Posted on 08/03/2007 7:53:38 AM PDT by Salvation
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Friday of the Seventeenth Week
in Ordinary Time
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Reading 1
Lv 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37
The LORD said to Moses,
“These are the festivals of the LORD which you shall celebrate
at their proper time with a sacred assembly.
The Passover of the LORD falls on the fourteenth day of the first month,
at the evening twilight.
The fifteenth day of this month is the LORD’s feast of Unleavened Bread.
For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
On the first of these days you shall hold a sacred assembly
and do no sort of work.
On each of the seven days you shall offer an oblation to the LORD.
Then on the seventh day you shall again hold a sacred assembly
and do no sort of work.”
The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the children of Israel and tell them:
When you come into the land which I am giving you,
and reap your harvest,
you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest
to the priest, who shall wave the sheaf before the LORD
that it may be acceptable for you.
On the day after the sabbath the priest shall do this.
“Beginning with the day after the sabbath,
the day on which you bring the wave-offering sheaf,
you shall count seven full weeks,
and then on the day after the seventh week, the fiftieth day,
you shall present the new cereal offering to the LORD.
“The tenth of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement,
when you shall hold a sacred assembly and mortify yourselves
and offer an oblation to the LORD.
“The fifteenth day of this seventh month is the LORD’s feast of Booths,
which shall continue for seven days.
On the first day there shall be a sacred assembly,
and you shall do no sort of work.
For seven days you shall offer an oblation to the LORD,
and on the eighth day you shall again hold a sacred assembly
and offer an oblation to the LORD.
On that solemn closing you shall do no sort of work.
“These, therefore, are the festivals of the LORD
on which you shall proclaim a sacred assembly,
and offer as an oblation to the LORD burnt offerings and cereal offerings,
sacrifices and libations, as prescribed for each day.”
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 81:3-4, 5-6, 10-11ab
R. (2a) Sing with joy to God our help.
Take up a melody, and sound the timbrel,
the pleasant harp and the lyre.
Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our solemn feast.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
For it is a statute in Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob,
Who made it a decree for Joseph
when he came forth from the land of Egypt.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
Gospel
Mt 13:54-58
Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.
They were astonished and said,
“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Is he not the carpenter’s son?
Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us?
Where did this man get all this?”
And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house.”
And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith.
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The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]
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
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Sacred Heart Of Jesus |
Immaculate Heart of Mary |
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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. 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 |
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The History of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Homilies preached by Father Robert Altier on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Marian Associations Unite to Celebrate Immaculate Heart
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
From: Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37
Celebration of the Sabbath
Celebration of the Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread
Celebration of the First Fruits
Celebration of the Feast of Weeks
Celebration of the Day of Atonement
Celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles
[37] “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim
as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the Lord offerings by fire,
burnt offerings and cereal offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each
on its proper day.”
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Commentary:
23:1-4. Some of the feats mentioned in this calendar are also to be found in
other books (cf. Ex 23:14-19; 34:18-26; Deut 16:1). It deals first with the
sabbath, which becomes the paradigm for all the other feasts, especially as
far as rest is concerned. Such importance was given to what could or could
not be done on the sabbath that all sorts of absurd and formalistic
exaggerations developed. More than once Jesus criticized the severe
interpretations devised by the scribes—a complicated and intolerable
casuistry (cf. Mt 15:1-9; 23:41 Acts 15:10).
23:5-8. The Passover is also dealt with in Exodus 12:1-14:21-28 and 13:3-10.
The first month was called Nisan; earlier on it was called Abib, “spring” or
“ears (of grain)”. The feast began at sundown. Here it is depicted as a
preparation for the feast of the unleavened bread, which began the following
day, 15 Nisan, and lasted seven days, during which bread was eaten
unleavened. The religious assembly took place on the first day and the last.
During these assemblies various sacrifices were offered and a sacred meal
took place. We recall that it was during this feast that Jesus instituted
the Eucharist, doing so in the context of the passover supper. And it was
during the Passover that Jesus was sacrificed on the altar of the cross. St
John tells us that the sacrifice of Christ began at the sixth hour on the
day of Preparation, the exact time that the passover lambs were sacrificed.
This makes the beginning of a new Passover, in which a new victim is
sacrificed, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (cf. Jn
1:29, 36; 19:14).
