Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 12-12-04

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 12-12-04 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

December 12, 2004
Third Sunday of Advent

Reading I
Is 35:1-6a, 10

The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.

Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
they will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.


Responsorial Psalm
Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10

R. (cf. Is 35:4) Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD God keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.


Reading II
Jas 5:7-10

Be patient, brothers and sisters,
until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,
being patient with it
until it receives the early and the late rains.
You too must be patient.
Make your hearts firm,
because the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.


Gospel
Mt 11:2-11

When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ,
he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question,
"Are you the one who is to come,
or should we look for another?"
Jesus said to them in reply,
"Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me."

As they were going off,
Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John,
"What did you go out to the desert to see?
A reed swayed by the wind?
Then what did you go out to see?
Someone dressed in fine clothing?
Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces.
Then why did you go out? To see a prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
This is the one about whom it is written:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way before you.
Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

[Salvation]

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Gaudete Sunday

Today is traditionally called “Gaudete Sunday” (the Latin word “gaudete” means “rejoice”. “Rejoice” is the first word of the opening antiphon for the Third Sunday of Advent, which is taken from the second reading of Year C (“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice! The Lord is near.” Phil 4:4-5).

That’s why one of the three candles to be lit on this Sunday on the Advent wreath is often pink

[Salvation]

Advent 2004: Symbols, Meanings, Facts, Calendar

Reflections for Advent and Christmas, [November 28, 2004 - January 9, 2005]

[Salvation]

In 2004, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12) falls on the Third Sunday of Advent. Our Lady of Guadalupe may be observed on December 11 or 13 with the permission of the local Diocesan Bishop. Our Lady of Guadalupe may be appropriately honored on December 12 in one or more petitions of the Prayer of the Faithful, in the homily, and in one of the hymns during the liturgy, but the readings and Mass formulary for December 12 will be those for the Third Sunday of Advent.

The following readings (in the next post) or any from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be used.

[Salvation]

From: James 5:7-10

A Call for Constancy

---

[7] Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold,
the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it
until it receives the early and the late rain. [8] You also be patient.
Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. [9] Do not
grumble, brethren, against one another, that you may not be judged; behold,
the Judge is standing at the doors. [10] As an example of suffering and
patience, brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

---

Commentary:

7-11. Just before he ends his letter, St James again (cf. 1:2-4, 12) exhorts
his readers to be patient, perhaps in case some are tempted to avenge
themselves: on the rich. He uses the simile of the farmer, who patiently
waits for the earth; to yield the fruits of his work: in the same kind of
way the oppressed will be rewarded for all their afflictions when the Lord
comes. St James encourages them also by reminding them of the patience and
long-suffering of the prophets and of Job.

Christian hope, and the patience it induces, enables people to put up with
injustice in this present life; but it is not an easy way out of one's
responsibilities nor an invitation to be passive. A Christian should strive
to make this world a place of justice and peace, but should realize it is a
transient place, and not make these temporal ideals an absolute goal. "God
did not create us to build a lasting I city here on earth. [...].
Nevertheless, we children of God ought not to remain aloof from earthly
endeavors, for God has placed us here to sanctify them and , make them
fruitful with our blessed faith, which alone is capable of bringing true
peace and joy to all men wherever they may be [...]. We urgently need to
christianize society. We must imbue all levels of mankind with a
supernatural outlook, and each of us must strive to raise his daily duties,
his job or profession, to the order of supernatural grace. In this way all
human occupations will be lit up by a new hope that transcends time and the
inherent transience of earthly realities" ([St] J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 210).

7-9. St James' words show how vividly the early Christians realized that the
Christian life should be a time for watchfulness and for looking forward to
the Parousia of the Lord, when our redemption will be finally sealed (cf. Lk
21:28). Jesus did not choose to reveal the precise moment of his coming (cf.
Mt 24:36); he stressed. rather, the need to be watchful, to make sure it
found us ready (cf. Mt 24:42, 44; 25:13). Therefore, every Christian should
live in the expectation of that event which surely will come, though he
knows not when. This is also what the Apostle means when he says "the coming
of the Lord is at hand" and "the Judge is standing at the doors", for he may
come at any moment.

