Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest
Lectionary: 348
Lectionary: 348
To keep the law is
a great oblation,
and he who observes the
commandments sacrifices a peace offering.
In works of charity one offers fine flour,
and when he gives alms he presents his sacrifice of praise.
To refrain from evil pleases the LORD,
and to avoid injustice is an atonement.
Appear not before the LORD empty-handed,
for all that you offer is in fulfillment of the precepts.
The just one’s offering enriches the altar
and rises as a sweet odor before the Most High.
The just one’s sacrifice is most pleasing,
nor will it ever be forgotten.
In a generous spirit pay homage to the LORD,
be not sparing of freewill gifts.
With each contribution show a cheerful countenance,
and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy.
Give to the Most High as he has given to you,
generously, according to your means.
For the LORD is one who always repays,
and he will give back to you sevenfold.
But offer no bribes, these he does not accept!
Trust not in sacrifice of the fruits of extortion.
For he is a God of justice,
who knows no favorites.
and he who observes the
commandments sacrifices a peace offering.
In works of charity one offers fine flour,
and when he gives alms he presents his sacrifice of praise.
To refrain from evil pleases the LORD,
and to avoid injustice is an atonement.
Appear not before the LORD empty-handed,
for all that you offer is in fulfillment of the precepts.
The just one’s offering enriches the altar
and rises as a sweet odor before the Most High.
The just one’s sacrifice is most pleasing,
nor will it ever be forgotten.
In a generous spirit pay homage to the LORD,
be not sparing of freewill gifts.
With each contribution show a cheerful countenance,
and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy.
Give to the Most High as he has given to you,
generously, according to your means.
For the LORD is one who always repays,
and he will give back to you sevenfold.
But offer no bribes, these he does not accept!
Trust not in sacrifice of the fruits of extortion.
For he is a God of justice,
who knows no favorites.
R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of
God.
“Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Hear, my people, and I will speak;
Israel, I will testify against you;
God, your God, am I.
Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Hear, my people, and I will speak;
Israel, I will testify against you;
God, your God, am I.
Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Peter began to say
to Jesus,
‘We have given up everything and followed you.”
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
‘We have given up everything and followed you.”
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Meditation: "We
have left everything and followed you"
What's the best investment you can make with your life? The
gospel presents us with a paradox: we lose what we keep, and we gain what we
give away. When we lose our lives for Jesus Christ, we gain a priceless
treasure and an inheritance which lasts forever. Whatever we give to God comes
back a hundredfold. Generosity flows from a heart full of gratitude for the
abundant mercy and grace which God grants. Do you give freely and generously?
And why do you give, for reward or for love?
Right after a wealthy young man refused to follow Jesus, Peter,
somewhat crudely wanted to know what he and the other disciples would get out
of it since they had freely accepted Jesus'
offer to follow him unconditionally. Jesus spoke with utter honesty: Those who left all for him would receive a hundred times more now, even in this life, as well as unending life in the age to come. Jesus' disciples can expect opposition and persecution from those who are opposed to Christ and his Gospel.
offer to follow him unconditionally. Jesus spoke with utter honesty: Those who left all for him would receive a hundred times more now, even in this life, as well as unending life in the age to come. Jesus' disciples can expect opposition and persecution from those who are opposed to Christ and his Gospel.
Should we be surprised if we lose favor and experience ridicule,
intimidation, and injury when we take a stand for truth and righteousness? In
place of material wealth, Jesus promised his disciples the blessing and joy of
rich fellowship with the community of believers. No earthly good or possession
can rival the joy and bliss of knowing God and the peace and unity he grants to
his disciples. The Lord wants to fill our hearts with the vision of heaven and
with his joy and peace. Do you know the joy of following the Lord as his
disciple? Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the joy of the gospel and the
knowledge of God’s personal love.
"Lord Jesus, I want to follow you as your disciple and to
love you wholeheartedly with all that I have. Fill my heart with faith, hope,
and love that I may always find peace and joy in your presence."
TUESDAY, MAY 26. MARK 10:28-31
(Sirach 35:1-12; Psalm 50)
(Sirach 35:1-12; Psalm 50)
KEY VERSE: "But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first" (v 31).
TO READ: Jesus instructed his disciples that they could not enter heaven by their own merits, nor could wealth or power gain them entry. The astonished disciples asked who then could be saved. Jesus told them that salvation could only be achieved by God's grace. Peter protested that he and the other disciples had given up everything to follow Jesus. While Jesus acknowledged their tremendous sacrifices, he added that God would return a "hundredfold" what they had renounced. Through they would suffer persecution in the "present age," nothing could compare with God's gift of eternal life in the "age to come" (v 30). Though the world regarded the disciples as being in the lowest place, in the kingdom they would be first.
TO REFLECT: What is the Lord asking me to relinquish?
TO RESPOND: Lord Jesus, help me to let go of those things that keep me from your kingdom.
