Saint John was born near Castelnuovo in the diocese of Turin in 1815. His early years were most difficult and so once ordained to the priesthood he dedicated himself to the education of the young, founding congregations which would instruct youth in both the arts and the Christian life. He also composed pamphlets for the support and defense of religion. Saint John died in 1888.
From a letter by Saint John Bosco, priest
(Epistolario, Torino 1959, 4, 201-203)
I have always labored out of love
First of all, if we wish to appear concerned about the true happiness of our foster children and if we would move them to fulfill their duties, you must never forget that you are taking the place of the parents of these beloved young people. I have always labored lovingly for them, and carried out my priestly duties with zeal. And the whole Salesian society has done this with me.
My sons, in my long experience very often I had to be convinced of this great truth. It is easier to become angry than to restrain oneself, and to threaten a boy than to persuade him. Yes, indeed, it is more fitting to be persistent in punishing our own impatience and pride than to correct the boys. We must be firm but kind, and be patient with them.
I give you as a model the charity of Paul which he showed to his new converts. They often reduced him to tears and entreaties when he found them lacking docility and even opposing his loving efforts.
See that no one finds you motivated by impetuosity or willfulness. It is difficult to keep calm when administering punishment, but this must be done if we are to keep ourselves from showing off our authority or spilling out our anger.
Let us regard those boys over whom we have some authority as our own sons. Let us place ourselves in their service. Let us be ashamed to assume an attitude of superiority. Let us not rule over them except for the purpose of serving them better.
This was the method that Jesus used with the apostles. He put up with their ignorance and roughness and even their infidelity. He treated sinners with a kindness and affection that caused some to be shocked, others to be scandalized, and still others to hope for God's mercy. And so he bade us to be gentle and humble of heart.
They are our sons, and so in correcting their mistakes we must lay aside all anger and restrain it so firmly that it is extinguished entirely.
There must be no hostility in our minds, no contempt in our eyes, no insult on our lips. We must use mercy for the present and have hope for the future, as is fitting for true fathers who are eager for real correction and improvement.
In serious matters it is better to beg God humbly than to send forth a flood of words that will only offend the listeners and have no effect on those who are guilty.
Responsory: Mark 10:13-14; Matthew 18:5
The people brought little children to Jesus
that he might touch them,
but the disciples tried to discourage them.
Jesus saw this and said:
--Let the little children come to me,
and do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God
belongs to such as these.
He that receives one such child
in my name, receives me.
--Let the little children come to me,
and do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God
belongs to such as these.
Prayer
Lord,
you called John Bosco
to be a teacher and father to the young.
Fill us with love like his:
may we give ourselves completely to your service
and to the salvation of mankind.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Let us praise the Lord.
--And give him thanks.
From a sermon by John the Serene, bishop
(Sermo 7: PLS 4, 785-786)
Love the Lord and walk in his ways
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? How great was that servant who knew how he was given light, whence it came, and what sort of man he was when he was favored by that light. The light he saw was not that which fades at dusk, but the light which no eye has seen. Souls brightened by this light do not fall into sin or stumble on vice.
Our Lord said: Walk while you have the light in you. What other light did he mean but himself? For it was he who said: I came as a light into the world, so that those who have eyes may not see and the blind may receive the light. The Lord then is our light the sun of justice and righteousness, who has shone on his Catholic Church spread throughout the world. The prophet spoke as a figure of the Church when he cried: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The spiritual man who has been thus illumined does not limp or leave the path, but bears all things. Glimpsing our true country from afar, he puts up with adversities; he is not saddened by the things of time, but finds his strength in God. He lowers his pride and endures, possessing patience through humility. That true light which enlightens every man who comes into the world bestows itself on those who reverence it, shining where it wills, on whom it wills, and revealing itself according to the will of God the Son.
When this light begins to shine upon the man who sat in darkness and the shadow of death, in the darkness of evil and the shadow of sin, he is shocked, he calls himself to account, repents of his misdeeds in shame, and says: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Great is this salvation, my brethren, which fears neither sickness nor lethargy and disregards pain. We should then in the fullest sense not only with our voice but with our very soul cry out, The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? If he enlightens and saves me, whom shall I fear? Even though the dark shadows of evil suggestions crowd about, the Lord is my light. They can approach, but cannot prevail; they can lay siege to our heart, but cannot conquer it. Though the blindness of concupiscence assails us, again we say: The Lord is my light. For he is our strength; he gives himself to us and we give ourselves to him. Hasten to this physician while you can, or you may not be able to find him when you want him.
Responsory: Wisdom 9:10, 4
Send forth wisdom, O Lord,
from your throne of glory
to be with me in my daily toil,
--that I may know what is pleasing to you.
Lord, give me the wisdom
that sits beside your throne..
--That I may know what is pleasing to you.
Prayer
All-powerful and ever-living God,
direct your love that is within us,
that our efforts in the name of your Son
may bring mankind to unity and peace.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Let us praise the Lord.
--And give him thanks.
From the constitution on the sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council
(Sacrosanctum Concilium, nn. 7-8. 106)
Christ is present to his Church
Christ is always present to his Church, especially in the actions of the liturgy. He is present in the sacrifice of the Mass, in the person of the minister (it is the same Christ who formerly offered himself on the cross that now offers by the ministry of priests) and most of all under the eucharistic species. He is present in the sacraments by his power, in such a way that when someone baptizes, Christ himself baptizes. He is present in his word, for it is he himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the Church. Finally, he is present when the Church prays and sings, for he himself promised: Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst.
Indeed, in this great work which gives perfect glory to God and brings holiness to men, Christ is always joining in partnership with himself his beloved Bride, the Church, which calls upon its Lord and through him gives worship to the eternal Father.
It is therefore right to see the liturgy as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ, in which through signs addressed to the senses man's sanctification is signified and, in a way proper to each of these signs, made effective, and in which public worship is celebrated in its fullness by the mystical body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the head and by his members.
Accordingly, every liturgical celebration, as an activity of Christ the priest and of his body, which is the Church, is a sacred action of a preeminent kind. No other action of the Church equals its title to power or its degree of effectiveness.
In the liturgy on earth we are given a foretaste and share in the liturgy of heaven, celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem, the goal of our pilgrimage, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, as minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle. With the whole company of heaven we sing a hymn of praise to the Lord; as we reverence the memory of the saints, we hope to have some part with them, and to share in their fellowship; we wait for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, until he, who is our life, appears, and we appear with him in glory.
By an apostolic tradition taking its origin from the very day of Christ' s resurrection, the Church celebrates the paschal mystery every eighth day, the day that is rightly called the Lord's day. On Sunday the Christian faithful ought to gather together, so that by listening to the word of God and sharing in the Eucharist they may recall the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God who has given them a new birth with a lively hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The Lord's day is therefore the first and greatest festival, one to be set before the loving devotion of the faithful and impressed upon it, so that it may be also a day of joy and of freedom from work. Other celebrations must not take precedence over it, unless they are truly of the greatest importance, since it is the foundation and the kernel of the whole liturgical year.
