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| “The Translation of Saint Rita of Cascia” by Nicolas Poussin c. 1630 |
Readings and Commentary:[2]
Below
are the readings suggested for this Memorial. However, readings for the
Memorial may also be taken from the Common
of Holy Men and Women: For Religious #737-742.
Reading
1:
Philippians
4:4-9
Brothers
and sisters:
Rejoice
in the Lord always.
I
shall say it again: rejoice!
Your
kindness should be known to all.
The
Lord is near.
Have
no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make
your requests known to God.
Then
the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will
guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally,
brothers and sisters,
whatever
is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever
is just, whatever is pure,
whatever
is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if
there is any excellence
and if
there is anything worthy of praise,
think
about these things.
Keep
on doing what you have learned and received
and
heard and seen in me.
Then
the God of peace will be with you.
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Commentary on Phil
4:4-9
In
the certain knowledge that Christ is with them, St. Paul begins this address,
as part of a series of ethical instructions, by exhorting the Christian
community to prayer. Through prayer God’s peace will come into their hearts and
minds as a gift from Christ Jesus. He calls upon them to meditate upon the
great good that is provided through God and provides a litany of adjectives;
true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and gracious as descriptors of Christ’s
actions in their midst. Through a focus on what is excellent they will achieve
the peace of Christ.
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Responsorial
Psalm: Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
R.
(40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
or:
R. (2a) Blessed
are they who delight in the law of the Lord.
or:
R.
(92:13-14) The just will flourish like the palm tree in the garden of the
Lord.
Blessed
the man who follows not
the
counsel of the wicked
Nor
walks in the way of sinners,
nor
sits in the company of the insolent,
But
delights in the law of the LORD
and
meditates on his law day and night.
R.
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
or:
R. Blessed
are they who delight in the law of the Lord.
or:
R. The
just will flourish like the palm tree in the garden of the Lord.
He is
like a tree
planted
near running water,
That
yields its fruit in due season,
and
whose leaves never fade.
Whatever
he does, prospers.
R.
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
or:
R. Blessed
are they who delight in the law of the Lord.
or:
R. The
just will flourish like the palm tree in the garden of the Lord.
Not
so, the wicked, not so;
they
are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For
the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but
the way of the wicked vanishes.
R.
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
or:
R. Blessed
are they who delight in the law of the Lord.
or:
R. The
just will flourish like the palm tree in the garden of the Lord.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps
1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
Psalm
1 serves as a preface to the whole book of psalms. The psalmist here exalts
those who follow the Lord’s commands, and reflects upon the blessings they will
receive. As in Romans 6:19ff, this selection
emphasizes the contrast between the salvation of the just and the punishment of
the wicked.
This
wisdom psalm begins by extolling the virtue of those who follow the law. The
focus is to look to God for guidance, and not to trust only in the counsel of
men. Those who reject the law will be blown away like “chaff,” an image used in
the Gospel as well (Matthew 3:12).
This
portion of the psalm is later echoed in Isaiah 48:17-19, like an overlapped
formula of covenant. Blessed is the man who “delights in the law day and
night,” but “the way of the wicked vanishes.” It also takes up the theme of
following right paths and staying true to the teachings of God: “Blessed the
man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent, but delights in the law of the Lord
and meditates on his law day and night.”
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Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
Jesus
said to his disciples:
"To
you who hear I say,
love
your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless
those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
To the
person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer
the other one as well,
and
from the person who takes your cloak,
do not
withhold even your tunic.
Give
to everyone who asks of you,
and
from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to
others as you would have them do to you.
For if
you love those who love you,
what
credit is that to you?
Even
sinners love those who love them.
And if
you do good to those who do good to you,
what
credit is that to you?
Even
sinners do the same.
If you
lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what
credit is that to you?
Even
sinners lend to sinners,
and
get back the same amount.
But
rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and
lend expecting nothing back;
then
your reward will be great
and
you will be children of the Most High,
for he
himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be
merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.
"Stop
judging and you will not be judged.
Stop
condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive
and you will be forgiven.
Give
and gifts will be given to you;
a good
measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will
be poured into your lap.
For
the measure with which you measure
will
in return be measured out to you."
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Commentary on Lk
6:27-38
This
passage from St. Luke’s Gospel continues the Sermon on the Plain. In this
section, Jesus extends the commandment to love one’s neighbor to include one’s
enemy, breaking new ground in the interpretation of Mosaic Law. What follows is
an extension of each of the laws governing hospitality and continues by
extending even the judicial laws that govern dispute resolution. In the
conclusion of this section, the Lord exhorts the disciples to embrace
forgiveness, saying, “For the measure with which you measure will in return
be measured out to you.”
CCC: Lk
6:28 1669; Lk 6:31 1789, 1970; Lk 6:36 1458, 2842
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Reflection:
The first
reading from Philippians and the Gospel from St. Luke are two faces of the same
coin. St. Paul encourages the Church at
Philippi to live the faith they have been given; to do things in their lives
that would proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In this way they would declare themselves faithful. In St. Luke’s excerpt from the Sermon on the
Plain, he gives a more specific example with a broad-brushed approach to God’s
commandment to love your neighbor, going beyond simple hospitality required by Mosaic
Law.
When
these two facets of Christian living are taken together they give us an excellent
picture of what our Lord expects of his disciples. As we hear later in Luke 11:27-28: “blessed are those who hear the
word of God and observe it."
On
this feast day we look at another example of living Christ’s example of love
and humility. St. Rita of Cascia,
although she wanted to dedicate her live totally to God from a young age, was
forced to marry. When her family
(husband and two sons) had died, she entered the Augustinian convent in Cascia,
Italy. She lived the Gospel and was
venerated for her piety and humility. Her
example inspires many, even to this day, who visit and pray at her shrine.
On her
feast day, we pray for her intercession.
We ask her to ask God to forgive our weaknesses and that the Holy Spirit
might support us as we try to live as our Savior has commanded, by loving all
we meet. In this way we might join her
one day as she rejoices at the throne of the Lamb.
Pax
[1]
The picture is “The Translation of Saint Rita of Cascia” by Nicolas Poussin c.
1630.
[2] The readings are taken from the New
American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were
developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This
republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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