer their abominable sacrifices. The man of God having, by his preaching and miracles, converted many of them to the faith, broke the idol to pieces, overthrew the altar, demolished the temple, and cut down the grove. Upon the ruins of which temple and altar he erected two oratories or chapels; one bore the name of St. John the Baptist, the other of St. Martin. This was the origin of the celebrated abbey of Mount Cassino, the foundation of which the saint laid in 529, the forty-eighth year of his age, the third of the emperor Justinian -- Felix IV being pope, and Athalaric king of the Goths in Italy. The patrician, Tertullus, came about that time to pay a visit to the saint and to see his son Placidus, and made over to this monastery several lands which he possessed in that neighborhood and also a considerable estate in Sicily. St. Bennet met on Mount Cassino one Martin, a venerable old hermit, who, to confine himself to a more austere solitude, had chained himself to the ground in his cell, with a long iron chain. The holy abbot, fearing this singularity might be a mark of affectation, said to him: "If you are a servant of Jesus Christ, let the chain of his love, not one of iron, hold you fixed in your resolution." Martin gave proof of his humility by his obedience and immediately laid aside his chain. St. Bennet governed also a monastery of nuns, situated near Mount Cassino, as is mentioned by St. Gregory; he founded an abbey of men at Terracina and sent St. Placidus into Sicily to establish another in that island. Though ignorant of secular learning, he was eminently replenished with the Spirit of God and an experimental science of spiritual things -- on which account he is said by St. Gregory the Great to have been "learnedly ignorant and wisely unfettered." For the alphabet of this great man is infinitely more desirable than all the empty science of the world, as St. Arsenius said of St. Antony. From certain very ancient pictures of St. Benedict, and old inscriptions, Mabillon proves this saint to have been in holy orders and a deacon. Several moderns say he was a priest but, as Muratori observes, without grounds. By the account which St. Gregory has given us of his life, it appears that he preached sometimes in neighboring places, and that a boundless charity opening his hand, he distributed among the needy all that he had on earth, to lay up his whole treasure in heaven. St. Bennet, possessing perfectly the science of the saints and being enabled by the Holy Ghost to be the guide of innumerable souls in the most sublime paths of Christian perfection, compiled a monastic rule, which, for wisdom and discretion, St. Gregory the Great preferred to all other rules, and which was afterwards adopted, for some time, by all the monks of the West. It is principally founded on silence, solitude, prayer, humility, and obedience.
St. Bennet calls his Order a school in which men learn how to serve God; and his life was to his disciples a perfect model for their imitation and a transcript of his rule. Being chosen by God, like another Moses, to conduct faithful souls into the true promised land, the kingdom of heaven, he was enriched with eminent supernatural gifts, even those of miracles and prophecy. He seemed, like another Eliseus, endued by God with an extraordinary power, commanding all nature and, like the ancient prophets, foreseeing future events. He often raised the sinking courage of his monks and baffled the various artifices of the devil with the sign of the cross, rendered the heaviest stone light in building his monastery by a short prayer, and, in presence of a multitude of people, raised to life a novice who had been crushed by the fall of a wall at Mount Cassino. He foretold, with many tears, that this monastery should be profaned and destroyed, which happened forty years after, when the Lombards demolished it about the year 580. He added that he had scarce been able to obtain of God that the inhabitants should be saved. It was strictly forbidden by the rule of St. Benedict for any monk to eat out of his monastery, unless he was at such a distance that he could not return home that day, and this rule, says Saint Gregory, was inviolably observed. Indeed, nothing more dangerously engages monks in the commerce of the world; nothing more enervates the discipline of abstinence and mortification than for them to eat and drink with seculars abroad. St. Gregory tells us that St. Bennet knew by revelation the fault of one of his monks who had accepted of an invitation to take some refreshment when he was abroad on business. A messenger who brought the saint a present of two bottles of wine, and had hid one of them, was put in mind by him to beware of drinking of the other, in which he afterwards found a serpent. One of the monks, after preaching to the nuns, had accepted of some handkerchiefs from them, which he hid in his bosom; but the saint, upon his return, reproved him for his secret sin against the rule of holy poverty. A novice, standing before him, was tempted with thoughts of pride on account of his birth; the saint discovered what passed in his soul and bid him make the sign of the cross on his breast.
When Belisarius, the emperor's general, was recalled to Constantinople, Totila, the Arian king of the Goths, invaded and plundered Italy. Having heard wonders of the sanctity of St. Bennet and of his predictions and miracles, he resolved to try whether he was really that wonderful man which he was reported to be. Therefore, as he marched through Campania, in 542, he sent the man of God word that he would pay him a visit. But instead of going in person, he dressed one of his courtiers, named Riggo, in his royal purple robes, and sent him to the monastery, attended by the three principal lords of his court and a numerous train of pages. St. Bennet, who was then sitting, saw him coming to his cell and cried out to him at some distance: "Put off, my son, those robes which you wear and which belong not to you." The mock king, being struck with a panic for having attempted to impose upon the man of God, fell prostrate at his feet, together with all his attendants. The saint, coming up, raised him with his hand; and the officer returning to his master, related trembling what had befallen him. The king then went himself, but was no sooner come into the presence of the holy abbot but he threw himself on the ground and continued prostrate till the saint, going to him, obliged him to rise. The holy man severely reproved him for the outrages he had committed, and said, "You do a great deal of mischief, and I foresee you will do more. You will take Rome; you will cross the sea, and will reign nine years longer; but death will overtake you in the tenth, when you shall be arraigned before a just God to give an account of your conduct." All which came to pass as St. Benedict had foretold him. Totila was seized with fear and recommended himself to his prayers. From that day the tyrant became more humane; and when he took Naples, shortly after, treated the captives with greater lenity than could be expected from an enemy and a barbarian. When the bishop of Camusa afterwards said to that saint that Totila would leave Rome a heap of stones, and that it would be no longer inhabited, he answered: "No; but it shall be beaten with storms and earthquakes and shall be like a tree which withers by the decay of its root." Which prediction St. Gregory observes to have been accomplished.
