Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 01-15-06, Second Sunday of Ordinary Time

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 01-15-06 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

January 15, 2006

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Psalm: Sunday 6

Reading I
1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19

Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”
Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”
“I did not call you,” Eli said. “Go back to sleep.”
So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
“Here I am,” he said. “You called me.”
But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”

At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am. You called me.”
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So he said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,
not permitting any word of his to be without effect.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10

R. (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or offering you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.

Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
to do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Reading II
1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20

Brothers and sisters:
The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord,
and the Lord is for the body;
God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power.

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him.
Avoid immorality.
Every other sin a person commits is outside the body,
but the immoral person sins against his own body.
Do you not know that your body
is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
For you have been purchased at a price.
Therefore glorify God in your body.

Gospel
Jn 1:35-42

John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” -. which translated means Teacher .-,
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where Jesus was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah” -. which is translated Christ -..
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas.”- which is translated Peter.

[Salvation]

For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

[Salvation]

Alleluia Ping!

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Alleluia Ping List.

[Salvation]

From: 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19

God Calls Samuel (Continuation)

---

[3b] Samuel was lying down within the temple of the LORD, where the
ark of God was. [4] Then the LORD called, ?Samuel! Samuel!? and he
said, ?Here I am!? [5] and ran to Eli, and said, ?Here I am, for you
called me.? But he said, ?I did not call; lie down again?? So he went
and lay down. [6] And the LORD called again, ?Samuel!? And Samuel
arose and went to Eli, and said, ?Here I am, for you called me.? But
he said, ?I did not call, my son; lie down again.? [7] Now Samuel did
not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been
revealed to him. [8] And the LORD called Samuel again the third time.
And he arose and went to Eli, and said, ?Here I am, for you called
me.? Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. [9]
Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ?Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you
shall say, ?Speak, LORD, for thy servant hears.? So Samuel went and
lay down in his place. [10] And the LORD came and stood forth, calling
as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!? And Samuel said ?Speak for thy
servant hears."

[19] And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his
words fall to the ground.

---

Commentary:

3:1-21. The account of Samuel?s vocation is a good example of a divine
calling to perform a special mission: it shows both the attitudes that
the person called should have and the demands that the divine call
implies. Firstly (vv. 1-3), we are introduced to the protagonists (the
Lord, Eli, Samuel) and the circumstances in which the action
occurs--night-time when everyone is asleep, the temple, the ark, and
the lamp of God still burning; all this shows that something
exceptional is going on and God is behind it.

The second scene (vv. 4-8) is a charming dialogue between the Lord and
Samuel, and between Samuel and Eli, at the end of which comes an
unforgettable assertion of readiness on Samuel?s part, ?Here I am, for
you have called me? (v. 8). ?This young boy gives us an example
of the highest form of obedience. True obedience does not question the
meaning of what is commanded, nor does it judge, since he who decides
to practise perfect obedience renounces his own judgment? (St Gregory
the Great, "In Primum Regum", 2, 4, 10-11).

In the third scene (vv. 9-14) we can see the dual role of every
prophet from Samuel onwards--listening carefully to God (vv. 9-10) and
faithfully passing on the message received, even if his listeners find
it harsh (vv. 11-14; cf. v. 18). ?Greatly blessed is he who hears the
[voice of the] divine whispering in the silence and who often repeats
that phrase of Samuel?s: ?Speak, Lord, your servant is listening'" (St
Bernard, "Sermones De Diversis", 23, 7).

The last scene (3:19-4:1) is a summary of what will be Samuel?s future
work as a prophet. A new stage is beginning in the life of the people
of God; now God will make his will known through prophets who speak on
God?s behalf to the people, the priests and even the king himself.

3:9-10. ?Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears.? This prayer marked the
start of Samuel?s life as a prophet called by God, and it epitomizes
the way he acted: he cultivated his relationship with God assiduously
and pleaded with him on behalf of the people. As the "Catechism of
the Catholic Church", 2578, suggests, he learned all this from his
mother from infancy onwards: ?The prayer of the People of God
flourishes in the shadow of God?s dwelling place, first the ark of the
covenant and later the Temple. At first the leaders of the people--the
shepherds and the prophets--teach them to pray. The infant Samuel must
have learned from his mother Hannah how ?to stand before the Lord?
(cf. 1 Sam 1:9-18) and from the priest Eli how to listen to his word:
?Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening? (1 Sam 3:9-10). Later, he
will also know the cost and consequence of intercession: ?Moreover, as
for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by
ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the
right way? (1 Sam 12:23)."

