Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 09-03-07, Opt. Mem. St. Gregory the Great, Pope & Dr/Church

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 09-03-07 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

September 3, 2007

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great,                                   pope and doctor of the Church Psalm: Monday 32

Reading 1 Responsorial Psalm Gospel

Reading 1
1 Thes 4:13-18

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,
about those who have fallen asleep,
so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose,
so too will God, through Jesus,
bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord,
that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,
will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself, with a word of command,
with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God,
will come down from heaven,
and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive, who are left,
will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air.
Thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore, console one another with these words.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 96:1 and 3, 4-5, 11-12, 13

R. (13b) The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
For great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
awesome is he, beyond all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are things of nought,
but the LORD made the heavens.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.

R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

Gospel
Lk 4:16-30

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Rolling up the scroll,
he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
They also asked, “Is this not the son of Joseph?”
He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb,
‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place
the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”
And he said,
“Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you,

there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

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There are also readings for the celebration of Labor Day if there is more than one Mass today.

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I Had a Dream: The Music of Palestrina and Gregory the Great Had Come Back

Saint Gregory The Great: Pope, Doctor of the Church

[Pope]St.Gregory The Great

Pope St.Gregory 1(the Great) [Read Only]

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September Devotion: Our Lady of Sorrows

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. Due to her feast day on September 15, the month of September has traditionally been set aside to honor Our Lady of Sorrows. All the sorrows of Mary (the prophecy of Simeon, the three days' loss, etc.) are merged in the supreme suffering at the Passion. In the Passion, Mary suffered a martyrdom of the heart because of Our Lord's torments and the greatness of her love for Him. "She it was," says Pope Pius XII, "who immune from all sin, personal or inherited, and ever more closely united with her Son, offered Him on Golgotha to the Eternal Father together with the holocaust of her maternal rights and motherly love. As a new Eve, she made this offering for all the children of Adam contaminated through his unhappy fall. Thus she, who was the mother of our Head according to the flesh, became by a new title of sorrow and glory the spiritual mother of all His members."

INVOCATIONS
Mary most sorrowful, Mother of Christians, pray for us.
Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us.

TO THE QUEEN OF MARTYRS
Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that every thought of my mind, and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy divine Son Jesus, keep me in His grace, and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in heaven and sing thy glories. Amen.

TO THE MOTHER OF SORROWS
Most holy Virgin. and Mother, whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the Passion of thy divine Son, and who in His glorious Resurrection wast filled with never-ending joy at His triumph; obtain for us who call upon thee, so to be partakers in the adversities of Holy Church and the sorrows of the Sovereign Pontiff, as to be found worthy to rejoice with them in the consolations for which we pray, in the charity and peace of the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

IN HONOR OF THE SORROWS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
O most holy and afflicted Virgin! Queen of Martyrs! thou who didst stand motionless beneath the Cross, witnessing the agony of thy expiring Son--through the unceasing sufferings of thy life of sorrow, and the bliss which now more than amply repays thee for thy past trials, look down with a mother's tenderness and pity on me, who kneel before thee to venerate thy dolors, and place my requests, with filial confidence, in the sanctuary of thy wounded heart; present them, I beseech thee, on my behalf, to Jesus Christ, through the merits of His own most sacred death and passion, together with thy sufferings at the foot of the cross, and through the united efficacy of both obtain the grant of my present petition. To whom shall I resort in my wants and miseries if not to thee, O Mother of Mercy, who, having so deeply drunk of the chalice of thy Son, canst compassionate the woes of those who still sigh in the land of exile? Offer for me to my Savior one drop of the Blood which flowed from His sacred veins, one of the tears which trickled from His divine eyes, one of the sighs which rent His adorable Heart. O refuge of the universe and hope of the whole world, do not reject my humble prayer, but graciously obtain the grant of my petition.

TO OUR LADY OF SORROWS
O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and the death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion, and awaken in my heart a tender commiseration for those sufferings, as well as a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that, being disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem, and that henceforward all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object. Honor, glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and immaculate Mother of God. Amen.    --Saint Bonaventure

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

 

Lord, have mercy on us.        Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God, the Father of heaven,  God the Son, Redeemer of the world, . God the Holy Ghost,  Holy Mary, Mother of God,  Holy Virgin of virgins,  Mother of the Crucified,  Sorrowful Mother,  Mournful Mother,  Sighing Mother,  Afflicted Mother,  Foresaken Mother, . Desolate Mother,  Mother most sad,  Mother set around with anguish,  Mother overwhelmed by grief,  Mother transfixed by a sword,  Mother crucified in thy heart,  Mother bereaved of thy Son,  Sighing Dove,  Mother of Dolors,  Fount of tears,  Sea of bitterness,  Field of tribulation,  Mass of suffering,  Mirror of patience,  Rock of constancy,  Remedy in perplexity,  Joy of the afflicted,  Ark of the desolate,  Refuge of the abandoned,. Shiled of the oppressed,  Conqueror of the incredulous,  Solace of the wretched,  Medicine of the sick,  Help of the faint,  Strength of the weak,  Protectress of those who fight,  Haven of the shipwrecked,  Calmer of tempests,  Companion of the sorrowful,  Retreat of those who groan,  Terror of the treacherous,  Standard-bearer of the Martyrs,  Treasure of the Faithful,  Light of Confessors,  Pearl of Virgins, . Comfort of Widows, . Joy of all Saints,  Queen of thy Servants, Holy Mary, who alone art unexampled, Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin,	Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, graciously hear us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray, --- O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of grief pierced through the most sweet soul of Thy glorious Blessed Virgin Mother Mary: grant that we, who celebrate the memory of her Seven Sorrows, may obtain the happy effect of Thy Passion, Who lives and reigns world without end,  Amen.
The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady 1. The Prophecy of Simeon  2. The Flight into Egypt . 3. The Loss of Jesus in the Temple  4. Mary meets Jesus Carrying the Cross  5. The Crucifixion 6. Mary Receives the Dead Body of Her Son 7. The Burial of Her Son and Closing of the Tomb.
Consecration to Our Lady of Sorrows Most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, Mary, would that I could be in Heaven, there to contemplate the honors rendered to thee by the Most Holy Trinity and by the whole Heavenly Court! But since I am still a pilgrim in this vale of tears, receive from me, thy unworthy servant and a poor sinner, the most sincere homage and the most perfect act of vassalage a human creature can offer thee.  In thy Immaculate Heart, pierced with so many swords of sorrow, I place today my poor soul forever; receive me as a partaker in thy dolors, and never suffer that I should depart from that Cross on which thy only begotten Son expired for me.  With thee, O Mary, I will endure all the sufferings, contradictions, infirmities, with which it will please thy Divine Son to visit me in this life. All of them I offer to thee, in memory of the Dolors which thou didst suffer during thy life, that every thought of my mind, every beating of my heart may henceforward be an act of compassion to thy Sorrows, and of complacency for the glory thou now enjoyest in Heaven.  Since then, O Dear Mother, I now compassionate thy Dolors, and rejoice in seeing thee glorified, do thou also have compassion on me, and reconcile me to thy Son Jesus, that I may become thy true and loyal son (daughter); come on my last day and assist me in my last agony, even as thou wert present at the Agony of thy Divine Son Jesus, that from this painful exile I may go to Heaven, there to be made partaker of thy glory. Amen.