Responsory
Christ prays for us: he is our priest;
he prays in us: he is our head;
we pray to him: he is our God.
-- Let us be ever aware then,
of our prayer in him,
and his prayer in us.
When we turn to God in prayer,
we must not separate ourselves from his Son.
-- Let us be ever aware then,
of our prayer in him,
and his prayer in us.
Prayer
All-powerful and ever-living God,
direct your love that is within us,
that our efforts in the name of your Son
may bring mankind to unity and peace.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
The Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle, which took place in the second year from the Ascension of the Lord. A totum duplex feast.
At Damascus, the birthday of St. Ananias, a disciple of the Lord, who baptized the Apostle Paul. He preached the Gospel in Damascus, Eleutheropolis and elsewhere until, under the judge Licinius, he was scourged with thongs and mangled. At last, he was stoned to death and thus obtained martyrdom.
In Auvergne in Gaul, St. Praejectus, bishop, and St. Amarinus, abbot of Doroang; both suffered death at the command of the authorities of that city.
At Antioch, the holy martyrs Juventinus and Maximus who, under Julian the Apostate, were crowned with martyrdom. On (the anniversary of) their birthday, St. John Chrysostorn delivered a panegyric to the people.
Also the holy martyrs Donatus, Sabinus, and Agape.
At Tomis in Scythia, St. Bretannio, bishop. In the reign of the Arian Emperor Valens, whom he fearlessly opposed, he flourished in the Church in wondrous sanctity and zealous devotion to the Catholic faith.
At Marchiennes in Gaul, St. Poppo, priest and abbot, famed for his miracles.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Second Reading from the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours for January 24, Memorial of Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor.
Saint Francis was born at Savoy in 1567. After being ordained a priest he labored diligently for the restoration of Catholicism in his country. Chosen bishop of Geneva, he showed himself as a true pastor toward his clerics and the faithful, strengthening their faith by his writings, works and example. He died at Lyons on December 28, 1622, and was buried at Annecy on this day.
From The Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Francis de Sales, bishop
(Pars 1, cap. 3)
Devotion must be practiced in different ways
When God the Creator made all things, he commanded the plants to bring forth fruit each according to its own kind; he has likewise commanded Christians, who are the living plants of his Church, to bring forth the fruits of devotion, each one in accord with his character, his station and his calling.
I say that devotion must be practiced in different ways by the nobleman and by the working man, by the servant and by the prince, by the widow, by the unmarried girl and by the married woman. But even this distinction is not sufficient; for the practice of devotion must be adapted to the strength, to the occupation and to the duties of each one in particular.
Tell me, please, my Philothea, whether it is proper for a bishop to want to lead a solitary life like a Carthusian; or for married people to be no more concerned than a Capuchin about increasing their income; or for a working man to spend his whole day in church like a religious; or on the other hand for a religious to be constantly exposed like a bishop to all the events and circumstances that bear on the needs of our neighbor. Is not this sort of devotion ridiculous, unorganized and intolerable? Yet this absurd error occurs very frequently, but in no way does true devotion, my Philothea, destroy anything at all. On the contrary, it perfects and fulfills all things. In fact if it ever works against, or is inimical to, anyone's legitimate station and calling, then it is very definitely false devotion.
The bee collects honey from flowers in such a way as to do the least damage or destruction to them, and he leaves them whole, undamaged and fresh, just as he found them. True devotion does still better. Not only does it not injure any sort of calling or occupation, it even embellishes and enhances it.
Moreover, just as every sort of gem, cast in honey, becomes brighter and more sparkling, each according to its color, so each person becomes more acceptable and fitting in his own vocation when he sets his vocation in the context of devotion. Through devotion your family cares become more peaceful, mutual love between husband and wife becomes more sincere, the service we owe to the prince becomes more faithful, and our work, no matter what it is, becomes more pleasant and agreeable.
It is therefore an error and even a heresy to wish to exclude the exercise of devotion from military divisions, from the artisans' shops, from the courts of princes, from family households. I acknowledge, my dear Philothea, that the type of devotion which is purely contemplative, monastic and religious can certainly not be exercised in these sorts of stations and occupations, but besides this threefold type of devotion, there are many others fit for perfecting those who live in a secular state.
Therefore, in whatever situations we happen to be, we can and we must aspire to the life of perfection.
Responsory: Ephesians 4:32--5:1; Matthew 11:29
Be kind and compassionate to one another;
forgive each other as God has forgiven you in Christ.
--Be imitators of God the
Father who loves you as his own dear children.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me,
for I am gentle and humble of heart .
--Be imitators of God the
Father who loves you as his own dear children.
Prayer
Father,
you gave Francis de Sales the spirit of compassion
to befriend all men on the way to salvation.
By his example, lead us to show your gentle love
in the service of our fellow men.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Let us praise the Lord.
--And give him thanks.
At Forli in Emilia (Italy), Blessed Marcolino, confessor of the Order of Preachers. A semi-duplex feast.
At Ephesus, St. Timothy, the disciple of St. Paul the Apostle, by whom he was ordained Bishop of Ephesus. After he had undergone many labors for Christ, he rebuked some pagans who were sacrificing to Diana. He was stoned by them, and shortly after he died in the Lord. A memory.
At Antioch, St. Babilas, bishop. In the persecution of Decius, after he had often glorified God by his sufferings and torments, he reached the end of his admirable life while bound in chains. He commanded that his body should be buried with the chains. It is said that there suffered with him also three youths, Urban, Prilidian, and Epolonius, whom he had instructed in the faith of Christ.
At Foligno in Umbria, St. Felician. He was ordained bishop of that city by Pope Victor I. After a life of many labors, he was crowned in his extreme old age with martyrdom, in the time of Decius.
At Neocaesarea in Mauretania, the holy martyrs Mardonius, Musonius, Eugene, and Metellus; all were delivered to the flames, and their relics were scattered in a river.
Also the holy martyrs Thyrsus and Projectus.
At Cingoli in Piceno, St. Exuperantius, confessor. He was bishop of that city, and was renowned for his miracles.
At Bologna, St. Zamas, first bishop of that city. He was consecrated by St. Dionysius, the Roman Pontiff, and he spread to a remarkable degree the Christian faith in that place. Also Blessed Suranus, abbot, who flourished in holiness at the time of the Lombards.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Second Reading from the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours for Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
From the treatise On Spiritual Perfection by Diadochus of Photice, bishop
(Cap. 12. 13. 14: PG 65, 1171-1172)
All our love must be for God
No one who is in love with himself is capable of loving God. The man who loves God is the one who mortifies his self-love for the sake of the immeasurable blessings of divine love. Such a man never seeks his own glory but only the glory of God. If a person loves himself he seeks his own glory, but the man who loves God loves the glory of his Creator. Anyone alive to the love of God can be recognized from the way he constantly strives to glorify him by fulfilling all his commandments and by delighting in his own abasement. Because of his great majesty it is fitting that God should receive glory, but if he hopes to win God's favor it becomes man to be humble. If we possess this love for God, we too will rejoice in his glory as Saint John the Baptist did, and we shall never stop repeating: His fame must increase, but mine must diminish.
