29th Week, Thursday, Oct 23; St John of Capistrano
Romans 6:19-23 / Luke 12:49-53
Paul exhorts the Romans; Turn to Christ as you once turned to sin.
"In Downey, California, a man in his early 20s went through the prime rib line seven times at Marmac's, a restaurant that provides an unlimited amount of roast beef. ... He wound up in a hospital, having his stomach pumped out. But less than a week later, he was back in the beef line.” Time magazine
It's this kind of moral addiction to evil that Paul refers to in today's reading. The human heart was once so completely controlled by sin that it was helpless in the face of temptation. All that changed with the coming of Jesus. Now Paul urges the Romans to let Jesus reign in their hearts as completely as sin once did.
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How completely have we surrendered our hearts to Jesus Christ? “Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land; Ring in the Christ that is to be.” Alfred Lord Tennyson
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Every person grows with age. The growth is just not physically, but also intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Although a person's growth can be measured most obviously by the age, it does not necessarily mean that with age there will be maturity. It also does not mean that as one gets older, one also get wiser, or mellower, or holier.
And if one is not formed in good moral principles, then, as the 1st reading would put it, they are like slaves of sin, with no obligation to righteousness. The result would be actions that are embarrassing to say the least, and even at the far end, it would be actions that result in destruction of self and spiritual death. The 1st reading reminds us that we have been set free from sin, and with God as our Master, we are led to our sanctification and ending with eternal life.
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Every man has of necessity to make the choice between life and death. This choice is identical with the choice - between God and his kingdom, and sin between faith and grace, giving eternal life, and death between knowing, loving and serving God, and knowing, loving and serving creatures in place of God.
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Today’s Gospel passage may sound a bit disturbing. The Prince of Peace is speaking the language of pieces and divisions. It sounds like he would practice a ‘divide and rule’ policy in the world. He has come to bring about peace between God and human beings. However, there is always the possibility that some members of a family succeed in understanding ‘his ways and his thoughts,’ (Is. 55:8) but others fail to understand, because his ways and his thoughts are different from human ways and human thoughts. This would naturally lead to divisions in the family. Whoever stands with Jesus stands apart, without being part of any family. Discipleship disturbs physical relationships in favour of spiritual relationships. A new vision is likely to generate divisions.
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Prayer
Lord our God, you have set us free in Christ, free from our selfishness, free from shame and fear, free for life and service. God, accept our thanks for this free gift. Give us the strength, day after day, to grow in this liberty and to help our little or large world to attain the same freedom from sin and its consequences: from injustice, suffering, and oppression. One day may we be completely free in your eternal home, through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen
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Saint John of Capistrano
It has been said the Christian saints are the world’s greatest optimists. Not blind to the existence and consequences of evil, they base their confidence on the power of Christ’s redemption. The power of conversion through Christ extends not only to sinful people but also to calamitous events.
Imagine being born in the 14th century. One-third of the population and nearly 40 percent of the clergy were wiped out by the bubonic plague. The Western Schism split the Church with two or three claimants to the Holy See at one time. England and France were at war. The city-states of Italy were constantly in conflict. No wonder that gloom dominated the spirit of the culture and the times.
John Capistrano was born in 1386. His education was thorough. His talents and success were great. When he was 26 he was made governor of Perugia. Imprisoned after a battle against the Malatestas, he resolved to change his way of life completely. At the age of 30 he entered the Franciscan novitiate and was ordained a priest four years later.
John’s preaching attracted great throngs at a time of religious apathy and confusion. He and 12 Franciscan brethren were received in the countries of central Europe as angels of God. They were instrumental in reviving a dying faith and devotion.
The Franciscan Order itself was in turmoil over the interpretation and observance of the Rule of St. Francis. Through John’s tireless efforts and his expertise in law, the heretical Fraticelli were suppressed and the “Spirituals” were freed from interference in their stricter observance.
John of Capistrano helped bring about a brief reunion with the Greek and Armenian Churches.
When the Turks captured Constantinople in 1453, John was commissioned to preach a crusade for the defense of Europe. Gaining little response in Bavaria and Austria, he decided to concentrate his efforts in Hungary. He led the army to Belgrade. Under the great General John Hunyadi, they gained an overwhelming victory, and the siege of Belgrade was lifted. Worn out by his superhuman efforts, Capistrano was an easy prey to an infection after the battle. He died on October 23, 1456.
