Gracious And Merciful Is The LORD.

Friday of the Thirtieth Week
in Ordinary Time
Reading I
Philippians 1:1-11
Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus,
to all the holy ones in Christ Jesus
who are in Philippi,
with the bishops and deacons:
grace to you and peace
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God
at every remembrance of you,
praying always with joy
in my every prayer for all of you,
because of your partnership for the Gospel
from the first day until now.
I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work in you
will continue to complete it
until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right that I should think this way
about all of you,
because I hold you in my heart,
you who are all partners with me in grace,
both in my imprisonment
and in the defense
and confirmation of the Gospel.
For God is my witness,
how I long for all of you
with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer:
that your love may increase
ever more and more
in knowledge and every kind of perception,
to discern what is of value,
so that you may be pure
and blameless for the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ
for the glory and praise of God.
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Responsorial
Psalm 111
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people
the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
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Gospel
Luke 14:1-6
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.
Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law
and Pharisees in reply, asking,
“Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”
But they kept silent; so he took the man and,
after he had healed him, dismissed him.
Then he said to them
“Who among you,
if your son or ox falls into a cistern,
would not immediately
pull him out on the sabbath day?”
But they were unable to answer his question.
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St. Narcissus of Jerusalem
(d. 215)

Life in second- and third-century Jerusalem couldn’t have been easy, but St. Narcissus managed to live well beyond 100. Some even speculate he lived to 160.

Details of his life are sketchy, but there are many reports of his miracles. The miracle for which he is most remembered was turning water into oil for use in the church lamps on Holy Saturday when the deacons had forgotten to provide any.

We do know that Narcissus became bishop of Jerusalem in the late second century. He was known for his holiness, but there are hints that many people found him harsh and rigid in his efforts to impose church discipline. One of his many detractors accused Narcissus of a serious crime at one point. Though the charges against him did not hold up, he used the occasion to retire from his role as bishop and live in solitude. His disappearance was so sudden and convincing that many people assumed he had actually died.

Several successors were appointed during his years in isolation. Finally, Narcissus reappeared in Jerusalem and was persuaded to resume his duties. By then, he had reached an advanced age, so a younger bishop was brought in to assist him until his death.

Saint of the Day
American Catholic.org