I know a man who, though lamenting his failure to love God as much as he desires, yet loves him so much that his soul burns with ceaseless longing for God to be glorified, and for his own complete effacement. This man has no feeling of self-importance even when he receives praise. So deep is his desire to humble himself that he never even thinks of his own dignity. He fulfills his priestly duty by celebrating the Liturgy, but his intense love for God is an abyss that swallows up all consciousness of his high office. His humility makes him oblivious of any honor it might bring him, so that in his own estimation he is never anything but a useless servant. Because of his desire for self-abasement, he regards himself as though degraded from his office. His example is one that we ourselves should follow by fleeing from all honor and glory for the sake of the immeasurable blessings of God's love, for he has loved us so much!
Anyone who loves God in the depths of his heart has already been loved by God. In fact, the measure of a man's love for God depends upon how deeply aware he is of God's love for him. When this awareness is keen it makes whoever possesses it long to be enlightened by the divine light, and this longing is so intense that it seems to penetrate his very bones. He loses all consciousness of himself and is entirely transformed by the love of God.
Such a man lives in this life and at the same time does not live in it, for although he still inhabits his body, he is constantly leaving it in spirit because of the love that draws him toward God. Once the love of God has released him from self-love, the flame of divine love never ceases to burn in his heart and he remains united to God by an irresistible longing. As the Apostle says: If we are taken out of ourselves it is for the love of God; if we are brought back to our senses it is for your sake.
Responsory John 3:16; 1 John 4:10
God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son
-- so that all who believe in him may not die but may have eternal
life.
This is the meaning of love:
we did not love God;
he has loved us.
-- So that all who believe in him may not die but may have eternal
life.
Prayer
Father of heaven and earth,
hear our prayers,
and show us the way to peace in the world.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Second Reading from the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours for January 22, Optional Memorial of Vincent, deacon and martyr
Saint Vincent, deacon of the Church of Saragossa, after suffering extreme tortures, died as a martyr at Valencia in Spain during the Diocletian persecution. His cult immediately spread throughout the Church.
From a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop
(Sermo 276, 1-2: PL 38, 1256)
Vincent conquers in him who conquered the world
To you, he said, has been granted on Christ's behalf not only that you should believe in him but also that you should suffer for him.
Vincent had received both these gifts and held them as his own. For how could he have them if he had not received them? And he displayed his faith in what he said, his endurance in what he suffered.
No one ought to rely on his own feelings when he speaks out, nor be confident in his own strength when he undergoes temptation. For whenever we speak prudently as we should, our wisdom comes from him, and whenever we endure evils courageously, our long-suffering comes from him.
Call to mind how Christ our Lord in the Gospel exhorted his disciples. It is the very king of martyrs equipping his troops with spiritual arms, explaining their battles, offering them support, and promising them their reward. He once said to his disciples: In this world you will suffer persecution, and then, to allay their fears, he added, but rest assured, I have conquered the world.
There is no need to wonder then, my dearly beloved brothers, that Vincent conquered in him who conquered the world. Christ said: In this world you will suffer persecution, but in such wise that the persecution will not overwhelm, and the attack will not overcome you. Against Christ's army the world arrays a twofold battleline. It offers temptation to lead us astray; it strikes terror into us to break our spirit. Hence if our personal pleasures do not hold us captive, and if we are not frightened by brutality, then the world is overcome. At both of these approaches Christ rushes to our aid, and the Christian is not conquered. If you were to consider in Vincent's martyrdom only human endurance, then his act is unbelievable from the outset. But first recognize the power to be from God, and he ceases to be a source of wonder.
Such savagery was being vented upon the martyr's body while such serenity issued from his lips, such harsh cruelties were being inflicted on his limbs while such assurance rang out in his words, that we should think that, by some miracle, as Vincent suffered, one person was speaking while another was being tortured. And this, my brothers, was true; it was really the truth; another person was speaking. Christ in the Gospel promised this to those who were to be his witnesses, to those whom he was preparing for contests of this kind. For he said: Do not give thought to how or what you are to speak. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks without you. Thus it was Vincent's body that suffered, but the Spirit who spoke. And at his voice, impiety was not only vanquished but human frailty was given consolation.
Responsory: Job 23:11; Philippians 3:8, 10
The Lord has tried me as gold is
assayed by fire;
--I have walked in his way;
I have not wandered from his path.
I count all that this world offers
as worthless if only I may know Christ,
and share in his sufferings.
--I have walked in his way;
I have not wandered from his path.
Prayer
Eternal Father,
you gave Saint Vincent
the courage to endure torture and death for the gospel
fill us with your Spirit
and strengthen us in your love.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit
one God, for ever and ever.
Let us praise the Lord.
--And give him thanks.
At Valencia in Spain, in the province of Tarragona, St. Vincent, deacon and martyr. Under the wicked governor Dacian, he suffered prison, starvation, the rack, the disjointing of his limbs, red-hot metal plates, the blazing gridiron, and other kinds of torture. For the reward of his martyrdom, he went to heaven. Prudentius set forth in noble verse the glorious triumph of his suffering, and St. Augustine and Pope St. Leo commend him with the highest praise. A totum duplex feast.
At Barsaloe in Assyria, St. Anastasius, a Persian monk. After many tortures of imprisonment, floggings, and chains, which he had suffered at Caesarea in Palestine, he was delivered up to more torments under Chosroës, King of the Persians. He was at last beheaded, after sending before him to martyrdom seventy companions, who were drowned in a river. His head, together with his venerated image, was brought to (the Monastery at) Aquae Salviae near Rome[1]. The Acts of the second Council of Nicaea testify that at the sight of his relics demons fled and diseases were cured.
At Embrun in Gaul, the holy martyrs Vincent, Orontius, and Victor, who were crowned with martyrdom in the persecution of Diocletian.
At Novara (in Italy), St. Gaudentius, bishop and confessor.
At Sora (in Italy), St. Dominic, abbot, renowned for miracles.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes: [1] Aquae Salviae is now known as Tre Fontane; the monastery is that of SS. Vincent and Anastasius.
Second Reading from the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours for January 21, Memorial of Agnes, virgin and martyr.
Saint Agnes died a martyr at Rome during either the second half of the third century or, more probably, at the beginning of the fourth century. Pope Damasus adorned her tomb with sacred poetry, and many of the Fathers of the Church, following Saint Ambrose, have honored her in their writings.
From a treatise On Virgins by Saint Ambrose, bishop
(Lib. 1, cap. 2. 5. 7-9: PL 16 [edit. 1845], 189-191)
Too young to be punished, yet old enough for a martyr's crown
Today is the birthday of a virgin; let us imitate her purity. It is the birthday of a martyr; let us offer ourselves in sacrifice. It is the birthday of Saint Agnes, who is said to have suffered martyrdom at the age of twelve. The cruelty that did not spare her youth shows all the more clearly the power of faith in finding one so young to bear it witness.
