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Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 05-11-08, Solemnity, Pentecost Sunday
USCCB.org/New American Bible ^
| 05-11-08
| New American Bible
Posted on 05/10/2008 6:20:31 PM PDT by Salvation
May 11, 2008
Acts 2:1-11
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.
At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,
but they were confused
because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
They were astounded, and in amazement they asked,
Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?
Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?
We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites,
inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene,
as well as travelers from Rome,
both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,
yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues
of the mighty acts of God.
Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
R. (cf. 30) Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
How manifold are your works, O Lord!
the earth is full of your creatures;
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
If you take away their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD be glad in his works!
Pleasing to him be my theme;
I will be glad in the LORD.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13
Brothers and sisters:
No one can say, Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;
there are different forms of service but the same Lord;
there are different workings but the same God
who produces all of them in everyone.
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for some benefit.
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Jn 20:19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, Peace be with you.
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.
TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; catholiclist; pentecost
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1
posted on
05/10/2008 6:20:32 PM PDT
by
Salvation
To: nickcarraway; sandyeggo; Lady In Blue; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; Catholicguy; RobbyS; ...
Alleluia Ping!
Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Alleluia Ping List.
2
posted on
05/10/2008 6:22:05 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: Salvation
And the three Church solemnities/feasts that are the most important are??
Easter
Pentecost
Christmas
3
posted on
05/10/2008 6:23:09 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
4
posted on
05/10/2008 6:24:03 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
5
posted on
05/10/2008 6:24:45 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
6
posted on
05/10/2008 6:26:16 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
|
May Devotion: Blessed Virgin Mary
|
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. Toward the end of the eighteenth century a zealous Jesuit priest, Father Lalomia, started among the students of the Roman college of his Society the practice of dedicating May to Our Lady. The devotion, which others had promoted in a small way, soon spread to other Jesuit Colleges and to the entire Latin church and since that time it has been a regular feature of Catholic life.
INVOCATIONS
Thou who wast a virgin before thy delivery, pray for us. Hail Mary, etc.
Thou who wast a virgin in thy delivery, pray for us. Hail Mary, etc.
Thou who wast a virgin after thy delivery, pray for us. Hail Mary, etc.
My Mother, deliver me from mortal sin.
Hail Mary (three times).
Mother of love, of sorrow and of mercy, pray for us.
Remember, O Virgin Mother of God, when thou shalt stand before the face of the Lord, that thou speak favorable things in our behalf and that He may turn away His indignation from us.
Roman Missal
Thou art my Mother, O Virgin Mary: keep me safe lest I ever offend thy dear Son, and obtain for me the grace to please Him always and in all things.
FOR THE HELP OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
May we be assisted, we beseech Thee, 0 Lord, by the worshipful intercession of Thy glorious Mother, the ever-Virgin Mary; that we, who have been enriched by her perpetual blessings, may be delivered from all dangers, and through her loving kindness made to be of one heart and mind: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Roman Missal
THE SALVE REGINA
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus! O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Roman Breviary
PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
O blessed Virgin Mary, who can worthily repay thee thy just dues of praise and thanksgiving, thou who by the wondrous assent of thy will didst rescue a fallen world? What songs of praise can our weak human nature recite in thy honor, since it is by thy intervention alone that it has found
the way to restoration? Accept, then, such poor thanks as we have here to offer, though they be unequal to thy merits; and, receiving our vows, obtain by thy prayers the remission of our offenses. Carry thou our prayers within the sanctuary of the heavenly audience, and bring forth from it the antidote of our reconciliation. May the sins we bring before Almighty God through thee, become pardonable through thee; may what we ask for with sure confidence, through thee be granted. Take our offering, grant us our requests, obtain pardon for what we fear, for thou art the sole hope of sinners. Through thee we hope for the remission of our sins, and in thee, 0 blessed Lady, is our hope of reward. Holy Mary, succour the miserable, help the fainthearted, comfort the sorrowful, pray for thy people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God; may all who keep thy holy commemoration feel now thy help and protection. Be thou ever ready to assist us when we pray, and bring back to us the answers to our prayers. Make it thy continual care to pray for the people of God, thou who, blessed by God, didst merit to bear the Redeemer of the world, who liveth and reigneth, world without end. Amen.
Saint Augustine
PETITION TO MARY
Most holy Virgin Immaculate, my Mother Mary, to thee who art the Mother of my Lord, the queen of the universe, the advocate, the hope, the refuge of sinners, I who am the most miserable of all sinners, have recourse this day. I venerate thee, great queen, and I thank thee for the many graces thou hast bestowed upon me even unto this day; in particular for having delivered me from the hell which I have so often deserved by my sins. I love thee, most dear Lady; and for the love I bear thee, I promise to serve thee willingly for ever and to do what I can to make thee loved by others also. I place in thee all my hopes for salvation; accept me as thy servant and shelter me under thy mantle, thou who art the Mother of mercy. And since thou art so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or at least obtain for me the strength to overcome them until death. From thee I implore a true love for Jesus Christ. Through thee I hope to die a holy death. My dear Mother, by the love thou bearest to Almighty God, I pray thee to assist me always, but most of all at the last moment of my life. Forsake me not then, until thou shalt see me safe in heaven, there to bless thee and sing of thy mercies through all eternity. Such is my hope. Amen.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori
|
Magnificat Prayer My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my savior, For he has looked upon his servant in her lowliness; all ages to come shall call me blessed. God who is mighty has done great things for me, holy is his name; His mercy is from age to age on those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm; he has confused the proud in their inmost thoughts. He has deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places. The hungry he has given every good thing, while the rich he has sent empty away. He has upheld Israel his servant, ever mindful of his mercy; Even as he promised our fathers, promised Abraham and his descendants forever. (Lk 1:46-55) |
Seen above is the Blessed Virgin Mary, portrayed as Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
It was she who was chosen by God, to provide His Son with His Sacred Humanity.
