John Vianney  was  born as Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney on 8 May 1786 in Dardilly in France and  was baptized on the day of his birth. John was the fourth of six children to his parents Matthieu Vianney and Marie Beluze, who were both devout Catholics.  Matthieu and Marie helped the poor and even gave hospitality to St. Benedict Joseph Labre, the patron saint of tramps, who passed through Dardilly whilst on his pilgrimage to Rome.  In 1770, due to the French Revolution many priests had to hide to do the sacraments in their parishes because of the government.  Even thought it was illegal, the Vianneys would travel to distant farms to pray and attend mass in secret. Because of the risks taken daily by priests, John Vianney began to look upon them as heroes. John had his first Communion lessons carried out by three priests in a public home, and he made his First Communion at the age of 13. During this mass and the lessons for communion, all the windows had to be covered so that the light from the candles couldn’t be seen from the outside.  The Catholic Church was re-established in France in 1802, resulting in religious peace throughout the country. By this time, Vianney was worried about his future vocation and yearned for education. He was 20 when his father allowed him to leave the farm to be taught at a “presbytery-school” in the neighbouring village of Écully, conducted by the Abbé Balley. The school taught the subjects of arithmetic, history, geography, and Latin. Because Vianney had previously had his education interrupted by the French Revolution, he struggled at the school, especially with the Latin but he perservered because of his deep desire to join the priesthood. Vianney continued to study until his studies were interrupted again when he was drafted into Napoleon’s armies in 1809. The exemption Vianney should have had with being an ecclesiastical student was withdrawn in certain dioceses because of the need of soldiers for Napoloeon to fight against Spain. Vianney became ill only two days after having to report at Lyons and was hospitalised.  This meant the other drafted soldiers left without him but he was redrafted on his release from hospital on Jan 5th.  He went to a church to pray and so fell behind the group. He met a man who offered to guide him back to the group but who then led him deep into the mountains of Le Forez, to the village of Les Noes, where deserters had gathered, and where he lived hidden in a farmhouse for the next fourteen months  under the care of Claudine Fayot, a widow with four children. Vianney assumed the name Jerome Vincent, and under that name he opened a school for village children and because of the harsh weather they were isolated from trouble from the army. In the warmer weather, the army would search regularly for him so Vianney would hide inside stacks of fermenting hay in the barn.  An imperial decree in March 1810 granted amnesty to all deserters, which enabled Vianney to go back legally to Ecully, where he resumed his studies. He was tonsured in 1811, and in 1812 he went to the minor seminary at Verrières-en-Forez. In autumn of 1813, he was sent to major seminary at Lyons. Considered too slow, he was returned to Abbe Balley. However, Balley persuaded the Vicars General that Vianney’s piety was great enough to compensate for his ignorance, and the seminarian received minor orders and the subdiaconate on 2 July 1814, was ordained a deacon in June 1815, and was ordained priest on 12 August 1815 in the Couvent des Minimes de Grenoble. He said his first Mass the next day, and was appointed assistant to Balley in Écully.n 1818, shortly after the death of Balley, Jean-Marie Vianney was appointed parish priest of the parish of Ars, a town of 230 inhabitants.  When Vianney’s bishop first assigned him to Ars, he got lost trying to find the town. Two young men tending flocks in the fields pointed him in the right direction.With Catherine Lassagne and Benedicta Lardet, he established La Providence, a home for girls. As parish priest, Vianney realized that the Revolution’s aftermath had resulted in religious ignorance and indifference, due to the devastation wrought on the Catholic Church in France. At the time, Sundays in rural areas were spent working in the fields, or dancing and drinking in taverns. Vianney spent time in the confessional and gave homilies against blasphemy and dancing. If his parishioners did not give up dancing, he refused them absolution. Abbe Balley had been Vianney’s greatest inspiration, since he was a priest who remained loyal to his faith, despite the Revolution. Vianney felt compelled to fulfill the duties of a curé, just as did Balley, even when it was illegal. Vianney came to be known internationally, and people from distant places began traveling to consult him as early as 1827.”By 1855, the number of pilgrims had reached 20,000 a year. During the last ten years of his life, he spent 16 to 18 hours a day in the confessional. Even the bishop forbade him to attend the annual retreats of the diocesan clergy because of the souls awaiting him yonder”. He spent at least 11 or 12 hours a day in the confessional during winter, and up to 16  hours during the summer. Vianney had a great devotion to St. Philomena. Vianney regarded her as his guardian and erected a chapel and shrine in honor of the saint. During May 1843, Vianney fell so ill he thought that his life was coming to its end. He asked St Philomena to cure him and promised to say 100 Masses at her shrine. Twelve days later, Vianney was cured and he attributed his cure to her intercession. Vianney yearned for the contemplative life of a monk, and four times ran away from Ars, the last time in 1853.  He was a champion of the poor as a Franciscan tertiary and was a recipient of the coveted French Legion of Honour, which, he sold, donating the money to the orphanage. On 4 August 1859, Vianney died at age of 73. The bishop presided over his funeral with 300 priests and more than 6,000 people in attendance. Before he was buried, Vianney’s body was fitted with a wax mask. Biographers recorded miracles performed throughout his life, obtaining money for his charities and food for his orphans; he had supernatural knowledge of the past and future, and could heal the sick, especially children. The body of Saint John Mary Vianney  was found to be incorrupt by the Catholic Church. The body is entombed above the main altar in the Basilica at Ars, France.  On 3 October 1874 Pope Pius IX proclaimed him “venerable”; on 8 January 1905, Pope Pius X declared him Blessed and proposed him as a model to the parochial clergy. In 1925 John Marie Vianney was canonized by Pope Pius XI, who in 1929 made him patron saint of parish priests. In 1928 his feast day was inserted into the General Roman Calendar for celebration on 9 August. Pope John XXIII’s 1960 revision, in which the Vigil of Saint Lawrence had a high rank, moved the feast to 8 August. Finally, the 1969 revision placed it on 4 August, the day of his death. In 1959, on the 100th anniversary of his death, Pope John XXIII issued Sacerdotii Nostri Primordia, an encyclical on Vianney. St. John Paul II himself visited Ars in 1986 at the 200th anniversary of Vianney’s birth and referred to the great saint as a “rare example of a pastor acutely aware of his responsibilities…and a sign of courage for those who today experience the grace of being called to the priesthood. St. John Vianney is the Patron Saint of Priests.