23:9-14. The feast of the first fruits, although the date is not a fixed
one, is connected with the Passover. In the Jordan valley grain was already
ripe for harvest by this time (cf. Num 28:26-31). The offering of first
fruits is based on the conviction that everything comes from God. In
recognition of that divine sovereignty the first sheaf to ripen was offered
in sacrifice—a tradition which developed to the point that no one could eat
the crop without first making this offering to God. The “morrow” after the
sabbath was thought by some to have been the first sabbath after 14 Nisan.
Other scholars think that the sabbath was 15 Nisan and then the offering of
the first fruits took place on 16 Nisan. The “morrow” was the base day for
reckoning the start of feast of Pentecost, seven weeks later. The offering
of the first sheaves was accompanied by the sacrifice of a year-old lamb and
two tenths of an ephah of flour (cf. the note on Ex 29:38-46) that is,
approximately 4.2 liters, and a quarter of a hin of wine (approximately one
litre or two pints).
23:15-22. This feast, too, has elements connected with the grain harvest.
Later on it became linked with the giving the Law at Sinai. It was called
Pentecost because it came fifty days after Passover. In Hebrew it was called
Aseret, the “great convocation” or assembly. Another name for it is the
feast of Weeks (a reference to the seven weeks which had passed since the
Passover). The offering of the loaves of bread made from the first sheaf
expressed thanksgiving and joy for the harvest recently completed. The
various sacrifices were offered as a sign of repentance for and as an act of
adoration for the greatness of God who had blessed the work of his people.
From a Christian point of view, it is interesting that it was on the feast
of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit came down on the apostles. For one thing,
that Pentecost marked the start of a new stage with another Law, a much more
perfect one, written not on stones but in the depths of men’s hearts (cf. 2
Cor 3:3). For another, because it also seems significant that it was at the
moment when the fruits of the earth were being harvested that the Church
should receive the most precious fruit of Christ’s death on the cross, the
strength of the Spirit who purifies and sanctities men with his divine
grace.
23:23-44. In the Bible the number seven had a sacred character; symbolizing
in some way the perfection of God. Therefore the seventh month, as also the
seventh year, had special significance in Israel. Thus, in the seventh month
(in Hebrew, Tishre) three feasts were held. The first was the feast of
Trumpets, which took place on the seventh day. It began with the sounding
of trumpets; hence its name. Trumpets were also used to greet the appearance
of the new moon. These details probably reflect traces of astral cults;
however, by becoming incorporated into the liturgy, they became purified and
raised to a new plane, to express at different times and different ways a
deep feeling of attachment to the Creator of heaven and earth.
On the tenth of the same month the day of atonement was celebrated—Yom
Kippur. It was a day of penance and expiation. It began at sundown, with the
start of the sabbath rest. The grave penalties imposed for transgressions
show the importance this day had, and still has today, in Jewish liturgy.
The other great feast is that of Tabernacles, celebrated over seven days,
beginning on 15 Tisre. In the Code of the Covenant it is called the feast of
ingathering (cf. Ex 23:16). The last of the harvest was saved around this
time, particularly the grape harvest. The feast marked the close of the
agricultural year; it was a most joyful least. It was also regarded as
preparation for the new period which would start immediately with the new
sowing. Prayers were offered for early rains, which were so crucial to
starting the work. This was why the rite of water was so much to the fore.
Water was borne in procession from the pool of Siloe and then poured round
the altar of the temple. In Jesus’ time a bunch of myrtle and acacia
branches (from trees growing on the river bank) was shaken during the
procession, thereby invoking the divine blessing of rain. In the times of
Ezra and Nehemiah. in the middle of the 5th century BC, huts made from
branches of trees were set up on the terfaces of houses or in the
countryside, and the people camped in them over the days of the feast, in
memory of the pilgrimage of the people of Israel in the desert, when they
lived in tents. This custom still survives in the Jewish religion.
The Gospel of St John has much to say about this feast and about Jesus’
activity in connection with it (cf. Jn 7:2ff), including the, important
revelations our Lord made apropos of its rites: it was on this feast that
Jesus proclaimed that from his heart rivers of living water would flow, a
reference to “the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive”
(Jn 7:39).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Matthew 13:54-58
No One is a Prophet in His Own Country
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Commentary:
53-58. The Nazarenes’ surprise is partly due to people’s difficulty in
recognizing anything exceptional and supernatural in those with whom
they have been on familiar terms. Hence the saying, “No one is a
prophet in his own country.” These old neighbors were also jealous
of Jesus. Where did He acquire this wisdom? Why Him rather than
us? They were unaware of the mystery of Jesus’ conception; surprise
and jealousy cause them to be shocked, to look down on Jesus and
not to believe in Him: “He came to His own home, and His own people
received Him not” (John 1:11).
