Saint Alphonsus Liguouri, Bishop and
Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 403
Lectionary: 403
Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth!
a man of strife and contention to all the land!
I neither borrow nor lend,
yet all curse me.
When I found your words, I devoured them;
they became my joy and the happiness of my heart,
Because I bore your name,
O LORD, God of hosts.
I did not sit celebrating
in the circle of merrymakers;
Under the weight of your hand I sat alone
because you filled me with indignation.
Why is my pain continuous,
my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
You have indeed become for me a treacherous brook,
whose waters do not abide!
Thus the LORD answered me:
If you repent, so that I restore you,
in my presence you shall stand;
If you bring forth the precious without the vile,
you shall be my mouthpiece.
Then it shall be they who turn to you,
and you shall not turn to them;
And I will make you toward this people
a solid wall of brass.
Though they fight against you,
they shall not prevail,
For I am with you,
to deliver and rescue you, says the LORD.
I will free you from the hand of the wicked,
and rescue you from the grasp of the violent.
a man of strife and contention to all the land!
I neither borrow nor lend,
yet all curse me.
When I found your words, I devoured them;
they became my joy and the happiness of my heart,
Because I bore your name,
O LORD, God of hosts.
I did not sit celebrating
in the circle of merrymakers;
Under the weight of your hand I sat alone
because you filled me with indignation.
Why is my pain continuous,
my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
You have indeed become for me a treacherous brook,
whose waters do not abide!
Thus the LORD answered me:
If you repent, so that I restore you,
in my presence you shall stand;
If you bring forth the precious without the vile,
you shall be my mouthpiece.
Then it shall be they who turn to you,
and you shall not turn to them;
And I will make you toward this people
a solid wall of brass.
Though they fight against you,
they shall not prevail,
For I am with you,
to deliver and rescue you, says the LORD.
I will free you from the hand of the wicked,
and rescue you from the grasp of the violent.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 59:2-3, 4, 10-11, 17,
18
R. (17d) God is
my refuge on the day of distress.
Rescue me from my enemies, O my God;
from my adversaries defend me.
Rescue me from evildoers;
from bloodthirsty men save me.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
mighty men come together against me,
Not for any offense or sin of mine, O LORD.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
O my strength! for you I watch;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
As for my God, may his mercy go before me;
may he show me the fall of my foes.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
But I will sing of your strength
and revel at dawn in your mercy;
You have been my stronghold,
my refuge in the day of distress.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
O my strength! your praise will I sing;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
my merciful God!
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
Rescue me from my enemies, O my God;
from my adversaries defend me.
Rescue me from evildoers;
from bloodthirsty men save me.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
mighty men come together against me,
Not for any offense or sin of mine, O LORD.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
O my strength! for you I watch;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
As for my God, may his mercy go before me;
may he show me the fall of my foes.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
But I will sing of your strength
and revel at dawn in your mercy;
You have been my stronghold,
my refuge in the day of distress.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
O my strength! your praise will I sing;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
my merciful God!
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
AlleluiaJN 15:15B
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 13:44-46
Jesus said to his disciples:
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."
Meditation: "Joy in finding hidden treasure and
pearl of great price"
What do you treasure above all else and how do you
keep it secure? In a peasant community the best safe was often the earth. The
man in the parable "went in his joy" to sell everything he had
(Matthew 13:44). Why? Because he found a hidden treasure worth possessing above
everything else he had. He did not, however, have enough to buy the treasure.
Fortunately, he only needed enough money to buy the field. In a similar
fashion, God offers his kingdom as incomparable treasure at a price we can
afford! We can't pay the full price for the rich and abundant life which God
offers us - but when we willingly exchange our life for the life which God
offers, we receive a treasure beyond compare.
Searching for the greatest treasure of all
The pearl of great price also tells us a similar lesson (Matthew 13:45). Pearls in the ancient world came to represent the supremely valuable. Why would a merchant sell everything for a single pearl of peerless value? No doubt because he was attracted to what he thought was the greatest treasure he could possess for himself. On another occasion Jesus told his disciples, "do not throw your pearls before swine" (Matthew 7:6). Beautiful unblemished pearls were intended to enhance the beauty and value of those who wore them. Do you recognize and value the hidden treasure of God's kingdom and the peerless pearl which the Lord Jesus offers to all who believe in him?
The pearl of great price also tells us a similar lesson (Matthew 13:45). Pearls in the ancient world came to represent the supremely valuable. Why would a merchant sell everything for a single pearl of peerless value? No doubt because he was attracted to what he thought was the greatest treasure he could possess for himself. On another occasion Jesus told his disciples, "do not throw your pearls before swine" (Matthew 7:6). Beautiful unblemished pearls were intended to enhance the beauty and value of those who wore them. Do you recognize and value the hidden treasure of God's kingdom and the peerless pearl which the Lord Jesus offers to all who believe in him?
