Old Stuff

Memorial of Peter Damian, bishop and doctor of the church

Second Reading from the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours for February 21, Optional Memorial of Peter Damian, bishop and doctor

Saint Peter Damian was born at Ravenna in 1007. After completing his studies he began to teach, but soon abandoned this and entered the hermitage of Fonte Avellana where, once elected prior, he promoted the religious life with such fervor that all of Italy was affected by his renewal. During calamitous times he helped the Roman Pontiffs through his works and writings and by various missions on behalf of Church reform. He was created bishop and cardinal of Ostia by Pope Stephen IX. Peter Damian died in 1072 and soon afterward was venerated as a saint.

From a letter by Saint Peter Damian, bishop

(Lib. 8, 6: PL 144, 473-476)

Let us rejoice in the joy that follows sadness

You asked me to write you some words of consolation, my brother. Embittered by so many tribulations, you are seeking some comfort for your soul. You asked me to offer you some soothing suggestions.

But there is no need for me to write. Consolation is already within your reach, if your good sense has not been dulled. My son, come to the service of God. Stand in justice and fear. Prepare your soul; it is about to be tested. These words of Scripture show that you are a son of God and, as such, should take possession of your inheritance. What could be clearer than this exhortation?

Where there is justice as well as fear, adversity will surely test the spirit. But it is not the torment of a slave. Rather it is the discipline of a child by its parent.

Even in the midst of his many sufferings, the holy man Job could say: Whip me, crush me, cut me in slices! And he would always add: This at least would bring me relief, yet my persecutor does not spare me.

But for God's chosen ones there is great comfort; the torment lasts but a short time. Then God bends down, cradles the fallen figure, whispers words of consolation. With hope in his heart, man picks himself up and walks again toward the glory of happiness in heaven.

Craftsmen exemplify this same practice. By hammering gold, the smith beats down the dross. The sculptor files metal to reveal a shining vein underneath. The potter's furnace puts vessels to the test. And the fire of suffering tests the mettle of just men. The apostle James echoes this thought: Think it a great joy, dear brothers and sisters, when you stumble onto the many kinds of trials and tribulations.

When men suffer pain for the evil they have perpetrated in life, they should take some reassurance. They also know that for their good deeds undying rewards await them in the life to come.

Therefore, my brother, scorned as you are by men, lashed as it were by God, do not despair. Do not be depressed. Do not let your weakness make you impatient. Instead, let the serenity of your spirit shine through your face. Let the joy of your mind burst forth. Let words of thanks break from your lips.

The way that God deals with men can only be praised. He lashes them in this life to shield them from the eternal lash in the next. He pins people down now; at a later time he will raise them up. He cuts them before healing; he throws them down to raise them anew.

The Scriptures reassure us: let your understanding strengthen your patience. In serenity look forward to the joy that follows sadness. Hope leads you to that joy and love enkindles your zeal. The well-prepared mind forgets the suffering inflicted from without and glides eagerly to what it has contemplated within itself.

Responsory: Sirach 31:8, 11, 10

Blessed is the man who is found without fault,
who does not make gold his life's object,
who does not put his trust in wealth.
--His future will be secure in the Lord.

He was able to sin, but did not;
he was able to do wrong, but would not.
--His future will be secure in the Lord.

Prayer

All-powerful God,
help us to follow the teachings and example of Peter Damian.
By making Christ and the service of his Church
the first love of our lives,
may we come to the joys of eternal light,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Let us praise the Lord.
--And give him thanks.

Posted by billw at February 21, 2003 07:56 AM