 

Homilies on Our Lady of Sorrows

Starkenburg:Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Sorrows Shrine

Our Mother of Sorrows

ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, OF THE DOLOURS OF MARY, The Glories [Sorrows] of Mary

Our Lady of Sorrows - Sep 15

[Salvation]

From: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

The Second Coming of the Lord

---

[13] But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those
who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no
hope. [14] For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even
so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
[15] For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who
are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede
those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord himself will descend
from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with
the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise
first; [17] then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we
shall always be with the Lord. [18] Therefore comfort one another with
these words.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

13. “Those who are asleep”: this expression, already to be found in
some pagan writings, was often used by the early Christians to refer to
those who died in the faith of Christ. In Christian writings it makes
more sense, given Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus and in
the resurrection of the body. It is not just a euphemism: it underlines
the fact that death is not the end. “Why does it say that they are
asleep”, St Augustine asks, “if not because they will be raised when
their day comes?” (”Sermon 93”, 6). Hence Monsignor Escriva’s advice:
“When facing death, be calm. I do not want you to have the cold
stoicism of the pagan, but the fervor of a child of God who knows that
life is changed, not taken away. To die is to live!” (”Furrow”, 876).

Even though we have this hope, it is perfectly understandable for us to
feel sad when people we love die. This sadness, provided it is kept
under control, is a sign of affection and piety, but “to be excessively
downcast by the death of friends is to act like someone who does not
have the spirit of Christian hope. A person who does not believe in the
resurrection and who sees death as total annihilation has every reason
to weep and lament and cry over those friends and relations who have
passed away into nothingness. But you are Christians, you believe in
the resurrection, you live and die in hope: why should you mourn the
dead excessively?” (Chrysostom, “Hom. on 1 Thess, ad loc.”).

14. “It is appointed for men to die once” (Heb 9:27). However, for a
person who has faith, death does not just mean the end of his days on
earth. Our Lord Jesus Christ died and rose again, and his resurrection
is a pledge of our resurrection: death “in Christ” is the climax of a
life in union with him, and it is the gateway to heaven. And so St Paul
tells Timothy, “If we have died with him, we shall also live with him;
if we endure, we shall also reign with him” (2 Tim 2:11-12).

The resurrection the Christian will experience is not only similar to
our Lord’s; his resurrection is in fact the cause of ours. St Thomas
Aquinas explains this as follows: “Christ is the model of our
resurrection, because he took flesh and he rose in the flesh. However,
he is not only our model; he is also the efficient cause (of our
resurrection) because anything done by the human nature of Christ was
done not only by the power of his human nature but also by the power
of the godhead united to that nature. And so, just as his touch cured
the leper by virtue of its being the instrument of his godhead, so the
resurrection of Christ is the cause of our resurrection” (”Commentary
on 1 Thess, ad loc.”). Although this passage of the letter does not say
so explicitly, it is implied that we will rise with our bodies, just as
Jesus rose with his.

15-17. The religious instruction of the Thessalonians was cut short
because St Paul had to leave the city in a hurry. One of the doubts
remaining in their minds can be expressed as follows: Will the dead
be under any disadvantage “vis-a-vis” those who are still alive when
the Parousia of the Lord happens? The Apostle replies in two stages:
first he says that we will have no advantage of any kind over them
(vv. 15- 18); then he makes clear that we do not know when that even
will come about (5:1-2).

In his reply he does not explicitly speak about the general resurrection;
he refers only to those who die “in Christ”. He distinguishes two groups
as regards the situation people find themselves in at our Lord’s second
coming—1) those who are alive: these will be “caught up”, that is
changed (cf. 1 Cor 15:51; 2 Cor 5: 2-4) by the power of God and will
change from being corruptible and mortal to being incorruptible and
immortal; 2) those who have already died: these will rise again.

St Paul’s reply is adapted to the tenor of the question; so, when he
writes “we who are alive, who are left” he does not mean that the
Parousia will happen soon or that he will live to see the day (cf.
Pontifical Biblical Commission, “Reply” concerning the Parousia, 18
June 1915). He uses the first person plural because at the time of
writing both he and his readers were alive. However, his words were
misinterpreted by some of the Thessalonians, and that was the reason
he wrote the second epistle a few months later (in which he puts things
more clearly: “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and
our assembling to meet him, we beg you, brethren, not to quickly shaken
in mind or excited [...], to the effect that the day of the Lord has come”
(2 Thess 2:1-2). However, even in the first letter there are enough
indications that St Paul was not saying the Parousia was imminent,
for he implies that he does not know when it will happen (cf. 5:1-2).

To describe the signs which will mark the Lord’s coming, St Paul uses
imagery typical of apocalyptic writing—the voice of the archangel, the
sound of the trumpet, the clouds of heaven. These signs are to be found
in the Old Testament theophanies or great manifestations of Yahweh (cf.
Ex 19:16); on the day of the Parousia, too, they will reveal God’s
absolute dominion over the forces of nature, as also his sublimity and
majesty.

When the Lord Jesus comes in all his glory, those who had died in the
Lord (who already were enjoying the vision of God in heaven) and those
who have been changed will go to meet the Lord “in the air”, for both
will now have glorified bodies (cf. 1 Cor 15:43) endowed with the gift
of “agility”, “by which the body will be freed from the heaviness that
now presses it down, and will take on a capability of moving with the
utmost ease and swiftness, wherever the soul pleases” (”St. Pius V
Catechism”, I, 12, 13).

After the general judgment, which will take place that day, the
righteous will be “always with the Lord.” That is in fact the rewar
of the blessed—to enjoy forever, in body and soul, the sight of God,
thereby attaining a happiness which more than makes up for whatever
they have had to do to obtain it, for “the sufferings of this present
life are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to
us” (Rom 8:18). “If at any time you feel uneasy at the thought of our
sister death because you see yourself to be such a poor creature, take
heart. Think of this: Heaven awaits us; what will it be like when all
the infinite beauty and greatness and happiness and Love of God are
poured into the poor clay vessel that the human being is, to satisfy it
eternally with the freshness of an ever-new joy?” (J. Escriva,
“Furrow”, 891).

*********************************************************************************************
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.

