SEPTEMBER 16, 2013 : MEMORIAL OF SAINTS CORNELIUS,POPE AND CYPRIAN,BISHOP,MARTYRS

Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs 
Lectionary: 443

Reading 11 TM 2:1-8

Beloved:
First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers,
petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone,
for kings and for all in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life
in all devotion and dignity.
This is good and pleasing to God our savior,
who wills everyone to be saved
and to come to knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God.
There is also one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus,
who gave himself as ransom for all.

This was the testimony at the proper time.
For this I was appointed preacher and Apostle
(I am speaking the truth, I am not lying),
teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray,
lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument. 

Responsorial PsalmPS 28:2, 7, 8-9

R. (6) Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.
Hear the sound of my pleading, when I cry to you,
lifting up my hands toward your holy shrine.
R. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.
The LORD is my strength and my shield.
In him my heart trusts, and I find help;
then my heart exults, and with my song I give him thanks.
R. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.
The LORD is the strength of his people,
the saving refuge of his anointed.
Save your people, and bless your inheritance;
feed them, and carry them forever!
R. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.

GospelLK 7:1-10

When Jesus had finished all his words to the people,
he entered Capernaum.
A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die,
and he was valuable to him.
When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him,
asking him to come and save the life of his slave.
They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying,
“He deserves to have you do this for him,
for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.”
And Jesus went with them,
but when he was only a short distance from the house,
the centurion sent friends to tell him,
“Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;
but say the word and let my servant be healed.
For I too am a person subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, Go, and he goes;
and to another, Come here, and he comes;
and to my slave, Do this, and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him
and, turning, said to the crowd following him,
“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
When the messengers returned to the house,
they found the slave in good health.

www.usccb.org

Meditation: "Say the word – be healed"

 Do you seek God with confidence and pray with expectant faith? A Roman official boldly sought Jesus with a daring request. What made him confident that Jesus would receive his request and act favorably towards him? Like a true soldier, he knew the power of command. And he saw in Jesus both the power and the mercy of God to heal and restore life. In the Roman world the position of centurion was very important. He was an officer in charge of a hundred soldiers. In a certain sense, he was the backbone of the Roman army, the cement which held the army together. Polybius, an ancient write, describes what a centurion should be: "They must not be so much venturesome seekers after danger as men who can command, steady in action, and reliable; they ought not to be over-anxious to rush into the fight, but when hard pressed, they must be ready to hold their ground, and die at their posts."
The centurion who approached Jesus was not only courageous, but faith-filled as well. He risked the ridicule of his Roman companions by seeking help from a Jewish preacher from Galilee, as well as mockery from the Jews who despised Roman occupation of their land. Nonetheless, this centurion approached Jesus with confidence and humility. Augustine notes that the centurion regarded himself as unworthy to receive the Lord into his house: "Humility was the door through which the Lord entered to take full possession of one whom he already possessed." The centurion was an extraordinary man because he loved his slave. In the Roman world slaves were treated like animals rather than people. The centurion was also an extraordinary man of faith. He believed that  Jesus had the power to heal his beloved slave. Jesus commends him for his faith and immediately grants him his request. Are you willing to suffer ridicule in the practice of your faith? And when you need help, do you approach the Lord Jesus with expectant faith?
"Heavenly Father, you sent us your Son Jesus Christ that we might be freed from the tyranny of sin and death. Increase my faith in the power of your saving word and give me freedom to love and serve others with generosity and mercy as you have loved me."
www.dailyscripture.net

Lord, Say the Word…

Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs

Father David Daly, LC Luke 7:1-10 When Jesus had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, "He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us." And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ´Go,´ and he goes; and to another, ´Come here,´ and he comes; and to my slave, ´Do this,´ and he does it." When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health. Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe that you came into this world to redeem sinners. I hope in you and in your power to transform my soul, by your grace, from sinfulness to holiness. Lord, I love you and offer you the longings of my heart to put you truly first in my life. I want to love you with all my mind, heart, soul and strength. Petition: Lord Jesus, grant me the gift of a deeper faith. 1. The Centurion: Frequently the people to whom God has given the most recognize him the least. For that reason, he extends the gift of faith to other men and women, especially the simple and humble of heart. The centurion exemplifies this dynamic of God´s grace in our lives. We should strive to be like him: simple, humble, and confident in the powerful action of Jesus in our daily lives. 2. Lord, I Am Not Worthy That You Should Enter Under My Roof: These words manifest the centurion’s humility. They should also manifest our humility and faith in Christ’s presence in the Eucharist, since they are the words we pray at every Mass just before receiving our Lord in Holy Communion. When we receive the Blessed Sacrament, we truly receive Christ — body, blood, soul and divinity. Our faith is the key to opening up our hearts to Christ’s healing grace. 3. Not Even in Israel Have I Found Such Faith: Don’t we want Jesus to say these words to us? Isn’t it much better than hearing those other words of Christ: “When the Son of Man returns will there be any faith on earth?” (see Luke 18:8). Christ calls us to be a fresh well of faith, hope and love so that even if he does not find it anywhere else, he can always be consoled by our undying faith. Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, I want to repeat these words of the centurion. I do believe in you and in your Real Presence in the Eucharist. In my times of doubt or weakness of faith, I will call out to you, “Only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” Resolution: I resolve to pray these words with all my heart today at Mass, in a visit to the Eucharist or in a spiritual communion.