10-11. The lives of the prophets are a very good model of patience and
endurance in the adversity .Some of them in particular (Elijah, Isaiah,
Jeremiah) underwent great suffering on account of their obedience to God.
"You have seen the purpose of the Lord ": this is the interpretation of St
Bede and St Augustine, referring to the example of patience set by Jesus in
his passion and death on the cross. Most commentators prefer the other
possible translation, "You have seen the outcome the Lord gave him",
referring to Job, who bore patiently the trials God sent to him (cf. Job
42:10ff), because, for one thing, it avoids having to give the term "Lord",
which appears twice in the same verse (v.11), two different meanings--Jesus
Christ and God one and three.

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

From: Matthew 11:2-11

The Mission of John the Baptist. Jesus' Reply

---

[2] Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent
word by his disciples [3] and said to him, " Are you he who is to come, or
shall we look for another?" [4] And Jesus answered them. "Go and tell John
what you hear and see: [5] the blind receive their sight and the lame walk.
lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the
poor have good news preached to them. [6] And blessed is he who takes no
offense at me."

[7] As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John:
"What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the
wind? [8] Why then did you go out? To see a mana clothed in soft raiment?
Behold, those who wear soft raiment are in kings' houses. [9] Why then did
you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. [10]
This is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before thy
face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.'

[11] "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one
greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven
is greater than he."

---

Commentary:

2. John knew that Jesus was the Messiah (cf. Mt 3:13-17). He sent his
disciples to Jesus so that they could shed their mistaken notions about the
kind of Messiah to expect, and come to recognize Jesus.

3-6. Jesus replies to the Baptist's disciples by pointing to the fact that
they are witnessing the signs which the ancient prophecies said would mark
the advent of the Messiah and his Kingdom (cf. Is 35:5, 61:1; etc). He says.
in effect, that he is the prophet who "was to come".

The miracles reported in the Gospel (chapters 8 and 9) and the teaching
given to the people (chapters 5-7) prove that Jesus of Nazareth is the
expected Messiah.

6. Jesus here corrects the mistaken idea which many Jews had of the Messiah,
casting him in the role of a powerful earthly ruler--a far cry from the
humble attitude of Jesus. It is not surprising that he was a stumbling block
to Jews (cf. Is 8:14-15; 1 Cor 1:23).

11. With John the Old Testament is brought to a close and we are on the
threshold of the New. The Precursor had the honor of ushering Christ in,
making him known to men. God had assigned him the exalted mission of
preparing his contemporaries to hear the Gospel. The Baptist's faithfulness
is recognized and proclaimed by Jesus. The praise he receives is a reward
for his humility: John, realizing what his role was, had said, "He must
increase, but I must decrease" (Jn 3:30).

St John the Baptist was the greatest in the sense that he had received a
mission unique and incomparable in the context of the Old Testament.
However, in the Kingdom of heaven (the New Testament) inaugurated by
'Christ, the divine gift of grace makes the least of those who faithfully
receive it greater than the greatest in the earlier dispensation. Once the
work of our redemption is accomplished, God's grace will also be extended to
the just of the Old Alliance. Thus, the greatness of John the Baptist, the
Precursor and the last of the prophets, will be enhanced by the dignity of
being made a son of God.

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

Sunday, December 12, 2004
Third Sunday of Advent

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel:

Isaiah 35:1-6, 10 Psalm 146:6-10 St. James 5:7-10 Matthew 11:2-11 And pray ye without ceasing in behalf of other men. For there is in them hope of repentance that they may attain to God. See, then, that they be instructed by your works, if in no other way. Be ye meek in response to their wrath, humble in opposition to their boasting: to their blasphemies return your prayers; in contrast to their error, be ye stedfast in the faith; and for their cruelty, manifest your gentleness. While we take care not to imitate their conduct, let us be found their brethren in all true kindness; and let us seek to be followers of the Lord(who ever more unjustly treated, more destitute, more condemned?), that so no plant of the devil may be found in you, but ye may remain in all holiness and sobriety in Jesus Christ, both with respect to the flesh and spirit.  -- St. Ignatius

[No_Outcome_But_Victory]

Thanks for defining Gaudete Sunday for us. It helps me who is unfamiliar with the Catholic traditions.

[american colleen]

Thank you Salvation. I really needed this today. Thanks again.

