561B [1]
From the Common of Pastors or Common for Doctors of the Church or:
Additional information about St. John De Avila [2]
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| “St. John De Avila” artist and date unknown. |
Reading 1: Acts 13:46-49
Paul and
Barnabas spoke out boldly and said,
"It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you
first,
but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth. "
The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this
and glorified the word of the Lord.
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region.
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This excerpt from St. Paul’s first missionary journey finds Paul and Barnabas in Antioch. They have attempted to present the Gospel to the Jews but are rejected. We note that Luke acknowledges that this word came first to the Hebrews, but since they have rejected it, the Gentiles inherit the salvation they were offered. The Gospel now is presented to the Gentiles who receive it with enthusiasm.
The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil;
for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
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Jesus said to
his disciples:
"You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel
basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the
prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these
commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven."
In this selection from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus uses allegory to
push the Word of God into the world. He tells his disciples they are an
integral part of the faith of the people in God. As seasoning is to food, so is
the Word of God to the faith. They must remain steadfast so they do not lose
the zeal for God that is the taste of that seasoning. It is the taste which
sets it apart.
He uses a second allegory, light, to provide still
more direction. The light of faith will be seen by all because it is reflected
in the actions of those who believe. The light of faith serves to guide others
to God, where they may otherwise become lost in darkness and wander into paths
of desolation. The light that pours from the disciples will be seen as a gift,
not from them, but from the Father, and the Father will be glorified because of
the light.
Those who believed that Jesus came to destroy the
Jewish faith and laws are refuted in the next part of the passage. The Lord
tells them that he did not come to destroy the Law of Moses, even though he
disagreed with the way some of those laws were being implemented. Rather he
came to fulfill it; essentially he gave the law a reinterpretation through his
own revelation.
John of Avila (6 January 1499 - 10 May 1569): “The declaration that a saint is a Doctor of the Universal Church implies the recognition of a charism of wisdom bestowed by the Holy Spirit for the good of the Church and evidenced by the beneficial influence of his or her teaching among the People of God.” [6]
There are a gifted few who throughout history have contributed not only to individuals in need of spiritual guidance but to many other areas of human endeavor. These individuals have been called “renaissance people.” When a person with this title contributes, not for his own glory, but for the greater glory of God, he is called a saint, and in this case, also a Doctor of the Church. Such was “Master” St. John of Avila. His early pursuit of a vocation to the priesthood and subsequent education showed that God had given him the gift of faith and intellect. His innate intelligence allowed him not only to grasp and articulate theological ideas but also to apply his ability to more pragmatic pursuits, having been awarded several patents.
Like so many other saints of the Church, the “Master” did not minister in a vacuum. He had affiliations with numerous other contemporary saints including Saint Ignatius Loyola and Saint Thomas of Villanova, Archbishop of Valencia. Although he declined St. Ignatius’ invitation to join his newly formed Jesuit order, St. John did send some of his best students including Saint John of God, Saint Peter of Alcántara, and Saint Francis Borgia. We wonder how many of these saints owed their spirituality to St. John. He has long been respected within the Church leadership and has been credited with major contributions to the Council of Trent.
On his feast day we ask
especially for his prayers that we too might find the strength in our faith to
pass on God’s love through our words and actions.
