September 9, 2015

Peter Claver

September 9, 2015:  St. Peter Claver, Priest

Ordination of Bishops Barron, Brennan, and O'Connell (a "Roamin' Catholic report")
Read about it on angelusnews.com;
thanks to John Rueda for the photo

Read the homily, thanks again to Angelus News


Music selections (but recordings aren't from yesterday; you need to listen to the combined Cathedral choirs of Frank Brownstead and Anna Betancourt once the Mass is posted to http://archla.org/live)
 Mass parts (I usually prefer a single setting, but these worked fine together)

Organ, flute, and brass ensemble complemented the choir gloriously
(though I missed guitar, piano, etc. on some contemporary hymns)
Shout out to
Cathedral Music Ministry Director
Frank Brownstead

Listen (related to today's readings)

Pope Francis audience
Jesus, after living for thirty years of family life, gathered a community around himself, welcoming all who wish to hear his good news of the Father’s love.  Families and parishes are the two places we encounter the communion of love that has its source in God.  Just as our families are little churches, our parishes are called to be welcoming families including the hungry, thirsty, strangers, the persecuted, and sinners.  This “covenant” between family and Church has to be renewed, so that these centers of love, evangelization, and solidarity can, through faith and grace, shape a more fraternal and humane world.

Read

  • Col 3:1-11  Seek what's above; you've died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  Put to death your earthly parts:  immorality, impurity, evil desire, and the greed that's idolatry.  You used to live like that, but now you must put away anger, malice, slander, obscene language, lying....  You've taken off the old self and put on the new, where there's no Greek or Jew,... slave or free; but Christ is all and in all.

  • Ps 145:2-3, 10-13ab  "The Lord is compassionate toward all his works."  Every day I'll praise you.  Your greatness is unsearchable.  May your works give you thanks, tell of your Kingdom's glory, and make your might known.  Your dominion endures forever.

  • Lk 6:20-26  “Blessed are you poor; God's Kingdom is yours.  Blessed are you hungry; you'll be satisfied.  Blessed are you weeping; you'll laugh.  Blessed are you when people hate, exclude, insult, and denounce you on my account; your reward will be great in heaven.  Their ancestors treated the prophets the same way.   But woe to you rich; you've received your consolation.  Woe to you who are filled; you'll be hungry.  Woe to you who laugh; you'll grieve and weep.  Woe to you when all speak well of you; their ancestors treated the false prophets the same way.”
Reflect
    • Creighton:  In Colossians Paul is saying everyone can be saved by following Christ, choosing right and dying to their evil past; circumstances of birth don't matter.  Anyone can choose charity over greed, a spiritual path over a material one, love over anger, and truth over lies.  We must choose the right path, dying to evil ways.  In the Gospel Jesus says the poor (perhaps choosing poverty by being generous), the hungry (by sharing their food...), and the suffering and persecuted (from following Jesus...) will be rewarded, but woe to the selfish and greedy....  It’s not about circumstances.
    • One Bread One Body:  "The beatitudes and our lifestyle":  Jesus tells us we'll be happy if we choose to be poor, hungry, weeping, and persecuted.  We devote much of life to developing our lifestyle, but Jesus said, "Whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses it for My sake will save it.  What profit do you show for gaining the whole world and destroying yourself?"....
    • Passionist:  With Peter Claver as our example, we're called to love in deed and in truth.  Imagine the patience and charity he showed to slave owners.  How could he live in such a system?  But he dealt with the world he found himself, without the satisfaction of seeing changes, without giving into disappointment, interrupted by ill health.  May we share Peter’s willingness to live patience, charity, and hope in the midst of difficulties....  Today’s readings are appropriate for the life of Peter Claver:  “There is no Greek or Jew here, no slave or free; rather, Christ is everything in all of you.”  And the Beatitudes tell us that we work now to make the Kingdom of God present. 
      St. Peter Claver, S.J.
    • DailyScripture.net:  Nobody can escape trials, but do I respond to misfortune, grief, or loss with fear or faith, resignation or hope?  Jesus' way of happiness/beatitude demands transformation from within.  We must empty ourselves of all that would shut God out. 
    Ambrose links the beatitudes with the four cardinal virtues:  "Let us see how Luke encompassed the eight blessings in the four.  We know there are four cardinal virtues:  temperance, justice, prudence, and fortitude.  One who is poor in spirit is not greedy.  One who weeps is not proud but submissive and tranquil. One who mourns is humble.  One who is just does not deny what he knows is given jointly to all.  One who is merciful gives away his goods.  One who bestows his goods doesn't seek another's nor contrive traps. These virtues are interwoven, so that one who has one may be seen to have several, and a single virtue befits the saints.  Where virtue abounds, so too the reward...  Thus temperance has purity of heart and spirit, justice has compassion, patience has peace, and endurance has gentleness." (Exposition of the Gospel of Luke 5.62–63, 68).
    God reveals to the humble the true source of abundant life and happiness.  Jesus promises his disciples heaven's joys will more than compensate for the world's troubles and hardships.  Thomas Aquinas:  "No person can live without joy; that's why one deprived of spiritual joy goes after carnal pleasures."
    Today's saints, thanks to Universalis
    • Peter Claver, Jesuit priest, "slave of the Negroes forever," attending to their spiritual and material needs.  He brought food to the ships, instructed and baptized slaves, followed their progress, and tried to defend them. He organized catechists and worked in hospitals and prisons.  Many inside and outside the Church opposed him.
    Look  (from today's readings)
    • 'Crown' tie bar:  Let your faithful speak of your Kingdom's glory and of your might (psalm) 
    • White and green in shirt and suspenders:  St. Peter Claver, Ordinary Time
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