Posted on 03/18/2006 7:44:20 AM PST by Salvation
Saturday of the Second Week of Lent
Reading I
Mic 7:14-15, 18-20
Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your inheritance,
That dwells apart in a woodland,
in the midst of Carmel.
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,
as in the days of old;
As in the days when you came from the land of Egypt,
show us wonderful signs.
Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt
and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever,
but delights rather in clemency,
And will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our guilt?
You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins;
You will show faithfulness to Jacob,
and grace to Abraham,
As you have sworn to our fathers
from days of old.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Gospel
Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them Jesus addressed this parable.
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings
and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants,
‘Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
‘Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.’”
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Farewell to Alleluia and Gloria
During the penitential seasons of the Church, the Gloria and the Alleluia are not said or sung. The Gloria is sung only at the Mass on Holy Thursday, usually with great ceremony, organ and sometimes trumpets, and often with the ringing of bells. After the singing of the Gloria, musical instruments are to be silent until the Alleluia at the Easter Vigil. (Catholic families might imitate this solemn silence by not playing instrumental music in their homes at this time.)
In the Middle Ages and throughout the 16th century, the "burying" of the Alleluia was a solemn ritual on Septuagesima Sunday. A procession of children carrying a wooden plaque bearing the word "Alleluia" laid it at the feet of the statue of the Blessed Virgin, covering it with a purple cloth. It remained there until Easter at the Gospel procession, when the plaque was carried as the priest intoned the three Alleluias before the Easter Gospel. In Paris, a straw figure inscribed with the word was carried out of the choir at the end of the service and burned in the church yard.
Although the practice of literally removing the Alleluia from the Church may have disappeared, even today in some parish celebrations of the Easter Vigil an Alleluia card is carried in procession and placed in front of the altar during the singing of the first Alleluias before the Gospel for Easter.
The hymn Alleluia, Song of Gladness and the one that follows date from the early 9th and 10th centuries; both refer to the farewell to the Alleluia in the liturgy.
The Holy Season of Lent -- Fast and Abstinence
The Holy Season of Lent -- The Stations of the Cross
Mardi Gras' Catholic Roots [Shrove Tuesday]
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI FOR LENT 2006
Lent a Time for Renewal, Says Benedict XVI
Lent: A Time to Fast From Media and Criticism Says President of Pontifical Liturgical Institute
O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 105 (106) |
|---|
| The Lord's goodness and his people's infidelity |
| Give praise to the Lord, for he is good, for his kindness is for ever. Who shall tell of his powerful deeds? Who shall proclaim the praises of the Lord? Blessed are they who keep his decrees, who do right at all times. Remember us, Lord, in your love for your people, and bring us your salvation, so that we may see the good things you have kept for your chosen ones, that we may rejoice in the joys of your people, that we may glory with those whom you have made your heirs. Like our fathers, we too have sinned: we have done wrong, we have transgressed. Our fathers, in Egypt, did not understand your miracles; they did not remember the abundance of your mercies, but rebelled as they approached the Red Sea. Still he saved them, for his own name’s sake, and to make known his mighty power. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up. He led them through its depths as if through a desert. He saved them from the hands of those who hated them, he set them free from slavery at the hands of their enemies. The water covered their oppressors: not one was left alive. Then they believed his word, and they sang his praises. But soon they forgot what he had done, and refused to submit to his direction. They embraced desire in the desert and put God to the test in the waterless places. He gave them all they requested, he filled their hearts with his abundance. But in the camp, they grew jealous of Moses and Aaron, consecrated to the Lord. The earth opened and swallowed Dathan, covered the party of Abiram. Fire broke out against them, flames burnt up the sinners. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Psalm 105 (106) |
|---|
| At Horeb they made a calf and worshipped a statue. They exchanged the glory of their people for the likeness of a bull, that eats grass. They forgot their God, who had saved them, who had done great miracles for them in Egypt, wonders in the land of Ham, terrors at the Red Sea. Then he said that he would destroy them, but Moses, his chosen one, was there: he stood in the breach before him to turn aside his wrath, to prevent the destruction. To them, the Promised Land meant nothing, they did not believe the Lord’s word. They stayed muttering in their tents, they were deaf to the voice of the Lord. So he raised his hand against them to crush them in the desert, to scatter their seed among the nations, to disperse them in foreign lands. They made themselves followers of Baal-Peor, they ate the sacrifices of the dead. They angered the Lord by their actions, and a plague broke out among them. Then Phinehas stood up and gave judgement, and the plague was stopped. For this, he is revered as one of the just, from generation to generation, for all eternity. At the waters of Meribah they so angered the Lord that Moses suffered on their account: they so embittered his spirit that his lips spoke rash words. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Psalm 105 (106) |