---

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: 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20

Respect for the Body (Continuation)

---

[13c] "The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the
Lord for the body. [14] And God raised the Lord and will also raise us
up by his power.


Offense to Christ and to the Holy Spirit

---

[15a] Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? [17] But
he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. [18] Shun
immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body;
but the immoral man sins against his own body. [19] Do you not know
that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you
have from God? You are not your own; [20] you were bought with a
price. So glorify God in your body.

---

Commentary:


12-14. "All things are lawful for me": the Apostle may have used this
expression himself to explain Christian freedom as opposed to the
prescriptions of the Jewish law on matters of legal impurity, food,
sabbath observance, etc.; and to stress the freedom which Jesus Christ
won for men by dying on the cross (cf. Gal 4:31 ); this freedom means
that the Christian is no longer a slave of the devil or of sin,
and--by sharing through Baptism in Christ's kingship has obtained
dominion over all the things of the earth. But some people were
misinterpreting this and were using their freedom as an excuse for
living without reference to the commandments of God. St Paul makes it
clear that everything which is not opposed to God's law is permissible,
and that everything which goes counter to that law means falling again
into the old slavery: "It cannot happen that the soul should go its way
without anyone to direct it; that is why it has been redeemed in such a
way that it has Christ as its King--his yoke is easy and his burden
light (cf. Mt 11:30)--and not the devil, whose rule is oppressive"
(Origen, "In Rom. Comm.", V, 6).


Another sophism was to present impurity as a natural need of the body,
in the same way as food is natural. St Paul rejects this argument by
showing that the relationship between food and the stomach is not
parallel to that of the body and fornication: the body is not even
necessarily orientated to marriage, for although marriage is necessary
for the spread of the human race, it is not a necessity for every
individual (cf. "St Pius V Catechism", II, 8, 12). The Apostle places
the body on a much higher plane: "the body is for the Lord, and the
Lord for the body", and it is God's will to raise it up to live again
in heaven (cf. Rom 8:11), where there will be no longer any need for
bodily nourishment.


From this orientation of the whole person--body and soul--to God arises
the eminently positive character of the virtue of purity, which tends
to fill the heart with love of God, who "has not called us for
uncleanness but [to live] in holiness" (1 Thess 4:7). "We belong to God
completely," [St] Monsignor Escriva reminds us, "soul and body, flesh and
bones, all our senses and faculties [...]. 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.


"I think of this virtue as the wings which enable us to carry God's
teaching, his commandments, to every environment on this earth, without
fear of becoming contaminated in the process. Wings, even in the case
of those majestic beds which soar higher than the clouds, are a burden
and a heavy one. But without wings, there is no way of flying. I want
you to grasp this idea clearly, and to decide not to give in when you
feel the sting of temptation, with its suggestion that purity is an
unbearable burden. Take heart! Fly upwards, up to the sun, in pursuit
of Love" ("Friends of God", 177).


15-18. St Paul here explains how gravely offensive this sin is to Jesus
Christ. The Christian has become a member of Christ's body through
Baptism; he is meant to live in an intimate reladonship with him,
sharing his very life (cf. Gal 2:20, to be "one spirit with him" (cf.
Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:27). Sexual immorality is as terrible as to hack
oneself off from the body of Christ, to become one body with a
prostitute. Hence the gravity of this sin, a sin against one's own
body, which is part of the mystical body of Christ.


"Shun [sexual] immorality": this is the route one must take when
tempted against chastity. Temptations against other virtues can be
overcome by putting up resistance, but in this case "one does not win
by putting up resistance, because the more one thinks about the thing,
the more influenced one becomes; one wins by fleeing--that is, by
avoiding unclean thoughts completely and by avoiding all occasions of
sin" (St Thomas Aquinas, "Commentary on 1 Cor, ad loc."). A Christian
has all kinds of resources he can use to practise chastity in a very
refined way: "The first is to be very vigilant about what we look at,
and what we think and say and do; second, to have recourse to prayer;
third, to frequent the sacraments worthily; fourth, to fly from
anything which might tempt us to sin; fifth, to have great devotion to
the Blessed Virgin. If we do all that, then, no matter what our enemies
do, no matter how frail this virtue be, we can be quite sure of holding
on to it" (St John Mary Vianney, "Sermon on the Seventeenth Sunday
after Pentecost", II); see also the note on Mt 5:27-30.


