DECEMBER 07, 2017 : MEMORIAL OF SAINT AMBROSE, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.

Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 178

Reading 1IS 26:1-6

On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah:

"A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you."

Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.

Responsorial PsalmPS 118:1 AND 8-9, 19-21, 25-27A

R. (26a) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, 
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes. 
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This gate is the LORD's;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

AlleluiaIS 55:6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call him while he is near.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMT 7:21, 24-27

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house. 
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. 
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand. 
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house. 
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

www.usccb.org

Meditation: "Who shall enter the kingdom of heaven?"

What's the best security against disaster and destruction? In the ancient world a strong city, an impregnable fortress, and a secure house were built on solid rock because they could withstand the forces of nature and foe alike. Isaiah speaks of God as an "everlasting rock" (Isaiah 26:4). He is the rock of refuge and deliverance (Psalm 18:2) and the rock in whom there is no wrong (Psalm 92:15). Scripture warns that destruction will surely come to those who place their security in something other than God and his kingdom. Jesus' parables invite us to stake our lives on the coming of his kingdom or face the consequences of being unprepared when the day of testing and destruction will surely come.

The only foundation that can keep us safe
When Jesus told the story of the builders he likely had the following proverb in mind: "When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm for ever" (Proverbs 10:25). What's the significance of the story for us? The kind of foundation we build our lives upon will determine whether we can survive the storms that are sure to come. Builders usually lay their foundations when the weather and soil conditions are at their best. It takes foresight to know how a foundation will stand up against adverse conditions. Building a house on a flood plain, such as a dry river-bed, is a sure bet for disaster! Jesus prefaced his story with a warning: We may fool humans with our speech, but God cannot be deceived. He sees the heart as it truly is - with its motives, intentions, desires, and choices (Psalm 139:2).

There is only one way in which a person's sincerity can be proved, and that is by one's practice. Fine words can never replace good deeds. Our character is revealed in the choices we make, especially when we must choose between what is true and false, good and evil. Do you cheat on an exam or on your income taxes, especially when it will cost you? Do you lie, or cover-up, when disclosing the truth will cause you pain or embarrassment? A true person is honest and reliable before God, neighbor, and oneself. Such a person's word can be taken as trustworthy.

Christ is the only rock that can save us
What can keep us from falsehood and spiritual disaster? If we make the Lord Jesus and his word the rock and foundation of our lives, then nothing can shake us nor keep us from God's presence and protection. Is the Lord Jesus and his word the one sure foundation of your life?

"Lord Jesus, you are the only foundation that can hold us up when trials and disaster threaten us. Give me the wisdom, foresight, and strength of character I need to do what is right and good and to reject whatever is false and contrary to your will. May I be a doer of your word and not a hearer only."

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Turn your vision to the Savior, by Verecundus (died 552 AD)

"When Hezekiah, the king of Judah and son of Ahaz, was gravely ill and had learned of his coming death by the prophecy of Isaiah, he turned his face to the wall and wept bitterly (2 Kings 20:1-3). Immediately the Lord in his mercy not only averted the destruction of imminent death but also added fifteen years to the man's life. Then, at last, Hezekiah sang this song (Isaiah 38:10-20). Hezekiah, a holy man who reigned at that time over all of Israel, displayed the Lord's form: clearly he had every movement of body, soul and mind in subjection to himself, and he accepted the consequences of his infirmity and weakness. He knew without doubt through the prophetic message that the end of his life was approaching. For the longer we seem to live, the more indubitably is our future death foreknown to us. And if we turn our face to the wall when struck by the fear of death, that is, if we direct the vision of our hearts to the Savior, who is here represented by the wall because he is elsewhere called 'a wall,' we will be saved, inasmuch as he saves the faithful who dwell within him from a great many attacks. 'In the city of our strength,' says Isaiah, 'is the Savior established as a wall and a fortress' (Isaiah 26:1). Behold, the Savior is said to be a wall." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON THE CANTICLE OF EZEKIEL 5.1–2)   [Verecundus was an African Christian writer and bishop in the 6th century AD.] 

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, MATTHEW 7:21, 24-27
(Isaiah 26:1-6; Psalm 118)

KEY VERSE: "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven" (v 21).
TO KNOW: Jesus concluded his "Sermon on the Mount" by saying that it was not enough for his disciples to call him `Lord.' They must also be devoted to doing God's will. A true disciple is one who hears and acts upon Jesus' words. Jesus compared this fidelity to the practice of building a house on solid rock to withstand the winter winds and rains. Building on sand was foolhardy, as the house would be swept away by the storms and floods. Wise disciples are those who construct their lives on a solid foundation. Those who live contrary to Jesus' teaching are senseless. They will collapse when the stormy seasons of life threatens them. They will not survive in times of hardship.
TO LOVE: Do I speak and act in ways that are true to the gospel?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to build on the sure foundation of your word.