[Salvation]

From: Luke 4:16-30

Jesus Preaches in Nazareth

---

[16] And He (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up;
and He went to the synagogue, as His custom was, on the Sabbath Day.
And He stood up to read; [17] and there was given to Him the book of the
prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was
written, [18] “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed
Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release
to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty
those
who are oppressed, [19] to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
[20] And He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat
down; and the eyes of all in thesynagogue were fixed on Him. [21] And
He began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your
hearing. [22] And all spoke well of Him, and wondered at the gracious
words which proceeded out of His mouth; and they said, “Is not this
Joseph’s son?” [23] And He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to
Me this proverb, `Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did
at Capernaum, do here also in your own country.’” [24] And He said,
“Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. [25]
But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of
Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when
there came a great famine over all the land; [26] and Elijah was sent to
none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman
who was a widow. [27] And there were many lepers in Israel in the time
of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman
the Syrian.” [28] When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled
with wrath. [29] And they rose up and put Him out of the city, and led
Him to the brow on the hill on which their city was built, that they might
throw Him down headlong. [30] But passing through the midst of them
He went away.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

16-30. For the Jews the Sabbath was a day of rest and prayer, as God
commanded (Exodus 20:8-11). On that day they would gather together
to be instructed in Sacred Scripture. At the beginning of this meeting
they all recited the “Shema”, a summary of the precepts of the Lord, and
the “eighteen blessings”. Then a passage was read from the Book of
the Law—the Pentateuch—and another from the Prophets. The president
invited one of those present who was well versed in the Scriptures to
address the gathering. Sometimes someone would volunteer and request
the honor of being allowed to give this address—as must have happened
on this occasion. Jesus avails Himself of this opportunity to instruct the
people (cf. Luke 4:16ff), as will His Apostles later on (cf. Acts 13:5, 14,
42, 44; 14:1; etc.). The Sabbath meeting concluded with the priestly
blessing, recited by the president or by a priest if there was one present,
to which the people answered “Amen” (cf. Numbers 6:22ff).

18-21. Jesus read the passage from Isaiah 61:1-2 where the prophet
announces the coming of the Lord, who will free His people of their
afflictions. In Christ this prophecy finds its fulfillment, for He is the
Anointed, the Messiah whom God has sent to His people in their
tribulation. Jesus has been anointed by the Holy Spirit for the mission
the Father has entrusted to Him. “These phrases, according to Luke
(verses 18-19), are His first messianic declaration. They are followed
by the actions and words known through the Gospel. By these actions
and words Christ makes the Father present among men” (John Paul II,
“Dives In Misericordia”, 3).

The promises proclaimed in verses 18 and 19 are the blessings God
will send His people through the Messiah. According to Old Testament
tradition and Jesus’ own preaching (cf. note on Matthew 5:3), “the poor”
refers not so much to a particular social condition as to a very religious
attitude of indigence and humility towards God, which is to be found in
those who, instead of relying on their possessions and merits, trust in
God’s goodness and mercy. Thus, preaching good news to the poor
means bringing them the “good news” that God has taken pity on them.
Similarly, the Redemption, the release, which the text mentions, is to
be understood mainly in a spiritual, transcendental sense: Christ has
come to free us from the blindness and oppression of sin, which, in the
last analysis, is slavery imposed on us by the devil. “Captivity can be
felt”, St. John Chrysostom teaches in a commentary on Psalm 126,
“when it proceeds from physical enemies, but the spiritual captivity
referred to here is worse; sin exerts a more severe tyranny, evil takes
control and blinds those who lend it obedience; from this spiritual prison
Jesus Christ rescued us” (”Catena Aurea”). However, this passage is
also in line with Jesus’ special concern for those most in need. “Simi-
larly, the Church encompasses with her love all those who are afflicted
by human misery and she recognizes in those who are poor and who
suffer the image of her poor and suffering Founder. She does all in her
power to relieve their need and in them she strives to serve Christ”
(Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 8).

18-19. The words of Isaiah which Christ read out on this occasion
describe very graphically the reason why God has sent His Son into
the world—to redeem men from sin, to liberate them from slavery to the
devil and from eternal death. It is true that in the course of His public
ministry Christ, in His mercy, worked many cures, cast out devils, etc.
But He did not cure all the sick people in the world, nor did He elimi-
nate all forms of distress in this life, because pain, which entered the
world through sin, has a permanent redemptive value when associated
with the sufferings of Christ. Therefore, Christ worked miracles not so
much to release the people concerned from suffering, as to demon-
strate that He had a God-given mission to bring everyone to eternal
salvation.

The Church carries on this mission of Christ: “Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I
have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of
the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). These simple and sublime words, which
conclude the Gospel of St. Matthew, point out “the obligation to preach
the truths of faith, the need for sacramental life, the promise of Christ’s
continual assistance to His Church. You cannot be faithful to our Lord
if you neglect these supernatural demands—to receive instruction in
Christian faith and morality and to frequent the Sacraments. It is with
this mandate that Christ founded His Church [...]. And the Church can
bring salvation to souls only if she remains faithful to Christ in her cons-
titution and teaching, both dogmatic and moral.

“Let us reject, therefore, the suggestion that the Church, ignoring the
Sermon on the Mount, seeks a purely human happiness on earth, since
we know that her only task is to bring men to eternal glory in Heaven.
Let us reject any purely naturalistic view that fails to value the super-
natural role of divine grace. Let us reject materialistic opinions that ex-
clude spiritual values from human life. Let us equally reject any secu-
larizing theory which attempts to equate the aims of the Church with
those of earthly states, distorting its essence, institutions and activities
into something similar to those of temporal society” ([Blessed] J. Es-
criva, “In Love with the Church”, 23 and 31).

18. The Fathers of the Church see in this verse a reference to the three
persons of the Holy Trinity: the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) of the Lord (the
Father) is upon Me (the Son); cf. Origen, “Homily 32”. The Holy Spirit
dwelt in Christ’s soul from the very moment of the Incarnation and de-
scended visibly upon Him in the form of a dove when He was baptized
by John (cf. Luke 3:21-22).

“Because He has anointed Me”: this is a reference to the anointing
Jesus received at the moment of His Incarnation, principally through
the grace of the hypostatic union. “This anointing of Jesus Christ was
not an anointing of the body as in the case of the ancient kings, priests
and prophets; rather it was entirely spiritual and divine, because the full-
ness of the Godhead dwells in Him substantially” (”St. Pius X Catechism”
77). From this hypostatic union the fullness of all graces derives. To
show this, Jesus Christ is said to have been anointed by the Holy Spirit
Himself—not just to have received the graces and gifts of the Spirit, like
the saints.

19. “The acceptable year”: this is a reference to the jubilee year of the
Jews, which the Law of God (Leviticus 25:8) lays down as occurring
every fifty years, symbolizing the era of redemption and liberation which
the Messiah would usher in. The era inaugurated by Christ, the era of
the New Law extending to the end of the world, is “the acceptable year”,
the time of mercy and redemption, which will be obtained definitively in
Heaven.

