31st Sunday of the Year (B)

(Edited) Sunday Reflections (from) Liturgical Years 2011 (A), 2012 (B), and 2013 (C)

31st Sunday of the Year (B), November 4, 2012

Liturgical readings

Deuteronomy 6:2-6
Psalm 18
Hebrews 7:23-28
Mark 12:28b-34

"There is no other commandment greater than these."

A scribe went to ask the Lord about God's commandments. Jesus replied with two commandments that summarize what can be found in the Ten Commandments: first, to love God with our whole being (1st to 3rd commandments); and second, to love our neighbor as ourselves (4th to 10th commandments). Then Jesus added, "there is no other commandment greater than these." The scribe was pleased with the answer of Jesus, and confirmed that following these commandments "is worth more than any burnt offering or sacrifice."

To love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And to love our neighbor as ourselves. These commandments is one Christian ethic that cultivates reverence and respect for God and all He has created. We can test ourselves if we are obeying God by examining what fills up our hearts and minds, and how we treat others and ourselves. (The more official examination of conscience is in the Sacrament of Reconciliation). When we fill our souls with God's Word and the Sacraments, then we are strengthened in faith to continue to do the good we ought to do. Only in patience and in constancy do we do God's will and are directed to receive His promise of eternal life.

By experience everyone knows that following God's commandments is not always easy. It can be easy at certain times or stages in one's life, but it can be difficult at specific states of life. But practicing a devotion is a great help. Devotion to the Eucharist and reflection on the Scriptures is one. But a popular devotion that all Catholics can make, and one that is close to the hearts of many, is a devotion to the Blessed Mother. St. Louis-Marie de Montfort (member of the French school of spirituality which includes St. Jean-Baptiste de la Salle, St. Francis de Sales, and St. John Eudes) advices this devotion to Mary because:

The Blessed Virgin prevents virtues from fading away ... merits from being wasted ... and graces from being lost; she prevents devils from doing harm (True Devotion to Mary #174)

Together with a devotion to the Jesus in the Eucharist, both can anchor us well to God in difficult times. Through these devotions, the Lord will certainly sustain each of His children and keep their souls firmly rooted in His Life and teachings.

Sts. Pontian and Hippolytus, Two Martyrs of the 3rd century A.D.

St. Pontian, Pope and Martyr, and St. Hippolytus, Priest and Martyr: died ca. 235 A.D.

A Pope and an AntiPope (reconciled to the Church before death)

A Pope and an AntiPope existed as early as the 3rd century A.D. St. Pontian was a Roman and the son of Calpurnius. He was elected Pope to succeed Pope St. Urban I on July 21, 230 A.D. He held a synod at Rome in 232 A.D. that confirmed the condemnation of Origenism at Alexandria, 231-232 A.D. When the Emperor Maximinus came to power in 235 A.D., this emperor began a new persecution of Christians. He exiled St. Pontian to Sardinia, where the Pope had been forced to work in the mines. Here in the mines, he met the exiled antipope, Hippolytus, and was instrumental in reconciling Hippolytus back to the Church.

St. Pontian resigned from his office on September 28, 235 A.D., to allow the election of a nephew. There are two versions of how he met his end: one tradition says that he died of ill treatment, while another tradition holds that he was beaten to death. The Church celebrates the feast of his martyrdom on August 13.

St. Hippolytus was a priest at Rome known for his learning. Together with his followers, he felt that even orthodox teaching and practice in the Church was not strict enough. In a bold gesture, he censured Pope St. Zephyrinus for being lenient on heresy. He also accused the Pope of being influenced by the deacon Callistus. When Pope St. Zephyrinus died and Callistus was chosen as successor, Hippolytus was enraged. He and his followers eventually accused Pope St. Callistus of being too lenient with sinners. The followers of Hippolytus proceeded to elect him as their pope - serving in this role of "antipope" for eighteen years. His tenure lasted through three popes, the last of whom was Pope St. Pontian.

Although at times, Hippolytus came close to heresy, he nevertheless was one of the most important theologians in the first three centuries of the Church. He was a prolific writer, and it is from his Church Order that all the Eucharistic prayers which are in use today were derived. His other writings include:

• A Refutation of All Heresies;
• commentaries on Daniel,
• commentaries on the Song of Songs,
• commentaries on the The Apostolic Tradition

St. Hippolytus is one of the Greek Fathers of the Church. Though an "antipope", he was one of the leaders of the Church which Emperor Maximinus took special care to target in his persecution of the Christians. So, he was also seized in the roundup and exiled to the mines of Sardinia. While in the mines, the two "popes" (Pontian and Hippolytus) met. What influenced Hippolytus to return to the Church was when he saw the selfless concern of Pope St. Pontian, who resigned the papacy for the good of the Church. Within a few months of Pontian's resignation and Hippolytus's repentance, both men died of the harsh treatment they suffered while doing forced labor in the mines.

Pope St. Fabian (reigned 236-250 A.D.) arranged for the bodies of the two martyrs to be brought back and buried in Rome, where the Christians of the city accepted the onetime antipope's (Hippolytus) repentance, forgave him his schism, and venerated him as a saint.

References of this series

• Pocket Catholic Dictionary, by John A. Hardon, S.J.
• Saints Behaving Badly, by Thomas J. Craughwell
• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney
• Saints for Our Time, by Ed Ransom

Memorial of Saints (November 2)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• All Souls Day
• Victorinus, bishop & martyr
• Marcian

The Feast of All Souls is a celebration of the lives of family members or friends who have gone before us in death. They may be in need of the Church's prayers for their deliverance from purgatory. Unlike All Saints' Day, the feast of All Souls is theologically rooted in the Catholic doctrine of purgatory. It was not until the 12th century A.D. that the doctrine of purgatory emerged in the Catholic West. The traditional doctrine of purgatory was enunciated by the Second Council of Lyons (1274 A.D.), Pope Benedict XII's Benedictus Deus in 1336 A.D., and especially the Council of Florence's Decree for the Greeks (1439 A.D.). The Council of Florence wanted to strike a balance between the Western Catholic Church's concept of satisfaction and expiation and the Eastern Christian Church's emphasis on purification.

St. Victorinus (d. ca. 303 A.D.) was a Greek who became bishop of Pettau in Styria, Upper Pannonia. He wrote several biblical commentaries, fought several heresies, but was for a time believed to be inclined to Millenarianism. He suffered martyrdom during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian.

St. Marcian (d. ca. 387 A.D.) was born at Cyrrhus, Syria, of a patrician family. He became a hermit in the Chalcis Desert near Antioch. In time he gathered numerous disciples, appointed Eusebius as abbot over them, and was renowned for his holiness and miracles.

St. Victorinus and St. Marcian were Christian martyrs of the 4th century A.D. But the persecution of Christians began as early as the time of St. Stephen the deacon. St. Stephen is mentioned in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. The succeeding wave of persecutions are listed in "St. Stephen and the Martyrs of the Early Christian Eras", (Learn more)