www.regnumchristi.org

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
LUKE 7:1-10
(1 Timothy 2:1-8; Psalm 28)

KEY VERSE: "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith" (v 9).
READING: A centurion was a high ranking officer in the Roman army who commanded a force of up to 100 men. This centurion stationed in Capernaum was a member of Herod’s peacekeeping force rather than a member of the imperial army. When the officer's servant became ill, he sent the Jewish elders of the synagogue to entreat Jesus to come and heal him. The Jews were grateful to the centurion for having built their synagogue, and they urged Jesus to go and heal the man's servant. But the centurion sent word that he was not worthy to have Jesus enter his home (Jews regarded Gentile homes to be "unclean"). The officer knew how to use authority and he recognized this power in Jesus. He had confidence that Jesus could heal his servant with a word of command. Jesus marveled at the man's faith, which contrasted with the disbelief of his own people. When the Centurion's messengers returned home, they found the centurion's servant healed.
REFLECTING: Do I use the power of intercessory prayer to help others in need? 
PRAYING: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

REVISED ROMAN MISSAL
In the Mass, right before receiving Communion we as Catholics now say this: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed." These were the centurion's words when he told Jesus that he was not worthy to have him come under his roof. It is fitting that we tell Jesus, just as the centurion did, that we really are not worthy of having him abide in our souls. We recognize that Jesus is Lord and that his mighty word dwelling within us will in fact heal us of all unworthiness: “Say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

Memorial of Cornelius, pope and martyr

Cornelius was the Twenty-First pope, elected during a period when persecutions were so bad that papal ascension was a quick death sentence. Cornelius worked to maintain unity in a time of schism and apostasy. He fought Novatianism, a heresy that held that the lapsed Christian might not be received again into communion with the Church, and that second marriages were unlawful. He was exiled by Roman authorities to punish Christians in general, who were said to have provoked the gods who sent the plague against Rome. A document from Cornelius shows the size of the Church of Rome in his papacy: 46 priests, 7 deacons, 7 subdeacons, approximately 50,000 Christians. He died a martyr in 253 and is buried at the cemetery of St. Callistus at Rome.

Memorial of Cyprian, bishop and martyr

Cyprian was born to wealthy pagan parents. He taught rhetoric and literature. An adult convert in 246, he was ordained Priest, then Bishop of Carthage in 249. He was exiled during the persecutions of Valerian.Cyprian was involved in the great argument over whether apostates should be readmitted to the Church. Cyprian believed they should, but under stringent conditions. A martyr, Cyprian was beheaded September 258. He is a Latin Father of the Church

www.daily-word-of-life.com

Blest be the Lord for he has heard my prayer.

Blest be the Lord for he has heard my prayer.
Dear Lord, please help us to have perfect trust and humility when we pray. We all pray differently, in different words or no words at all, but the non-negotiable parts of our prayer are trust and humility. You obviously thought so when you spoke of the centurion and, in another place, of the prayer of the publican contrasted with that of the Pharisee.

Although we know we are unworthy of your love and cannot earn it, we also know that we have that unearned and caring love from you. It is a fine line between knowledge that we are still loved no matter what we do and the attitude that we can do whatever we like and know that we are still loved unconditionally. Help us to walk that line.

www.churchresources.info

September 16
Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian

(d. 253)

Cornelius (d. 253). There was no pope for 14 months after the martyrdom of St. Fabian (January 20) because of the intensity of the persecution of the Church. During the interval, the Church was governed by a college of priests. St. Cyprian, a friend of Cornelius, writes that Cornelius was elected pope "by the judgment of God and of Christ, by the testimony of most of the clergy, by the vote of the people, with the consent of aged priests and of good men."

The greatest problem of Cornelius's two-year term as pope had to do with the Sacrament of Penance and centered on the readmission of Christians who had denied their faith during the time of persecution. Two extremes were finally both condemned. Cyprian, primate of North Africa, appealed to the pope to confirm his stand that the relapsed could be reconciled only by the decision of the bishop.

