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| St. Isidore by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, c.~1850 |
SAINT ISIDORE,
BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
Biographical Information about St. Isidore[1]
Readings for the Memorial of St. Isidore
Readings and Commentary: [2]
Reading 1 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, 5-7
St. Paul speaks of his own ministry to the people of Corinth. Using his actions as an example, he makes the case for repentance (“…we have renounced shameful, hidden things”) and against false teachers (“…not acting deceitfully or falsifying the word of God”). Paul then uses the “light in the darkness” metaphor. He seems to be thinking of Genesis 1:3 and presenting his apostolic ministry as a new creation. In his final statement he makes it clear that it is for God’s glory in Christ that he proclaims this message and that the messenger himself is the humble “earthen vessel.”
CCC: 2 Cor 4:6 298, 2583; 2 Cor 4:7 1420
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 37:3-4, 5-6, 30-31
Psalm 37 is a lament containing the plea to be faithful to God and remain steadfast in the time of adversity. The psalmist sings that the faith of the people will bring them salvation and that the Lord is faithful and intercedes for them against the wicked. Salvation comes from the Lord alone is the common message.
This selection of Psalm 37 (the main thrust or which is evil is passing but God and his law are eternal) exhorts the listener to trust in God, and the “light” of truth will show the way of righteousness. The psalm appropriately extols the true teaching of God.
Gospel Luke 6:43-45
St. Luke’s Gospel brings us the conclusion of
Jesus’ discourse on judgment of others using the analogy of the fruits borne by
a tree – good and bad. The intent of this allegory was to expose false prophets
– hypocrites who say one thing but do another. "What matters is not whether or not we wear a religious
habit, it is whether we try to practice the virtues, surrender our will to God,
and order our lives as His Majesty ordains, and not want to do our will but
his" (St Teresa of Avila, "Interior Castle", II, 6). [3] He addresses the issue of
false teachers with his analogy of the good and bad fruit. He makes it clear
that one can discern if the teacher is authentic or not by the very thing being
taught. In this case, those who contradict the Lord are false and should be
avoided.
"Jesus is giving us two similes - that of the
tree which, if it is good, produces good fruit, and that of the man, who speaks
of those things he has in his heart. 'The treasure of the heart is the
same as the root of the tree,' St. Bede explains. 'A person who
has a treasure of the patience and of perfect charity in his heart yields
excellent fruit; he loves his neighbor and has all the other qualities Jesus
teaches; he loves his enemies, does good to him who hates him, blesses him who
curses him, prays for him who calumniates him, does not react against him who
attacks him or robs him; he gives to those who ask, does not claim what they
have stolen from him, wishes not to judge and does not condemn, corrects
patiently and affectionately those who err. But the person who has in
his heart the treasure of evil does exactly the opposite: he hates his friends,
speaks evil of him who loves him and does all the other things condemned by the
Lord' (In Lucae Evangelium expositio, 2,6)" [4]
Reflection:
On the memorial of St. Isidore, one of the great Doctors of the Church, we are given scripture that speaks consistently of proclaiming God’s spirit authentically. St. Isidore, who was called the most learned person of his age, displayed his heroic virtue by tirelessly proclaiming the authentic teaching of Christ in the face of barbaric traditions brought in by the Goths as well as numerous heresies (Arianism and Acephales) that threatened the faithful in his charge.
This saint, often called “Last of the Great Latin Fathers,” was referred to by many of his contemporaries as being raised up by God to rescue Spain from Barbarism and superstition. His example, coupled with the exhortation of Christ from St. Luke’s Gospel above, gives us both a mission and a responsibility.
The responsibility is for us to understand our faith well enough that we can recognize when people claiming to teach it are in error (either through ignorance or malice). This is especially true if we have children in our care. As adult members of the Christian community we are charged to be the first and best teachers of our children in the practice of the faith. It is a promise and charge we accept willingly at their baptism. How can we teach them well if we do not know our subject matter?
For those of us who need only worry about our own orthodoxy, we too have an obligation to educate ourselves. How can we follow the Lord faithfully if we do not know where he leads us? St. Peter was given the keys to the Kingdom of God and told that “whatever you hold as bound, will be bound.” The Church has handed this down carefully and faithfully for two millennia. Can we ignore or trivialize the most spiritually rich saints she has given us?
The mission we have been given is the same one St. Paul speaks of as he addresses the church at Corinth. We too are given the responsibility to be “light shining out in the darkness.” Through our words and actions we, like St. Paul and like St. Isidore are asked to take the Good News to the world. Today we pray for the strength, knowledge and zeal to take this message to those we meet.
Pax,
Please Pray for Esther.
[1] The picture is St. Isidore by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, c.~1850
[3] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 396.
