January 24, 2015

Francis de Sales

January 24, 2015:  St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor


  • 'Hand' tie pin:  Christ passed through the tabernacle not made by hands,... (1st reading); "Clap your hands" (psalm)
  • 'Blood drop' pin: ...entering once for all, not with goat blood but his own (1st reading)
  • 'Horns' tie:  "A blare of trumpets for the Lord" (psalm)
  • 'Fleur de lis' pin (as crown):  God is king of all the earth (psalm)
  • 'Question mark' tie pin:  "He's out of his mind" (gospel)
  • White and green in shirt:  white for St. Francis de Sales, green for Ordinary Time
Listen

For week of prayer for Christian unity
Pope Francis
At consecrated life/Christian unity conference:  Conditions at the core of the search for Christian unity:
  • Conversion of heart, including forgiving and asking for forgiveness
  • Prayer:  religious praying for unity are like an invisible monastery
  • Holiness of daily life:  the more we put our search for unity into practice in our relations with others, the more we'll model our lives on the Gospel message.

Communicating the Family (WCD 2015 message), conclusion (miss the beginning?):  Families with children with disabilities teach us about communication:  limitations can be reasons to close in on self, but with family love they can be incentives to openness and communication, and they can help schools and parishes be more welcoming and inclusive.
In a world where people curse and gossip, families teach us to understand communication as a blessing.  Where there's hatred, violence, prejudice, or resentment, only blessing, visiting, and accepting breaks the spiral of evil and shows goodness is possible.
Modern media can help and hinder family communication:  hinder if they become ways to avoid listening, evade physical contact, or fill moments of silence (without silence, words are empty); help if they enable sharing stories, contacting friends, thanking people, seeking forgiveness, or opening doors to new encounters.  The more we appreciate that encountering others is vital, the more wisely we'll use technology rather than let it dominate us.  Parents are the primary educators, but the Christian community must help them teach children how to live in a media environment while respecting human dignity and serving the common good.
The challenge is to learn how to talk to one another, not just generate and consume information, a tendency media encourages.  Information is important but not enough; things can get simplified, viewpoints pitted against one another, and people invited to take sides instead of seeing the whole.  In the family, a "communicating community," we learn to communicate in an experience of closeness; we get help and celebrate life; it's a rich human resource.  Media can present it as a problem, institution in crisis, or model to accept or reject, defend or attack, rather than a living reality where we learn to communicate in love received and returned.  Relating our experiences means realizing our lives are bound together, our voices are many, and each is unique.  Families can witness to the beauty and richness of relationships.  With patience and trust, work to build a better future.
Read
    animate
    "He's out of his mind"
    (animate)
  • Heb 9:2-3, 11-14  When Christ came as high priest, he passed through the tabernacle, entered the sanctuary with his own Blood, and obtained our redemption.  If goat blood can cleanse the defiled, how much more will Christ's Blood cleanse us from dead works to worship God.

  • Ps 47:2-3, 6-9  "God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord."  Shout to God with gladness, for the Lord is king of all the earth.

  • Mk 3:20-21  As Jesus came with his disciples into the house, the crowd gathered.  His relatives tried to seize him:  "He's out of his mind"
St. Francis de Sales
  • Creighton:  Francis de Sales is noted for gentleness and humility in mending relationships within the Church.  He lived simply and austerely, sharing with the poor.  With St. Jane Frances, he founded the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, where gentleness and humility are also stressed.  Other orders were founded based on his spirituality.   He gave spiritual direction to laypeople.
  • Passionist:  Francis de Sales was a very good preacher, but he had trouble getting into the church because of the crowds.  A great writer, he's patron of the printed word.  Busy as he was, he prayed:  "Half an hour's meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy.  Then a full hour is needed."   "Turn your eyes on God in meditation, and your whole soul will be filled with God.  Begin prayer in God's presence."  "Retire into the solitude of your own heart, even while outwardly engaged, and talk to God."
  • Universalis:  St. Francis de Sales studied law, and was ordained priest despite his father's opposition.  He preached so effectively that many Calvinists returned to Catholicism.  After being made bishop, he reformed the diocese, preached, and gave spiritual guidance, teaching that everyone can attain a devout life:  “Religious devotion perfects”; to be more holy, be more yourself.  “To preach effectively, preach with love.”
Reflect
    • One Bread One Body:  "Insane to the insane":  Jesus' followers will also be called "out of our minds."  It's an honor to be considered insane by an insane world.  Our reaction should be love and joy.
    • DailyScripture.net:  Jesus' relatives thought he was throwing away the security of carpentry and family to become an itinerant preacher.  When we follow Jesus, we can expect opposition, but it's hardest when it comes from those close to us.  May I follow even when opposed.
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      January 23, 2015

