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Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 08-24-08, Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
USCCB.org/New American Bible ^
| 08-24-08
| New American Bible
Posted on 08/23/2008 10:03:36 PM PDT by Salvation
August 24, 2008
Is 22:19-23
Thus says the LORD to Shebna, master of the palace:
“I will thrust you from your office
and pull you down from your station.
On that day I will summon my servant
Eliakim, son of Hilkiah;
I will clothe him with your robe,
and gird him with your sash,
and give over to him your authority.
He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and to the house of Judah.
I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim’s shoulder;
when he opens, no one shall shut
when he shuts, no one shall open.
I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot,
to be a place of honor for his family.”
Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8
R. (8bc) Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple.
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
I will give thanks to your name,
because of your kindness and your truth:
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
Your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
Rom 11:33-36
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given the Lord anything
that he may be repaid?
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be glory forever. Amen.
Mt 16:13-20
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Then he strictly ordered his disciples
to tell no one that he was the Christ.
TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; catholiclist; ordinarytime
For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.
1
posted on
08/23/2008 10:03:36 PM PDT
by
Salvation
To: nickcarraway; Lady In Blue; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; Catholicguy; RobbyS; markomalley; ...
Alleluia Ping!
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2
posted on
08/23/2008 10:05:31 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]
August Devotion: The Immaculate Heart
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue. This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.
On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.
INVOCATIONS
O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.
Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.
ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.
Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."
Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.
Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII
IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
|
Sacred Heart Of Jesus
 |
|
Immaculate Heart of Mary
 |
The Holy Heart of Mary Is, After the Heart of Jesus, the Most Exalted Throne of Divine Love
Let us recollect that God has given us the feast of the most pure Heart of the Blessed Virgin so that we may render on that day all the respect, honor and praise that we possibly can. To enkindle this spirit within us let us consider our motivating obligations. The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.
This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?
How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?
— St. John Eudes
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Saturdays and the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Brown Scapular (Catholic Caucus)
The History of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Homilies preached by Father Robert Altier on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Marian Associations Unite to Celebrate Immaculate Heart
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, AUGUST 22ND
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
3
posted on
08/23/2008 10:06:24 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
AUGUST 2008
General:
That the human family may learn to respect God’s plan for the world and become ever more aware that Creation is God’s great gift.
Mission:
That the answer of the entire people of God to the common calling to holiness and mission may be promoted and fostered by means of careful discernment of charisms and constant commitment to spiritual and cultural formation
4
posted on
08/23/2008 10:07:11 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
From: Isaiah 22:19-23
Oracle concerning Shebna
[19] I will thrust you from your office, and you will be cast down from your station.
[20] In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, [21] and I will
clothe him with your robe, and will bind your girdle on him, and will commit your
authority to his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem
and to the house of Judah. [22] And I will place on his shoulder the key of the
house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none
shall open. [23] And I will fasten him like a peg in a sure place, and he will be
come a throne of honour to his father’s house.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
22:15-25. Shebna had a high position in the royal court, and he is mentioned in
other passages (36:3, 11, 22; 37:2; and 2 Kings 18:26, 37; 19:2). He may have
been a foreigner who, after occupying a senior position in Hezekiah’s palace, was
replaced by Eliakim. Isaiah reproaches Shebna for being ostentatious (v. 16) and
he tells him he will be dismissed from office (vv. 17-19. 25). His successor, Elia-
kim, son of Hilkiah (vv. 20-24), will be the official who, during the Assyrian siege
of Jerusalem, heads a royal embassy charged with negotiating peace (cf. 2 Kings
18:18-19:2).
Irrespective of the historical context in which the oracle was spoken, the words of
v. 22 find significant resonance in the New Testament. The first part of the verse is
reminiscent of what Jesus says to Peter when giving him the “keys of the kingdom”
(Mt 16:19). In this connexion it is no harm to remember that the king’s high stew-
ard, as his representative, opened and closed the official court business of the day.
