St. Mary Magdalene

St. Mary Magdalene was a native of Magdala, formerly a town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Luke introduces her in his Gospel as the one “from whom seven devils had gone out” and as one of those who “were assisting [Jesus and the apostles] out of their means” (Luke 8:2). She witnessed our Lord’s crucifixion and valiantly stood beneath his cross (John 19:25), and as today’s Gospel reading (John 20:1–2, 11–18) narrates, she was the first to see the empty tomb and the resurrected Lord. Tradition sometimes identifies Mary Magdalene, though it is not absolutely clear in the Gospels nor universally held, with Mary, the sister of Martha (Luke 10:39), or the unnamed sinner who entered the house of Simon the Pharisee and wiped our Lord’s feet with her hair (Luke 7:37). Today’s Mass formula says nothing about Mary Magdalene having been a sinner (as the Mass formula before the 1969 liturgical changes had done), but it stresses that it was she who first saw the Risen Jesus and was given the commission to be the messenger of Paschal joy to the apostles. The tradition in the East is that she went to Ephesus (in modern Turkey) with St. John and there she died. By the tenth century, her feast was celebrated in Constantinople (modern Istanbul) on July 22. Two texts are proposed for the first reading: the one from the (Song of Songs 3:1–4) recalls Mary Magdalene’s search for Jesus at the sepulcher, and that from (2 Corinthians 5:14–17) recalls the love that burned within her.

Friday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio
    Matthew 13:18–23

Meditatio

“… the seed sown …”

    In today’s reading Jesus explains the parable of the sower, found in all three Synoptic Gospels. Speaking to people who till the soil, Jesus uses images familiar to his hearers. A sower goes out to plant seeds and some of them yield a good crop, but others do not. It all depends on the type of soil where the seeds fall.

    Biblical scholars explain that in this parable the sower represents Christ, and the seed is the word of God, or the preaching of the kingdom. The evil one is Satan. The soil symbolizes the heart of each person with its receptivity to the word. Some hearts will accept it, while others will suffocate or even reject the word.

    Which kind of soil am I?

    Some people do not respond to the preaching of the word. They make no effort to understand and practice what they hear. The seed is plucked away and does not yield any fruit. Am I this shallow soil?

    Other individuals are easily won over when they hear the word. But when problems come, or when they are persecuted because of their beliefs, they close their hearts and the seed dies. Am I this hardened, rocky soil?

    Still others let themselves become so entwined with wealth, worldly distractions, and the desire to make a name for themselves, that the seed is suffocated. Am I this matted, entangled field?

    But others hear the word and respond to it with all their hearts. They joyfully accept the word and the challenges of God’s kingdom. The seed produces an abundant harvest in their lives. Am I this moist, rich, productive soil?

Oratio

    Lord Jesus, may the ground of my life be well tilled and prepared to receive your word. I want to welcome you into a heart that is open, receptive, loving. In this way, my life will bear a plentiful, bounteous harvest, with your help, and for your glory.

Contemplatio

    I welcome your word in my heart.

___
ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest and Doctor of the Church

St. Lawrence’s true name was Julius Caesar Russo. He was born in Brindisi, southern Italy, on July 22, 1559. After his parents’ death, he went to Venice and later entered (1575) the Capuchin Order, in which he received the name Lawrence. He studied at Padua and Venice, and during those years his remarkable ability for languages became evident. He was able to speak and preach in at least a half dozen languages. After ordination (1582), he was assigned to preaching, his most characteristic apostolate, and he traveled throughout northern Italy and beyond the Alps evangelizing the people. He likewise spent time (1599–1602, 1606–13) in Bohemia, Germany, Austria, and Hungary working to win back those who had gone over to the Reformation. Within the Capuchin Order, he held many positions of authority, and in 1602 he was chosen superior general. He also engaged in diplomacy; he served as special papal emissary and effected (1614) a peace between Spain and Savoy. Late in his life, the city of Naples, suffering under the oppressive measures of its viceroy, asked him to represent its case before King Philip III of Spain. He met the king in Lisbon and won not only a hearing but also a favorable reply. While in Lisbon, Lawrence fell ill, and he died there on July 22, 1619. He was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1881, and Pope John XXIII named him a doctor of the Church in 1959. When today’s prayer says that God gave St. Lawrence courage and right judgment, the courage refers to his fearlessness during many years of preaching in non-Catholic lands, and the judgment to his years as a religious superior and his diplomatic missions.

