Thursday, August 24 : Saint Peter Damian

The apostles’ glory is so indistinguishable and so bonded together by the cement of so many graces that in celebrating the feast of one of them the common greatness of all is called to our interior attention. For they share together the same authority of supreme judge, the same honorable rank, and they hold the same power to bind and loose (Mt 19:28; 18:18). They are those precious pearls that Saint John tells us he beheld in the Book of Revelation out of which are constructed the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem (Rv 21:21.14)… And indeed, whenever the apostles beam divine light through their signs or miracles, they open up the heavenly glory of Jerusalem to all those peoples who have been converted to the christian faith… Of them, too, the prophet says: “Who are these who fly along like clouds?” (Is 60:8)… God raises the minds of his preachers to contemplation of truths on high… so that they can abundantly pour down the rain of God’s word into our hearts. Thus they drink water from the spring so as to give drink to us too. Saint Bartholomew drew from the fulness of this spring when the Holy Spirit came upon him, as on the other apostles, in the form of tongues of fire (Acts 2:3). Perhaps, hearing of fire, you don’t see its relationship to water? But listen to how our Lord calls “water” the Holy Spirit who came down like fire on the apostles: “Let anyone who thirsts,” he says, “come to me and drink”. And he adds: “Whoever believes in me – as scripture says – ‘Rivers of living water will flow from within him’.” And the evangelist explains: “He said this in reference to the Spirit that those who came to believe in him were to receive” (Jn 7:37-39). The Psalmist, too, says to believers: “They feast on the rich food of your house; from your delightful stream you give them drink. For with you is the fountain of life” (Ps 35[36]:10).

Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team