Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor
of the Church
Lectionary: 429
Reading 1
Brothers and sisters:
Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel,
and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are
perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written:
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the learning of the learned I will set aside.
Where is the wise one?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this age?
Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish?
For since in the wisdom of God
the world did not come to know God through wisdom,
it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation
to save those who have faith.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (5) The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray,
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’
But the wise ones replied,
‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082820.cfm
Meditation: The
Foolish Will Miss Heaven's Wedding Feast
Are
you missing out on what's most important in life? Being unprepared can lead to
unnecessary trouble and even disaster! What good is a life-jacket left on the
shore when the boat is sinking? Jesus' story of ten single ladies waiting for a
wedding procession in the middle of the night seems strange to most westerners today.
But Jesus' audience knew all too well how easily this could happen to them.
Don't miss the most important engagement of all
Wedding customs in ancient Palestine required extra vigilance and preparation
for everyone involved. (Some near eastern villages still follow this custom.)
The bride and groom did not go away for their honeymoon, but celebrated for a
whole week with their family and friends. It was the custom for the groom, in
company with his friends, to come at his discretion and get his bride and bring
her to their new home. They would take the longest route possible so that many
villagers along the way could join in the wedding procession. Once they arrived
and closed the doors, no one else could be admitted. If the groom decided to
come and bring his bride at night, then lights were required by necessity to
guide the travelers through the dark and narrow streets. No one was allowed on
the village streets at night without a lamp!
To show up for a wedding party without proper attire and travel arrangements is
like trying to get into a special event today that requires a prearranged
permit or reservation. You just don't get in without the proper pass. Can you
imagine the frustration travelers might experience when going abroad and
finding out that they can't get into some country because they don't have the
right visa or a valid passport.
The consequences of being unprepared to meet the Lord
Jesus warns us that there are consequences for being unprepared. There are
certain things you cannot obtain at the last moment. For example, students
cannot prepare for their exams when the day of testing is already upon them. A
person cannot get the right kind of character, strength, and skill required for
a task at hand unless they already possess it, such as a captain with courage
and nautical skills who must steer a ship through a dangerous storm at sea.
When the Lord Jesus comes to lead you to his heavenly banquet will you be ready
to hear his voice and follow? Our eternal welfare depends on our hearing, and
many have trained themselves to not hear. We will not be prepared to meet the
Lord, face to face, when he calls us on the day of judgment, unless we listen
to him today. The Lord invites us to feast at his heavenly banquet table. Are
you ready?
Lord
Jesus, make me vigilant and attentive to your voice that I may heed your call
at all times. May I find joy in your presence and delight in doing your will.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: The
Kingdom of God compared with ten maidens, by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367
AD)
"The whole story is about the great day of the Lord, when
those things concealed from the human mind will be revealed through our
understanding of divine judgment. Then the faith true to the Lord's coming will
win the just reward for unwavering hope. For in the five wise and five foolish
virgins (Matthew 25:2), a complete separation between the faithful and
unfaithful is established... The wise virgins are those who, embracing the time
available to them, were prepared at the first onset of the coming of the Lord.
But the foolish were those who were lax and unmindful. They troubled themselves
only over present matters and, forgetting what God said, did not direct their
efforts toward hope for resurrection." (excerpt from the
commentary ON MATTHEW 27.3,5)
https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2020&date=aug28
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, MATTHEW 25:1-13
Memorial of Saint Augustine, bishop and doctor of the Church
(1 Corinthians 1:1-9; Psalm 145)
KEY VERSE: "Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour" (v. 13).
TO KNOW: Using the imagery of a wedding, Jesus told his followers a parable about the necessity of being prepared for his final coming. In Jesus' day, the bridegroom went to the bride’s house in order to bring the bride to his own home where the wedding feast would be held. The bridesmaids were expected to meet the groom as he approached the bride’s house. The foolish bridesmaids did not expect him to arrive at night, but the wise ones believed that he could arrive at any time. The foolish bridesmaids were caught by surprise and were unable to obtain oil for their lamps in time for the beginning of the wedding feast. When they finally arrived, the door had been locked, and they were refused entrance (vs. 11–12). The point of this parable was vigilance. Jesus was continually telling people to wake up and to stay awake. Obtaining the oil of sanctity is the responsibility of each individual. No one can borrow the spiritual wealth that others had acquired. Jesus said that he would welcome the faithful servants, but those who foolishly left these matters to the last would be excluded from the wedding feast in God's kingdom.
