SEPTEMBER 27 SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL

“St. Vincent de Paul”
Artist and Date are UNKNOWN

SEPTEMBER 27

SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL, PRIEST MEMORIAL

 Biographical Information about St. Vincent de Paul[1]

Readings for the Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul

Readings and Commentary: [2]

FIRST READING
1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.
Not many of you were wise by human standards,
not many were powerful,
not many were of noble birth.
Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,
and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,
and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
those who count for nothing,
to reduce to nothing those who are something,
so that no human being might boast before God.
It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who became for us wisdom from God,
as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
so that, as it is written,
Whoever boosts, should boast in the Lord.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 1:26-31

St. Paul continues his attack on “worldly wisdom” by reminding the members of the church at Corinth that the community is comprised of all strata of society. He points out that all are called to the same Lord, and that the wisdom that is Jesus (“…who became for us wisdom from God”) makes them righteous, sanctified, and redeemed in him. It is for this reason that the only boast a Christian should make is in God. The evangelist does so, paraphrasing Jeremiah 9:23.

CCC: 1 Cor 1:27 489; 1 Cor 1:30 2813
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RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 112:1bc-2,3-4,5-7,7-8,9

R. (1) Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall he mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
An evil report he shall not fear.
His heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steadfast;
he shall not fear till he looks down upon his foes.R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
Lavishly he gives to the poor,
his generosity shall endure forever,
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 112:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-7, 7-8, 9

In this section of Psalm 112 the virtues of faithfully following God’s commandments are extolled. The one who follows the Lord will be upheld by God “in everlasting remembrance.” This hymn of praise and thanksgiving commends the people faithful to the Law of Moses. The one who is blameless in the eyes of God does not fear from his community or others since the Lord is his protector.

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GOSPEL 
Matthew 9:35-38

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds,
his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest." 
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Commentary on Mt 9:35-38

This selection emphasizes Jesus' early struggle to accomplish what he came to do by himself. We sense the humanness as he says: "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few." Immediately following this discourse the 12 are named and sent.

"In this connection Paul VI reminds us: "the responsibility for spreading the Gospel that saves belongs to everyone -- to all who have received it! The missionary duty concerns the whole body of the Church; in different ways and to different degrees, it is true, but we must all of us be united in carrying out this duty. Now let the conscience of every believer ask himself: Have I carried out my missionary duty? Prayer for the Missions is the first way of fulfilling this duty" ("Angelus Address", 23 October 1977)." [4]

CCC: Mt 9:38 2611
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Reflection:

St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) was born to a peasant family. A highly intelligent youth, Vincent spent four years with the Franciscan friars at Acq, France getting an education. He was a tutor to children of a gentlemen in Acq. He began divinity studies in 1596 at the University of Toulouse. He was ordained at age 20.

He was taken captive by Turkish pirates to Tunis, and sold into slavery. Then freed in 1607 when he converted one of his owners to Christianity.

Returning to France, he served as parish priest near Paris where he started organizations to help the poor, nursed the sick, found jobs for the unemployed, etc. He was Chaplain at the court of Henry IV of France. With Louise de Marillac, he founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity and instituted the Congregation of Priests of the Mission (Lazarists). St. Vincent worked always for the poor, the enslaved, the abandoned, the ignored, the pariahs. [3]

When Jesus called for laborers to work in his Father’s vineyard few answered that call. Those who did carried out that same tradition; calling those whom God touched to follow in a special way. Few who answered the call to serve did so with such selfless vigor as St. Vincent. His love for the poor and marginalized sets a high standard for those who follow his banner today.

Each of us is similarly called; first to love those who are poor and helpless, unable to fend for themselves in this world. He then calls us to follow the example of St. Vincent and work to provide them food, clothing, and shelter. It is a huge, unending, and thankless task, yet the Lord who sacrificed his life for us asks us, echoing Moses and the Prophets, to share with those in need and see the rewards heaven provides for those who do.

Pax

[1] The picture is “St. Vincent de Paul” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN
[2] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only. 
[3] The short background is taken from http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-vincent-de-paul/
[4] The Navarre Bible, "Gospels and Acts", Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 111.

SEPTEMBER 20 STS. ANDREW KIM TAEGON AND PAUL CHONG HASANG

“The Korean Martyrs”
Artist and Date are Unknown

SEPTEMBER 20

SAINT ANDREW KIM TAEGON, PRIEST AND MARTYR, AND SAINT PAUL CHONG HASANG, CATECHIST AND MARTYR, AND THEIR COMPANIONS, MARTYRS MEMORIAL

Biographical Information about St. Andrew Kim Taegon [1]

Biographical Information about St. Paul Chong Hasang

Readings for the Memorial of Sts. Andrew Kim Taegon and Paul Chong Hasang

Readings and Commentary:[2]

FIRST READING
First Option
Wisdom 3:1-9

The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
They shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect.
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Commentary on Wis 3:1-9

This passage, while frequently used on the feasts of martyrs, can be understood as an early description of the process of achieving a place in the heavenly kingdom by all those who went before us in faith. The flow of this description provides a good picture of the purification of all the faithful that takes place in the transition from life, through purification in Purgatory (“…chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed”), to new life with the Father.

