Tag: Saint Peter Damian

“Something greater than Solomon here.” | Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 11:29-32)

“At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

Jesus refers to Jonah and Solomon as he speaks to the crowd about the need for repentance. He compares their time to his own. In Jonah’s time, as we read in the first reading, the people repented as Jonah announced the Lord’s message, including the king of Nineveh. In Solomon’s time, the queen of the South, also known as the Queen of Sheba heard about the wisdom of Solomon and traveled a great distance to see him with her own eyes. Jesus, referring to himself as the Messiah, tells the crowd, “there is something greater than Solomon here.” But the people of his own time would not believe him. Among the same crowd, Jesus says: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

God of mercy, help me recognize what Jesus tells the crowd about repentance. In the daily struggle to remain in you as I acknowledge the limits of my ability to be merciful, strengthen me with your grace; call me to you. In the words of Saint Peter Damian: “If indeed the devil is so powerful that he is able to hurl you into the depths of vice, how much more effective is the strength of Christ to restore you to the lofty position from which you have plummeted.” Lord, let me remain in your word; keep me in your care!

From the responsorial psalm: “Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.” Saint Peter Damian, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”

After hearing Jesus tell them that “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, the disciples discuss who is the greatest among them as they begin a journey through Galilee. Jesus’ response to them shows that to be the greatest means to be the servant of all, as will be fulfilled in his coming suffering and Passion. By placing a child in the midst of the disciples, Jesus elevates the place of childlike faith in receiving both him and the One who sent him, the Father. How can I trust the Father today in serving others in childlike faith?

God, help me understand the words of your Son, the servant of all. Jesus told the disciples, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” Let me have no delusion about what it means to be the servant of all. It means laying down my life in small sacrifices and if necessary, the ultimate sacrifice. Let me trust in your mercy, God. As Sirach says in the first reading: “You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy, turn not away lest you fall. You who fear the LORD, trust him, and your reward will not be lost.”

Lord, just as Jesus said he would be handed over and killed, he also said he would rise. “Where now are the world’s many powerful men?” asked Saint Peter Damian. “If you should examine their graves, would you not find that their entire body, before which the world was forced to tremble, scarcely weighs a single pound?” Lord, help me remember that in serving you I may be hated by all because of your name but that in the end, not a hair on my head will be destroyed. Saint Peter Damian, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

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