Sts Simon and Jude Feast 2. Mass Apostles Intro Fr. Brendan,

  

St. Jude Thaddeus
 
• Mass Apostles  
  Feast 28/10/2015

30th Wed 28 Oct 2015, Luke 6­_12-19 cf. Magnificat

Jesus spent the whole night in prayer.

In the morning he chose his twelve Apostles.

 

Who is St. Jude Thaddeus?

   St. Jude is the Patron Saint of Hope and hopeless cases

King Abagar of Edessa asked Jesus to cure him of leprosy and sent an artist to bring him an icon of Jesus. Impressed with Abagar’s great faith, Jesus pressed His face on a cloth, leaving the image of His face on it. He gave the cloth to St. Jude, who took the image to Abagar and cured him.

   In the middle ages, in a vision, Christ told St. Bridget, “In accordance with his surname, Thaddeus, which means amiable or loving, he will show himself most willing to give help.”

   In the early 20^th century, devotion to St Jude was almost unknown. It resurfaced when a Claretion Father in Chicago built a shrine to St Jude. Today, millions of people around the world turn to St. Jude for help.

   In Cameroon and Nigeria, there is a flourishing St Jude Society in almost every parish. They have more than their fair share of hopeless cases. May the Lord help them.

 

 Father, may the Holy Spirit renew our hearts with faith, Hope and charity, through Christ our Lord.

Ps. Thank you William for your kind condolences on Patricia's departing this world. She was a gem, natural and supernatural. 

     I also thank you for your most interesting comments on "Reading the signs of the times" and other snippets. I thoroughly enjoy them, they are so apposite and uplifting.

     Gabrielle Bossis says Our Lord wants us to always smile with his smile. It is not so easy when you look solemn even when quite happy inside. The chief concelebrant at the funeral Mass smiled a lot at appropriate places. He also does not find it easy. How about you? The Pentecostals seem to smile a lot more than main stream churches.                  Brendan.

 

Sts. Simon and Jude, apostles - Feast

Wednesday, 28 October 2015 SAINTS SIMON AND JUDE Apostles (Feast)          The name of Saint Simonusually appears eleventh in the list of the apostles. Nothing is known of him except that he was born at Cana and is surnamed "The Zealot".          Saint Jude, also called Thaddeus, was the apostle who asked the Lord at the Last Supper why he has manifested himself only to his disciples and not to the whole world (John 12:22). Christian Prayer : The Liturgy of the Hours - Daughters of St. Paul * St. Paul Editions * 1976 ©Evangelizo.org 2001-2015

St. Matthew. The gospel of the glory of God is Matthew's.

Sancta Maria Abbey: http://www.nunraw.com.uk (Website) Blogspot: http: //www.nunraw.blogspot.co.uk, Doneword: http: //www.donewill.blogspot.co.uk | domdonald.org.uk, Emails: nunrawdonald@yahoo.com, nunrawdonald@gmail.com

----- Forwarded Message ----- 

From: Donald ...

To: ... 

Cc: ... 

Sent: Monday, 21 September 2015, 9:16 

Subject: MatthewApostle

Quickie and the iPad to speedy Pope in Cuba Sent from my iPad.    

  

Saint Matthew, apostle

 Wednesday, 21 September 2011 7:48

Matthew Was an Accomplished scribe, well versed in the law of God. With all His heart he Studied the law of the Lord, with Whose help he Lived as he Taught. The gospel of the glory of God is Matthew's. With all His heart he Studied the law of the Lord, with Whose help he Lived as he Taught.   (Responsory, Office of Readings)

The first reading from the New Testament for the feast of the Apostle Saint Matthew is stunningly beautiful St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians is a truly a love letter to the Church and this selection fittingly captures what it means clustering to be an apostle of the Lord. Consider ....

"I, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear with one Reviews another charitably, in full selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace That Binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as You Were all called Expired into one and the same hope When You Were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, through all and within all.

Each one of us, HOWEVER, has-beens Given His Own share of grace, Given as Christ allotted it. It was Said That Would he:

When he Ascended to the height, he captured Prisoners,

he gave gifts to men.

When it says, 'he Ascended', what can it mean if not that he Descended right down to the lower regions of the earth? The one Who rose Higher Than all the heavens to fill all things is none --other than the one Who Descended. And to Some, His gift Was That They shoulds be apostles; to Some, prophets; to Some, evangelists; to Some, pastors and teachers; n que la saints together make a unity in the work of the service, building up the body of Christ. In this way we are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, We Become up to the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself.