The Catholic Church’s custom of the “Holy Year” is also designed to
proclaim and remind people of the redemption brought by Christ, and
of the full form it will take in the future life.

20-22. Christ’s words in verse 21 show us the authenticity with which
He preached and explained the Scriptures: “Today this scripture has
been fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus teaches that this prophecy, like
the other main prophecies in the Old Testament, refers to Him and finds
its fulfillment in Him (cf. Luke 24:44ff). Thus, the Old Testament can be
rightly understood only in the light of the New—as the risen Christ
showed the Apostles when He opened their minds to understand the
Scriptures (cf. Luke 24:45), an understanding which the Holy Spirit
perfected on the day of Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:4).

22-29. At first the people of Nazareth listened readily to the wisdom
of Jesus’ words. But they were very superficial; in their narrow-minded
pride they felt hurt that Jesus, their fellow-townsman, had not worked
in Nazareth the wonders He had worked elsewhere. They presume
they have a special entitlement and they insolently demand that He
perform miracles to satisfy their vanity, not to change their hearts. In
view of their attitude, Jesus performs no miracle (His normal response
to lack of faith: cf., for example, His meeting with Herod in Luke 23:7-11);
He actually reproaches them, using two examples taken from the Old
Testament (cf. 1 Kings 17:9 and 2 Kings 5:14), which show that one
needs to be well-disposed if miracles are to lead to faith. His attitude
so wounds their pride that they are ready to kill Him. This whole epi-
sode is a good lesson about understanding Jesus. We can understand
Him only if we are humble and are genuinely resolved to make ourselves
available to Him.

30. Jesus does not take flight but withdraws majestically, leaving the
crowd paralyzed. As on other occasions men do Him no harm; it was
by God’s decree that He died on a cross (cf. John 18:32) when His hour
had come.

*********************************************************************************************
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.

[Salvation]

Monday, September 3, 2007
Labor Day

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Genesis 2:4-9, 15 Psalm 90:2-5, 12-14, 16 Matthew 6:31-34 Before Communion you hear about Jesus Christ and you know Him; you are told of His Cross, of His suffering; doubtless you are affected, are even touched with compassion. But let these same truths be presented to you after Communion. Oh, how much more deeply your soul is moved! It cannot hear enough; it understands much more perfectly. Before Communion, you contemplate Jesus outside you; now you contemplate Him within you, with His own eyes! It is the mystery of Emmaus re-enacted. When Jesus taught the two disciples along the way, explaining the Scriptures to them, their faith still wavered, though they felt inwardly some mysterious emotion. But participating in the Fraction of the bread, immediately their eyes were opened, and their hearts were like to burst with joy. The voice of Jesus had not sufficed to reveal His presence to them; they had to feel His Heart, had to be fed with the Bread of understanding!" -- St. Peter Eymard

[Salvation]

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

Mass Readings

First reading

2 Corinthians 4:1 - 7 ©

Since we have by an act of mercy been entrusted with this work of administration, there is no weakening on our part. On the contrary, we will have none of the reticence of those who are ashamed, no deceitfulness or watering down the word of God; but the way we commend ourselves to every human being with a conscience is by stating the truth openly in the sight of God. For it is not ourselves that we are preaching, but Christ Jesus as the Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. It is the same God that said, ‘Let there be light shining out of darkness’, who has shone in our minds to radiate the light of the knowledge of God’s glory, the glory on the face of Christ. We are only the earthenware jars that hold this treasure, to make it clear that such an overwhelming power comes from God and not from us.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 95

Gospel

Luke 22:24 - 30 ©

A dispute arose also between the disciples about which should be reckoned the greatest, but Jesus said to them, ‘Among pagans it is the kings who lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are given the title Benefactor. This must not happen with you. No; the greatest among you must behave as if he were the youngest, the leader as if he were the one who serves. For who is the greater: the one at table or the one who serves? The one at table, surely? Yet here am I among you as one who serves! ‘You are the men who have stood by me faithfully in my trials; and now I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father conferred one on me: you will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.’

[Salvation]

Office of Readings and Invitatory 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 30 (31)

Trustful prayer in time of adversity

In you, Lord, I put my trust: may I never be put to shame.
 In your justice, set me free,
Turn your ear to me,
 make haste to rescue me.
Be my rampart, my fortification;
 keep me safe.

For you are my strength and my refuge:
 you will lead me out to the pastures,
 for your own name’s sake.
You will lead me out of the trap that they laid for me –
 for you are my strength.

Into your hands I commend my spirit:
 you have redeemed me, Lord God of truth.
You hate those who run after vain nothings;
 but I put my trust in the Lord.
I will rejoice and be glad in your kindness,
 for you have looked on me, lowly as I am.
You saw when my soul was in need:
 you did not leave me locked in the grip of the enemy,
 but set my feet on free and open ground.

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 30 (31)

Take pity on me, Lord, for I am troubled:
 my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
 the very centre of my being is disturbed.
For my life is worn out with distress,
 my years with groaning;
my strength becomes weakness,
 my bones melt away.

I am a scandal and a disgrace,
 so many are my enemies;
to my friends and neighbours,
 I am a thing to fear.
When they see me in the street,
 they run from me.
I have vanished from their minds as though I were dead,
 or like a pot that is broken.
I know this – for I have heard the scolding of the crowd.
 There is terror all around,
for when they come together against me
 it is my life they are resolved to take.

But I put my trust in you, Lord;
 I say: “You are my God,
 my fate is in your hands”.
Tear me from the grip of my enemies,
 from those who hound me;
let your face shine upon your servant,
 in your kindness, save me.

Let me not be put to shame,
 for I have called on you;
let the wicked be shamed instead,
 let them go down into the underworld and silence.
Let their lying mouths be dumb,
 that now speak against the righteous,
 in their pride and arrogance and contempt.

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 30 (31)

How very many are the pleasures, Lord,
 that you have stored up for those who fear you.
You have made these things ready for those who trust in you,
 to give them in the sight of all men.
Far away from the plottings of men
 you hide them in your secret place.
You keep them safe in your dwelling-place
 far from lying tongues.

Blessed be the Lord,
 for he has shown me his wonderful kindness
 within the fortified city.
In my terror, I said
 “I am cut off from your sight”;
but you heard the voice of my prayer
 when I called to you.

Love the Lord, all his chosen ones.
The Lord keeps his faithful ones safe,
 heaps rich revenge on the arrogant.
Be brave, let your hearts be strong,
 all who 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.

