“COVETOUSNESS”

[Rich]

“COVETOUSNESS”

And he said to them, “Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a
man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Luke 12:15  RSVCE

 for we brought nothing into the world, and[a] we cannot take anything
out of the world; 8 but if we have food and clothing, with these we
shall be content. (1 Tim. 6:7-8) RSVCE

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare,
into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and
destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is
through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and
pierced their hearts with many pangs. (1 Tim. 6:9-10) RSVCE

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23 September – St Thecla

 (1st century)

Virgin and Martyr, Disciple of St Paul. Patronage – of Tarragona in
Catalonia (Spain), where the cathedral has a chapel dedicated to her.
Her feast day remains the town’s major local holiday.

The Acts of Paul and Thecla is a 2nd-century text (circa AD 180) which
forms part of the Acts of Paul but also circulated separately.
According to the text, Thecla was a young noble virgin from Iconium
who listened to Paul’s “discourse on virginity”, espoused the
teachings and became estranged to both her fiancé and her mother. She
sat by her window for three days, listening to St Paul and his
teachings. When they witnessed this, they became concerned that Thecla
would follow Paul’s demand “one must fear only one God and live in
chastity” and turned to the authorities to punish both Paul and
Thecla.

Thecla was miraculously saved from burning at the stake by the onset
of a storm and travelled with Paul to Antioch of Pisidia. There, a
nobleman named Alexander desired Thecla and attempted to rape her.
Thecla fought him off, tearing his cloak and knocking his coronet off
his head in the process. She was put on trial for assault. She was
sentenced to be eaten by wild beasts but was again saved by a series
of miracles, when the female beasts (lionesses in particular)
protected her against her male aggressors. While in the arena, she
baptised herself by throwing herself into a nearby lake full of
aggressive seals.

She rejoined the Holy Apostle Paul in Myra, travelled to preach the
word of God and became an icon encouraging women to imitate her by
living a life of chastity and following the word of the Lord. She went
to live in Seleucia Cilicia. According to some versions of the Acts,
she lived in a cave there for 72 years. As she became a healer, the
Hellenistic physicians in the city lost their livelihood and solicited
young men to attempt to spoil her virginity at the age of 90. She
called out to God and a new passage was opened in the cave and the
stones closed behind her. She was able to go to Rome and lie down
beside Paul’s tomb.

The Church Fathers recount a number of traditions about Thecla. St
Gregory of Nyssa writes in the 4th century (Homily 14 in Cant) that
she undertook the sacrifice of herself, by giving death to the flesh
[Gal 5:24], practising great austerities, extinguishing in herself all
earthly affections, so that nothing seemed to remain living in her but
reason and spirit – the whole world seemed dead to her as she was to
the world [Gal 6:14]. Macarius Magnes shortly after AD 300 wrote how
the message of Christianity was “the Sword, [Matt 10:34] which cuts
relations from each other [Matt:10:35], as it cut Thecla from
Theocleia.” [Apocriticus ii.7]. Around AD 280, Thecla features as one
of the characters in Methodius of Olympus’ Symposium, in which we
learn that she was well versed in philosophy and various branches of
literature, of eloquent yet modest discourse. He says that she
received her instruction in divine and evangelical knowledge from Paul
and was eminent for her skill in sacred science (“Logos 8”).

The martyrdom of Thecla is frequently referred to in the earliest Acts
of the Martyrs. Eugenius, a martyr of Trebizond under Diocletian
(284–305), couples Thecla with David and Daniel in his prayers. The
exordium of the Acts of Polyeuctes [d. 259] refers to Thecla and
Perpetua and there were certainly many virgin martyrs who drew their
first inspiration from the same source. Eugenia of Rome in the reign
of Commodus (180–192) is reported in the Acts of her martyrdom to have
taken Thecla as her model.
In June 2010, on a wall of the Catacomba di Santa Tecla in Rome,
Vatican archaeologists of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred
Archaeology, using laser technology to remove layers of clay and lime
rind, discovered a frescoed portrait of St Paul the Apostle,
“recognisable by his thin face and dark pointed beard…with small eyes
and furrowed brow,” which they believe is the oldest image in
existence of Paul, dating from the late 4th century.

From Anastpaul 2019

Saint Quote:
To love God as He ought to be loved, we must be detached from all
temporal love. We must love nothing but Him, or if we love anything
else, we must love it only for His sake.
--St. Peter Claver

Bible Quote:
The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry. Ps 34:15
When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles. Ps 34:17  RSVCE


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Imitate Christ

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live
a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a
fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality,
or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for
God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse
joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you
can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person - such a man is an
idolater - has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no
one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath
comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with
them.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all
goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.
Have nothing to do with fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose
them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in
secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is
light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:

"Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise,
making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do
not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with
the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to
God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.