November 12, 2012

Memorial of Saint Josaphat, bishop and martyr

In 1595, when today’s saint was a boy, the Orthodox bishop of Brest-Litovsk (famous in World War I) in Belarus and five other bishops representing millions of Ruthenians, sought reunion with Rome. John Kunsevich (Josaphat became his name in religious life) was to dedicate his life and die for the same cause....Read more.

Lectionary: 491

A Reading from St. Paul's letter to St. Titus

Ti 1:1-9

Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ

>>>St. Paul describes himself as the servant of God who was commissioned by Jesus Christ

for the sake of the faith of God's chosen ones

>>>to teach the faith of God's elect

and the recognition of religious truth,

>>>and to point out that which is the true religion 

in the hope of eternal life

>>>in the expectation of everalasting life

that God, who does not lie, promised before time began,

>>>which God promised from the beginning

who indeed at the proper time revealed his word

>>>who revealed His Word in the fullness of time

in the proclamation with which I was entrusted

>>>in the message which I was assigned

by the command of God our savior,

>>>by order of God our saviour,

to Titus, my true child in our common faith:

>>>And he describes St. Titus, to whom he is writing as, his true son in the faith which they both hold. What he means is that he has taught St. Titus the faith.  

1 Corinthians 4:15
King James Version (KJV)
15 For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

St. Titus was a Greek and thus was probably not a Christian by birth:

Galatians 2:3-4
King James Version (KJV)
3 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.

>>>And he confers his blessing upon St. Titus from God the Father and our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

Just a little bit of apologetics.  There are some who dispute that Jesus Christ is God.  Yet, here, St. Paul calls God our savior and Jesus our savior.

For this reason I left you in Crete
so that you might set right what remains to be done
and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you,
on condition that a man be blameless,
married only once, with believing children
who are not accused of licentiousness or rebellious.

>>>and he tells St. Titus that he left him in Crete to select and ordain priests.  The criteria for which being that they have been married no more than one time and raise believing children who are obedient and submissive to their authorities.

For a bishop as God's steward must be blameless, not arrogant,
not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive,
not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness,
temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled,

>>>And also to appoint Bishops which are minsters of God and pure, humble, patient, sober, peaceful, generous, hospitable, good, temperate, righteous, saintly and self-disciplined.

holding fast to the true message as taught
so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine
and to refute opponents.

>>>They must also be faithful to the Gospel in order to preach the truth and to contradict opponents.

Responsorial Psalm 

Ps 24:1b-2, 3-4ab, 5-6

R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.

R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.

R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.

R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

>>>The righteous, they who keep the Commandments of God, are they who long to see His face.  It is they who love Him:

John 14:21
King James Version (KJV)
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke

Lk 17:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples,
"Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.

>>>Sins are inevitable, but those who bring sin about will be regret it woefully.

It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea
than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.

>>>If someone causes an innocent person to sin, it would be better for them if they had a large stone tied around their neck and cast into the ocean.

Be on your guard!
If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.

>>>Watch out!  You are your brother's keeper.  If he sins, correct him.  If he repents, forgive him.

And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,'
you should forgive him."

>>>If he does evil towards you all the day long and repents all the day long, forgive him.

And the Apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."

>>>At that, the Apostles asked for more faith.

The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."

>>>And Jesus said, if you had the faith the size of a little seed, you would say to this tree, get up and jump into the sea and it would obey you.

Sincerely,

De Maria