The text of the second part of this same verse is applied in the book of Revelation
to the Messiah, “the holy one, the true, who has the key of David” (Rev 3:7), be-
cause Jesus, the Messiah, as the new David opens the doors of heaven. The
Church’s liturgy, in the famous “O” antiphons prior to Christmas, extols Christ, gi-
ving him this messianic title: “Key of David and sceptre of the house of Israel, you,
who reign over the whole world, come and free those who wait for you in darkness”
(Divine Office, Antiphon at Vespers, 20 December).
*********************************************************************************************
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.
5
posted on
08/23/2008 10:08:00 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
From: Romans 11:33-36
The Conversion of the Jews (Continuation)
[33] 0 the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsear-
chable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
[34] “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”
[35] “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”
[36] For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for
ever. Amen.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
33-36. God’s admirable goodness, to both Jews and Gentiles, permitting them to
disobey and then talking pity on them in their wretchedness, causes the Apostle
to pour out his heart in words reminiscent of the Book of Isaiah: “For my thoughts
are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and
my thoughts than your thoughts” (55:8-9). The designs of divine Providence may
disconcert us, may be difficult to understand; but if we remember how great God
is—he is beyond our comprehension—and how God’s power and faithfulness over-
come any obstacle man may place in God’s way we will realize that the very
things which seem to frustrate his plans actually serve to forward them.
The correct attitude of man to the designs of God is one of humility. This will
lead him to realize that the mysteries of God, which are intrinsically clear, seem
obscure to us, simply because our mind’s capacity is limited. Therefore, as Fray
Luis de Granada reminds us, we must avoid saying that “something cannot be
because we cannot understand it [...], for what is more in conformity with reason
than to think in the highest way of him who is the All-High and to attribute to him
the highest and best nature that our mind can conceive? [...] So it is that our
failure to understand the sublimity of this mystery has a trace and scent of some-
thing divine, because, as we said, God being infinite must necessarily be beyond
our comprehension” (”Introduccion Al Simbolo De La Fe”, part IV).
*********************************************************************************************
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.
6
posted on
08/23/2008 10:08:52 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
From: Matthew 16:13-20:
Peter’s Profession of Faith and His Primacy
[15] He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” [16] Simon Peter replied,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” [17] And Jesus answered him,
“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to
you, but My Father who is in Heaven. [18] And I tell you, you are Peter, and on
this rock I will build My Church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against
it.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
13-20. In this passage St. Peter is promised primacy over the whole Church, a
primacy which Jesus will confer on him after His Resurrection, as we learn in the
Gospel of St. John (cf. John 21:15-18). This supreme authority is given to Peter
for the benefit of the Church. Because the Church has to last until the end of
time, this authority will be passed on to Peter’s successors down through history.
The Bishop of Rome, the Pope, is the successor of Peter.
The solemn Magisterium of the Church, in the First Vatican Council, defined the
doctrine of the primacy of Peter and his successors in these terms:
“We teach and declare, therefore, according to the testimony of the Gospel that
the primacy of jurisdiction over the whole Church was immediately and directly
promised to and conferred upon the blessed Apostle Peter by Christ the Lord.
For to Simon, Christ had said, `You shall be called Cephas’ (John 1:42). Then,
after Simon had acknowledged Christ with the confession, `You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God’ (Matthew 16:16), it was to Simon alone that the so-
lemn words were spoken by the Lord: `Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona. For
flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in Heaven.
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the
powers of Hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the King-
dom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and
what you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven’ (Matthew 16:17-19). And
after His Resurrection, Jesus conferred upon Simon Peter alone the jurisdiction
of supreme shepherd and ruler over His whole fold with the words, `Feed My
lambs....Feed My sheep’ (John 21:15-17) [...]
“(Canon) Therefore, if anyone says that the blessed Apostle Peter was not cons-
tituted by Christ the Lord as the Prince of all the Apostles and the visible head
of the whole Church militant, or that he received immediately and directly from
Jesus Christ our Lord only a primacy of honor and not a true and proper primacy
of jurisdiction: let him be condemned.