“The carpenter’s son”: this is the only reference in the Gospel to St.
Joseph’s occupation (in Mark 6:3 Jesus Himself is described as a
“carpenter”). Probably in a town like Nazareth the carpenter was a
general tradesman who could turn his hand to jobs ranging from
metalwork to making furniture or agricultural implements.
For an explanation of Jesus’ “brethren”, see the note on Matthew
12:46-47.
[The note of Matthew 12:46-47 states:
46-47. “Brethren”: ancient Hebrew, Aramaic and other languages had
no special words for different degrees of relationship, such as are found
in more modern languages. In general, all those belonging to the same
family, clan and even tribe were “brethren”.
In the particular case we have here, we should bear in mind that Jesus
had different kinds of relatives, in two groups—some on His mother’s
side, others on St. Joseph’s. Matthew 13:55-56 mentions, as living in
Nazareth, James, Joseph, Simon and Judas (”His brethren”) and
elsewhere there is reference to Jesus’ “sisters” (cf. Matthew 6:3). But
in Matthew 27:56 we are told that James and Joseph were sons of a
Mary distinct from the Blessed Virgin, and that Simon and Judas were
not brothers of James and Joseph, but seemingly children of a brother
of St. Joseph.
Jesus, on the other hand, was known to everyone as “the son of Mary”
(Mark 6:3) or “the carpenter’s son” (Matthew 13:55).
The Church has always maintained as absolutely certain that Jesus had
no brothers or sisters in the full meaning of the term: it is a dogma
that Mary was ever-Virgin (cf. note on Matthew 1:25).]
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
| First reading | Leviticus 23:1 - 37 © |
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| The Lord spoke to Moses; he said: ‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: “These are the Lord’s solemn festivals, the sacred assemblies to which you are to summon the sons of Israel on the appointed day. “The fourteenth day of the first month, between the two evenings, is the Passover of the Lord; and the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of Unleavened Bread for the Lord. For seven days you shall eat bread without leaven. On the first day you are to hold a sacred assembly; you must do no heavy work. For seven days you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord. The seventh day is to be a day of sacred assembly; you must do no work. “When you enter the land that I give you, and gather in the harvest there, you must bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest, and he is to present it to the Lord with the gesture of offering, so that you may be acceptable. The priest shall make this offering on the day after the sabbath. “From the day after the sabbath, the day on which you bring the sheaf of offering, you are to count seven full weeks. You are to count fifty days, to the day after the seventh sabbath, and then you are to offer the Lord a new oblation. “But the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. You are to hold a sacred assembly. You must fast, and you must offer a burnt offering to the Lord. “The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of Tabernacles for the Lord, lasting seven days. The first day is a day of sacred assembly; you must do no heavy work. For seven days you must offer a burnt offering to the Lord. On the eighth day you are to hold a sacred assembly, you must offer a burnt offering to the Lord. It is a day of solemn meeting; you must do no heavy work. “These are the solemn festivals of the Lord to which you are to summon the children of Israel, sacred assemblies for the purpose of offering burnt offerings, holocausts, oblations, sacrifices and libations to the Lord, according to the ritual of each day.”’ |
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| Psalm or canticle: Psalm 80 |
| Gospel | Matthew 13:54 - 58 © |
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| Coming to his home town, Jesus taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? His sisters, too, are they not all here with us? So where did the man get it all?’ And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith. | |
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 34 (35) |
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| The Lord, a saviour in time of persecution |
| Judge, Lord, those who are judging me: attack those who are attacking me. Take up your shield and come out to defend me. Brandish your spear and hold back my pursuers. Say to my soul, “I am your deliverance”. Let them be thrown into confusion, those who are after my life. Let them be weakened and put to flight, those who plan harm to me. Let them be like chaff blowing in the wind, when the angel of the Lord scatters them. Let their paths be dark and slippery, when the angel of the Lord harries them. For it was without cause that they spread out their nets to ensnare me, without cause that they dug a pit to take my life. Let death come upon them suddenly, may they be entangled in their own nets. But my soul will exult in the Lord and rejoice in his aid. My bones themselves will say “Lord, who is your equal?” You snatch the poor man from the hand of the strong, the needy and weak from those who would destroy them. 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 34 (35) |
