Tuesday 30 September 2008

Memorial of Saint Jerome

So who is Saint Jerome? Let's turn to Wikipedia:

- Latin name: Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus (Greek: Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος)
- born
c. 347 at Stridon to born to Christian parents (but was not baptized until about 360 or 366)
-

Today's Bible Readings (30 Sep, Tue - 26th Week)

Job 3: 1-3, 11-17, 20-23
Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born.
Job spoke up and said:
Let the day on which I was born perish,
and the night that said,
‘A man has been conceived!’
Why did I not die at birth,
and why did I not expire
as I came out of the womb?
Why did the knees welcome me,
and why were there two breasts
that I might nurse at them?
For now I would be lying down
and would be quiet,
I would be asleep and then at peace
with kings and counselors of the earth
who built for themselves places now desolate,
or with princes who possessed gold,
who filled their palaces with silver.
Or why was I not buried
like a stillborn infant,
like infants who have never seen the light?
There the wicked cease from turmoil,
and there the weary are at rest.
Why does God give light to one who is in misery,
and life to those whose soul is bitter,
to those who wait for death that does not come,
and search for it
more than for hidden treasures,
who rejoice even to jubilation,
and are exultant when they find the grave?
Why is light given to a man
whose way is hidden,
and whom God has hedged in?

Luke 9: 51-56
Now when the days drew near for him to be taken up, Jesus set out resolutely to go to Jerusalem. He sent messengers on ahead of him. As they went along, they entered a Samaritan village to make things ready in advance for him, but the villagers refused to welcome him, because he was determined to go to Jerusalem. Now when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went on to another village.

Monday 29 September 2008

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael (a.k.a. Michaelmas)

Did you know that angels (pure, created spiritual non-corporeal beings) also get to become saints? Or that there is a day in the RC calendar celebrating them? Here's something on this feast day from Wikipedia and Catholic Culture:

- Michael (Who is like God) was the archangel who fought against Satan and all his evil angels, defending all the friends of God - he is one of the principal angelic warriors, seen as a protector against the dark of night, and the administrator of cosmic intelligence
- Gabriel (Strength of God) announced to Zachariah the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist, and to Mary, the birth of Jesus - his greeting to the Virgin, "Hail, full of grace," is one of the most familiar and frequent prayers of the Christian people.
- Raphael (Medicine of God) is the archangel who took care of Tobias on his journey - his mission as wonderful healer and fellow traveller with the youthful Tobias has caused him to be invoked for journeys and at critical moments in life
- because this feast falls near the equinox, it is associated with the beginning of autumn and the shortening of days
- during the Middle Ages, Michaelmas was celebrated as a Holy Day of Obligation, but this tradition was abolished in the 18th century