|---|
| They did not destroy the peoples as the Lord had told them they must. They mingled themselves with the peoples, and learned to do as they did. They served the same idols until it became their undoing. They sacrificed their own sons and their daughters to demons. They poured out innocent blood. The blood of their own sons and daughters was sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. Their blood polluted the land, and their actions defiled them. They devoted themselves to whoring. The Lord blazed out in anger against his own people, he detested his own chosen race. He gave them into the hands of foreigners, they were conquered by those who hated them. Their enemies persecuted them and humbled them beneath their hands. Many times he freed them, but they turned him against themselves by falling back into wickedness. Still he looked upon their distress when he heard their cries. He remembered his covenant, and in his infinite kindness he repented. He made them an object of pity and kindness to all their captors. Save us, O Lord, our God, and gather us from among the nations, so that we may proclaim your holy name, and rejoice as we praise you. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from the beginning and for all time. And all the people shall cry, “Amen!”. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Reading | Exodus 20:1 - 17 © |
|---|---|
| Then God spoke all these words. He said, ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ‘You shall have no gods except me. ‘You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in heaven or on earth beneath or in the waters under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God and I punish the father’s fault in the sons, the grandsons, and the great-grandsons of those who hate me; but I show kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. ‘You shall not utter the name of the Lord your God to misuse it, for the Lord will not leave unpunished the man who utters his name to misuse it. ‘Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath for the Lord your God. You shall do no work that day, neither you nor your son nor your daughter nor your servants, men or women, nor your animals nor the stranger who lives with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that these hold, but on the seventh day he rested; that is why the Lord has blessed the sabbath day and made it sacred. ‘Honour your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God has given to you. ‘You shall not kill. ‘You shall not commit adultery. ‘You shall not steal. ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour. ‘You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his servant, man or woman, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is his.’ |
|
| Reading | From the treatise on Flight from the World by Saint Ambrose, bishop |
|---|---|
| Hold fast to God, the one true good | |
| Where a man’s heart is, there is his treasure also. God is not accustomed to refusing a good gift to those who ask for one. Since he is good, and especially to those who are faithful to him, let us hold fast to him with all our soul, our heart, our strength, and so enjoy his light and see his glory and possess the grace of supernatural joy. Let us reach out with our hearts to possess that good, let us exist in it and live in it, let us hold fast to it, that good which is beyond all we can know or see and is marked by perpetual peace and tranquillity, a peace which is beyond all we can know or understand. This is the good that permeates creation. In it we all live, on it we all depend. It has nothing above it; it is divine. No one is good but God alone. What is good is therefore divine, what is divine is therefore good. Scripture says: When you open your hand all things will be filled with goodness. It is through God’s goodness that all that is truly good is given us, and in it there is no admixture of evil. These good things are promised by Scripture to those who are faithful: The good things of the land will be your food. We have died with Christ. We carry about in our bodies the sign of his death, so that the living Christ may also be revealed in us. The life we live is not now our ordinary life but the life of Christ: a life of sinlessness, of chastity, of simplicity and every other virtue. We have risen with Christ. Let us live in Christ, let us ascend in Christ, so that the serpent may not have the power here below to wound us in the heel. Let us take refuge from this world. You can do this in spirit, even if you are kept here in the body. You can at the same time be here and present to the Lord. Your soul must hold fast to him, you must follow after him in your thoughts, you must tread his ways by faith, not in outward show. You must take refuge in him. He is your refuge and your strength. David addresses him in these words: I fled to you for refuge, and I was not disappointed. Since God is our refuge, God who is in heaven and above the heavens, we must take refuge from this world in that place where there is peace, where there is rest from toil, where we can celebrate the great sabbath, as Moses said: The sabbaths of the land will provide you with food. To rest in the Lord and to see his joy is like a banquet, and full of gladness and tranquillity. Let us take refuge like deer beside the fountain of waters. Let our soul thirst, as David thirsted, for the fountain. What is that fountain? Listen to David: With you is the fountain of life. Let my soul say to this fountain: When shall I come and see you face to face? For the fountain is God himself. |
|
| A concluding prayer may follow here. |
From: Micah 7:14-15, 18-20
Prayer for Jerusalem
From: Luke 15:1-3; 11-32
Parables of God's Mercy
Our Lady of Good Success
It is common knowledge that one of the most well known churches in Madrid is that of Our Lady of Good Success. What is the origin of the invocation?