Then we `shall not be children any longer, or tossed one way and Reviews another and the carried along by every wind of doctrine, at the mercy of all the tricks men play and Their cleverness in Practising deceit. If we live by the truth and in love, we `shall grow in all ways into Christ, who is the head by Whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every seal Adding icts own strength, For Each separate share to Work selon icts function. So the body grows up to Itself It has built up, in love. (Ephesians 4: 1-16)    

 communio.stblogs.org    

SAINT BARNABAS Apostle. Icon from original

 

 

Thursday, 11 June 2015 St. Barnabas, Apostle SAINT BARNABAS Apostle         We read that in the first days of the Church, "the multitude of believers had but one heart and one soul; neither did any one say that aught of the things which he possessed was his own." Of this fervent company, one only is singled out by name, Joseph, a rich Levite, from Cyprus. "He having land sold it, and brought the price and laid it at the feet of the apostles." They now gave him a new name, Barnabas, the son of consolation.         He was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of faith, and was soon chosen for an important mission to the rapidly-growing Church of Antioch. Here he perceived the great work which was to be done among the Greeks, so he hastened to fetch St. Paul from his retirement at Tarsus.         It was at Antioch that the two Saints were called to the apostolate of the Gentiles, and hence they set out together to Cyprus and the cities of Asia Minor. Their preaching struck men with amazement, and some cried out, "The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men," calling Paul Mercury, and Barnabas Jupiter.         The Saints travelled together to the Council of Jerusalem, but shortly after this they parted. When Agabus prophesied a great famine, Barnabas, no longer rich, was chosen by the faithful at Antioch as most fit to bear, with St. Paul, their generous offerings to the Church of Jerusalem. The gentle Barnabas, keeping with him John, surnamed Mark, whom St. Paul distrusted, betook himself to Cyprus, where the sacred history leaves him; and here, at a later period, he won his martyr's crown.    ©Evangelizo.org 2001-2015   Below see Facebook  (click)

St Barnabas Society 18 hrs ·  A Very Happy Feast of St Barnabas to you all. Holy Mass will be offered for the intentions of all who work with and for the Society this evening at Wolvercote. Thank you for following the example of the son of encouragement. Your interest and support and prayers make all the difference. Like · Comment · Share

  The St Barnabas Society, a registered charity, operates in Great Britain and Ireland and exists to provide pastoral and financial help on behalf of the whole Catholic community to former clergy ministers and religious from other churches, who live in Great Britain and Ireland, and who have been led by faith and conscience to come into full communion with the Catholic Church.

The icon of St Barnabas is reproduced from an original by Sr Petra Clare, The Benedictine Skete, Marydale, Cannich, Beauly, Inverness IV4 7LT.

Saint Barnabas, apostle - Memorial

FW: The Daily Gospel

On Tuesday, 10 June 2014, 17:05, DGO <noreply@evzo.org> wrote:

Wednesday, 11 June 2014

Saint Barnabas, apostle - Memorial   See commentary below or click here

Saint Gregory the Great : Saint Barnabas, the apostle who announces that the Kingdom of heaven is near 

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 10:7-13.

Jesus said to his Apostles: “As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.           .....

Commentary of the day :   

Jacob Jordaens. Paul & Barnabas at Lystra

Saint Gregory the Great (c.540-604), Pope, Doctor of the Church 
Homilies on the Gospel, no. 30 ; PL 76, 1220 (trans. ©Cistercian publications Inc., 1990) 
Saint Barnabas, the apostle who announces that
the Kingdom of heaven is near

“How can I love one I do not know?”... While we cannot see God, there is something we can do to open a way for the eye of our understanding to come to him. It is certain that we can see now in his servants one whom we can in no way see in himself. When we see them doing astonishing things, we can be sure that God dwells in their hearts... None of us can look directly at the rising sun by gazing at its orb. Our eyes are repelled as they strain to see its rays. But we look at mountains bathed in sunlight and see that it has risen. Because we cannot see the Sun of righteousness (Mal 3,20) himself, let us see the mountains bathed in his brightness, I mean the holy apostles. They shine with virtues and gleam with miracles... The power of his divinity is in itself like the sun in the sky; in human beings it is like the sun shining on earth... 

