Saturday, June 29 : Saint Bernard

Christ the Mediator “committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth” (1Pt 2:22). How could I venture to draw near him, I who am a sinner, a grievous sinner whose sins are more numerous than the sands of the sea? He is all that is most pure, I am all that is most impure (…)This is the reason why God has given me these apostles, men and sinners – very grievous sinners – who learnt for themselves, through their own experience, how merciful they should be to others. Guilty themselves of great offences, they will grant a ready pardon to great offences and repay us according to the measure meted out to them (Lk 6:38). The apostle Peter committed a very great sin, possibly the greatest of all. He received a forgiveness for it that was as swift as it was ready, even to not losing anything of the privilege of his primacy. And Paul, who unleashed unrestrained aggression against the newborn Church, was brought to faith at the call of God’s Son himself. In return for so many evils he was filled with such great blessings that he became “a chosen instrument to carry the Lord’s name before Gentiles, kings and Israelites” (Acts 9:15) (…) Peter and Paul are our teachers: they learned the way of life fully from the one Teacher of all and continue to teach us today.

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team