Our saint for today: Damasus – was born in Spain around the year 305. He was admitted to the Roman clergy and in 366, during a period of upheaval in the Church, was ordained bishop of Rome. He summoned synods to work against schismatics and heretics and widely promoted the cult of the martyrs whose burial places he adorned with sacred verse. He died in 384.
From the reading of St. Paul today, and from the life and work of St. Damasus it is evident that there always has been a predominating element in the world trying to pervert the story of God's tremendous love demonstrated in sending his own Son to reconcile things between us and him! For those who have weak, little or no faith the things of God make little or no sense! But from those who are alive with the Holy Spirit – given in Baptism and Confirmation – everything takes on a whole new, clear and sacred meaning!
It was Damasus' job – as pope – to continue to reveal to the world what was revealed by Jesus, and what Jesus commanded his successors to proclaim: that friendship with God, and the self-sacrificing love that is entailed in it – is the most important thing there is! "No, one has greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends! You are my friends, if you do what I command you! I no longer call you slaves…I call you friends because I have told you everything I have heard from the Father. It was not you who chose me, it was I who chose you to go out into the world and tell everyone about this one amazing FRIENDSHIP that everyone is called to participate in!
Strengthened by the bread of Eucharist – the bread of incomparable friendship – we go forth to be friends with all we meet to one extent or another – true, real, genuine, authentic, Eucharistically-based FRIENDS!
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