---

Reading

Jeremiah 19:1 - 20:6 ©

Then the Lord said to Jeremiah, ‘Go and buy an earthenware jug. Take some of the elders of the people and some priests with you. Go out towards the Valley of Ben-hinnom, as far as the entry of the Gate of the Potsherds. There proclaim the words I shall speak to you. You are to say, “Kings of Judah, citizens of Jerusalem! Listen to the word of the Lord! the Lord Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this: I am bringing down such a disaster on this place that the ears of every one who hears of it will ring. This is because they have abandoned me, have profaned this place, have offered incense here to alien gods which neither they, nor their ancestors, nor the kings of Judah, ever knew before. They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent. They have built high places for Baal to burn their sons there, which I had never ordered or decreed, which had never entered my thoughts. ‘You are to break this jug in front of the men who are with you, and say to them, “The Lord Sabaoth says this: I am going to break this people and this city just as one breaks a potter’s pot, irreparably. Topheth will become a burial ground, for lack of other space. That is how I will treat this place – it is the Lord who speaks. And I mean to make this city like Topheth; the houses of Jerusalem and those of the kings of Judah will be unclean like this place Topheth: all these houses on the roofs of which they offered incense to the whole array of heaven and poured their libations to alien gods.”’ When Jeremiah came back from Topheth where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, he went and stood in the court of the Temple of the Lord and addressed all the people. ‘The Lord Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this, “Yes, I am going to bring down every disaster I have threatened on this city and on all its outlying towns, since they have grown so stubborn and refused to listen to my words”.’ Now the priest Pashhur son of Immer, who was in charge of the police in the Temple of the Lord, heard Jeremiah making this prophecy. Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and then put in the stocks at the Gate of Benjamin, the upper gate leading into the Temple of the Lord. Next day, Pashhur had Jeremiah taken out of the stocks; Jeremiah said to him, ‘Not Pashhur but Terror is the Lord’s name for you. For the Lord says this, “I am going to hand you over to terror, you and all your friends; they shall fall by the sword of their enemies; your own eyes shall see it. The whole of Judah, too, I will hand over to the king of Babylon; he will carry them off captives to Babylon and put them to the sword. And all the wealth of this city, all its stores, all its valuables, all the treasures of the kings of Judah, I will hand over to their enemies who will plunder them, round them up and carry them off to Babylon. As for you, Pashhur, and your whole household, you shall go into captivity; you shall go to Babylon; there you will die, and there be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied lies.”’

---

Reading	The Imitation of Christ
I taught my prophets
My son, says the Lord, listen to my words, the most delightful of all words, surpassing all the knowledge of the philosophers and wise men of this world. My words are spirit and life and cannot be comprehended by human senses alone. They are not to be interpreted according to the vain pleasure of the listener, but they must be listened to in silence and received with all humility and great affection. And I said: Blessed is the man whom you teach, Lord, and whom you instruct in your law; for him you soften the blow of the evil day, and you do not desert him on the earth. The Lord says, I have instructed my prophets from the beginning. Even to the present time I have not stopped speaking to all men, but many are deaf and obstinate in response. Many hear the world more easily than they hear God; they follow the desires of the flesh more readily than the pleasure of God. The world promises rewards that are temporal and insignificant, and these are pursued with great longing; I promise rewards that are eternal and unsurpassable, yet the hearts of mortals respond sluggishly. Who serves and obeys me in all matters with as much care as the world and its princes are served? Blush, then, you lazy, complaining servant, for men are better prepared for the works of death than you are for the works of life. They take more joy in vanity than you in truth. Yet they are often deceived in their hope, while my promise deceives no one, and leaves empty-handed no one who confides in me. What I have promised I shall give; what I have said I will fulfil for any man who remains faithful in my love unto the very end. I am the rewarder of all good men, the one who rigorously tests the devoted. Write my words in your heart and study them diligently, for they will be absolutely necessary in the time of temptation. Whatever you fail to understand in reading my words will become clear to you on the day of your visitation. I visit my elect in a double fashion, that is, with temptation and with consolation. And I read to them two lessons each day: one to rebuke them for their faults; the other to exhort them to increase their virtue. He who possesses my words yet spurns them earns his own judgement on the last day.

---

Concluding Prayer

God of power and might, all that is perfect belongs to you.
 Fill us with love of your name:
 increase our zeal and nourish what is good in us;
 watch over us and preserve what you have nourished.

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.

[Salvation]

Imitation of Christ -- Foreword [Devotional]
Imitation of Christ, 1,1 - Imitating Jesus Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth [Devotional]

[Salvation]

Women/Faith and Family

Saint Gregory the Great,
Pope & Doctor of the Church
Memorial
September 3rd Saint Gregory the Great
Carlo Saraceni - c. 1610
Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome

Saint Gregory the Great, one of the most prominent figures in Church history, was born at Rome in 540 and died March 12, 604. The son of a patrician family, Gregory studied law, and became Prefect of Rome when he was in his early thirties. He entered a monastery in Rome (ca 574) where he spent about three years before he was sent as papal legate to Constantinople. After six years in this post, he returned to his monastery (which apparently followed the Benedictine rule) where he soon became abbot. He was elected pope September 3, 590, the first monk to hold this office.

One of Pope Gregory's most significant actions (especially in the view of English-speaking people) was to send missionaries to Great Britain -- notably Augustine (of Canterbury). His interest, it is said, was prompted by seeing young Anglo-Saxon captives for sale in a Roman slave market. According to the story, the pope asked who these fair-haired slaves were, and was told they were Angles. The pope exclaimed in response, "They are not 'Angles' -- they are angels!"

Pope Gregory is traditionally credited with unifying the Roman Liturgy and compiling the Church's traditional chant tones, known as Gregorian Chant (also "plain chant").

 

[Salvation]

American Catholic’s Saint of the Day

September 3, 2007

St. Gregory the Great

(540?-604)

Coming events cast their shadows before: Gregory was the prefect of Rome before he was 30. After five years in office he resigned, founded six monasteries on his Sicilian estate and became a Benedictine monk in his own home at Rome.

Ordained a priest, he became one of the pope's seven deacons, and also served six years in the East as papal nuncio in Constantinople. He was recalled to become abbot, and at the age of 50 was elected pope by the clergy and people of Rome.

He was direct and firm. He removed unworthy priests from office, forbade taking money for many services, emptied the papal treasury to ransom prisoners of the Lombards and to care for persecuted Jews and the victims of plague and famine. He was very concerned about the conversion of England, sending 40 monks from his own monastery. He is known for his reform of the liturgy, for strengthening respect for doctrine. Whether he was largely responsible for the revision of "Gregorian" chant is disputed.

Gregory lived in a time of perpetual strife with invading Lombards and difficult relations with the East. When Rome itself was under attack, it was he who went to interview the Lombard king.

An Anglican historian has written: "It is impossible to conceive what would have been the confusion, the lawlessness, the chaotic state of the Middle Ages without the medieval papacy; and of the medieval papacy, the real father is Gregory the Great."

His book, Pastoral Care, on the duties and qualities of a bishop, was read for centuries after his death. He described bishops mainly as physicians whose main duties were preaching and the enforcement of discipline. In his own down-to-earth preaching, Gregory was skilled at applying the daily gospel to the needs of his listeners. Called "the Great," Gregory has been given a place with Augustine, Ambrose and Jerome as one of the four key doctors of the Western Church.