19-20. Fornication is not only a profanation of the body of Christ but
also of the temple of the Holy Spirit--for God dwells in the soul,
through grace, as in a temple (cf. note on 1 Cor 3:16-17).


"Contemplative prayer will rise within you whenever you meditate on
this impressive reality: something as material as my body has been
chosen by the Holy Spirit as his dwelling place.... I no longer belong
to myself.... My body and soul, my whole being, belong to God.... And
this prayer will be rich in practical consequences, drawn from the
great consequence which the Apostle himself proposes: 'glorify God in
your body' (1 Cor 6:20)" ([St] J. Escriva, "Conversations", 121).


"You were bought with a price": the Redemption wrought by Christ,
culminating with his death on the cross, is the price paid to set
mankind free from slavery to the devil, to sin and to death. "You know
that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers,
not with perishable things such as silver and gold, but with the
precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot"
(1 Pet 1:18-19; cf. Eph 1:7). That is why "you are not your own": you
now belong to God; the Christian is part of Christ's body, and a temple
of the Holy Spirit. Reflection on this wonderful truth should lead the
Christian always to live in accordance with his new status. "Christian,
remember who you are; you have been given a share in God's very nature;
do not, therefore, even think of reverting by unworthy conduct to your
earlier evil ways. Remember who your head is and whose body you are
part of. Do not forget that you were set free from the power of
darkness and brought into the light, to the Kingdom of God. Thanks to
the sacrament of Baptism, you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit:
do not think of turning out so noble a guest by evil deeds; do not
think of subjecting yourself to the slavery of the devil: for the price
paid for you was the blood of Chnst" (St Leo the Great, "First Nativity
Sermon").


20. "So, glorify God in your body": this follows logically from what
the Apostle has been saying. "Purity as a virtue, that is, an ability
to 'control (one's) own body in holiness and honor' (cf. 1 Thess 4:4),
allied to the gift of purity as the fruit of the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit in the 'temple' of the body, makes for such dignity in
interpersonal relationships that "God himself is glorified in the
body". Purity is the glory of the human body in God's sight. It is the
glory of God in the human body" (John Paul II, "General Audience", 18
March 1981).


In commenting on this passage, St John Chrysostom recalls what our
Lord says in Matthew 5:19 "that they may see your good works and give
glory to your Father who is in heaven"--to show that a Christian's chaste
life should lead those around him to God. "When they see a holy man
practising the highest virtues, they feel obliged to reflect and they
blush to see the difference between their life and that of a Christian.
For, when they see someone who shares their own nature being so much
above them (a great deal more than heaven is above each) do they not
feel obliged to believe that a divine power is at work to produce such
sanctity]?" ("Hom. on 1 Cor, 18, 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.

[Salvation]

From: John 1:35-42

The Calling of the First Disciples

---

[35] The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples;
[36] and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb
of God!" [37] The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed
Jesus. [38] Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them,
"What do you seek?" And they said to Him, "Rabbi" (which means
Teacher), "where are You staying?" [39] He said to them, "Come and
see." They came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him
that day, for it was about the tenth hour. [40] One of the two who
heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
[41] He first found his brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found
the Messiah' (which means Christ). [42] He brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, "So you are Simon, the son of John? You
shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter).

---

Commentary:

35-39. Through these words of the Baptist, these two disciples are
moved by grace to approach the Lord. John's testimony is an example of
the special graces God distributes to attract people to Himself.
Sometimes He addresses a person directly by stirring his soul and
inviting him to follow Him; at other times, as in the present case, He
chooses to use someone close to us who knows us, to bring us to meet
Christ.