She did so in humble and total cooperation with the Holy Spirit and the Divine will of the Holy Trinity; providing God's Son with the Blood He shed for us on the Cross.
TO MARY, REFUGE OF SINNERS
Hail, most gracious Mother of mercy, hail, Mary, for whom we fondly yearn, through whom we obtain forgiveness! Who would not love thee? Thou art our light in uncertainty, our comfort in sorrow, our solace in the time of trial, our refuge from every peril and temptation. Thou art our sure hope of salvation, second only to thy only-begotten Son; blessed are they who love thee, our Lady! Incline, I beseech thee, thy ears of pity to the entreaties of this thy servant, a miserable sinner; dissipate the darkness of my sins by the bright beams of thy holiness, in order that I may be acceptable in thy sight.
FOR THE GRACE OF LOVE
O Mary, my dear Mother, how much I love thee! And yet in reality how little! Thou dost teach me what I ought to know, for thou teachest me what Jesus is to me and what I ought to be for Jesus. Dearly beloved Mother, how close to God thou art, and how utterly filled with Him! In the measure that we know God, we remind ourselves of thee. Mother of God, obtain for me the grace of loving my Jesus; obtain for me the grace of loving thee!
Cardinal Merry del Val
TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY FOR MAY
O most august and blessed Virgin Mary! Holy Mother of God! glorious Queen of heaven and earth! powerful protectress of those who love thee, and unfailing advocate of all who invoke thee! look down, I beseech thee, from thy throne of glory on thy devoted child; accept the solemn offering I present thee of this month, specially dedicated to thee, and receive my ardent, humble desire, that by my love and fervor I could worthily honor thee, who, next to God, art deserving of all honor. Receive me, 0 Mother of Mercy, among thy best beloved children; extend to me thy maternal tenderness and solicitude; obtain for me a place in the Heart of Jesus, and a special share in the gifts of His grace. 0 deign, I beseech thee, to recognize my claims on thy protection, to watch over my spiritual and temporal interests, as well as those of all who are dear to me; to infuse into my soul the spirit of Christ, and to teach me thyself to become meek, humble, charitable, patient, and submissive to the will of God.
May my heart bum with the love of thy Divine Son, and of thee, His blessed Mother, not for a month alone, but for time and eternity; may I thirst for the promotion of His honor and thine, and contribute, as far as I can, to its extension. Receive me, 0 Mary, the refuge of sinners! Grant me a Mother's blessing and a Mother's care, now, and at the hour of my death. Amen.
TO OUR LADY
Saint John Vianney, better known as the Cure of Ars, when asked how long he had loved Mary, said: "I loved her almost before I could know her." In this prayer he expresses that love.
O thou most holy virgin Mary, who dost evermore stand before the most holy Trinity, and to whom it is granted at all times to pray for us to thy most beloved Son; pray for me in all my necessities; help me, combat for me, and obtain for me the pardon of all my sins. Help me especially at my last hour; and when I can no longer give any sign of the use of reason, then do thou encourage me, make the sign of the cross for me, and fight for me against the enemy. Make in my name a profession of faith; favor me with a testimony of my salvation, and never let me despair of the mercy of God. Help me to overthrow the wicked enemy. When I can no longer say: "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I place my soul in your hands," do thou say it for me; when I can no longer hear human words of consolation, do thou comfort me. Leave me not before I have been judged; and if I have to expiate my sins in purgatory, oh! pray for me earnestly; and admonish my friends to procure for me a speedy enjoyment of the blessed sight of God. Lessen my sufferings, deliver me speedily, and lead my soul into heaven with thee: that, united with all the elect, I may there bless and praise my God and thee for all eternity. Amen.
Saint John Vianney
ACT OF REPARATION
O blessed Virgin, Mother of God, look down in mercy from heaven, where thou art enthroned as Queen, upon me, a miserable sinner, thine unworthy servant. Although I know full well my own unworthiness, yet in order to atone for the offenses that are done to thee by impious and blasphemous
tongues, from the depths of my heart I praise and extol thee as the purest, the fairest, the holiest creature of all God's handiwork. I bless thy holy name, I praise thine exalted privilege of being truly Mother of God, ever virgin, conceived without stain of sin, co-redemptrix of the human race. I bless the Eternal Father who chose thee in an especial way for His daughter; I bless the Word Incarnate who took upon Himself our nature in thy bosom and so made thee His Mother; I bless the Holy Spirit who took thee as His bride. All honor, praise and thanksgiving to the ever-blessed Trinity, who predestined thee and loved thee so exceedingly from all eternity as to exalt thee above all creatures to the most sublime heights. 0 Virgin, holy and merciful, obtain for all who offend thee the grace of repentance, and graciously accept this poor act of homage from me thy servant, obtaining likewise for me from thy divine Son the pardon and remission of all my sins. 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
Memorare of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
Remember O Most Gracious Virgin Mary! That never was it known That anyone who fled to thy protection, Implored thy help or sought thy intercession Was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto Thee! O Virgin of virgins, My Mother! To Thee I come before Thee I stand, Sinful and Sorrowful, Oh Mother of the Word Incarnate, Despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, Hear and answer me.