For any one who has attempted to have a decent garden, they know there is much work involved. From preparing the soil, to digging rows in which to plant, to the actual sowing of seeds, it seems the work is never done. And this is only the beginning. There is then the constant attention a well-tended garden requires, including adding fertilizer to feed the new crops, the plucking of stubborn weeds, and then in the case of a vegetable garden, the time comes for finally harvesting the fruits of our labors. With all this work, one might ask why do this—when often the results are less than perfect, if the garden bears fruit at all. But I believe the beauty of having a garden is not the end product, but the process of creating and cultivating a precious, living thing.

Having recently experienced the laborious process of having a garden, one which includes flowers and vegetables, I can attest to the fact that it does require a lot of work. Even the small one of mine, has been a trial and error process, resulting in lessons learned. As I battle random weeds and pesky pests, I often am surprised at what actually sprouts up out of the earth. Where once was dead grass, and rocky soil, now grows beautiful lilies and bulging tomato plants. I am also surprised by the random plant which sprouts, and when I let grow instead of plucking it like the weed I assume it is, grows in to a beautiful yellow flower. Had I pulled this dear plant from my garden, I never would have known the beauty of this gift from Mother Nature.

I imagine this is the reason for the following parable in Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
“He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”

So we ask ourselves, why allow weeds (or in the case of the previous passage “children of the evil one”) to even sprout up at all? I believe our Father has another message here, which goes beyond describing the “kingdom of heaven”, and detailing the difference between weeds and wheat, (or good and bad seed). If you will notice, the Son of Man is advised to wait until harvest time to collect the weeds to be burned, and then the wheat is cultivated, thus the “righteous will shine like sun”. So why wait? Why not pluck out the offending weed as soon as it sprouts? Maybe this is to allow the bad seed or weed, a chance to grow in to something good, something beautiful. Just as in the case of the random green shoot which sprouted unexpectedly in my garden, maybe our dear Father is giving all things, the good and bad seed, a chance to grow in to something precious, good, beautiful. To grow in to something worth cultivating at harvest time, to become righteous and pleasing to our Lord.