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| Lying witnesses rose up against me; they asked me questions I could not answer. They paid me back evil for the good I did, my soul is desolation. Yet I – when they were ill, I put on sackcloth, I mortified my soul with fasting, I prayed for them from the depths of my heart. I walked in sadness as for a close friend, for a brother; I was bowed down with grief as if mourning my own mother. But they – when I was unsteady, they rejoiced and gathered together. They gathered and beat me: I did not know why. They were tearing me to pieces, there was no end to it: they teased me, heaped derision on me, they ground their teeth at 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. |
| Psalm 34 (35) |
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| Lord, how long will you wait? Rescue my life from their attacks, my only life from the lions. I will proclaim you in the great assembly, in the throng of people I will praise you. Let not my lying enemies triumph over me, those who hate me for no reason, who conspire against me by secret signs, who do not speak of peace, who plan crimes against the innocent, who cry out slanders against me, saying “Yes! Yes! We saw it ourselves!” You see them, Lord, do not stay silent: Lord, do not leave me. Rise up and keep watch at my trial: my God and my Lord, watch over my case. Judge me according to your justice, Lord: my God, let them not rejoice over me! Let them not think to themselves, “Yes! We have what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up”. But let those who support my cause rejoice, let them say always “How great is the Lord, who takes care of his servant’s welfare”. And my tongue too will ponder your justice, and praise you all day long. 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 | 2 Corinthians 11:30 - 12:13 © |
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| If I am to boast, then let me boast of my own feebleness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus – bless him for ever – knows that I am not lying. When I was in Damascus, the ethnarch of King Aretas put guards round the city to catch me, and I had to be let down over the wall in a hamper, through a window, in order to escape. Must I go on boasting, though there is nothing to be gained by it? But I will move on to the visions and revelations I have had from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who, fourteen years ago, was caught up whether still in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows-right into the third heaven. I do know, however, that this same person – whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows – was caught up into paradise and heard things which must not and cannot be put into human language. I will boast about a man like that, but not about anything of my own except my weaknesses. If I should decide to boast, I should not be made to look foolish, because I should only be speaking the truth; but I am not going to, in case anyone should begin to think I am better than he can actually see and hear me to be. In view of the extraordinary nature of these revelations, to stop me from getting too proud I was given a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan to beat me and stop me from getting too proud! About this thing, I have pleaded with the Lord three times for it to leave me, but he has said, ‘My grace is enough for you: my power is at its best in weakness’. So I shall be very happy to make my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me, and that is why I am quite content with my weaknesses, and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and the agonies I go through for Christ’s sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong. I have been talking like a fool, but you forced me to do it: you are the ones who should have been commending me. Though I am a nobody, there is not a thing these arch-apostles have that I do not have as well. You have seen done among you all the things that mark the true apostle, unfailingly produced: the signs, the marvels, the miracles. Is there anything of which you have had less than the other churches have had, except that I have not myself been a burden on you? For this unfairness, please forgive me. |
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| Reading | St Ignatius of Antioch's letter to Polycarp |
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| For the sake of God we must endure all things, so that he will endure us | |
| Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to Polycarp, who is bishop of the Church of the Smyrnaeans, or rather has God the Father as bishop over him, together with the Lord Jesus Christ – I was struck by the godliness of your mind — anchored, it seems, on immovable rock — and I rejoice that it that it was granted me to see your blameless face (may God give me joy of it). I exhort you to press forward on your journey in the grace with which you have been clothed; and you should exhort all men to gain salvation. Perform your office with all diligence of body and spirit. Strive for unity, for there is nothing better. Help all men, as the Lord also helps you; suffer all men in love (indeed, you are doing this). Pray unceasingly. Beg for wisdom greater than you already have, be watchful and keep the spirit from slumbering. Speak to each person individually, just like God himself, and like a perfect champion bear the infirmities of all. The greater the toil, the greater the gain. It is no credit to you if you simply love the good among your disciples; seek also to tame the more troublesome by your gentleness. Remember that not all wounds are healed in the same way — where the pain is acute, apply soothing poultices. Be prudent as the serpent in all things but always harmless as the dove. This is why you are both body and spirit — so that you can deal tenderly with the things which appear visibly and pray that the invisible things may be revealed to you. Thus you will lack nothing and abound in every gift. These critical times have need of you, as a ship needs a helmsman and the storm-tossed sailor needs a harbour. Be strict with yourself, like a good athlete of God. The prize is immortality and eternal life, as you know. I offer myself up as a sacrifice on your behalf — myself and these chains which you yourself have kissed. Do not be caught off balance by those who plausibly teach perverse doctrines. Stand firm as an anvil under the blows. The task of great athletes is to suffer punishment and yet conquer. But especially must we endure all things for the sake of God, that he also may endure us. Increase your efforts and watch for opportunities. Look out for the one who is above time and has no need for opportunities: the Invisible who became visible for us, the Intangible who is above suffering and yet suffered for us, who in every way endured for our sake. Make sure that the widows are not neglected. Make yourself their protect them, deferring only to the Lord. Let nothing be done without your approval, and continue to do nothing yourself without God. Be steadfast. Hold services more frequently and call everyone to them by name. Do not be haughty to slaves, either men or women but do not let them be proud; rather, let them endure slavery to the glory of God so that God may give them a better freedom than man. Let them not enslave themselves to their own longings and demand to be set free at the Church’s expense. |
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| Concluding Prayer |
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| O God, you are the protection of all who trust in you, for without you nothing is holy, nothing strong. Guide us and lead us with ever-increasing compassion. Make us make such use of the good things that pass away that we may share, even now, in the good things that endure. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. |
| Friday, August 3, 2007 Votive Mass of the Sacred Heart |
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| Mt 13:54-58 | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | Douay-Rheims | Vulgate |
| 54 | And coming into his own country, he taught them in their synagogues, so that they wondered and said: How came this man by this wisdom and miracles? | et veniens in patriam suam docebat eos in synagogis eorum ita ut mirarentur et dicerent unde huic sapientia haec et virtutes |
| 55 | Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Jude: | nonne hic est fabri filius nonne mater eius dicitur Maria et fratres eius Iacobus et Ioseph et Simon et Iudas |
| 56 | And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence therefore hath he all these things? | et sorores eius nonne omnes apud nos sunt unde ergo huic omnia ista |
| 57 | And they were scandalized in his regard. But Jesus said to them: A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. | et scandalizabantur in eo Iesus autem dixit eis non est propheta sine honore nisi in patria sua et in domo sua |
| 58 | And he wrought not many miracles there, because of their unbelief. | et non fecit ibi virtutes multas propter incredulitatem illorum |
Thanks Salvation. First Friday bump!
May the Heart of Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time.
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Amen to that beautiful prayer.
Pray for the conversion of America!
Collect: God our Father and protector, without you nothing is holy, nothing has value. Guide us to everlasting life by helping us to use wisely the blessing you have given to the world. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Friday of the Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: Finding of the Body of St. Stephen, the first martyr
Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar the Church commemorated the Finding of the Body of St. Stephen, the first martyr. His body was discovered in 415 just outside Jerusalem. It was translated to Constantinople in 439 by the Empress Eudoxia, but part of the remains were taken to Rome to the Church of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls where they lie beside those of the great Roman deacon.
The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.
This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?
How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?
