Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 08-27-06, Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 08-27-06 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

August 27, 2006

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Psalm: Sunday 36

Reading 1
Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b

Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,
summoning their elders, their leaders,
their judges, and their officers.
When they stood in ranks before God,
Joshua addressed all the people:
“If it does not please you to serve the LORD,
decide today whom you will serve,
the gods your fathers served beyond the River
or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling.
As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

But the people answered,
“Far be it from us to forsake the LORD
for the service of other gods.
For it was the LORD, our God,
who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt,
out of a state of slavery.
He performed those great miracles before our very eyes
and protected us along our entire journey
and among the peoples through whom we passed.
Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.”

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21

R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
The LORD has eyes for the just,
and ears for their cry.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Many are the troubles of the just one,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him;
he watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Reading II
Eph 5:21-32 or 5:2a, 25-32

Brothers and sisters:
Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.
For the husband is head of his wife
just as Christ is head of the church,
he himself the savior of the body.
As the church is subordinate to Christ,
so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ loved the church
and handed himself over for her to sanctify her,
cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,
that he might present to himself the church in splendor,
without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish.
So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.
He who loves his wife loves himself.
For no one hates his own flesh
but rather nourishes and cherishes it,
even as Christ does the church,
because we are members of his body.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
This is a great mystery,
but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.

or

Brothers and sisters:
Live in love, as Christ loved us.
Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ loved the church
and handed himself over for her to sanctify her,
cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,
that he might present to himself the church in splendor,
without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish.
So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.
He who loves his wife loves himself.
For no one hates his own flesh
but rather nourishes and cherishes it,
even as Christ does the church,
because we are members of his body.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
This is a great mystery,
but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.

Gospel
Jn 6:60-69

Many of Jesus’disciples who were listening said,
“This saying is hard; who can accept it?”
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, “Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending
to where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life,
while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said,
“For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father.”

As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer accompanied him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

[Salvation]

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

[Salvation]

Alleluia Ping!

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A great big hug of thanks to Carolina for adding to each of the threads while I was visiting in Chicago. My grandson, David, is doing well; he is such a sweetie. (But such is the prejudice of grandmas – heheheh!

[Salvation]

From: Ephesians 5:21-33


Duties of Husband and Wife

---

[21] Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. [22] Wives,
be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. [23] For the husband is
the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and
is himself its Savior. [24] As the church is subject to Christ, so let
wives also be subject in everything to their husbands. [25] Husbands,
love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for
her, [26] that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the
washing of water with the word, [27] that he might present the church
to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish. [28] Even so husbands
should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife
loves himself. [29] For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes
and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, [30] because we are
members of his body. [31] ''For this reason a man shall leave his
father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become
one." [32] This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ
and the church.

---

Commentary:


21. St Paul here provides a general principle which should govern
relationships among members of the Church: they should submit to one
another, knowing that Christ is their true judge. At the same time, the
Apostle uses this principle to say something about relationships in
society, specifically family relationships; in these there is an
element of natural dependence--of wife on husband (5:22-24), of
children on parents (6:1-4), and of servants on masters (6:5-9).
However, although there is an inbuilt natural element of authority in
these situations, the Apostle sees it as having a new dimension in the
Christian context, for he is acutely conscious of the dignity that
belongs to each, and of Christ's lordship over all.


22-24. The basis of the supernatural grandeur and dignity of Christian
marriage lies in the fact that it is an extension of the union between
Christ and his Church. To exhort Christian married couples to live in
accordance with their membership of the Church, the Apostle establishes
an analogy whereby the husband represents Christ and the wife the
Church. This teaching has its roots in the Old Testament, where the
relationships between Yahweh and his people are expressed, in the
preaching of the prophets, in terms of the relationships between
husband and wife. The husband loves his wife truly, he is completely
faithful to her (Hos 1:3; Jer 2:20; Ezek 16: 1-34). God is forever
faithful to the love he has shown Israel, and he is ever ready to
pardon her (cf. Is 54:5-8; 62:4-5; Jer 31:21-22) and to re-establish
his Covenant with the people (cf. Is 16:5-63). Jesus also describes
himself as the bridegroom (cf. Mt 9:15; Jn 3:29) and he uses the image
of the wedding banquet to explain the significance of his coming (cf.
Mt 22:1-14; 25:1-13). He brings into being the New Covenant, which
gives rise to the new people of God, the Church (cf. Mt 26:26-29 and
par.); and so the relationship between Christ and the Church appears in
the New Testament in terms of husband-wife; as the Second Vatican
Council put it, "The Church is also [...] described as the spotless
spouse of the spotless Lamb (Rev 19:7; 21:2, 9; 22:17). It is she whom
Christ 'loved and for whom he delivered himself up that he might
sanctify her' (Eph 5:26). It is she whom he unites to himself by an
unbreakable alliance, and whom he constantly 'nourishes and cherishes'
(Eph 5:29). It is she whom, once purified, he willed to be joined to
himself, subject in love and fidelity (cf. Eph 5:24)" ("Lumen Gentium",
6).


St Paul is not just using Christian marriage as a comparison to explain
Christ's relationship with the Church: he is saying that relationship
is actually symbolized and verified between Christian husband and wife.
This means that marriage between baptized people is a true sacrament,
as the Church has always taught and as Vatican II has repeated: "Christ
our Lord has abundantly blessed this love, which is rich in its various
features, coming as it does from the spring of divine love and modeled
on Christ's own union with the Church. Just as of old God encountered
his people with a covenant of love and fidelity, so our Savior, the
spouse of the Church, now encounters Christian spouses through the
sacrament of marriage. He abides with them in order that by their
mutual self-giving spouses will love each other with enduring fidelity,
as he loved the Church and delivered himself for it. Authentic married
love is caught up into divine love and is directed and enriched by the
redemptive power of Christ and the salvific action of the Church, with
the result that the spouses are effectively led to God and are helped
and strengthened in their lofty role as fathers and mothers" ("Gaudium
Et Spes", 48).