This particular parable really struck home with me. Often I lament the fact that I feel more like a weed most days, than the precious wheat. Not because I feel evil, but because some days I feel I am unworthy to be welcomed in to “the kingdom of their Father”. But if God cautions us to be patient, and He allows weeds to grow amongst the wheat. Is He not then sending the message that with patience, and loving care, as with a garden, all things have the potential to be good, and beautiful?!

One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless.
And we, though many, throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord.
Gentile or Jew, woman or man, no more.   Many the gifts, many the works, one in the Lord of all.
Grain for the fields, scattered and grown, gathered to one, for all.

One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless.  And we, though many, throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord.

Today is a great Feast Day in the life of the liturgical church throughout Christendom:  The Solemnity of Corpus Christi.  This day is celebrated in recognition of the Eucharist, and everything the Eucharist is and means.  Today we celebrate, literally, the Body of Christ.  We all know that the Eucharist was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper.  We all know that we, as Catholics, believe that the bread and the wine become the body and blood of Our Lord.  We all know that our Protestant brothers and sisters believe that the bread and the wine are symbolic of the body and blood of our Lord.  We all know that wars have been fought over these two basic, yet entirely different beliefs.  We also know that from many, if not most, of the liturgical pulpits in the world, the Word will be proclaimed concerning the Eucharist.  Today, however, I would like to put a different spin on Corpus Christi.  I would like for us to leave the upper room of Christ and the disciples, and jump ahead a few years to Corinth, and to listen to what the Apostle Paul has to say about “the body of Christ.”

¹² For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. ¹³ For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into^[c] one Spirit. ¹⁴ For in fact the body is not one member but many.  ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁷ If the whole bodywere an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? ¹⁸ But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. ¹⁹ And if they were all one member, where would the body be?  ²⁰ But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. ²¹ And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. ²³ And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, ²⁴ but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, ²⁵ that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. ²⁶ And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.  ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. ²⁸ And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But earnestly desire the best^[d] gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.  (1 Corinthians 12:12-31 NKJV)

We, the Church, we, the people of God, we, puny imperfect people that we are, WE are the body of Christ.  Some of us dress funny.  Some of us talk funny.  Some of us have emotional issues.  Some of us just have issues.  But we, ALL of us, together, make up the body of Christ.  Warts and all.  Some of us are wildly and multiply talented.  Some of us are incredibly intelligent.  Some of us have been blessed with physical beauty.  Some of us have been blessed with spiritual beauty.  Be we, ALL of us together, make up the body of Christ.

Because we are all of us different, it can be said that we make up different parts of the body of Christ.  We each of us have different gifts.  Some make up the head, some the heart.  Others are the feet and the hands of the body of Christ.  Granted there are parts of the body of Christ that we would rather keep hidden, under wraps.  But are these parts any less important?  Do these parts not serve a major and important function in the working of the body?  I believe that they do.

Several months ago, we were struggling with the problem of readmitting someone to the Order of Preachers Old Catholic.  This person and come and gone more than once, and had tried our patience severely.  As is my custom  when in need of guidance, I went to our dear Archbishop and asked his advice.  Do I give her one more chance, or not?  He and I talked about it, mulled it over, prayed about it, and decided to wait on a definite answer from God to see what it was, exactly, we were to do.  That night, he had a dream.  In his dream, Jesus appeared to the Archbishop, held out His nail-scarred  hands and said, “I did this for her, too.  Can you do any less?”  Needless to say, the person in question was readmitted to the Order…as a part of the Body of Christ.

Last Sunday, I was privileged to be at the inaugural Mass at one of our new parishes.  After Mass, there was a pot luck meal.  The dishes were plentiful and varied.  There was something there for everyone.  Not everyone liked or ate the exact same thing, (and a few of us ate way too much of just about everything,) and no one went away hungry.

My point, here, folks, if I haven’t made it already is simply this:  WE, all of us, make up the body of Christ.  What one person brings to the table may not be of particular interest or value to another person, but there is someone at that table who needs just that.  Perhaps we feel that this person or that person isn’t quite what we would like to see in our church, or in our family, or in our lives, but to someone, somewhere, that person is exactly who is needed.  The very person whom we consider to be “less than worthy” to represent Christ and His church may just be the exact one who is needed in certain situations.

As we go along in our daily lives, let us remember the lessons of today, this Feast of Corpus Christi, that we all of us make up the One Bread, the One Body, the One Cup, that is the Body of Christ.  Amen.