In Rome, however, Cornelius met with the opposite view. After his election, a priest named Novatian (one of those who had governed the Church) had himself consecrated a rival bishop of Rome—one of the first antipopes. He denied that the Church had any power to reconcile not only the apostates, but also those guilty of murder, adultery, fornication or second marriage! Cornelius had the support of most of the Church (especially of Cyprian of Africa) in condemning Novatianism, though the sect persisted for several centuries. Cornelius held a synod at Rome in 251 and ordered the "relapsed" to be restored to the Church with the usual "medicines of repentance."

The friendship of Cornelius and Cyprian was strained for a time when one of Cyprian's rivals made accusations about him. But the problem was cleared up.

A document from Cornelius shows the extent of organization in the Church of Rome in the mid-third century: 46 priests, seven deacons, seven subdeacons. It is estimated that the number of Christians totaled about 50,000.

Cornelius died as a result of the hardships of his exile in what is now Civitavecchia (near Rome).

Cyprian (d. 258). Cyprian is important in the development of Christian thought and practice in the third century, especially in northern Africa.

Highly educated, a famous orator, he became a Christian as an adult. He distributed his goods to the poor, and amazed his fellow citizens by making a vow of chastity before his baptism. Within two years he had been ordained a priest and was chosen, against his will, as Bishop of Carthage (near modern Tunis).

Cyprian complained that the peace the Church had enjoyed had weakened the spirit of many Christians and had opened the door to converts who did not have the true spirit of faith. When the Emperor Decian's persecution began, many Christians easily abandoned the Church. It was their reinstatement that caused the great controversies of the third century, and helped the Church progress in its understanding of the Sacrament of Penance.

Novatus, a priest who had opposed Cyprian's election, set himself up in Cyprian's absence (he had fled to a hiding place from which to direct the Church—bringing criticism on himself) and received back all apostates without imposing any canonical penance. Ultimately he was condemned. Cyprian held a middle course, holding that those who had actually sacrificed to idols could receive Communion only at death, whereas those who had only bought certificates saying they had sacrificed could be admitted after a more or less lengthy period of penance. Even this was relaxed during a new persecution.

During a plague in Carthage, he urged Christians to help everyone, including their enemies and persecutors.

A friend of Pope Cornelius, Cyprian opposed the following pope, Stephen. He and the other African bishops would not recognize the validity of baptism conferred by heretics and schismatics. This was not the universal view of the Church, but Cyprian was not intimidated even by Stephen's threat of excommunication.

He was exiled by the emperor and then recalled for trial. He refused to leave the city, insisting that his people should have the witness of his martyrdom.

Cyprian was a mixture of kindness and courage, vigor and steadiness. He was cheerful and serious, so that people did not know whether to love or respect him more. He waxed warm during the baptismal controversy; his feelings must have concerned him, for it was at this time that he wrote his treatise on patience. St. Augustine (August 28) remarks that Cyprian atoned for his anger by his glorious martyrdom.

Comment:

Cornelius: It seems fairly true to say that almost every possible false doctrine has been proposed at some time or other in the history of the Church. The third century saw the resolution of a problem we scarcely consider—the penance to be done before reconciliation with the Church after mortal sin. Men like Cornelius and Cyprian were God's instruments in helping the Church find a prudent path between extremes of rigorism and laxity. They are part of the Church's ever-living stream of tradition, ensuring the continuance of what was begun by Christ, and evaluating new experiences through the wisdom and experience of those who have gone before (Roliner).

Cyprian: The controversies about baptism and penance in the third century remind us that the early Church had no ready-made solutions from the Holy Spirit. The leaders and members of the Church of that day had to make the best judgments they could, following the entire teaching of Christ without being diverted by exaggerations to the right or left.

Quote:

Cornelius: "There is one God and one Christ and but one episcopal chair, originally founded on Peter, by the Lord's authority. There cannot, therefore, be set up another altar or another priesthood. Whatever any man in his rage or rashness shall appoint, in defiance of the divine institution, must be a spurious, profane and sacrilegious ordinance" (St. Cyprian, The Unity of the Catholic Church).

Cyprian: “You cannot have God for your Father if you do not have the Church for your mother.... God is one and Christ is one, and his Church is one; one is the faith, and one is the people cemented together by harmony into the strong unity of a body.... If we are the heirs of Christ, let us abide in the peace of Christ; if we are the sons of God, let us be lovers of peace” (St. Cyprian, The Unity of the Catholic Church).

www.americancatholic.org

LECTIO: LUKE 7,1-10

Lectio: 

 Monday, September 16, 2013  

PRAYER
Holy Father, through Jesus your Son, the Word made flesh for us, send me your Holy Spirit, that my ears may be opened to hear the “letter of love” that you have written to me and enlighten my mind that I may understand it in depth.  Make my heart docile that it may receive your will with joy and help me to give witness to it.  Amen.


READING
From the Gospel according to Luke (7:1-10)
When he had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum.  A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him.  When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave.  They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, "He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us."  And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.  Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed.  For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."  When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.