The two disciples already had a keen desire to see the Messiah; John's
words move them to try to become friends of our Lord: it is not merely
natural curiosity but Christ's personality which attracts them. They
want to get to know Him, to be taught by Him and to enjoy His company.
"Come and see" (John 1:39; cf. 11:34)--a tender invitation to begin
that intimate friendship they were seeking. Time and personal contact
with Christ will be needed to make them more secure in their vocation.
The Apostle St John, one of the protagonists in this scene, notes the
exact time it took place: "it was about the tenth hour", roughly four
in the afternoon.

Christian faith can never be just a matter of intellectual curiosity;
it affects one's whole life: a person cannot understand it unless he
really lives it; therefore, our Lord does not at this point tell them
in detail about His way of life; He invites them to spend the day with
Him. St Thomas Aquinas comments on this passage saying that our Lord
speaks in a lofty, mystical way because what God is (in Himself or in
grace) can only be understood through experience: words cannot describe
it. We grow in this understanding by doing good works (they
immediately accepted Christ's invitation and as a reward "they saw"),
by recollection and by applying our mind to the contemplation of divine
things, by desiring to taste the sweetness of God, by assiduous
prayer. Our Lord invited everyone to do all this when He said, "Come
and see", and the disciples discovered it all when, in obedience to our
Lord, "they went" and were able to learn by personal experience,
whereas they could not understand the words alone (cf. "Commentary on
St John, in loc".).

40-41. The Evangelist now gives us the name of one of the two
disciples involved in the previous scene; he will mention Andrew again
in connection with the multiplication of the loaves (John 6:8) and the
last Passover (John 12:22).

We cannot be absolutely sure who the second disciple was; but since the
very earliest centuries of the Christian era he has always been taken
to be the Evangelist himself. The vividness of the account, the detail
of giving the exact time, and even John's tendency to remain anonymous
(John 19:16; 20:2; 21:7,20) seem to confirm this.

"St John the Apostle, who pours into his narrative so much that is
first-hand, tells of his first unforgettable conversations with
Christ. `"Master where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and
see." They went and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him
that day, for it was about the tenth hour.'

"This divine and human dialogue completely changed the life of John and
Andrew, and Peter and James and so many others. It prepared their
hearts to listen to the authoritative teaching which Jesus gave them
beside the Sea of Galilee" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ is Passing By", 108).

Those hours spent with our Lord soon produce the first results of
apostolate. Andrew, unable to contain his joy, tells Simon Peter the
news that he has found the Messiah, and brings him to Him. Now, as
then, there is a pressing need to bring others to know the Lord.

"Open your own hearts to Jesus and tell Him your story. I don't want
to generalize. But one day perhaps an ordinary Christian, just like
you, opened your eyes to horizons both deep and new, yet as old as the
Gospel. He suggested to you the prospect of following Christ
earnestly, seriously, of becoming an apostle of apostles. Perhaps you
lost your balance then and didn't recover it. Your complacency wasn't
quite replaced by true peace until you freely said 'yes' to God,
because you wanted to, which is the most supernatural of reasons. And
in its wake came a strong, constant joy, which disappears only when you
abandon Him" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 1).

42. What was it like when Jesus looked at someone? From what He says
here, He seems both imperious and tender. On other occasions His glance
is enough to invite a person to leave everything and follow Him, as in
the case of Matthew (Matthew 9:9); or He seems to be full of love, as
in His meeting with the rich young man (Mark 10:21), or He seems angry
or sad, because of the Pharisees' unbelief (Mark 2:5), or
compassionate, towards the widow of Nain (Luke 7:13). He is able to
move Zacchaeus' heart to conversion (Luke 19:5); and He Himself is
moved by the faith and generosity of the poor widow who gave in alms
everything she had (Mark 12:41-44). His penetrating look seems to lay
the soul bare to God and provoke one to self-examination and
contrition--as happened to the adulterous woman (John 8:10) and to
Peter who, after denying Christ (Luke 22:61) wept bitterly (Mark
14:72).

"You shall be called Cephas": naming something is the same as taking
possession of the thing named (cf. Genesis 17:5; 22:28; 32:28; Isaiah
62:2). Thus, for example, Adam when he was made lord of creation, gave
names to creating things (Genesis 2:20). "Cephas" is the Greek
transcription of an Aramaic word meaning stone, rock: therefore, St.
John, writing in Greek, has to explain the meaning of the word Jesus
used. Cephas was not a proper name, but our Lord put it on Peter to
indicate his role as His vicar, which He will later on reveal (Matthew
16:16-18): Simon was destined to be the stone, the rock, of the
Church.

