Friday, October 18, 2024

19-OCT-'24, Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions


Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs
Lectionary: 472

Reading 1
Ephesians 1:15-23
Brothers and sisters:
Hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and of your love for all the holy ones,
I do not cease giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe,
in accord with the exercise of his great might,
which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the Church,
which is his Body,
the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 8:2-3AB, 4-5, 6-7
R. (7) You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
O LORD, our LORD,

how glorious is your name over all the earth!
You have exalted your majesty above the heavens.
Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings
you have fashioned praise because of your foes.
R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.

When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place—
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.

You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
 putting all things under his feet.
R. You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.
 
Alleluia
John 15:26B, 27A
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord,
and you also will testify.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Luke 12:8-12
Jesus said to his disciples: 
 “I tell you,
everyone who acknowledges me before others
the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
But whoever denies me before others
will be denied before the angels of God.

“Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,
but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven.
When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,
do not worry about how or what your defense will be
or about what you are to say. 
For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”

Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections 

Peace in the Face of Judgment

“When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.” Luke 12:11–12

Jesus lived this Gospel passage in His own life to perfection. He was arrested, interrogated, falsely condemned and questioned by the Chief Priest, Herod and Pontius Pilate. During His interrogations, sometimes He spoke and at other times He remained silent. In preparation for these interrogations, Jesus did not study each ruler ahead of time, trying to figure out what He should say and not say. He did not prepare a defense but relied upon His perfect union with the Holy Spirit and with the Father to be led at every moment in His human nature.

Though it may be unlikely that you will be arrested for your faith and put on trial for being Christian by the civil authorities, it is possible that you will experience various other forms of interrogation and condemnation at times during which you are challenged to respond. And more likely, if you are judged by another, you may be tempted to defend yourself in anger, attacking back.

This Gospel passage, when clearly understood and lived, should have the effect of calming you and reassuring you during any and every experience of judgment. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor’s thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way” (# 2478). And though you must always strive to do this yourself, there will most likely be times when others do not act in this careful and truthful way toward you. Thus, if you are judged by another, even if what they say has truth to it, it is important that you not react with defensiveness and anger, unless the Holy Spirit has unmistakably led you to do so. The key message Jesus gives is that you must trust that the Holy Spirit will always lead you as you humbly and continually seek to follow His every prompting. This is only possible if you have built a firm habit of attentiveness to the Voice of God within your conscience.

Because the experience of rash judgment, detraction, calumny and the like are painful to encounter, you must prepare your defense ahead of time by learning to only rely upon the Holy Spirit in all things. Jesus exhorts us to do so! Therefore, if you daily and humbly seek to fulfill God’s will, hear His voice, and respond with generosity, then you can be certain that when the time comes and you experience these forms of judgment, you will be ready. The Holy Spirit will speak to you, inspire you, console you and give you every grace you need to respond in accord with God’s will. Do not doubt this. Have faith and confidence in these words and this promise of our Lord.

Reflect, today, upon the ways that you have responded in the past to the judgment of another. Try to call to mind specific moments when this has happened. Did you respond with similar judgments? Were you filled with anger? Did you brood over injury? Did you lose your peace of heart? If you have fallen into these temptations, then commit yourself in faith to believe what Jesus says today. Trust Him. Trust that He will be with you in those difficult moments in the future and pray that you will be graced to respond only as the Holy Spirit directs you.

Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body 

LAWYER FOR THE DEFENCE

“The Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment all that should be said.” —Luke 12:12

We can hear what God has to say (Ps 85:9). Often this hearing is initiated by opening our mouth to speak or lifting our pen to write. The Spirit teaches us as we step out to speak or to write. The Spirit is the Paraclete (Jn 14:16, 26), a term which can also be translated as Lawyer for the Defense. When you have an expert lawyer, your best strategy is to be quiet and let that lawyer speak for you. How tragic it would be to have the best lawyer and then to not allow him or her to defend you properly. This is called stifling the Spirit. “Do not stifle the Spirit” (1 Thes 5:19).