Comment:

Gregory was content to be a monk, but he willingly served the Church in other ways when asked. He sacrificed his own preferences in many ways, especially when he was called to be Bishop of Rome. Once he was called to public service, Gregory gave his considerable energies completely to this work.

Quote:

"Perhaps it is not after all so difficult for a man to part with his possessions, but it is certainly most difficult for him to part with himself. To renounce what one has is a minor thing; but to renounce what one is, that is asking a lot" (St. Gregory, Homilies on the Gospels).

 

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

 

Daily Readings (on USCCB site):
» September 03, 2007
(will open a new window)

Collect: Father, you guide your people with kindness and govern us with love. By the prayers of Saint Gregory give the spirit of wisdom to those you have called to lead your Church. May the growth of your people in holiness be the eternal joy of our shepherds. 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.

« September 03, 2007 »

Memorial of St. Gregory the Great, pope and doctor; Labor Day
Old Calendar: St. Pius X, Pope

• RECIPES
  • » Cherries and Pecorino Cheese
    » Gregorian Cocktail
    » Legume Soup
    » Old-Fashioned Cherry Tart
    
  • more
  • » Rosolio Liqueur
    
• ACTIVITIES
  • » Elementary Parent Pedagogy: Singing and Music
    » Namedays
    » Pope St. Gregory the Great and Cherries
    » Religion in the Home for Elementary School: September
    
  • more
  • » Religion in the Home for Preschool: September
    
• PRAYERS
  • » September Devotion: Our Lady of Sorrows
    » St. Gregory the Great's Easter Prayer
    
• LIBRARY
  • » Gregory the Great, a Model for Civil and Religious Leaders | Pope Benedict XVI
    

St. Gregory, senator and prefect of Rome, then in succession monk, cardinal and pope, governed the Church from 590 to 604. England owes her conversion to him. At a period when the invasion of the barbarians created a new situation in Europe, he played a considerable part in the transitional stage, during which a great number of them were won for Christ. At the same time he watched over the holiness of the clergy and preserved ecclesiastical discipline, as well as attending to the temporal interests of his people of Rome and the spiritual interests of the whole of Christendom. To him the liturgy owes several of its finest prayers, and the name "Gregorian chant" recalls this great Pope's work in the development of the Church's chant. His commentaries on Holy Scripture exercised a considerable influence on Christian thought, particularly in the Middle Ages. Together with St. Ambrose, St. Augustine and St. Jerome, he is one of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church.

Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar today was the feast of St. Pius X, which is now celebrated on August 21. The feast of St. Gregory the Great was observed on March 12.

---

St. Gregory the Great
St. Gregory was born at Rome in 540. He was successively senator and prefect of Rome before the age of 30. After five years he resigned and became a monk, transforming his own house into a Benedictine monastery, and founding six others. At the age of 50 he was elected pope, serving from 590 to 604. In 14 years he accomplished much for the Mystical Body of Christ.

After seeing English children being sold as slaves in Rome, he sent 40 monks, including St. Augustine of Canterbury, from his own monastery to make "the Angles angels." England owes her conversion to him. At a period when the invasion of the barbarian Lombards created a new situation in Europe, he played a great part in winning them for Christ. When Rome itself was under attack, he personally went to interview the Lombard King.

At the same time he watched equally over the holiness of the clergy and the maintenance of Church discipline, the temporal interests of his people of Rome and the spiritual interests of all Christendom. He removed unworthy priests from office, forbade taking money for many services, and emptied the papal treasury to ransom prisoners of the Lombards and to care for persecuted Jews and victims of plague and famine. These deeds and others made him, in the words of an antiphon in his office, "the Father of the City, the joy of the World."

Gregory reformed the liturgy, and it still contains several of his most beautiful prayers. The name "Gregorian chant" recalls this great Pope's work in the development of the Church's music. His commentaries on Holy Scripture exercised a considerable influence on Christian thought in the Middle Ages. St. Gregory died on March 12, 604. His body lies at St. Peter's in Rome.

Patron: choir boys; educators; gout; masons; music; musicians; choirs; singers; stonecutters; teachers; popes; students; scholars; against plague; against gout; against fever; England; West Indies;

Symbols: dove (the Holy Spirit perched upon St. Gregory's shoulder while he wrote); bishop's staff; book and a pen; papal tiara; a church; a sheet of music written in Gregorian style (4 lines, with square notes); scroll with the words, "Ora pro nobis Deum"; desk and book; altar; double or triple cross; eagle; lectern; tall cross and book.

Things to Do:

• Read this brief overview of Gregorian chant.

• Play recordings of chant.

• Read excerpts from St. Gregory's writings.

• From the Catholic Culture Library: Study the history of missionaries in England, The Origins of the Hymns of the Liturgy, Papal Errors in the Ordinary Magisterium? and Pope Pius X's encyclical, Iucunda Sane on Pope Gregory the Great.

• Read The Life of St. Gregory from the Golden Legend.

[Salvation]

Doctors of the Catholic Church

GREGORY WAS A GREAT LEADER STARTING AS A PREFECT OF ROME BEFORE HE WAS 30. AFTERWARDS, THE CHURCH FLOURISHED UNDER HIS POWERFUL INFLUENCE AS MONK, DEACON, PAPAL NUNCIO AND ABBOT. AT AGE 50 HE WAS ELECTED POPE BY THE CLERGY AND PEOPLE OF ROME.

DURING HIS DAY, THE CHURCH WAS UNDERGOING ATTACKS, RAMPANT STRIFE AND TREMENDOUS DIFFICULTIES. HIS VIRTUE, COURAGE AND ACTIONS HELD THE CHURCH TOGETHER.

NO DOCTOR OR MEMBER OF THE CHURCH SERVED IN MORE OFFICES THAN GREGORY. HE WAS THE FIRST POPE TO BE DECLARED A DOCTOR AND THAT WAS OVER 1500 YEARS AGO. HE SHARES THAT DISTINCTION WITH ST LEO THE ONLY OTHER PONTIFF TO BECOME A DOCTOR.

HE WAS FIRM AND DIRECT AND REMOVED UNWORTHY PRIESTS FROM OFFICE. GREGORY WAS A GREAT REFORMER AND STRENGTHENED THE RESPECT FOR DOCTRINE. HE HAS BEEN GIVEN A PLACE WITH AUGUSTINE, AMBROSE AND JEROME AS ONE OF THE FOUR KEY DOCTORS OF THE WESTERN CHURCH.

St Gregory, 540-604. Doctor of Hymnology, Feast Sept. 3rd.

[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 41 (42)

Longing for the Lord and his temple

Like a deer that longs for springs of water,
 so my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, the living God:
 when shall I come and stand before the face of God?