“Now, what Christ the Lord, Supreme Shepherd and watchful guardian of the
flock, established in the person of the blessed Apostle Peter for the perpetual
safety and everlasting good of the Church must, by the will of the same, endure
without interruption in the Church which was founded on the rock and which will
remain firm until the end of the world. Indeed, `no one doubts, in fact it is ob-
vious to all ages, that the holy and most blessed Peter, Prince and head of the
Apostles, the pillar of faith, and the foundation of the Catholic Church, received
the keys of the kingdom from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior and the Redee-
mer of the human race; and even to this time and forever he lives,’ and governs,
`and exercises judgment in his successors’ (cf. Council of Ephesus), the bishops
of the holy Roman See, which he established and consecrated with his blood.
Therefore, whoever succeeds Peter in this Chair holds Peter’s primacy over the
whole Church according to the plan of Christ Himself [...]. For this reason, `be-
cause of its greater sovereignty,’ it was always `necessary for every church, that
is, the faithful who are everywhere, to be in agreement’ with the same Roman
Church [...]
“(Canon) Therefore, if anyone says that it is not according to the institution of
Christ our Lord himself, that is, by divine law, that St Peter has perpetual suc-
cessors in the primacy over the whole Church; or if anyone says that the Ro-
man Pontiff is not the successor of St Peter in the same primacy: let him be
condemned.
“We think it extremely necessary to assert solemnly the prerogative which the
only-begotten Son of God deigned to join to the highest pastoral office. “And so,
faithfully keeping to the tradition received from the beginning of the Christian faith,
for the glory of God our Savior, for the exaltation of the Catholic religion, and for
the salvation of Christian peoples, We, with the approval of the sacred council,
teach and define that it is a divinely revealed dogma: that the Roman Pontiff,
when he speaks “ex cathedra”, that is, when, acting in the office of shepherd
and teacher of all Christians, he defines, by virtue of his supreme apostolic au-
thority, doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the universal Church,
possesses through the divine assistance promised to him in the person of St.
Peter, the infallibility with which the divine Redeemer willed His Church to be en-
dowed in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals; and that such definitions
of the Roman Pontiff are therefore irreformable because of their nature, but not
because of the agreement of the Church.
“(Canon) But if anyone presumes to contradict this our definition (God forbid
him to do so): let him be condemned” (Vatican I, “Pastor Aeternus”, Chaps.
1, 2 and 4).
*********************************************************************************************
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.
7
posted on
08/23/2008 10:10:28 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 |
Isaiah 22:19 - 23 © |
I dismiss you from your office,
I remove you from your post,
and the same day I call on my servant
Eliakim son of Hilkiah.
I invest him with your robe,
gird him with your sash,
entrust him with your authority;
and he shall be a father
to the inhabitants of Jerusalem
and to the House of Judah.
I place the key of the House of David
on his shoulder;
should he open, no one shall close,
should he close, no one shall open.
I drive him like a peg
into a firm place;
he will become a throne of glory
for his father’s house. |
| Psalm or canticle: Psalm 137 |
| Second reading |
Romans 11:33 - 36 © |
| How rich are the depths of God – how deep his wisdom and knowledge – and how impossible to penetrate his motives or understand his methods! Who could ever know the mind of the Lord? Who could ever be his counsellor? Who could ever give him anything or lend him anything? All that exists comes from him; all is by him and for him. To him be glory for ever! Amen. |
| Gospel |
Matthew 16:13 - 20 © |
| When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said, ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’ Then he gave the disciples strict orders not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. |
8
posted on
08/23/2008 10:13:06 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
9
posted on
08/23/2008 10:13:58 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
Home Insurance
August 23rd, 2008 by Fr. Paul Scalia
Imagine you were purchasing or building a home for your family. Would you buy from a realtor who could not guarantee the strength and security of the house’s foundation? Or would you build on unstable footing? Of course not.