Amen
|
May Devotion: Blessed Virgin Mary
7
posted on
05/10/2008 6:30:46 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Prayer Intentions of the Holy Father for May.
MAY 2008
General:
That Christians may use literature, art and the media to greater advantage to favour a culture which defends and promotes the values of the human person
Mission:
That just as she accompanied the Apostles in the early stages of the Church, may the Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of Evangelization and Queen of Apostles, continue to guide missionaries throughout the world with maternal affection.
8
posted on
05/10/2008 6:31:38 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
From: Acts 2:1-11
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
[1] When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
[2] And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind,
and it filled all the house where they were sitting. [3] And there appeared to
them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. [4] And
they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues,
as the Spirit gave them utterance.
[5] Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation
under heaven. [6] And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were
bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. [7]
And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “Are not all these who are
speaking Galileans? [8] And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native
language? [9] Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia,
Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, [10] Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt
and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews
and proselytes, [11] Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own
tongues the mighty works of God.”
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
1-13. This account of the Holy Spirit visibly coming down on the disciples who,
in keeping with Jesus’ instructions, had stayed together in Jerusalem, gives
limited information as to the time and place of the event, yet it is full of content.
Pentecost was one of the three great Jewish feasts for which many Israelites
went on pilgrimage to the Holy City to worship God in the temple. It originated
as a harvest thanksgiving, with an offering of first-fruits. Later it was given the
additional dimension of commemorating the promulgation of the Law given by
God to Moses on Sinai. The Pentecost celebration was held fifty days after the
Passover, that is, after seven weeks had passed. The material harvest which
the Jews celebrated so joyously became, through God’s providence, the symbol
of the spiritual harvest which the Apostles began to reap on this day.
2-3. Wind and fire were elements which typically accompanied manifestations
of God in the Old Testament (cf. Ex 3:2; l 3 :21-22; 2 Kings5:24; Ps 104:3). In
this instance, as Chrysostom explains, it would seem that separate tongues of
fire came down on each of them: they were “separated, which means they came
from one and the same source, to show that the Power all comes from the
Paraclete” (”Hom. on Acts”, 4). The wind and the noise must have been so in-
tense that they caused people to flock to the place. The fire symbolizes the
action of the Holy Spirit who, by enlightening the minds of the disciples, enables
them to understand Jesus’ teachings—as Jesus promised at the Last Supper (cf.
Jn 16:4-14); by inflaming their hearts with love he dispels their fear and moves
them to preach boldly. Fire also has a purifying effect, God’s action cleansing
the soul of all trace of sin.
4. Pentecost was not an isolated event in the life of the Church, something over
and done with. “We have the right, the duty and the joy to tell you that Pentecost
is still happening. We can legitimately speak of the ‘lasting value’ of Pentecost.
We know that fifty days after Easter, the Apostles, gathered together in the same
Cenacle as had been used for the first Eucharist and from which they had gone
out to meet the Risen One for the first time, “discover” in themselves the power
of the Holy Spirit who descended upon them, the strength of Him whom the Lord
had promised so often as the outcome of his suffering on the Cross; and streng-
thened in this way, they began to act, that is, to perform their role. [. . .] Thus
is born the “apostolic Church”. But even today—and herein the continuity lies—the
Basilica of St Peter in Rome and every Temple, every Oratory, every place where
the disciples of the Lord gather, is an extension of that original Cenacle” (John
Paul II, “Homily”, 25 May 1980).
Vatican II (cf. Ad gentes, 4) quotes St Augustine’s description of the Holy Spirit
as the soul, the source of life, of the Church, which was born on the Cross on
Good Friday and whose birth was announced publicly on the day of Pentecost:
“Today, as you know, the Church was fully born, through the breath of Christ,
the Holy Spirit; and in the Church was born the Word, the witness to and promul-
gation of salvation in the risen Jesus; and in him who listens to this promulgation
is born faith, and with faith a new life, an awareness of the Christian vocation and
the ability to hear that calling and to follow it by living a genuinely human life,
indeed a life which is not only human but holy. And to make this divine inter-
vention effective, today was born the apostolate, the priesthood, the ministry of
the Spirit, the calling to unity, fraternity and peace” (Paul VI, “Address”, 25
May 1969).
“Mary, who conceived Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit, the Love of the living
God, presides over the birth of the Church, on the day of Pentecost, when the
same Holy Spirit comes down on the disciples and gives life to the mystical body
of Christians in unity and charity” (Paul VI, “Address”, 25 October 1969).
5-11. In his account of the events of Pentecost St Luke distinguishes “devout
men” (v. 5), Jews and proselytes (v. 11). The first-mentioned were people who
were residing in Jerusalem for reasons of study or piety, to be near the only
temple the Jews had. They were Jews—not to be confused with “God-fearing
men”, that is, pagans sympathetic to Judaism, who worshipped the God of the
Bible and who, if they became converts and members of the Jewish religion by
being circumcised and by observing the Mosaic Law, were what were called
“proselytes”, whom Luke distinguishes from the “Jews”, that is, those of Jewish
race.
