Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, Priest Year 1 2023

Title

Keep the Commandment

Outline

What a awesome setting:

“the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ that the blessed and only ruler [that] will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see.”

But it is not jaw-dropping awesome only, but knee knocking as well, for the call is to “keep the commandment.” This is a commandment of faithful following in “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.” This is the commandment not only to live right but to make a good confession before authorities, if required.

And while Paul is writing this public-personal letter to strengthen Timothy’s authority to carry out the full commandment entailed in being a faithful apostolic successor, a second goal is to strengthen Timothy’s backbone to do what he needs to do.

There is a place where he will answer for how he did it, just as there is a place where you and I will answer for how we kept our respective commandments.

(Timothy’s exhortation could be made publicly not only to strengthen his hand, but because there is so much overlap in virtue between what was required of him and what is required of us.)

And that is Jesus’ call to us:

In the light of our coming appearance before his exalted throne what type of seed are we?

We have all received the good seed and responded positively, or we would not be here. Indeed, this seed included not just a Christian calling but a religious calling.

But did it become too hard or difficult? (I’ve had a few of those situations that pushed others from my calling in life.) But did you get distracted by the affairs of life, here in the Priory, there in your teaching life in or out of the classroom, further afield in your involvements with your families? Did I get distracted by academics and lose sight of the purpose that academics, even biblical studies or spirituality academics served? Or did we bear good fruit?

Or are you seeing fruit as the years go by? The amount is not the issue in the parable, so I am to be happy with 30 fold and slack-jawed with wonder at the goodness of God with 100 fold. (And the best of disciples - I am thinking of Pope John Paul II as a youth - are too busy avoiding persecution and too focused on the work of God or God himself to do much fruit counting.}

Sisters, none of us is likely to be a Timothy

The running of one or several apostolic dioceses is beyond me, and likely you.

But each of us has heard the call and know that in worship, virtue, and holiness the call is a challenge to us that requires our live’s to be laid down at Christ’s feet.

Yet each of us should keep this exhortation of Paul before our eyes, perhaps reviewing it nightly: how well as I doing in keeping the commandment to me? How would I feel if I saw the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ happening and would soon appear before him? That is something that I always want to keep before the eyes of my mind for my good.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 9-23-2023: Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, Priest

FIRST READING

1 Timothy 6:13–16

13 I charge [you] before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession, 14 to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ 15 that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.

Catholic Daily Readings 9-23-2023: Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, Priest

RESPONSE

Psalm 100:2

2 serve the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful song.

PSALM

Psalm 100:1b–5

1 A psalm of thanksgiving.

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;

2 serve the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful song.

3 Know that the LORD is God,

he made us, we belong to him,

we are his people, the flock he shepherds.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

his courts with praise.

Give thanks to him, bless his name;

5 good indeed is the LORD,

His mercy endures forever,

his faithfulness lasts through every generation.

Catholic Daily Readings 9-23-2023: Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, Priest

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Luke 8:15

15 But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.

GOSPEL

Luke 8:4–15

4 When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to him, he spoke in a parable. 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. 6 Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. 7 Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. 8 And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold.” After saying this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

9 Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be. 10 He answered, “Knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that ‘they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.’

11 “This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of God. 12 Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of trial. 14 As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit. 15 But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 9-23-2023: Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, Priest

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2023 | MEMORIAL

SAINT PIO OF PIETRELCINA, PRIEST

YEARS 1 & 2 | ROMAN MISSAL

From Saturday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time

First Reading 1 Timothy 6:13–16

Response Psalm 100:2

Psalm Psalm 100:1b–5

Gospel Acclamation Luke 8:15

Gospel Luke 8:4–15

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