St. Victor I, Pope
The date of birth of St. victor is unknown, but we do know that he was Pope from 189 to 199.
Victor was a native African, and his father's name was Felix. He is known for having obtained the release of many Christians who had been deported to the mines of Sardinia, and for being the first Pope to celebrate the liturgy and write Church documents in Latin rather than Greek.
He is most famous, however, for decreeing that Easter be universally celebrated on a Sunday, a practice already common in the West, but not so in the East.
He died in 199, possibly from martyrdom.
Exodus 20:1-17
1 And God spoke all these words, saying,
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 "You shall have no other gods before me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or
any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the
earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
5 you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I
the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers
upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who
hate me,
6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in
vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in
vain.
8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work;
10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your
God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your
daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the
sojourner who is within your gates;
11 for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the
sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the
LORD blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.
12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
13 "You shall not kill.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.
16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you
shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his
maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your
neighbor's."
Matthew 13:18-23
18 "Hear then the parable of the sower.
19 When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does
not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in
his heart; this is what was sown along the path.
20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a
while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the
word, immediately he falls away.
22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who
hears the word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches
choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who
hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in
one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
Psalms 19:8-11
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Lord, fill me with Your wisdom
16th Week in Ordinary Time
Ex. 20:1-17; Ps. 19(18):8,9,10,11;
Mt. 13:18-23 (Ps Wk IV)
The Ten Commandments seem old-fashioned
and outmoded to many people today. Part of the problem is that they
are written in the language and symbols of long ago. But they are
certainly still valid and necessary, for they contain the fundamental
principles for just and human societies. Proper human relationships,
respect for life and property, correct attitudes, and reverence for
God are just as needed today as then. All we need to do is put it in
a modern context. Throughout the day we will have many opportunities
to keep the commandments. When we do so, we have contributed to a
better world.
In the parable of the sower, the growth
and fruitfulness of the seeds that were sown depended entirely on the
soil. In other words, God’s word is given equally to all, but the
reception that we give it determines whether we grow spiritually.
Superficiality, busyness, indifference, and a host of other things
can smother the spiritual seed so that we never really change or
grow. It is only when we take the teachings of Jesus to heart,
especially the parables and stories, and meditate on them that their
inner meaning is revealed. We need to nurture, tend, and cherish the
teachings of the Lord in our heart so they will take root and bear
much fruit.
Lord, fill me with Your wisdom.