Memorial of Saint Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church

In the Fourth Century, the bishop of Milan died and a dispute over his replacement led to violence. Ambrose, Governor of Milan, intervened to calm both sides. He impressed everyone so much that, although still an unbaptized catechumen, he was chosen to fill the office of bishop. Ambrose resisted, claiming that he was not worthy, but to prevent further unrest, he assented. On 7 December 374 he was baptized, ordained a priest, and consecrated as bishop. As an example to his flock, he immediately gave away his wealth to the Church to help the poor. Ambrose was a preacher, teacher, bible student of renown, and writer of liturgical hymns. His preaching helped convert Saint Augustine of Hippo whom Ambrose baptized and brought into the Church. Ambrose's preaching also convinced Emperor Theodosius to do public penance for his sins. Ambrose called and chaired several theological councils during his time as bishop, many devoted to fighting heresy. He was proclaimed a great Doctor of the Latin Church by Pope Boniface VIII in 1298. The title "Honey Tongued Doctor" was bestowed on him because of his speaking and preaching ability. ​

www.togetherwithgodsword.com

Thursday 7 December 2017

Advent Season of Creation. St Ambrose.

Isaiah 26:1-6. Psalm 117(118):1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27. Matthew 7:21, 24-27.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord — Psalm 117(118):1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27.

In what or who do we place our trust; from what do we derive our security?

Isaiah lived in a nation constantly at war. So rocky crags for him were defensible places on which you could build castles. When he describes the Lord as the everlasting rock, he means that we can find our safety in him.

‘We have a strong city; to guard us he has set wall and rampart about us. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is the everlasting rock.’

Isaiah knows all the uncertainty and fears that can undermine trust and how difficult it is. The passage invites us to pray for trust while attending to the things that threaten it.

The Gospel also describes faith as the rock on which the house of our lives must be built. Something that is built on rock can withstand shaking.

“Rains came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall. It was founded on rock’.

When we pray for faith, we do not simply pray for a strong belief. Jesus refers to something deeper. Our faith is a conviction of heart and mind about what matters most. It shapes the way we live. It can withstand the rains, floods and gales from inside and the world that can shake our faith.

That is what Pope Francis asks. He wants us to make the love of the poor as our brothers and sisters and the defence of our environment a high priority. He wants these things to matter. He recognises that this kind of faith will meet many obstacles. He says,

‘Regrettably, many efforts to seek concrete solutions to the environmental crisis have proved ineffective, not only because of powerful opposition but also because of a more general lack of interest. Obstructionist attitudes, even on the part of believers, can range from denial of the problem to indifference, nonchalant resignation or blind confidence in technical solutions. We require a new and universal solidarity. All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents.’

The winds of disapproval, floods of contempt, gales of resistance and rains of apathy will surely assail us. But it is God’s work to care for the world’s healing and greening. Let us pray for the faith to keep battling at it.

www.pray.com.au

ST. AMBROSE

Today the Catholic Church celebrates the memory of St. Ambrose, the brilliant Bishop of Milan who influenced St. Augustine's conversion and was named a Doctor of the Church.

Like Augustine himself, the older Ambrose (born around 340) was a highly educated man who sought to harmonize Greek and Roman intellectual culture with the Catholic faith. Trained as a lawyer, he eventually became the governor of Milan. He manifested his intellectual gifts in defense of Christian doctrine even before his baptism.

While Ambrose was serving as the governor of Milan, a bishop named Auxentius was leading the diocese. Although he was an excellent public speaker with a forceful personality, Auxentius also followed the heresy of Arius, which denied the divinity of Christ.

Although the Council of Nicaea had reasserted the traditional teaching on Jesus' deity, many educated members of the Church – including, at one time, a majority of the world's bishops – looked to Arianism as a more sophisticated and cosmopolitan version of Christianity. Bishop Auxentius became notorious for forcing clergy throughout the region to accept Arian creeds.

At the time of Auxentius' death, Ambrose had not yet even been baptized. But his deep understanding and love of the traditional faith were already clear to the faithful of Milan. They considered him the most logical choice to succeed Auxentius, even though he was still just a catechumen.

With the help of Emperor Valentinan, who ruled the Western Roman Empire at the time, a mob of Milanese Catholics virtually forced Ambrose to become their bishop against his own will. Eight days after his baptism, Ambrose received episcopal consecration on Dec. 7, 374. The date would eventually become his liturgical feast.

