Thought for the Day – 21 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Gospel Reading
“We should practice what we learn in the Gospel. If this were not the result of our reading, our efforts would be worth very little. When reading, we should apply to our lives the spirit and the precepts of Jesus. This was the practice of the Saints, whose lives were a continual implementation of the Gospel message. So, St Aloysius and others, understood and applied to their own lives, the maxim: “Blessed are pure of heart.” St Francis and his followers, applied another maxim: “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” St Francis de Sales applied to himself, in a special way, the words: “Blessed are the meek.” As a result, he was noted for his gentleness of character, this man, known as “The Gentleman Saint” and “The Gentle Christ of Geneva!”
We should read the Gospel everyday. It should be for us, a school of practical spirituality, esspecially adapted to the needs of our own soul, which will finally lead us to sanctity.”
Quote/s of the Day – 21 September –The Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, Martyr – Ezekiel 1:10-14; Matthew 9:9-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.”
Matthew 9:9
“It is not the healthy who need a physician but they who are sick.”
Matthew 9:12-
“By their fruits you will know them. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?“
Matthew 7:16
“So it will be at the end of the world. The Angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the just.”
Matthew 13:40
“But the things which proceed out of the mouth, come from the heart and it is they which defile a man.”
Matthew 15:18
“His Lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant because thou has been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many thing. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
Matthew 25:23
“Amen I say to you, as long as you did NOT do it for one of these least ones, you did NOT do it for Me.”
One Minute Reflection – 21 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – The Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, Martyr – Pentecost XV – Ezekiel 1:10- 14 – Matthew 9:9-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“It is not the healthy who need a physician but they who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call sinners, not the just.”- Matthew 9:12-13
REFLECTION – “The Apostles, those who all as one and each in particular, possessed the Good News of God, went to the ends of the earth proclaiming the news of all the blessings God sends us and announcing Heaven’s peace towards men (Lk 2:14). Specifically, Matthew produced a written form of the gospel for the Hebrews in their own language, while Peter and Paul evangelised Rome and founded the Church there. After their deaths, Mark, who was Peter’s disciple and interpreter (1 Pt 5:13), also handed down Peter’s preaching to us in writing. Likewise, Luke, Paul’s companion, set down in a book, the Gospel preached by the latter. And then John, the disciple of the Lord, the one who leaned back on his breast (Jn 13:25), also published the Gospel during his stay at Ephesus.
In his Gospel,Matthew relates the genealogy of Christ as man: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham: now this is how the birth of Christ came about” (Mt 1:1, 18). Thus, this Gospel, presents Christ in human form, which is why it always represents Christ as being moved by sentiments of humility and remaining a man of gentleness …The Apostle Matthew knows none but One and the same God, Who promised Abraham that He would multiply his descendants like the stars in the sky (Gen 15:5) and, Who, through His Son, Jesus Christ, has called us from the worship of stones to knowledge of Him, (Mt 3:9) in such a way, that “those who were no people have become His people and she who was unloved has become beloved” (cf Hos 2:25; Rom 9:25).” – St Irenaeus (130-202) Father of the Church, Bishop of Lyons, Theologian, Martyr (Against the heresies, III, 11,8 ; 9,1 – One of the first historical testimonies to the Evangelists).
PRAYER – We thank You, heavenly Father, for the witness of Your Apostle and Evangelist, Matthew, to the Gospel of Your Son, our Saviour and we pray, that, after his example, we may with ready wills and hearts, obey the calling of our Lord, to follow Him; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 21 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – The Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
O Matthew, Martyr ever blest, Apostle, great Evangelist! By Dom Anselmo Lentini,OSB (1901-1989) Tune: DEO GRACIAS
O Levi, blest with great renown, the glory which surrounds thee now is praise of God’s most faithful Love and Mercy, leading us to hope.
For as thou sat with anxious care and counted money at thy post, Christ called: O Matthew, follow me. What riches he prepared for thee!
Thy heart is seized with burning love, thou greets the Master as thy guest; by making known His gracious Words, thou rise a prince in heaven’s realm.
Thou gather all the Words of Life and Deeds of David’s glorious Son; and leave the world, rich heav’nly food of writings framed in words of gold.
Proclaiming Christ through all the earth, thou seal thy witness with thy blood, and so thou honour Him and give, the highest pledge of zealous love.
O Matthew, Martyr ever blest, Apostle, great Evangelist! may we with thee through ev’ry age sing glory to the Name of Christ. Amen
Saint of the Day – 21 September – St Eusebius Martyr of Phoenicia. We have no dates for this Saint and little information of any kind, except that which we obtain from the Martyrology and a little from the Bollandists.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “In Phoenicia, St Eusebius, Martyr, who of his own accord went to the Prefect and declared himself a Christian, was subjected by said Prefect to many torments and finally beheaded.”
According to the Roman Martyrology, in which he is commemorated as above and an Eastern Calendar cited by the Bollandist Stilting, which discusses the same date, Eusebius voluntarily presented himself to the Governor of Phoenicia, who questioned him to ascertain whether he was a following of Christ and a member of His Flock.
Upon his confirmation he was whipped until he bled, salt was placed on his bleeding wounds and numerous torments were inflicted upon him to break his faith but, to no avail.
The Martyr exulted as if it were someone else’s body which was suffering.
St Meletius of Cyprus – Bishop and Confessor in Cyprus. Martyr. No further information has survived.
Martyrs of Gaza – 3 Saints: Three brothers, Eusebius, Nestulus and Zeno, who were seized, dragged through the street, beaten and murdered by a pagan mob celebrating the renunciation of Christianity by Julian the Apostate. They were burned to death in 362 on a village garbage heap in Gaza, Palestine.
AnaStpaul 
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