      Jan. 23

      January 23, 2015:  Friday, 2nd week, Ordinary Time
      • 'Scales of justice' pin next to 'peace sign' tie bar: Justice and peace shall kiss (psalm)
      • 'Children holding hands around the world' tie: Week of prayer for Christian unity
      • Green shirt: Ordinary Time season
      Listen


      Pope Francis World Communications Day message

       Communicating the Family:  a Privileged Place of Encounter with the Gift of Love, for the 49th World Day of Social Communications (May 24):  We learn to communicate first in the family.  “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth cried, ‘Blessed are you among women,....’”  Communication is intertwined with body language; the child responds first.  In the womb we learn joy at meeting others; it's the archetype of communication.  Our encounter in the womb with our mothers is our first communication.  We're still in the 'womb' of the family.

       Family members accept each other because of the bond between them.   The bond is at the root of language, from which it's strengthened.   We don't create language; we receive and use it.  We realize others preceded us and made it possible for us to exist and do good.  We can give because we have received.  This virtuous circle is the heart of family communication and the model for all communication.

      In the family we learn to pray, embrace, understand silence and facial expressions, laugh, and cry; we understand communication as recognizing and creating closeness.  When we grow close and accept one another, we experience joy; Mary’s greeting is followed by the Magnificat.   A yes in faith can have effects beyond ourselves.  To 'visit' is to open doors, going out to others.   The family comes alive as it reaches beyond itself; families who do so communicate their message of life and communion, give hope, and build up the Church, family of families.

      In the family we experience limitations, the problems of living with others.  Don't be afraid of imperfections, weakness, or conflict; learn to deal with them constructively.  The family is a school of forgiveness, itself a communication process, through which broken communication is restored and rebuilt.  One who's learned in the family to listen and to speak respectfully will be a force for dialogue and reconciliation in society. [concluded tomorrow]

      Read
      Wordle: Readings 1-23-15
      • Heb 8:6-13  Our high priest is mediator of a better covenant.  The Lord said he'd establish a new covenant, forgiving them and putting his law on their minds and hearts.
      • Ps 85:8, 10-14  "Kindness and truth shall meet"; justice and peace shall kiss.  Show us mercy and save us.
      • Mk 3:13-19  Jesus summoned and appointed the Twelve Apostles to be with him and go forth with authority:  Simon Peter, James and John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
      Reflect
        Justitia et pax/ Dell'Orto
        "Justice and peace shall kiss" (psalm)
        • One Bread One Body:  "The cost of disunity":  Ironically, the anniversary of legalized abortion is during this week of prayer for Christian unity.  If the New Covenant were truly written on our hearts, Christians wouldn't be divided about life issues.
        • Passionist:  Covenant implies a relationship between God and a a community.  Jesus chose twelve Apostles, parallel to the Twelve tribes of Israel, the Chosen People....  We're called to love each other as Christ loves us, preaching by our lives the love of God in Christ.
        • DailyScripture.net:  Jesus chose ordinary people as apostles; they could do much under his direction and power.  May we respond generously to his call to us.
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        January 22, 2015

        Pray for the preborn

        January 22, 2015:  Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children


        • 'Hand' tie pin: Our high priest has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty (1st reading)
        • 'Girl with heart' pin: "Your law is within my heart!” (psalm)

