Daily Reflection for January 15, 2015 January 15, 2015 ------------------------------------------------------- Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time We confess that one and the same Christ, Lord, and only-begotten Son, is to be acknowledged in two natures without confusion, change, division or separation. The distinction between the natures was never abolished by their union, but rather the character proper to each of the two natures was preserved as they came together in one person (prosopon) and one hypostasis. -- Council of Chalcedon A SAINT A DAY ------------------------------ ST. ITA Religious Information: Feast Day: January 15 Born: 475, County of Waterford, Ireland Died: 15 January 570 Patron of: Diocese of Limerick, Ireland St. Ita was born of Christian parents towards the end of the fifth century. She belonged to the noble tribe of the Decii in County Waterford. All her early biographers favor the pleasant metaphor describing her as the Brigid of Munster. Actually the differences were more striking than the resemblances between those two foremost women saints of the Celtic church (see St. Brigid). Brigids effective life as a nun was spent in continual movement. When she had made a success of one convent settlement, she moved off to found another. Organization was her bent. Ita did just the opposite. Instead of entering one of Brigids convents, she founded another in a district where there was none, at Killeedy, County Limerick. There she remained all her life, courting retirement. Again, there is an emphasis on austerity in Itas life not found in Brigids. Itas mortifications were on a par with those of the greatest contemporary missionaries. A strongly individualistic character is glimpsed in the legends of Ita. When she decided to settle in Killeedy, a chieftain offered her a large grant of land to support the convent. But Ita would accept only four acres, which she cultivated intensively. The convent became known as a training school for little boys, many of whom later became famous churchmen. One of these was St. Brendan, whom Ita accepted in fosterage when he was a year old and kept until he was six. The great Navigator revisited her between his voyages and always deferred to her counsel. He once asked her what were the three clings which God most detested, and she replied: A scowling face, obstinacy in wrong-doing, and too great a confidence in the power of money. St. Mochoemoc, whom because of his beauty she called Pulcherius, was another great personage of the Celtic church she fostered in infancy. Ita died on January 15th, which is now kept as her feast, about the year 570. There is a strong local cult of her in Munster, particularly in Waterford and Limerick, and her name is a popular one for Irish girls. In the middle of the nineteenth century a new move was made in Ireland for the development of her cult, when Bishop Butler of Limerick obtained from Pope Pius IX a special office and mass for her feast FAVOURITE QUOTES FOR DADS ------------------------------ You know youre a dad when you say things like, Dont ask me; ask you mother. FAVOURITE QUOTES FOR MOMS ------------------------------ And it came to me, and I knew what I had to have before my soul would rest. I wanted to belong - to belong to my mother. And in return - I wanted my mother to belong to me. -- Gloria Vanderbilt 1ST READING (Hebrews 3:7-14) ------------------------------ One of the dangers a person of faith faces is having hardness of heart. This happens when we tolerate sin in our lives. This is the way sin normally works — the devil has a foot in the door with a small sin and then the whole door is forced open with a bigger sin. Let us keep our hearts and minds in love with God so that the devil will never have the opportunity to tear us from our faith. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION ------------------------------ Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people. GOSPEL (Mark 1:40-45) ------------------------------ God wants the best for us. However, His best is not always that easy to discern because we are clouded by the pressures of the world and inordinate desires. We need to be careful that we do not desire that which would not be good for us in the long term. We should trust that God knows and desires the best for us. Let us try to work with His will and not just our own. -------------------------------------------------------- Lectionary for Mass, Copyright ¬© 1970, 1986, 1992, 1998, 2001 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain ¬®¬© 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. -------------------------------------------------------- REFLECTION ------------------------------ Thursday (January 15): People came to Jesus from every quarter Meditation: Do you seek the Lord Jesus with expectant faith? No one who sought Jesus out was refused his help. Even the untouchables and the outcasts of Jewish society found help in him. Unlike the people of Jesus time who fled at the sight of a leper, Jesus touched the leper who approached him and he made him whole and clean. Why was this so remarkable? Lepers were outcasts of society. They were driven from their homes and communities and left to fend for themselves. Their physical condition was terrible as they slowly lost the use of their limbs and withered away. They were not only shunned but regarded as already dead even by their relatives. The Jewish law forbade anyone from touching or approaching a leper, lest ritual defilement occur. This leper did something quite remarkable. He approached Jesus confidently and humbly, expecting that Jesus could and would heal him. Normally a leper would be stoned or at least warded off if he tried to come near a rabbi. Jesus not only grants the man his request, but he demonstrates the personal love, compassion, and tenderness of God in his physical touch. The medical knowledge of his day would have regarded such contact as grave risk for incurring infection. Jesus met the mans misery with compassion and tender kindness. He communicated the love and mercy of God in a sign that spoke more eloquently than words. He touched the man and made him clean - not only physically but spiritually as well. How do you approach those who are difficult to love, or who are shunned by others because they are deformed or have some defect? Do you show them kindness and offer them mercy and help as Jesus did? The Lord is always ready to show us his mercy and to free us from whatever makes us unclean, unapproachable, or unloving towards others. PRAYER ------------------------------ Lord Jesus, inflame my heart with your love and make me clean and whole in body, mind, and spirit. May I never doubt your love nor cease to tell others of your mercy and compassion. -------------------------------------------------------- Lectionary for Mass is from the USCCB website located at: usccb.org/bible/readings/ -------------------------------------------------------- This reflection is courtesy of Don Schwager, whose website is located at: rc.net/wcc/readings/ -------------------------------------------------------- You can also visit mobilegabriel/ for the complete readings and reflections for the whole month. -------------------------------------------------------- A Saint A Day courtesy of EWTN Global Catholic Network at: ewtn/saintsHoly/ -------------------------------------------------------- Inspirational message courtesy of EWTN Global Catholic Network at: ewtn/Devotionals/
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 06:03:04 +0000
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