We make our way by foot on earth without stumbling if we love God and our neighbor with our whole heart (Mt 22,37f.)... That is why the Holy Spirit was given a second time to the disciples. First it was given by the Lord while he was still dwelling on earth, and later while he is watching over us in heaven (Jn 20,22; Acts 2,2): on earth that we may love our neighbors, from heaven that we may love God. Why first on earth and later from heaven, except for the reason given us openly by John: “How can one person who does not love his brother whom he sees love God whom he does not see?” (1Jn 4,20). Let us love our neighbors, my friends, let us love the one who is near us, so that we may be able to reach the love of the one who is above us... so that they may be found completely worthy to rejoice in God with them.

COMMENT:    

A Question of Attribution   

Da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’ in Hove, actually….

November 6, 2013 //

0

The Last Supper. (detail) Early 19th Century, after Leonardo da Vinci. St. Barnabas, Hove, Sussex.

In a sleepy corner of Hove, (well, poet’s corner to be precise) is the church of St. Barnabas. You’d be forgiven for even noticing it was there – not that its unremarkable, quite the contrary. St. Barnabas is a beautiful gothic revival building designed by John Loughborough 

My response –

http://www.lisashea.com/hobbies/art/names.html

Actually if you count, there are 12 apostles around Jesus. Those are the standard 12 apostles that most scholars recognize. There was also a man named Paul who WROTE about the Bible and who later called himself "an apostle". But he was not one of the primary 12. There's also a man named Barnabas who calls himself an apostle, but he isn't one of the primary 12 either. In fact, when Judas hangs himself in shame having turned in Jesus, the remaining 11 apostles get together to choose a "new 12th". They do NOT choose Paul. They choose Matthias. 

Lent: February 22nd Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, apostle

 

---- Forwarded Message -----

From: DGO <noreply@evzo.org>

To: Donald ...

Sent: Thursday, 21 February 2013, 17:03

Subject: The Daily Gospel

 

Friday, 22 February 2013  

The Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle - Feast

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 16:13-19.

....Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.

And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Commentary of the day : 

Pope Benedict XVI 

General Audience of 07/06/2006 (trans. © copyright Libreria Editrice Vaticana rev. ; cf DC no.2361, p. 614) 

« I tell you: you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church»

"I tell you: you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.... I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Mt 16:18-19). In themselves, the three metaphors that Jesus uses are crystal clear: Peter will be the rocky foundation on which he will build the edifice of the Church; he will have the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to open or close it to people as he sees fit; lastly, he will be able to bind or to loose, in the sense of establishing or prohibiting whatever he deems necessary for the life of the Church. It is always Christ's Church, not Peter's. Thus, vivid images portray what the subsequent reflection will describe by the term: "primacy of jurisdiction".

This pre-eminent position that Jesus wanted to bestow upon Peter is also encountered after the Resurrection: Jesus charges the women to announce it especially to Peter (cf. Mk 16:7)... Moreover, the fact that several of the key texts that refer to Peter can be traced back to the context of the Last Supper, during which Christ conferred upon Peter the ministry of strengthening his brethren (cf. Lk 22: 31ff.), shows that the ministry entrusted to Peter was one of the constitutive elements of the Church, which was born from the commemoration of the Pasch celebrated in the Eucharist.

This contextualization... also points to the ultimate meaning of this Primacy: Peter must be the custodian of communion with Christ for all time. He must guide people to communion with Christ; he must ensure that the net does not break, and consequently that universal communion endures. Only together can we be with Christ, who is Lord of all. Thus, Peter is responsible for guaranteeing communion with Christ with the love of Christ, guiding people to fulfill this love in everyday life.

Thomas Apostle Jn. 20: 24-29

From Post: Saturday, 3 July 2010

Apostle Thomas 3 July Feast

Saint Thomas: "My Lord and my God"

From a sermon by Ronald A. Knox 
(Pastoral Sermons, pages 402-403)

Night Office, on this Feast of Saint Thomas, the Reading from Fr. Ronald Knox, was used in the Second Nocturn. Fr. H., the Reader, made this choice from the alternatives from the Lectern. It was  well heard, and gave us Fr. Ronald's touch of presence, as in the cases of Thomas encounters with Jesus.

Thomas, as we know from his record, was loyal to a fault; had been the first to suggest that they should all go and die with their Master. But he was one of those people who will always ask the inconvenient question. He has been chosen to be an eyewitness, vouching personally for every event in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. And he was not an eyewitness of this appearance in the upper room; it will not do. How can they be certain it was really their Master they saw? What tests did they make? Until I have seen the mark of the nails on his hands, until I have put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, you will never make me believe.

