Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 08-26-05

August 26, 2005
Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Psalm: Friday 37

Reading I
1 Thes 4:1-8

Brothers and sisters,
we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,
as you received from us
how you should conduct yourselves to please God–
and as you are conducting yourselves–
you do so even more.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

This is the will of God, your holiness:
that you refrain from immorality,
that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself
in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion
as do the Gentiles who do not know God;
not to take advantage of or exploit a brother or sister in this matter,
for the Lord is an avenger in all these things,
as we told you before and solemnly affirmed.
For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness.
Therefore, whoever disregards this,
disregards not a human being but God,
who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 97:1 and 2b, 5-6, 10, 11-12

R. (12a) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!.
The LORD loves those who hate evil;
he guards the lives of his faithful ones;
from the hand of the wicked he delivers them.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Gospel
Mt 25:1-13

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.'
But the wise ones replied,
‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.'
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour."

From: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

He Calls for Holiness and Purity

[1] Finally, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus,
that as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God,
just as you are doing, you do so more and more. [2] For you know what
instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. [3] For this is the
will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from immorality;
[4] that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness
and honor, [5] not in the passion of lust like heathen who do not know
God; [6] that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in this matters
because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we solemnly
forewarned you. [7] For God has not called us for uncleanness, but in
holiness. [8] Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but
God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Commentary:

1. St Paul encourages the Thessalonians "in the Lord Jesus" to follow
his advice: he does not make this plea in his own name or using his
personal influence but in the name of the Lord Jesus. Those who have
positions of authority in the Church should be obeyed, above all, for
supernatural reasons (that is what God desires) and not for any
personal qualities they happen to have or simply because they are
"superiors". It is this outlook which causes St Ignatius Loyola to say
that "laying aside all private judgment, we ought to keep our minds
prepared and ready to obey in all things the true Spouse of Christ our
Lord, which is our Holy Mother, the hierarchical Church" ("Spiritual
Exercises", 353).

The Thessalonians already knew the commandments, but knowing them is
not enough; they must be put into practice. St John Chrysostom
comments: "Good land does something more than give back the grain put
into it; and therefore the soul should not limit itself to doing what
is laid down, but should go further [...]. Two things make for
virtue--avoiding evil and doing good. Fleeing from evil is not the
be-all of virtue; it is the beginning of the path that leads to virtue.
One needs, in addition, to have an ardent desire to be good and to do
good" ("Hom. on 1 Thess, ad loc.").

3. What the Apostle says here reflects our Lord's teaching in the
Sermon on the Mount: "You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly
Father is perfect" (Mt 5:48). The call to holiness is a universal one:
it is not addressed only to a few, but to everyone: "Christ, the Son of
God, who with the Father and the Spirit is hailed as 'alone holy',
loved the Church as his Bride, giving himself up for her so as to
sanctify her (cf. Eph 5:25-26); he joined her to himself as his body
and endowed her with the gift of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God.
Therefore all in the Church, whether they belong to the hierarchy or
are cared for by it, are called to holiness, according to the Apostle's
saying: 'For this is the will of God, your sanctification' (1 Thess
4:3; cf. Eph 1:4)" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 39).

In the Old Testament holiness is the highest attribute of God. He is
holy, and he asks men to be holy, pointing out that the model and cause
of man's holiness is the holiness of God: "You shall be holy; for I the
Lord your God am holy" (Lev 19:3).

The universal call to holiness was the core of the teaching of the
founder of Opus Dei; it was a message he preached constantly from l928
up to his death in 1975: "We are deeply moved, and our hearts
profoundly shaken, when we listen attentively to that cry of St Paul:
'This is the will of God, your sanctification' [...]. He calls each and
every one to holiness; he asks each and every one to love him--young
and old, single and married, healthy and sick, learned and unlearned,
no matter where they work, or where they are" ("Friends of God", 294).

"Christ's invitation to holiness, which he addresses to all men without
exception, puts each one of us under an obligation to cultivate our
interior life and to struggle daily to practise the Christian virtues;
and not just in any old way, nor in a way which is above average or
even excellent. No; we must strive to the point of heroism in the
strictest and most exacting sense of the word" ("ibid.", 3).