Bishop Ambrose did not disappoint those who had clamored for his appointment and consecration. He began his ministry by giving everything he owned to the poor and to the Church. He looked to the writings of Greek theologians like St. Basil for help in explaining the Church's traditional teachings to the people during times of doctrinal confusion.

Like the fathers of the Eastern Church, Ambrose drew from the intellectual reserves of pre-Christian philosophy and literature to make the faith more comprehensible to his hearers. This harmony of faith with other sources of knowledge served to attract, among others, the young professor Aurelius Augustinus – a man Ambrose taught and baptized, whom history knows as St. Augustine of Hippo.

Ambrose himself lived simply, wrote prolifically, and celebrated Mass each day. He found time to counsel an amazing range of public officials, pagan inquirers, confused Catholics and penitent sinners. The people of Milan never regretted their insistence that the reluctant civil servant should lead the local church.

His popularity, in fact, served to keep at bay those who would have preferred to force him from the diocese, including the Western Empress Justina and a group of her advisers, who sought to rid the West of adherence to the Nicene Creed. Ambrose heroically refused her attempts to impose heretical bishops in Italy, along with her efforts to seize churches in the name of Arianism.

Ambrose also displayed remarkable courage when he publicly denied communion to the Emperor Theodosius, who had ordered the massacre of 7,000 citizens in Thessalonica. The chastened emperor took Ambrose's rebuke to heart, publicly repenting of the massacre and doing penance for the murders.

“Nor was there afterwards a day on which he did not grieve for his mistake,” Ambrose himself noted when he spoke at the emperor's funeral. The rebuke spurred a profound change in Emperor Theodosius. He reconciled himself with the Church and the bishop, who attended to the emperor on his deathbed.

St. Ambrose died in 397. His 23 years of diligent service had turned a deeply troubled diocese into an exemplary outpost for the faith. His writings remained an important point of reference for the Church, well into the medieval era and beyond.

At the Catholic Church's Fifth Ecumenical Council – which took place at Constantinople in 553, and remains a source of authoritative teaching for both Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians –  the assembled bishops named Ambrose, along with this protege St. Augustine, as being among the foremost “holy fathers” of the Church, whose teaching all bishops should “in every way follow.”

www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint.php?n=76

LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 7,21.24-27

Lectio Divina: 

 Thursday, December 7, 2017

1st Week of Advent

1) Opening prayer

Lord our God,
to those who trust in You
and live the gospel of Your Son,
You are a dependable rock.
In the storms and tensions of our times,
may our faith never waver,
but give us the courage
to live as we believe,
consistently, radically,
that with Your Son we may do Your will
and live in Your love now and for ever.

2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 7: 21, 24-27

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only the person who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock.
But everyone who listens to these words of Mine and does not act on them will be like an unwise man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell.”

3) Reflection

Today’s Gospel narrates the end of the discourse on the mountain. The discourse on the mountain is a new reading of the Law of God. It begins with the Beatitudes (Mt 5: 1-12) and ends with the house built on the rock.
• It is a question of acquiring true wisdom. The source of wisdom is the Word of God expressed in the Law of God. True Wisdom consists of listening to, and practicing, the Word of God (Lk 11: 28). It is not sufficient to say “Lord, Lord!” The important thing is not to say beautiful words about God, but rather to do the will of the Father, and therefore, to be a revelation of His love and His presence in the world.
• The one who listens to, and practices, the Word constructs a house on rock. The strength of the house does not come from the house itself, but rather from the foundation, from the rock. What does the rock signify? It is the experience of God’s love revealed in Jesus (Rm 8: 31-39). There are some people who practice the Word in order to merit God’s love. But love is not bought, nor do we merit it (sg 8: 7). The love of God is received gratuitously. Let us put into practice the Word, not in order to merit love, but to say thank you for the love we have received. This is the good foundation, the rock which gives security to the house. True security comes from the certainty of God’s love. It is the rock which sustains us in moments of difficulty and in storms.
• The Evangelist ends the discourse on the Mountain (Mt 7: 27-28) by saying that the crowds admired the teaching of Jesus because “He taught with authority, and not like the Scribes”. The teaching of Jesus gave the people a critical awareness concerning religious authority of the time. Admired and grateful, the people appreciated the beautiful and diverse teaching of Jesus.

4) Personal questions

• Am I among those who say “Lord, Lord”, or among those who put the Word into practice?
• Do I observe the Law in order to merit love and salvation or in order to thank God for His love and His salvation?

5) Concluding Prayer

O Lord, grant salvation!
O Lord, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord (Ps 118)

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