The first Christians regarded this new name as so significant that they
used it without translating it (cf. Galatians 2:9, 11, 14); later its
translation "Peter" (Petros, Petrus) became current, pushing the
Apostle's old name--Simon--into the background.

"Son of John": ancient manuscripts include variants, such as "son of
Jona".

---

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]

[Salvation]

Sunday, January 15, 2006
Second Sunday in Ordinary time

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel:

1 Samuel 3:3-10, 19 Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-10 1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20 John 1:35-42 Being obedient she became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race. -- St. Irenaeus, Adversus haereses

[Baraonda]

Catholic Bump.

[Ciexyz]

Faith-sharing bump.

[Ciexyz]

Wonderful artwork of the Lord and His disciples.

[lightman]

"Behold, the Lamb of God".

A hymn based on that sentence of the Holy Gospel:

"Lamb of God, We Fall Before Thee"
by Joseph Hart, 1712-1768

1. Lamb of God, we fall before Thee,
Humbly trusting in Thy Cross.
That alone be all our glory;
All things else are only dross.

2. Thee we own a perfect Savior,
Only Source of all that's good.
Every grace and every favor
Comes to us through Jesus' blood.

3. Jesus gives us true repentance
By His Spirit sent from heaven;
Whispers this transporting sentence,
"Son, thy sins are all forgiven."

4. Faith He grants us to believe it,
Grateful hearts His love to prize;
Want we wisdom? He must give it,
Hearing ears and seeing eyes.

5. Jesus gives us pure affections,
Wills to do what He requires,
Makes us follow His directions,
And what He commands, inspires.

6. All our prayers and all our praises,
Rightly offered in His name,--
He that dictates them is Jesus;
He that answers is the same.

Hymn #358
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Heb. 12:2
Author: Joseph Hart, 1759 cento, alt.
Composer: Musikalischer Christenschatz
Tune: "Ringe recht"
Town: Basel, 1745

[Salvation]

Birds, Bees, and Human Beings

Reflections about the human body

 

by Christopher West

Other Articles by Christopher West

Birds, Bees, and Human Beings

01/14/06

"You and me baby ain’t nothin’ but mammals/So let’s do it like they do on the Discovery Channel" — so go the lyrics of a song by a band called The Blood Hound Gang. The band’s name carries the same theme — we’re animals with an urge to merge, so let’s go for it whenever the urge presents itself.

The idea is almost laughable, but for the fact that large swaths of humanity accept it as modern common sense.

Songs like this, backed by the media and even mental health professionals, have fostered the notion that sexual restraint is inherently bad for us — and many of us have believed them. But does this make sense? We encourage self-restraint all the time: don’t hit your sister, share your toys, don’t eat the whole cheesecake.

These, and a great multitude of other restraints, are considered normal and healthy. But why do people cry “pathology” as soon as someone suggests restraint for the sexual appetite?

It’s certainly true that a puritanical and repressive approach to the sex drive is not healthy. No one (I hope) wants to return to the days of deafening silence about sex when the sight of a woman’s ankle could cause scandal. But is unrestrained libido the answer?

Our society has come to champion sexual indulgence as a right. And we wonder why molestation, rape, abortions, “fatherless” children, adultery, divorce, pornography, and STDs are rampant. Could it be because human beings, both men and women, are behaving like animals?

When push comes to shove, do some people really believe “we ain’t nothin’ but animals”? If a woman says of her date, “He was an animal,” we know immediately what she means: he did not respect her as a person; he treated her as an object to satisfy his own instincts. If we “ain’t nothin’ but animals,” where’s the problem?

Take this behavior to its extreme. Suppose a man forcibly indulges his “animal instincts” with a woman. What makes this a crime? Blood hounds can’t be charged and prosecuted for sexual misconduct. The very words “crime” and “misconduct” indicate a moral order, a meaningless concept for animals. And this is precisely the point.

So often behind the modern push to equate human beings with animals lies the subtle or not-so-subtle agenda of moral relativism, the rejection of a moral order to which all are accountable. And so often behind the agenda of moral relativism lies the desire to indulge libido without any restraint — that is, the desire to behave like animals when it comes to sex.