4-8. Man "is obliged to regard his body as good and to hold it in honor
since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day [...].
His very dignity therefore requires that he should glorify God in his
body (cf. 1 Cor 6:13-20) and not allow it to serve the evil
inclinations of his heart" (Vatican II, ("Gaudium Et Spes", 14).

"Immorality" (v. 3): the word used would be translated as
"fornication", were the style classical Greek; however, by St Paul's
time the word had come to refer to any kind of sexual practice outside
marriage or not in accordance with the aims of marriage. The word
translated as "body" literally means "vessel" and it can refer either
to one's body or to one's own wife. If "wife" is meant, then the
passage should be taken as an exhortation to married fidelity and to
proper use of marriage. Whichever meaning is correct, the sacred text
is saying that God calls us to exercise self-control in holiness and
honor; that means that one's body and its functions should be used in
the way God means them to be used. The Lord of life has entrusted to
men and women the mission to preserve life and to transmit it in a
manner in keeping with human dignity. "Man's sexuality and the faculty
of reproduction wondrously surpass the endowments of lower forms of
life; therefore the acts proper to married life are to be ordered
according to authentic human dignity and must be honored with the
greatest reverence" ("Gaudium Et Spes", 51).

"Therefore," Monsignor Escriva comments, "when I remind you now that
Christians must keep perfect chastity, I am referring to everyone--to
the unmarried, who must practise complete continence; and to those who
are married who practise chastity by fulfilling the duties of their
state in life. If one has the spirit of God, chastity is not a
troublesome and humiliating burden, but a joyful affirmation.
Will-power, dominion, self-mastery do not come from the flesh or from
instinct. They come from the will, especially if it is united to the
Will of God. In order to be chaste (and not merely continent or decent)
we must subject our passions to reason, but for a noble motive, namely,
the promptings of Love" ("Friends of God", 177).

In addition to giving reasons for practising the virtue of chastity,
the Apostle warns that God will punish those who commit sins against
this virtue. "These crimes we are commenting on", says St John
Chrysostom, "will in no way be overlooked. The enjoyment they give us
is quite outweighed by the pain and suffering their punishment earns"
("Hom. on 1 Thess, ad loc.").

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.

From: Matthew 25:1-13

The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Maidens

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [1] "Then the Kingdom of Heaven shall be
compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the
bridegroom. [2] Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. [3]
For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; [4]
but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. [5] As the
bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. [6] But at
midnight there was a cry, `Behold the bridegroom! Come out to meet
him.' [7] Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. [8] And
the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps
are going out.' [9] But the wise replied, `Perhaps there will not be
enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for
yourselves.' [10] And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and
those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the
door was shut. [11] Afterwards the other maidens came also, saying,
`Lord, lord, open to us.' [12] But he replied, `Truly, I say to you, I
do not know you.' [13] Watch therefore, for you know neither the day
nor the hour."

Commentary:

1-46. The whole of chapter 25 is a practical application of the
teaching contained in chapter 24. With these parables of the wise and
foolish virgins and of the talents, and His teaching on the Last
Judgment, our Lord is again emphasizing the need for vigilance (cf.
note on Matthew 24:42). In this sense, chapter 25 makes chapter 24
more intelligible.

1-13. The main lesson of this parable has to do with the need to be on
the alert: in practice, this means having the light of faith, which is
kept alive with the oil of charity. Jewish weddings were held in the
house of the bride's father. The virgins are young unmarried girls,
bridesmaids who are in the bride's house waiting for the bridegroom to
arrive. The parable centers on the attitude one should adopt up to the
time when the bridegroom comes. In other words, it is not enough to
know that one is "inside" the Kingdom, the Church: one has to be on the
watch and be preparing for Christ's coming by doing good works.