[annalex]

Mt 11:2-11
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
2	Now when John had heard in prison the works of Christ: sending two of his disciples he said to him:	Iohannes autem cum audisset in vinculis opera Christi mittens duos de discipulis suis
3	Art thou he that art to come, or look we for another?	ait illi tu es qui venturus es an alium expectamus
4	And Jesus making answer said to them: Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen.	et respondens Iesus ait illis euntes renuntiate Iohanni quae auditis et videtis
5	The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the gospel preached to them.	caeci vident claudi ambulant leprosi mundantur surdi audiunt mortui resurgunt pauperes evangelizantur
6	And blessed is he that shall not be scandalized in me.	et beatus est qui non fuerit scandalizatus in me
7	And when they went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: What went you out into the desert to see? a reed shaken with the wind?	illis autem abeuntibus coepit Iesus dicere ad turbas de Iohanne quid existis in desertum videre harundinem vento agitatam
8	But what went you out to see? a man clothed in soft garments? Behold they that are clothed in soft garments, are in the houses of kings.	sed quid existis videre hominem mollibus vestitum ecce qui mollibus vestiuntur in domibus regum sunt
9	But what went you out to see? A prophet? Yea I tell you, and more than a prophet.	sed quid existis videre prophetam etiam dico vobis et plus quam prophetam
10	For this is he of whom it is written: Behold I send my angel before my face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.	hic enim est de quo scriptum est ecce ego mitto angelum meum ante faciem tuam qui praeparabit viam tuam ante te
11	Amen I say to you, there hath not risen among them that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is the lesser in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.	amen dico vobis non surrexit inter natos mulierum maior Iohanne Baptista qui autem minor est in regno caelorum maior est illo

[Askel5]

December 12

---

TOTAL SURRENDER

---

Presence of God.

Grace I Ask:
To make real consecration of myself to the cause of Christ; strength to live up to it forever.

The Idea:
My life, starting today, can have the same importance as the life of any great statesman, general, doctor, or writer. I can playa really significant role in the world from today on. How'? By deciding now to use my life and all my powers to follow Christ.

My Personal Application:
Others have made this complete self-offering even younger than I. Many of the saints started out at my age or earlier. They saw their chance, and they took it. And all the "clever" people who lived with them and used to warn them to make money for themselves, have more fun, work to be famous and rich-all those people are forgotten now.

But the saints who worked only for God are still remembered by millions; their feast days are celebrated; their lives ate read and studied and loved. And the saints themselves are alive today with God. Who were really more "clever"?

Of course it will be hard for a time--perhaps for a lifetime. The world will not love me and thank me for trying to save it. The world will kill me, if it can, as it killed Christ, my Leader, before me. But in the long run, I can't lose. Will I consecrate myself to Christ under these conditions? If I will, let me say:

I Speak to Christ:
0 Christ, you are my Lord and King because you created me from nothing. But I want freely to make you my King and Leader in a special way, by consecrating myself to you today. Here; before all the angels and saints of heaven I tell the world that I want to serve you every moment of my life, and help in your work of saving souls, spreading the truth, teaching men to love you and love one another for your sake. I want to do this in spite of every possible difficulty; because this is the most worthwhile cause on earth; this cause will conquer in the end, and I hope to reign with you in heaven forever. Help me. Amen.

Thought for Today:
"Lord, I will follow you wherever you go."

---

[Salvation]

You are so right about that quote from St. Ignatius-- does it apply here on FR or what?

Peace to both of you.

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	You'd Better Get to Know Him or You'll Self-Destruct!
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Sunday, December 12, 2004

Matthew 11:2-11

Scientists at NASA built a special gun to simulate dangerous, high- velocity collisions with airborne fowl. The gun launched dead chickens at aircraft windshields, providing data that helped reduce the accident rate. British observers were impressed and borrowed the gun to test the windshields on their new high-speed trains.

Their first test was a disaster: The chicken shattered the windshield, blasted through the control console, ripped the engineer's back rest in half, and embedded itself in the wall of the cabin like an arrow shot from a bow. The Brits were horrified and asked for help. NASA responded with a one-line memo: "You have to defrost the chicken."

+ + +

Life is a wonderful gift, but we surely do make a mess of it. We let our fears shut us down and freeze us in place. We let our desires for what we don't need or shouldn't have take us down roads we shouldn't travel. We harm our bodies, damage our spirits, and shorten our lives with too much or too little of too many things.

We use, control, envy, ridicule and betray our friends. We wound hearts and trample spirits — and never notice it. We lie to ourselves, lose our way, leave half our gifts unclaimed, and spend our days in dead-end streets. And we do it all, again and again, in the sure and certain belief that happiness will be ours forthwith.