— St. John Eudes
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 50 (51) |
|---|
| God, have mercy on me |
| Take pity on me, Lord, in your mercy; in your abundance of mercy wipe out my guilt. Wash me ever more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I know how guilty I am: my sin is always before me. Against you, you alone have I sinned, and I have done evil in your sight. Know this, so that you may give just sentence and an unbiased judgement. See, I was conceived in guilt, in sin my mother conceived me; but you love truth in the heart, and deep within me you have shown me your wisdom. You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be made clean; you will wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. You will make me hear the sound of joy and gladness; the bones you have crushed will rejoice. Turn your face away from my sins and wipe out all my transgressions; create a pure heart in me, God, put a steadfast spirit into me. Do not send me away from your presence, or withdraw your holy spirit from me; give me again the joy of your salvation, and be ready to strengthen me with your spirit. I will teach the unjust your ways, and the impious will return to you. Free me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, God my saviour, and my voice will glory in your justice. Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will proclaim your praise; for you do not delight in sacrifices: if I offered you a burnt offering, it would not please you. The true sacrifice is a broken spirit: a contrite and humble heart, O God, you will not refuse. Be pleased, Lord, to look kindly on Sion, so that the walls of Jerusalem can be rebuilt, Then indeed you will accept the proper sacrifices, gifts and burnt offerings; then indeed will bullocks be laid upon your altar. 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 | Isaiah 45 |
|---|---|
| All peoples, turn to the Lord | |
| In truth you are a hidden God, the God and Saviour of Israel. They were dismayed and ashamed, all the makers of idols, all of them fled in dismay. Israel has been saved by the Lord, saved for ever; you will not be dismayed or ashamed, to the end of time. For thus says the Lord, the God who made the heavens, who made the earth, shaped it, set it firm – he did not make it to be empty, but to be full of life – “I am the Lord, there is no other. “I have not spoken secretly, in some dark corner of the earth. I have not said to the children of Jacob, ‘seek me in vain’. I am the Lord who speaks justice, who proclaims uprightness. “Gather together, come, approach me all of you who have been rescued from the Gentiles. They were ignorant, who raised up wooden idols and begged favours of a god without power. Announce it – come, ponder it together – who was saying this from the beginning, who foretold this from the start? Am I not the Lord? Is there any other God but me? Do you seek a just God who will save you? There is no other. “Turn to me and you will be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, there is no other. “I have sworn by my own being, I have decreed a judgement that will not be revoked; for every knee will bend to me, every tongue swear by my name.” “Only in the Lord,” they will say, “are there justice and strength!” All who resisted him will come to him, and be dismayed; but in the Lord all descendants of Israel will receive justice and glory. 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 94 (95) |
|---|
| A call to worship |
| Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, let us acclaim God our salvation. Let us come before him proclaiming our thanks, let us acclaim him with songs. For the Lord is a great God, a king above all gods. For he holds the depths of the earth in his hands, and the peaks of the mountains are his. For the sea is his: he made it; and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us worship and bow down, bend the knee before the Lord who made us; for he himself is our God and we are his flock, the sheep that follow his hand. If only, today, you would listen to his voice: “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, on the day of Massah in the desert, when your fathers tested me – they put me to the test, although they had seen my works”. “For forty years they wearied me, that generation. I said: their hearts are wandering, they do not know my paths. I swore in my anger: they will never enter my place of rest”. 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. |
| Short reading | Ephesians 4:29 - 32 © |
|---|---|
| Guard against foul talk; let your words be for the improvement of others, as occasion offers, and do good to your listeners, otherwise you will only be grieving the Holy Spirit of God who has marked you with his seal for you to be set free when the day comes. Never have grudges against others, or lose your temper, or raise your voice to anybody, or call each other names, or allow any sort of spitefulness. Be friends with one another, and kind, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in Christ. | |
| 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. |
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| 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. |
| O God, your light dispels the darkness of ignorance of your word, morning, noon and night: Increase in our hearts the faith that you have given us: may no trials extinguish the fire lit by your grace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. |
| May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life. |
| A M E N |
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Lack of Faith
Matthew 13:54-58
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I come before you today to renew my faith in you. Help me to see the great things you have done in my life. Thank you for your constant mercy towards me. I put myself at your service so you can do whatever you wish in my life. Petition: Lord, increase my faith in you. 1. Too Much Familiarity. The people of Nazareth thought they knew all about Jesus. He had grown up among them. Apparently they had not seen anything extraordinary about him before he started his public ministry. They thought he was just like everyone else. So when they hear that he is doing miracles and teaching with authority, they do not believe it. Sometimes I also run the danger of putting limits on Christ’s power in my life. I see the unimpressive circumstances of my life and the recurrence of the same old problems. I do not believe that Christ can do something supernatural in the midst of an ordinary situation. Today I am receiving an invitation to step beyond the routine and believe more deeply in the power of Christ
