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Natural beings Read: Luke 8: 4-15 |
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St. Joseph was born at Cupertino, in the diocese of Nardo in the Kingdom of Naples, in 1603. After spending his childhood and adolescence in simplicity and innocence, he finally joined the Franciscan Friars Minor Conventual. After his ordination to the holy priesthood, he gave himself up entirely to a life of humiliation, mortification, and obedience. He was most devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary and promoted devotion to her among all classes of people.
His mother considered him a nuisance and treated him harshly. Joseph soon became very slow and absent-minded. He would wander around, going nowhere, his mouth gaping open. But he had a bad temper, too, and so, he was not at all popular. He tried to learn the trade of shoemaking, but failed. He asked to become a Franciscan, but they would not accept him. Next, he joined the Capuchins, but eight months later, they sent him away because he could not seem to do anything right. He dropped piles of dishes and kept forgetting to do what he was told. His mother was not at all pleased to have the eighteen-year-old Joseph back home again, so she finally got him accepted as a servant at the Franciscan monastery. |
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All of the lessons for today remind us that there is something quite different from the natural body and the spiritual realms of our being. But because we are so firmly locked into our natural bodies, we often let that realm of our experience dominate our realities. And despite the problems associated with our natural bodies, we like to hold on to them and would even like to have them back in the same form again when we are resurrected. We are really quite fond of our earthly selves. Paul tries to help us to get past that hang up and to think of our futures in terms of the spiritual. He tells us that we are not going to be resurrected in our earthly forms, but something a lot better. I am old enough to be pretty glad about that. My body has all sorts of aches and pains. Focusing more on the spiritual is getting a lot more appealing for me now that it is quite clear that my natural body is pretty fallible. But just because I would rather be resurrected in a spiritual form that is not subject to the corruption, dishonor, and weakness of the natural body that I now inhabit doesn’t mean that I am able to operate above the limits of the flesh in this world. I still cling to the frail flesh despite the fact that the psalmist says we have already been rescued from this weakness. If we reflect on the fact that we have already been rescued, we should feel the spiritual presence of God so much a part of us in this world that we won’t fear the death of the natural body or any of the weaknesses that go with it. Reading the Psalms, especially the verses for today, can help keep us focused on our priorities here. Rather than thinking about our weaknesses, we should stay focused on walking in the spiritual presence of God. That is where we find life. Jesus reinforces this central vocation for God’s people to center ourselves in the spiritual. “Now hear this,” he says. We can enjoy the presence of God and the knowledge and the mysteries of the Kingdom of God here and now in our earthly bodies if we will embrace the word of God. Jesus tells us that we need to be like the rich soil that God’s word feel upon and took root, producing good fruit. We are to be careful that we do not get choked out by anxieties and pleasures of the flesh that distract us from the task of producing good fruit in the Kingdom of God. Nor should we let the word of God fall on rocky ground and not take roots. That seems straightforward enough, but it doesn’t seem to help us with our fear of death; our own and those of our loved ones. We won’t really hear Jesus until we get rid of our fear of death. We have to transcend the natural in favor of the spiritual in order to have eternal life. As I reflect on this problem of our natural human condition, I am struck by how few of us really have been able to weed out the anxieties and the pleasures of the natural world that target our natural beings. Knowledge of the mysteries of the spiritual realm has been given to us in the Gospels and the ancient promises in Psalms and the parables but it is often difficult for us to understand. While all we need to do is embrace the Word of God and bear fruit, it is not that easy to do. It does indeed take perseverance. Today I pray that we as God’s people will help each other persevere with generous and good hearts. Amen. |
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Reflection:
Did you know that singing praise and worship is doubly praying to God?
My heart sings out the goodness and love of God.
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TODAYS SAINT: St. Joseph of Cupertino |
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Today’s Bible Reading :
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Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel: |
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He was given the monks habit and put to hard work taking care of the horses. About this time, Joseph began to change. He grew more humble and gentle, more careful and successful at his work. He also began to do more penance. Now, it was decided that he could become a real member of the Order and start studying for the priesthood. Although he was very good, he still had a hard time with studies. The examiner happened to ask him to explain the only thing he knew well, and so he was made a deacon, and later a priest. After this, God began to work many amazing miracles through St. Joseph. Over seventy times, people saw him rise from the ground while saying mass or praying. Often he went into ecstasy and would be completely rapt up in talking with God. He became so holy that everything he saw made him think of God, and he said that all the troubles of this world were nothing but the "play" battles children have with popguns. St. Joseph became so famous for the miracles that he was kept hidden, but he was happy for the chance to be alone with his beloved Lord. On His part, Jesus never left him alone and one day came to bring him to Heaven. Pope Clement XIII canonized him in 1767. He is the patron saint of air travelers and pilots.
It is said that the life of this saint was marked by ecstasies and levitations. The mere mention of God or a spiritual matter was enough to take him out of his senses; at Mass he frequently floated in the air in rapture. Once as Christmas carols were being sung, he soared to the high altar and knelt in the air, rapted in prayer. On another occasion he ferried a cross thirty-six feet high through the air to the top of a Calvary group as easily as one might carry a straw.
The people flocked to him in droves seeking help and advice in the confessional, and he converted many to a truly Christian life. However, this humble man had to endure many severe trials and terrible temptations throughout his life. He died on September 18, 1663.
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DAILY HIGHLIGHTS |
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"...He called out, “Whoever has ears to hears ought to hear." Luke 8:8 |
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