Daily Reflections

“The persecutions which the evil enemies has stirred up at various times against the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass are a proof how sacred a thing It must be.”

Fr. Martin von Cochem

Hosea 11:8, 9; Jeremiah 31:3

My heart recoils within Me;
My whole being trembles with compassion.
– I will not give vent to My fierce anger,
for I am God, not man.

I loved you with an everlasting love;
in mercy I drew you to Myself.
– I will not give vent to My fierce anger,
for I am God, not man.

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost (Traditional)

Saint Pontian, Pope, Martyr

Saint Hippolytus, Priest, Martyr

Saint Cassian, Martyr (Traditional)

When the disciples see Jesus walking on the water (Matthew 14:22-33), He summons them to Faith— a way of approaching reality that entails leaving behind our old way of measuring things and seeing all according to this Person who calls to us. Yet we should not be surprised that Christ often comes in ways that “underwhelm” us, as Elijah found out when he heard that tiny whispering sound (Bk. of Kings 19:9a, 11-13a) Most of the time the way that Jesus comes to us is seen only with eyes of Faith: the pouring of water over an infant’s head; a whispered conversation within a confessional; bread and wine consecrated in the middle of the day as the world rushes on. But when such Faith takes hold of us, we want everyone we know to share in it, as Saint Paul testifies.

TRADITIONAL:

The Church puts Her hope in God from whom she receives Her help. Our LORD has healed the wounds of mankind, and has given us strength, Infinite Charity, and mercy of God.

The Apostle reminds the Christian of the miraculous transformation, which has taken place in him through the grace of God [1 Corinthians 15:1–10].

ST. PONTIAN, POPE, MARTYR

St. Pontian was ordained Bishop of Rome in 231. In 235 he was banished to Sardinia by the Emperor Maximinus, along with the priest Hippolytus. There he resigned from his office and later died. His body was buried in the cemetery of Saint Callistus. The Roman Church sanctioned devotion to these martyrs at the beginning of the fourth century.

STS. HIPPOLYTUS, PRIEST AND CASSIAN, MARTYRS

Hippolytus, guardian of St. Lawrence, was converted and baptized by the Saint. He was tied by the legs to wild horses in 260.  He was buried in a cemetery along the Via Tiburtina.

St. Cassian, a schoolmaster at Imola, was pierced to death by his pagan pupils, armed with styluses in 320. He is the patron of stenographers.

From a letter by Saint Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr
(Epist 10, 2-3, 5; CSEL 3, 491-492, 494-495)

Invincible Faith

With what praises can I extol you, most valiant brothers? What words can I find to proclaim and celebrate your brave hearts and your persevering Faith? Examined under the fiercest torture, you held out until your ordeal was consummated in glory; it was not you who yielded to the torments but rather the torments that yielded to you. No respite from pain was allowed by the instruments of your torture, but your very crowning signalled the end of pain. The cruel butchery was permitted to last the longer, not so that it might overthrow the Faith that stood so firm, but rather that it might dispatch you, men of God, more speedily to the LORD.

The crowd in wonder watched God’s heavenly contest, this spiritual battle that was Christ’s. They saw His servants standing firm, free in speech, undefiled in heart, endowed with supernatural courage, naked and bereft of the weapons of this world, but as believers equipped with the arms of Faith. Tortured men stood there stronger than their torturers; battered and lacerated limbs triumphed over clubs and claws that tore them.

Savage and prolonged beating could not overcome such invincible Faith, even when the bodies of God’s servants were so mangled that no whole members were left to suffer punishment, but only wounds remained. Enough blood flowed to quench the fire of persecution, a glorious river to cool even the burning heat of hell. What a divine display it was, how sublime and magnificent! How pleasing did the sworn allegiance and loyalty of His soldiers render the dead in God’s sight! In the Psalms, where the Holy Ghost speaks to us and counsels us, it is written: Precious in the sight of God is the death of His holy ones. Rightly is that death called “precious,” for at the price of blood it purchased Immortality and won God’s Crown through the ultimate act of courage.

How happy Christ was to be there, how gladly He fought and conquered in such servants! He protects their Faith and gives strength to believers in proportion to the trust that each man who receives that strength is willing to place in Him. Christ was there to wage His own battle; He aroused the soldiers who fought for His name; He made them spirited and strong. And He Who once for all has conquered death for us, now continually conquers in us.

How blessed is this Church of ours, so honoured and illuminated by God and ennobled in these our days by the glorious blood of martyrs! In earlier times it shone white with the good deeds of our brethren, and now it is adorned with the red blood of martyrs. It counts both lilies and roses among its garlands. Let each of us, then, strive for the highest degree of glory, whichever be the honour for which he is destined; may all Christians be found worthy of either the pure white crown of a holy life or the royal red crown of martyrdom.