Memorial of Philip Neri, Priest
Philip Neri founded the Confraternity of the Most Holy Trinity. He began to preach and had many converts. In 1550 he considered retiring to the life of a solitary hermit, but he received visions that told him his mission was in Rome. He entered the priesthood in 1551. He heard confessions by the hour and could tell penitents their sins before they confessed. Pope Gregory XIV tried to make him a cardinal, but Philip declined. His popularity was such that he was accused of forming his own sect, but was cleared of this baseless charge. He founded the Congregation of the Oratory, a group of priests dedicated to preaching and teaching, but suffered from accusations of heresy because of the involvement of laymen as preachers. In later years he was beset by several illnesses, each of which was cured through prayer. In 1594, when he was in an agony of pain, the Blessed Virgin appeared to him, and he was cured. Philip died in 1595 and was canonized by Gregory XV in 1622.
Tuesday 26 May 2015
St Philip Neri.
Ecclesiasticus 35:1-12. To the upright I will show the saving power of God—Ps 49(50):5-8, 14, 23. Mark 10:28-31.
Ecclesiasticus 35:1-12. To the upright I will show the saving power of God—Ps 49(50):5-8, 14, 23. Mark 10:28-31.
Our God is a God of
justice.
The Father will not forget
those who have taken up their cross to follow his Son. By following Jesus in
the way of the cross, suffering will come. We will be misunderstood; we will be
called trouble-makers when we stand up for the poor; we will be put on the
fringes of society and have to give up many of the so-called ‘good things’ of
life. But the Father will not forget us, even when we fail. He forgives us and
promises that, if we remain faithful, we will be rewarded.
Let us pray then that, even
in the dark and suffering periods of our lives, we do not lose hope in the
Father, who in his love has given us his Son and the Spirit so that we may come
in the end to share fully in his life.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
Depth of God’s Love
|
When we suffer, we don’t just come to understand the pain of
Christ’s cross more, we come to understand the depth of God’s love for us: that
he would endure such pain for us—in our place. We have a God who endured death
so we would never have to do so.
May
26
St. Philip Neri
(1515-1595)
St. Philip Neri
(1515-1595)
Philip Neri was a sign of contradiction, combining popularity with
piety against the background of a corrupt Rome and a disinterested clergy, the
whole post-Renaissance malaise.
At an
early age, he abandoned the chance to become a businessman, moved to Rome from
Florence and devoted his life and individuality to God. After three years of
philosophy and theology studies, he gave up any thought of ordination. The next
13 years were spent in a vocation unusual at the time—that of a layperson
actively engaged in prayer and the apostolate.
As the
Council of Trent (1545-63) was reforming the Church on a doctrinal level,
Philip’s appealing personality was winning him friends from all levels of
society, from beggars to cardinals. He rapidly gathered around himself a group
of laypersons won over by his audacious spirituality. Initially they met as an
informal prayer and discussion group, and also served poor people in Rome.
At the
urging of his confessor, he was ordained a priest and soon became an
outstanding confessor, gifted with the knack of piercing the pretenses and
illusions of others, though always in a charitable manner and often with a
joke. He arranged talks, discussions and prayers for his penitents in a room
above the church. He sometimes led “excursions” to other churches, often with
music and a picnic on the way.
Some of
his followers became priests and lived together in community. This was the
beginning of the Oratory, the religious institute he founded. A feature of
their life was a daily afternoon service of four informal talks, with
vernacular hymns and prayers. Giovanni Palestrina was one of Philip’s
followers, and composed music for the services.
The
Oratory was finally approved after suffering through a period of accusations of
being an assembly of heretics, where laypersons preached and sang vernacular
hymns! (Cardinal Newman founded the first English-speaking house of the Oratory
three centuries later.)
Philip’s
advice was sought by many of the prominent figures of his day. He is one of the
influential figures of the Counter-Reformation, mainly for converting to
personal holiness many of the influential people within the Church itself. His
characteristic virtues were humility and gaiety.
Comment:
Many people wrongly feel that such an attractive and jocular personality as Philip’s cannot be combined with an intense spirituality. Philip’s life melts our rigid, narrow views of piety. His approach to sanctity was truly catholic, all-embracing and accompanied by a good laugh. Philip always wanted his followers to become not less but more human through their striving for holiness.
Many people wrongly feel that such an attractive and jocular personality as Philip’s cannot be combined with an intense spirituality. Philip’s life melts our rigid, narrow views of piety. His approach to sanctity was truly catholic, all-embracing and accompanied by a good laugh. Philip always wanted his followers to become not less but more human through their striving for holiness.
Quote:
Philip Neri prayed, "Let me get through today, and I shall not fear tomorrow."
Philip Neri prayed, "Let me get through today, and I shall not fear tomorrow."
