A Holy Life

Saint Josaphat

(1580 - 1623), Bishop and Martyr for Church Unity

Feast day – November 12

In 1967, newspaper photos of Pope Paul VI embracing Athenagoras I, the Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople, marked a significant step toward the healing of a division in Christendom that has spanned nine centuries. In 1595, when today’s saint was a boy, the Orthodox bishop of Brest-Litovsk (famous in World War I) in Belarus and five other bishops representing millions of Ruthenians, sought reunion with Rome. John Kunsevich (Josaphat became his name in religious life) was to dedicate his life and suffer his death in the same cause.

 

Born in what was then Poland, he went to work in Wilno and was influenced by clergy adhering to the Union of Brest (1596). He became a Basilian monk, then a priest, and soon was well known as a preacher and as an ascetic. He became bishop of Vitebsk (now in Russia) at a relatively young age, and faced a difficult situation. Most monks, fearing interference in liturgy and customs, did not want union with Rome. By synods, catechetical instruction, reform of the clergy and personal example, however, Josaphat was successful in winning the greater part of the Orthodox in that area to the union. But the next year a dissident hierarchy was set up, and his opposite number spread the accusation that Josaphat had "gone Latin" and that all his people would have to do the same. He was not enthusiastically supported by the Latin bishops of Poland. Despite warnings, he went to Vitebsk, still a hotbed of trouble. Attempts were made to foment trouble and drive him from the diocese: A priest was sent to shout insults to him from his own courtyard.

 

When Josaphat had him removed and shut up in his house, the opposition rang the town hall bell, and a mob assembled. The priest was released, but members of the mob broke into the bishop’s home. He was struck with a halberd, then shot and his body thrown into the river. It was later recovered and is now buried at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. He was the first saint of the Eastern Church to be canonized by Rome. His death brought a movement toward Catholicism and unity, but the controversy continued, and the dissidents, too, had their martyr. After the partition of Poland, the Russians forced most Ruthenians to join the Russian Orthodox Church.

 

The seeds of separation were sown in the fourth century when the Roman Empire was divided into East and West. The actual split came over relatively unimportant customs (unleavened bread, Saturday fasting, celibacy). No doubt the political involvement of religious leaders on both sides was a large factor, and doctrinal disagreement was present. But no reason was enough to justify the present tragic division in Christendom, which is 64 percent Roman Catholic, 13 percent Eastern Churches (mostly Orthodox) and 23 percent Protestant, and this when the 71 percent of the world that is not Christian should be getting the witness of unity and Christlike charity from Christians!

 

Sources for this article were taken from:  AmericanCatholic.org

 

 Prayer

Stir up in your Church, we pray, O Lord,
the Spirit that filled Saint Josaphat
as he laid down his life for the sheep,
so that through his intercession
we, too, may be strengthened by the same Spirit
and not be afraid to lay down our life for others.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Saint Josaphat – Pray for us

Gospel Reflection

November 11, 2012

Year of Faith

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Benjo Fajota (Vice Rector of the EDSA Shrine)

Lunch Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

Reading 1 1 Kgs 17:10-16

In those days, Elijah the prophet went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the entrance of the city, a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her, "Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink." She left to get it, and he called out after her, "Please bring along a bit of bread." She answered, "As the LORD, your God, lives, I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my jug. Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks, to go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die." Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid. Go and do as you propose. But first make me a little cake and bring it to me. Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son. For the LORD, the God of Israel, says, 'The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'" She left and did as Elijah had said. She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well; the jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10

R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who were bowed down;
the LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 Heb 9:24-28

Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf. Not that he might offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary with blood that is not his own; if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice. Just as it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment, so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.

Gospel Mk 12:38-44

In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation."

He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood."

or Mk 12:41-44

Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood."

HOMILY

Wala ka ngang ginagawang masama, ano naman ang ginagawa mo sa kaawa-awa?

Narinig natin sa Ebanghelyo kung papaano tayo binigyan ng babala ni Hesus. Sinabi ni Hesus na huwag tayong tumulad sa mga taga-Escriba na gustong magsuot ng mahahabang damit katulad po ng suot ko ngayon, at tila ang nais lamang nila ay sila ay papurihan at parangalan. At ang binigyan Niya ng papuri ay hindi ang taong nagbigay ng malaking halaga kundi 'yong isang balong babae na isang kusing lamang 'yong kanyang binigay, ngunit ito ang lahat lahat nang mayroon siya. She gave everything. From her poverty, she gave all that she had. Kaya mas maganda at mas mainam ang ganitong pagbibigay, hindi 'yong pagbibigay nang kung ano lamang 'yong sobra sa atin, hindi lamang 'yong convenient sa atin, hindi lamang kung ano lang ang hindi natin kailangan.