MEDITATION
•    Chapter 7 of the gospel of Luke helps us to receive the call addressed to the pagans to adhere to faith in the Lord Jesus.  The figure of the centurion becomes the pacesetter for all those who want to abide by the faith of Israel and then encounter and know the face of the Father in Jesus.  In the meditation on this Gospel, we are also proposed to open ourselves to faith or to make our confidence in the Word of the Lord more firmly unshaken.   Let us try, then, to follow, with our hearts, the paces of this Roman centurion, so that in him we may also be present.

•    Perhaps the first aspect that emerges from the reading of the passage is the situation of suffering in which the centurion finds himself.  Try to hear more attentively the words that try to give light to this reality.  Capernaum, a border city, a city apart, on the margins, a city where the blessings of God seem slow to arrive.  The grave illness; the imminent death of a dear person.

•    But we soon see that the Lord enters into this situation, coming to share in it, to live in it with his loving presence.  The words in italics confirm this truth:  “asking him to come”;  “and Jesus went with them”; “he was only a short distance.”  It is wonderful to see this movement of Jesus who moves near to him who calls him, who searches for him and who asks for salvation.  This is how Jesus acts with each one of us.

•    But it is also very useful to enter into contact with the figure of the centurion, who is here a bit like our master, our guide on the way of faith.
“When he heard about Jesus”.  He received the announcement, he heard the good news and held it in his heart.  He did not net it escape and did not close his ears to life.  He remembered Jesus and now he goes in search for him.

•    “He sent.”  Twice does the centurion carry out his action: first sending the elders of the people to Jesus, authoritative figures, then by sending his friends.  Luke uses two different verbs and this helps us to understand better that in this man something took place, a state of passage:  he became more and more open to the encounter with Jesus.  Sending his friends is a bit like going to Jesus himself.
“asking him to come and save.”  Two beautiful verbs that explain the whole intensity of his request to Jesus.  He wants Jesus to come, to be near, to enter into his poor life, to come and visit his pain.  It is a declaration of love, of great faith, because it is as if he was saying: “Without you, I cannot live anymore.  Come!”  And he does not ask for any mere salvation, a superficial healing, as the particular verb chosen by Luke helps us to understand.  In fact, here it is a traverse salvation, one that crosses the entirety of life, of the entire person, and is capable of taking a person beyond, past every obstacle, every difficulty or trial, beyond even death.

•    “I am not worthy.”  Luke puts these words in the mouth of the centurion twice, and these words help us to understand the great transformation that has taken place within himself.  He feels unworthy, incapable, insufficient, as the two different greek terms used here indicate.  Perhaps the first conquest on the road of faith with Jesus is exactly this:  the discovery of our great need for Him, for his presence and the more certain knowledge that alone we can do nothing because we are poor, we are sinners.  However, precisely because of this we are infinitely loved!

•    “Say the word.”  Here is the great leap, the great transformation in faith.  The centurion now believes in a clear, serene and faithful way.  While Jesus walked towards him, he was also completing his own interior journey, changing, becoming a new man.  First, he welcomed the person of Jesus, then his word.  For him it is the Lord as he is, his word is efficacious, true, powerful, able to do what he says.  All of his doubts have crumbled; nothing remains but faith, the certain confidence in salvation, in Jesus.


QUESTIONS
•    Does my prayer feel like that of the centurion, addressed to Jesus to come and save?  Am I also ready to explain to the Lord my uneasiness, my need for him?  Am I perhaps ashamed to present to him the sickness, the death that lives in my house, in my life?  What do I need in order to fulfill this first step in trust?

•    And if I open my heart in prayer, to the invocation, if I invite the Lord to come, what is the profound attitude of my heart?  Is there also in me, as in the centurion, the knowledge of being unworthy, of not being sufficient solely of myself, of not being pretentious?  Do I know how to place myself before the Lord with that humility that comes from love, from serene trust in Him?

•    Is his Word good enough for me?  Do I ever listen to it in its entirety with attention, with respect, even though, perhaps, I am not able to fully understand it?
And in this moment, what is the word that I want to hear from the mouth of the Lord for me?  What do I want Him to say to me?

•    The pagan centurion had such a great faith…and I, who am Christian, what faith do I have?  Perhaps it is true that I must pray like this:  “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”  (Mark 9:24)


FINAL PRAYER
Your words are a lamp for my steps, Lord!

How can a youth keep his way pure?
By observing your word.
With all my heart I search for you:
do not let me deviate from your commands.
Put again into my heart your promise
that I may not sin against you.
Blessed are you, Lord:
teach me your decrees.

With my mouth I recount
all of the wisdom from your mouth.
On the way of your teachings is my joy,
more than all other riches.
I want to meditate on your precepts,
to consider your ways.
In your decrees is my delight,
I will not forget your word.

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