There was little or no room in that small body for a wound. Though she could scarcely receive the blow, she could rise superior to it. Girls of her age cannot bear even their parents' frowns and, pricked by a needle, weep as for a serious wound. Yet she shows no fear of the blood-stained hands of her executioners. She stands undaunted by heavy, clanking chains. She offers her whole body to be put to the sword by fierce soldiers. She is too young to know of death, yet is ready to face it. Dragged against her will to the altars, she stretches out her hands to the Lord in the midst of the flames, making the triumphant sign of Christ the victor on the altars of sacrilege. She puts her neck and hands in iron chains, but no chain can hold fast her tiny limbs.
A new kind of martyrdom! Too young to be punished, yet old enough for a martyr's crown; unfitted for the contest, yet effortless in victory, she shows herself a master in valor despite the handicap of youth. As a bride she would not be hastening to join her husband with the same joy she shows as a virgin on her way to punishment, crowned not with flowers but with holiness of life, adorned not with braided hair but with Christ himself.
In the midst of tears, she sheds no tears herself. The crowds marvel at her recklessness in throwing away her life untasted, as if she had already lived life to the full. All are amazed that one not yet of legal age can give her testimony to God. So she succeeds in convincing others of her testimony about God, though her testimony in human affairs could not yet be accepted. What is beyond the power of nature, they argue, must come from its creator.
What menaces there were from the executioner, to frighten her; what promises made, to win her over; what influential people desired her in marriage! She answered: "To hope that any other will please me does wrong to my Spouse. I will be his who first chose me for himself. Executioner, why do you delay? If eyes that I do not want can desire this body, then let it perish." She stood still, she prayed, she offered her neck.
You could see fear in the eyes of the executioner, as if he were the one condemned; his right hand trembled, his face grew pale as he saw the girl's peril, while she had no fear for herself. One victim, but a twin martyrdom, to modesty and to religion; Agnes preserved her virginity, and gained a martyr's crown.
Responsory
Let us keep the feast of Saint Agnes
by recalling all that she suffered.
--While still so young, she
overcame death and found true life.
For the giver of life was her only love.
--While still so young, she
overcame death and found true life.
Prayer
Almighty, eternal God,
you choose what the world considers weak
to put the worldly power to shame.
May we who celebrate the birth of Saint Agnes into eternal joy
be loyal to the faith she professed.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Let us praise the Lord.
--And give him thanks.
At Rome, the suffering of St. Agnes, virgin. At the time of Symphronius, the prefect of the city, she was cast into the flames; at her prayer they were extinguished, and she was slain with the sword. St. Jerome thus speaks of her: "The life of St. Agnes is praised in the writing and the tongues of all peoples, especially in the churches, because she rose superior both to her (youthful) age and to the tyrant, and consecrated by her martyrdom her claim to chastity." A duplex feast.
At Athens, the birthday of St. Pubhus, bishop. After St. Dionysius the Areopagite, he admirably ruled the church of Athens. Great in virtue and resplendent for doctrine, he was gloriously crowned by martyrdom for Christ.
At Tarragona in Spain, the holy martyrs Fructuosus, bishop, Augurius and Eulogius, deacons. In the time of Gallienus, they were first thrown into prison, and then cast into the flames. When their bonds were burnt through, they stretched out their hands in prayer in the form of a cross, and so fulfilled their martyrdom. St. Augustine delivered a panegyric to the people on this their birthday.
In the monastery of Einsiedeln in Switzerland, St. Meinrad, priest and monk. In that same place, where later the monastery arose, he lived as a recluse and was slain by robbers. The body of this blessed man, which was formerly buried in the monastery of Reichenau, in Germany, was brought back to the monastery of Einsiedeln.
At Troyes in Gaut, St. Patroclus, martyr, who merited the crown of martyrdom under the Emperor Aurelian.
At Pavia, St. Epiphanius, bishop and confessor.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Second Reading from the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours for January 20, Optional Memorial of Fabian, pope and martyr
Saint Fabian was elected bishop of the Church of Rome in 236. In 250, at the beginning of the persecution of Decius, he won the crown of martyrdom, as Cyprian bears witness. He was buried in the cemetery of Saint Callixtus.
From a letter about the death of Saint Fabian, pope, by Saint Cyprian and the Roman Church
(Ep. 9, 1 et 8, 2-3: CSEL 3, 488-489. 487-488)
Fabian offers us a model of courage
Informed of the death of Pope Fabian, Saint Cyprian sent this letter to the priests and deacons of Rome:
"My dear brothers, while the news of the death of my good colleague was still uncertain, and opinions were divided, I received your letter delivered through the courtesy of the subdeacon Crementius, in which I was most fully informed of Fabian's glorious death. I was quite happy that his virtuous demise corresponded with the integrity of his administration. Hence I too offer you congratulations that you honor his memory with so striking and praiseworthy a testimony. Through you we can see quite clearly what an honor for you is the glorious heritage of one who was your superior, and what an example of faith and courage it offers us. For just as the defection of a superior has such a harmful effect on the stability of those who follow him, so contrariwise it is helpful and encouraging when a bishop offers himself as a model for his brothers by the constancy of his faith."
Apparently before Cyprian received this letter, the Church of Rome had given the community at Carthage testimony of its loyalty in time of persecution.
"Our church stands firmly in the faith, although some have lapsed because they fear the loss of their outstanding positions or other personal sufferings. Although these have separated from us, we have not given them up; in the past we have urged them and now we continue to encourage them to do penance, in the hope that they may receive pardon from him who can give it; whereas if they were abandoned by us, they might become worse.
"And so you see, brothers, you should act in the same manner; in this way those who have lapsed, having changed their attitude because of your encouragement, might admit their Christianity if ever they are arrested again. Yet you do have other responsibilities, and we hereby make suggestions. If any of those who have fallen into this temptation should become ill and, after doing penance, should desire to receive communion, they should certainly be assisted. Widows, the destitute who cannot support themselves, and those who are in prison or who have been evicted from their homes should surely have someone to help them; likewise catechumens who are ill ought not to be disappointed in receiving assistance.
"Your brothers who are in chains send you their greetings, and also the priests, and the entire Church which lies awake in great anxiety to pray for all those who invoke the name of the Lord. And so we ask you in turn to remember us."
Responsory: Philippians 1:23; 3:18; 1:21; 2:17
I desire to leave this world and to be with Christ; I consider
all that this world offers worthless, if only I can gain union
with Christ.
--Life for me means Christ; death is as a prize to be won.
Even if I am to be poured out as a libation on the sacrificial
offering of your faith, I rejoice and wish to share my happiness
with you.
--Life for me means Christ; death is as a prize to be won.
Prayer
God our Father, glory of your priests,
may the prayers of your martyr Fabian
help us to share his faith
and offer you loving service.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Let us praise the Lord.
--And give him thanks.
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Second Reading from the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours for January 20, Optional Memorial of Sebastian, martyr
Saint Sebastian died a martyr at Rome in the beginning of the Diocletian persecution. From antiquity the faithful have venerated his tomb on the Appian Way ad Catacumbas.