My tears are my food, by day and by night,
 and everyone asks, “where is your God?”.
I remember how I went up to your glorious dwelling-place
 and into the house of God:
 the memory melts my soul.
The sound of joy and thanksgiving,
 the crowds at the festival.

Why are you so sad, my soul,
 and anxious within me?
Put your hope in the Lord, I will praise him still,
 my saviour and my God.

My soul is sad within me,
 and so I will remember you
 in the lands of Jordan and Hermon,
 on the mountain of Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
 in your rushing waters:
and all your torrents, all your waves
 have flowed over me.

By day the Lord sends his kindness upon me;
 by night his song is with me,
 a prayer to the God of my life.
I will say to God:
 “You are my support, why have you forgotten me?
 Why must I go in mourning, while the enemy persecutes me?”.
As my bones break,
 my persecutors deride me,
 all the time saying “where is your God?”.

Why are you so sad, my soul,
 and anxious within me?
Put your hope in the Lord, I will praise him still,
 my saviour and my God.

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	Ecclesiasticus 36
A prayer for Jerusalem, the holy city
God of all, have mercy on us, take notice of us, and show us the light of your mercies. Make the nations fear you, who have not sought you out,  make them know that there is no God except you,  let them tell of your wonders. Lift up your hand over foreign nations, that they may see your power –  for just as in their sight you have been sanctified in us,  so in our sight you will be magnified in them. Lift up your hand so that they may know, as we know,  that there is no God but you, Lord. Bring forth new signs and repeat your wonders;  glorify your hand, show the strength of your arm. Gather together all the tribes of Jacob,  give them back the inheritance they had from the beginning. Take pity on your people, over whom we invoke your name,  and on Israel, whom you have made equal to your firstborn. Take pity on the city you have sanctified,  Jerusalem, the place of your rest. Fill Sion with your majesty;  fill your temple with your 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.

---

Psalm 18 (19)

Praise of God the creator

The skies tell the story of the glory of God,
 the firmament proclaims the work of his hands;
day pours out the news to day,
 night passes to night the knowledge.

Not a speech, not a word,
 not a voice goes unheard.
Their sound is spread throughout the earth,
 their message to all the corners of the world.

At the ends of the earth he has set up
 a dwelling place for the sun.
Like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
 it rejoices like an athlete at the race to be run.
It appears at the edge of the sky,
 runs its course to the sky’s furthest edge.
Nothing can hide from its heat.

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	Jeremiah 15:16 ©
When your words came, I devoured them: your word was my delight and the joy of my heart; for I was called by your name, Lord, God of hosts.

---

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.

---

Prayers and Intercessions

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Our Saviour has made us into a royal priesthood offering acceptable sacrifices to God. Let us thank him and ask him: - Lord, help us to serve God. Christ, eternal Priest, you conferred your holy priesthood on your people. Grant that we may ceaselessly offer acceptable sacrifices to God. Be generous with the gifts of your Spirit: patience, kindness and gentleness. Give us the gift of loving you, so that we may possess you, for you yourself are love. Give us the gift of doing good, so that we may praise you simply by living. Grant that we may seek whatever is best for our brethren and ease their path to salvation.

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.

Almighty Lord and God, you have brought us to the start of this day.
 By your power keep us safe so that today, at least, we may not sin,
 directing our thoughts, words and actions rightly according to your law.

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.

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May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

[Theophane]

Discovering God in Familiar Faces
September 3, 2007

Saint Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of the Church
Father Matthew Green, LC

Luke 4: 16-30
Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Isn´t this the son of Joseph?” He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ´Physician, cure yourself,´ and say, ´Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.´” And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, open my heart and mind to your word, that I may know and love your will in my life. I believe that you are always with me, and I trust in your love to guide and strengthen me. Help me to love you above all things.

Petition: I know, Lord, that you work in the hearts and minds of all people. Help me to recognize you wherever and through whomever you speak to me.

1. Familiarity Breeds Contempt When Jesus returns to his hometown to preach, he immediately captures their attention with the messianic text he reads and the quality of his preaching. Certainly, he had kept a low profile during the time before his public ministry, but Luke tells us that he had “advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man” (Luke 2:52) throughout his youth. So, why were they so surprised? They had gotten used to him, and had ceased to appreciate his unusual wisdom and holiness. They thought he had nothing to teach them. The same happens all too easily with us. Do we really listen to the readings at Mass, realizing that God speaks to us in ever new ways through his living Word, or do we spend that time daydreaming? Do we appreciate the words, images and symbols of the Sacraments, or let them pass by us like the lead-in to a familiar sitcom?

2. A Step in Faith Because they thought they knew everything there was to know about Jesus, the people of Nazareth were not open to the message he brought. They were unwilling to take a step in faith to see more than the young man who had grown up in their midst. The widow and the leper that Jesus refers to had taken a different stance. Despite plenty of reasons to doubt, they had trusted in the word of Elijah, an old man from a nation not their own, and because of their faith that God could work through him, they were rewarded with miracles. God can work through anyone and at any time, so we have to have the eyes of our soul open, ready to recognize him and his work even where we don’t expect to find him – be it in our family members or in strangers, in the young or the old.

3. Pride and Prejudice When Jesus calls them to task for their lack of faith, they react with surprising fury, and even try to kill him. Why? Their pride was greater than their love of truth or their love of God; they could not stand the idea that someone would dare challenge their own judgmental attitude and complacency. How many people rant and rage against the Church today because it dares to point out sin and call a spade a spade! Perhaps we ourselves have reacted violently to a friendly correction because it hit too close to home and came from someone whose own imperfections we know. There also was some prejudice: As members of the Chosen People, they were unwilling to learn from the faith of Gentiles. In today’s increasingly multicultural parishes, we need to be open to learning from the faith and fervor of anyone, regardless of their language or ethnicity.

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, grant me to grow in humility. Help me to be open to you and to recognize the work of your grace, accepting the lessons you teach me through your presence in others. Soften my resistance to your grace, so I can be molded into your own image!

Resolution: The next time someone points out one of my failings or says something that challenges me to be better, I will accept it gratefully as coming from God and strive to apply the lesson to my life.

[Salvation]

Vultus Christi

Pope Saint Gregory the Great

2 Corinthians 4:1-2, 5-7
Psalm 95:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8, 10
Luke 22:24-30

Your Servants Through Jesus

We celebrate today the feast of Saint Gregory the Great, a joy for the whole Church and, in a special way, for the Benedictine Order. Like Saint Paul speaking in today’s first reading, Saint Gregory had a passion for preaching “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor 4:4). “For we preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ our Lord; and ourselves your servants through Jesus” (2 Cor 4:5).