This month, we celebrate Father’s Day, to honor all those dads who sacrifice and work to care for their children and others in their care. Occurring on June 15, 2014, it is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June, but it is also celebrated widely on other days. Father’s Day was created to complement Mother’s Day, a celebration that honors mothers and motherhood.

Father’s Day was founded in Spokane, Washington at the YMCA in 1910 by Sonora Smart Dodd, who was born in Arkansas. Its first celebration was in the Spokane YMCA on June 19, 1910. Her father, the Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, was a single parent who raised his six children there. After hearing a sermon about Jarvis’ Mother’s Day in 1909, she told her pastor that fathers should have a similar holiday honoring them. Although she initially suggested June 5, her father’s birthday, the pastors did not have enough time to prepare their sermons, and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June. A bill to accord national recognition of the holiday was introduced in Congress in 1913. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson went to Spokane to speak in a Father’s Day celebration and wanted to make it official, but Congress resisted, fearing that it would become commercialized. US President Calvin Coolidge recommended in 1924 that the day be observed by the nation, but stopped short of issuing a national proclamation. In 1957, Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith wrote a proposal accusing Congress of ignoring fathers for 40 years while honoring mothers, thus “[singling] out just one of our two parents”. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Six years later, the day was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972.

Fathers are seen traditionally as protectors, providers, and role models for their children. Sometimes we ascribe such high expectations on Dad, that the reality can often fall short. Then we may get disillusioned, or lose heart, fearing as if without the love and support of our father, we are doomed. This can be especially true for little girls, who look up to daddy to be their hero, and provide positive feedback which enriches their self esteem. Boys look to their dads for advice on a wide range of subjects, believing Dad knows it all. This is the very same role Jesus played while on earth. He guided His children, offering advice when asked, and providing love and support when we need it most. Such as He did in 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11:

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.”

Here I believe Jesus is cautioning His children to not lose heart when things are not going well. To “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you” , thus clearly showing that our Heavenly Father is always looking out for us. And to know that your brothers and sisters the world over also may be suffering, but Father is there and “will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you.” Isn’t that what a good father does for his children? Always there for them, offering advice, love, and patience, but with a firm hand to guide them in to adulthood.

In Acts 17:1-11, Jesus is looking to His Father, God of all, seeking His glory for all the work He did in God’s name here on earth.

“After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”

Just as a dad has his young charges to raise as best he can, so Jesus was given the task of teaching His children, about the Heavenly Father, and the truth of His love and presence in our lives.”I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.” He further asks God to “protect them in your name that you have given me”. In an ideal world, every man that calls himself Dad would do this for his children, but we are merely human, and thus we sometimes fail. But there is a Father who loves us unconditionally, will always be there when we seek Him in prayer, and with a patient but strong presence, will guide us through the pitfalls of life.

John 20:1-18

20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 20:2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 20:3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 20:4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 20:5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.

20:6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 20:7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 20:8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 20:9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

20:10 Then the disciples returned to their homes. 20:11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 20:12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.

20:13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”

20:14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

20:15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?”

Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

20:16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher).

20:17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'”

20:18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Today, we celebrate the greatest day in the history of the world! Today we celebrate the Great Truth that Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified on a cross and died for each of us, arose from the dead in just three days!!  Our Lord Jesus was victorious over death and over the Grave. Our Lord rose up from the dead leaving the tomb empty. He was seen by Mary Magdelene, so that she could tell all the wonderful news!  We who are truly one with the Lord were victorious over death with His rising from death, and all of us who truly believe and follow Him, though like Him we must suffer the physical death of the body, we will be raised again to share with the Lord the Father’s eternal glory.

Where oh grave is thy victory for those who truly believe, love and follow the teachings of our Lord? There is none!! Yes, it may seem to some that when we lose loved ones to physical death, that it is the end for them, but didn’t people think exactly the same when our Lord was laid in physical death in the tomb? Of course they did!! But we who are one with our Lord know better! We know that because Our Lord Jesus died and was risen, that our bonds of eternal death were broken and have fallen from us like the cutting of shackles and has set us free. The Lord Jesus died so that each of us who truly believe will have eternal life, Such Love for us sinners that he would take on death for each of us and then turn the eternal darkness of the grave into such a wonderful victory of which we can all share!! Our Lord Lives!! He lives today together with the Father in Heaven, where all who truly believe will also live in eternal rejoicing!

