The life of Anthony will remind many people of Saint Francis of Assisi. At 20, Anthony was so moved by the Gospel message, “Go, sell what you have, and give to [the] poor” (Mark 10:21b), that he actually did just that with his large inheritance. He is different from Francis in that most of Anthony’s life was spent in solitude. He saw the world completely covered with snares, and gave the Church and the world the witness of solitary asceticism, great personal mortification and prayer. But no saint is antisocial, and Anthony drew many people to himself for spiritual healing and guidance.
At 54, he responded to many requests and founded a sort of monastery of scattered cells. Again, like Francis, he had great fear of “stately buildings and well-laden tables.”
At 60, he hoped to be a martyr in the renewed Roman persecution of 311, fearlessly exposing himself to danger while giving moral and material support to those in prison. At 88, he was fighting the Arian heresy, that massive trauma from which it took the Church centuries to recover. “The mule kicking over the altar” denied the divinity of Christ.
Anthony is associated in art with a T-shaped cross, a pig and a book. The pig and the cross are symbols of his valiant warfare with the devil—the cross his constant means of power over evil spirits, the pig a symbol of the devil himself. The book recalls his preference for “the book of nature” over the printed word. Anthony died in solitude at age 105.
Reflection
In an age that smiles at the notion of devils and angels, a person known for having power over evil spirits must at least make us pause. And in a day when people speak of life as a “rat race,” one who devotes a whole life to solitude and prayer points to an essential of the Christian life in all ages. Anthony’s hermit life reminds us of the absoluteness of our break with sin and the totality of our commitment to Christ. Even in God’s good world, there is another world whose false values constantly tempt us.
Saint Berard and Companions’ Story (d. January 16, 1220)
Preaching the gospel is often dangerous work. Leaving one’s homeland and adjusting to new cultures, governments and languages is difficult enough; but martyrdom caps all the other sacrifices.
In 1219, with the blessing of Saint Francis, Berard left Italy with Peter, Adjute, Accurs, Odo and Vitalis to preach in Morocco. En route in Spain, Vitalis became sick and commanded the other friars to continue their mission without him.
They tried preaching in Seville, then in Muslim hands, but made no converts. They went on to Morocco where they preached in the marketplace. The friars were immediately apprehended and ordered to leave the country; they refused. When they began preaching again, an exasperated sultan ordered them executed. After enduring severe beatings and declining various bribes to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ, the friars were beheaded by the sultan himself on January 16, 1220.
These were the first Franciscan martyrs. When Francis heard of their deaths, he exclaimed, “Now I can truly say that I have five Friars Minor!” Their relics were brought to Portugal where they prompted a young Augustinian canon to join the Franciscans and set off for Morocco the next year. That young man was Anthony of Padua. These five martyrs were canonized in 1481.
Reflection
The deaths of Berard and his companions sparked a missionary vocation in Anthony of Padua and others. There have been many, many Franciscans who have responded to Francis’ challenge. Proclaiming the gospel can be fatal, but that has not stopped the Franciscan men and women who even today risk their lives in many countries throughout the world.
Fr. Mike examines the two senses of Scripture: the literal sense and the spiritual sense. Together, we further unpack the meaning of the literal sense of Scripture and the three subdivisions of the spiritual sense: the allegorical, the moral, and the anagogical senses. Fr. Mike provides us with scriptural examples of each of the four senses for us to fully comprehend the richness of God’s Word. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 115-119.
It is unclear what we really know of Paul’s life, how much is fable, how much is fact.
Paul was reportedly born in Egypt, where he was orphaned by age 15. He was also a learned and devout young man. During the persecution of Decius in Egypt in the year 250, Paul was forced to hide in the home of a friend. Fearing a brother-in-law would betray him, he fled in a cave in the desert. His plan was to return once the persecution ended, but the sweetness of solitude and heavenly contemplation convinced him to stay.
He went on to live in that cave for the next 90 years. A nearby spring gave him drink, a palm tree furnished him clothing and nourishment. After 21 years of solitude, a bird began bringing him half of a loaf of bread each day. Without knowing what was happening in the world, Paul prayed that the world would become a better place.
Saint Anthony of Egypt attests to his holy life and death. Tempted by the thought that no one had served God in the wilderness longer than he, Anthony was led by God to find Paul and acknowledge him as a man more perfect than himself. The raven that day brought a whole loaf of bread instead of the usual half. As Paul predicted, Anthony would return to bury his new friend.