A world that teaches “chickens are people too” is inevitably a sexually confused world. When we raise animals to the level of human persons, we’re not really dignifying animals, we’re debasing ourselves. And one of the first human mysteries to be debased in the animals-are-persons and persons-are-animals world-view, as the above song points out, is sexuality.

Although biologically similar, the joining of man and woman in “one flesh” is worlds apart from the copulation of Fido and Fidette — at least it’s meant to be! Fido and Fidette are merely following an instinct intended to continue their species. Man and woman are meant to be loving one another in the image of a life-giving God, something impossible for a being ruled by instinct.

Because of the effects of original sin, we often experience our sex drives acting upon us as if we were animals. But if we are ever to find happiness, we must, with the help of divine grace, raise our behavior above — far above — what the musk oxen and jack asses are doing on the Discovery Channel.

Christopher West is a fellow of the Theology of the Body Institute.

His books and tapes on the “theology of the body” are available from our online store.

[Salvation]

Have any of you taken any Theology of the Body classes?

[Salvation]

The Divine Q & A

Is God calling you? To what?

by Fr. Paul Scalia

Other Articles by Fr. Paul Scalia

The Divine Q & A

01/14/06

Whenever we encounter a question from our Lord, we should keep in mind this simple rule: He asks questions not for His sake, but for ours. As God He knows our every thought. He knows our every word before we even speak. He is closer to us than we are to ourselves. He already knows the answer to every question He asks.

But He asks nonetheless — not because He needs to know, but because we need to reflect on the question and discover the answer.

So it is with our Lord’s first words in John’s Gospel. He asks the disciples, "What do you seek?" (Jn 1:38). Of course, He knows very well what they seek. He knows better than they do. He asks the question so that they will think more about what they seek and will discover what their hearts truly desire. By reflecting on what they seek, they will know themselves and our Lord better.

"What do you seek?" The question confronts us with a truth about ourselves: we seek something. Man is a creature that seeks. Indeed, we can understand all of history — the arts, philosophy, theology, science, politics, etc. — as the story of man’s longing and searching for happiness. Man hungers and thirsts. He spends his life trying to satisfy the hunger, to quench the thirst — to find what he seeks. This search characterizes each of us.

We cause great damage to ourselves when we answer our Lord’s question incorrectly. Many mistakenly think that what they seek — what will satisfy their longing — is worldly comfort, wealth or power. And so they spend their lives (and often ruin their lives) by pursuing such things, only to find that in the end they do not satisfy. To keep us from this danger, our Lord stops us and forces us to reexamine what the human heart truly desires. "What do you seek?"

When we answer this question honestly we must confess that nothing in the world can satisfy our longing. Comfort, wealth and power can numb the hunger of the heart (and that is their grave danger), but they cannot satisfy it. Even the healthy, rich and powerful have a longing in their hearts (although they may have learned to keep it at bay). The human heart longs for more than this world offers. Certain aspects of this world may be pleasing, but none of them — and not even all of them together — can satisfy. One of man’s greatest accomplishments is to realize that this world is not sufficient for him.

"What do you seek?" Ultimately our Lord’s question is an exhortation to examine ourselves and to understand that the longing in our hearts was placed there by God Himself and is fulfilled only by Him. God gave us this desire precisely so that we will seek Him and not rest until we have found Him. He Himself — and He alone — satisfies our longing. Whether we realize it or not, He is the One we seek. "You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You" (St. Augustine).

In the Gospel of John our Lord begins with this question: "What do you seek?" He provokes reflection so that we can better receive His answer. And in the remainder of that Gospel He provides the answer — He reveals Himself as the fulfillment of all we seek. Because we hunger He says, "I am the bread of life." Because we seek guidance He says, "I am the light of the world." Because we seek the correct way to live He says, "I am the way, the truth and the life." Because we long for eternity He says, "I am the Resurrection and the life." What does every human heart seek? Nothing less than the Lord Himself. "God alone satisfies" (St. Thomas Aquinas).


Fr. Scalia is parochial vicar of St. Rita parish in Alexandria, Virginia.

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

[Heartofsong83]

What a great psalm for this time of year...the so-called "ordinary time" (better called 2nd after Epiphany)

[Salvation]

Thanks for stopping by and bumping the thread.