        • 'Boats' tie: He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him (gospel)

        • 'Precious feet' pin:  The unborn deserve respect and protection...
        • OneLife LA button:  ...as does all human life

        Listen

        Pope Francis homily
        The people saw hope in Jesus, because his action and teaching with God's power touched them; the Spirit stirred them.  They went to him seeking their own good:  healing; our intentions don't start out pure, but the journey purifies them.  Jesus' healings and heart-touching words were signs of, and the start of, another healing:  "Jesus saves those who approach God through him; he intercedes for them."
        Jesus saves!  The path for many is first to hear Jesus or ask for a healing, then come back to him for salvation.  He's the Savior and saves us; that's the most important thing and the strength of our faith.  The crowd seeks Jesus with an instinctive hope that is proper to God's people awaiting the Messiah, and they look to find in Him health, truth, salvation, for Jesus is interceding for us right now.
        Read
        • Heb 7:25—8:6  Jesus can save those who approach God; he's our high priest, holy and undefiled.  He offered himself as sacrifice....
        Wordle: Readings 1-22-15
        • Ps 40:7-10, 17  "Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will."  You wanted obedience, not sacrifice.  I delight in doing your will.
        • Mk 3:7-12  People came to him from Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, Tyre, and Sidon.  He'd cured many, so those with diseases wanted him to touch them.  Unclean spirits fell before him, shouting "Son of God!"
        Reflect
          • Creighton:  Deep within us is God-given respect for life.  Pray today, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, that all lives be cherished.
          • Passionist:  Jesus reaches out to the Gentiles, invites them to the Kingdom; he's interested in everyone including the poor, outcasts, and sinners.  Am I?
          St. Augustine:  "We touch Jesus by faith; it's better than just with our hands, something even his oppressors did, though they lost what they held.  O Church, your faith has made you whole  (Sermons on Easter 148)
          St, Cyril:  "[Jesus] performed very many wonderful miracles ... so that both Jews and Greeks might know Christ was God, not some ordinary man.  He honored the chosen disciples with the apostolate.  He was the Word  made man but retained his own glory. 'Power went from him and healed all.'  Christ didn't borrow strength from another, but being God, he healed them all, by demonstrating power over the sick." (Commentary on Luke, Homily 25) 
          Demons recognized Jesus' power and authority came from heaven; they confessed him but didn't respond in love.  Do I respond with faith and eagerness to do his will?
            • Vincent, deacon and martyr; see Wikipedia.
            • Publius, honored as Bishop of Malta, welcomed Paul and his companions; see Wikipedia.
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          January 21, 2015

          Agnes

          January 21, 2015:  St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr


          • 'Peace sign' tie bar:  Melchizedek, 'king of Salem' = 'king of peace' (1st reading)
          • 'Hand' tie pin:  “Sit at my right hand” (psalm); man with withered hand (gospel)
          • 'Star' tie pin:  "Before the daystar I've begotten you” (psalm)
          • White and red shirt:  St. Agnes, virgin and martyr
          • 'Blood drop' pin, red socks:  St. Agnes's martyrdom

           Listen to Christian unity music


           Read
          • Heb 7:1-3, 15-17  Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God, met and blessed Abraham.  He was “king of Salem (peace).”  Resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.  It's even more obvious if another priest is raised up by the power of an indestructible life.  You are a priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
            'Hand' cloud
            (animate)
          • Ps 110:1-4  "You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek."  The Lord said: “Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool.”  Your princely power will stretch from Zion.  “Before the daystar, I've begotten you.”
          • Mk 3:1-6  They watched Jesus to see whether he'd cure the man with a withered hand on the sabbath.  He told him, “Come up,” then asked the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to do good and save life on the sabbath?”  He told the man, “Stretch out your hand”; the man did and was restored.  The Pharisees took counsel against Jesus...