When St Paul exhorts wives to be "subject" to their husbands, he is not
only taking into account the social position of women at the time but
also the fact that a Christian wife, by the way she relates to her
husband, should reflect the Church itself, in its obedience to Christ.
The husband, for his part, is asked to be similarly submissive to his
wife, for he is a reflection of Jesus Christ, who gave himself up even
to death out of love for the Church (cf. v. 25). In 1930 Pope Pius XI
taught that "the submission of the wife neither ignores nor suppresses
the liberty to which her dignity as a human person and her noble
functions as wife, mother, and companion give her the full right. It
does not oblige her to yield indiscriminately to all the desires of her
husband, which may be unreasonable or incompatible with her wifely
dignity. Nor does it mean that she is on a level with persons who in
law are called minors, and who are ordinarily denied the unrestricted
exercise of their rights on the ground of their immature judgment and
inexperience. But it does forbid such abuse of freedom as would neglect
the welfare of the family; it refuses, in this body which is the
family, to allow the heart to be separated from the head, with great
detriment to the body itself and even with risk of disaster. If the
husband is the head of the domestic body, then the wife is its heart;
and as the first holds the primacy of authority, so the second can and
ought to claim the primacy of love" ("Casti Connubii", 10).


Thus, in contrast with the low regard in which women were held in the
East in ancient times (when they were in general seen as lesser
mortals), Christian teaching recognizes the essential equality of man
and woman: "Above all it is important to underline the equal dignity
and responsibility of women with men. This equality is realized in a
unique manner in that reciprocal self-giving by each one to the other
and by both to the children which is proper to marriage and the family.
What human reason intuitively perceives and acknowledges is fully
revealed by the word of God: the history of salvation, in fact, is a
continuous and luminous testimony to the dignity of women.


"In creating the human race 'male and female' (Gen 1:27), God gives
man and woman an equal personal dignity, endowing them with the
inalienable rights and responsibilities proper to the human person.
God then manifests the dignity of women in the highest form possible,
by assuming human flesh from the Virgin Mary, whom the Church honors as
the Mother of God, calling her the new Eve and presenting her as the
model of redeemed woman. The sensitive respect of Jesus towards the
women whom he called to his following and his friendship, his appearing
on Easter morning to a woman before the other disciples, the mission
entrusted to women to carry the good news of the Resurrection to the
Apostles these are all signs that confirm the special esteem of the
Lord Jesus for women" (John Paul II, "Familiaris Consortio", 22).


Monsignor Escriva provides another summary of this teaching: "Women,
like men, possess the dignity of being persons and children of God.
Nevertheless, on this basis of fundamental equality, each must achieve
what is appropriate to him or her [...]. Women are called to bring to
the family, to society and to the Church characteristics which are
their own and which they alone can give--their gentle warmth and
untiring generosity, their love for detail, their quick-wittedness and
intuition, their simple and deep piety, their constancy ..."
("Conversations", 87).


25-27. Love between husband and wife is also founded on Christ's love
for his Church. New Testament revelation fixes this high standard for a
husband's love for his wife because the model for this life is nothing
less than Christ's love for the Church. St Paul, in fact, expresses
this in terms of a betrothed couple, with the bride all dressed up to
be presented to the bridegroom: Christ similarly sanctifies and
purifies, through Baptism, those who are going to become members of his
Church. The sacrament of Baptism, reflected in the words "by the
washing of water with the word", applies that redemption which Jesus
has brought about through his sacrifice on the cross.


27. 'The Church", Vatican II teaches, "[. .] is held, as a matter of
faith, to be unfailingly holy. This is because 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). This holiness of the Church is constantly shown forth in the
fruits of grace which the Spirit produces in the faithful and so it
must be; it is expressed in many ways by the individuals who, each in
his own state of life, tend to the perfection of love, thus sanctifying
others" ("Lumen Gentium", 39).


28-32. St Paul alludes to the text of Genesis 2:24 which has to do with
marriage as an institution and applies it to Christ and the Church. He
thereby teaches that marriage, as established by God from the beginning,
is already in some way saved, because it is a kind of reflection and
symbol of God's love for mankind.


"Receiving and meditating faithfully on the word of God, the Church has
solemnly taught and continues to teach that the marriage of the
baptized is one of the seven sacraments of the New Covenant [...].


"By virtue of the sacramentality of their marriage, spouses are bound
to one another in the most profoundly indissoluble manner. Their
belonging to each other is the real representation, by means of the
sacramental sign, of the very relationship of Christ with the Church.


"Spouses are therefore the permanent reminder to the Church of what
happened on the Cross; they are for one another and for the children
witnesses to the salvation in which the sacrament makes them sharers"
(John Paul II, "Familiaris Consortio", 13).


The vocation of marriage is, then, a true way of holiness. The founder
of Opus Dei was always very emphatic about this: "For a Christian,
marriage is not just a social institution, much less a mere remedy for
human weakness. It is a genuine supernatural calling. A great
sacrament, in Christ and in the Church, says St Paul (Eph 5:32). At the
same time, it is a permanent contract between a man and a woman.
Whether we like it or not, marriage instituted by Christ cannot be
dissolved. It is a sacred sign that sanctifies an action of Jesus
whereby he helps the souls of those who marry and invites them to
follow him transforming their whole married life into an occasion for
God's presence on earth" ("Christ Is Passing By", 23).