From an exposition of psalm 118 by Saint Ambrose, bishop
(Cap. 20, 43-45. 48: CSEL 62, 466-468)
Faithful witnessing to Christ
To enter the kingdom of God we must endure many tribulations. If there are many persecutions, there are many testings; where there are many crowns of victory, there are many trials of strength. It is then to your advantage if there are many persecutors; among many persecutions you may more easily find a path to victory.
Take the example of the martyr Sebastian, whose birthday in glory we celebrate today. He was a native of Milan. At a time when persecution either had ceased or had not yet begun or was of a milder kind, he realized that there was only slight, if any, opportunity for suffering. He set out for Rome, where bitter persecutions were raging because of the fervor of the Christians. There he endured suffering; there he gained his crown. He went to the city as a stranger and there established a home of undying glory. If there had been only one persecutor, he would not have gained a martyr's crown.
The persecutors who are visible are not the only ones. There are also invisible persecutors, much greater in number. This is more serious. Like a king bent on persecution, sending orders to persecute to his many agents, and establishing different persecutors in each city or province, the devil directs his many servants in their work of persecution, whether in public or in the souls of individuals. Of this kind of persecution Scripture says: All who wish to live a holy life in Christ Jesus suffer persecution. "All" suffer persecution; there is no exception. Who can claim exemption if the Lord himself endured the testing of persecution? How many there are today who are secret martyrs for Christ, giving testimony to Jesus as Lord! The Apostle knew this kind of martyrdom, this faithful witnessing to Christ; he said: This is our boast, the testimony of our conscience.
Responsory
For the law of God this holy man
engaged in combat even unto death.
He feared no wicked threats;
--his faith was founded on solid rock.
He renounced earthly joys,
and so gained the kingdom of heaven.
--His faith was founded on solid rock.
Prayer
Lord, fill us with that spirit of courage
which gave your martyr Sebastian
strength to offer his life in faithful witness.
Help us to learn from him to cherish your law
and to obey you rather than men.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Let us praise the Lord.
--And give him thanks.
At Rome, the birthday of Pope St. Fabian, who suffered martyrdom in the time of Decius, and was buried in the cemetery of Callistus.
Also at Rome near the Catacombs, St. Sebastian, martyr. He was in command of the first cohort under the Emperor Diocletian. On being accused of being a Christian, he was ordered to be tied in an open field and shot with arrows by the soldiers. Finally, he was beaten with clubs until he died. A duplex feast.
At Nicaca in Bithynia, St. Neophitus, martyr. When fifteen years old, he was scourged, cast into a furnace, and (then) thrown to the beasts; but he remained unhurt. As he continued to profess unswervingly the faith of Christ, he was finally slain with the sword.
At Cesena, St. Maurus, bishop, famed for virtues and miracles.
In Palestine, St. Euthymius, abbot. He flourished in the Church in the time of the Emperor Marcian, full of zeal for Catholic teaching and endowed with the power of miracles.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
From the Letter to the Ephesians by Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr
The harmony of unity
It is right for you to give glory in every way to Jesus Christ who has given glory to you; you must be made holy in all things by being united in perfect obedience, in submission to the bishop and the presbyters.
I am not giving you orders as if I were a person of importance. Even if I am a prisoner for the name of Christ, I am not yet made perfect in Jesus Christ. I am now beginning to be a disciple and I am speaking to you as my fellow-disciple. It is you who should be strengthening me by your faith, your encouragement, your patience, your serenity. But since love will not allow me to be silent about you, I am taking the opportunity to urge you to be united in conformity with the mind of God. For Jesus Christ, our life, without whom we cannot live, is the mind of the Father, just as the bishops, appointed over the whole earth, are in conformity with the mind of Jesus Christ.
It is fitting, therefore, that you should be in agreement with the mind of the bishop as in fact you are. Your excellent presbyters, who are a credit to God, are as suited to the bishop as strings to a harp. So in your harmony of mind and heart the song you sing is Jesus Christ. Every one of you should form a choir, so that, in harmony of sound through harmony of hearts, and in unity taking the note from God, you may sing with one voice through Jesus Christ to the Father. If you do this, he will listen to you and see from your good works that you are members of his Son. It is then an advantage to you to live in perfect unity, so that at all times you may share in God.
If in a short space of time I have become so close a friend of your bishop - in a friendship not based on nature but on spiritual grounds - how much more blessed do I judge you to be, for you are as united with him as the Church is to Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ to the Father, so that all things are in harmony through unity. Let no one make any mistake: unless a person is within the sanctuary, he is deprived of God's bread. For if the prayer of one or two has such power, how much more has the prayer of the bishop and the whole Church.
Responsory
I implore you in the Lord,
lead a life worthy of the vocation to which you have been called.
--Be careful to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond
of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit,
and there is but one hope given to you by your calling.
--Be careful to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond
of peace.
Prayer
Father of heaven and earth,
hear our prayers,
and show us the way to peace in the world.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Let us praise the Lord.
--And give him thanks.
Saint Anthony, the celebrated Father of Monks, was born in Egypt around the year 250. After his parents died he distributed his property to the poor and, beginning a life of penance, withdrew into solitude. He attracted disciples and labored on behalf of the Church, giving support to believers during the persecution of Diocletian and assisting Saint Athanasius against the Arians. He died in 356.
From the Life of Saint Anthony by Saint Athanasius, bishop
(Cap. 2-4: PG 26, 842-846)
Saint Anthony receives his vocation
When Anthony was about eighteen or twenty years old, his parents died, leaving him with an only sister. He cared for her as she was very young, and also looked after their home.
Not six months after his parents' death, as he was on his way to church for his usual visit, he began to think of how the apostles had left everything and followed the Savior, and also of those mentioned in the book of Acts who had sold their possessions and brought the apostles the money for distribution to the needy. He reflected too on the great hope stored up in heaven for such as these. This was all in his mind when, entering the church just as the Gospel was being read, he heard the Lord's words to the rich man: If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor--you will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me.
It seemed to Anthony that it was God who had brought the saints to his mind and that the words of the Gospel had been spoken directly to him. Immediately he left the church and gave away to the villagers all the property he had inherited, about 200 acres of very beautiful and fertile land, so that it would cause no distraction to his sister and himself. He sold all his other possessions as well, giving to the poor the considerable sum of money he collected. However, to care for his sister he retained a few things.
The next time he went to church he heard the Lord say in the Gospel: Do not be anxious about tomorrow. Without a moment's hesitation he went out and gave the poor all that he had left. He placed his sister in the care of some well-known and trustworthy virgins and arranged for her to be brought up in the convent. Then he gave himself up to the ascetic life, not far from his own home. He kept a careful watch over himself and practiced great austerity. He did manual work because he had heard the words: If anyone will not work, do not let him eat. He spent some of his earnings on bread and the rest he gave to the poor.