“Do not be afraid”

Is it not true that it would be a very simple, efficacious, and gentle procedure to sanctify ourselves by accepting each day what Our LORD asks of us? We have absolute certainty that what God plans for us each day is most suitable and sanctifying. Sometimes in the morning we are too far-seeing; we would like to take in from the first moment the whole course of the day: What shall I have to do? What am I going to suffer? What do I fear? What do I hope for? And we set up our program. The only program for me is God’s program. Let this day come as it may. God sends it; He and no one else. Let it come as it may, we are sure that it comes wrapped in the love of Our LORD and destined to sanctify us. We ought to say: “I will sanctify myself precisely by the events of this day because the loving Providence of God has sent them to me. He is acquainted with my necessities; He knows what is most conducive to my sanctification.” If we were to understand this, would not our soul be a veritable ocean of peace?

One final objection: I acknowledge that by following God’s Plan and subjecting myself to His Will, I walk in security and live in Peace. But anxieties arise on this account, for by the abuse of my liberty I may resist the Divine Will, go astray and follow a crooked path. Is not this a reasonable cause for worry? No. It is a reasonable cause for repentance, for tears and a firm resolution, but not for the loss of peace. God does not cease being good because I am bad, nor does He cease seeking me because I go astray. Did He not reveal to us His own Heart in the parable of the Good Shepherd who left the ninety-nine sheep while he ran after the one that was lost? Yes, I have absolute certainty that if I go astray, Jesus will seek me. I shall place myself in His Omnipotent hands. I shall rest upon His shoulders and return to the fold. Perhaps I must suffer to return to the right path, but blessed be the sufferings which atone for my fault and bring me back to my God.

Whatever our failings may be, whatever our wanderings, we have no right to lose either Hope or Peace. We are Christians and have received Peace as a gift from Heaven, as a seal of Christ, that peace which the world can neither give nor take away. I shall suffer, I shall repent, I shall do penance, I shall sacrifice myself—everything, but with peace in my heart; for I know that here is someone who loves me in spite of my infidelities; someone Who, when I wander, puts me back on the right path; Who, when I fall, raises me up.

Servant of God Luis María Martínez

Archbishop Martínez († 1956) was a spiritual author and the first official Primate of Mexico. He is the author of the recently translated work Am I Not Your Mother?: Reflections on Our Lady of Guadalupe, published by Magnificat. [From Only Jesus, Sister Mary St. Daniel, b.v.m., Tr.

DAILY MEDITATION 

The Church recognizes Herself and us, Her children, as the deaf and dumb man. What did any of us amount to before the Saviour came down to us and filled us with His light and life in baptism? All of us are deaf and dumb to things, divine, unable to speak a single word that could be pleasing to God, unable to call Him our Father. Such was our condition, and our sad plight after Original Sin. We would still be in this desperate state if God had not saved us, if He had not, with divine mercy, accepted us as His children. 

“I will extol Thee, O LORD, for Thou has upheld me” [Offertory]. In Baptism we, the deaf and dumb ones, were brought to the LORD. Holy Mother, the Church prayed for us to the LORD that He might lay His hand upon us. He appeared visibly in the person of His priest, who put his fingers into our ears, and touch them with spittle, saying: “Ephpheta, which is, Be thou opened.”  And immediately our ears were opened to the voice of God, and the strings of our tongues were loosed; deaf and dumb before, we begin now to understand and to speak right.

“Dost thou renounce Satan?“ we were asked; and we replied: “I do renounce him.“ Then we were anointed with holy oil and were asked: “Dost thou believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth? Dost thou believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our LORD? Dost  thou believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic, Church, the communion of saints, the remission of sins, the resurrection of the body, and Life Everlasting?” We who have been deaf and dumb before, now understood and spoke right: “I believe.” Again we were asked: “Wilt thou be baptized?” And we answered “I will.“ We then were immersed in death with Christ. By dying with Him we were able to receive life with Him, the life of the Risen Christ, Who lives within us, as the head lives with the members. “My flesh hath flourished.” It has been reanimated by the power and Life of the Risen Christ. So together with the Risen LORD, Who lives within us, we rejoice: “I will extol Thee, O LORD, for Thou hast  upheld me, and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me O LORD, I have cried to Thee, and Thou has healed me“ [Offertory]. “God [is] in His holy place; God Who maketh man of one mind to dwell in a house; He shall give power and strength to His people“ [Introit]. He truly has given us life.

Dom Benedict Bauer [d. 1963] – German Benedictine, respected  theologian, and archabbot of Saint Martin’s. In Bueron.

RESPONSORY

We are warriors now, fighting on the battlefield of Faith,
and God sees all we do;
the angels watch and so does Christ.
– What honour and glory and joy, to do battle in the Presence of God,
and to have Christ approve of our victory.

Let us arm ourselves in full strength
and prepare ourselves for the ultimate struggle
with blameless hearts, True Faith and unyielding courage.
– What honour and glory and joy, to do battle in the Presence of God,
and to have Christ approve of our victory.

“The refusal to take sides on great moral issues is itself a decision. It is a silent acquiescence to evil. The tragedy of our time is that those who still believe in honesty lack fire and conviction, while those who believe in dishonesty are full of passionate conviction.” – Ven. Archbishop Fulton Sheen