We need help! Without it we'll destroy this wonderful gift of life! That's why God sent Jesus: to walk with us and work with us as a mentor and friend, to show us what a fully human life looks like, and to give us the desire and the power to make such a life for ourselves.

But if that is to happen, if Jesus is to be a true mentor for us, we have to get to know Him, not just on the outside, but on the inside. We need to discover how He sees the world and all of us. We need to figure out why He was such a happy man, even on the bad days. And we need to find out what He was thinking when He chose not to run away when He knew that holding to course would lead to the Cross.

Getting to know Jesus, up close and personal, is the most urgent project of our entire lives. It will make the difference between destroying ourselves and finding happiness that will last forever. There's not a moment to lose: Get to know Him now. Let Him be your mentor. He'll save your life! That's what He came to do.

 

[Salvation]

Sunday, December 12, 2004 Meditation Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10 Go and tell John what you hear and see. (Matthew 11:4) Many a seasoned Christian has returned to a favorite Bible passage for comfort in times of stress or trial. In a similar way, when he was in Herod’s prison awaiting probable execution, John the Baptist turned to Jesus for consolation. He longed to be reassured that Jesus was indeed the Messiah and that he had not been mistaken. So he sent two disciples to ask Jesus for a clear word that would dispel his doubts and revive his confidence. Jesus understood that John had sacrificed everything to be his herald, and so to refresh the prophet’s sagging spirit, he pointed out how he was fulfilling the promises of Scripture. By sending this message back to John, Jesus was encouraging him to use the gifts of memory and reason God had given him. It is as if he were saying, “John, remember how the Holy Spirit pointed me out in the crowd and told you that I am the Lamb of God. Remember all the things you saw and heard about, how by the power of the Spirit the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor! Reflect on these truths in light of all God has already spoken to you. Then you will know I am who you said I am.” Since even the fiery John the Baptist experienced “feeble hands” and “weak knees” (Isaiah 35:3), we should not be dismayed that we sometimes waver in our faith. The exact same reasoning that Jesus suggested to John will pull us through as well. All we have to do is let Jesus reassure us. The next time you feel bound by doubt, recall all that you too have seen and heard. Our God never changes. Nothing—not even human sin and weakness—could ever convince him to stop loving us and blessing us! “Father, I am confident that you love me and that you sent Jesus to open heaven for me. Jesus, come soon in glory to reward the faith you have planted and nourished within me!”

[Salvation]

http://www.catholicexchange.com/vm/index.asp?vm_id=6&art_id=26461

by Fr. Jack Peterson

Other Articles by Fr. Jack Peterson

Are You the One?

12/11/04

Have you ever found yourself staring at something you were looking for but were just unable to see it? This happens in the spiritual world. God and His truth, love and mercy can be right in front of us and we just plain miss Him.

This spiritual blindness can have many causes, all of which are connected to sin and its effects on the world and in our lives.

God spent thousands of years preparing His chosen people for the most amazing and world-changing event in history. Isaiah the prophet prophesied the return of the people from exile in Babylon. God was going to perform great deeds, and wonderful signs would accompany these deeds. "Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf will be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will speak" (Is 35: 6a).

This prophecy was directed at a moment in history when the Israelites would return to the Promised Land and experience many blessings from the hand of the Lord. "Here is your God, He comes with vindication; with divine recompense He comes to save you." As Christians, we look back and recognize that Isaiah was also speaking about a time even further in the future when God would intervene in a profoundly new way. He Himself would leap down from heaven and dive into our broken, hurting world. His own Son would take on our human flesh and become one like us in all things but sin. This event would transform the world and potentially restore each of us to a proper and intimate union with our Father in heaven. It would reveal the glory of God, restore unity to a divided world, bring healing to the afflicted, and be a source of unprecedented joy.

In Matthew’s Gospel, John the Baptist, the "prophet of the most high," asks the question of Jesus through His disciples, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" Jesus answers by stating that He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy in Isaiah: "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them." Jesus’s miracles were signs of His identity and power as Messiah and Savior. They were signs that God was fulfilling His promises to His people and to the whole world. They were signs of the kingdom of God breaking into our midst.

God’s power has not diminished in our time. He still performs signs for us, but sometimes we are too blind to see them. I believe He wants to perform many more, but often our faith is too small. He sometimes is left frustrated with our lack of faith.