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OR
Second Option
Romans 8:31b-39

Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son
but handed him over for us all,
how will he not also give us everything else along with him?
Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones?
It is God who acquits us.
Who will condemn?
It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised,
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
As it is written:

For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.

No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Commentary on Rom 8:31b-39

St. Paul bursts into a hymn proclaiming the victory over death and suffering experienced by the faithful, lifted up by God in Christ. The premise that the love of God assures salvation to the faithful is strengthened as the evangelist asks the rhetorical question “What will separate us from the love of Christ?” Over all obstacles (human, physical, and metaphysical; “height" and "depth” probably referred to ancient astrological terms indicating the closest proximity and the most distant star from the zenith), is the love of God expressed in Christ as the unshakable foundation of Christian life and hope.

The Apostle quotes Psalm 44:23 as his song denies that even death is a barrier between the faithful and God’s love. No earthly or spiritual force can stand against such love as that shown in Christ Jesus.

CCC: Rom 8:26-39 2739; Rom 8:31 2852; Rom 8:32 603, 706, 2572; Rom 8:34 1373, 2634
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RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Psalm 126:1 bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

R. (5) Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those who sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
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Commentary on Ps 126:1 bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

Psalm 126 is a lament. In this short psalm the singer rejoices at the return of Israel following the Diaspora, the conquering of Israel and its enslavement. In this hymn, the people remember the greatness of God as he restores their nation and brings the people back to their own land ("Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, they shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves."). The sense is one of being overflowing with thanksgiving.

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GOSPEL
Luke 9:23-26

Jesus said to all,
"If anyone wishes to come after me,
he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?
Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words,
the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his glory
and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."
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Commentary on Lk 9:23-26

The Gospel takes up the theme of life and death as Jesus first informed his disciples that he will undergo the “Passion” at the hands of the Jewish hierarchy (v.22) and be raised. He then provides this invitation to life by contrasting, as Moses did in Deuteronomy 30:15-20, the (spiritual) salvation brought about through faith and the (eternal) death that awaits the faithless.

CCC: Lk 9:23 1435
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Reflection:

The martyrs of Korea provide a witness for all of us who face persecution or resistance from the world outside our communities of faith. Here is a brief description of the fate of some of these holy and faithful predecessors in the faith:

“May 24, 1839, arrived. The events of that day are described by Cho Shin-ch'ol Charles as follows ‘On the appointed day ox carts, with crosses taller than the average person erected on them, were brought to the jail. When all was ready guards brought the condemned prisoners out and tied them to the crosses by the arms and hair. A foot rest was put under their feet and the signal given to depart.

When they arrived at the steep hill on which the Small West Gate is situated the guards suddenly pulled away the foot rests and the drivers urged the oxen to run headlong down. The rad is rough, with many stones. The carts lurched, causing extreme agony to the prisoners who were hung on the crosses by their arms and hair. The execution ground is a the foot of the hill. The guards took the prisoners from the crosses and tore off their clothes. The executioners tied their hair to the wooden beam and proceeded to cut off their heads."

The nine martyrs received their crown at three o'clock in the afternoon, the same time as Jesus breathed his last on the cross several tens of centuries. In accordance with the law the bodies were left at the execution site for three days.’” [3]

It should be noted that the youngest of those who, without exception, embraced this horrific torture was only 13. Each was invited to turn away from their fate by rejecting Christ. They refused. We pray that we would be so steadfast facing similar situations but pray that we are never put to the test.

The Gospel of the Lord has reached to every part of the globe and on this day we ask for the intercession of the Saints of Korea – may their prayers strengthen us as we continue their work with our own humble witness.

Pax

[1] The picture used today is “The Korean Martyrs” Artist and Date are Unknown
[2] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[3] From the library of Catholicculture.org

SEPTEMBER 13 SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

St. John Chrysostom,
Artist and Date are UNKNOWN

SEPTEMBER 13

SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, BISHOP AND DOCTOR
OF THE CHURCH MEMORIAL

Biographical Information about St. John Chrysostom [1]

Readings for the Memorial of St. John Chrysostom

Readings and Commentary: [2]

FIRST READING
Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13

Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace:
one Body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ's gift.
And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the Body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,
to the extent of the full stature of Christ.