The holiness of their family and of those connected with it is very
much a function of the holiness of the married couple: "But they must
not forget that the secret of married happiness lies in everyday
things, not in daydreams. It lies in discovering the hidden joy of
coming home in the evening; in affectionate relations with their
children; in everyday work in which the whole family cooperates; in
good humor in the face of difficulties that should be met with a
sporting spirit; in making the best use of all the advances that
civilization offers to help us bring up children, to make the house
pleasant and life more simple" ([St] J. Escriva, "Conversations", 91).
See the note on Col 3:18-19.


31. On the indissolubility of marriage see the notes on Mt 5:31-32;
Mk 10:1-12; 10:5-9; Lk 16:18; 1 Cor7:10-11.

---

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 6:60-69


The Disciples' Reaction

---

[60] Many of His (Jesus') disciples, when they heard of it, said, "This
is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" [61] But Jesus, knowing in
Himself that His disciples murmured at it, said to them, "Do you take
offense at this? [62] Then what if you were to see the Son of Man
ascending where He was before? [63] It is the Spirit that gives life,
the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are
spirit and life. [64] But there are some of you that do not believe."
For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and
who it was that should betray Him. [65] And He said, "This is why I
told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted him by the
Father."


[66] After this many of the disciples drew back and no longer went with
Him. [67] Jesus said to the Twelve, "Will you also go away?" [68]
Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the
words of eternal life; [69] and we have believed, and have come to
know, that You are the Holy One of God."

---

Commentary:


60-62. Many of His listeners find the Eucharistic mystery completely
incomprehensible. Jesus Christ requires His disciples to accept His
words because it is He who has spoken them. That is what the
supernatural act of faith involves--that act "whereby, inspired and
assisted by the grace of God, we believe that the things which He has
revealed are true; not because of the intrinsic truth of the things,
viewed by the natural light of reason, but because of the authority of
God Himself who reveals them, and who can neither be deceived nor
deceive" (Vatican I, "Dei Filius", Chapter 3).


As on other occasions, Jesus speaks about future events to help His
disciples believe: "I have told you before it takes place, so that when
it does take place, you may believe" (John 14:29).


63. Jesus says that we cannot accept this mystery if we think of it in
too human a way, in other words, by just seeking to indulge our senses
or having too earthbound a view of things. Only someone who listens to
His words and receives them as God's revelation, which is "spirit and
life", is in a position to accept them.


66. The promise of the Eucharist, which caused arguments (verse 52)
among Christ's hearers at Capernaum and scandalized some of them (verse
61), led many people to give up following Him. Jesus had outlined a
wonderful and salvific truth, but those disciples closed themselves to
divine grace; they were not ready to accept anything which went beyond
their very limited horizons. The mystery of the Eucharist does call
for a special act of faith. St. John Chrysostom therefore advised
Christians: "Let us in everything believe God, and gainsay Him in
nothing, though what it said be contrary to our thoughts and senses.
[...] Let us act likewise in respect to the [Eucharistic] mysteries,
not looking at the things set before us, but keeping in mind His
words. For His words cannot deceive" (St. John Chrysostom, "Hom. on
St. Matthew", 82).


67-71. This passage is similar to that at Capernaum where Peter again,
in the name of the Twelve, takes the initiative in expressing his faith
in Jesus as Messiah (cf. Matthew 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30). Other people
present may have been unbelieving, but the Apostles are not scandalized
by our Lord's words: they say that they have already a deep-rooted
confidence in Him; they do not want to leave Him. What St. Peter says
(verse 68) is not just a statement of human solidarity but an
_expression of genuine supernatural faith--as yet imperfect--which is
the result of the influence of divine grace on his soul (cf. Matthew
16:17).


Although the Twelve stay with Him at this point, Judas will later betray
the Master. Jesus' foreknowledge of this future infidelity throws a
shadow over His joy at the loyalty of the Twelve. We Christians should
be humble enough to realize that we are capable of betraying our Lord
if we give up using the means He has left us to cleave to Him. St.
Peter's words (verse 68) are a beautiful aspiration we can use whenever
we feel tempted.


68. Simon Peter expresses the feelings of the Apostles who, through
staying loyal to Jesus, are getting to know Him much better and
becoming more closely involved with Him: "Seek Jesus; endeavoring to
acquire a deep personal faith that will inform and direct your whole
life. But, above all, let it be your commitment and your program to
love Jesus, with a sincere, authentic and personal love. He must be
your friend and your support along the path of life. He alone has
words of eternal life" ([Pope] John Paul II, "Address to Students in
Guadalajara", 30 January 1979).


69. "The Holy One of God": this is what the original text must have
said, according to most of the Greek codexes and the most important
early translations. "The Holy One" is one of the expressions which
designate the Messiah (cf. Mark 1:24; Luke 1:35; 4:34; Acts 2:27; Psalm
16:10), or God Himself (cf. Isaiah 6:3; 43:15; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 John
2:20; etc.). The rendering "the Christ, the Son of God" found in some
translations, including the Vulgate, is supported by less important
Greek manuscripts, and would seem to be an explanation of the messianic
significance of the original phrase.

---

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]

Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd

Mass Readings

First reading

Joshua 24:1 - 18 ©

Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem; then he called the elders, leaders, judges and scribes of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. Then Joshua said to all the people, ‘If you will not serve the Lord, choose today whom you wish to serve, whether the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are now living. As for me and my House, we will serve the Lord.’ The people answered, ‘We have no intention of deserting the Lord and serving other gods! Was it not the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, the house of slavery, who worked those great wonders before our eyes and preserved us all along the way we travelled and among all the peoples through whom we journeyed? What is more, the Lord drove all those peoples out before us, as well as the Amorites who used to live in this country. We too will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 33

Second reading

Ephesians 5:21 - 32 ©

Give way to one another in obedience to Christ. Wives should regard their husbands as they regard the Lord, since as Christ is head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife; and as the Church submits to Christ, so should wives to their husbands, in everything. Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her in water with a form of words, so that when he took her to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless. In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself. A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church, because it is his body – and we are its living parts. For this reason, a man must leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one body. This mystery has many implications; but I am saying it applies to Christ and the Church.

