Wednesday 20 January 2021
Wednesday of week 2 in Ordinary Time
or Saint Fabian, Pope, Martyr
or Saint Sebastian, Martyr
Spiritual Reading
Your Second Reading from the Office of Readings:
Wednesday of week 2 in Ordinary Time
From "Lumen gentium", the Second Vatican Council's dogmatic constitution on the Church
Behold! I will save my people
By an utterly free and mysterious decree of his own wisdom and goodness, the eternal Father created the whole world. His plan was to dignify men with a participation in his own divine life. When in Adam men had fallen, he did not abandon them, but ceaselessly offered them help to salvation, in anticipation of Christ the Redeemer, ‘who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature’. All the elect, before time began, the Father ‘foreknew and predestined to become conformed to the image of his Son, that he should be the firstborn among many brethren’.
All those who would believe in Christ he planned to assemble in the holy Church, which was already foreshadowed from the beginning of the world. In a remarkable way the Church was prepared for throughout the history of the people of Israel and by means of the Old Covenant. Established in the present era of time, she was made manifest by the outpouring of the Spirit. At the end of time she will achieve her glorious fulfilment. Then, as may be read in the holy Fathers, all just men from the time of Adam, ‘from Abel, the just one, to the last of the elect’, will be gathered together with the Father in the universal Church.
Finally, those who have not yet received the gospel are related in various ways to the People of God.
In the first place there is that people to whom the covenants and promises were made and from whom Christ was born according to the flesh. On account of their fathers, this people remains most dear to God, for God does not repent of the gifts he makes nor of the calls he issues.
But the plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the creator. In the first place among these there are the Moslems; they profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and along with us adore the one and merciful God, who will judge mankind on the last day.
Nor is God himself far distant from those who in shadows and images seek the unknown God, for it is he who gives to all men life and breath and every other gift, and who as Saviour wills that all men be saved.
Those also can attain to everlasting salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the gospel of Christ or his Church, yet sincerely seek God and, moved by grace, strive by their deeds to do his will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience. Nor does divine Providence deny the help necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God but who strive, aided by his grace, to live a good life.
Whatever goodness or truth is found amongst them, is looked upon by the Church as a preparation for the gospel, and as given by him who enlightens all men that they may finally have life.
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Other choices for today:
Saint Fabian, Pope, Martyr
A painting by Giovanni di Paolo (1403-1482), mid-15th century.
Letters of St Cyprian
Fabian shows us an example of faith and strength
When St Cyprian had learnt of Pope Fabian’s death, he sent this letter to the presbyters and deacons of Rome (250AD):
When the report of the departure of the excellent man, my colleague, was still uncertain among us, my beloved brethren, and I was wavering doubtfully in my opinion on the matter, I received a letter sent to me from you by Crementius the sub-deacon, in which I was fully informed of his glorious end; and I rejoiced greatly that the integrity of his administration had been matched by the nobility of his end.
I greatly congratulate you that you honour his memory with so public and illustrious a testimony, through which you have made known to me not only the memory of your bishop, which confers glory upon you, but also an example of faith and strength that I should follow.
For just as the fall of a bishop tends to bring about the ruinous fall of his followers, so it is a useful and helpful thing when, by the firmness of his faith, a bishop becomes manifest to his brethren as an object of imitation.
Before receiving the above letter, the Church of Rome wrote to Cyprian, bearing witness to its steadfastness in persecution:
The church stands in faith, even though some have been driven to fall by sheer terror, whether because they were people of some eminence or because, when they were seized, they were overwhelmed by the fear of man. We did not abandon these people, although they were separated from us; but we exhort them, and exhort them still, to repent, so that they may somehow receive pardon from Him who is able to pardon them, and so that they should not, by being deserted by us, become worse.
So you see, brethren, that you ought to do the same, so that even those who have fallen may be brought to their senses by your exhortation, and confess, if they are seized once more, and so make amends for their former sin. You have other duties too, which we have added here. For example, if anyone who has fallen into this temptation begins to be taken with sickness, and repents of what he has done, and desires communion, it must be granted to them in any case. And if you have widows or bedridden people who cannot maintain themselves, or people who are in prison or otherwise excluded from their own dwellings, they must always have someone to minister to them. Moreover, catechumens who are taken ill should not be disappointed in their hopes, but should also be given help.
The brethren who are in chains greet you, as do the elders and the whole Church, which also, with the deepest anxiety, keeps watch over all who call on the Lord. And we too ask that you in your turn should remember us.