          Reflect
            • Creighton:  Rules (like what to do on the sabbath) can bring out absolutism or relativism.  Use them to help achieve the purpose we were created for; don't when they hinder you from it.  God is the only real absolute.
            • One Bread One Body:  "How we became priests":   Jews, like others, believed sacrifice was essential to deal with sin and set people free.  Since those who offer sacrifice to God are called priests, priests were seen as essential to salvation. So Jesus, Savior of the world, must be a priest.  How can he, since he's from the tribe of Judah, vs. Levi whence priests descended?  Hebrews proclaims Jesus is a priest in the line of pre-Israel Melchizedek.  Jesus sacrificed himself on the altar of the cross.  He's Savior of the world, and we who are baptized into him share his priesthood.
            • Passionist:  The St. Agnes story is like that of David and Goliath:  As Goliath saw David as puny but David didn't care, Agnes saw God at her side and didn't cower before her executioner.  Agnes and David had better sight than their opponents.  The one who saw land with buried treasure and the one who saw the pearl at the bazaar had great instincts, leading them to trust what they saw.  What do we see?  Faith helps us see clearly.  Today the pope presents new metropolitan bishops the pallium, named from sheepskin/cloth, from the agnus; may it give them faith to see as clearly as David and Agnes.
            • DailyScripture.net:  The scribes and Pharisees wanted to catch Jesus breaking the Sabbath so they could accuse him.  They were ensnared in their legalism, not understanding God's purpose.  Jesus points to God's intention for the Sabbath:  doing good and to saving life.  We celebrate Sunday as the Lord's Day, commemorating God's work of redemption and new creation, but our sabbath rest doesn't exempt us from loving our neighbor.
            • Universalis:  We don't know much about St. Agnes, partly because she died at 12.  Agnes was filled God's love from an early age, vowed herself to celibacy, and didn't shy away from martyrdom; see Wikipedia.
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            January 20, 2015

            Jan. 20

            January 20, 2015:  Tuesday, 2nd week, Ordinary Time


            • 'Abacus' tie pin:  "I will bless you and multiply you" (1st reading)
            • 'Food' tie:  He has given food to those who fear him (psalm)
            • 'Wheat' pin:  Jesus was passing through a field of grain (gospel)
            • Green shirt:  Ordinary Time season


            I was impressed by the Filipino people's heartfelt enthusiasm.  They know how to suffer and can rise up.  Families must be open to life, but you don't need to breed like rabbits to be Catholic.  On my September US I'll stop at New York City and Washington DC and canonize Bl. Junipero Serra.

            Read
            • Heb 6:10-20  God won't overlook your work and love shown in your service.  Be eager for the fulfillment of hope:  don't become sluggish, but imitate those who are inheriting the promises.  God swore to Abraham, I'll bless and multiply you, and Abraham obtained the promise.  And so, after patient waiting, Abraham obtained the promise.
              Wordle: Readings 1-20-15
            • Ps 111:1-2, 4-5, 9, 10c  "The Lord will remember his covenant for ever."  Thank the Lord; his works are great, and he's gracious and merciful.  He gave food to and delivered his people.
            • Mk 2:23-28  Pharisees/Jesus:  “Why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”  “When David was in need and hungry, he went into the house of God and ate and shared the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat.  The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.  The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”
            Reflect
            Martyrdom of St. Sebastian
            Sodoma
              • Creighton:  C. S. Lewis: “Nothing (capital “N”) is strong enough to steal away a man’s best years in a dreary flickering of the mind....  The safest road to Hell is the gradual one:  the gentle slope, without sudden turns or signposts.”  Pope Francis cautioned us to avoid “spiritual Alzheimer's, loss of memory of encounter with the Lord, building walls and routines and becoming slaves of idols.”  Antidote:  joy and hope!   St. Thomas More:  “Grant me good digestion, a healthy body, a simple soul that treasure all that is good and that doesn’t frighten easily at evil, but rather finds the means to put things back in their place.  Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumbling, sighs and laments, nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called ‘I’.  Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humour.  Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke and to discover in life a bit of joy, and to be able to share it with others.” ​
              • One Bread One Body:  "They do run, run, run":  Christian life is like running a race; we mustn't grow lazy.  God loves us and will keep his promises.
              • Passionist:  David was concerned with his hungry men.   As the Pharisees got stuck to the law, we can get so glued to our own needs that we can't see others'....
              • DailyScripture.net:  The Sabbath was to remember and celebrate God and his work; it was for our benefit.  How do I honor the Lord in how I treat others and celebrate the Lord's Day?
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              January 19, 2015