[Salvation]

Yes, it is. It would be wonderful to say it the moment one wakes up!

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10

R. (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or offering you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
to do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Collect: Father of heaven and earth, hear our prayers, and show us the way to peace in the world. 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. Recipes: » Bride's Cake I » Bride's Cake II » How to Cut a Four-Tiered Cake » Italian Wedding Cookies more » Kourambiedhes Wedding Cakes less Activities: » Attending a Catholic Wedding » Elementary Parent Pedagogy: Two Homes, Heaven and Earth — Building up Family Unity and Security » Engagement and Wedding » How to Best Prepare Your Child for Marriage more » Practical Suggestions for Christian Living (Matrimony) less Prayers: » Roman Ritual: Orders for the Blessing of a Married Couple » Nuptial Blessing

January 15, 2006 Second Sunday of Ordinary Time John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God." The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi..., where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come, and you will see" (John 1:35-37). Sunday Readings The first reading is taken from the first Book of Samuel 3:3b-10, 19 and gives an account of Samuel's vocation to take over the leadership of the Chosen People. The second reading is from the first Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20 in which St. Paul makes it crystal clear that justifying fornication as part of Christian liberty is an incorrect interpretation of his preaching and that the body must be preserved from all immorality. The Gospel is from St. John 1:35-42 and gives an account of the vocation of the first four Apostles who followed Jesus. It was a momentous event in the history of salvation. It was the beginning of a stream of vocations that would grow and spread down through the ages until the end of the world. It was momentous, firstly, in that Christ, who had come to open heaven for all men and who could find means of bringing them all to that eternal home without help from any man, decided instead to let men co-operate with him in this divine task. He decreed to set up a kingdom in this world—his Church—which would be run by mere mortals for their fellow-mortals, but which would be under his protection and assisted by his divine aid until the end of time. Christ chose this very human way, in order to make his Church more acceptable to our limited, human understanding and more approachable for sinful, human nature. Christ, as God, could deal directly with every human being on earth. He could teach the infallible truth; he could pardon sins; he could give all the graces needed to travel successfully to heaven. There would then be no need for a Church with its teaching magisterium, no need for the sacrament of Baptism, or of Penance, nor of the Holy Eucharist itself or of any other such aids. Christ could do all that his Church does for the salvation of mankind, and more successfully, of course, but yet he chose the way which divine wisdom saw was best. We mortals know that God can speak directly to our hearts, and actually has done so to many men in the past. We know that he can do directly all that is done by his Church, to whom he gave the power, with its teaching magisterium and sacraments. If he were to act in this way we should be open to continuous doubts about the source of our inspirations and the objectivity of the graces we thought we were receiving. It was to remove such doubts, and the possibility of self-deception that Christ left to us the external visible kingdom to which he gave all the powers necessary for men's salvation. It was for the security and peace of men's consciences that he set up a visible Church founded on the Apostles, men like ourselves, but transformed by his assisting grace. Another momentous fact in Christ's choice of the Apostles on whom he was to build his Church, is that he "chose the lowly and the humble to confound the wise." The first four Apostles, as well as the other eight, were simple, lowly fishermen from Galilee. They may possibly have been able to read and write a little, but they were certainly not men of education or any social standing in their communities. He could have converted and chosen some of the more highly educated scribes of Jerusalem, or some of the Roman centurions then in Palestine, or some of the many philosophers in Greece, or even Roman senators whose influence as Christian teachers would carry such weight with the educated elite of the empire. But he did not. The instrument he chose to carry his message to all men was not dependent on human ingenuity or on the educational or social standing of his witnesses. Rather was it to stand on the power of God, of which it was the expression and proof. We can see clearly the divine wisdom governing Christ's choice of Apostles! Had his message of salvation been spread and promulgated by men of learning and social standing, the cry would soon go up on all sides: "This religion is the invention of philosophers; it is a clever plan of the upper classes to keep the poor and humble workers in subjection." But it was the poor and working classes who spread Christ's message, and who suffered imprisonment and death itself at the hands of the educated and upper classes for so doing. Today, let us thank our blessed Lord who provided so humanly—and yet so divinely for our eternal welfare. In the Church, which he founded on the lowly but solid foundation of simple fishermen of Galilee, he erected an institution against which the gates of hell, the power of all the enemies of our salvation, cannot prevail, for his divine guidance and help will be with it forever. It has had enemies and opposition from the beginning; they may be more numerous and more destructive than ever today. But the promise of Christ still holds good, his word cannot fail. Therefore, neither the opposition of materialistic enemies from without, nor the even more insidious attacks from faint-hearted and worldly-minded members from within, can affect the safety and permanence of the building which Christ built on the Rock. "If God is with us," it matters not "who is against us." Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