We naturally want to know the entire message before we speak or write. But often the Spirit moves in us as we begin to speak or write. God receives glory when it’s obvious that He is speaking through us, for we are not able to have such wisdom. The Holy Spirit gave Sts. Peter and John “self-assurance” when they were being interrogated by the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:13). Those who heard them speak were amazed because these two apostles were “uneducated men of no standing” (Acts 4:13). At their testimony, the powerful leaders of the Sanhedrin “could think of nothing to say” (Acts 4:14). Similarly, instead of us Spirit-led Christians being tongue-tied, our accusers won’t be able to speak.

Through the Spirit, God will give us “words and a wisdom which none of [our] adversaries can take exception to or contradict” (Lk 21:15). “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn 20:22).

Prayer: Father, give me the grace to rely on You rather than on my own understanding (Prv 3:5-6).

Promise: “Whoever acknowledges Me before men — the Son of Man will acknowledge him before the angels of God.” —Lk 12:8

Praise: St. Isaac Jogues administered the Sacrament of Baptism to several Iriquois who had earlier attempted to kill him.

Reflection 3
By Fr. Martin Hogan

In this morning’s gospel reading Jesus calls on his disciples to be courageous in bearing witness to him, in declaring themselves for him in the presence of others. He also promises them that in bearing witness to him they won’t be left to their own resources. Rather, as Jesus says, when the time comes the Holy Spirit will teach them what they must say. Declaring ourselves for the Lord today can be difficult because of the climate in which we live which is so often hostile to faith and religion, and our Catholic faith in particular. It is easy to become discouraged when there is so much hostile and negative press around. We can easily be cowed into silence and invisibility. The gospel reading today suggests that we must work to resist that temptation. It calls on us to declare ourselves for the Lord publicly and it promises help in doing that, the help of the Holy Spirit. As Paul says, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. We need to keep on praying for a daily Pentecost in our lives so that we have the courage to declare for the Lord who himself had the courage to declare for God his Father even though it meant having to submit to death on a cross.

Prayers
My innocent Lord, You were put on trial, judged and falsely condemned. Yet in all of that, You were the Innocent Lamb Who always loved and spoke truth with perfection. When I experience judgment in my life, please fill me with peace of heart and trust in Your promise that the Holy Spirit will be with me, inspiring me and leading me in accord with Your perfect will. Holy Spirit, I abandon myself to You now and always. Jesus, I trust in You.

Lord Jesus, you are my hope and my salvation. May I never waver in my hope and trust in your merciful help and strength. Let the fire of your Holy Spirit burn in my heart and fill me with a consuming love for you.

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 292: The Value of Special Vocations
Some people are called to a unique life of prayer and solitude within the context of religious life. In particular, there are those called to the eremitical life or the cloister. These holy souls are separated from the world and spend their days in quiet prayer and work. But what value does this life have to the world? This is an important question to understand. From a worldly point of view, they add little to society. They may be looked upon with curiosity and intrigue, offering inspiration and admiration, but little more is rarely understood of their life. Never underestimate the incredible value of these holy vocations. Their life of hidden prayer and sacrifice brings delight to the Heart of our Lord and is a constant source of His Mercy in the world. In fact, without these holy souls, the world would be in grave danger. Through their lives of prayer and sacrifice the Lord withholds much of His judgment and issues Mercy in its place (See Diary #1434).

What is your understanding of the value of the hidden vocation of religious? Seek to understand the great value of their vocation. Look to them for a deepening understanding of the spiritual life and trust that their prayers are a source of much Mercy in your life. Additionally, reflect upon the fact that you are called to imitate their lives of prayer to one extent or another. Though you may not be called to the cloister or to live as a hermit, you are called to a deep interior life of prayer. Allow these holy souls to teach you by their writings, their witness and their unique vocation. They are an abundant source of Mercy in our world; seek God’s Mercy through them.

Lord, I thank you for the gift of those holy souls called to lives of solitude and prayer. Please sanctify them in their vocation and help them to win many souls for Your Kingdom. I pray that their witness and vocation will inspire many in an interior life of prayer. Jesus, I trust in You.


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