TO LOVE: Am I wise or foolish in my service to the Lord?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, fill me with your grace so that I may be prepared to meet you when you come in glory.
Memorial of Saint Augustine, bishop and doctor of the Church
Augustine was trained in the Christian faith by his mother Monica, however, he lost his faith and led a wild life. He lived with a Carthaginian woman from age of 15 through 30, and fathered a son whom he named Adeotadus (the gift of God). After investigating and experimenting with several philosophies, he became a Manichaean, which taught of a great struggle between good and evil, and featured a lax moral code. A summation of Augustine’s thinking at the time comes from his Confessions: "God, give me chastity and continence - but not just now." Augustine finally broke with the Manichaeans and was converted by the prayers of his mother and the help of St. Ambrose of Milan. In 387 Augustine was baptized at Easter along with his son, who died soon afterwards. After the death of his mother, Augustine returned to Africa, sold his property, gave the proceeds to the poor, and founded a monastery. Augustine oversaw his church as Bishop of Hippo during the fall of the Roman Empire to the Vandals. His later thinking can also be summed up in a line from his writings: "Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in you." Augustine is a Doctor of the Church.
NOTE: Mani was an Iranian born in 216 in the Parthian Empire. Manichaean theology presented an elaborate description of the conflict between the spiritual world of light and the material world of darkness. A key belief in Manichaeism is that the powerful, though not omnipotent good power (God), was opposed by the semi-eternal evil power (Satan). Therefore, the Manichaean worldview explained the existence of evil by positing a flawed creation in the formation of which God took no part and which constituted rather the product of a rebellion by Satan against God.
http://www.togetherwithgodsword.com/commentaries-on-the-daily-gospel-of-the-mass.html
Friday 28 August 2020
St Augustine. Day of penance
1 Corinthians 1:17-25. The earth is full of the goodness of the
Lord – Psalm 32(33):1-2, 4-5, 10-11. Matthew 25:1-13.
‘Be watchful and ready.’
The saying, ‘No prophet ever died in his bed’, is certainly true
of John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets. Jesus described
him as ‘a burning and shining lamp’ (John 5:35) and said of him, ‘Among those
born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist’ (Matthew 11:11).
Jesus warned his disciples that they too might suffer the same
fate as John: ‘They will deliver you to tribulation’, he said, ‘and will kill
you, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name’ (Matthew 24:9).
Though no such prospect looms for us, it is true that a measure of courage is
called for on the part of all who follow one who said, ‘You must take up your
cross daily’ (Luke 9:23)
http://www.pray.com.au/gospel_reflection/friday-28-august-2020/
Saint Augustine of Hippo
Saint of the Day for August 28
(November 13, 354 – August 28, 430)
Saint Augustine of Hippo | Line engraving by P. Cool after M. de Vos | Wellcome Images
Saint Augustine’s Story
A Christian at 33, a priest at 36, a bishop at 41: Many people
are familiar with the biographical sketch of Augustine of Hippo, sinner turned
saint. But really to get to know the man is a rewarding experience.
There quickly surfaces the intensity with which he lived his
life, whether his path led away from or toward God. The tears of his mother,
the instructions of Ambrose and, most of all, God himself speaking to him in
the Scriptures, redirected Augustine’s love of life to a life of love.
Having been so deeply immersed in creature-pride of life in his
early days and having drunk deeply of its bitter dregs, it is not surprising
that Augustine should have turned, with a holy fierceness, against the many
demon-thrusts rampant in his day. His times were truly decadent: politically,
socially, morally. He was both feared and loved, like the Master. The perennial
criticism leveled against him: a fundamental rigorism.
In his day, Augustine providentially fulfilled the office of
prophet. Like Jeremiah and other greats, he was hard-pressed but could not keep
quiet. “I say to myself, I will not mention him/I will speak in his name no
more/But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart/imprisoned in my bones/I
grow weary holding it in/I cannot endure it” (Jeremiah 20:9).
Reflection
Augustine is still acclaimed and condemned in our day. He is a
prophet for today, trumpeting the need to scrap escapisms and stand
face-to-face with personal responsibility and dignity.
Saint Augustine is the Patron Saint of:
Printers
Theologians
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-augustine-of-hippo/
Lectio Divina: Matthew 25:1-13
Lectio Divina
Friday, August 28, 2020
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father of everlasting goodness,
our origin and guide,
be close to us
and hear the prayers of all who praise You.