Discovering heavenly treasure
Discovering God's kingdom is like stumbling across a hidden treasure or finding the one pearl of great price. When we discover the kingdom of God we receive the greatest possible treasure - the Lord himself. Selling all that we have to obtain this incomparable treasure could mean many things - our friends, possessions, job, our "style of life", what we do with our free time. Treasure has a special connection to the heart, the place of desire and longing, the place of will and focus. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure.
Discovering God's kingdom is like stumbling across a hidden treasure or finding the one pearl of great price. When we discover the kingdom of God we receive the greatest possible treasure - the Lord himself. Selling all that we have to obtain this incomparable treasure could mean many things - our friends, possessions, job, our "style of life", what we do with our free time. Treasure has a special connection to the heart, the place of desire and longing, the place of will and focus. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure.
In this parable what does the treasure of the kingdom
of heaven refer to? It certainly refers to the kingdom of God in all its
aspects (a kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit -
Romans 14:17). But in a special way, the Lord himself is the treasure we seek. "If
the Almighty is your gold and your precious silver, then you will delight
yourself in the Almighty" (Job 22:22-23). Is the Lord the
treasure and delight of your heart?
"Lord Jesus, reveal to me the true riches of your
kingdom. Help me to set my heart on you alone as the treasure beyond compare
with any other. Free my heart of any inordinate desires or attachment to other
things that I may freely give to you all that I have in joy and gratitude for
all that you have given to me. May I always find joy and delight in your
presence."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Finding the pearl of great price, by
Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)
"Now among the words of all kinds that profess to
announce truth, and among those who report them, he seeks pearls. Think of the
prophets as, so to speak, the pearls that receive the dew of heaven and become
pregnant with the word of truth from heaven. They are goodly pearls that,
according to the phrase here set forth, the merchant seeks. And the chief of
the pearls, on the finding of which the rest are found with it, is the very costly
pearl, the Christ of God, the Word that is superior to the precious letters and
thoughts in the law and the prophets. When one finds this pearl all the rest
are easily released. Suppose, then, that one is not a disciple of Christ. He
possesses no pearls at all, much less the very costly pearl, as distinguished
from those that are cloudy or darkened." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 18.8)
WEDNESDAY,
AUGUST 1, MATTHEW 13:44-46
(Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21, Psalm 59)
(Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21, Psalm 59)
KEY VERSE: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field" (v. 44).
TO KNOW: Jesus told his disciples parables to help them understand the meaning of God's reign and the zeal with which it must be pursued. In the parable of the buried treasure, there was great joy in the discovery, which made the man willing to give up everything to make the treasure his own. Nothing else really mattered. The irony was that the treasure was found unexpectedly when he was going about his daily business. In the parable of the priceless pearl, Jesus' point was that the effort to search for and attain the kingdom of God was of inestimable worth and nothing could be compared to it. Jesus' followers had come to value the kingdom as a precious treasure that would last for all eternity. Because they discovered its true worth, they willingly sacrificed everything for its attainment.
TO LOVE: Is my sight set on the treasure of the kingdom or the riches that the world offers?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to value your kingdom above all else.
Memorial of Alphonsus Liguori,
bishop and doctor of the Church
Alphonsus Liguori was born in Marianella, near Naples, in 1696. He was dained at age 29. He was noted for his simple, clear style of preaching, and his understanding manner in the confessional. He was often opposed by Church officials for a perceived laxity toward sinners. He founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Liguorians or Redemptorists). Alphonsus was appointed bishop in 1762, and worked to reform the clergy and revitalize the faithful in the diocese. In 1775 he resigned his office due to his health, and went into what he thought was a prayerful retirement. In 1777 the royal government threatened to disband his Redemptorists. Calling on his knowledge of theology, and his skills as a lawyer, Alphonsus defended the Redemptorists so well that they obtained the king's approval. Alphonsus was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1871.
“Acquire the habit of speaking to God as if you were alone with Him, familiarly and with confidence and love, as to the dearest and most loving of friends.” Alphonsus Liguori
Wednesday 1
August 2018
St Alphonsus Liguori.
Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21. Psalm 58(59):2-5, 10-11, 17-18. Matthew
13:44-46.
God is my refuge on the day of distress—Psalm 58(59):2-5, 10-11,
17-18.
‘Your word was my delight and the joy of my heart.’
Jesus, in his parables of the kingdom of heaven, assures us that
the result of our search for him is like the joy of finding treasure of
great value – which is worth more than anything this world has to offer. So why
look for pleasure in the offerings of this world?