Gospel

John 6:60 - 69 ©

After hearing Jesus, many of his followers said, ‘This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?’ Jesus was aware that his followers were complaining about it and said, ‘Does this upset you? What if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before? ‘It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. ‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the outset those who did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. He went on, ‘This is why I told you that no one could come to me unless the Father allows him’. After this, many of his disciples left him and stopped going with him. Then Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘What about you, do you want to go away too?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.’

[Salvation]

Sunday, August 27, 2006
Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary time

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel:

Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18 Psalm 34:2-3, 16-21 Ephesians 5:21-32  or  5:2, 25-32 John 6:60-69 God, the Creator of all things, is so full of mercy and compassion that whatever may be the grace for which we stretch out our hands, we shall not fail to receive it. -- St Bernard

[Salvation]

Truth or Consequences

by Fr. Paul Scalia

Other Articles by Fr. Paul Scalia

Truth or Consequences

08/26/06

Our Lord’s beautiful Bread of Life discourse does not end on a happy note. In response to His teaching, many “of [His] disciples who were listening said, ‘This saying is hard; who can accept it?’” (Jn 6:60). It is the only instance in the Gospels of people rejecting our Lord’s teaching in such large numbers. “Many of His disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied Him” (Jn 6:66).

They left because they could not accept our Lord’s teaching on the Eucharist. More important, however, is the reason they could not accept His teaching: “This saying is hard,” they declared. Well, of course it was hard! To accept our Lord’s teaching on the Eucharist meant to accept His authority and therefore to acknowledge Him — that carpenter from Nazareth, the son of Joseph and Mary — as God. It meant a drastic change in belief and therefore in life. It meant reconfiguring their lives according to the teaching and the Teacher. Indeed, it was hard. But they do not mention whether our Lord’s teaching might be true. They reject His teaching as “hard,” but not as “wrong,” “false” or “untrue.” Ease rather than truth seems to be the deciding factor.

In their disregard for truth these disciples display a mentality well known to us — the mentality that seeks comfort, ease and convenience rather than truth, especially as regards religion. Many of us see religion as a matter not of truth and eternity but of only comfort and consolation. Therefore we seek a “faith” that will not burden or demand too much of us. When we encounter a doctrine that does demand some change or sacrifice, we draw back from it. It is hard. We excuse ourselves, claiming that the teaching is “impractical” or “unrealistic.” We want doctrine that conforms to our lives, because conforming our lives to true doctrine can be, well, hard.

This difficulty highlights what it means to believe. To believe means more than to agree. It means to fashion our lives on the truths — indeed, on the Persons — in which we believe. If we believe what our Lord teaches through His Church, then we conform our lives to His. We take on His likeness and will enjoy that for eternity. If we beg off His teachings because they are hard or ask too much, then we shape our lives instead according to our own desires or opinions. And we will have those truncated, selfish lives for eternity.

So how do we avoid that fatal trap of tailoring religion to fit our lives? First, we need to be generous, even heroic, in our fidelity to Christ. We do not give ourselves partially or provisionally to the Lord. We do not profess our faith or pledge our love on the condition that things are not hard. There is no fine print in our profession of faith. Nor does the language of love include stipulations. To be transformed in Christ, as Dietrich von Hildebrand taught, “we must have an unconditional readiness to change.”

Second, we need to recover (culturally and personally) the confidence that we are made for the truth. Take our Lord at His word: “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (Jn 8:32). Sure, our fallen human nature may at times find a teaching difficult, seemingly impossible. Who has not felt that sting? Ultimately, however, the desire for truth that abides in every heart finds its answer in the Truth Himself and from His Church. Consequently, it matters very little whether a teaching is “hard” or not. What matters is whether it is true. Because if it is true, then ultimately — and by the grace of God — we will be able to live it and find happiness in it, both here and hereafter.


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

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

[Salvation]

The Work of God

Year B

 -  21st Sunday in ordinary time

You are the Christ, the Son of God.

John 6:61-70

61 Many of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard, and who can hear it?
62 But Jesus, knowing in himself, that his disciples murmured at this, said to them: Does this scandalize you?
63 If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
64 It is the spirit that gives life: the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life.
65 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning, who they were that did not believe, and who he was, that would betray him.
66 And he said: Therefore did I say to you, that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father.
67 After this many of his disciples went back; and walked no more with him.
68 Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away?
69 And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? you have the words of eternal life.
70 And we have believed and have known, that you are the Christ, the Son of God.

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

Many of my disciples rejected my teachings because they did not stop to think where they were coming from, many still doubt because they don’t understand that I speak not just as a human being, but as the Word of God. All my teachings present a challenge to those who listen to me and everyone who listens must change so that he can be my disciple.

My words are spirit and life; spirit because they come from God and life because they have the promise of salvation to those who receive them with a humble heart.

The human body and all the human activities have a temporal mission which are part of the plan that God has for the soul; the soul which is spiritual, contains the breath of God, needs to be guided by my Word which is Spirit, and needs to receive life that can only be obtained from me, who am Life.

The man of the world is satisfied with the things of the world, by contrast, he who listens to my word becomes spiritual and wishes to know me more and more, therefore he is filled with hunger and thirst for the spirit and can only be satiated when he finds me.