Having learned that we should always be praying, even when we are by ourselves, he prayed without ceasing. Indeed, he was so attentive when Scripture was read that nothing escaped him and because he retained all he heard, his memory served him in place of books.
Seeing the kind of life he lived, the villagers and all the good men he knew called him the friend of God, and they loved him as both son and brother.
Responsory: Matthew 19:21; Luke 14:33
If you wish to be perfect,
go, sell what you have,
and give to the poor;
you will be rich in heaven.
--Then come, follow me.
No one who will not renounce all his possessions can be my disciple.
--Then come, follow me.
Prayer
Father,
you called Saint Anthony
to renounce the world
and serve you in the solitude of the desert.
By his prayers and example,
may we learn to deny ourselves
and to love you above all things.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Let us praise the Lord.
--And give him thanks.
From a discourse Against the Pagans by Saint Athanasius, bishop
(Nn. 40-42: PG 25, 79-83)
The Word of the Father gives order, direction and unity to creation
By his own wisdom and Word, who is our Lord and Savior Christ, the all-holy Father (whose excellence far exceeds that of any creature), like a skillful steersman guides to safety all creation, regulating and keeping it in being, as he judges right. It is right that creation should exist as he has made it and as we see it happening, because this is his will, which no one would deny. For if the movement of the universe were irrational, and the world rolled on in random fashion, one would be justified in disbelieving what we say. But if the world is founded on reason, wisdom and science, and is filled with orderly beauty, then it must owe its origin and order to none other than the Word of God.
He is God, the living and creative God of the universe, the word of the good God, who is God in his own right. The Word is different from all created things: he is the unique Word belonging only to the good Father. This is the Word that created this whole world and enlightens it by his loving wisdom. He who is the good Word of the good Father produced the order in all creation, joining opposites together, and forming from them one harmonious sound. He is God, one and only-begotten, who proceeds in goodness from the Father as from the fountain of goodness, and gives order, direction and unity to creation.
By his eternal Word the Father created all things and implanted a nature in his creatures. He did not want to see them tossed about at the mercy of their own natures, and so be reduced to nothingness. But in his goodness he governs and sustains the whole of nature by his Word (who is himself also God), so that under the guidance, providence and ordering of that Word, the whole of nature might remain stable and coherent in his light. Nature was to share in the Father's Word, whose reality is true, and be helped by him to exist, for without him it would cease to be. For unless the Word, who is the very image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, kept it in existence it could not exist. For whatever exists, whether visible or invisible, remains in existence through him and in him, and he is also the head of the Church, as we are taught by the ministers of truth in their sacred writings.
The almighty and most holy Word of the Father pervades the whole of reality, everywhere unfolding his power and shining on all things visible and invisible. He sustains it all and binds it all together in himself. He leaves nothing devoid of his power but gives life and keeps it in being throughout all of creation and in each individual creature.
Responsory: See Proverbs 8:22-30
In the beginning, before he made the earth,
before he hollowed out the deep,
before he touched the waters and made them flow,
--before the mountains were settled into place,
the Lord created me.
When he established the heavens,
I was there like a master craftsman working at his side.
--Before the mountains were settled into place,
the Lord created me.
Prayer
Father of love,
hear our prayers.
Help us to know your will
and to do it with courage and faith.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Let us praise the Lord.
--And give him thanks.
From a commentary on the Gospel of John by Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop
(Lib. 5, Cap. 2: PG 73, 751-754)
The gift of the Holy Spirit to all mankind
In a plan of surpassing beauty the Creator of the universe decreed the renewal of all things in Christ. In his design for restoring human nature to its original condition, he gave a promise that he would pour out on it the Holy Spirit along with his other gifts, for otherwise our nature could not enter once more into the peaceful and secure possession of those gifts.
He therefore appointed a time for the Holy Spirit to come upon us: this was the time of Christ's coming. He gave this promise when he said: In those days, that is, the days of the Savior, I will pour out a share of my Spirit on all mankind.
When the time came for this great act of unforced generosity, which revealed in our midst the only-begotten Son, clothed with flesh on this earth, a man born of woman, in accordance with Holy Scripture, God the Father gave the Spirit once again. Christ, as the first-fruits of our restored nature, was the first to receive the Spirit. John the Baptist bore witness to this when he said: I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven, and it rested on him.
Christ "received the Spirit" in so far as he was man, and in so far as man could receive the Spirit. He did so in such a way that, though he is the Son of God the Father, begotten of his substance, even before the incarnation, indeed before all ages, yet he was not offended at hearing the Father say to him after he had become man: You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
The Father says of Christ, who was God, begotten of him before the ages, that he has been "begotten today," for the Father is to accept us in Christ as his adopted children. The whole of our nature is present in Christ, in so far as he is man. So the Father can be said to give the Spirit again to the Son, though the Son possesses the Spirit as his own, in order that we may receive the Spirit in Christ. The Son therefore took to himself the seed of Abraham, as Scripture says, and became like his brothers in all things.
The only-begotten Son receives the Spirit, but not for his own advantage, for the Spirit is his, and is given in him and through him, as we have already said. He receives it to renew our nature in its entirety and to make it whole again, for in becoming man he took our entire nature to himself. If we reason correctly, and use also the testimony of Scripture, we can see that Christ did not receive the Spirit for himself, but rather for us in him, for it is also through Christ that all gifts come down to us.
Responsory: Ezekiel 37:27-28; Hebrews 8:8
I will be their God
and they shall be my people.
--The nations shall know
that I am the Lord, the Sanctifier of Israel,
when my holiness will be established
in their midst for all eternity.
I shall bring to fulfillment
my new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.
--The nations shall know
that I am the Lord, the Sanctifier of Israel,
when my holiness will be established
in their midst for all eternity.
Prayer
God our Father,
through Christ your Son
the hope of eternal life dawned on our world.
Give to us the light of faith
that we may always acknowledge him as our Redeemer
and come to the glory of his kingdom,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Let us praise the Lord.
--And give him thanks.
Raymond of Penyafort was born near Barcelona around 1175. He became a canon of the diocese of Barcelona and afterward joined the Order of Preachers. At the command of Pope Gregory IX, he produced a collection of canon law. He was elected general of his order and directed it wisely. The "Summa casuum", which treats of the correct and fruitful administration of the sacrament of penance, is the most notable of his works. He died in 1275.
From a letter by Saint Raymond, priest
(Monumenta Ord. Praed. Hist. 6, 2, Romae 1901, pp. 84-85)
May the God of love and peace set your hearts at rest
The preacher of God's truth has told us that all who want to live righteously in Christ will suffer persecution. If he spoke the truth and did not lie, the only exception to this general statement is, I think, the person who either neglects, or does not know how, to live temperately, justly and righteously in this world.
May you never be numbered among those whose house is peaceful, quiet and free from care; those on whom the Lord's chastisement does not descend; those who live out their days in prosperity, and in the twinkling of an eye will go down to hell.
Your purity of life, your devotion, deserve and call for a reward; because you are acceptable and pleasing to God your purity of life must be made purer still, by frequent buffetings, until you attain perfect sincerity of heart. If from time to time you feel the sword falling on you with double or treble force, this also should be seen as sheer joy and the mark of love.