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Saint Sebastian, Martyr
A painting by Il Sodoma (1477-1549), 1525.
The Explanations of the Psalms by Saint Ambrose: Psalm 118
Faithful witnessing to Christ
To enter the kingdom of God we must endure many tribulations. If there are many persecutions, there are many testings; where there are many crowns of victory, there are many trials of strength. It is then to your advantage if there are many persecutors; among many persecutions you may more easily find a path to victory.
Take the example of the martyr Sebastian, whose birthday in glory we celebrate today. He was a native of Milan. At a time when persecution either had ceased or had not yet begun or was of a milder kind, he realised that there was only slight, if any, opportunity for suffering. He set out for Rome, where bitter persecutions were raging because of the fervour of the Christians. There he endured suffering; there he gained his crown. He went to the city as a stranger and there established a home of undying glory. If there had been only one persecutor, he would not have gained a martyr’s crown.
The persecutors who are visible are not the only ones. There are also invisible persecutors, much greater in number. This is more serious. Like a king bent on persecution, sending orders to persecute to his many agents, and establishing different persecutors in each city or province, the devil directs his many servants in their work of persecution, whether in public or in the souls of individuals. Of this kind of persecution Scripture says: All who wish to live a holy life in Christ Jesus suffer persecution. “All” suffer persecution; there is no exception. Who can claim exemption if the Lord himself endured the testing of persecution? How many there are today who are secret martyrs for Christ, giving testimony to Jesus as Lord! The Apostle knew this kind of martyrdom, this faithful witnessing to Christ; he said: This is our boast, the testimony of our conscience.
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In other parts of the world and other calendars:
Blessed Angelo Paoli, Priest
From the Canticle of 'Brother Charity'
In these poor I recognise the greatest person there is, Our Lord Jesus Christ
If I had moved a hand, or taken a step, other than for the love of God, I would consider myself the world’s most ungrateful man, as only for love should we commit ourselves to His service.
We must love God with our entire heart and soul, and love our neighbours, particularly the poor, for then we will feel neither cold nor fear. How much has God suffered for us, to free us from the slavery of the devil, and grant us entry into Paradise? And are we not willing to endure a little discomfort, or cold, or heat, in the service of God and of the poor, and particularly of the sick poor? We must tremble at the cold of cursed sin, which kills the soul and deprives it of God’s fair grace.
In these poor I recognise the greatest person there is, Our Lord Jesus Christ; therefore, when I am committed to serving this great Lord, I must not stop to listen to others.
Whoever mistreats the poor mistreats God, because in the poor we must recognise blessed God, and just as the great of the earth do not threaten or mistreat each other, but, when necessary, correct each other respectfully, so too must be done to the poor – they are not to be despised or abused with deeds and words, but, when necessary, corrected with charity and respect.
We are all equal before God. In the world differences can be made, but in the other life whoever has done more good will have more merit before God; just as we are all children of a Father who loves us greatly, we too must love each other. Where the poor are, there is God. Whoever seeks God, shall find him among the poor. In infirmity and poverty God is to be found.
Give alms wherever you like: charity is pleasing to God in all places and by the hands of all persons.
You can be certain that if charity is to be pleasing to the Lord, it must be practised with secrecy and without glory. When charity is given, one hand must not see the other.
[To justify why he would dress very lightly, he would say:] The poor have greater need than I: better that I suffer than them.
When one is serving the poor, one is serving God, and one must not stop serving God to listen to men of the world.
The greater the number of poor, the greater is Providence. Let all the poor in Rome come to me, they will not distress me: because the more that come, the greater the holy Providence that God sends to me with which to provide for them... When there is faith in God, His Providence is never lacking: I have a great provider and a great pantry, and therefore I shall give to the poor what I have, as I have faith in God that these things will become more every day.
The poor have greater need than I: better that I suffer [cold and hunger] than them.
The poor must be justly paid, and with the poor we must not be so attached to our interests.
Brothers, to be poor and to suffer can be of great benefit to our souls [...] if you can become accustomed to suffering, you will be true friends of God. [...] We who live the simple life, can we not bear a little hardship, if that is the path that leads to Paradise? The good that awaits us is infinite, and it is up to us to gain it, to walk the path shown to us by the Redeemer and longed for by the holy Apostles and Martyrs.
The greatest grace that God can give me would be that of sacrificing my life for charity, as I could not sacrifice it for faith, as I desired for so long.
Copyright © 1996-2021 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.