My words quench the thirst of the soul, however the soul must feed of me with the spiritual food on the Eucharistic table of the Church. This language remains hard to accept for all those who are too intellectual, this is why only those who have a humble heart are called by my Father and thus, filled with faith they come to me to receive eternal life.

Peter recognized the value of my Word, the same as my faithful followers. My words are words of eternal life; they are not only words, but the Voice of God that speaks in spirit to the soul. Many still argue about the value of my Word, and misinterpret it coming to erroneous conclusions.

He who desires to know me, must come to the fountain of life that I have left in the Church, where my word is fulfilled and there is a daily offering of the perpetual sacrifice that takes away the sins of the world; where bread and wine is consecrated as my flesh and blood for the life of the soul.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

Catholic homilies - gospel inspirations - list

[Salvation]

The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]

August Devotion: The Immaculate Heart

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.

This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.

On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.

INVOCATIONS

O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.

Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."

Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.

Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII

IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Sacred Heart Of Jesus

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Blessed be the Most Loving Heart and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother, in eternity and forever. Amen. ....Only the Heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way ----From the Catechism. P:1439 From the depth of my nothingness, I prostrate myself before Thee, O Most Sacred, Divine and Adorable Heart of Jesus, to pay Thee all the homage of love, praise and adoration in my power. Amen. - - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and his Heart which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins. Christian prayer loves to follow the way of the cross in the Savior's steps.-- >From the Catechism. P: 2669 The Salutation to the Heart of Jesus and Mary   An Offering of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary
Novena Prayer to Sacred Heart  of Jesus Prayer to the Wounded Heart of Jesus   Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart   Meditation & Novena Prayer on the Sacred Heart Beads to the Sacred Heart		Novena Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary   A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary   The Daily Offering to the  Immaculate Heart of Mary   Exaltation of the Immaculate  Heart of Mary   Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

[Salvation]

Office of Readings -- Awakening Prayer

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

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. Alleluia.

---

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 1

The two paths

Blessed the one who does not follow the counsels of the wicked,
or stand in the paths that sinners use,
or sit in the gatherings of those who mock:
his delight is the law of the Lord,
he ponders his law day and night.

He is like a tree planted by flowing waters,
that will give its fruit in due time,
whose leaves will not fade.
All that he does will prosper.

Not thus are the wicked, not thus.
They are like the dust blown by the wind.
At the time of judgement the wicked will not stand,
nor sinners in the council of the just.

For the Lord knows the path of the just;
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

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 2

The Messiah, king and victor

Why are the nations in a ferment? Why do the people make their vain plans?

The kings of the earth have risen up; the leaders have united against the Lord, against his anointed.
“Let us break their chains, that bind us; let us throw off their yoke from our shoulders!”

The Lord laughs at them, he who lives in the heavens derides them.
Then he speaks to them in his anger; in his fury he throws them into confusion:
“But I – I have set up my king on Sion, my holy mountain”.

I will proclaim the Lord’s decrees.
The Lord has said to me: “You are my son: today I have begotten you.
Ask me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, the ends of the earth for you to possess.
You will rule them with a rod of iron, break them in pieces like an earthen pot”.

So now, kings, listen: understand, you who rule the land.
Serve the Lord in fear, tremble even as you praise him.
Learn his teaching, lest he take anger, lest you perish when his anger bursts into flame.

Blessed are all who put their trust in the 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.

---

Psalm 3

The Lord is my protector

Lord, how many they are, my attackers!
So many rise up against me, so many of them say:
“He can hope for no help from the Lord”.

But you, Lord, are my protector, my glory: you raise up my head.
I called to the Lord, and from his holy mountain he heard my voice.

I fell asleep, and slept; but I rose, for the Lord raised me up.
I will not fear when the people surround me in their thousands.
Rise up, Lord; bring me to safety, my God.

Those who attacked me – you struck them on the jaw, you shattered their teeth.
Salvation comes from the Lord: Lord, your blessing is upon your people.

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

Zephaniah 1:1 - 2:3 ©

The word of the Lord that was addressed to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah. I mean to sweep away everything off the face of the earth – it is the Lord who speaks. I mean to sweep away men and beasts, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, I mean to send the wicked staggering, and wipe man off the face of the earth – it is the Lord who speaks. I am going to raise my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and from this place I will wipe out Baal, to the very last vestige of him, even to the name of his spurious priests, those who prostrate themselves on the roofs before the array of heaven, those who prostrate themselves before the Lord but swear by Milcom, those who turn aside from the Lord, who do not seek the Lord, who will not bother with him. Silence before the Lord! For the day of the Lord is near. Yes, the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, he has consecrated his guests. The great day of the Lord is near, near, and coming with all speed. How bitter the sound of the day of the Lord, the day when the warrior shouts his cry of war. A day of wrath, that day, a day of distress and agony, a day of ruin and of devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and blackness, a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against fortified town and high corner-tower. I am going to bring such distress on men that they will grope like the blind (because they have sinned against the Lord); their blood will be scattered like dust, their corpses like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will have any power to save them. On the day of the anger of the Lord, in the fire of his jealousy, all the earth will be consumed. For he means to destroy, yes, to make an end of all the inhabitants of the earth. Nation without desire, before you are driven like chaff that is blown away in a day, before there descends on you the fierce anger of the Lord (before there descends on you the day of the anger of the Lord). Seek the Lord, all you, the humble of the earth, who obey his commands. Seek integrity, seek humility: you may perhaps find shelter on the day of the anger of the Lord.

