Date: October 4th
Feast: Feria Secunda infra Hebdomadam XXI post Octavam Pentecostes (IV. Octobris)
Occasion: Commemorating St. Peter of Alcantara, Confessor (~ III. classis)
Color: White
“Non quia accepi jam, aut perfectus sim; sequor autem, si quo modo comprehendam.”
(Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I follow, if by any means I may comprehend.) — Philippians 3:12
In the quiet rhythm of the Extraordinary Form, the Monday within the twenty-first week after Pentecost offers a profound spiritual pivot. As we stand in the shadow of the great mystics, particularly St. Peter of Alcantara, whose rigorous penance and total detachment mirror the very spirit of these days, the Holy Church presents us with the twin readings of St. Paul to the Philippians and the Gospel of St. Luke. These passages are not merely historical texts; they are a summons to the via negativa, the path of stripping away the self to make room for God alone.
The Liturgical Context
On this feria, the Mass is of the III Classis, celebrated in the color white, signifying the joy of the Resurrection and the purity of the saints. The Introit, drawn from Psalm 118, cries out: “Domine, refugium factus es nobis” (O Lord, Thou hast been our refuge). This sets the tone: our only safety lies in God, for all earthly things are fleeting.
The Epistle (Philippians 3:7-12) and the Gospel (Luke 12:32-34) form a seamless tapestry of renunciation and divine trust. St. Paul declares that all his former gains are but loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus. Our Lord, in the Gospel, commands His little flock to sell what they possess and give alms, promising that where their treasure is, there will their heart be also.
The Theology of Loss: St. Paul’s Great Exchange
St. Paul’s words in Philippians 3:7-12 are the manifesto of the ascetic life. He writes, “But the things that were gain to me, the same I have counted loss for Christ.” Here, the Apostle does not speak of material wealth alone, but of the “gain” of status, lineage, and righteousness under the Law. Yet, he reckons them as stercora (dung) that he may win Christ.
This radical re-evaluation finds its perfect embodiment in St. Peter of Alcantara. Born to nobility, he renounced his inheritance to enter the Franciscan Order, embracing a life of extreme austerity. He understood that to gain Christ, one must lose the world. As the Catechism of Trent teaches regarding the commandment “Thou shalt not covet,” true freedom comes only when the soul is detached from created things. St. Paul continues, “I count all things to be but loss for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord.” The knowledge (gnosis) here is not intellectual assent but a mystical union, a tasting of the Divine.
St. Augustine, in his Confessions, echoes this sentiment: “Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee.” Until the heart is emptied of lesser loves, it cannot be filled with the Supreme Good. St. Paul admits his imperfection: “Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect.” This humility is the hallmark of the saint. Even the greatest mystics walk by faith, not by sight, pressing forward toward the prize of the high calling of God.
The Gospel Imperative: Treasure and Heart
In the Gospel reading (Luke 12:32-34), Christ addresses His disciples as “little flock,” a term of endearment that belies the severity of the command: “Sell your possessions and give alms.” This is not a universal mandate for immediate poverty for all, but a spiritual principle: the disposition of detachment.
Christ establishes an immutable law of the human heart: “For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also.” If our treasure is in gold, honor, or comfort, our heart is bound to earth. If our treasure is in heaven, our heart is lifted to the skies. St. Peter of Alcantara, in his Treatise on Prayer and Meditation, argues that one cannot pray well with a heart full of worldly cares. He writes, “He who wishes to ascend to the height of contemplation must first descend into the depths of humility and poverty.”
The Church Fathers elucidate this further. St. John Chrysostom, in his homilies on Matthew and Luke, warns that riches are often a snare. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God,” Christ said, yet Chrysostom explains that this is possible if the rich man detaches himself from his wealth by almsgiving. The alms given are not a transaction but a transfer of treasure from earth to heaven.
St. Gregory the Great, the Doctor of Pastoral Care, notes in his Moralia in Job: “The love of money is the root of all evil, but the love of God is the root of all good.” By giving alms, we uproot the love of money and plant the love of God. The “treasure in heaven” is not a distant reward but the very presence of God Himself, which begins to fill the soul even in this life.
The Mystical Path of St. Peter of Alcantara
The commemoration of St. Peter of Alcantara on this day is no accident. He was a master of the “loss” St. Paul describes. He slept on the bare ground, wore a tattered habit, and fasted with such rigor that his health was ruined, yet his soul soared. He taught that prayer requires a “poverty of spirit” that is active and deliberate.
In his Tratado de la Oración y Meditación, St. Peter advises: “To pray with fruit, one must first detach oneself from the world… for the bird cannot fly if its wings are weighted down.” This aligns perfectly with the Gospel command to “sell and give alms.” The weight of possession anchors the soul; the act of charity releases it.
St. Peter’s life demonstrates that the “excellence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ” is not gained through study alone, but through the crucible of suffering and self-denial. He knew the “fellowship of His sufferings” (Phil 3:10) intimately. His sanctity was not a passive state but an active pursuit, a “following” (sequor) as St. Paul says, a relentless movement toward the goal.
Practical Application for the Faithful
How, then, may the faithful living in the modern world, surrounded by the allure of consumerism and comfort, apply these truths?
- Examination of Conscience: We must ask ourselves, “What is my treasure?” Is it my bank account, my reputation, my comfort? St. Paul urges us to count these as loss. We need not necessarily abandon our homes, but we must abandon our attachment to them.
- The Practice of Almsgiving: Christ commands us to give alms. This is the practical mechanism for transferring our treasure. It is not enough to give surplus; we must give sacrificially. As St. Peter of Alcantara did, we should look for ways to deny ourselves so that others may be fed.
- Detachment in Prayer: Before entering the church or beginning our morning prayers, we must make a conscious effort to empty our hearts of worldly anxieties. As St. Peter taught, we must “unburden” the mind to receive the light of God.
- Embracing Suffering: When difficulties arise, we should not flee them but embrace them as a means of conformity to Christ. St. Paul rejoiced in his infirmities; St. Peter of Alcantara sought them out. They are the chisel that sculpts the soul.
Conclusion
The readings of this feria, illuminated by the life of St. Peter of Alcantara, call us to a heroic virtue. They remind us that the Christian life is a journey of subtraction. We do not gain Christ by adding more to our lives, but by subtracting the self.
As St. Paul concludes, “I press on to the goal, to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” And as Christ promises, “Fear not, little flock; for it hath pleased your Father to give you a kingdom.”
Let us, therefore, with the spirit of St. Peter of Alcantara, strip ourselves of the old man and put on the new. Let us sell our attachments, give our alms, and store up treasure in heaven, that our hearts may be fixed on the eternal, where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father.
O God, who gave St. Peter of Alcantara the grace to despise the world and to seek Thee alone in the midst of severe penance: grant us, through his intercession, the strength to detach ourselves from earthly things and to fix our eyes on the heavenly rewards. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.