We need to place our ambitions, greed and attachment to
possessions at the feet of the Lord. There, we can look carefully at our lives
and see anew how to praise.
May our one desire be God’s kingdom – the incomparable
experience of living in God’s abounding love.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori
Saint of the Day for August 1
(September 27, 1696 – August 1, 1787)
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| Stained glass window of Saint Alphonse Liguori | Carlow Cathedral | Franz Mayer & Co. (Mayer & Co. of Munich) |
Saint Alphonsus Liguori’s Story
Moral theology, Vatican II said, should be more thoroughly
nourished by Scripture, and show the nobility of the Christian vocation of the
faithful and their obligation to bring forth fruit in charity for the life of
the world. Alphonsus, declared patron of moral theologians by Pius XII in 1950,
would rejoice in that statement.
In his day, Alphonsus fought for the liberation of moral
theology from the rigidity of Jansenism. His moral theology, which went through
60 editions in the century following him, concentrated on the practical and
concrete problems of pastors and confessors. If a certain legalism and
minimalism crept into moral theology, it should not be attributed to this model
of moderation and gentleness.
At the University of Naples, Alphonsus received a doctorate in
both canon and civil law by acclamation, at the age of 16, but he soon gave up
the practice of law for apostolic activity. He was ordained a priest, and concentrated
his pastoral efforts on popular parish missions, hearing confessions, and
forming Christian groups.
He founded the Redemptorist congregation in 1732. It was an
association of priests and brothers living a common life, dedicated to the
imitation of Christ, and working mainly in popular missions for peasants in
rural areas. Almost as an omen of what was to come later, he found himself
deserted after a while by all his original companions except one lay brother.
But the congregation managed to survive and was formally approved 17 years
later, though its troubles were not over.
Alphonsus’ great pastoral reforms were in the pulpit and
confessional—replacing the pompous oratory of the time with simplicity, and the
rigorism of Jansenism with kindness. His great fame as a writer has somewhat
eclipsed the fact that for 26 years he traveled up and down the Kingdom of
Naples preaching popular missions.
He was made bishop at age 66 after trying to reject the honor,
and at once instituted a thorough reform of his diocese.
His greatest sorrow came toward the end of his life. The
Redemptorists, precariously continuing after the suppression of the Jesuits in
1773, had difficulty in getting their Rule approved by the Kingdom of Naples.
Alphonsus acceded to the condition that they possess no property in common, but
with the connivance of a high Redemptorist official, a royal official changed
the Rule substantially. Alphonsus, old, crippled and with very bad sight,
signed the document, unaware that he had been betrayed. The Redemptorists in
the Papal States then put themselves under the pope, who withdrew those in
Naples from the jurisdiction of Alphonsus. It was only after his death that the
branches were united.
At 71, Alphonsus was afflicted with rheumatic pains which left
incurable bending of his neck. Until it was straightened a little, the pressure
of his chin caused a raw wound on his chest. He suffered a final 18 months of
“dark night” scruples, fears, temptations against every article of faith and
every virtue, interspersed with intervals of light and relief, when ecstasies
were frequent.
Alphonsus is best known for his moral theology, but he also
wrote well in the field of spiritual and dogmatic theology. His Glories
of Mary is one of the great works on that subject, and his book Visits
to the Blessed Sacrament went through 40 editions in his lifetime,
greatly influencing the practice of this devotion in the Church.
Reflection
Saint Alphonsus was known above all as a practical man who
dealt in the concrete rather than the abstract. His life is indeed a practical
model for the everyday Christian who has difficulty recognizing the dignity of
Christian life amid the swirl of problems, pain, misunderstanding and failure.
Alphonsus suffered all these things. He is a saint because he was able to
maintain an intimate sense of the presence of the suffering Christ through it
all.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori is the Patron Saint of:
Theologians
Vocations
Vocations
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW
13,44-46
Lectio Divina:
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father and protector,
without you nothing is holy,
nothing has value.
Guide us to everlasting life
by helping us to use wisely
the blessings you have given to the world.
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.
without you nothing is holy,
nothing has value.
Guide us to everlasting life
by helping us to use wisely
the blessings you have given to the world.
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
Jesus said to his disciples: 'The
kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found;
he hides it again, goes off in his joy, sells everything he owns and buys the
field.
'Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.
'Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today presents two brief
parables from the discourse of the Parables. Both are similar to each other,
but with significant differences to clarify better determinate aspects of the
Mystery of the Kingdom, which the parables are revealing.
