Thursday, October 15, 2020

Oct 15 - St Teresa of Avila

+ Teresa of Avila was born in March of 1515, daughter of Don Alonso Sanchez de Cepeda and Dona Beatriz. She grew up reading the lives of the saints and playing a “hermit” in the garden. Crippled by disease in her youth, which led to her being well educated at home, Teresa was cured after prayer to St. Joseph. Her mother died when she was 12, and she prayed to Our Lady to be her replacement. Her father opposed her entry to religious life, so she left home without telling anyone, and entered a Carmelite house at 17, taking the name Teresa of Jesus. Seeing her conviction to her call, her father and family finally consented. Soon after taking her vows, Teresa became gravely ill, and her condition was aggravated by the inadequate medical help she received; she never fully recovered her health.

 

At this time Teresa began receiving visions, and was examined by Dominicans and Jesuits, including St. Francis Borgia, who pronounced her visions to be holy and true. She considered her original house too lax in its rule, and so she founded a reformed convent (discalced: shoeless) of St. John of Avila. Teresa founded several houses, often against fierce opposition from local authorities. She was a mystical writer writing The Way of Perfection and Meditations on the Song of Songs. She met and became friends with St. John of the Cross; they encouraged each other along the way of spiritual perfection.

 

Teresa died October 4, 1582, of natural causes, in the arms of her secretary and close friend Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew. Her body is incorrupt, and her relics preserved at Alba. Her heart shows signs of Transverberation (piercing) and is displayed too. She was canonized in 1622 along with St. Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier and Philip Neri, and was one of the first women to be named Doctor of the Church, by Pope Paul VI in 1970. She is patron of the sick, and those who are ridiculed for their piety.

 

Teresa knew intensely the reality of how the spiritual life of the individual is directly and irrevocably intertwined with that of Jesus as the branches of the vine are vitally related to the root! For Teresa of Avila life was Christ, and, for love of him, a life of aiding others in their spiritual growth and journeys was her true vocation; and this she did in spite of physical conditions that plagued her with illness. It was the hope of glory, illumined by the flame of faith, planted in her heart at her own baptism, and then renewed at her religious profession, that encouraged Teresa along the way, and she counted on the prayers to God that only the Holy Spirit himself could emit as groans in the heart of the Father to make her efforts successful.

 

May we revel in our intimate relationship with God today, count on the Spirit’s prayer on our behalf, and then, nourishing the gift of faith already bestowed on us, by the Eucharistic meal, prove our love for God by the way we deal with others as he would!

 

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Oct 13 - 28th Week in OT - Tuesday

+ St. Paul’s great discourse on faith continues today in our first reading from his letter to the Galatians. He tells them that it does not matter if they are circumcised or not – Jews or Greeks – what matters most is that their works of love spring from faith in Jesus. Not that the works in themselves save, but works as the expression of belief that Jesus is the Divine Son of God, are what count, for he as Son of God and Son of Man has brought about our redemption by death on a cross!

 

In the gospel passage, Jesus tells the Pharisees that sterile observance of the law will not get them anywhere, without accompanying good works done for others – the giving of alms – he says that when you give alms from a desire of the heart to do a loving thing, everything will be clean for you!

 

May we today offer our actions to God, accompanied by an act of faith in his divinity, and so make them efficacious for bringing about great good not only for those who will benefit from them, but also for ourselves who make them with humble, loving hearts!

 

The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.

Friday, October 9, 2020

Oct 9 - 27th Week in OT - Friday

+ In the gospel passage today, Jesus, in a sense, addresses a lot of issues and arguments that his revolutionary way of seeing and doing things brings up. His “revolutionary way” is not really so revolutionary as it is free and clear of any prejudices and misgivings. He simply tells things like they are, in his proclamation of God as a loving God, who wants everyone to be a part of his family, free from any contrary spirits that might have affected them previously, healthy, whole and joyful!

The naysayers of course have their own theories about his words and deeds, but Jesus reminds them over and over again – “if what I say and do is from God, you may as well go along with it, because if it is not, then you will be destroyed anyway”

The first reading today tells us about the day of the Lord that will be doom and darkness for those who want it that way, for those who refuse to turn to the Lord and ask for help and protection – he is only so willing to give it, if we but humbly reorient ourselves to him and ask for it!

Today, may we welcome Jesus’ “revolutionary way” of transforming all of creation and humanity into something grand and glorious – let us stay on the right side of a healthy perspective – and live our day proclaiming the kingdom of which we are all called to belong!

The prince of this world will now be cast out; and when I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all to myself, says the Lord.

Sunday, October 4, 2020

Oct 4 - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

+ The readings for the day establish two points: God first acts to plant a vineyard; and he employs workers to take care and tend his investment.  For us this means that it is not we ourselves who have planted anything at all: all comes from God the Father, Creator and Great Architect of the Universe. He has planted everything and everyone where he wants them / us; and he is telling us by means of the parable in the gospel today that the dramatic story of family-formation, salvation and redemption depends upon our cooperation with the process.

 

It is not up to us to pick and choose the parts we will agree with, and not agree with in the process. When God had to show himself to be the one in charge in the history of this family-making project by force, the participants were thrown into a tither –and they cried out to him over and over: OK OK; Your way! Your way! Yah-weh!

 

But then over and over again: they took it back and set themselves up as lords of their own lives, once again. Even when the Father sent his own Son – this temperamental and rebellious people did not accept him – and being the great Light of Truth that he was, showing them exactly who they were, and what was in their hearts – they killed him! They just did not listen to his invitation to “turn away from their iniquity, their sin, their short-sightedness” and be free, happy and redeemed!

 

Our readings today invite us to do two things: to acknowledge the ever active and present Father-God who wants nothing but our happiness; and to cooperate with him to bring about our own salvation and that of as many others as we can: encouraging them to be good and faithful workers in the vineyard of the Lord, with us: doing each day what is good, right and pleasing to God, and encouraging others to do the same! 

 

May the God of peace (especially as we pray on this St Francis of Assisi Feast Day) remain with us always, because we humbly and affectionately ask him to!

Happy New Year 202

  A Happy New Year to you all! I hope and pray I am able to keep this blog up to date now that we are entering into the New Year! I would li...