---

Reading	From the pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world of the Second Vatican Council
The foreshadowing of the new age
We do not know the time when earth and humanity will reach their completion, nor do we know the way in which the universe will be transformed. The world as we see it, disfigured by sin, is passing away. But we are sure that God is preparing a new dwelling place and a new earth. In this new earth righteousness is to make its home, and happiness will satisfy, and more than satisfy, all the yearnings for peace that arise in human hearts. On that day, when death is conquered, the sons of God will be raised up in Christ; what was sown as something weak and perishable will be clothed in incorruption. Love and the fruits of love will remain, and the whole of creation, made by God for man, will be set free from the frustration that enslaves it. We are warned indeed that a man gains nothing if he wins the whole world at the cost of himself. Yet our hope in a new earth should not weaken, but rather stimulate our concern for developing this earth, for on it there is growing up the body of a new human family, a body even now able to provide some foreshadowing of the new age. Hence, though earthly progress is to be carefully distinguished from the growth of Christ’s kingdom, yet in so far as it can help toward the better ordering of human society it is of great importance to the kingdom of God. The blessings of human dignity, brotherly communion and freedom – all the good fruits on earth of man’s co-operation with nature in the Spirit of the Lord and according to his command – will be found again in the world to come, but purified of all stain, resplendent and transfigured, when Christ hands over to the Father an eternal and everlasting kingdom: “a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace”. On this earth the kingdom is already present in sign; when the Lord comes it will reach its completion.

---

Canticle

Te Deum

God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you! You, the Father, the eternal – all the earth venerates you. All the angels, all the heavens, every power – The cherubim, the seraphim – unceasingly, they cry: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts: heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!” The glorious choir of Apostles – The noble ranks of prophets – The shining army of martyrs – all praise you. Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you. – Father of immeasurable majesty, – True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship, – Holy Spirit, our Advocate. You, Christ: – You are the king of glory. – You are the Father’s eternal Son. – You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb. – You defeated the sharp spear of Death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you. – You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father. – You will come, so we believe, as our Judge. And so we ask of you: give help to your servants, whom you set free at the price of your precious blood. Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory. Bring your people to safety, Lord, and bless those who are your inheritance. Rule them and lift them high for ever. Day by day we bless you, Lord: we praise you for ever and for ever. Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us. Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you. In you, Lord, I trust: let me never be put to shame. 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 concluding prayer may follow here.

[Salvation]

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. Recipes: » August Sunday Menu Activities: » What Truths to Teach » Why teach at home? Prayers: » Ordinary Time, After Pentecost: Table Blessing 1

August 27, 2006 Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God (John 6:67-69)." Sunday Readings The first reading is taken from the Book of Joshua 24:1-2; 15-18 and concerns the general assembly of the tribes called by Joshua. The second reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 5:21-32. In today's reading St. Paul sets up Christ's self-sacrifice for the Church as the model which all the members of the family should emulate in their mutual relations. The Gospel is from St. John 6:60-69. As we heard last Sunday, St. John was writing about the promise of the Blessed Eucharist at a time when Christians accepted the Mass and Holy Communion as the essential act of Christian worship. Very probably he omitted many details when describing this promise. The "disciples" who murmured evidently saw nothing but a man in Christ, It was very natural, therefore, that they could not accept his saying that they should eat his body and drink his blood. Thus it seems most probable that when Christ says they lacked "faith," he had given them sufficient proofs that he was more than a man. These individuals among the disciples, however, refused to open their minds to these proofs; therein was their guilt. Their minds were earth-bound and were determined to remain earth-bound. Faith is a gift of the Father, as Christ says to those disciples: "no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father," but the Father has offered them this gift and they have refused to accept it; otherwise they would not be guilty. No one who accepts Christ for what he is, the Son of God in human form, has any difficulty in believing that he left us himself in the Eucharist as a sacrifice and a sacrament. This does not mean that we understand this gift of Christ in all its details—it was an act of divine power and as such beyond full human comprehension. However, we can understand enough about the actuality of the Eucharist because we accept the words of Christ, who "has the words of eternal life," even though its innermost nature escapes us. We are doing no violence to our intelligence when we accept as fact from a trustworthy witness what we cannot prove or confirm for ourselves. No more trustworthy witness than Christ ever existed. In Galilee he promised to give his body and blood in the Eucharist—to be our spiritual nourishment — communion — and our means of offering an absolutely pleasing sacrifice to God every time his body and blood are made present by the words of his ordained minister. He fulfilled that promise at the Last Supper. He gave to his Apostles and their successors the power to repeat this act of divine love when he said: "Do this in memory of me." When Simon Peter answered Christ's challenge—"will you too go away?"—he spoke not only for his fellow-Apostles that day with: "Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." but for all Christians who really believe that Christ was the incarnate Son of God. Peter, be it noted, made his act of faith before he was fully convinced of the divinity of Christ, but he was already convinced that Christ was close to God and spoke nothing but the truth. We have the proofs of Christ's divinity which Peter and the Apostles later got. We have also the faith of two thousand years of the Christians whose belief in the Blessed Eucharist as a sacrifice and sacrament was at the very center of their Christian lives. We have also the noble example of many martyrs who gladly gave their lives in defense of this truth. Our faith may never be put to such an extreme test, but should it be, God grant that we will not be found wanting. Many of us may need to examine ourselves as regards the full and effective use we make of that gift. Every time we attend at Mass do we realize that Christ is offering himself to his Father for our sanctification and the sanctification of the world? Do we realize that we, through his minister at the altar, are offering infinite thanksgiving, infinite atonement, infinite adoration, infinitely effective petition, to our Father in heaven through the sacrifice of his divine Son in the Mass? Are we always worthy to act this part, are our consciences fit to allow us to partake of this sacrifice in Holy Communion? A true Christian who realizes and appreciates what the Son of God has done and is still doing for him will try always to make himself less unworthy, for not even the greatest saint was worthy to partake of this act of divine love. Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

The One and Only
August 27, 2006

Christ’s Mystical Body remains faithful in fearlessly proclaiming truth.