This vigilance should be continuous and unflagging, because the devil
is forever after us, prowling around "like a roaring lion, seeking
someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). "Watch with the heart, watch with
faith, watch with love, watch with charity, watch with good works
[...]; make ready the lamps, make sure they do not go out [...], renew
them with the inner oil of an upright conscience; then shall the
Bridegroom enfold you in the embrace of His love and bring you into His
banquet room, where your lamp can never be extinguished" (St.
Augustine, "Sermon", 93).

Catholic Culture

Collect:
Father, help us to seek the values that will bring us lasting joy in this changing world. In our desire for what you promise make us one in mind and heart. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Activities:

Prayers:

» August Devotion: The Immaculate Heart

August 26, 2005

Friday of the Twenty-First Week of Ordinary Time

Old Calendar: St. Zephyrinus, pope and martyr

The Lord says: If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me; whoever believes in me, let him drink. Streams of living water shall flow out from within him (Jn 7:37-38).

Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar today was the feast of St. Zephyrinus whose long pontificate was a period marked by the persecution of Septimus Severus, the struggle against heresy and the organization of the Christian community in Rome. In the person of the Pope the Roman Church asserted her claim as the appointed guardian of the true faith.

St. Zephyrinus
Commodus, looked favorably on the Christians at the onset of his reign. His son Caracalla had been raised by a Christian nurse, and the emperor himself had been cured of some ailment by a Christian. However, Severus later reversed his position toward the Christians, probably due to their unpopularity with the Roman pagans, and he issued a decree forbidding any person to become either a Jew or a Christian. The persecution commenced once again.

Zephyrinus was a Roman and the son of Habundius. Some sources indicate that his strength did not lie in leadership, but that he depended greatly on the more capable and practiced Calixtus, who, since his release from the labor mines, had been rehabilitated and devoted himself to the Church. Consequently, he was appointed archdeacon. Not only did he direct the lower clergy for Zephyrinus but he was also entrusted with the administration of the official cemetery which the Church now owned.

Heresy stormed the Church from all sides, but Zephyrinus adhered firmly to the doctrine set forth by the apostles. The excommunicated tanner Theodotus continued to teach that Christ was not the true Son of God. He had even gone so far as to set up his own church and place a paid bishop in residence. This bishop, called Natalius, had previously been tortured for confessing the true faith. According to legend, angels were sent to Natalius in visions to rebuke him for joining Theodotus, since Jesus did not want anyone who had suffered for Him to be cast out of the Church. Natalius appeared to have seen the light; he threw himself upon the mercy of Zephyrinus and begged to be pardoned. Natalius was readmitted to communion by the bishop of Rome after considerable penance.

Zephyrinus decreed that all ordinations, even those of mere clerics, be performed before the assembled clergy and laity.

Another heresy, called Modalism, taught by Praxeas, Noetus, and Sabellius, was brought to the attention of Zephyrinus. Followers of this theory obliterated the distinctions between the entities of the Trinity. Zephyrinus immediately condemned this, again citing the original teachings of the apostles.

Zephyrinus was said to have been martyred and was buried in his own cemetery on the Appian Way.

The Popes: A Papal History, J.V. Bartlett

Symbols: Monstrance; triple cross.

Homily of the Day

Title:	Watch and Listen: You'll Be Amazed!
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Friday, August 26, 2005

Mt 25:1-13

A government bureaucrat was out hiking when he came upon a shepherd tending a huge flock of sheep. He said to the shepherd, "If I can guess how many sheep you have, will you give me one?"

"Sure," said shepherd, "but you'll have to do it in ten seconds."

Without a pause the bureaucrat said, "You have 287 sheep." And he was right! "So can I choose my sheep now?" he asked.

"Go ahead," growled the shepherd who watched as he picked one out and slung it over his shoulder to carry it home. Then, starting to smile, the shepherd said, "Just a second. If I can guess your occupation, may I have my sheep back?"

"Of course," said the other, confident he'd never guess.

"You're a government bureaucrat," grinned the shepherd.

"But how did you know?"

The shepherd replied, "Just put down my dog, and I'll tell you."

And he thought his eyes were wide open! Don't we all! Yet we're blind to some of life's best parts.