              Jan. 19

              January 19, 2015:  Monday, 2nd week, Ordinary Time
              • Crucifix pin:  Jesus learned obedience from what he suffered, became salvation source (1st reading)
              • 'Grapes' pin:  New wine, fresh skins!  (gospel)
              • Green T-shirt, [not shown] socks:  Ordinary Time season
              Listen

              For Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (see also Friday)
                • That all may be one in Christ/ Manalo:  sheet music 
              May we dress inwardly like these 'outfits'
              OneLife LA on FB
              Read
                'Wineskins' word cloud
                (animate)
              • Heb 5:1-10  High priests are men made representatives before God; they can deal patiently with us because they're beset by weakness.  Christ was made high priest:  he offered prayers and was heard; he learned obedience from suffering and became the source of salvation for all who obey him.
              • Ps 110:1-4  "You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek."
              • Mk 2:18-22  “Why do John's and the Pharisees' disciples fast but yours don't?” / “When the groom is with the wedding guests, they can't fast, but when he's taken away, they will.  If you sew unshrunken cloth on an old cloak, the tear gets worse.  If you pour new wine into old skins, the skins burst.  New wine, fresh skins!”
              Reflect
                • Creighton:  Christ re joy:  "As long as they have the bridegroom with them they can't fast."  Pope Francis:  "Joy!  A Christian can never be sad!  Our joy is from having encountered Jesus in our midst."  We can be joyful because Jesus is new life.  Old ways are hard to change, but we're called to shed sinful ways to follow Jesus and experience peace, joy, and love.
                • One Bread One Body:  "On the fast track":  Fasting shows commitment, breaks bonds, sets God's will in motion, and puts thing in "'fast' forward."
                • Passionist:  The image of new wine and fresh skins is powerful, lifegiving, hopeful, sustaining, and nourishing.  New wine was produced as new disciples said yes to Jesus.  When Martin Luther King was alive, he called for new skins, laws, norms, and hearts.  How often have we ruined our new wine by putting it into old skins?  When we reform, we know we can't pour our wine into old skins but rather need new attitudes and behaviors.  We need to love more, forgive more, respect more, serve more, and witness to God's goodness.  God knows how to make good wine; may we be fresh skins for it.
                • DailyScripture.net:  There's a time to fast and a time to feast. / Jesus warns against closed minds.  Do I bring out treasure from old and new?
                • Universalis:  St. Wulstan, monk made bishop, known as confessor, cared for poor and sick, demanded high standards.
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                January 18, 2015

                2nd Sun., Ordinary Time

                January 18, 2015:  2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

                • 'Phone' tie bar:  "Here I am; you called me" (1st reading)
                • 'Clock' tie bar:  I've waited for the Lord (psalm)
                • 'Stick figures' tie pin:  Your bodies are members of Christ (2nd reading)
                • 'Holy Spirit' chain:  Your body is a temple of the Spirit (2nd reading)
                • 'Lamb' tie bar:  John:  "Behold the Lamb of God" (gospel)
                • 'Eyeball' tie pin:  "Come and see" (gospel)
                • 'Rock' tie pin:  “Simon, you'll be called Cephas” (Peter, rock) (gospel)
                Listen