[Salvation]

The Work of God

Year B

 -  Second Sunday in ordinary time B

We have found the Messaiah

John 1:35-42

John 1:35-42 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,
36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!"
37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon.
40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed).
42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter ).
(NRSV)

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

John the Baptist was given the wisdom to recognize me as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He was a holy man who practiced self denial and who was interested in the plan of God for the world.

John knew about my mission, he was full of respect for me, he worked very hard and eventually lost his life in my service. He was a banner of truth, a warrior of justice and purity.

He who sees me as the Lamb of God like John did has received great wisdom. As a lamb I represent the meekness, simplicity, humility, obedience and other special qualities that any person of God must acquire. Being the Lamb of God, I am the sacrificial lamb who was destined for the unique offering to God for the forgiveness of sins.

Among the followers of John the Baptist, there were great holy men, some of them became my disciples and apostles. They all had one thing in common, they had repented of their sins, they were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah and they rejoiced when they met me, so much that they decided to follow me.

And for anyone who repents of his sins and comes anxiously to meet me, I will reveal myself and take him to my home. My home is a spiritual place inside every human being where I listen to the soul and I speak to it.

My intimate dialogue is the greatest treasure that a man can ever have. I am ready to listen to you my beloved soul. I am the lamb who was slain for your sins. It is by my blood that your soul will be purified of your sins and you will have eternal life. It is by my word that you will learn how to follow me and do the will of God.

Repentance prepares the way for my coming into your life, therefore remain free from sin and enjoy the spiritual way that I offer you. Remain in my word and you will know me more and more. Meditate constantly of the great gift that you have of being interested in me, because the closer you get to me, the closer I will be to you, blessing you with my grace daily, until you finally come to my heavenly home.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	Come and See
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Sunday, January 15, 2006

1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19 / 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20 / Jn 1:35-42

A very young new priest was preparing to deliver his first sermon and he was scared. So he asked the old monsignor for help. "I always start with a story," said the old fellow, "or a catchy line like this: 'My dear FRIENDS, I've spent some of my best years in the arms of a woman!' Then you pause a moment and add, 'my MOTHER.'"

"Wow, that's a terrific idea!" said the young priest. "I'll try that on Sunday." And so he did.

"My dear friends," he told the congregation, "I'm Fr. Mike, your new priest, and I'd like to tell you a little about myself. First of all, I've spent some of my best years in the arms of a woman!"

With that the congregation froze in horror: What had the bishop sent them? The young priest panicked and then blurted out, "But I can't remember who she was!"

+ + +

"Who are YOU?" that congregation must have been asking. And that's the same question the apostles were asking Jesus in Sunday's Gospel — though not in quite the same tone of voice!

"Where do you stay?" they asked. But what they really meant was, "Who are you, Jesus? There's something about you that makes us think that you're different, that you know what life is really about, and that you can show US. Is that true? Do you have something to show us?"

That's exactly what we say to him time and again as we pass from one stage of life to another and face new doors to be opened and old doors to be closed. And Jesus always responds to us as he did to his apostles: "Come and see ... Come and see."

"If you'll let me," he says, "if you'll trust me enough to let me guide you, I can show you the way out of the darkest places. I can give you the power to confront your deepest fears. I can heal your heart as you close old doors. And I can give you the heart to walk through new ones. I can do all that for you if you let me, if you entrust your whole heart to my care."

At every stage and moment of our life Jesus speaks those words to us anew, inviting us to re-imagine our lives in a richer shape, inviting us to let go of what doesn't matter and to embrace what does. "Come and see," he says, holding out his hand.

And slowly, hesitantly, we reach out. And even though we don't know where it will lead, we take his hand, and we let him show us the way home.

He knows the way. Come and see!