Credit: Divine Office: Office of Readings Thursday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time. It is clear, then, that the Christ who exercises a priestly role on our behalf is the same Christ who enjoys a natural unity and equality with the Father and the Holy Spirit. We also say, “who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit.” In this way we commemorate the natural unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We do not, however, only say “your Son” when we conclude our prayer. The power and effectiveness of his preaching were so profound that his archbishop, Boniface of Carthage, wept openly every time he heard Fulgentius preach, and publicly thanked God for giving such a preacher to his church.Ĭredit: Universalis Christ lives forever to make intercession for us He worked to reform many of the abuses which had infiltrated his old diocese in his absence. In 523, following the death of Thrasamund and the accession of his Catholic son Hilderic, Fulgentius was allowed to return to Ruspe and try to convert the populace back to the faith. Thrasamund invited him back in 515 to debate against the Arians but exiled him again in 520. In 499 he was tortured for saying that Jesus was both God and man the next year the Vandal king Thrasamund, impressed by his talents, invited him to return from exile and become a bishop (Fulgentius declined, since he knew that Thrasamund had ordered that none but Arians should be bishops) two years later he was persuaded to become bishop of Ruspe in Tunisia but shortly afterwards he was exiled to Sardinia.
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As a result Fulgentius’ early career was marked by a series of flights from persecution, as Catholics tried to maintain their faith under Vandal rule. At that time Africa and parts of the Near East were ruled by the Vandals, who were Arians, calling themselves Christians but denying the divinity of Christ.
462-533 A.D.) was bishop of the city of Ruspe in the Roman province of Africa, which is in modern-day Tunisia. Reading has made many saints.” St. Josemaría Escrivá Fulgentius (ca. 1857) Don’t neglect your spiritual reading.
Jesus, I trust in You.Monk in White, Seated, Reading by Camille Corot (c. Help my “Yes” to always be in accord with Your most holy will and help me to always turn from the ways of error. For the times that I have twisted the truth, deceived in subtle ways, and outright lied, I am sorry. Lord of truthfulness, help me to be a person of honesty and integrity. Commit yourself to honesty today and the Lord will do great things through your spoken word. Have you built a habit of truthfulness in both big and small matters of life? Do people recognize this quality in you? Speaking the truth and being a person of the truth are ways of proclaiming the Gospel with our actions. Reflect, today, upon how honest you are in all areas of life. Rather, if we are people of honesty and integrity, then our word will suffice and what we say will be true simply because we say it. We should not feel a need to convince another that we are telling the truth in one situation or another. We do not need to “swear to God” about this or that. The truth is that the Eighth Commandment, which calls us to be people of honesty and integrity, should suffice in all daily activity. However, the nature of these promises is more of a public expression of faith than a way of keeping people accountable. In fact, in every Sacrament there is some form of solemn promise taken. Sure, there are some oaths that take on solemnity such as Marriage vows or vows and promises solemnly taken by priests and religious.
One reason Jesus brings this up, within the context of His teaching about taking oaths, is that there should be no need for a solemn oath regarding our ordinary daily conversations. Jesus is telling us to be honest, to say what we mean and mean what we say. The lesson is essentially a presentation of the basic principle of “truthfulness” found in the Eighth Commandment. This line comes to us from Jesus within the context of Him teaching us about the morality of taking an oath. At first it seems a bit extreme to say that “Anything else is from the Evil One.” But of course since these are the words of Jesus, they are words of perfect truth. “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the Evil One.” Matthew 5:37 Saturday of the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time