You would want your family — especially your children — to be secure. You would ensure that the house has a firm footing before you moved in. You would insist on some guarantee from the realtor or the builder that the foundation is solid. Otherwise you would be subjecting yourself and your loved ones to uncertainty and insecurity. You would be unable to dwell secure.
This good, natural instinct that we possess reflects a similar but deeper desire within the heart of God the Father. He desires a stable spiritual home for His children. Throughout Scripture we find this promise again and again — that God’s people will “dwell secure” (cf. Ps 102:28; Prv 1:33; Jer 23:16; 33:16, etc.). And Our Lord’s words to St. Peter fulfill this promise of God the Father: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18).
Notice first that Our Lord Himself establishes the Church. He has not commissioned someone else for this work. He has not sub-contracted or hired outside help. The Church does not come from the will of man, for man is insufficient to the task. In the person of Jesus Christ, God Himself establishes the Church as our secure dwelling. Therefore we can have confidence in the Church — despite the failures of her members and ministers — because the Founder of the Church is divine. He is the Master Builder Whose work does not falter or fail.
Further, Our Lord bears no resemblance to that foolish man who builds his house on sand. He is, rather, that wise man who establishes his house — the Church — on solid rock (cf. Mt 7:24-27). He founded the Church on rock so as to withstand any tribulations or attacks. Theologically, Our Lord’s words indicate the indefectibility of the Church: “built on a rock, she will continue to stand until the end of time” (Vatican Council I). This truth belongs to the deposit of faith. But the witness of history confirms what we already know by faith. History has seen many attempts on the Church’s life and even proclamations of her death. Yet she lives. Although at times she has seemed to have suffered an incurable wound — through the assault of her enemies or the scandalous behavior of her own members — still the Church survives and continues her pilgrimage through history.
We are the beneficiaries of this divine founding and guarantee. We know that when children dwell secure they dwell happily. A secure home provides them an atmosphere in which they can grow in confidence. When children have a sense of security, then — and only then — they can play joyfully, extend themselves in generosity and even take risks. Remove the security, however, and children will no longer play or grow. Rather, they will cower in uncertainty and shy away from challenges.
The children of God are no different. Without spiritual security we possess no joy, no generosity, no courage. So our heavenly Father has given us the Church as our secure spiritual dwelling here on earth. We do not have to worry or be in doubt about the Church — about the faith we profess, the grace we receive or the way of life we aspire to live. God Himself has built our home, has guaranteed the foundation and has promised its survival. As such, we can dwell secure.
But we can do more than dwell secure. From within this solid home we can securely play before our heavenly Father, confidently proclaim His truth, generously give ourselves in His service — and even dare great things for Him.
Fr. Scalia is parochial vicar of St. Rita parish in Alexandria, VA.
(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)
10
posted on
08/23/2008 10:20:48 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
The Work of God
Year A - 21st Sunday in ordinary time You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church Matthew 16:13-2013 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
14 And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
20 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
(NRSV)Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus |
The people who knew me, and even some of my disciples admired me as a great prophet, they compared me with John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or other prophets.
It was by divine inspiration that Peter was prompted to say about me: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
By this he accepted me as the Savior of the world, the promised Messiah who had come to deliver God’s people from the bondage of sin. Right at that moment he placed me above all the prophets, he acknowledged the special dignity of my presence among them, not just as his Lord and Master, but also as the Savior of the world. He went on to say that I was the Son of the Living God.
By this declaration he acknowledged total faith in me, not only as the Messiah, but as the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, the Incarnate Word of God who became a man to suffer for the salvation of the world.
His great faith in me was immediately rewarded by my words. "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Just as in the Old Testament, Genesis 17:5 No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. Or Genesis 32:28 "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed."
I changed Simon’s name to Peter, the rock, on which I built my Church. I delegated my authority to him and to those appointed by him. I gave him the power to administer the sacraments of salvation; I gave him the wisdom to continue my work despite his human weaknesses.