People of different races and tongues understand Peter, each in his or her own
language. They can do so thanks to a special grace from the Holy Spirit given
them for the occasion; this is not the same as the gift of “speaking with tongues”
which some of the early Christians had (cf. 1 Cor 14), which allowed them to
praise God and speak to him in a language which they themselves did not
understand.
11. When the Fathers of the Church comment on this passage they frequently
point to the contrast between the confusion of languages that came about at
Babel (cf. Gen 11:1-9)—God’s punishment for man’s pride and infidelity—and the
reversal of this confusion on the day of Pentecost, thanks to the grace of the
Holy Spirit. The Second Vatican Council stresses the same idea: “Without
doubt, the Holy Spirit was at work in the world before Christ was glorified. On the
day of Pentecost, however, he came down on the disciples that he might remain
with them forever (cf. Jn 14;16); on that day the Church was openly displayed to
the crowds and the spread of the Gospel among the nations, through preaching,
was begun. Finally, on that day was foreshadowed the union of all peoples in the
catholicity of the faith by means of the Church of the New Alliance, a Church
which speaks every language, understands and embraces all tongues in charity,
and thus overcomes the dispersionof Babel” (”Ad Gentes”, 4).
Christians need this gift for their apostolic activity and should ask the Holy Spirit
to give it to them to help them express themselves in such a way that others can
understand their message; to be able so to adapt what they say to suit the
outlook and capacity of their hearers, that they pass Christ’s truth on: “Every
generation of Christians needs to redeem, to sanctify, its own time. To do this,
it must understand and share the desires of other men—their equals—in order to
make known to them, with a ‘gift of tongues’, how they are to respond to the
action of the Holy Spirit, to that permanent outflow of rich treasures that comes
from our Lord’s heart. We Christians are called upon to announce, in our own
time, to this world to which we belong and in which we live, the message—old
and at the same time new—of the Gospel” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing
By”, 132).
*********************************************************************************************
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.
9
posted on
05/10/2008 6:32:50 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
From: 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13
Kinds of Spiritual Gifts
[3] Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God
ever says “Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the
Holy Spirit.
[4] Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; [5] and there are varieties
of service, but the same Lord; [6] and there are varieties of working, but it is the
same God who inspires them all in every one. [7] To each is given the manifes-
tation of the Spirit for the common good.
Unity and Variety in the Mystical Body of Christ
[12] For just as the body is one and has many member, and all the members of
the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. [13] For by one Spirit
we were all baptized into one body Jews or Greeks, slaves or free and all were
made to drink of one Spirit.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
3. This provides a general principle for discerning signs of the Holy Spirit—recog-
nition of Christ as Lord. It follows that the gifts of the Holy Spirit can never go
against the teaching of the Church. “Those who have charge over the Church
hould judge the genuineness and proper use of these gifts [...], not indeed to
extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to what is good (cf.
Thess 5:12 and 19-21)” (”Lumen Gentium”, 12).
4-7. God is the origin of spiritual gifts. Probably when St Paul speaks of gifts,
service (ministries), “varieties of working”, he is not referring to graces which
are essentially distinct from one another, but to different perspectives from which
these gifts can be viewed, and to their attribution to the Three Divine Persons.
Insofar as they are gratuitously bestowed they are attributed to the Holy Spirit,
as he confirms in v. 11; insofar as they are granted for the benefit and service
of the other members of the Church, they are attributed to Christ the Lord, who
came “not to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45); and insofar as they are operative
and produce a good effect, they are attributed to God the Father. In this way the
various graces which the members of the Church receive are a living reflection of
God who, being essentially one, in so is a trinity of persons. “The whole Church
has the appearance of a people gathered together by virtue of the unity of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (St Cyprian, “De Dominica Ora-
tione”, 23). Therefore, diversity of gifts and graces is as important as their basic
unity, because all have the same divine origin and the same purpose—the com-
mon good (v. 7): “It is the Holy Spirit, dwelling in those who believe and pervading
and ruling over the entire Church, who brings about that wonderful communion of
the faithful and joins them together so intimately in Christ that he is the principle
of the Church’s unity. By distributing various kinds of spiritual gifts and ministries
he enriches the Church of Jesus Christ with different functions ‘in order to equip
the saints for the work of service, so as to build up the body of Christ’ (Eph 4:12)”
(Vatican II, Unitatis Redintegratio”, 2).
*********************************************************************************************
12-13. In Greek and Latin literature, society is often compared to a body; even
today we talk of “corporations”, a term which conveys the idea that all the citi-
zens of a particular city are responsible for the common good. St Paul, starting
with this metaphor, adds two important features: 1) he identifies the Church with
Christ: “so it is with Christ” (v. 12); and 2) he says that the Holy Spirit is its life-
principle: “by one Spirit we were all baptized..., and all made to drink of the Spirit”
(v. 13). The Magisterium summarizes this teaching by defining the Church as the
“mystical body of Christ”, an expression which “is derived from and is, as it were,
the fair flower of the repeated teaching of Sacred Scripture and the holy Fathers”
(Pius XII, “Mystici Corporis”).