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Alexander Kim, LC

John 6:60-69
Many of Jesus´ disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father." As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I start this week with my faith renewed, confident in your continued presence in my life. Each day you draw me out from my comfort zone by inviting me to greater degrees of generosity, self-giving and submission of my will to yours. I need your grace each day to remain in your love. Strengthen my faith, hope and love in you.

Petition: Lord Jesus, break down any obstinate prejudices that obstruct my generous and sincere surrender to your will.

1. “Does This Shock You?”  Jesus never painted the picture of a rosy, comfortable life for his disciples – one that fit into their scheme of things. Rather he challenged them to new heights that demanded a paradigm shift. We don’t have to search hard or look far to find groups that demand that the Church change its teaching, which they characterize as “too hard” or “old fashioned.” But Christ’s Mystical Body remains faithful in fearlessly proclaiming truth. Christ also asks me today, “Does this shock you? Do you also want to leave?” He asks me to be obedient to legitimate Church authority, humbly renouncing any stubborn subjective judgments. He challenges me to heroically give witness to my faith in my state in life, even if it will result in ridicule or rejection from my colleagues or friends. He lovingly exhorts me not to return to a life of sin. He invites me to carry my cross daily by denying my pride and self-love to follow him.
 
2. “No One Can Come to Me…”  Using the words of St Peter we ask, “Then who can be saved?”(Luke 18:26). Jesus tells us that God the Father has prepared the hearts of men to receive his Son. God has set a time and place for everyone. When and how he calls is as mysterious as his infinite love for us. Yet, for better or for worse, through good times or bad, in sickness and in health, our acceptance of the Son of God must be constant, persevering and faithful. If God the Father enables me to believe in and proclaim Jesus Christ as the Messiah, to believe in his presence in the Eucharist, to trust in his forgiveness in confession, then what more do I need?

3. “Master, to Whom Shall We Go?”  Only truth is able to quench the thirst of our intellect. Only the Source of Life and Goodness is able to satisfy the continuous desire of our will. Only the sacrificial Lamb of God, who shed his blood to save us, is able to liberate me from the chains of sin. Only love is able to conquer my heart and fill it with unending joy. To whom could we possibly turn? To what creature, idea, or worldly treasure could we long for in the face of eternal life? Peter’s question is really an affirmation in disguise: You are the “One and Only;” there is no other, no equal. It is not a mindless remark or a default logical conclusion. Rather it emerges from positively recognizing Christ as the bearer of eternal life. By Lake Tiberius, God the Father drew Peter to Christ, and Jesus confirmed him as the “Rock” because of his profession of faith. Peter’s successor continues to strengthen the faith of his brothers throughout the centuries, professing without end, “You are the Christ” (Matthew 16:16).

Dialogue with Christ: Lord Jesus, how painful it was for you to watch those who once called themselves your disciples abandon you because your sayings were “too hard.” They were content to remain in their comfort zone and closed their heart to your challenge to greater love. Grant me the grace to humbly accept the Gospel and the faith to embrace it with love, especially when it is humanly tough to accept. Let my response be like that of St Peter: “We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:69).

Resolution: Through my words and deeds, I will resonate my faith to all those I come in contact with today.

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	How to Live without Disappointment
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Sunday, August 27, 2006

Jos 24:1-2a,15-17,18b / Eph 5:21-32 or 5:2a,25-32 / Jn 6:60-69

A man was talking rather loudly on his cell phone in the midst of a crowd. "I know it's something you want," he said earnestly, "but I don't think tattoos are a good idea. And the same goes for body piercing. As long as you're living in my house, I think you should respect my wishes." The bystanders were silently cheering his firmness. Then came his closing comment, "You don't need a tattoo. And besides that, you're 75 years old, mother!"

+ + +

We all have so many wants and desires: The desire to BE the best, to HAVE the best, to LOOK the best, and to MOVE with the best. But underneath all that restless searching is a longing for something more, something that will fill our hearts full and not leave us disappointed when we get it.

We've all looked in many places for that special something, and we've all been disappointed many times. Slowly we've come to see how right Peter was when Jesus asked him if he too were going to leave. Peter said, "To whom would I go, Lord? You have the words of everlasting life." And not just the words, but the very essence of life.

Walking side by side with the Lord is the only thing that can give our days the purpose and joy we desire. Walking consciously with the Lord through the minutes and the hours can bring to the most trivial of tasks and the simplest encounters a satisfaction and a peacefulness that nothing else can bring. Walking with the Lord in faith through the hard times and the sad times can mean the difference between a slow, lingering inner death and a life that's still worth living.

Peter was right: Our Lord IS the only one who can give us life. We know that. We gather in church because we believe that. But sometimes we forget. And as a result, some parts of our days are still missing his touch. Some parts of our lives are still suffering the sadness and the disappointment that walking without him, even for a little while, always brings.

So let us begin again by praying:

Lord, I know that you are at my side and I trust you with all my heart. Take my hand now, and walk with me through the minutes and the hours. Together we can make this a day worth remembering, no matter what comes. And together we can find the way home. Amen.

 

[Salvation]

Pray for A Voice in the Desert  From the Twilight Zone to the Land of Oz  Mary Ann Kreitzer's commentary on McGrath's letter

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[Salvation]

Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

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. Alleluia.

---

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 62 (63)

Thirsting for God

O God, you are my God, I wait for you from the dawn.
My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you.
I came to your sanctuary,
 as one in a parched and waterless land,
 so that I could see your might and your glory.
My lips will praise you, for your mercy is better than life itself.