The two-edged sword consists in conflict without, fears within. It falls with double or treble force within, when the cunning spirit troubles the depths of your heart with guile and enticements. You have learned enough already about these kinds of warfare, or you would not have been able to enjoy peace and interior tranquillity in all its beauty.
The sword falls with double and treble force externally when, without cause being given, there breaks out from within the Church persecution in spiritual matters, where wounds are more serious, especially when inflicted by friends.
This is that enviable and blessed cross of Christ, which Andrew, that manly saint, received with joyful heart: the cross in which alone we must make our boast, as Paul, God's chosen instrument, has told us.
Look then on Jesus, the author and preserver of faith: in complete sinlessness he suffered, and at the hands of those who were his own, and was numbered among the wicked. As you drink the cup of the Lord Jesus (how glorious it is!), give thanks to the Lord, the giver of all blessings.
May the God of love and peace set your hearts at rest and speed you on your journey; may he meanwhile shelter you from disturbance by others in the hidden recesses of his love, until he brings you at last into that place of complete plenitude where you will repose for ever in the vision of peace, in the security of trust and in the restful enjoyment of his riches.
Responsory
The light of his teaching has shone on those who dwelt in darkness.
--By the strength of his love he has delivered the poor and freed
captives from their chains.
He led out those who wandered in the paths of sin,
and freed the poor man from the grasp of his oppressors.
--By the strength of his love he has delivered the poor and freed
captives from their chains.
Prayer
Lord
you gave Saint Raymond the gift of compassion
in his ministry to sinners.
May his prayers free us from the slavery of sin
and help us to love and serve you in liberty.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Let us praise the Lord.
--And give him thanks.
Second Reading from the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours for the Feast of the Epiphany
From a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope
(Sermo 3 in Epiphania Domini, 1-3. 5: PL 54, 240-244)
The loving providence of God determined that in the last days he would aid the world, set on its course to destruction. He decreed that all nations should be saved in Christ.
A promise had been made to the holy patriarch Abraham in regard to these nations. He was to have a countless progeny, born not from his body but from the seed of faith. His descendants are therefore compared with the array of the stars. The father of all nations was to hope not in an earthly progeny but in a progeny from above.
Let the full number of the nations now take their place in the family of the patriarchs. Let the children of the promise now receive the blessing in the seed of Abraham, the blessing renounced by the children of his flesh. In the persons of the Magi let all people adore the Creator of the universe; let God be known, not in Judea only, but in the whole world, so that
Dear friends, now that we have received instruction in this revelation of God's grace, let us celebrate with spiritual joy the day of our first harvesting, of the first calling of the Gentiles. Let us give thanks to the merciful God,
This is
This is the day that David prophesied in the psalms, when he said:
This came to be fulfilled, as we know, from the time when the star beckoned the three wise men out of their distant country and led them to recognize and adore the King of heaven and earth. The obedience of the star calls us to imitate its humble service: to be servants, as best we can, of the grace that invites all men to find Christ.
Dear friends, you must have the same zeal to be of help to one another; then, in the kingdom of God, to which faith and good works are the way, you will shine as children of the light: through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with God the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.
Responsory
This is the glorious day on which Christ himself, the savior of
the world, appeared;
the prophets foretold him, the angels worshiped him;
--the Magi saw his star and rejoiced to lay their treasures at
his feet.
God's holy day has dawned for us at last;
come, all you peoples, and adore the Lord.
--The Magi saw his star and rejoiced to lay their treasures at
his feet.
Prayer
Father,
you revealed your Son to the nations
by the guidance of a star.
Lead us to your glory in heaven
by the light of faith.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Alternative Prayer
Father of light, unchanging God,
today you reveal to men of faith
the resplendent fact of the Word made flesh.
Your light is strong,
your love is near;
draw us beyond the limits which this world imposes,
to the life where your Spirit makes all life complete.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Let us praise the Lord.
--And give him thanks.
Second Reading from the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours for January 2, Memorial of Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors.
Basil was born of a Christian family at Caesarea in Cappadocia in 330. Conspicuous for his learning and virtue, for a time he led the life of a hermit but in 370 was made bishop of Caesarea. He fought against the Arians and wrote many admirable works, especially his monastic rule which many Eastern monks still follow. Saint Basil died on January 1, 379.
Gregory Nazianzen was also born in 330. Traveling as a youth in the pursuit of learning, he first joined his friend Basil as a hermit and was later ordained priest and bishop. In the year 381 he was elected bishop of Constantinople; however, because of factions dividing the Church, he returned to Nazianzen where he died on January 25, 389 or 390. He was called "theologus" because of his outstanding teaching and eloquence.
From a sermon by Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishop
Two bodies, but a single spirit
Basil and I were both in Athens. We had come, like streams of a river, from the same source in our native land, had separated from each other in pursuit of learning, and were now united again as if by plan, for God so arranged it.
I was not alone at that time in my regard for my friend, the great Basil. I knew his irreproachable conduct, and the maturity and wisdom of his conversation. I sought to persuade others, to whom he was less well known, to have the same regard for him. Many fell immediately under his spell, for they had already heard of him by reputation and hearsay.
What was the outcome? Almost alone of those who had come to Athens to study he was exempted from the customary ceremonies of initiation for he was held in higher honor than his status as a first-year student seemed to warrant.
Such was the prelude to our friendship, the kindling of that flame that was to bind us together. In this way we began to feel affection for each other. When, in the course of time, we acknowledged our friendship and recognized that our ambition was a life of true wisdom, we became everything to each other: we shared the same lodging, the same table, the same desires the same goal. Our love for each other grew daily warmer and deeper.
The same hope inspired us: the pursuit of learning. This is an ambition especially subject to envy. Yet between us there was no envy. On the contrary, we made capital out of our rivalry. Our rivalry consisted, not in seeking the first place for oneself but in yielding it to the other, for we each looked on the other's success as his own.
We seemed to be two bodies with a single spirit. Though we cannot believe those who claim that "everything is contained in everything," yet you must believe that in our case each of us was in the other and with the other.
Our single object and ambition was virtue, and a life of hope in the blessings that are to come; we wanted to withdraw from this world before we departed from it. With this end in view we ordered our lives and all our actions. We followed the guidance of God's law and spurred each other on to virtue. If it is not too boastful to say, we found in each other a standard and rule for discerning right from wrong.
Different men have different names, which they owe to their parents or to themselves, that is, to their own pursuits and achievements. But our great pursuit, the great name we wanted, was to be Christians, to be called Christians.
Responsory
The Lord gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who
have understanding.
--He reveals what is deep and
hidden; all light has its source in him.
One and the same Spirit is at
work in all,
and he gives to each as he wills.
--He reveals what is deep and
hidden; all light has its source in him.
Prayer
God our Father,
you inspired the Church
with the example and teaching of your saints Basil and Gregory.
In humility may we come to know your truth
and put it into action with faith and love
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Let us praise the Lord.