The original statue of Our Lady of Good Success discovered in a cave in Spain
.
After the death of Brother Bernandino de Obregón, founder of the Brothers Minor for the Service of the Sick (the Order of Saint Francis of Paola), Brother Gabriel de Fontaned was elected his successor. Accompanied by Guillermo de Rigosa, he set off for Rome to plead the case for official approval of their Institute before the Roman Pontiff. As they were passing through the town of Traigueras (under the jurisdiction of Tortosa in the Principate of Cataluna), they miraculously discovered in a cave in the mountains a very beautiful statue of Holy Mary carrying her Divine Son in her left arm and a scepter in her right, and a very precious crown on her head.
When they reached Rome, they told the Pope what had happened, and the Pope not only acknowledged the supernatural nature of that discovery, but upon confirming the new Order, he placed it under the protection of the same Virgin, whom he gave the name of the Virgin of Good Success
This is how it came to be that this name was given by the Supreme Pontiff. The Sacred Statue, which was placed in the Royal Hospital of Madrid, became famous for the numerous favors granted by Heaven through her. In 1641 Philip III ordered the construction of the splendid Sanctuary of the Puerta del Sol (Door of the Sun). The magnificence of this edifice that enshrines Our Lady of Good Success is renowned among the Churches of Madrid.
The Spanish nuns who crossed the ocean to found the Convent of the Immaculate Conception in Quito brought with them a fervent love for the invocation of Good Success. They did not realize then that Holy Mary would deign to favor them in a very special way by means of this particular invocation.
The Miraculous Case
It happened in this way. It was the year 1610. Mariana de Jesus Torres, who was then Abbess of the Convent and whose virtue was already well known, was distinguished for her devotion to the Virgin of Good Success.
One night in the upper choir, as Mariana was praying before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, recommending her community to the Holy Virgin, she noticed a soft light that suddenly appeared in the air. Enveloped in it was the Mother of God accompanied by angels. In her left arm she carried the Divine Child.
Our Lady gives the measurement for her statue
.
Overcome with emotion, Mariana de Jesus knelt before Mary and, unable to restrain herself, she asked what the purpose of such a heavenly visit was. To this the Mother of God kindly responded: ‘I am Mary of Good Success, the one whom you have invoked with such tender affection. Your prayer has greatly pleased me. Your faith has brought me here. Your love has invited me to visit you.”
The Heavenly Queen also told the humble sister that it was her desire, as well as that of her Divine Child, to be honored by this community as the principal Abbess until the end of time. Toward this end, she ordered her to have a statue made just as she appeared before her eyes with the title of Good Success, and that this statue should be placed for all times above the chair of the Abbesses who would follow her. From there she herself wanted to preside over the Community that she had adopted as her own.
Taken aback by this request, Mother Mariana argued that it would be impossible to reproduce the majesty, beauty, size, and other characteristics of the Heavenly Lady in wood. In response, Our Lady ordered her to take off her cincture (a corded rope around the waist of her habit), and with this to measure her height, a process in which she herself helped by holding one end of it. After this, the Heavenly Lady said, smiling, that she could see to the rest of it by herself.