When Jesus says, "Keep your eyes open, for you know not the day or the hour," he's not talking mainly about dying. He's talking about God, the groom in the parable, who keeps showing up when you least expect him. God is always with us, but he shows himself more clearly at certain unforseen times and he speaks important words to us at odd moments. There's no telling when that will happen, so Jesus says we just have to be watchful.

Sometimes God speaks to us through nature, its immensity and grandeur, its delicate and subtle beauties, the softness of an invisible breeze, the sweet smell of a hidden flower. God is there, reminding us who he is and what a blessing life is.

Sometimes God shows his face reflected in the faces of his good people. Some of those faces are very tiny, some are old and wrinkled, some have big smiles and others big tears. But shining through all those different good faces is God's face, showing us his goodness and reminding us we're not alone.

Sometimes God cries out to us through human voices racked by pain or despair, voices weeping and voices laughing. God speaks to us through their voices and tells us where we're needed, where our light needs to shine.

Whether in light or in darkness God shows himself and speaks to us continually every day, comforting, blessing, encouraging, challenging, and always wrapping us round with his love. So keep your eyes open. This is something you really don't want to miss! Be quiet with him. Listen and watch. You'll be amazed!

The Word Among Us

Friday, August 26, 2005

Meditation
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Most people, upon discovering a new and improved way of living—a way that made more sense and could make them happier—would at least attempt to change to the new method, especially if it also saved them time and money. What if we found out, for example, that infidelity caused unhappiness, divorce, fatherless children, disease, and even death? And what if we found out that infidelity would cost us billions of dollars every year in court costs, alimony, child support, welfare programs, and medical expenses? Would it not be wise to switch to the “new and improved” way of living that Jesus proposed two thousand years ago?

Decisions based on this line of reasoning may be a good starting point, but they are not enough. Actually, even reading Scripture and believing in Jesus can fall short! Once we know about God’s plan and laws for our lives, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to give us the power to adhere to God’s commandments. Jesus made it clear that he did not come to abolish the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17-20). That fulfillment comes as his Spirit comes to write the law of God on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33-34).

Do Christians have to be perfect? No. But we must ever strive to live for and through Jesus, and this means following his commandments—including his call to purity. Just as we have received the Spirit to empower us to obey God, the same Spirit is given to minister God’s mercy and healing when we fall. All God asks is that we remain close to him in times of temptation, and, should we fail, to run quickly to him and confess our sin.

Scripture tells us that sexuality is sacred. Through it, married couples express their love and grow in unity with each other. Sexual relations outside of marriage are forbidden by God. Why? Because there’s a better way—a way that won’t hurt us. God gives us laws to build up our lives, not his. Our task is to deepen our faith in Jesus and open our hearts to his Spirit. Let’s look to him for guidance as we strive to follow him every day.

“Holy Spirit, I love you and repent of compromising your standards. Crucify the inordinate passions and deceitfulness in me. I love you and long to live in your purity.”

Psalm 97:1-2,5-6,10-12; Matthew 25:1-13

A Hymn based on the Gospel of the Day, appropriately dubbed "the King of Chorales"

"Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying"
by Philipp Nicolai, 1556-1608
Translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1829-1878

1. "Wake, awake, for night is flying,"
The watchmen on the heights are crying;
"Awake, Jerusalem, arise!"
Midnight hears the welcome voices
And at the thrilling cry rejoices:
"Oh, where are ye, ye virgins wise?
The Bridegroom comes, awake!
Your lamps with gladness take!
Hallelujah!
With bridal care Yourselves prepare
To meet the Bridegroom, who is near."

2. Zion hears the watchmen singing,
And all her heart with joy is springing,
She wakes, she rises from her gloom;
For her Lord comes down all-glorious,
The strong in grace, in truth victorious,
Her Star is ris'n, her Light is come.
"Now come, Thou Blessed One,
Lord Jesus, God's own Son,
Hail! Hosanna!
The joyful call We answer all
And follow to the nuptial hall."

