20th Sunday of the Year (A)

(Edited) Sunday reflections: (From) Years 2014 (A), 2015 (B), and 2016 (C)

August 17, 2014
Isaiah 56:1, 6-7
Psalm 67
Romans 11:13-15, 29-32
Matthew 15:21-28

"You have great faith!"

Before this story on the healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter, there are many other miraculous healings in Matthew's gospel. Like the other evangelists, Matthew presents a literary structure by which Jesus performs these miracles. First, it describes a person or a group of people who approach Jesus directly (or through His apostles); second, this person(s) makes his request known in faith to the Lord; and third, the Lord grants his plea, and he is healed according to the strength of faith they have in Him. This is the literary structure which the evangelist Matthew presented in the healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter in Matthew 15:21-28.

Between chapters 8 to 15 of St. Matthew's gospel, Jesus also performed miracles before the healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter: the healing of Peter's mother-in-law (Mt 8:15); that of two blind men (Mt 9:29); and the healing of people who got well just by touching the fringe of the Lord's cloak (Mt 14:36). Compared to these previous miracles, it is the healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter that is remarkable. This is because of the greatness of faith expressed by the Canaanite woman. Despite the taboos that existed between the Jewish culture and the Canaanites, she expressed her faith in Christ with a humility that obtained not only a miracle for her daughter, but also a word of praise from Christ.

The concern of the Canaanite woman was life for her daughter. The Catechism teaches in paragraph #2288 that life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to the faithful by God. Everyone must take reasonable care of their health and take care of others' health as well. As many can work and care for others, then many are already following Christ and fulfilling His word through their work, business, or professions. Caring for all life and the health of others is not an easy task. This means that each one is responsible for others, and at the same time taking good care of themselves at the same time. But with patience rooted in Christ, and faith in Christ's power to save, each one can fulfill their respective Christian vocation like the Canaanite woman in the gospel.

Scripture quote:
"All who keep the sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful my house of prayer." (Isaiah 56)

St. Stephen of Hungary, Feast August 16

St. Stephen I of Hungary, King and Patron of Hungary: c. 975-1038 A.D.

Historical background

Before Hungary became a Catholic state in the tenth century, the people were nomads who swept into the East after the Bulgars (the Bulgarians). These people, who called themselves Magyars, traveled from Siberia by the same route which was once trodden by the Huns. The Turks had driven them from Asia, so they crossed the Ural River and swept through Russia. When they reached the Danube, the Slavs whom they encountered there were in no condition to resist. So, after defeating the Moravians in the area, the Magyars then settled down in the Danube Plain. Eventually from their military skills of horsemanship, archery and pillage, the Hungarians soon learned how to farm and plow the plain which now bears their name.

Stephen christened a Christian at ten years of age


From the historical context described above, the Magyars or Hungarians were still basically an unorganized group of tribes. Vaik, the son of the Magyar voivode (duke) of Geza in Hungary, was born at Asztergom and baptized in 985 A.D. when he was ten years old. Vaik was christened with the Christian name Stephen. His father, the duke, deemed it politically expedient to become Christian. Therefore, he had Vaik and all members of his family, plus his noblemen, all baptized in 985 A.D. Though this household and ruling party were all baptized in the Christian faith, it was Stephen who took the Christian faith to heart and practiced its tenets.

Inheriting the rulership of his father

Stephen married Gisela, the sister of Duke Henry III of Bavaria (who was to become Emperor Henry II in 1002 A.D.) and became ruler of the Magyars upon his father's death in 977 A.D. St. Stephen's first undertaking as ruler of his people was to put down all rebellions among rival tribal leaders so that he could assume full leadership of all Hungary. Having thus overcome the warring tribes in the region, St. Stephen then sent St. Astrik, whom he had designated Hungary's first archbishop, to Rome to request an ecclesiastical organization for Hungary. St. Stephen also asked Pope Sylvester II to grant him the title of king in order to solidify his position among the tribes of Hungary. The Pope granted both his requests and sent back a crown, which St. Stephen officially received on Christmas Day, 1001 A.D.

Organizing the government and Church in Hungary


Obtaining the blessing from Pope Sylvester II, St. Stephen then organized a hierarchy under St. Astrik and began establishing sees, building churches, and ordering tithes to be paid for their support. St. Stephen finished building St. Martin's Monastery (Pannonhalma), begun by his father, inaugurated widespread reforms, including a new legal code and a reorganization of the government in the kingdom. St. Stephen was strong in his support of the poor. While he made himself accessible to everyone, he was especially attentive to the needs of the poor of Hungary.

Uniting the Magyars into an independent Hungary


As a ruler, St. Stephen placed all his dominions under the special patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since his rule was very much based on Christian principles, it made enemies for Stephen among those who were less fervent in their Christian faith. Nevertheless, despite initial opposition, St. Stephen was successful in bringing the Magyars together as one people, made all the Hungarian nobles vassals to him, and establishing the independent kingdom of Hungary. In his kingdom, St. Stephen was able to abolish superstitious customs, and condemned severely blasphemy, theft, and adultery. As regards political conflicts, St. Stephen was known to never undertake a war unless it was really necessary. And in the few times that he had to engage in battle, he emerged victorious.