Finally, she repeated her command, instructing Mariana de Jesus that in her right hand she should hold the crosier and the keys to the Convent since she had taken them for her own, thus assuring that the efforts of Satan to destroy it would be in vain. Therefore, the Virgin of Good Success of Quito appears with the crosier in her right hand, instead of the scepter that is shown in Madrid.
The sisters of the Convent of the Immaculate Conception of Quito have always had a great love for their Heavenly Abbess. In addition, it would not be too much to say that the Statue of the Virgin of Good Success, once completed, has been one of the most beloved of Quito before whom the people have prayed for three centuries. We can say, then, that the Virgin of Good Success of Quito is a national devotion, like the devotion to the Image of Our Lady of Sorrows of the (Jesuit) College. Thus she has shown how she wants to take us under her special protection, and consequently, all persons should have recourse to her with great fervor and filial confidence.
One of the principal ways of turning toward the Heavenly Lady has been by devoutly making a novena that is transcribed on the pages that follow. It is my hope that you will take these prayers to heart and make it well! May the Holy Virgin pour graces over your souls!
| Lk 15 | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | Douay-Rheims | Vulgate |
| 1 | Now the publicans and sinners drew near unto him to hear him. | erant autem adpropinquantes ei publicani et peccatores ut audirent illum |
| 2 | And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying: This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. | et murmurabant Pharisaei et scribae dicentes quia hic peccatores recipit et manducat cum illis |
| 3 | And he spoke to them this parable, saying: | et ait ad illos parabolam istam dicens |
| 4 | What man of you that hath an hundred sheep, and if he shall lose one of them, doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after that which was lost, until he find it? | quis ex vobis homo qui habet centum oves et si perdiderit unam ex illis nonne dimittit nonaginta novem in deserto et vadit ad illam quae perierat donec inveniat illam |
| 5 | And when he hath found it, lay it upon his shoulders, rejoicing? | et cum invenerit eam inponit in umeros suos gaudens |
| 6 | And coming home, call together his friends and neighbours, saying to them: Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost? | et veniens domum convocat amicos et vicinos dicens illis congratulamini mihi quia inveni ovem meam quae perierat |
| 7 | I say to you that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance. | dico vobis quod ita gaudium erit in caelo super uno peccatore paenitentiam habente quam super nonaginta novem iustis qui non indigent paenitentia |
| 8 | Or what woman having ten groats, if she lose one groat, doth not light a candle and sweep the house and seek diligently until she find it? | aut quae mulier habens dragmas decem si perdiderit dragmam unam nonne accendit lucernam et everrit domum et quaerit diligenter donec inveniat |
| 9 | And when she hath found it, call together her friends and neighbours, saying: Rejoice with me, because I have found the groat which I had lost. | et cum invenerit convocat amicas et vicinas dicens congratulamini mihi quia inveni dragmam quam perdideram |
| 10 | So I say to you, there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance. | ita dico vobis gaudium erit coram angelis Dei super uno peccatore paenitentiam agente |
| 11 | And he said: A certain man had two sons. | ait autem homo quidam habuit duos filios |
| 12 | And the younger of them said to his father: Father, give me the portion of substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his substance. | et dixit adulescentior ex illis patri pater da mihi portionem substantiae quae me contingit et divisit illis substantiam |
| 13 | And not many days after, the younger son, gathering all together, went abroad into a far country: and there wasted his substance, living riotously. | et non post multos dies congregatis omnibus adulescentior filius peregre profectus est in regionem longinquam et ibi dissipavit substantiam suam vivendo luxuriose |
| 14 | And after he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in that country: and he began to be in want. | et postquam omnia consummasset facta est fames valida in regione illa et ipse coepit egere |
| 15 | And he went and cleaved to one of the citizens of that country. And he sent him into his farm to feed swine. | et abiit et adhesit uni civium regionis illius et misit illum in villam suam ut pasceret porcos |
| 16 | And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. | et cupiebat implere ventrem suum de siliquis quas porci manducabant et nemo illi dabat |
| 17 | And returning to himself, he said: How many hired servants in my father's house abound with bread, and I here perish with hunger! | in se autem reversus dixit quanti mercennarii patris mei abundant panibus ego autem hic fame pereo |