I said to Peter and to my apostles, Luke 10:16 "Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."
It saddens me to see the stubbornness of men who disregard these words of wisdom and turn against my Church, which was founded on my own flesh and blood and still stands under the direction of Peter’s successors.
In my flesh and blood, which is found in my Catholic Church, I am the way, the truth and the life.
Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary
Catholic homilies - gospel inspirations - list
11
posted on
08/23/2008 10:23:27 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: Salvation
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time |
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12
posted on
08/23/2008 10:27:32 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
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The Angelus
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
Hail Mary . . .
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary . . .
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
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13
posted on
08/23/2008 10:29:37 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
Office of Readings and Invitatory Psalm
Office of Readings
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 1 |
| The two paths |
Blessed the one who does not follow the counsels of the wicked,
or stand in the paths that sinners use,
or sit in the gatherings of those who mock:
his delight is the law of the Lord,
he ponders his law day and night.
He is like a tree planted by flowing waters,
that will give its fruit in due time,
whose leaves will not fade.
All that he does will prosper.
Not thus are the wicked, not thus.
They are like the dust blown by the wind.
At the time of judgement the wicked will not stand,
nor sinners in the council of the just.
For the Lord knows the path of the just;
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. |
| Psalm 2 |
| The Messiah, king and victor |
Why are the nations in a ferment? Why do the people make their vain plans?
The kings of the earth have risen up; the leaders have united against the Lord, against his anointed.
“Let us break their chains, that bind us; let us throw off their yoke from our shoulders!”
The Lord laughs at them, he who lives in the heavens derides them.
Then he speaks to them in his anger; in his fury he throws them into confusion:
“But I – I have set up my king on Sion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the Lord’s decrees.
The Lord has said to me: “You are my son: today I have begotten you.
Ask me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, the ends of the earth for you to possess.
You will rule them with a rod of iron, break them in pieces like an earthen pot.”
So now, kings, listen: understand, you who rule the land.
Serve the Lord in fear, tremble even as you praise him.
Learn his teaching, lest he take anger, lest you perish when his anger bursts into flame.
Blessed are all who put their trust in the Lord.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. |
| Psalm 3 |
| The Lord is my protector |
Lord, how many they are, my attackers!
So many rise up against me, so many of them say:
“He can hope for no help from the Lord.”
But you, Lord, are my protector, my glory: you raise up my head.
I called to the Lord, and from his holy mountain he heard my voice.
I fell asleep, and slept; but I rose, for the Lord raised me up.
I will not fear when the people surround me in their thousands.
Rise up, Lord; bring me to safety, my God.
Those who attacked me – you struck them on the jaw, you shattered their teeth.
Salvation comes from the Lord: Lord, your blessing is upon your people.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. |
| Reading |
Zephaniah 1:1 - 2:3 © |
The word of the Lord that was addressed to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.
I mean to sweep away everything
off the face of the earth
– it is the Lord who speaks.
I mean to sweep away men and beasts,
the birds of the air and the fish of the sea,
I mean to send the wicked staggering,
and wipe man off the face of the earth
– it is the Lord who speaks.
I am going to raise my hand against Judah
and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and from this place I will wipe out Baal,
to the very last vestige of him,
even to the name of his spurious priests,
those who prostrate themselves on the roofs
before the array of heaven,
those who prostrate themselves before the Lord
but swear by Milcom,
those who turn aside from the Lord,
who do not seek the Lord,
who will not bother with him.
Silence before the Lord!
For the day of the Lord is near.
Yes, the Lord has prepared a sacrifice,
he has consecrated his guests.
The great day of the Lord is near,
near, and coming with all speed.
How bitter the sound of the day of the Lord,
the day when the warrior shouts his cry of war.
A day of wrath, that day,
a day of distress and agony,
a day of ruin and of devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of cloud and blackness,
a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against fortified town
and high corner-tower.