 

When we talk about this theme, about money, a lot of people feel uncomfortable. And the wealthy among us, among you, will say "This is our money and we have the right to use whatever we want with our money. Aming pera ito na pinaghirapan namin, pinagpursigihan namin, kaya nararapat lamang na kung ano ang nais naming gawin sa aming pera ay magawa namin ito." Nakakalimutan natin na ang lahat ng biyaya ay galing sa Diyos, at tayo ay tagapangasiwa lamang. We are mere stewards of the wealth and the material blessings that we receive from God. And so we try to justify and rationalize for whatever purpose we use our money or properties.

Narinig din naman natin dati ang sinabi ni Hesus, sa ibang Ebanghelyo. Sinabi Niya, "Kung ano ang ginawa mo sa kaliit-liitan mong kapwa, ay ginawa mo sa Akin. At kung ano ang pinagkait mo sa kaliit-liitan mong kapwa, ay ipinagkait mo rin sa Akin. Sinabi Niya sa atin na ang landas patungo sa Kanyang Kaharian, ay ito lamang ang magiging pamantayan. "Pinakain mo ba ang nagugutom? Pinainom mo ba ang nauuhaw? Binigyan mo ba ng damit ang mga walang maisuot? At pinatuloy mo ba ang mga walang matirhan?"

Ang akala natin ang ating pagiging mapanampalataya, malapit sa Diyos, o ang ating ispiritualidad, ay nakadepende sa kung paano tayo magdasal. Ating sinusunod ang iba't ibang mga alituntunin ng ating Simbahan. Nakakalimutan natin na ang paggamit ng ating mga salapi at ari-arian ay mayroon ding sasabihin sa atin sa wakas ng panahon. One Jesuit Father and spiritual book writer said, "The one single, most reliable, most effective measure of our spirituality, that is how we stand before God, is the use of our money."

Mayroon pong isang babaeng taga-Bangladesh, na dinala ng kanyang amo sa US upang doon sa kanya maglingkod sa bahay niya sa US. Noong unang araw niya roon, nakita niya kung gaano kalaki ang bahay ng kanyang amo. Pagsilip niya sa bintana, may nakita siyang isang maliit na bahay at tinanong niya, "Sino ho ang nakatira diyan? Sino ho ang nagma-may-ari ng bahay na 'yan?" Natawa ang kanyang amo at ang sabi, "Hindi bahay 'yan. Garahe 'yan. Diyan namin inilalagay, ipina-park ang aming mga sasakyan." Iiling-iling ang babae at ang sabi, "Bahay para sa kotse?" Hindi niya lubos maisip, hindi niya lubos maunawaan na mayroong tahanan para sa mga sasakyan.

Huwag na tayong lumayo doon. Tignan na lang natin dito sa ating sariling bayan kung gaano karami ang naghihirap. A few years back, the Philippine Council for Investigative Journalism came out with a survey among the urban poor. Tinanong nila ang mga squatters sa Metro Manila kung ano ba ang mga kailangan nila sa kanilang buhay. Dahil sila ay mahihirap, inasahan ng mga nag-survey na una ang pagkain sa kanilang kailangan. Nagkamali sila. Unang una sa listahan ng mga kailangan ng ating mga mahihirap na kababayan ay isang disenteng trabaho para sa kanila. Ikalawa, edukasyon para sa kanilang mga anak. Ikatlo, disenteng tahanan. At ika-apat lamang ang pagkain.

Ano ang sinasabi ng survey na ito? Sinasabi lamang sa atin na ang ating mga kababayan ay nais ding mabigyan ng pagkakataong ituring na tunay na isang taong mayroong dangal at dignidad. They want to be respected and be counted as a contributor, a member of the society, with dignity and worth as a human person. Sinasabi din ho nila sa atin na huwag natin silang gamiting pang-dole out lang. Pag dumating ang eleksiyon, bibigyan natin sila nang kung anu-ano, para sabihin lamang na tinutulungan natin silang mahihirap. Kapag may sakuna o bagyo, binibigyan natin sila ng lata ng sardinas at noodles, tapos na. Paano na ang kanilang kinabukasan? Hindi ito sapat para sabihin nating tutulungan natin sila at mayroon tayong malasakit sa kanilang kapakanan.

Mga kapatid, sinasabi ng Ebanghelyo sa atin, huwag tayong maging maramot. Tularan natin ang isang mahirap na balo, na binigay nang buong-buo ang kung ano man ang mayroon siya, para lamang sa kapakanan ng kanyang kapwa. Dito natin maipapakita ang tunay na pag-ibig natin sa Diyos. Hindi sa pagdarasal lamang, hindi sa pagsunod lamang sa mga batas ng Simbahan, ngunit lalong lalo na, ang una sa lahat, ay ang magmahal ng kapwa.

Hindi nga tayo gumagawa nang masama, ano naman ang ginagawa natin sa kaawa-awa? Amen.