| 18 | I will arise and will go to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee. | surgam et ibo ad patrem meum et dicam illi pater peccavi in caelum et coram te |
| 19 | I am not worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. | et iam non sum dignus vocari filius tuus fac me sicut unum de mercennariis tuis |
| 20 | And rising up, he came to his father. And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion and running to him fell upon his neck and kissed him. | et surgens venit ad patrem suum cum autem adhuc longe esset vidit illum pater ipsius et misericordia motus est et adcurrens cecidit supra collum eius et osculatus est illum |
| 21 | And the son said to him: Father: I have sinned against heaven and before thee I am not now worthy to be called thy son. | dixitque ei filius pater peccavi in caelum et coram te iam non sum dignus vocari filius tuus |
| 22 | And the father said to his servants: Bring forth quickly the first robe and put it on him: and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. | dixit autem pater ad servos suos cito proferte stolam primam et induite illum et date anulum in manum eius et calciamenta in pedes |
| 23 | And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it: and let us eat and make merry: | et adducite vitulum saginatum et occidite et manducemus et epulemur |
| 24 | Because this my son was dead and is come to life again, was lost and is found. And they began to be merry. | quia hic filius meus mortuus erat et revixit perierat et inventus est et coeperunt epulari |
| 25 | Now his elder son was in the field and when he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. | erat autem filius eius senior in agro et cum veniret et adpropinquaret domui audivit symphoniam et chorum |
| 26 | And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. | et vocavit unum de servis et interrogavit quae haec essent |
| 27 | And he said to him: Thy brother is come and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe. | isque dixit illi frater tuus venit et occidit pater tuus vitulum saginatum quia salvum illum recepit |
| 28 | And he was angry and would not go in. His father therefore coming out began to entreat him. | indignatus est autem et nolebat introire pater ergo illius egressus coepit rogare illum |
| 29 | And he answering, said to his father: Behold, for so many years do I serve thee and I have never transgressed thy commandment: and yet thou hast never given me a kid to make merry with my friends. | at ille respondens dixit patri suo ecce tot annis servio tibi et numquam mandatum tuum praeterii et numquam dedisti mihi hedum ut cum amicis meis epularer |
| 30 | But as soon as this thy son is come, who hath devoured his substance with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. | sed postquam filius tuus hic qui devoravit substantiam suam cum meretricibus venit occidisti illi vitulum saginatum |
| 31 | But he said to him: Son, thou art always with me; and all I have is thine. | at ipse dixit illi fili tu semper mecum es et omnia mea tua sunt |
| 32 | But it was fit that we should make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead and is come to life again; he was lost, and is found. | epulari autem et gaudere oportebat quia frater tuus hic mortuus erat et revixit perierat et inventus est |
O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 91 (92) |
|---|
| Praise of God, the Creator |
| It is good to praise the Lord, and to sing psalms to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your mercy in the morning and your faithfulness by night; on the ten-stringed lyre and the harp, with songs upon the lyre. For you give me joy, Lord, in your creation: I rejoice in the work of your hands. How great are your works, O Lord, how immeasurably deep your thoughts. The fool does not hear, the slow-witted do not understand. When the wicked sprout up like grass, and the doers of evil are in full bloom, it will come to nothing, for they will perish for ever and ever; but you, Lord, are the Highest eternally. For behold, Lord, your enemies, how your enemies will perish, how wrongdoers will be scattered. You will give me strength as the wild oxen have; I have been anointed with the purest oil. I will look down upon my enemies, and hear the plans of those who plot evil against me. The just will flourish like the palm tree, grow tall like the cedar of Lebanon. They will be planted in the house of the Lord; in the courts of our God they will flourish. They will bear fruit even when old, fresh and luxuriant through all their days. They will proclaim how just is the Lord, my refuge, for in him there is no unrighteousness. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Canticle | Deuteronomy 32 |
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| The things God has done for his people | |