I am going to bring such distress on men
that they will grope like the blind
(because they have sinned against the Lord);
their blood will be scattered like dust,
their corpses like dung.
Neither their silver nor their gold
will have any power to save them.
On the day of the anger of the Lord,
in the fire of his jealousy,
all the earth will be consumed.
For he means to destroy, yes, to make an end
of all the inhabitants of the earth.
Nation without desire,
before you are driven
like chaff that is blown away in a day,
before there descends on you
the fierce anger of the Lord
(before there descends on you
the day of the anger of the Lord).
Seek the Lord,
all you, the humble of the earth,
who obey his commands.
Seek integrity,
seek humility:
you may perhaps find shelter
on the day of the anger of the Lord. |
| Reading |
From the pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world of the Second Vatican Council |
| The foreshadowing of the new age |
We do not know the time when earth and humanity will reach their completion, nor do we know the way in which the universe will be transformed. The world as we see it, disfigured by sin, is passing away. But we are sure that God is preparing a new dwelling place and a new earth. In this new earth righteousness is to make its home, and happiness will satisfy, and more than satisfy, all the yearnings for peace that arise in human hearts. On that day, when death is conquered, the sons of God will be raised up in Christ; what was sown as something weak and perishable will be clothed in incorruption. Love and the fruits of love will remain, and the whole of creation, made by God for man, will be set free from the frustration that enslaves it.
We are warned indeed that a man gains nothing if he wins the whole world at the cost of himself. Yet our hope in a new earth should not weaken, but rather stimulate our concern for developing this earth, for on it there is growing up the body of a new human family, a body even now able to provide some foreshadowing of the new age. Hence, though earthly progress is to be carefully distinguished from the growth of Christ’s kingdom, yet in so far as it can help toward the better ordering of human society it is of great importance to the kingdom of God.
The blessings of human dignity, brotherly communion and freedom – all the good fruits on earth of man’s co-operation with nature in the Spirit of the Lord and according to his command – will be found again in the world to come, but purified of all stain, resplendent and transfigured, when Christ hands over to the Father an eternal and everlasting kingdom: “a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace.” On this earth the kingdom is already present in sign; when the Lord comes it will reach its completion. |
| Hymn |
Te Deum |
God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you!
You, the Father, the eternal –
all the earth venerates you.
All the angels, all the heavens, every power –
The cherubim, the seraphim –
unceasingly, they cry:
“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts:
heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!”
The glorious choir of Apostles –
The noble ranks of prophets –
The shining army of martyrs –
all praise you.
Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you.
– Father of immeasurable majesty,
– True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship,
– Holy Spirit, our Advocate.
You, Christ:
– You are the king of glory.
– You are the Father’s eternal Son.
– You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb.
– You defeated the sharp spear of Death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you.
– You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father.
– You will come, so we believe, as our Judge.
And so we ask of you: give help to your servants, whom you set free at the price of your precious blood.
Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory.
Bring your people to safety, Lord, and bless those who are your inheritance.
Rule them and lift them high for ever.
Day by day we bless you, Lord: we praise you for ever and for ever.
Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.
Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you.
In you, Lord, I trust: let me never be put to shame. |
| Concluding Prayer |
O God, through you your faithful are united and of one will.
Grant to your people that they may love what you have taught and desire what you have promised:
in this changeable world may our hearts be fixed on where true joy comes from.
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. |
14
posted on
08/24/2008 7:24:19 AM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
Homily from the Papal Household by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa
| Who Do You Say I Am? |
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21st Sunday
A - 2008-08-24
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Isaiah 22:19-23; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20
There is a practice in today’s culture and society that can help us toward understanding this Sunday’s Gospel: opinion polls.
These are conducted everywhere, especially in the political and commercial spheres. One day Jesus also wanted to do an opinion poll, but, as we shall see, for a different purpose. He did it not for political reasons, but for educational ones.
Having arrived in Caesarea Philippi, that is, in the northernmost region of Israel, and taking a little rest alone with the apostles, Jesus asks them, point blank, “Who do people say that the son of man is?”