3. Now let all the heav'ns adore Thee,
Let men and angels sing before Thee,
With harp and cymbal's clearest tone.
Of one pearl each shining portal,
Where, dwelling with the choir immortal,
We gather round Thy radiant throne.
No vision ever brought,
No ear hath ever caught,
Such great glory;
Therefore will we Eternally
Sing hymns of praise and joy to Thee.

Hymn #609
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Matthew 25: 1-13
Author: Philipp Nicolai, 1599
Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1863, alt.
Titled: "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme"
Composer: Philipp Nicolai, 1599
Tune: "Wachet auf"

One Bread, One Body

<< Friday, August 26, 2005 >>

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Psalm 97

Matthew 25:1-13

View Readings

SEX

“The reign of God can be likened to ten bridesmaids who took their torches and went out to welcome the groom. Five of them were foolish, while the other five were sensible.” —Matthew 25:1-2

The “playboy” propaganda, which has entered the blood stream of even Christian people, trivializes sex. It relegates sex to the physical — a mere game or toy. Therefore, there’s no such thing as a sexual sin. Sexual guilt is supposedly only a cultural hangup. But this is a lie. There’s a lot more to life and sex than the physical. Sexual sin and guilt are objective realities which will not disappear no matter what mind games we play.

God takes sex seriously. “What I say to you is: anyone who looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his thoughts. If your right eye is your trouble, gouge it out” (Mt 5:28-29). He warns us to guard our sexual organs in sanctity and honor (1 Thes 4:4). Sexual sin is the only sin against our own bodies (1 Cor 6:18). “The Lord is an Avenger of all such things” (1 Thes 4:6).

Laws concerning sex are not manmade. “Whoever rejects these instructions rejects, not man, but God” (1 Thes 4:8). “No fornicator, no unclean or lustful person — in effect an idolator — has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with worthless arguments. These are sins that bring God’s wrath down on the disobedient; therefore have nothing to do with them” (Eph 5:5-7). “As for lewd conduct or promiscuousness or lust of any sort, let them not be mentioned among you: your holiness forbids this” (Eph 5:3).

Prayer: Jesus, may I look at sex the way You do.

Promise: “The moral is: keep your eyes open, for you know not the day or the hour.” —Mt 25:13

Praise: By focusing on the crucified love of Jesus, Joseph and Therese’s marriage grew stronger when she grew ill and they could no longer be physically intimate.

Mt 25:1-13
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
1	Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like to ten virgins, who taking their lamps went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride.	tunc simile erit regnum caelorum decem virginibus quae accipientes lampadas suas exierunt obviam sponso et sponsae
2	And five of them were foolish and five wise.	quinque autem ex eis erant fatuae et quinque prudentes
3	But the five foolish, having taken their lamps, did not take oil with them.	sed quinque fatuae acceptis lampadibus non sumpserunt oleum secum
4	But the wise took oil in their vessels with the lamps.	prudentes vero acceperunt oleum in vasis suis cum lampadibus
5	And the bridegroom tarrying, they all slumbered and slept.	moram autem faciente sponso dormitaverunt omnes et dormierunt
6	And at midnight there was a cry made: Behold the bridegroom cometh. Go ye forth to meet him.	media autem nocte clamor factus est ecce sponsus venit exite obviam ei
7	Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.	tunc surrexerunt omnes virgines illae et ornaverunt lampades suas
8	And the foolish said to the wise: Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out.	fatuae autem sapientibus dixerunt date nobis de oleo vestro quia lampades nostrae extinguntur
9	The wise answered, saying: Lest perhaps there be not enough for us and for you, go ye rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves.	responderunt prudentes dicentes ne forte non sufficiat nobis et vobis ite potius ad vendentes et emite vobis
10	Now whilst they went to buy the bridegroom came: and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage. And the door was shut.	dum autem irent emere venit sponsus et quae paratae erant intraverunt cum eo ad nuptias et clausa est ianua
11	But at last came also the other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us.	novissime veniunt et reliquae virgines dicentes domine domine aperi nobis
12	But he answering said: Amen I say to you, I know you not.	at ille respondens ait amen dico vobis nescio vos
13	Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour.	vigilate itaque quia nescitis diem neque horam

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