“So it is with Christ”: “One would have expected him to say, so it is with the
Church, but he does not say that [...]. For, just as the body and the head are
one man, so too Christ and the Church are one, and therefore instead of ‘the
Church’ he says ‘Christ”’ (Chrysostom, “Hom. on 1 Cor”, 30, “ad loc”.). This iden-
tifiction of the Church with Christ is much more then a mere metaphor; it makes
the Church a society which is radically different from any other society: “The
complete Christ is made up of the head and the body, as I am sure you know
well. The head is our Savior himself, who suffered under Pontius Pilate and now,
after rising from the dead, is seated at the right hand of the Father. And his body
is the Church. Not this or that church, but the Church which is to be found all ove
the world. Nor is it only that which exists among us today, for also belonging to
it are those who lived before us and those who will live in the future, right up to the
end of the world. All this Church, made up of the assembly of the faithful—for all
the faithful are members of Christ—has Christ as its head, governing his body from
heaven. And although this head is located out of sight of the body, he is, however,
joined to it by love” (St Augustine, “Enarrationes in Psalmos”, 56, 1).
The Church’s remarkable unity derives from the Holy Spirit who not only assem-
bles the faithful into a society but also imbues and vivifies its members, exercising
the same function as the soul does in a physical body: “In order that we might be
unceasingly renewed in him (cf. Eph 4:23), he has shared with us his Spirit who,
being one and the same in head and members, gives life to, unifies and moves
the whole body. Consequently, his work could be compared by the Fathers to the
function that the principle of life, the soul, fulfils in the human body” (Vatican II,
“Lumen Gentium”, 7).
“All were made to drink of one Spirit”: given that the Apostle says this imme-
diately after mentioning Baptism, he seems to be referring to a further outpouring
of the Holy Spirit, possibly in the sacrament of Confirmation. It is not uncommon
for Sacred Scripture to compare the outpouring of the Spirit to drink, indicating
that the effects of his presence are to revive the parched soul; in the Old Testa-
ment the coming of the Holy Spirit is already compared to dew, rain, etc.; and
St. John repeats what our Lord said about “living water” (Jn 7:38; cf. 4:13-14).
Together with the sacraments of Christian initiation, the Eucharist plays a special
role in building up the unity of the body of Christ. “Really sharing in the body of
the Lord in the breaking of the eucharistic bread, we are taken up into communion
with him and with one another. ‘Because the bread is one, we, who are many,
are one body, for we all partake of one bread’ (1 Cor 10:17). In this way all of us
are made members of his body (cf. 1 Cor 12;27), ‘and individual members of one
another’ (Rom 12:5)” (”Lumen Gentium”, 7).
*********************************************************************************************
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.
10
posted on
05/10/2008 6:34:06 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
From: John 20:19-23
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
[19] On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors shut where
the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and
said to them, “Peace be with you.” [20] When He had said this, He showed
them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the
Lord. [21] Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has
sent Me, even so I send you.” [22] And when He had said this, He breathed on
them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. [23] If you forgive the sins of
any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
19-20. Jesus appears to the Apostles on the evening of the day of which He rose.
He presents Himself in their midst without any need for the doors to be opened,
by using the qualities of His glorified body; but in order to dispel any impression
that He is only a spirit He shows them His hands and His side: there is no longer
any doubt about its being Jesus Himself, about His being truly risen from the
dead. He greets them twice using the words of greeting customary among the
Jews, with the same tenderness as He previously used put into this salutation.
These friendly words dispel the fear and shame the Apostles must have been
feeling at behaving so disloyally during His passion: He has created the normal
atmosphere of intimacy, and now He will endow them with transcendental powers.
21. Pope Leo XIII explained how Christ transferred His own mission to the Apos-
tles: “What did He wish in regard to the Church founded, or about to be founded?
This: to transmit to it the same mission and the same mandate which He had
received from the Father, that they should be perpetuated. This He clearly
resolved to do: this He actually did. `As the Father hath sent Me, even so I send
you’ (John 20:21). `As Thou didst send Me into the world, so I have sent them
into the world’ (John 17:18). [...] When about to ascend into Heaven, He sends
His Apostles in virtue of the same power by which He had been sent from the
Father; and He charges them to spread abroad and propagate His teachings (cf.
Matthew 28:18), so that those obeying the Apostles might be saved, and those
disobeying should perish (cf. Mark 16:16). [...] Hence He commands that the
teaching of the Apostles should be religiously accepted and piously kept as if it
were His own: `He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me’
(Luke 10:16). Wherefore the Apostles are ambassadors of Christ as He is the
ambassador of the Father” ([Pope] Leo XIII, “Satis Cognitum”). In this mission
the bishops are the successors of the Apostles: “Christ sent the Apostles as He
Himself had been sent by the Father, and then through the Apostles made their
successors, the bishops, sharers in His consecration and mission. The function
of the bishops’ ministry was handed over in a subordinate degree to priests so that
they might be appointed in the order of the priesthood and be co-workers of the
episcopal order for the proper fulfillment of the apostolic mission that had been
entrusted to it by Christ” (Vatican II, “Presbyterorum Ordinis”, 2).
22-23. The Church has always understood—and has in fact defined—that Jesus
Christ here conferred on the Apostles authority to forgive sins, a power which is
exercised in the Sacrament of Penance. “The Lord then especially instituted the
Sacrament of Penance when, after being risen from the dead, He breathed upon
His disciples and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit...’ The consensus of all the
Fathers has always acknowledged that by this action so sublime and words so
clear the power of forgiving and retaining sins was given to the Apostles and their
lawful successors for reconciling the faithful who have fallen after Baptism”
(Council of Trent, “De Paenitentia”, Chapter 1).
The Sacrament of Penance is the most sublime expression of God’s love and
mercy towards men, described so vividly in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son (cf.