Forgive our sins and restore us to life.
Keep us safe in Your love.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading – Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus told his disciples this parable: "The Kingdom of
heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the
bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones,
when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks
of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became
drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom!
Come out to meet him!' Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are
going out.' But the wise ones replied, 'No, for there may not be enough for us
and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.' While they
went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the
wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins
came and said, 'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!' But he said in reply, 'Amen,
I say to you, I do not know you.' Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither
the day nor the hour."
3) Reflection
• Matthew 25:1ª: The beginning: “At that time”. The parable
begins with these words: “At that time”. It is a question of the coming
of the Son of Man (cf. Mt 24:37). Nobody knows when this day, this time will
come, “not even the angels in Heaven nor the Son himself, but only the Father”
(Mt 24:36). The fortune tellers will not succeed in giving an estimate. The Son
of Man will come as a surprise, when people least expect Him (Mt 24:44). It can
be today, or it can be tomorrow. That is why the last warning of the parable of
the ten Virgins is: “Keep watch!” The ten bridesmaids should be prepared for
anything that might happen. When the Nazi policemen knocked at the door of the
Monastery of the Carmelite Sisters of Echt in the Province of Limburgia, in the
Netherlands, Edith Stein, Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, was prepared.
She took on the Cross and followed the way to martyrdom in the extermination
camp out of love for God and for her people. She was one of the prudent virgins
of the parable.
• Matthew 25:1b-4: The ten virgins ready to wait for the bridegroom. The
parable begins like this: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like this: ten bridesmaids
took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.” It is an issue of the
bridesmaids who have to accompany the bridegroom to the wedding feast. Because
of this, they have to take the lamps with them, to light the way, as well as
render the feast more joyful with more light. Five of them were prudent, and
five were foolish. This difference is seen in the way in which they prepare
themselves for the role that they have to carry out. Together with the lighted
lamps, the prudent ones had taken some oil in reserve, preparing themselves in
this way for anything which could happen. The foolish ones took only the lamps
and they did not think to take some oil in reserve with them.
• Matthew 25:5-7: The unforeseen delay of the arrival of the bridegroom. The
bridegroom was late. He had not indicated precisely the hour of his arrival.
While waiting, the bridesmaids went to sleep. But the lamps continue to burn
and use oil until gradually they burn out. Suddenly, in the middle of the
night, there was a cry: “Look! The bridegroom! Go out and meet him!” All the
bridesmaids woke up and began to prepare their lamps, which were burning out.
They had to put in some of the oil they had brought in reserve so that the
lamps would not burn out.
• Matthew 25:8-9: The different reactions to the delay of the bridegroom. It is
only now that the foolish bridesmaids become aware that they should have
brought some oil in reserve with them. They go to ask the prudent ones, “Give
us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.” The prudent ones are unable to
respond to this request, because at that moment what was important was not for
the prudent ones to share their oil with the foolish ones, but that they be
ready to accompany the bridegroom to the place of the feast. For this reason
they advised them, “You had better go to those who sell it and buy some for
yourselves.”
• Matthew 25:10-12: The fate of the prudent bridesmaids and that of the foolish
ones. The foolish ones followed the advice of the prudent ones and went to buy
some oil. During their brief absence the bridegroom arrived. The prudent ones
were able to accompany him and to enter the wedding feast with him. But the
door was closed behind them. When the others arrived, they knocked at the door
and said, “Lord, Lord, open the door for us!” and they received the reply, “In
truth I tell you, I do not know you.”
• Matthew 25:13: Jesus final recommendation to all of us. The story of this
parable is very simple, and the lesson is obvious: “So stay awake and watch,
because you do not know either the day or the hour.” The moral of the story: do
not be superficial. Look beyond the present moment, and try to discover the
call of God even in the smallest things of life, even the oil which may be
lacking in the small light or lamp.
4) Personal questions
• Have you had to think about having oil in reserve for your
lamp in your life?
• What does it mean to be prepared? Is it acceptance of God’s will, or
interiority, or sacramental, or in/through virtue, or something else, or all of
that?
• It is easy with lamps – you either have extra oil or not. How do you evaluate
whether you are prepared, or what else there is to do?
• Do you know the life of Saint Edith Stein, Teresa Benedicta of the Cross?
5) Concluding Prayer
I will bless Yahweh at all times,
His praise continually on my lips.
I will praise Yahweh from my heart.
Let the humble hear and rejoice. (Ps 34:1-2)
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