Thought to have been about 112 when he died, Paul is known as the “First Hermit.” His feast day is celebrated in the East; he is also commemorated in the Coptic and Armenian rites of the Mass.
Reflection
The will and direction of God are seen in the circumstances of our lives. Led by the grace of God, we are free to respond with choices that bring us closer to and make us more dependent upon the God who created us. Those choices might at times seem to lead us away from our neighbor. But ultimately they lead us back both in prayer and in fellowship to one another.
How do Catholics interpret Scripture? Fr. Mike breaks down the three basic principles for interpreting Scripture: attentiveness to the content and unity of the whole Bible, reading Scripture within the living Tradition of the Church, and attentiveness to the analogy of Faith. These criteria allow the Church to interpret Scripture accurately and prevent us from taking Scripture out of context. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs are 109-114.
Fr. Mike reflects on the sacredness of Scripture and why the Church venerates Scripture with great reverence. He helps us understand the mystery behind the powerful reality that God speaks to us through human authors. Most importantly, Fr. Mike reminds us that the eternal Word of God is both living and true. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 101-108.
13 Then Jesus appeared: He came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. 14 John tried to dissuade Him, with the words, ‘It is I who need baptism from You, and yet You come to me!’ 15 But Jesus replied, ‘Leave it like this for the time being; it is fitting that we should, in this way, do all that uprightness demands.’ Then John gave in to Him. 16 And when Jesus had been baptised He at once came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him. 17 And suddenly there was a voice from heaven, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on Him.’
Today is the Epiphany which is a Greek word that means manifestation and revelation. There are many of them in Scripture. Next week we will commemorate another epiphany – the baptism of our Good Lord. Today is also called the “Little Christmas” because this is when gifts were given to Christ. It is also a day in which people start taking down their Christmas decorations although some people probably have already taken them down. The Sacristans will soon remove the Manger, but the poinsettias will stay for a while until they start dropping petals which really drives me nuts. But it’s sad when they take all that stuff away, especially the Manger or the creche because it calls to mind a lot of things. However, the highest act of love did not happen on Christmas. It happened at His Passion, death, and resurrection. And that is why He came.
Church is a “what” but it is also a “Who.” Remember in the Book of Acts, Christ said, “Paul, why are you persecuting Me?” He didn’t say, “Paul, why are you persecuting the people who tithe and who helped build the buildings.” He said, “Why are you persecuting Me?” The Church is Christ. Therefore, the Manger is the “Little Church.” By the way, according to Scripture, the family lived in a house. They were not poor – they had a house. The Manger scene is visible scripture and visible theology. Because Christ is present, it is Christology (the study of Who Christ is). Because the Manger is the Little Church, it is also Ecclesiology (the study of what the Church is). It teaches us about the Church.
More is revealed through the gifts given by the Magi (the wise men and kings from the East). They gave Him gold because He is king. They gave Him frankincense because He is God. Remember the Jews used incense at the altar in the temple. In Revelation, incense is present before the throne of God. So, using incense is scriptural. I use it sparingly and not like in a military gas chamber. But if you have a cold, get near the incense and it will clear you right up. Incense portrays that our Lord is visibly present. And finally, the Magi gave our Lord myrrh, a burial spice, because of why He came.
Who do you find around Jesus? They were all gathered around and looking at Jesus. They weren’t talking about the latest political scandals. They prostrated themselves…they didn’t stand and pray… they prostrated themselves as you do before God. Their faces were in the dirt. But who was there? You find the pure – the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph who are pure of heart. You find the simple – the shepherds who knew they were ignorant and knew nothing. They were humble and followed God’s directions like Saint Joseph did. And you find the wise men who were astrologers and kings from the East. They were truly educated. What is the best fruit of an education? Is it having a bunch of initials after your name? Is it having a Mensa card in your wallet? The best fruit of an education is realizing that you don’t know everything. Even with everything you have learned in the past, there is so much more to learn. You have just scratched the surface. The more you learn the more you realize how ignorant you are. The wise men realized how ignorant they were, and that’s why they came. They came to be in the presence of Christ. And that is who you will always find around Christ – the holy, the simple, and the wise.
The Manger is the Church, and it is a beautiful thing to have in your home. Everything is right there in the Manger and very teachable. So, as you put the Manger scene away for the next 48 weeks or so, remember that you have a beautiful library stashed away. It is a beautiful meditation on what our Faith is.
How will you apply this message to your life? ________________________________________
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