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Commentary on Eph 4:1-7, 11-13

St. Paul enjoins the Church at Ephesus to holiness and unity as part of his instructions on what it means to live the Christian life. Through one baptism (“the call you have received”) we are united in Christ and through Christ to God the Father. While humility is not listed in the Greek lists as a virtue, the evangelist raises self-effacing service of others to this status (see also 1 Corinthians 13:4, Galatians 5:22, and Colossians 3:12).

He goes on speaking of the unity of different parts of the living body of Christ, the Church, saying that different gifts were given (similar lists are found at Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:1-31). He begins the list of gifts with those of spiritual leadership: Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. These have been called to service to others.

CCC: Eph 4-6 1454; Eph 4-5 1971; Eph 4:2 2219; Eph 4:3-5 866; Eph 4:3 814; Eph 4:4-6 172, 249, 2790; Eph 4:7 913; Eph 4:11-16 794; Eph 4:11-13 669; Eph 4:11 1575; Eph 4:13 674, 695, 2045
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RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 40:2 and 4, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11

R. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here I am. Lord; I come to do your will.

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here I am. Lord; I come to do your will.

"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am. Lord; I come to do your will.

Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
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Commentary on Ps 40:2 and 4, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11

While Psalm 40 is a song of thanksgiving, it is also combined with a lament. The initial waiting is satisfied by favor shown by God to one who is faithful in service to Him. Praise and thanksgiving are given to God whose justice is applied to all.

CCC: Ps 40:2 2657; Ps 40:7-9 LXX 462; Ps 40:7 2824
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GOSPEL

Long Form
Mark 4:1-10, 13-20

On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
"Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew up and choked it
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."
He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."

And when he was alone,
those present along with the Twelve
questioned him about the parables.
Jesus answered them,
"Do you not understand this parable?
Then how will you understand any of the parables?
The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once
and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who,
when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no root; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
they quickly fall away.
Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word,
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches,
and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word,
and it bears no fruit.
But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it
and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."
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Commentary on Mk 4:1-10, 13-20

St. Mark’s Gospel begins a section of teachings on the Kingdom of God through parables. We note that Jesus is teaching from a boat which would provide a natural amphitheater with the ground sloping to the shore. Here the Lord presents the parable of the “Sower.” As in St. Matthew’s Gospel he follows the unvarnished parable with a deeper explanation to the Disciples.

In the Parable of the Sower from Mark’s Gospel, Jesus uses the rich analogy of the seed (of faith given in Baptism) to show the various courses of faith in human endeavor. Because this selection gives not only the parable but the Lord’s explanation of its meaning, the only historical note we will make is that, at that point in history in that region, when planting a field, the seed was sown first and then the field was plowed.

CCC: Mk 4:4-7 2707; Mk 4:15-19 27077
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OR
Short Form
Mark 4:1-9

On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
"Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew up and choked it
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."
He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."
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Commentary on Mk 4:1-9

The shorter form of the Parable of the Sower omits Jesus’ explanation of the story to his disciples. St. Mark’s Gospel begins a section of teachings on the Kingdom of God through parables. We note that Jesus is teaching from a boat which would provide a natural amphitheater with the ground sloping to the shore. Here the Lord presents the parable of the “Sower.” In the Parable of the Sower from Mark’s Gospel, Jesus uses the rich analogy of the seed (of faith given in Baptism) to show the various courses of faith in human endeavor. As a historical note, at that point in history in that region, when planting a field, the seed was sown first and then the field was plowed.

CCC: Mk 4:4-7 2707
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Reflection:

When we consider the early shepherds of the Church, such as St. John “Golden Tongue” Chrysostom, whose memorial we celebrate, we find the analogy of the sower quite apt. Ironically, it is more appropriate when we consider it in the context of how sowing was traditionally done in the day of our saint rather than how we think of it in today’s agricultural practice.

When we go into the world with the Word of God we go into a field that has been well prepared. It has been ploughed and the soil has been treated through many plantings so weeds find it difficult to grow. We plant our seed in furrows that, while resistant to some degree, have known the seed we plant. It is because we ourselves were planted and took root and the seed we spread has been cultivated to resist attacks of pestilence and draught.

In the day of St. John Chrysostom, seed was scatted on the earth, later to be ploughed. Other seed, like weeds and thorns, were mixed in with it before the plough came along and many times the roots became entangled. Killing the weed could also mean killing the grain as well. St. John was adept at separating the good seed from the bad. He was among the first to truly plough the Lord’s field and bring in a great harvest for his landlord – the Son of God.

We owe him a debt of gratitude for the hard and dangerous work he did on our behalf. Now confident that he has found his place in the heavenly kingdom, we ask for his prayers as well. We ask that he ask our Heavenly Father to prosper the work of our hands in that same effort as we, who were seed, spread the Word that is seed for generations to come. May the Holy Spirit that so richly guided St. John Chrysostom, guide us as well.

Pax

[1] The picture is St. John Chrysostom, Artist and Date are UNKNOWN
[2] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.