Father and Doctor

We count Saint Gregory the Great among the Fathers of the Church. He takes his place alongside of Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine and Saint Leo the Great. His fatherhood in the Spirit is an ongoing reality. Saint Gregory continues to be a “father” in the Spirit, sowing the seeds of contemplation even today by means of his writings. The writings of Saint Gregory allow us to hear his voice and to thrive on his teaching. Thus does he continue to help us grow up to maturity in Christ. Saint Gregory the Great is the Doctor of Lectio Divina, the Doctor of Compunction, and the Doctor of Contemplation.

Illumined by the Love of Jesus Christ

Saint Gregory was born into a patrician family in the year 540. His prestigious family background and education prepared him to do great things in Rome. His place was among the learned and esteemed. By age thirty-five, he was well on the way to a successful life, according to worldly standards. And then, like so many saints before him and like so many after him, Gregory was illumined by the love of Jesus Christ in so intimate a way that it changed the direction of his life. “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Christ Jesus” (2 Cor 4:6).

The Monastic Haven

The Gospels and the Psalms became his inseparable companions. Gregory became a monk, a disciple in the school of the Holy Patriarch Saint Benedict, although not without a struggle. “Even after I was filled with heavenly desire,” he says, “I preferred to be clothed in secular garb. Long-standing habit so bound me that I could not change my outward life.... Finally, I fled all this with anxiety and sought the safe haven of the monastery. Having left behind what belongs to the world (as I mistakenly thought at the time), I escaped naked from the shipwreck of this life.”

Servant of the Servants of God

Saint Gregory was acutely aware of his own fragility. Again, Saint Paul speaks to us today to reveal the soul of Gregory: “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency may be of the power of God, and not of us” (2 Cor 4:7). Benedictine obedience, silence, and humility, together with the daily round of the Work of God, prepared Saint Gregory to become the Bishop of Rome, the Supreme Pontiff and, to use his own expression, the Servant of the Servants of God.

All Pope and All Monk

Saint Gregory did not live the cloistered life for very long, but it marked him indelibly, almost painfully, and this for life. His talents and learning did not go unnoticed. Pope Gelasius sent him as his special delegate to Constantinople where he remained for six years. Upon his return to Rome, he was elected Pope. Today is, in fact, the anniversary of his ordination as bishop of Rome on September 3, 590. All his life, Saint Gregory longed for the silence of the monastery. All his life, he lamented that the affairs of the Church consumed him, leaving him with little time for prayer and contemplation. Outwardly, Gregory was all pope; inwardly, he was all monk.

Non Angli Sed Angeli

Zeal to make known “the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus” (2 Cor 4:6) compelled Pope Gregory to send the Roman monk Augustine together with forty others to preach the Gospel of Christ in England. Saint Gregory had a special affection for the English. Saint Bede, in his Ecclesiastical History, recounts the origin of the English mission:

Nor must we pass by in silence the story of the blessed Gregory, handed down to us by the tradition of our ancestors, which explains his earnest care for the salvation of our nation. It is said that one day, when some merchants had lately arrived at Rome, many things were exposed for sale in the market place, and much people resorted thither to buy: Gregory himself went with the rest, and saw among other wares some boys put up for sale, of fair complexion, with pleasing countenances, and very beautiful hair. When he beheld them, he asked, it is said, from what region or country they were brought, and was told, from the island of Britain, and that the inhabitants were like that in appearance.

He again inquired whether those islanders were Christians, or still involved in the errors of paganism, and was informed that they were pagans. Then fetching a deep sigh from the bottom of his heart, “Alas! What pity,” said he, “that the author of darkness should own men of such fair countenances; and that with such grace of outward form, their minds should be void of inward grace.” He therefore again asked, what was the name of that nation, and was answered, that they were called Angles. “Right,” said he, “for they have an angelic face, and it is meet that such should be co-heirs with the Angels in heaven.

How important it is that we pray today for the beleaguered Anglican Communion the world over! Saint Gregory is the “father in Christ” of the Ecclesia Anglicana. Pray today that, through his intercession, Anglican Christians may return to communion with the successor of Saint Gregory, the Pope.

The Word of God

Saint Gregory preached incessantly. He knew that the Church would flourish only if the faithful were nourished with the Word of God. His homilies and other writings were read and copied throughout the Middle Ages and, in this way, came down to us. Saint Gregory continues to feed us with the Word of God. He calls us to a heart-piercing, life-changing reading of the Scriptures. Blessed John XXIII read and re-read Saint Gregory’s Rule for Pastors so as to better fulfill his own mission as Servant of the Servants of God. The saints engender saints. We are known by the company we keep and by the books we read!

The Sacred Liturgy

Pope Saint Gregory was deeply concerned with the dignity and beauty of the Sacred Liturgy. In this he was a worthy son of Saint Benedict. He encouraged the study of liturgical chant and the formation of singers for the glory of God. This is yet another reason for us to seek his intercession at this time when Pope Benedict XVI is taking measures to restore beauty, reverence and dignity to the celebration of the Holy Mysteries. The Holy Father spoke of Saint Gregory the Great in Summorum Pontificum. This is what he said:

Up to our own times, it has been the constant concern of supreme pontiffs to ensure that the Church of Christ offers a worthy ritual to the Divine Majesty, 'to the praise and glory of His name,' and 'to the benefit of all His Holy Church.'

Since time immemorial it has been necessary - as it is also for the future - to maintain the principle according to which 'each particular Church must concur with the universal Church, not only as regards the doctrine of the faith and the sacramental signs, but also as regards the usages universally accepted by uninterrupted apostolic tradition, which must be observed not only to avoid errors but also to transmit the integrity of the faith, because the Church's law of prayer corresponds to her law of faith.' (1)

Among the pontiffs who showed that requisite concern, particularly outstanding is the name of St. Gregory the Great, who made every effort to ensure that the new peoples of Europe received both the Catholic faith and the treasures of worship and culture that had been accumulated by the Romans in preceding centuries. He commanded that the form of the sacred liturgy as celebrated in Rome (concerning both the Sacrifice of Mass and the Divine Office) be conserved. He took great concern to ensure the dissemination of monks and nuns who, following the Rule of St. Benedict, together with the announcement of the Gospel illustrated with their lives the wise provision of their Rule that “nothing should be placed before the work of God.” In this way the sacred liturgy, celebrated according to the Roman use, enriched not only the faith and piety but also the culture of many peoples. It is known, in fact, that the Latin liturgy of the Church in its various forms, in each century of the Christian era, has been a spur to the spiritual life of many saints, has reinforced many peoples in the virtue of religion and fecundated their piety.

Teach Us to Sing Wisely

Saint Gregory the Great, Servant of the Servants of God, be present to us today as Father, Shepherd, and Teacher. Teach us to sing wisely, that the words on our lips may pierce our hearts, raising us to the love of heavenly things, and to the glory of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages.

Posted by Father Mark

[Salvation]

Thanks for this homily.

[Salvation]

This link goes with #17

http://regnumchristi.org/english/articulos/articulo.phtml?rc=se-39_ca-95_te-60_id-18249