That it was all providentially ordained, one apostle being absent, and that one Thomas, with his bulldog way of looking at things, is beyond question. "Our faith," says Saint Gregory, "owes more to the faithlessness of Thomas than to the faith-fullness of all the other apostles put together." Because Thomas doubted, our Lord appeared a second time in the upper room; because Thomas doubted, they were privileged to see, and to touch if they would, the indelible scars of Calvary. What our own eyes have seen of him, what it was that met our gaze, and the touch of our hands - so John wrote, long afterwards, with that unforgettable scene for his inspiration. In a moment, the verdict of the jury became unanimous; Thomas could cry out: My Lord and my God! with the rest. Only, there is a postscript. You have learned to believe, Thomas, because you have seen me.Blessed are those who have not seen, and believe all the same.

For our sakes, it was a good thing that Thomas doubted. But for himself, he had come short of the ideal, he had missed an opportunity; surely we are meant to see that. In however insignificant a degree, he was at fault. He had all the record of our Lord's life and teaching in front of him; he had the unanimous testimony of those others, his tried companions in arms, and yet ... some pride, some wilful obstinacy, some chagrin, perhaps, at having been left out when this experience was granted to the rest, made him withhold his assent. "I will not believe"; mysteriously, it is possible to withhold your assent by an act of the will. He ought to have capitulated.

Our Lord doesn't complain. Our Lord wasn't like us; he didn't go about after his resurrection finding fault and saying "I told you so"; he looked forward to the future. He looked down the centuries at people like you and me, who had no chance of seeing him in his incarnate state, and yet do manage to cry out, My Lord and my God; and he said, "What lucky people you are!" When he started out on his ministry, you remember, he gave us the eight beatitudes, Blessed are the patient, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the peacemakers, and so on. And now, when he is just going to leave us for heaven, he pronounces a last beatitude, Blessed are those who haven't seen, and believe all the same.

Our Lord, as we know, was fond of paradox; and this congratulation of his does seem rather unexpected. Earlier on, he said to his apostles, There have been many prophets and just men who have longed to see what you see, and never saw it; we un­derstand well enough what he means by saying, Blessed are your eyes in that connection. To see our Lord in the flesh, to hear his gracious accents, to feel the touch of his hand - what an opportunity it was that they had, and we have missed! But that is not his last word on the subject. He singles out people like you and me for a special congratulation; because we have not seen? No, because, not having seen, we believe.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Saints Simon and Jude 28 October

Night Office
First Reading
From the Letter of Paul to the Corinthians (1:18 -2:25)
Third Reading
Commentary on the Gospel Luke 6:12-16.

SAINTS SIMON AND JUDE

Gospel

From the gospel according to Luke (6:12-16)

Third Reading From a commentary on Luke by Saint Cyril of Alexandria (PC ri, 580-584)

Everything Christ did was for our benefit and the good of all who believe in him. He set his own actions before us as a kind of model of the spiritual life to make us into true worshipers. Let us therefore see in the way he acted an example of how we should pray to God.

By withdrawing alone to a mountain as though to a private room, Jesus showed us that we should pray privately, in a secret place where no one can see us, and he taught us to do the same when he said: When you pray, go into your private room. Without wanting to be noticed, we should lift up our hands to pray in purity of heart so that our minds may rise to the heights of divine contemplation, as though ascending to heaven and leaving behind every worldly preoccupation. We should not be fickle about this, or listless and faint-hearted, but eager, full of zeal, and intolerant of mediocrity. You have heard that Christ not only prayed, but spent the whole night in prayer.

Our Lord Jesus Christ prayed all night. In a way known only to himself, far beyond our understanding, he conversed with God, his heavenly Father, thus by his example showing us the way to salvation; for he taught how to pray properly, without going astray. Then he came down from the mountain and appointed the spiritual leaders of the whole world. You are the light of the world, he told them. And referring to this appointment of the holy apostles blessed David says, as though speaking to Christ: You will make them princes over all the earth; they will speak of your name from generation to generation. Certainly, as long as they lived they spoke of Christ's glory, proclaiming the mystery through town and countryside. But now that they have been called to their heavenly home, they speak to us of him just the same through the writings full of wisdom they composed about him.

The priests appointed under the mosaic law, Aaron and his family, were outwardly adorned with sacred vestments. The holy disciples, on the other hand, were distinguished by their spiritual gifts, and their appointment was as prophetic preachers of the gospel with orders to heal the sick, cast out devils, cleanse lepers, and raise the dead. Clothed with the power of Christ, they filled the whole world with wonder.