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I know you want to do great things in my life. Help me to see how you can transform the ordinary, seemingly unimportant circumstances of my day into moments when your grace can triumph. Enable me to be docile to your Holy Spirit, so he can do miracles in my life. Resolution: I will increase my faith in Christ by taking a risk for him in some aspect of my spiritual or apostolic life. |
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 40 (41) |
|---|
| Prayer in time of sickness |
| Blessed is he who takes thought for the helpless, for the Lord will keep him safe in time of trouble. The Lord will guard him and give him life. He will give him good fortune on the earth, and not betray him into the power of his enemies. The Lord will lend him strength on his bed of pain; you will transform all his sickness into health. I said, “Lord, have mercy, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you”. My enemies spoke against me, saying: “When will he die? When will his name perish?” When one of them came to visit me, he talked of nothing, but stored up wickedness in his heart. He went out, and told tales against me. All my enemies whispered together against me, imagined the worst: “A plague has taken hold of him: he has lain down and will not rise”. Even my dearest friend, in whom I put my trust, who had eaten my bread – even he trampled me down. But you, Lord – have mercy on me, revive me, and I will pay them back. This is how I know that I have your favour, when my enemy cannot triumph over me, when you raise me up because of my innocence, and put me in your presence for all eternity. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from the beginning to the end of time. Amen! 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. |
| Psalm 45 (46) |
|---|
| God, our refuge and our strength |
| The Lord is our refuge and our strength, a true help in our troubles. Therefore we do not fear, even when the earth is shaken and mountains fall into the depths of the sea, the waves roar and foam and rise up to shake the mountains. The streams of the river give joy to the city of God, the holy dwelling-place of the Most High. God is within it, it will not be shaken; God will give help as the day dawns. The nations are in turmoil and kingdoms totter: at the sound of his voice, the earth flows like water. The Lord of strength is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come and see the works of the Lord, who has done wonders on the earth. He puts an end to wars over all the world: he tramples the bow, shatters weapons, and burns the shields with fire. Stop and see that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth. The Lord of strength is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. 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 15 |
|---|---|
| A hymn of adoration | |
| Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are your ways, King of all nations! Who, Lord, will not revere and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship in your presence, for your judgements have been seen by all. 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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| Short reading | Romans 15:1 - 3 © |
|---|---|
| We who are strong have a duty to put up with the qualms of the weak without thinking of ourselves. Each of us should think of his neighbours and help them to become stronger Christians. Christ did not think of himself: the words of scripture apply to him – the insults of those who insult you fall on me. | |
| 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. |
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| 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. |
| To your servants, O Lord, grant this: that we may learn from the example of your Son’s passion to be ready always to bear his gentle burden. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. |
| May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life. |
| A M E N |
 |
Friday, August 03, 2007 Meditation Matthew 13:54-58 “He’s just a carpenter.” “We know his family; there’s nothing special about him!” In today’s gospel reading, we see Jesus returning to a cold reception in his hometown after having preached to large, enthusiastic crowds. Despite all he had done elsewhere, no one in Nazareth hailed him as King or Messiah. Instead, they seem to have paid him little heed at all. He was able to perform a few miracles, but no one believed that he was a prophet, much less the Son of God. Why such a lack of faith? Because the Nazarenes chose their own grasp of Jesus rather than letting his words and actions move them to God, where they could receive the revelation and understanding they needed. What about us? We know that Jesus is the Son of God. We believe it; we profess it every week at Mass. And yet how often do we treat Jesus as just a well-intentioned carpenter? Do we come to prayer each morning expecting to be lifted up to heaven and touch the very heart and mind of God? Do we go to Mass expecting his glory to be revealed in us through the Eucharist? The hard truth is that we cannot trust our own abilities to bring about the kind of faith that transforms our lives. We simply must rely on God to give us divine revelation by his Holy Spirit. The good news is that when we do look to the Holy Spirit, we find that he really does want to reveal his Son to us. He really does want to change our hearts, piercing them with the love of Christ in a way that transforms us into his image. As we come to learn who Jesus is, like Peter we will proclaim: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Like Thomas, we will bow before him and cry out: “My Lord and my God.” And like John we will come face-to-face with the life-changing reality that God is love. The more Jesus reveals himself to us, the more we can begin to grasp “what is the breadth and length and height and depth” of the Lord we follow (Ephesians 3:18). Nothing compares to knowing Jesus. The revelation of his love and power is worth striving for! “Lord, I want to know you. More than anything else, I ask you to reveal yourself to me more deeply than ever before.” Leviticus 23:1,4-11,15-16,27,34-37; Psalm 81:3-6,10-11 |
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