• Matthew 13,44: The parable of the treasure hidden in the field. Jesus tells a very simple and brief story which could happen in the life of any person. He says: The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field; someone finds it and hides it again, then he goes off with great joy, he sells everything he owns and buys the field”. Jesus does not explain, he only says: “The Kingdom of Heaven is similar to a treasure hidden in a field”. In this way he urges the listeners to share with others what this story has aroused in them. I share some points that are discovered: (a) The treasure, the Kingdom, is already found in the field, in life. It is hidden. We go through the field and step over the plants without being aware. (b) The man finds the treasure, just out of chance. He did not expect to find it, because he was not looking for it. (c) Seeing that it is a question of a very important treasure, what does he do? He does what we all would do in order to take possession of the treasure. He goes and he sells everything that he has and he buys the field. And, thus, together with the field he obtains the treasure also, the Kingdom. The condition is to sell everything! (d) If the treasure, the Kingdom, is already in my life, then an important aspect of life begins to have a new value. (e) In this story, what dominates is gratuity. The treasure is found by chance, independently of our programmes. The Kingdom comes! And we must draw the consequences and not allow this moment of grace to go by without bearing fruit.
• Matthew 13,45-46: The parable of the merchant of fine pearls. The second parable is similar to the first one, but with an important difference. Let us try to discover it. The story is the following: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value, he goes off and sells everything he owns and buys it”. I share some points that I have discovered: (a) it is the story of a merchant of pearls. His profession is to look for pearls. This is the only thing that he does in his life: to look for and to find pearls. Looking, he finds a pearl of great value. Here the discovery of the Kingdom is not just by chance, but it is the fruit of a long search. (b) The merchant of pearls knows the value of the pearls, because many persons would like to sell him the pearls that they find. But the merchant does not allow himself to be deceived. He knows the value of his merchandise. (c) When he finds a pearl of great value, he goes and sells everything which he owns and buys the pearl. The Kingdom is the greatest value.
• Summarizing the teaching of the two parables. Both of them have the same objective: to reveal the presence of the Kingdom, but each one reveals it in a diverse way: through the discovery of the gratuity of God’s action in us, and through the effort and the search which each human being makes to discover always better, the sense of his/her life.
• Matthew 13,44: The parable of the treasure hidden in the field. Jesus tells a very simple and brief story which could happen in the life of any person. He says: The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field; someone finds it and hides it again, then he goes off with great joy, he sells everything he owns and buys the field”. Jesus does not explain, he only says: “The Kingdom of Heaven is similar to a treasure hidden in a field”. In this way he urges the listeners to share with others what this story has aroused in them. I share some points that are discovered: (a) The treasure, the Kingdom, is already found in the field, in life. It is hidden. We go through the field and step over the plants without being aware. (b) The man finds the treasure, just out of chance. He did not expect to find it, because he was not looking for it. (c) Seeing that it is a question of a very important treasure, what does he do? He does what we all would do in order to take possession of the treasure. He goes and he sells everything that he has and he buys the field. And, thus, together with the field he obtains the treasure also, the Kingdom. The condition is to sell everything! (d) If the treasure, the Kingdom, is already in my life, then an important aspect of life begins to have a new value. (e) In this story, what dominates is gratuity. The treasure is found by chance, independently of our programmes. The Kingdom comes! And we must draw the consequences and not allow this moment of grace to go by without bearing fruit.
• Matthew 13,45-46: The parable of the merchant of fine pearls. The second parable is similar to the first one, but with an important difference. Let us try to discover it. The story is the following: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value, he goes off and sells everything he owns and buys it”. I share some points that I have discovered: (a) it is the story of a merchant of pearls. His profession is to look for pearls. This is the only thing that he does in his life: to look for and to find pearls. Looking, he finds a pearl of great value. Here the discovery of the Kingdom is not just by chance, but it is the fruit of a long search. (b) The merchant of pearls knows the value of the pearls, because many persons would like to sell him the pearls that they find. But the merchant does not allow himself to be deceived. He knows the value of his merchandise. (c) When he finds a pearl of great value, he goes and sells everything which he owns and buys the pearl. The Kingdom is the greatest value.
• Summarizing the teaching of the two parables. Both of them have the same objective: to reveal the presence of the Kingdom, but each one reveals it in a diverse way: through the discovery of the gratuity of God’s action in us, and through the effort and the search which each human being makes to discover always better, the sense of his/her life.
4) Personal questions
• A hidden treasure: have I found it
sometimes? Have I sold everything in order to be able to buy it?
• To look for pearls: which is the pearl that you are looking for and you have not as yet found?
• To look for pearls: which is the pearl that you are looking for and you have not as yet found?
5) Concluding Prayer
I will sing of your strength,
in the morning acclaim your faithful love;
you have been a stronghold for me,
a refuge when I was in trouble. (Ps 59,16)
in the morning acclaim your faithful love;
you have been a stronghold for me,
a refuge when I was in trouble. (Ps 59,16)