--And give him thanks.
The Octave of St. Stephen, the Protomartyr. A memory.
In the town of Socino, in the Diocese of Cremona (Italy), Blessed Stephana Quinzani, virgin, of the Order of Preachers, who on January 2 went to her heavenly Spouse. A semi-duplex feast.
At Rome, the commemoration of many holy martyrs. They refused to obey the edict of Diocletian by which they were commanded to surrender their sacred books. They chose rather to give their bodies to the executioners than holy things to dogs.
At Antioch, the suffering of Blessed Isidore, bishop.
At Tomis in Pontus, the three holy brothers, Argeus, Narcissus and the youth Marcellinus. The young man was drafted as a recruit at the time of the Emperor Licinius. When he refused to perform military service,[1] he was flogged almost to death, and kept for a long time in prison. At last he was thrown into the sea, and so completed his martyrdom. His brothers were slain by the sword.
At Milan, St. Martinian, bishop.
At Nitria in Egypt, blessed Isidore, bishop and confessor.
On the same day, St. Siridion, bishop.
In the Thebaid, St. Macarius of Alexandria, priest and abbot.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes:
[1] Certain passages in the works of several early Christian writers gave some converts the impression that military service and the teachings of Christ were incompatible. The error was not widespread.
Second Reading from the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours for January 1, the Octave of Christmas, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
From a letter by Saint Athanasius, bishop
(Epist. Ad Epictetum, 5-9: PG 26, 1058, 1062-1066)
The Word took our nature from Mary
The Apostle tells us: The Word took to himself the sons of Abraham, and so had to be like his brothers in all things. He had then to take a body like ours. This explains the fact of Mary's presence: she is to provide him with a body of his own, to be offered for our sake. Scripture records her giving birth, and says: She wrapped him in swaddling clothes. Her breasts, which fed him, were called blessed. Sacrifice was offered because the child was her firstborn. Gabriel used careful and prudent language when he announced his birth. He did not speak of "what will be born in you" to avoid the impression that a body would be introduced into her womb from outside; he spoke of "what will be born from you," so that we might know by faith that her child originated within her and from her.
By taking our nature and offering it in sacrifice, the Word was to destroy it completely and then invest it with his own nature, and so prompt the Apostle to say: This corruptible body must put on incorruption; this mortal body must put on immortality.
This was not done in outward show only, as some have imagined. This is not so. Our Savior truly became man, and from this has followed the salvation of man as a whole. Our salvation is in no way fictitious, nor does it apply only to the body. The salvation of the whole man, that is, of soul and body, has really been achieved in the Word himself.
What was born of Mary was therefore human by nature, in accordance with the inspired Scriptures, and the body of the Lord was a true body: It was a true body because it was the same as ours. Mary, you see, is our sister, for we are all born from Adam.
The words of Saint John: The Word was made flesh, bear the same meaning, as we may see from a similar turn of phrase in Saint Paul: Christ was made a curse for our sake. Man's body has acquired something great through its communion and union with the Word. From being mortal it has been made immortal; though it was a living body it has become a spiritual one; though it was made from the earth it has passed through the gates of heaven.
Even when the Word takes a body from Mary, the Trinity remains a Trinity, with neither increase nor decrease. It is for ever perfect. In the Trinity we acknowledge one Godhead, and thus one God, the Father of the Word, is proclaimed in the Church.
Responsory
O pure and holy Virgin,
how can I find words to praise your beauty?
--The highest heavens cannot contain God whom you
carried in your womb.
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your
womb.
--The highest heavens cannot contain God whom you
carried in your womb.
Te Deum
You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not spurn the Virgin's womb.
You overcame the sting of death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God's right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
V. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.
R. Govern and uphold them now and always.
V. Day by day we bless you.
R. We praise your name for ever.
V. Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.
R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
V. Lord, show us your love and mercy;
R. for we put our trust in you.
V. In you, Lord, is our hope:
R. and we shall never hope in vain.
Prayer
God our Father,
may we always profit by the prayers
of the Virgin Mother Mary,
for you bring us life and salvation
through Jesus Christ her Son
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Alternative Prayer
Father,
source of light in every age,
the virgin conceived and bore your Son
who is called Wonderful God, Prince of Peace.
May her prayer, the gift of a mother's love,
be your people's joy through all ages.
May her response, born of a humble heart,
draw your Spirit to rest on your people.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Let us praise the Lord.
--And give him thanks.
The Circumcision of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Octave of His Nativity. A totum duplex feast of the second class.
At Rome, the suffering of St. Martina, virgin and martyr. At the time of the Emperor Alexander, she was subjected to various kinds of torture and finally obtained the crown of martyrdom by the sword. Her feast is observed on January 30.
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, the death of St. Basil the Great, bishop, confessor, and Doctor of the Church. He lived at the time of the Emperor Valens, and was remarkable for his learning and wisdom. Adorned with every virtue, he was wonderfully distinguished by the unconquerable firmness with which he defended the Church against the Arians and Macedonians. His feast is fittingly celebrated on June 14, the day on which he was consecrated bishop.
At Monte Senario, in Etruria (Italy), St. Bonfilius, confessor, one of the seven founders of the Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since he had so faithfully served her, he was quickly called by her to heaven. His feast, with that of his companions, is observed on February 12.
At Rome, St. Almachlus, martyr. At the command of Alipius, prefect of the city, he was slain by gladiators because he cried out: "Today is the Octave Day of the Lord; stop your idolatrous superstitions and your polluted sacrifices."
Also at Rome, on the Appian Way, the crowning of thirty holy soldiers, martyrs, under the Emperor Diocletian.
At Spoleto, St. Concordius, priest and martyr, in the time of the Emperor Antoninus. He was first beaten with clubs, and then stretched on the rack. Afterward, he was starved in prison, where he was consoled by the visit of an angel. At length his life was ended by the sword.
On the same day, St. Magnus, martyr.
In Africa, Blessed Fulgentius, Bishop of the church of Ruspe. During the Vandal persecution, he was greatly harassed by the Arians because of his Catholic faith and excellent teaching. He was exiled to Sardinia, but finally was allowed to return to his own church, where he died a holy death, renowned for his life and preaching.
At Chied in Abruzzi (Italy), the birthday of St. Justin, bishop of that city, renowned for the holiness of his life and for his miracles.
In the country of Lyons, in the monastery of Mount Jura,[1] St. Eugendus, abbot, whose life was resplendent with miracles and virtues.
At Souvigny in Gaul, St. Odilo, Abbot of Cluny. He was the first to prescribe that the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed should be kept in his monasteries on the first day after the Feast of All Saints. This custom the Universal Church afterward approved and adopted.
At Alexandria, the death of St. Euphrosyna, virgin, who was renowned in her monastery for the virtue of abstinence and for her miracles.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.
Footnotes:
[1] This was the abbey of Condate on Mount-Jou (Mount Jura). When St. Eugendus died, is was called after him, by his French name, St. Oyend. Then, many centuries later, it was renamed St. Claude.