                Suggestions from Ed Bolduc's blog
                Pope Francis
                Santo Niño homily:  The Santo Niño reminds us of the link between God’s Kingdom and spiritual childhood.  “Whoever doesn't accept the Kingdom like a child won't enter it.”  The Santo Niño proclaims that God's light and grace has shone upon a world dwelling in darkness, bringing news of freedom and guiding us to peace, right and justice.  The Santo Niño also reminds us we're called to spread the reign of Christ.  The Santo Niño reminds us of our identity as God’s children.  We're God’s adopted children, chosen and blessed by God to be holy and blameless witnesses of his truth and justice.  He asked us to care for the world, but we've disfigured its natural beauty and the human family's unity and beauty, perpetuating poverty, ignorance, and corruption.  When we look around, we're tempted to give up; it seems the Gospel promises are unreal.  The devil, master liar, can hide behind sophistication or the lure of being modern like others.  We can squander our God-given gifts by tinkering with gadgets, gambling, drinking, and self-absorption, instead of focusing on what really matters:  remaining God's children.  Sin is forgetting we're God's children.

                The Santo Niño reminds us this identity must be protected.  When Jesus came into the world, a corrupt king threatened his life, and St. Joseph protected him.  He reminds us of the importance of protecting our families, the Church (God’s family), and the world (our human family).  Sad to say, the family itself is being attacked today.  As Jesus welcomed, embraced, and blessed children, we need to protect, guide, and encourage our youth, helping them to build a society worthy of their heritage.  We need to see each child as a gift to be cherished and protected. We need to care for our youth, not allowing them to be robbed of hope.  A frail child in need of protection brought God’s goodness, mercy, and justice into the world, resisting the dishonesty and corruption of sin, and triumphing by the power of his cross.  May Jesus enable us to work together, protect one another, build a world of justice and peace, and be witnesses of Gospel joy.
                Also in the Philippines:  Our Lord loves the poor so much!  Do more for them:  treat them fairly, respect their dignity, make just and inclusive political and economic policies, develop opportunities for employment and education, and remove obstacles to delivering social services.  We'll be judged on how we treat them.  Renew your commitment to justice and betterment of the poor.  Give yourselves in self-sacrifice, mercy, and compassion, to renew of society, to building up God’s kingdom of holiness, justice, and peace. 
                Read
                • 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19  Lord called sleeping Samuel, who answered, “Here I am” and ran to Eli, who said, "I didn't call you."....  4th answer:  “Speak; your servant is listening.”  Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him.
                  Wordle: Readings 1-18-15
                • Ps 40:2, 4, 7-10  "Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will."  I've waited for the Lord, and he heard my cry.  You gave me ears open to obedience.  You didn't want holocausts; I said, "I come." and announced your justice.
                • 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20  The body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.  Your bodies are members of Christ; you're one with him.  Avoid immorality.  Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit in you; you're not your own.  Glorify God in your body.
                • Jn 1:35-42  John with two disciples:  “Behold, the Lamb of God.”   They heard and followed Jesus.  Jesus/disciples:  “What are you looking for?” / “Where are you staying?” / “Come and you'll see.”  They went, saw, and stayed with him.  Andrew to Simon:  “We've found the Messiah” and brought him to Jesus who said, “You're Simon; you'll be called Cephas” (Peter).
                Reflect
                  • Creighton:  “What am I looking for?”  Come and see” = “Follow me and you'll see (understand/believe) in a new way.”  Let's.
                  • One Bread One Body:  God calls us as he did Samuel, Andrew, and Simon Peter.  Join him in Christian community and renewing the Church and world.
                  • Passionist:  We desire a home, a place of safety where we can be ourselves.  ‘Home' also represents where I can experience love and live as I am.  The gospel conversation is about finding a ‘home' in Jesus.  "Where do you live" indicates a desire to be with Jesus both in person and relationally.  Finding our ‘home' in Jesus is finding ourselves in relationship to him and so finding our identity.  St. Augustine:  "You made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless till we rest in you."  May we "Come and see."
                  • DailyScripture.net:  Is Jesus the Lamb of God/redeemer for you?  St. Augustine:  "The One who called you when you were opposed to Him made it possible for you to turn back"  Without God's mercy and help we couldn't find him.  It's natural to want to share good news.  Andrew went to his brother and brought him to Jesus.  Christ builds his church with living stones.  Faith in Christ makes us into spiritual rocks.
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