Another way in which God’s signs are to be made present in our world is through us, His present-day disciples. Part of God’s plan is to spread His kingdom through the work of our hands prompted by the gift of His grace. Part of His plan is for the deaf to hear, the blind to see and the lame to walk. We can work such miracles! But we must be willing to pray for them with great faith, and to love, encourage, labor, sacrifice our time and energy, and thereby allow Christ to perform miracles of healing through our Christ-like love.

This Advent, let Christ perform a sign of His kingdom through you.


Fr. Peterson is Campus Minister at Marymount University in Arlington and interim director of the Youth Apostles Institute.

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Sunday, December 12, 2004 >>

Third Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 35:1-6, 10
James 5:7-10

Psalm 146
Matthew 11:2-11

View Readings

A LONG-SUFFERING ADVENT

“Steady your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is at hand.” —James 5:8

To prepare for Christ’s coming at the end of the world, at our deaths, and at Christmas, we must be “patient,” or better translated, “long-suffering” (Jas 5:7). We must be like a farmer waiting for “the precious yield of the soil” (Jas 5:7). This refers to a farmer in a desert of the Middle East two thousand years ago. This is a farmer who would often be starving or close to starving before the next harvest. In other words, to prepare for Christ’s coming we must suffer like a starving farmer, a persecuted prophet (Jas 5:10), or like the grieving, traumatized Job (Jas 5:11).

To prepare for Christ’s coming, we must take up our daily crosses (Lk 9:23), die to ourselves (Jn 12:24), and suffer in the pattern of Jesus’ death (Phil 3:10). To meet Christ this Christmas time, we must make sacrifices, deny ourselves, practice mortification (such as fasting), and live a more austere life (see Mission of the Redeemer, Pope John Paul II, 59).

Without the labor of pregnancy, there is no birth. Without the death on the cross, there is no resurrection. Without the long-suffering of Advent, there will be no true Christmas.

Prayer: Father, on this “Gaudete” Sunday, because of my love for You, I rejoice to suffer and sacrifice.

Promise: “The blind recover their sight, cripples walk, lepers are cured, the deaf hear, dead men are raised to life, and the poor have the good news preached to them.” —Mt 11:5

Praise: Praise the risen Jesus, “He Who is to come” (Mt 11:3),  the Judge Who “stands at the gate” (Jas 5:9).

[Salvation]

FEAST OF THE DAY

Today's feast commemorates the apparition of Mary to St. Juan
Diego on Tepeyac hill near Mexico City. Mary appeared to Juan in
the form of an Aztec princess and had the complexion of a Native
American. Mary spoke to Juan in his own language and sent him to
the bishop of Mexico with the request that a chapel be built on the
hill.

When Juan spoke to the bishop he was doubted and the bishop
asked for a sign to prove the authenticity of the vision. Mary
appeared to Juan again and gave him some Spanish roses to take
back to the bishop in his cloak. When Juan emptied out his cloak, an
image of Our Lady was left imprinted upon it. The image left on the
cloak was the same as Juan had received when he looked upon Our
Lady. This apparition occurred in the year 1531, and helped to
convert many Native Americans to Christianity. Our Lady of
Guadalupe was declared patron of the Americas by Pope Pius XII. In
1999 this celebration was raised to the rank of feast throughout all
the countries of the Americas.

St. Jane Frances de Chantal's feast is celebrated on this date
outside of the United States. In the USA St. Jane's feast is moved to
August 18.


QUOTE OF THE DAY

When shall it be that we shall taste the sweetness of the Divine Will
in all that happens to us, considering in everything only His good
pleasure, by whom it is certain that adversity is sent with as much
love as prosperity, and as much for our good? When shall we cast
ourselves undeservedly into the arms of our most loving Father in
Heaven, leaving to Him the care of ourselves and of our affairs, and
reserving only the desire of pleasing Him, and of serving Him well in
all that we can? -St. Jane Frances de Chantal


TODAY IN HISTORY

1769 Pope Clement XIV proclaims a universal jubilee
1974 Pope Paul VI announced his intention of canonizing Elizabeth
Ann Seton


TODAY'S TIDBIT

Guadalupe is Spanish for the Aztec name Tecoataxope and means,
"she will crush the serpent of stone".


INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray, through Our Lady of Guadalupe patroness of the
Americas, for all for all people living in the Americas.