Saturday, 12 October 2013 Saturday of the Twenty-seventh week in Ordinary Time Saint(s) of the day : St. Wilfrid, Bishop (c. 634-709) See commentary below or click here Saint Bernard : His mother kept all these things in her heart (Lk 2,51) Book of Joel 4:12-21. Thus says the LORD: Let the nations bestir themselves and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there will I sit in judgment upon all the neighboring nations. Apply the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; Come and tread, for the wine press is full; The vats overflow, for great is their malice. Crowd upon crowd in the valley of decision; For near is the day of the LORD in the valley of decision. Sun and moon are darkened, and the stars withhold their brightness. The LORD roars from Zion, and from Jerusalem raises his voice; The heavens and the earth quake, but the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the men of Israel. Then shall you know that I, the LORD, am your God, dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain; Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall pass through her no more. And then, on that day, the mountains shall drip new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk; And the channels of Judah shall flow with water: A fountain shall issue from the house of the LORD, to water the Valley of Shittim. Egypt shall be a waste, and Edom a desert waste, Because of violence done to the people of Judah, because they shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall abide forever, and Jerusalem for all generations. I will avenge their blood, and not leave it unpunished. The LORD dwells in Zion. Psalms 97(96):1-2.5-6.11-12. The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; Let the many islands be glad Clouds and darkness are round about him, Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, Before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his justice, And all peoples see his glory. Light dawns for the just; And gladness, for the upright of heart. Be glad in the LORD, you just, And give thanks to his holy name. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11:27-28. While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed. He replied, Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it. Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB Commentary of the day : Saint Bernard (1091-1153), Cistercian monk and doctor of the Church Sermon for Advent (trans. cf breviary 1st Thursday of Advent) His mother kept all these things in her heart (Lk 2,51) Listen to Christ himself: “If a man loves me he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him” (Jn 14,23). I have read elsewhere, “The man who fears the Lord will do good” (Sir 15,1). But it is my opinion that more was said of the one who loves, namely that: “He will keep my words”. Where, then, are they to be kept? Without any doubt they are to be kept in the heart, as the prophet says: “I have kept your words in my heart, lest I sin against you” (Ps 119[118],11). How are we to keep the word in our hearts? Is it sufficient to learn it by heart or keep it in mind? The apostle Paul has this to say about those who keep it like that: “Knowledge inflates pride” (1Cor 8,1) and forgetfulness quickly wipes out what we have committed to memory. Keep the word of God in the same way as you would preserve food... since this word is the “bread of lfe” (Jn 6,35), the real food of the soul... Keep the word of God in that way for “blessed are they who keep it”. Let it pierce deep into your inmost soul and penetrate your feelings and actions. Eat well and your soul will delight and grow. Do not forget to eat your bread or your heart will wither, but let your soul feast richly. If you keep the word of God in this way, without a doubt you will be kept by it. The Son with the Father will come to you. The great prophet who will renew Jerusalem will come and “he will make everything new” (Acts 3,22; Jl 4,1; Rev 21,5).
Posted on: Sat, 12 Oct 2013 02:23:13 +0000
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