A great prophet has appeared among us;
God has visited his people. LK 7:16
1 TIMOTHY 3:1-13
My Soul's Beloved,
All the good and noble qualities that St. Paul lists to Timothy as requirements for those who wish to be presiding elders and deacons are qualities that should be the standard for every Catholic Christian who is baptized and grafted into Your Body. We can only be salt and light in the world if we strive always to lead holy lives and not be a source of scandal to anyone within the Church or outside it. The blueprint for our lives must be the Beatitudes. We are called to be like You, and the lives of the great saints, men, women, and even children, whom the Church invites us to honor and imitate, because they are perfect examples that it is not impossible to do so.
"Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy" is a command, not a suggestion. This is not possible unless we lead a sacramental life, which means frequently attending the Sacrament of Reconciliation and receiving the Holy Eucharist daily if possible. Unless we are in close intimacy with You, Lord, we will not be able to withstand the lure of the world, the wiles of the Enemy, and above all, our own concupiscence.
Those in a position of leadership in the Church who become a source of scandal give the weak in faith an excuse to live unholy, unchaste lives. Too often, the weaknesses of those who are our shepherds scatter the flock rather than keep them from going astray. May we support them with our prayers, our sympathy, our charity, our affection, and our friendship rather than criticize, complain, and make their vocation difficult and burdensome. Let us encourage them and let them know that we love them and how greatly we appreciate their sacrifices.
Here is a saying that you can rely on: To want to be a presiding elder is to want to do a noble work. That is why the president must have an impeccable character. He must not have been married more than once, and he must be temperate, discreet and courteous, hospitable and a good teacher; not a heavy drinker, nor hot-tempered, but kind and peaceable. He must not be a lover of money. He must be a man who manages his own family well and brings his children up to obey him and be well-behaved: how can any man who does not understand how to manage his own family have responsibility for the church of God? He should not be a new convert, in case pride might turn his head and then he might be condemned as the devil was condemned. It is also necessary that people outside the Church should speak well of him, so that he never gets a bad reputation and falls into the devil’s trap.
In the same way, deacons must be respectable men whose word can be trusted, moderate in the amount of wine they drink and with no squalid greed for money. They must be conscientious believers in the mystery of the faith. They are to be examined first, and only admitted to serve as deacons if there is nothing against them. In the same way, the women must be respectable, not gossips but sober and quite reliable. Deacons must not have been married more than once, and must be men who manage their children and families well. Those of them who carry out their duties well as deacons will earn a high standing for themselves and be rewarded with great assurance in their work for the faith in Christ Jesus.
PSALM 100(101):1-3,5,6
I will walk with blameless heart.
My song is of mercy and justice;
I sing to you, O Lord.
I will walk in the way of perfection.
O when, Lord, will you come?
I will walk with blameless heart
within my house;
I will not set before my eyes
whatever is base.
The man who slanders his neighbour in secret
I will bring to silence.
The man of proud looks and haughty heart
I will never endure.
I look to the faithful in the land
that they may dwell with me.
He who walks in the way of perfection
shall be my friend.
Here is a saying that you can rely on: To want to be a presiding elder is to want to do a noble work. That is why the president must have an impeccable character. He must not have been married more than once, and he must be temperate, discreet and courteous, hospitable and a good teacher; not a heavy drinker, nor hot-tempered, but kind and peaceable. He must not be a lover of money. He must be a man who manages his own family well and brings his children up to obey him and be well-behaved: how can any man who does not understand how to manage his own family have responsibility for the church of God? He should not be a new convert, in case pride might turn his head and then he might be condemned as the devil was condemned. It is also necessary that people outside the Church should speak well of him, so that he never gets a bad reputation and falls into the devil’s trap.
In the same way, deacons must be respectable men whose word can be trusted, moderate in the amount of wine they drink and with no squalid greed for money. They must be conscientious believers in the mystery of the faith. They are to be examined first, and only admitted to serve as deacons if there is nothing against them. In the same way, the women must be respectable, not gossips but sober and quite reliable. Deacons must not have been married more than once, and must be men who manage their children and families well. Those of them who carry out their duties well as deacons will earn a high standing for themselves and be rewarded with great assurance in their work for the faith in Christ Jesus.
PSALM 100(101):1-3,5,6
I will walk with blameless heart.
My song is of mercy and justice;
I sing to you, O Lord.
I will walk in the way of perfection.
O when, Lord, will you come?
I will walk with blameless heart
within my house;
I will not set before my eyes
whatever is base.
The man who slanders his neighbour in secret
I will bring to silence.
The man of proud looks and haughty heart
I will never endure.
I look to the faithful in the land
that they may dwell with me.
He who walks in the way of perfection
shall be my friend.
I will walk with blameless heart.
LUKE 7:11-17
My Soul's Beloved,
We do not know the name of the widow or the name of her son whom You raised to life. As the funeral procession made its way on the street for burial, Your heart went out to her in sympathy. You approached her full of tenderness and compassion. You understood her grief, and You said to her softly, and lovingly, ‘Do not cry.’ You took the time to comfort and console her before You performed the miracle that would restore her son to life. You are a God who loves tenderly, and You empathise with us in all our troubles and sorrows. Even before we call, You hasten to come to our aid. You console and bless us and restore to us what we were certain was lost forever.
What You could not do for Your sorrowful Mother, who would have to endure watching You to the bitter end, until You gave up Your Spirit to Your Father, You did for this poor widow of Nain. It is of such great comfort to all of us who suffer great loss that You know, You understand, and You restore.
You raised so many from the dead during Your short ministry, Lord, something that was impossible for man but only for God, and yet You were rejected and put to death. Let us not lose heart when life becomes difficult for us. Without suffering, there can be no glory. Without the cross, there can be no crown. Thank You, for assuring us that we are never alone. You are right beside us, You are with us, and we are never alone. You are our strength, our help, and our consolation. Let us always run to You for comfort. Stay with us, Lord, the night is here. Stay with us until the dawn appears and we are given the light of a beautiful new day.
Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. When he was near the gate of the town it happened that a dead man was being carried out for burial, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the townspeople were with her. When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry’ he said. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up.’ And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Everyone was filled with awe and praised God saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people.’ And this opinion of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside.
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