LECTIO DIVINA:
MARK 10,28-31
Lectio:
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Ordinary Time
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Lord,
guide the course of world events
and give your Church the joy and peace
of serving you in freedom.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
guide the course of world events
and give your Church the joy and peace
of serving you in freedom.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2)
GOSPEL READING - MARK 10,28-31
Peter took this up. 'Look,' he said to Jesus, 'we have left
everything and followed you.' Jesus said, 'In truth I tell you, there is no one
who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children or land for my
sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times as
much, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land -- and persecutions
too -- now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life. Many
who are first will be last, and the last, first.'
3)
REFLECTION
• In yesterday’s Gospel, Jesus spoke about the conversation
among the disciples about material goods: to get away from things, to sell
everything, to give it to the poor and to follow Jesus. Or rather, like Jesus,
they should live in total gratuity, placing their own life in the hands of God,
serving the brothers and sisters (Mk 10, 17-27). In today’s Gospel Jesus
explains better how this life of gratuity and service of those who abandon
everything for him, for Jesus and for the Gospel, should be (Mk 10, 28-31).
• Mark 10, 28-31: A hundred times as much, and
persecutions too, now. Peter observes: “We have left
everything and followed you”. It is like saying: “We have done what
the Lord asked of the young rich man. We have abandoned everything and we have
followed you. Explain to us how should our life be?” Peter wants Jesus to
explain more the new way of living in the service and in gratuity.
The response of Jesus is beautiful, profound and symbolical: “In truth there
is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children or
land for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred
times as much, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land and,
persecutions too, now in the present time and in the world to come, eternal
life. Many who are first will be last and the last first”. The type of
life which springs from the gift of everything is the example of the Kingdom
which Jesus wants to establish (a) to extend the family and to create
community; it increases a hundred times the number of brothers and sisters. (b)
It produces the sharing of goods, because all will have a hundred times more
houses and land. Divine Providence incarnates itself and passes through the
fraternal organization, where everything belongs to everyone and there are no
longer persons who are in need. They put into practice the Law of God which
asks “that there be no poor among you” (Dt 15, 4-11). This was what the first
Christians did (Ac 2, 42-45). It is the perfect living out of service and
gratuity. (c) They should not expect any privilege in return, no security, no
type of promotion. Rather, in this life they will have all this, but with persecutions. Because,
in this world, organized on egoism and the interests of groups and persons,
those who want to live a gratuitous love and the gift of self, they will be
crucified as Jesus was. (d) They will be persecuted in this world, but in the
future world they will have eternal life of which the rich young man spoke
about.
• Jesus is the choice of the poor. A two-fold
slavery characterized the situation of the people of the time of Jesus: the
slavery of the politics of Herod supported by the Roman Empire and maintained
by a whole well organized system of exploitation and repression, and the
slavery of the official religion, maintained by the religious authority of the
time. This is why the clan, the family, the community, were being disintegrated
and a great number of the people were excluded, marginalized, homeless, having
no place neither in religion nor in society. This is why several movements
arose which were seeking for a new way of living in community: the Esenes, the
Pharisees and, later on, the Zelots. In the community of Jesus there was
something new which made it different from other groups. It was the attitude
toward the poor and the excluded. The communities of the Pharisees lived
separated. The word “Pharisee” means “separated”. They lived separated from
impure people. Many Pharisees considered people ignorant and cursed (Jn 7, 49),
in sin (Jo 9, 34). Jesus and his community, on the contrary, lived together
with excluded persons, considered impure: publicans, sinners, prostitutes,
lepers (Mk 2, 16; 1, 41; Lk 7, 37). Jesus recognizes the richness and the
values which the poor possess (Mt 11, 25-26; Lk 21, 1-4). He proclaims them
blessed, because the Kingdom is theirs, it belongs to the poor (Lk 6, 20; Mt 5,
3). He defines his mission: “to proclaim the Good News to the poor” (Lk 4, 18).
He himself lives as a poor person. He possesses nothing for himself, not even a
rock where to lay his head (Lk 9, 58). And to those who want to follow him to
share his life, he tells them to choose: God or money! (Mt 6, 24). He orders
that they choose in favour of the poor! (Mk 10, 21). The poverty which
characterized the life of Jesus and of the disciples, also characterized the
mission. On the contrary of other missionaries (Mt 23,15), the disciples of
Jesus could take nothing with them, neither gold, nor money, nor two tunics,
nor purse, nor sandals (Mt 10, 9-10). They had to trust in the hospitality
offered to them (Lk 9, 4; 10, 5-6). And if they would be accepted by the
people, they should work like everybody else and live from what they would
receive as wages for their work (Lk 10, 7-8). Besides they should take care of
the sick and of those in need (Lk 10, 9; Mt 10, 8). Now they could tell the
people: “The Kingdom of God is very near to you!” (Lk 10, 9).
4)
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• In your life, how do you practice Peter’s proposal: “We have
left everything and have followed you”?
• Gratuitous sharing, service, acceptance to the excluded are
signs of the Kingdom. How do I live this today?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
The whole wide world has seen
the saving power of our God.
Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth,
burst into shouts of joy! (Ps 98,3-4)
the saving power of our God.
Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth,
burst into shouts of joy! (Ps 98,3-4)
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