Gracious God of our ancestors, You led Peter Julian Eymard, like Jacob in times past, on a journey of faith. Under the guidance of Your gentle Spirit, Peter Julian discovered the gift of love in the Eucharist which Your Son Jesus offered for the hungers of humanity. Grant that we may celebrate this mystery worthily, adore it profoundly, and proclaim it prophetically for Your greater glory. Amen.
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Saint Alphonsus, born in 1696, a lawyer by 20. ordained priest in 1726, a founder of a religious congregation of priests and brothers, a bishop, an author and a Doctor of the Church, is remembered today’s at Mass.
Perhaps he’s best known for founding the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer – better known as the Redemptorists – in 1732 with official papal approval in 1749. The Redemptorists were did missionary work, taught catechism and gave retreats; they concentrated mostly on the country side for their spiritual labors.
It is true that you can’t force a sacrament on someone and that one’s perfect freedom has to be respected, history tells us that Alphonsus was forced against his own will, to be the bishop of Naples’ small Diocese of St. Agatha in 1762, a ministry he exercised for 13 years. During these years he set about correcting liturgical abuses and other such things, reformed the seminary, sent priests to be missionaries, and helped the poor.
On August 1, 1787, at Pagani, Alphonsus Liguori died at mid-day, as the bells were calling the faithful to pray the Angelus.
In 1839, Alphonsus was canonized and and the Magisterium declared him to be a Doctor of the Church in 1871.
As an author, Alphonsus published more than 100 books, including The Glories of Mary, Preparation for Death, and The Passion and the Death of Jesus Christ.
The Redemptorists have a US province.
O Lord, God of
our Fathers, who bestowed on Saints Joachim and Anne this grace, that of them should
be born the Mother of your incarnate Son, grant, through the prayers of both,
that we may attain the salvation you have promised to your people.
Today’s the liturgical memorial of Saints Ann and Joachim, the parents of Mary, the Mother of God and the grandparents of Jesus. In the simplest understanding is that the Church remembers the Lord’s family members. But let’s move beyond this initial thought and look more closely at the collect noted above: the priest prays that through the intercession of Ann and Joachim salvation may be given to us as promised to God’s people.
Historically we know that Ann and Joachim existed; their biographies are unknown to us. What we do learn from sacred Tradition is the approach Ann and Joachim took to the action of the Divine Majesty in their lives. They trusted in God.
The Church brings to our awareness the lines of grace in a historical fashion. The prayer reminds us of Jesus’ humanity and the promise God the Father made to His people: His Presence among us; an offer for salvation. This feast is clearly interpreted for us in the first reading from Sirach and the psalm. There we hear the beautiful words of promise, of remembrance, of relationship.
Saint James, the son of Zebedee, and brother of Saint
John the Apostle, was a Galilean. He was one of the first to be called to the
Apostolate, together with his brother, and, leaving his father and his nets, he
followed the Lord. Jesus called them both Boanerges, that is to say, sons of
thunder. He was one of the three Apostles whom our Savior loved the most, and
whom He chose as witnesses of His Transfiguration, and of the miracle by which
He raised to life the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue, and whom he
wished to be present when He retired to the Mount of Olives to pray to His
Father, before being taken captive by the Jews.
“Everywhere in our culture, people seem so quick to condemn. It is very hard to find words of mercy or understanding for someone who has done something wrong, many good people out there saying things they know they shouldn’t be saying.
People make mistakes. They sin. Some people do evil that causes scandal and grave harm. We can condemn the offense and work for justice — without trying to destroy the person who committed the sin.
We need to reject every temptation to shame or condemn people. Let us never be the cause of turning someone away from seeking God’s forgiveness and redemption.
Let us pray for one another this week, ask the Virgin Mary to ‘give us a faith like Mary Magdalene and hearts to forgive.'”
José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles
The Tidings, July 22, 2011
“True shepherds, after my own heart,
