Monday 30 May 2022
Monday of the 7th week of Eastertide
Spiritual Reading
Your Second Reading from the Office of Readings:
Monday of the 7th week of Eastertide
From the Instructions to Catechumens by St Cyril of Jerusalem
The living water of the Holy Spirit
The water I shall give him will become in him a fountain of living water, welling up into eternal life. This is a new kind of water, a living, leaping water, welling up for those who are worthy. But why did Christ call the grace of the Spirit water? Because all things are dependent on water; plants and animals have their origin in water. Water comes down from heaven as rain, and although it is always the same in itself, it produces many different effects, one in the palm tree, another in the vine, and so on throughout the whole of creation. It does not come down, now as one thing, now as another, but while remaining essentially the same, it adapts itself to the needs of every creature that receives it.
In the same way the Holy Spirit, whose nature is always the same, simple and indivisible, apportions grace to each man as he wills. Like a dry tree which puts forth shoots when watered, the soul bears the fruit of holiness when repentance has made it worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit. Although the Spirit never changes, the effects of his action, by the will of God and in the name of Christ, are both many and marvellous.
The Spirit makes one man a teacher of divine truth, inspires another to prophesy, gives another the power of casting out devils, enables another to interpret holy Scripture. The Spirit strengthens one man’s self-control, shows another how to help the poor, teaches another to fast and lead a life of asceticism, makes another oblivious to the needs of the body, trains another for martyrdom. His action is different in different people, but the Spirit himself is always the same. In each person, Scripture says, the Spirit reveals his presence in a particular way for the common good.
The Spirit comes gently and makes himself known by his fragrance. He is not felt as a burden, for he is light, very light. Rays of light and knowledge stream before him as he approaches. The Spirit comes with the tenderness of a true friend and protector to save, to heal, to teach, to counsel, to strengthen, to console. The Spirit comes to enlighten the mind first of the one who receives him, and then, through him, the minds of others as well.
As light strikes the eyes of a man who comes out of darkness into the sunshine and enables him to see clearly things he could not discern before, so light floods the soul of the man counted worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit and enables him to see things beyond the range of human vision, things hitherto undreamed of.
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In other parts of the world and other calendars:
Saint Margaret Clitherow and the Yorkshire Martyrs
From "A true Report of the Life and Martyrdom of Mrs Margaret Clitherow"
Margaret Clitherow's devotion to the martyred priests of York
After the priests had first suffered martyrdom at Knavesmire (all of which at most had been her ghostly fathers) and by their holy blood and death had sanctified their reproachful gallows, she greatly desired often to visit that place, for she called it her pilgrimage; and thither she would go, accompanied with two or three virtuous women. This being the common place for execution for all sorts of malefactors, distant half a mile from the centre of York, made the passage sometimes more difficult to her, because she might not adventure thither but by night because of spies, and only at such time as her husband was from home. Her desire was greater often to go thither, where so many of her ghostly fathers had shed their blood in witness of the Catholic faith, where they had triumphed over the world, the flesh, and the devil, from whence they had ascended into heaven, where she earnestly wished (if it were God’s will) for the same Catholic cause to end her life, and where she hoped one day God would be glorified in the memory of his martyrs. But by reason of this wicked time, her ghostly Father thought not good to permit her so often to go as she desired.
As I remember she went barefoot to the place, and kneeling on her bare knees even under the gallows, meditated and prayed so long as her company would suffer her. As I understand, her desire and request was, after she was condemned, that she might be carried to this place to suffer what cruelty they pleased, but they would not grant it; no doubt but by God’s Providence that her glorious death might sanctify some other profane place.
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Saint Walstan, farm labourer
From the homilies of St John Chrysostom on the Acts of the Apostles
The light of a Christian cannot be hid
Nothing is colder than a Christian who does not care for the salvation of others.
You cannot plead poverty here; for the poor widow who put in two copper coins will be your accuser. Moreover,
Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I have none’, and Paul was so poor that he often went hungry and lacked necessary food.
You cannot plead lowliness of birth; for the apostles also were lowly men and of humble parents. You cannot allege want of education; for they too were unlearned men. You cannot plead infirmity, for Timothy was of delicate health and was frequently ill.
Everyone can be of profit to his neighbour, if he will fulfil his role.
Look at the trees of the forest: how strong they are, how beautiful, how large also, and smooth, and of great height, but they do not bear fruit. If we had a garden, we should much rather have pomegranates or fruitful olive trees. The others are for the delight of the eye, not for profit, which in their case is very small.
Men who are interested only in themselves are like the forest trees, or rather they are not even so good. In fact they are fit only for the fire, while the forest timber can be used for building houses and palisades. Such are the foolish virgins of the parable, chaste indeed and decent and modest, but as they are of no profit to anyone they are rejected. Such are they who do not nourish Christ.
Observe that none of these are charged with particular sins of their own, with fornication, for instance, or with perjury; in short, with no sin but that of being without use to another. Such was the man who buried his talent, showing indeed a blameless life, but not being useful to others.
How can such a one be a Christian ? If yeast when mixed with the flour did not raise the whole batch, would it be yeast at all? Again, if a perfume could not be perceived by those around, could it in any sense be called a perfume?
Do not say, ‘It is impossible for me to induce others to become Christians,’ for if you were really a Christian, it would be impossible for you not to do so. As all nature acts in accordance with its own properties, so in this case too; this is part of the very nature of being a Christian.
Do not insult God. To say that the sun cannot shine would be to insult him; to say that being a Christian is useless is to insult God and call him a liar. It is easier for the sun not to give heat, not to shine, than for the Christian not to send forth light; it is easier for the light to be darkness than for this to be so.
Do not tell me that it is impossible; it is the contrary that is impossible. Do not insult God. If we once get our own affairs right, the other will certainly follow as a natural and necessary consequence. It is not possible for the light of a Christian to be hid; it is not possible for a lamp so conspicuous as that to be concealed.
Copyright © 1996-2022 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.