Thus I will bless you throughout my life,
 and raise my hands in prayer to your name;
my soul will be filled as if by rich food,
 and my mouth will sing your praises and rejoice.
I will remember you as I lie in bed,
 I will think of you in the morning,
for you have been my helper,
 and I will take joy in the protection of your wings.

My soul clings to you; your right hand raises me up.

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	Daniel 3
All creatures, bless the Lord
Bless the Lord, all his works, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, you heavens; all his angels, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, you waters above the heavens; all his powers, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, sun and moon; all stars of the sky, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, rain and dew; all you winds, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, fire and heat; cold and warmth, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, dew and frost; ice and cold, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, ice and snow; day and night, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, light and darkness; lightning and storm-clouds, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, all the earth, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, mountains and hills; all growing things, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, seas and rivers; springs and fountains, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, whales and fish; birds of the air, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, wild beasts and tame; sons of men, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, O Israel, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, his priests; all his servants, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, spirits of the just; all who are holy and humble, bless the Lord. Ananias, Azarias, Mishael, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him for ever. Let us bless Father, Son and Holy Spirit, praise and exalt them for ever. Bless the Lord in the firmament of heaven, praise and glorify him for ever.

---

Psalm 149

The saints rejoice

Sing a new song to the Lord, his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker, and the sons of Sion delight in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing, sing to him with timbrel and lyre,
for the Lord’s favour is upon his people, and he will honour the humble with victory.

Let the faithful celebrate his glory, rejoice even in their beds,
the praise of God in their throats; and swords ready in their hands,
to exact vengeance upon the nations, impose punishment on the peoples,
to bind their kings in fetters and their nobles in manacles of iron,
to carry out the sentence that has been passed: this is the glory prepared for all his faithful.

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
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.

---

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

[Ciexyz]

Faith-sharing bump.

[Ciexyz]

Prayers offered up for Pittsburgh PA Mayor Bob O'Connor, still in the hospital undergoing cancer treatments for brain cancer/lymphoma.

[Salvation]

Thinking of you on this hot (92 degrees) day.

[Salvation]

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

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. Alleluia.

---

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 109 (110)

The Messiah, king and priest

The Lord has said to my lord: “Sit at my right hand while I make your enemies into your footstool”.

From Sion the Lord will give you a sceptre, and you will rule in the midst of your foes.
Royal power is yours in the day of your strength, glorious and holy; from the time of your birth, before the dawn.

The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: “You are a priest for ever, a priest of the priesthood of Melchisedech”.
The Lord is at your right hand, and on the day of his anger he will shatter kings.

He will judge the nations, he will pile high their skulls;
he will drink from the stream as he goes – he will hold his head high.

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 113A (114)

Israel set free from Egypt

When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob’s people from a land of strangers,
Judah became his sanctuary and Israel his domain.

The sea saw it, and fled; the Jordan flowed backwards at the sight;
the mountains leapt like rams; the hills, like yearling sheep.

Sea, what was it, what made you flee? And you, Jordan, why did you flow uphill?
Mountains, why did you leap like rams? Hills, like yearling sheep?

Tremble, Earth, at the presence of the Lord, the presence of the Lord of Jacob,
who has turned the rock into a pool of water and made a fountain out of the flint.

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	Apocalypse 19
The wedding of the Lamb
Alleluia. Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, because his judgements are true and just. Alleluia. Alleluia. Praise our God, all his servants, and you who fear him, small and great. Alleluia. Alleluia. For the Lord reigns, our God, the Almighty: let us rejoice and exult and give him glory. Alleluia. Alleluia. The marriage of the Lamb has come, and his spouse has made herself ready. Alleluia. 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	Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,  and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation. For he has shown me such favour –  me, his lowly handmaiden. Now all generations will call me blessed,  because the mighty one has done great things for me. His name is holy,  his mercy lasts for generation after generation  for those who revere him. He has put forth his strength:  he has scattered the proud and conceited,  torn princes from their thrones;  but lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things;  the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel,  he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,  to Abraham and his children for ever. 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.

---

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

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Sunday, August 27, 2006 Meditation John 6:60-69 Preparing the Israelites to recommit themselves to the covenant with Yahweh, Joshua recounted the many ways God had delivered them from their enemies. He reminded them that God had chosen them to be his people and given them the promised land as their inheritance. In return, God asked them to honor and serve him alone (Joshua 24:1-15). Centuries later, we are now offered an eternal inheritance with God. Unlike the ancient Israelites, our obstacles and enemies are not the sword or spear of other nations. For us, the battle lies within—a battle against fear, pride, ignorance, and even complacency in our quest to become pure in heart and clothed with Christ. We are to be known not for successfully conquering a piece of land but for our deep love for Jesus and his people. How blessed we are to have Jesus Christ himself as our strength and nourishment in this battle! On the night before he was crucified, he gave us his body and blood so that we could be filled with his strength and his divine grace. With his very life at work within us, we now have an ability to love and forgive that goes beyond the limitations of our fallen human nature. Many disciples who heard Jesus’ teaching on the bread of life could not accept it. Why would they need his flesh and blood to have life with God? They already had their Temple and the Law of Moses. But Peter summed up the answer: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Just as Yahweh was the Israelites’ only hope in conquering the promised land, so too is Jesus our only hope in living a life of purity, love, and freedom. So when you receive him at Communion, know that you are receiving something far more powerful than meets the eye. May we all be transformed into the One who offers himself to us so generously! “Jesus, as I receive you at Mass today, I confess that I am weak, but you are strong. I proclaim with joy that I will follow you wherever you go.” Joshua 24:1-2,15-18; Psalm 34:2-3, 16-21; Ephesians 5:21-32