Memorial
of Saint Bede the Venerable, priest and doctor of the Church
(Acts
17:15.22-18:1; John 16:12-15)
Today the
Church remembers three saints although it does not require the celebration of
any. St. Bede the Venerable, the most
well-known, was an eighth century Englishman.
He is famous for having compiled a history of the Church in
England. The work contains critical
scholarship of the early Church and of Roman England. St. Gregory VII reformed the Church reformer as
papal assistant and as pope. He is
famous for having excommunicated Henry IV, the Holy Roman Empire, for meddling
in Church affairs. St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi lived in sixteenth century
Florence. She was a Carmelite mystic admired
for her penitential spirit.
In today’s
gospel Jesus tells his disciples that the Holy Spirit will guide them to all
truth. He comes in various ways like the
Scriptures and the sacraments. He is also
evidenced in the lives of people like today’s celebrated saints. There he reassures us of the Church’s
holiness despite waves of corruption.
The Spirit makes clear that lives dedicated to God are not miserable and
much less lived in vain.
We should
remember our vocation is to be saints like Bede, Gregory, and Mary Magdalene d’
Pazzi. We may not be scholars like St.
Bede, but we can be thoughtful. We may
not be reformers like Gregory, but we can promote Christian values in daily
actions. We may not be mystics like Mary
Magdalene d’ Pazzi, but we can pray fervently every day.
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