A reading from the first Book of Kings 17:7-16
A reading from
the first Book of Kings 17:7-16The brook near where Elijah was hiding ran dry, because no rain had fallen in the land. So the Lord said to Elijah: “Move on to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have designated a widow there to provide for you.” He left and 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 Elijah 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.
The word of the Lord.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 5:13-16
A reading from
the holy Gospel according to Matthew 5:13-16Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Saint Who?
Saints Who Studied Law
Saint Who?
Saints Who Studied Law
Saint Raymond of Penyafort
Priest and religious († 1275) Feast: January 7
Raymond was born into a noble family in Spain. By the age of twenty he was teaching philosophy, and he became a doctor of canon and civil law in his thirties. The bishop of Barcelona made Raymond his archdeacon, but several years later, Raymond felt called to enter the Dominican order. His Dominican superiors were impressed with his humility and fervor. Because of his prior experience with the law, he was asked to write a document for confessors summarizing cases of conscience to assist them in making moral decisions—one of the first manuals of its kind.
Although Raymond became famous for his preaching, other clergy continued to call upon him for his wisdom and insight in legal matters. Pope Gregory IX ordered him to collect all the papal and council decrees issued over the previous eight decades and create a compilation of canon law for the entire Church. When Raymond was elected Master General of the Dominicans, he clarified and simplified the constitutions of the order. Saint Thomas Aquinas composed his famous Summa Contra Gentiles at Raymond’s request.
But Raymond was a priest, first and foremost, and he probably considered his ability to bring many people—from slaves to nobles—to conversion as his greatest gift to God, and from God.
Heavenly Father, give us the grace to make decisions that are worthy of children of God.