Luke 15:11-32). The Lord always awaits us, with His arms wide open, waiting for
us to repent—and then He will forgive us and restore us to the dignity of being His
sons.
The Popes have consistently recommended Christians to have regular recourse
to this Sacrament: “For a constant and speedy advancement in the path of virtue
we highly recommend the pious practice of frequent Confession, introduced by
the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; for by this means we grow in
a true knowledge of ourselves and in Christian humility, bad habits are uprooted,
spiritual negligence and apathy are prevented, the conscience is purified and the
will strengthened, salutary spiritual direction is obtained, and grace is increased
by the efficacy of the Sacrament itself” (Pius XII, “Mystici Corporis”).
*********************************************************************************************
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.
11
posted on
05/10/2008 6:35:31 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
The institution of the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Confession. Right there in the Bible!
Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.
12
posted on
05/10/2008 6:39:15 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd
Mass Readings
First reading |
Acts 2:1 - 11 © |
When Pentecost day came round, they had all met in one room, when suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech. Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven, and at this sound they all assembled, each one bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language. They were amazed and astonished. Surely they said all these men speaking are Galileans? How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; people from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya round Cyrene; as well as visitors from Rome Jews and proselytes alike Cretans and Arabs; we hear them preaching in our own language about the marvels of God. |
Psalm or canticle: Psalm 103 |
Second reading |
1 Corinthians 12:3 - 13 © |
I want you to understand that on the one hand no one can be speaking under the influence of the Holy Spirit and say, Curse Jesus, and on the other hand, no one can say, Jesus is Lord unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit. There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose. Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink. |
Gospel |
John 20:19 - 23 © |
In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, Peace be with you, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.
After saying this he breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.
|
13
posted on
05/10/2008 6:40:48 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
This prayer, which dates from the twelfth century, is substituted for the Angelus during Easter Season.
In Latin
|
In English
|
Regina coeli, laetare, alleluia: Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia. Resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia. V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, Alleluia, R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia. Oremus: Deus qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus, ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen. |
Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia: For He whom you merited to bear, alleluia, Has risen as He said, alleluia. Pray for us to God, alleluia. V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. R. Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia. Let us pray: O God, who by the Resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, granted joy to the whole world: grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may lay hold of the joys of eternal life. Through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen. |
14
posted on
05/10/2008 6:42:24 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Sunday, May 11, 2008 Pentecost Sunday (Solemnity) (Sixth Week in Ordinary Time) |
|
15
posted on
05/10/2008 6:44:03 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
The Holy Spirit and His Gifts
The Holy Spirit and His Gifts
May 10, 2008
As a teen, I thought the clergy were supposed to do everything. We laity were just called to pray, pay, and obey. Oh yes, and keep the commandments, of course. The original 10 seemed overwhelming enough. Then I discovered the Sermon on the Mount and nearly passed out.
Perhaps this is why many inactive Catholics are so resentful of their upbringing in the Church. For them, religion means frustration, failure, and guilt.
Somehow they, and I, missed the good news about Pentecost. Okay, we Catholics celebrate the feast every year and mention it in Confirmation class, but lots of us evidently didnt get it.
Because if we got it, wed be different. Bold instead of timid, energetic instead of anemic, fascinated instead of bored. Compare the apostles before and after Pentecost and youll see the difference the Spirit makes.
The gospel is Good News not just because were going to heaven, but because weve been empowered to become new people, here and now. Vatican II insisted that each of us is called to the heights of holiness (Lumen Gentium, chapter V). Not by will-power, mind you. But by Holy Spirit power. Holiness consists of faith, hope, and especially divine love. These are virtues, literally powers, given by the Spirit. To top it off, the Spirit gives us seven further gifts which perfect faith, hope, and love, making it possible for us to live a supernatural, charismatic life. Some think this is only for the chosen few, the mystics. Thomas Aquinas taught to the contrary that the gifts of Is 11:1-3 (wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel, piety, fortitude, and fear of the Lord) are standard equipment given in baptism, that all are called to be mystics.
Vatican II also taught that every Christian has a vocation to serve. We need power for this too. And so the Spirit distributes other gifts, called charisms. These, teaches St. Thomas, are not so much for our own sanctification as for service to others. There is no exhaustive list of charisms, though St. Paul mentions a few (1 Cor 12:7-10, Rom 12:6-8) ranging from tongues to Christian marriage (1 Cor 7:7). Charisms are not doled out by the pastors; but are given directly by the Spirit through baptism and confirmation, even sometimes outside of the sacraments (Acts 10:44-48).
Do I sound Pentecostal? Thats because I belong to the largest Pentecostal Church in the world. Correcting the mistaken notion that the charisms were just for the apostolic church, Vatican II had this to say: Allotting His gifts to everyone according as he will (1 Cor. 12:11), He [the Holy Spirit] distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank. . . . These charismatic gifts, whether they be the most outstanding or the more simple and widely diffused, are to be received with thanksgiving and consolation, for they are exceedingly suitable and useful for the needs of the Church (LG 12).
Powerful gifts, freely given to all. Sounds like a recipe for chaos. But the Lord also imparted to the apostles and their successors a unifying charism of headship. The role of the ordained is not to do everything themselves. Rather, they are to discern, shepherd, and coordinate the charisms of the laity so that they mature and work together for the greater glory of God (LG 30).