 

A Reading from the Gospel According to Luke

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

¹⁴ And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. ¹⁵ And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ For I tell you I will not eat it^[a] until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁷ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. ¹⁸ For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” ¹⁹ And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.^{[b] 21} But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. ²² For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” ²³ And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

Who Is the Greatest?

²⁴ A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. ²⁵ And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. ²⁶ But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. ²⁷ For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

²⁸ “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, ²⁹ and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, ³⁰ that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

³¹ “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you,^[c] that he might sift you like wheat, ³² but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” ³³ Peter^[d] said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” ³⁴ Jesus^[e] said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

Scripture Must Be Fulfilled in Jesus

³⁵ And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” ³⁶ He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. ³⁷ For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” ³⁸ And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

³⁹ And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. ⁴⁰ And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” ⁴¹ And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, ⁴² saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” ⁴³ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. ⁴⁴ And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.^{[f] 45} And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, ⁴⁶ and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

⁴⁷ While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, ⁴⁸ but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” ⁴⁹ And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” ⁵⁰ And one of them struck the servant^[g] of the high priest and cut off his right ear. ⁵¹ But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. ⁵² Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? ⁵³ When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

Peter Denies Jesus

⁵⁴ Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. ⁵⁵ And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. ⁵⁶ Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” ⁵⁷ But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” ⁵⁸ And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” ⁵⁹ And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” ⁶⁰ But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. ⁶¹ And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” ⁶² And he went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus Is Mocked

⁶³ Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. ⁶⁴ They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” ⁶⁵ And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.

The Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well is a picture of a rational sinner who can come to Christ. If a skid row prostitute can become a child of God, what is stopping any of us from doing the same? A familiar passage in the Bible is John chapter 4:5-42, where Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman at the well.

“ So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.)  The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.” Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!”  The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.” Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” They left the city and were on their way to him. Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”

As we read this passage, we learn a bit about a skid row prostitute and drug abuser who become a child of God, and then immediately become an evangelistic witness for Christ.

Picture these events as they unfold:

Jesus and his disciples had to pass through Samaria, It was around noon near Jerusalem, and it was probably a very hot day! Across the parched earth, a woman was walking toward the water well located on the edge of town. This is the same well that Jacob gave to his favorite son, Joseph, and even today this well still exists. The Samaritan woman was alone because the other, respectable women who lived in town, had been to the well early in the cool of the morning. They had all filled their pots with water for their needs of the day. This woman came to the well alone because she was considered an outcast in her village. She had been married 5 times and was currently living with a man who wasn’t her husband. So her reputation around the town was pretty low. She wasn’t a respectable woman, that’s why she arrived at the well in the middle of the day; so she wouldn’t be harassed by the respectable women who lived in the area. As she approached the well, she carried a heavy clay water pot toward the well, but she also carried a much heavier burden in her soul.

Having been confronted by Jesus with her blemished history, the Samaritan woman concludes that Jesus is a prophet. and was surprised He actually talked to her, because the Samaritans were despised and hated by the Jews. For the Samaritans recognized only the parts of the Bible that suited their needs for the moment. They made God fit for their own agenda. The Samaritans turned God into what ever they wanted Him to be, but as we all know, we can’t rationalize God into whatever we want Him to be. Yet Jesus took the time to talk with this woman, who was pretty much shunned by her community for her lifestyle choices. He offered her a most precious gift, living water of His salvation. She offered Him a drink of water, but what He offered her was so much more precious. And He gave her an added gift  By talking to this Samaritan woman, Jesus clearly demonstrated His belief that every one of us is worthy of receiving a drink from the living well of Christ’s love and mercy. And I think most importantly, as the latter part of the passage states, “Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony”, Jesus used this woman to spread His teachings. If He can use a sinful Samarian woman to share His message, then surely he must do the same with us.  Amen.

Will Work for Food.  Homeless.  Please help.  How many people drive by the man standing at the mall entrance, or the interstate traffic exchange,   without acknowledging his existence?  How many of us adjust the radio, play with our cell phone, look in the sun visor’s mirror, so that we don’t make eye contact?  How many of us keep going without looking, or at the very least without seeing, the sign written in magic marker, “Unemployed with 3 Kids, Please Help”?