| Listen, heavens to what I say; earth, hear the words of my mouth! Let my teaching fall like the rain, my speech descend like the dew, like a shower on the grass, like rain on the wheat. For I shall call on the name of the Lord: give praise to the greatness of our God! His works are like a rock: they are perfect, for all his ways are just. God is faithful, he can do no wrong: he is just and upright. They have sinned against him, they are no children of his – this filthy generation, wicked and perverse. Is this how you repay the Lord, you foolish and witless people? Is he not your father, who took charge of you, created you and made you exist? Remember the days of old: think upon each generation. Ask your father and he will tell you; ask your ancestors, and they will let you know. When the Most High divided the peoples, when he was separating the children of Adam, he laid down the boundaries of the people according to the number of the children of Israel: the Lord’s own portion was his people, Jacob the measure of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land, in a place of horror, in the howling wilderness. He protected him, looked after him, guarded him as the apple of his eye. Like an eagle teaching its chicks to fly, hovering close above them, he spread out his wings and lifted him up, carried him on his back. The Lord alone led Jacob; no foreign god was with him. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| Psalm 8 |
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| The greatness of God, the dignity of man |
| How wonderful is your name over all the earth, O Lord, our Lord! How exalted is your glory above the sky! Out of the mouths of children and infants you have brought praise, to confound your enemies, to destroy your vengeful foes. When I see the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars, which you set in their place – what is man, that you should take thought for him? what is the son of man, that you should look after him? You have made him but one step lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honour; you have set him over the works of your hands. You have put everything beneath his feet, cattle and sheep and the beasts of the field, the birds in the air and the fish in the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the waters. How wonderful is your name above all the earth, O Lord, our Lord! Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| A short Bible reading and responsory may follow here. |
| Canticle | Benedictus |
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| The Messiah and his forerunner | |
| Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| Some short prayers may follow here, to offer up the day's work to God. |
| Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. |
| A concluding prayer may follow here. |
| May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life. |
| A M E N |
Interesting information. Thanks.
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March 18, 2006
St. Cyril of Jerusalem
(315?-386)
Problems in the Church today are minor compared with the reverberations of the Arian heresy that denied the divinity of Christ. Cyril was to be caught up in the controversy, accused (later) of Arianism by St. Jerome, and ultimately vindicated both by the men of his own time and by being declared a Doctor of the Church in 1822. Raised in Jerusalem, well-educated, especially in the Scriptures, he was ordained a priest by the bishop of Jerusalem and given the task of catechizing during Lent those preparing for Baptism and during the Easter season the newly baptized. His Catecheses remain valuable as examples of the ritual and theology of the Church in the mid-fourth century. There are conflicting reports about the circumstances of his becoming bishop of Jerusalem. It is certain that he was validly consecrated by bishops of the province. Since one of them was an Arian, Acacius, it may have been expected that his “cooperation” would follow. Conflict soon rose between Cyril and Acacius, bishop of the rival nearby see of Caesarea. Cyril was summoned to a council, accused of insubordination and of selling Church property to relieve the poor. Probably, however, a theological difference was also involved. He was condemned, driven from Jerusalem, and later vindicated, not without some association and help of Semi-Arians. Half his episcopate was spent in exile (his first experience was repeated twice). He finally returned to find Jerusalem torn with heresy, schism and strife, and wracked with crime. Even St. Gregory of Nyssa, sent to help, left in despair. They both went to the (second ecumenical) Council of Constantinople, where the amended form of the Nicene Creed was promulgated. Cyril accepted the word consubstantial (that is, of Christ and the Father). Some said it was an act of repentance, but the bishops of the Council praised him as a champion of orthodoxy against the Arians. Though not friendly with the greatest defender of orthodoxy against the Arians, Cyril may be counted among those whom Athanasius called “brothers, who mean what we mean, and differ only about the word [consubstantial].” Quote:
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| Saturday, March 18, 2006 Lenten Weekday |
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March 18, 2006    Optional Memorial of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop, confessor and doctor Old Calendar: St. Cyril of Jerusalem