So what if you, like me, did not quite get it when you were confirmed? Ive got good news for you. You actually did get the Spirit and his gifts. Have you ever received a new credit card with a sticker saying Must call to activate before using? The Spirit and His gifts are the same way. You have to call in and activate them. Do it today and every day, and especially every time you attend Mass. Because every sacramental celebration is a New Pentecost where the Spirit and his gifts are poured out anew (CCC 739, 1106).
Thats why the Christian Life is an adventure. There will always be new surprises of the Spirit!
16
posted on
05/10/2008 6:48:32 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
The Work of God
Year A - Pentecost Sunday Receive the Holy Spirit John 20:19-2319 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." (NRSV)Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus |
Peace be with you. Do you realize what this means? Can you understand that the peace I give is the peace of God, something that no one had before my resurrection?
Peace is with you, by this I mean the peace of reconciliation between God and men that I achieved with my suffering, my passion agony and death. I reconciled men with God; I brought mercy into the world to give everyone the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of my incarnation. Glory to God in the highest heavens; and peace on earth to men of good will.
Receive the Holy Spirit.
Do you understand what I am saying when I say receive the Holy Spirit?
I am not giving you anything that belongs to this world. I am not giving you anything that I could give before my resurrection; I am giving you the great love of God, which is the will of my father and mine. I am giving you my peace first, to prepare you for the gift of the Holy Spirit, the fire of love, which purifies you and then fills you with love.
And how, you may say, can you receive peace now and experience my gift of the Holy Spirit? It is all very simple.
Repent of your sins.
Imagine that you are experiencing the last judgment at this moment. Think about all the sins of your life and make a list. Go through the list with a magnifying glass. Meditate on the consequences of those sins on other people; feel sorry for them and for your soul.
Realize that it was you, who made me suffer and crucified me; so that by my death on the cross I could die for the forgiveness of your sins.
Do an examination of conscience based on the ten commandments, realize that as a human being you are a sinner, you are no exception, you have offended God.
But it is not time to hate yourself or to find excuses to prove your innocence. I have the cure for your sins. Dont simply hide your darkness and increase it, by doing nothing to change your way of life.
I am the way. Simply follow my instructions. I am the truth therefore see your soul with my eyes, but know that I am ready to forgive you. I am the life, your sins are your death, choose me and you will live. Only if you accept your guilt and come to me with sorrow for what you have done, will you obtain mercy. You will have to humble yourself to make up for the pride of your past.
Go to a priest and confess your sins, I will be listening to you through him and will absolve you of your sins through the power that I have given to my Church. Unless you receive my forgiveness, you will struggle in life without ever knowing what peace of God really means.
Receive the Holy Spirit. Immerse your self in the fire of my love, be purified from evil and come to know me, love me and serve me.
I am Love, be united to me. Love me by keeping my commandments, and by loving one another. Receive my love, as you desire to be with me.
Receive the Holy Spirit. Receive the greatest gift that God has offered men. Receive the spirit of love, God Himself.
A good father on earth gives good things to his children when they ask him. I give you the Holy Spirit if you come to me. I give you the love of the Father and my love.
Receive the Holy Spirit.
Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary
Catholic homilies - gospel inspirations - list
17
posted on
05/10/2008 6:52:43 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: Salvation
Thank you for the beautiful posting. I especially found the exquisite artwork to be uplifting and inspiring. Ever beautiful, ever Holy Mary. Such a choice example to all of us.
Happy & Blessed Pentecost to all my Catholic FRiends from this Mormon gal. You are awesome!
18
posted on
05/10/2008 8:54:40 PM PDT
by
Enough_Deceit
(Proud Mama of a US Marine! Ooorahh!)
To: Salvation
Jn 20:19-23 |
# |
Douay-Rheims |
Vulgate |
19 |
Now when it was late the same day, the first of the week, and the doors were shut, where the disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them: Peace be to you. |
cum esset ergo sero die illo una sabbatorum et fores essent clausae ubi erant discipuli propter metum Iudaeorum venit Iesus et stetit in medio et dicit eis pax vobis |
20 |
And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. |
et hoc cum dixisset ostendit eis manus et latus gavisi sunt ergo discipuli viso Domino |
21 |
He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. |
dixit ergo eis iterum pax vobis sicut misit me Pater et ego mitto vos |
22 |
When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. |
hoc cum dixisset insuflavit et dicit eis accipite Spiritum Sanctum |
23 |
Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. |
quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis quorum retinueritis detenta sunt |
19
posted on
05/10/2008 10:00:18 PM PDT
by
annalex
(http://www.catecheticsonline.com/CatenaAurea.php)
To: annalex
19. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for feel of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and says to them, Peace be to you.
20. And when he had so said, he showed to them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
21. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be to you: as my Father has sent me, even so send I you.
22. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and says to them, Receive you the Holy Ghost:
23. Whosesoever sins you remit, they are remitted to them; and whose soever sins you retain, they are retained.
CHRYS. The disciples, when they heard what Mary told them, were obliged either to disbelieve, or, if they believed, to grieve that He did not count them worthy to have the sight of Him. He did not let them however pass a whole day in such reflections, but in the midst of their longing trembling desires to see Him, presented Himself to them: Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews.
BEDE. Wherein is strewn the infirmity of the Apostles. They assembled with doors shut, through that same fear of the Jews, which had before scattered them: Came Jesus, and stood in the midst. He came in the evening, because they would be the most afraid at that time.
