Reflection on Perfect Love

[Rich]

Reflection on Perfect Love

You cannot have perfect love unless you empty your heart of every
other love. That is why those who fill their hearts with love of God
and neighbor desire nothing but the will of God or that of some fellow
human being--provided this is not contrary to God. That is why
they devote themselves to prayer, spiritual conversations, and
reflection, for it is a joy to them to long for God and to speak,
hear, and think about him whom they dearly love. That is why they
rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep, show
compassion to those in distress, and give to the needy, since they
love others as themselves. Hence too their contempt for riches,
power, pleasure, honor, and praise. Those who love these things
frequently offend against God and their neighbor--for the whole law
and the prophets depend on these two commandments. So those who wish
to possess the fullness of that love which is the price of the kingdom
of heaven should love contempt, poverty, toil, and subjection, as do
the saints.
–St. Anselm of Canterbury

<<>><<>><<>>
July 16th – St. Eustathius, Bishop of Antioch
(Also known as Eustace)

St. Eustathius was a native of Side in Pamphylia, and confessed the
faith of Christ before persecutors, as St. Athanasius assures us. He
was learned, eloquent and virtuous. Being made bishop of Beroea in
Syria, he began to be highly considered in the Church; and in due
course he was translated to the see of Antioch, in dignity the next to
Alexandria, and then the third in the world. He at the same time was
called on to assist at the general Council of Nicaea, where he was
received with much honour and distinguished himself by his opposition
to Arianism. Amidst his external work for the service of others he did
not forget that charity must begin at home, and he laboured in the
first place to sanctify his own soul; but after watering his own
garden he did not confine the stream there, but let it flow abroad to
enrich the neighbouring soil, and to dispense plenty and fruitfulness
all around. He sent into other dioceses that were subject to his
oversight men capable of instructing and encouraging the faithful, and
was greatly alarmed to find that Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea in
Palestine, favoured the new heresy (this same Eusebius is known and
honoured as "the father of church history "). The distrust of
Eustathius for the doctrine of this and other bishops, and his
accusation that they altered the Nicene creed, provoked a storm
against him among the Arians, who about the year 330 obtained his
deposition.

The holy pastor assembled the people before his departure from
Antioch, and exhorted them to remain steadfast in the true doctrine,
which exhortations were of so great weight in preserving many in the
orthodox faith that a body of “Eustathians" was formed, who refused to
recognize bishops appointed over them by the Arians. But this loyal
behaviour afterwards developed into a factious and troublesome
sectarianism in the face of orthodox prelates.

St. Eustathius was exiled with several priests and deacons to
Trajanopolis in Thrace, but the place and date of his death are alike
somewhat uncertain. Most of his copious writings have perished; his
principal extant work is a disquisition against Origen, in which the
powers of the pythoness of Endor (I Kings 28:7-23) are criticized.
Sozomen commends these works both for their style and their matter-but
nothing shows his virtue so well as the patience with which he
suffered first lying accusations in matters of weight, and then unjust
deposition and banishment. St. Eustathius bore his exile with
resignation and submission, greater under its disgrace and hardships
than whilst his virtues shone with lustre on the episcopal chair.
He is named in the canon of the Syrian and Maronite Mass.

Since Canon Venables wrote an account of this bishop in DCB., vol. ii,
much has been written upon the controversies in which St. Eustathius
played so prominent a part but it must suffice here to indicate the
bibliographical references supplied in DTC., vol. v, cc. 1554-1565;
and the Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, vol. iii, c. 864. See also
especially F. Cavallera, Le Schisme d'Antioche (1905); L. Duchesne,
History of the Early Church, vol. ii (1912) and R. V. Sellers,
Eustathias of Antioch (1928).


Saint Quote:
Our own evil inclinations are far more dangerous than any external enemies.
--St. Ambrose

Bible Quote
And the ruler of the synagogue (being angry that Jesus had healed on
the sabbath) answering, said to the multitude: Six days there are
wherein you ought to work. In them therefore come, and be healed; and
not on the sabbath day. And the Lord answering him, said: Ye
hypocrites, doth not every one of you, on the sabbath day, loose his
ox or his ass from the manger, and lead them to water? And ought not
this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these 18
years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he said
these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people
rejoiced for all the things that were gloriously done by him. (Luke
13:14-17)


<><><><>
May I Be United With You, Good Jesus
By St Peter Canisius (1521-1597)

Let my eyes take their sleep
but may my heart always
keep watch for You.
May Your right hand bless Your servants
who love You.
May I be united with the praise
that flows from You, Lord Jesus,
to all your saints;
united with the gratitude
drawn from Your heart, good Jesus,
that causes Your saints to thank You;
united with Your passion, good Jesus,
by which You took away our guilt;
united with the divine longing
that You had on earth, for our salvation;
united with every prayer
that welled from Your divine Heart, good Jesus
and flowed into the hearts of Your saints.
Amen