St. Cyril of Jerusalem Cyril of Jerusalem was given to the study of the Holy Scriptures from childhood, and made such progress that he became an eminent champion of the orthodox faith. He embraced the monastic institute and bound himself to perpetual chastity and austerity of life. He was ordained priest by St. Maximus, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and undertook the work of preaching to the faithful and instructing the catechumens, in which he won the praise of all. He was the author of those truly wonderful Catechetical Instructions, which embrace clearly and fully all the teaching of the Church, and contain an excellent defense of each of the dogmas of religion against the enemies of the faith. His treatment of these subjects is so distinct and clear that he refuted not only the heresies of his own time, but also, by a kind of foreknowledge, as it were, those which were to arise later. Thus he maintains the Real Presence of the Body and Blood of Christ in the adorable sacrament of the Altar. On the death of Patriarch St. Maximus, the bishops of the province chose Cyril in his place. As Bishop he endured, like blessed Athanasius, his contemporary, many wrongs and sufferings for the sake of the faith at the hands of the Arians. They could not bear his strenuous opposition to their heresy, and thus assailed him with calumnies, deposed him in a pseudo-council and drove him from his see. To escape their rage, he fled to Tarsus in Cilicia and, as long as Constantius lived, he bore the hardships of exile. On the death of Constantius and the accession of Julian the Apostate, Cyril was able to return to Jerusalem, where he set himself with burning zeal to deliver his flock from false doctrine and from sin. He was driven into exile a second time, under the Emperor Valens, but when peace was restored to the Church by Theodosius the Great, and the cruelty and insolence of the Arians were restrained, he was received with honor by the Emperor as a valiant soldier of Christ and restored to his see. With what earnestness and holiness he fulfilled the duties of his exalted office was proved by the flourishing state of the Church at Jerusalem, as described by St. Basil, who spent some time there on a pilgrimage to the holy places.
Things to Do:
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The Love of a Father Saturday of the Second Week of Lent Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 Introductory Prayer: Father, you are always awaiting our return with love and forgiveness. Help us to turn from our sinful ways and seek your forgiveness trusting in your merciful love for us. Petition: Lord Jesus, grant me the grace of conversion of heart. 1. A New Revelation. Jesus came to reveal a side of God that was not as known or emphasized in his day. He revealed God as our Father, as one that loves us very much in spite of our sins and failings. This is why he sends his only Son to die in order to save us and give us life. 2. A Father’s Love. The Parable of the Prodigal Son drives home the message of God’s love and gives us insight into the heart of God. He hates sin, but loves the sinner. Like the father in the parable, he eagerly awaits the sinner’s return. He wants to bring us back home, to bring us back into union with him. 3. Love Greater than Death. Jesus is the bridge between God and man. He mends the rift caused by our sins. He shows us that God’s love for us is greater than anything that we can do, or not do. In spite of all this he loves us very much and seeks our happiness with him for all eternity. Let us embrace this merciful love and trust in God’s forgiveness and love. Dialogue with Christ: Lord Jesus, I thank you for your sacrifice, your passion and death for love of me. Aid me in living more faithfully my life as a Christian so as to show my love for you. Resolution: I will make an act of gratitude and trust in God my loving Father. |
The original statue of Our Lady of Good Success discovered in a cave in Spain .
Wow!
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Tradition states that God rendered the holiness of this venerable Patriarch illustrious by signs from heaven, among which is numbered the apparition of a cross, brighter than the sun, which was seen at the beginning of his Patriarchate. Not only Cyril himself, but pagans and Christians alike were witnesses of this marvel, which Cyril, after having given thanks to God in church, announced by letter to Constantius. A thing no less wonderful came to pass when the Jews were commanded by the impious Emperor Julian to restore the Temple which had been destroyed by Titus. An earthquake arose and great balls of fire broke out of the earth and consumed the work, so that Julian and the Jews were struck with terror and gave up their plan. This had been clearly foretold by Cyril. A little while before his death, he was present at the Ecumenical Council at Constantinople, where the heresies of Macedonius and Arius were condemned. After his return to Jerusalem, he died a holy death at sixty-nine years of age in the thirty-fifth year of his bishopric. Pope Leo XIII ordered that his office and mass should be said throughout the Universal Church.