THEOPHYL. Or because He waited till all were assembled: and with shut doors, that he might show how that in the very same way he had risen again, i.e. with the stone lying on the sepulcher.
AUG. Some are strongly indisposed to believe this miracle, and argue thus: If the same body rose again, which hung upon the Cross, how could that body enter through shut doors? But if you comprehend the mode, it is no miracle: when reason fails, then is faith edified.
AUG. The shut door did not hinder the body, wherein Divinity resided. He could enter without open doors, who was as born without a violation of His mother's virginity
CHRYS. It is wonderful that they did not think him a phantom. But Mary had provided against this, by the faith she had wrought in them. And He Himself too showed Himself so openly, and strengthened their wavering minds by His voice: And says to them, Peace be to you, i.e. Be not disturbed. Wherein too He reminds them; of what He had said before His crucifixion; My peace 1 give to you; and again, In Me you shall have peace.
GREG. And because their faith wavered even with the material body before them, He showed them His hands and side: And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side.
AUG. The nails had pierced His hands, the lance had pierced His side. For the healing of doubting hearts, the marks of the wounds were still preserved.
CHRYS. And what He had promised before the crucifixion, I shall see you again, and you, heart shall rejoice, is now fulfilled: Then were the disciples glad when they say the Lord.
AUG. The glory, wherewith the righteous shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father, i.e. in Christ's body, we must believe to have been rather veiled than not to have been there at all. He accommodated His presence to man's weak sight, and presented Himself in such form, as that His disciple could look at and recognize Him.
CHRYS. All these things brought them to a most confident faith. As they were in endless war with the Jews, He says again, Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be to you.
BEDE. A repetition is a confirmation: whether He repeats it because the grace of love is twofold, or because He it is who made of twain one.
CHRYS. At the same time He shows the efficacy of the cross, by which He undoes all evil things, and gives all good things; which is peace. To the women above there was announced joy; for that sex was in sorrow, and had received the curse, In sorrow shall you bring forth. All hindrances then being removed, and every thing made straight, he adds, As My Father has sent Me, even so send I you
GREG. The Father sent the Son, appointed Him to the work of redemption. He says therefore, As My Father has sent Me, even so send I you; i.e. I love you, now that I send you to persecution, with the same love wherewith My Father loved Me, when He sent Me to My sufferings.
AUG. We have learnt that the Son is A equal to the Father: here He shows Himself Mediator; He Me, and I you.
CHRYS. Having then given them confidence by His own miracles, and appealing to Him who sent Him, He uses a prayer to the Father, but of His own authority gives them power: And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and says to them, Receive you the Holy Ghost.
AUG. That corporeal breath was not the substance of the Holy Ghost, but to show, by meet symbol, that the Holy Ghost proceeded not only from the Father, but the Son. For who would be so mad as to say, that it was one Spirit which He gave by breathing, and another which He sent after His ascension?
GREG. But why is He first given too the disciples on earth, and afterwards sent from heaven? Because there are two commandments of love, to love God, and to love our neighbor. The spirit to love our neighbor is given on earth, the spirit to love God is given from heaven. As then love is one, and there are two commandments; so the Spirit is one, and there are two gifts of the Spirit. And the first is given by our Lord while yet upon earth, the second from heaven, because by the love of our neighbor we learn how to arrive at the love of God.
CHRYS. Some say that by breathing He did not give them the Spirit, but made them meet to receive the Spirit. For if Daniel's senses were so overpowered by the sight of the Angel, how would they have been overwhelmed in receiving that unutterable gift, if He had not first prepared them for it! It would not be wrong however to say that they received then the gift of a certain spiritual power, not to raise the dead and do miracles, but to remit sins: Whosoever sins you remit, they are remitted to them, and whosoever sins you retain, they are retained.
AUG. The love of the Church, which is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, remits the sins of those who partake of it; but retains the sins of those who do not. Where then He has said, Receive you the Holy Ghost, He instantly makes mention of the remission and retaining of sins.
GREG. We must understand that those who first received the Holy Ghost, for innocence of life in themselves, and preaching to a few others, received it openly after the resurrection, that they might profit not a few only, but many. The disciples who were called to such works of humility, to what a height of glory are they led! Lo, not only have they salvation for themselves, but are admitted to the powers of the supreme Judgment-seat; so that, in the place of God, they retain some men's sins, and remit others. Their place in the Church, the Bishops now hold; who receive the authority to bind, when they are admitted to the ram; of government. Great the honor, but heavy the burden of the place. It is ill if one who knows not how to govern his own life, shall be judge of another's.
CHRYS. A priest though he may have ordered well his own life, yet, if he have not exercised proper vigilance over others, is sent to hell with the evil doers. Wherefore, knowing the greatness of their danger, pay them all respect, even though they be not men of notable goodness. For they who are in rule, should not be judged by those who are under them. And their incorrectness of life will not at all invalidate what they do by commission from God. For not only cannot a priest, but not even angel or archangel, do any thing of themselves; the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost do all. The priest only furnishes the tongue, and the hand. For it were not just that the salvation of those who come to the Sacraments in faith, should be endangered by another's wickedness.
At the assembly of the disciples all were present but Thomas, who probably had not returned from the dispersion: But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
Catena Aurea John 20
20
posted on
05/10/2008 10:01:06 PM PDT
by
annalex
(http://www.catecheticsonline.com/CatenaAurea.php)
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