Why do we react by failing to act?  Why do we respond to the expressed needs of the more unfortunate with no response at all?  Do compassion, generosity, even exist anymore?  Why do we not see more examples of these in our daily lives?  Is it a sense of shame we feel?  Is it because we don’t believe the hand written sign? Has the evening news run stories about these people saying that most of them are just scamming us? The truth is that some are just scamming us and they don’t really need the money they collect every day. But some do need the money and are really desperate for a bit of food and do really have wives and children at home who are hungry.   What do we do when we are in situations like this?

When St. Dominic was studying to become a priest, the story is told of his great charity towards the less fortunate.  It seems that when Dominic had given all that he had, and had run out of money, there were still those who needed his help.  Rather than to not help those in need, our beloved saint sold his tunic and gave the money to a poor man.  As it turns out, the ‘poor man’ used the money to visit a tavern and drink the money away.  When made aware of what the man had done, and in response to his fellow seminarians who were taunting him on the loss of his tunic for no good reason, our father Dominic replied, “Better to have lost my tunic, than to have lost my charity.”  So it should be with us.

During this season of Lent we should keep this in the back of our minds and remember that in this day and age there are hungry children, hungry parents and even hungry pets in our midst.  During this season of Lent we need to keep this in the foremost of our actions.  We don’t have to contribute large amounts of money to make a difference in someone’s life. The loose change in the cup holder of your car could make a huge difference in someone’s life.  You could buy an extra loaf of bread and a package of bologna while you are shopping for groceries and give it to the guy standing in front of the shopping center with the sign. Most of us can afford this from time to time.  Most of us have no excuse for NOT affording this from time to time.

Luke 6:38 says:  “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

This doesn’t mean that if you give a loaf of bread and a package of bologna you will get the same back, but it does mean that if we are generous with our money, our time, our love and ourselves the Lord will reward us with peace and joy in our hearts.

Proverbs 21:13 states, “Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.”

This verse does not need any explanation and tells us that the Lord expects us to share what we have with others and if we don’t we should not expect to receive blessing. During this Lenten season we should be more aware of the less fortunate and needy. Take a few minutes and look around you, at work, at school, wherever you are.  There are people in need and the smallest of donations to these people can better their lives just a little and make their lives more comfortable.  By doing so, our actions would serve as reminder to them that God is still watching over them and hasn’t forgotten them.

But, do we have the time to do that which we are called to do?  Is this why we often fail to act?

Is it because we are so busy?  Sometimes in our lives today we tend to overlook the people who are less fortunate than we are, not because we don’t care and not because we feel we are better than those in need, but we overlook them because we have too many things going on in our lives. If there were a couple more hours added to every day we would probably still be too busy to notice those in need.

If we can just make an effort to slow down and notice those around us on a daily basis, we are sure to find people and families in need of a little help. This Lent keep in mind that the world is full of souls who are in need one way or the other. Remember that Jesus gave everything for us; couldn’t we give a little of ourselves and a little of what we have been blessed with, to our fellow man.

 

 

Born in Catania, Sicily; died 1486; cultus approved 1825. Born of wealthy and pious parents, Bernard was given a good education. In spite of this good training, he spent a careless youth. Only after he was badly injured in a duel was he brought back to his senses. His long convalescence gave him plenty of time to think, and once he was able to go out of the house, he went to the Dominican convent of Catania and begged to be admitted to the order.

Bernard, as a religious, was the exact opposite of what he had been as a young man. Now he made no effort to obtain the things he had valued all his life, but spent his time in prayer, solitude, and continual penance. There is little recorded of his life, except that he kept the rule meticulously, and that he was particularly kind to sinners in the confessional. Apparently, he did not attain fame as a preacher, but was content to spend his time in the work of the confessional and the private direction of souls.

One legend pictures Bernard as having great power over birds and animals. When he walked outside in the gardens, praying, the birds would flutter down around him, singing; but as soon as he went into ecstasy, they kept still, for fear they would disturb him. Once, the porter was sent to Bernard’s room to call him, and saw a bright light shining under the door. Peeking through the keyhole, he saw a beautiful child shining with light and holding a book, from which Bernard was reading. He hurried to get the prior to see the marvel.

Bernard had the gift of prophecy, which he used on several occasions to try warning people to amend their lives. He prophesied his own death. Fifteen years after his death, he appeared to the prior, telling his to transfer his remains to the Rosary chapel. During this translation, a man was cured of paralysis by touching the relics (Benedictines, Dorcy).

Born: Catania, Sicily (year unknown)

Died: 1486

Canonized: Leo XII confirmed cultus in 1825