Thursday 14 March 2013

Melito of Sardis (Easter Homily 36-37.39-45: se 123, 78-84)



Lent: March 14th

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

The Station is at the church of Saints Sylvester and Martin, which is one of the most venerable in Rome. It was originally built by Pope St. Sylvester, and still bears his name: but in the sixth century, it was consecrated to St. Martin of Tours. In the seventh century, it was enriched with the relics of Pope Saint Martin, which were brought from Chersonesus, where he had died a martyr a few years before. This church was the first Title of St. Charles Borromeo. It was also that of the learned liturgiologist, the Blessed Joseph-Mary Tommasi, whose body is now venerated in this church, and has been miraculously preserved, even to this day, in a state of incorruption.


Night Office 
A WORD IN SEASON
Readings for the Liturgy of the Hours
Lent
Years I and II
New Edition  AUGUSTINIAN PRESS 2001  

Fourth of the Week of Lent  THURSDAY                      Year I

First Reading    Hebrews 9:15-28
Responsory                                                                    Heb 9:11-12.24
Christ came as the high priest of the good things to come. Not with the blood of goats or calves, but with his own blood + he entered the holy place once for all, and won our eternal salvation.
V. He did not enter a holy place fashioned by man; he entered heaven itself. + He entered the ...
Second Reading From a homily by Melito of Sardis (Easter Homily 36-37.39-45: se 123, 78-84)
The type was abolished when the Lord was manifested
A work of art is constructed only with the help of a preliminary model, and is seen in advance by means of this image which represents it. That is why a design is traced out beforehand in wax or clay or wood: thanks to this frail little model the real artefact may be seen taking shape, loftier in stature and more durable, beautiful in form and richly equipped. But as soon as the final product for the sake of which the model existed has come into being, the preliminary draft is disposed of as something which is of no further use, for it has yielded to the real thing that semblance of reality which it bore. So what was once precious becomes worthless when what is essentially precious has made its appearance.

Now the principle valid for perishable things in this example holds good too for those which are imperishable. As it is with earthly matters, so it is with the things of heaven. For the Lord's salvation and his truth were prefigured in the chosen people, and the precepts of the gospel were proclaimed beforehand in the law. The chosen people served as a roughed-out plan, and the law as a written parable, but the gospel is the explanation and fulfilment of the law, and the Church is the place to which the reality is entrusted. The type was held in honour before the coming of the reality, and the parable was admirable before it was interpreted; that is to say, the chosen people was honoured before the Church was raised up, and the law was admirable before the gospel dawned. But when the Church was founded and the gospel promulgated, then the type lost its meaning, for it ceded its right to the reality, and the law was fulfilled in yielding its force to the gospel. Like a sketch that has served its purpose or a parable superseded by its interpretation, the law was fulfilled when the dawn of the gospel broke, and the chosen people lost its privileges once the Church was set up. The type was abolished when the Lord was manifested. What was once so precious has today become worthless, now that those mysteries which are truly precious have been revealed.

For of old the slaying of the sheep was a precious thing, but now it is worthless because of the life of the Lord. Precious was the sheep's death, but now it is worthless because of the Lord's revelation. Precious was the blood of the sheep, but now it is of no value because of the Spirit of the Lord. The uncomplaining lamb was once precious, but now worthless because of the unblemished Son. The temple here on earth was precious, but worthless now because Christ has ascended. Jerusalem here below was precious, but worthless now because of the Jerusalem on high. The narrow heritage of Israel was precious once, but worthless now that grace has been spread far and wide. For not in that one place only nor in that meagre strip of land is the glorious presence of God established; his grace has been poured out over all the regions of the earth, and there almighty God has pitched his tent through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory unto all eternity. Amen.

Responsory                                               Heb 4:14.16; Rom 3:25
We have as our high priest Jesus, the Son of God. + Let us then approach the throne of grace with perfect confidence, to receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.
V. God made Christ's sacrificial death the means of expiating the sins of all believers. + Let us then ...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Melito of Sardis
Apologist and Bishop of Sardis
Died180
Honored inRoman Catholic ChurchEastern Orthodox ChurchEastern Catholic Church
CanonizedPre-congregation
Feast1 April
Melito of Sardis (GreekΜελίτων Σάρδεων) (died c. 180) was the bishop of Sardis near Smyrna in western Anatolia, and a great authority in Early ChristianityJerome, speaking of the Old Testament canon established by Melito, quotes Tertullian to the effect that he was esteemed a prophet by many of the faithful. His feast is celebrated on April 1.


 
 Tabulinum:  De Scriptoribus Ecclesiae Relatis 
 Materia:  De Graecis Scriptoribus 
 Argumentum:  0100-0200- Melito Sardum in Asia Episcopus 
 Sancto Alberto Magno Patrono Plorante ac Beata Semper Virgine Maria Intercedente, Spiritus Sancte, Veritatis Deus, Hunc Locum a Malo Defendere Digneris. 

                      

  http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/30_20_0100-0200-_Melito_Sardum_in_Asia_Episcopus.html  

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