Thursday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio
    Matthew 13:10–17

Meditatio

“They … hear but do not listen or understand.… But blessed are … your ears.”

    The disciples have asked Jesus why he often speaks in parables. His answer seems to suggest that he doesn’t want the crowd to grasp the meaning of his words and be saved. But Scripture is a unity; its parts are harmonious. Elsewhere Scripture says: “God … wills everyone to be saved” (1 Tim 2:3–4). So, whatever Jesus’ meaning was, his parables must have been meant for the good of the people of his time and place. Perhaps he spoke in parables so that some people could mull over his words before making a decision, and others could ignore the message until they were ready to respond to it later on.

    In any case, how does this passage relate to us?

Recently I was struck by the contrast between the two groups of hearers, those who ponder the words and those who set aside the message for later. And I was startled by this insight: Which group do I belong to?

    It could be that in searching for the original meaning of Jesus’ words, I’m not hearing what he’s saying to me here and now. Perhaps I’m only trying to discover the literal meaning grasped by the original hearers or the evangelist. Pope Benedict and others point out that even though it’s important to search for the original, literal meaning, Scripture also has other dimensions.

    God’s word is alive today. Whether I attend Mass in person, watch it on TV, or simply read Scripture at home, God wants to speak to me personally through his word.

    Commentaries are certainly helpful, as are books of prayerful reflections on Scripture. They can stimulate my own pondering—and that’s what they’re meant to do. They can help me prepare to receive the Lord’s here-and-now word for me at this time and in this place. But I have to be open to receive that word, giving the Holy Spirit an opportunity to communicate the message he wants me to hear.

    May my ears be “blessed.”

Oratio

    Jesus, Word of the Father, help me to open myself to your message. May I not close my ears too soon, thinking I’ve already heard what you want to tell me through a particular passage. Teach me to give the Spirit time for his inspirations to stir my heart.

Contemplatio

    Holy Spirit, teach me how to really listen.

___

ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr

Very little is known with certainty about the life of St. Apollinaris, the first Bishop of Ravenna. St. Peter Chrysologus (see July 30), who was Bishop of Ravenna from 431 to 450, once preached a sermon (No. 128) about his predecessor. From this sermon, we learn that Apollinaris was the first bishop of that see, that he had labored there for many years, and on different occasions had suffered much and had often shed his blood, and though his was not a violent death, nevertheless, he should be considered a martyr. There is also the witness of St. Severus, who, as bishop of Ravenna, attended the Council of Sardica (342–43), and at which he mentioned that the first bishop of his see flourished around the middle of the second century.

When historical details are lacking, legend easily fills them in. In the seventh century, there appeared a Passion of St. Apollinaris, and according to this historically unreliable document, we are told that Apollinaris came from Antioch (today’s Antakya, Turkey), and arrived in Rome with St. Peter (see June 29), who then sent him to evangelize Ravenna. Because of his success in making converts, Apollinaris twice suffered mistreatment at the hands of nonbelievers and was forced to leave the city. He traveled to Corinth, Greece, and then preached in Thrace (part of today’s Balkan Peninsula). He once again suffered violence and was forced to leave. He returned to Ravenna at the time when Vespasian’s (emperor 69–79) persecution against the Christians was in effect. Apollinaris was subsequently arrested and placed under the care of a centurion. Because that centurion happened to be a Christian, he permitted the bishop to escape. He was then pursued by the raging populace, who attacked and severely wounded him and left him for dead. The bishop was later found by Christians and died seven days later (July 23) as a result of his wounds. Apollinaris had been bishop of Ravenna for about twenty years, and the year of his death is sometimes given as 70. However, the latest edition of the Martyrologium Romanum (2001) agrees with St. Severus and gives his death as occurring sometime in the second century. Ursicinus, the Bishop of Ravenna (532–36), began a church in his honor, which was later dedicated by his successor Maximian in 549. It was then that the saint’s body was translated there. That church, now known as San Apollinare in Classe, still stands and because of its magnificent sixth-century mosaics is one of the wonders of Ravenna.