Saturday 9 January 2021
Saturday after Epiphany Sunday
Spiritual Reading
Your Second Reading from the Office of Readings:
Saturday after Epiphany Sunday
A sermon by Faustus of Riez
The marriage of Christ and the Church
On the third day there was a wedding. What wedding can this be but the joyful marriage of man’s salvation, a marriage celebrated by confessing the Trinity or by faith in the resurrection. That is why the marriage took place “on the third day,” a reference to the sacred mysteries which this number symbolises.
Hence, too, we read elsewhere in the Gospel that the return of the younger son, that is, the conversion of the pagans, is marked by song, and music and wedding garments.
Like a bridegroom coming from his marriage chamber our God descended to earth in his incarnation, in order to be united to his Church which was to be formed of the pagan nations. To her he gave a pledge and a dowry: a pledge when God was united to man; a dowry when he was sacrificed for man’s salvation. The pledge is our present redemption; the dowry, eternal life.
To those who see only with the outward eye, all these events at Cana are strange and wonderful; to those who understand, they are also signs. For, if we look closely, the very water tells us of our rebirth in baptism. One thing is turned into another from within, and in a hidden way a lesser creature is changed into a greater. All this points to the hidden reality of our second birth. There water was suddenly changed; later it will cause a change in man.
By Christ’s action in Galilee, then, wine is made, that is, the law withdraws and grace takes its place; the shadows fade and truth becomes present; fleshly realities are coupled with spiritual, and the old covenant with its outward discipline is transformed into the new. For, as the Apostle says: The old order has passed away; now all is new! The water in the jars is not less than it was before, but now begins to be what it had not been; so too the law is not destroyed by Christ’s coming, but is made better than it was.
When the wine fails, new wine is served: the wine of the old covenant was good, but the wine of the new is better. The old covenant, which Jews follow, is exhausted by its letter; the new covenant, which belongs to us, has the savour of life and is filled with grace.
The good wine, that is, good precepts, refers to the law; thus we read: You shall love your neighbour but hate your enemy. But the Gospel is a better and a stronger wine: My command to you is: love your enemies, pray for your persecutors.
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In other parts of the world and other calendars:
Saint Andrew Corsini, Bishop
From 'The Life of Saint Andrew' by Bishop Francesco Venturi
The good and faithful servant whom the Lord places over his household
Andrew was chosen to rule the church of Fiesole by the evident call of God. He so dedicated himself to the worship of God, looked after the salvation of souls with such vigilance, faithfully persevered in the task entrusted to him with such holiness of life, that in all justice he can be for the pastors of the Church a perfect exemplar of what a bishop should be.
Though he was already advanced in age and afflicted by various illnesses, he increased rather than abated the rigours by which he was accustomed to control his senses. The holy bishop was moved by such kindness and pity towards the needy and afflicted that the very thought of them moved him to tears. It is well known that no poor person left his presence uncomforted. He often sat at the door of his residence and personally distributed bread to the needy. But this holy man’s kindness was not restricted to this place; it spread far and wide. He showed himself especially generous with those whom he knew to be in straitened conditions, and yet could not approach him personally because of age, circumstances or social standing. His was a spontaneous open-handedness which foresaw needs; to some he even gave large quantities of grain. His goodness was not reserved for those of his own diocese but overflowed to the citizens of Florence and other places. To all these people he distributed not only alms but also clothing.
The holy bishop expended large sums of money for the construction and restoration of churches. He restored much of the cathedral, which was close to complete ruin, and embellished the facade with cut stone. He had residences built for the canons. He restored and enlarged the bishop’s house, where he himself took up residence, so that he might furnish an apt and appropriate dwelling for his successors.
Among his own Carmelite brethren, he showed himself to be a splendid father of his household, providing inspired leadership in the living of religious life. As bishop he provided for the Christian lifestyle of the members of his household. He was constantly vigilant and attentive in safeguarding Church patrimony. At home he was frugal, but generous and even extravagant in what concerned the worship of God and help to the needy.
The holy bishop dedicated much time to settling quarrels among the citizens of Florence. Privately he eliminated hatred by means of friendly conversations; publicly he preached Christian charity and civic harmony. Since he preached well and was held in veneration because of his fame for holiness, many came to hear him, not only from nearby villages but from Florence itself.
This wise leader knew how to temper the rigour of a judge with the gentleness of a pastor. He never tired, year after year, of decreeing that priests reside in their parishes. In the first place, most priests were ignorant of the doctrine of the Church and of their proper duties. Understandably, they were of no benefit to the people; on the contrary, because of their ignorance they were a negative factor, especially in the case of those who by their scandalous lives gave bad example. Consequently, on his canonical visitations of the diocese, the saintly bishop was obliged to examine his clergy as to their knowledge of doctrine. Those whom he found to be little suited for Church offices and for working for the salvation of souls – and their number was great – he removed from their benefices, which he granted to others who were more suited.
We are aware that much of what we have said has frequently been practised by other pastors of the Church. Some might say that these things are not especially worthy of recall. However, we are of the opinion that whatever the saints have said or done for the increase of divine worship and the good of the people should be proclaimed.
Copyright © 1996-2020 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com. Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). Used with permission of A.P. Watt Ltd. All rights reserved.