The death of this great saint seems to have happened soon after that of his sister St. Scholastica, and in the year after his interview with Totila. He foretold it his disciples and caused his grave to be opened six days before. When this was done he fell ill of a fever and on the sixth day would be carried into the chapel, where he received the body and blood of our Lord, and having given his last instructions to his sorrowful disciples, standing and leaning on one of them, with his hands lifted up, he calmly expired, in prayer, on Saturday, the 21st of March, probably in the year 543, and of his age the sixty-third, having spent fourteen years at Mount Cassino. The greatest part of his relics remains still in that abbey; though some of his bones were brought into France, about the close of the seventh century, and deposited in the famous abbey of Fleury, which, on that account, has long borne the name of St. Bennet's on the Loire. 3 It was founded in the reign of Clovis II, about the year 640, and belongs at present to the congregation of St. Maur.
St. Gregory, in two words, expresses the characteristic virtue of this glorious patriarch of the monastic order, when he says that, returning from Vicovara to Sublaco, he dwelt alone with himself; which words comprise a great and rare perfection, in which consists the essence of holy retirement. A soul dwells not in true solitude unless this be interior as well as exterior, and unless she cultivates no acquaintance but with God and herself, admitting no other company. Many dwell in monasteries, or alone, without possessing the secret of living with themselves. Though they are removed from the conversation of the world, their minds still rove abroad, wandering from the consideration of God and themselves, and dissipated amid a thousand exterior objects which their imagination presents to them, and which they suffer to captivate their hearts and miserably entangle their will with vain attachments and foolish desires. Interior solitude requires the silence of the interior faculties of the soul, no less than of the tongue and exterior senses; without this, the enclosure of walls is a very weak fence. In this interior solitude, the soul collects all her faculties within herself, employs all her thoughts on herself and on God, and all her strength and affections in aspiring after him. Thus, St. Benedict dwelt with himself, being always busied in the presence of his Creator, in bewailing the spiritual miseries of his soul and past sins, in examining into the disorders of his affections, in watching over his senses and the motions of his heart, and in a constant attention to the perfection of his state, and the contemplation of divine things. This last occupied his soul in the sweet exercises of divine love and praise, but the first-mentioned exercises, or the consideration of himself and of his own nothingness and miseries, laid the foundation by improving in him continually the most profound spirit of humility and compunction. The twelve degrees of humility, which he lays down in his Rule, are commended by St. Thomas Aquinas. The first is a deep compunction of heart and holy fear of God and his judgments, with a constant attention to walk in the divine presence, sunk under the weight of this confusion and fear. 2. The perfect renunciation of our own will. 3. Ready obedience. 4. Patience under all sufferings and injuries. 5. The manifestation of our thoughts and designs to our superior or director. 6. To be content and to rejoice in all humiliations; to be pleased with mean employments, poor clothes, &c., to love simplicity and poverty (which he will have among monks, to be extended even to the ornaments of the altar), and to judge ourselves unworthy and bad servants in everything that is enjoined us. 7. Sincerely to esteem ourselves baser and more unworthy than every one, even the greatest sinners. 4 8. To avoid all love of singularity in words or actions. 9. To love and practice silence. 10. To avoid dissolute mirth and loud laughter. 11. Never to speak with a loud voice, and to be modest in our words. 12. To be humble in all our exterior actions, by keeping our eyes humbly cast down with the publican, and the penitent Manasses. St. Benedict adds that divine love is the sublime recompense of sincere humility, and promises, upon the warrant of the divine word, that God will raise that soul to perfect charity which, faithfully walking in these twelve degrees, shall have happily learned true humility. Elsewhere he calls obedience without delay the first degree of humility, but means the first among the exterior degrees; for he places before it interior compunction of soul, and the renunciation of our own will.
From St. Gregory, (Dial. 1. 2, c. 1) who assures us that he received his account of this saint from four abbots, the saint's disciples: namely, Constantine, his successor at Monte Cassino; Simplicius, third abbot of that house; Valentinian, the first abbot of the monastery of Lateran; and Honoratus, who succeeded St. Benedict at Subiaco. See the remarks of Mabillon, Annal. sent l. 1, p. 3, and l. 2, p. 38, and Act. Sanct. Bened. t. 1, p. 80. Also Dom. Mege, Vie de St. Benoit, avec une Histoire Abr�g�e de son Ordre in 4to. An. 1690. Haeften's Disquisitions, and abbot Steingelts abridgment of the same and Ziegel bauer and Legipont, Historia Literaria Ord. S. Benedicti, Ann. 1754, t. 1, p. 3, and principally t. 3, p. 2.
From Butler's Lives of the Saints on CD-ROM (Harmony Media Inc., Salem, OR)
The St. Benedict Medal
http://www.stbenedictchapel.org/lives/benedict.html
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