St. Stephen's latter years

The latter years of St. Stephen were embittered by squabbles about succession. This was because his only son, Blessed Emeric, had died in a hunting accident in 1031 A.D. St. Stephen's nephews attempted to kill him, and his sister, seeking the throne also for her son, plotted also to that end. St. Stephen was spared from assassination but was plagued by illness during the last years of his life. He died at Szekesfehervar, Hungary, in August 15, 1038 A.D. (the feast of the Assumption) and was canonized by Pope Gregory VII in 1083 A.D. His relics were enshrined at the Church of Our Lady in Buda. The Church celebrates his feast on August 16.



As regards the death of his only and beloved son, Blessed Emeric, he was noted to have said: "God loved him, and therefore has taken him away early."



Because of his benevolent and excellent leadership, after his death in 1038 A.D., King Stephen was declared Patron of Hungary.

References of this article

• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney


• A Year With the Saints, by Don Bosco Press, Inc.
  


• Saints for Our Times, by Ed Ransom


• A Concise History of the Catholic Church, by Thomas Bokenkotter


• The History of the World in Two Hundred and Forty Pages, by Rene Sedillot

Mary in the Life of Religious (7)

Mary as Mother, help and guide of religious

Religious life is a life of commitment, fidelity and discipleship translated into a loving relationship with the People of God. As such, it is not a very easy state of life. Therefore, religious ought to seek the help of Mary - who can be their guide in their pilgrimage of faith and their help in their consecrated lives. In his Encyclical on Sacred Virginity, Pope Pius XII says, "The eminent way to protect and nourish virginity as proven by experience time and time again, throughout the course of centuries, is solid and fervent devotion to the Virgin Mother of God. In a certain way all other helps are contained in this devotion... Therefore in a paternal way we exhort all priests, religious men and women, to entrust themselves to the special protection of the Holy Mother of God...the most powerful mother of those in particular who have vowed and consecrated themselves to the service of God".

John Paul II also speaks to religious and tells them the importance of Mary's role in their consecrated life:

"Mary, Mother of Christ, the Eternal Priest, Mother of priests and of religious, will keep you from all anxiety, as you 'wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.' Entrust yourselves to her, as I commend you to her, to Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mother of the Church." [19]

"Beloved Brothers and Sisters...Persevering in fidelity to him who is faithful, strive to find a very special support in Mary! For she was called by God to the most perfect communion with his Son. May she, the faithful Virgin, also be the Mother of your evangelical way: may she help you to experience and to show to the world how infinitely faithful is God himself!"
(RD 17)

Endnotes:

[19] Jean Bayer, S.J., comp., "John Paul II Speaks to Religious
1978-1980", Principal Allocutions from November 1978 to December
1980, p. 95.

Model of Justice and of the Option for the Poor

The 'signs of the times' offered a good incentive for the renewal of the evangelical option for the religious life. Because of the rapidly changing social and politcal contexts, religious found themselves in new and often unexpected situations. In the face of these new circumstances, religious experienced difficult challenges with regard to their traditional modes of presence and of their apostolic options. They realized the need to renew their options - that is, to practice greater solidarity with their contemporaries, especially with the poor and the marginalized. It is in this context that religious have been called to foster human advancement and to build a society worthy of human beings.[20]

The importance of an effective participation by religious in the work for integral human advancement persuaded the Sacred Congregation for Religious and for secular institutes to make a special study of the role of religious in this regard. Thus, in the Congregation's plenary session of 25-28 April, four problem areas were given attention to; and one of these problems had to do with the option for the poor and for justice. [21]

Religious frequently find themselves living very closely indeed to the dramas which torment those to whose evangelical service they are consecrated. Their state of life demands of them that they be the living expression of the Church's aspiration to respond to the more exigent demands of the poor and the marginalized. Today, there is an immense amount of suffering and injustice which evokes little responses in the hearts of many of our contemporaries. There is the plight of the refugees, of people persecuted because of their political ideas or for professing the faith; there is the violation of the right to be born; the unjustified limitations placed on human and religious liberty, the defective social structures which increase the sufferings of the poor and the marginalized, etc. In all these, religious are called upon by the Spirit to insert themselves in this very situation of poverty and injustice and to be in total solidarity with the people immersed in such circumstances. [22]

With this scenario, religious can look to the Blessed Virgin as their model for the Church's option for justice and the Church's preferential option for the poor. They feel Mary's heart throb with the desire to lessen the inequality between rich and poor; they see her enter the New Testament scene proclaiming a Magnificat laden with justice implications. [23]

The strong spirit of justice and spiritual attitude that Mary exuded in her Magnificat is a good example for the contemporary religious. It is this spirit which would eventually urge and lead them to act in utter solidarity with the poor and the oppressed. Mary is the model of anyone who speaks in behalf of those who have no voice - those who cannot air their suffering and misery because of the unjust structures that prevent them from speaking up. Religious speak in behalf of the poor and marginalized communities with whom they direct their evangelical services. Many of them are now becoming aware of what Mary means in their lives today. They can see that as they sing Mary's canticle, they share in that same spirit of justice as Mary - a spirit that would eventually lead them to concretely act in their own way according to the particular charisms they follow. They are, like Mary, spokespersons for those without power, possessions, and prestige.

Endnotes:
[20] Austin Flannery, O.P., ed., Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents, vol. 1 (New York: Costello Publishing Company, 1984), p. 260.
[21] Ibid., p. 261.
[22] Ibid., p. 264.
[23] Carol Frances Jegen, BVM, ed., Mary According to Women,
(Kansas City: Sheed and Ward, 1985). p. 76.