It seems that the apostles were not expecting to be asked more than to report what people were saying of him. They answered: "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
But Jesus was not interested in measuring his popularity or in looking for an index of how well he was regarded by the people. His purpose was entirely different. So he immediately followed his first question with a second: “Who do you say that I am?"
This second, unexpected question catches them completely off guard. There is silence and they stand looking at each other. In the Greek it makes it clear that all of the apostles together responded to the first question and that only one person, namely, Simon Peter, responded to the second question: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!”
Between the two responses there is a leap over an abyss, a “conversion.” To answer the first question it was only necessary to look arou nd, to have listened to people’s opinions. But to answer the second question, it was necessary to look inside, to listen to a completely different voice, a voice that was not of flesh and blood but of the Father in heaven. Peter was enlightened from on high.
It is the first clear recognition of the true identity of Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospels. The first public act of faith in Christ in history! Think about the wake that a big ship makes in the sea. It widens as the ship goes forward until it is lost on the horizon. But it begins at a single point, which is the ship itself. Faith in Jesus Christ is like this. It is as a wake that widens as it moves through history, and travels to “the very ends of the earth.” But it starts at a single point. And this point is Peter’s act of faith. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!”
Jesus uses another image, which implies stability rather than movement. It is a vertical inste ad of a horizontal image. It is that of a rock: “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church.”
Jesus changes his name -- as often happens in the Bible when someone receives an important mission -- from Simon to Cephas, or Peter -- “rock.” The true rock, the “cornerstone” is, and remains, Jesus himself. But once he has risen and ascended into heaven, this “cornerstone,” though present and active, is invisible. It is necessary for a sign to represent him, a sign that makes Christ, who is the “unshakeable foundation,” visible and efficacious in history. And this sign is Peter and, after him, his vicar, the Pope, successor of Peter, as head of the college of apostles.
But let us return to the idea of polling. Jesus' poll, as we saw, has two parts, which have two distinct questions. First, “Who do people say that I am?” And second, “Who do you say that I am?”
Je sus does not seem to value very much what the people think of him. He wants to know what his disciples think of him. He immediately asks them to speak for themselves. He does not let them hide behind the opinions of others. He wants them to speak of their own opinions. Almost the identical situation repeats itself today.
Today as well “people,” “public opinion,” has its ideas about Jesus. Jesus is in vogue. Just look at what is going on in the world of literature and entertainment. A year does not go by in which there does not appear a novel or a film with its own distorted and sacriligious vision of Christ. Dan Brown’s “Da Vinci Code” has been the most well-known one of late and has produced many imitators.
Then there are those who are middle-of-the-road, like the people of Jesus’ time, who believe Jesus to be “one of the prophets.” He is regarded as a fascinating person and placed alongside Socrat es, Gandhi and Tolstoy. I am sure that Jesus does not scorn these responses to him, because the Bible says of him that he does not “quench the smoldering wick and does not break the bruised reed,” that is, he appreciates every honest effort on the part of man.
But, the truth be told, this view of Jesus does not seem quite right even from a human point of view. Neither Gandhi nor Tolstoy ever said: “I am the way, the truth and the life,” or “Whoever loves father and mother more than me is not worth of me.”
With Jesus you cannot not be middle-of-the-road. Either he is what he claims to be, or he is not a great man, but rather a great lunatic lifted up by history. There are no half-measures. There are buildings and structures made of steel -- I believe that the Eiffel Tower in Paris is one -- made in such a way that if you touch a certain point or remove a certain element, everything will come down. The edifice of the Christi an faith is like this, and this neuralgic point is the divinity of Jesus Christ.
But let us leave aside the responses of the people and consider the nonbelievers. Believing in the divinity of Christ is not enough; you must also bear witness to it. Whoever knows him and does not bear witness to this faith, indeed even hides it, is more responsible before God that those who do not have this faith.
In a scene in Paul Claudel’s play “The Humiliated Father,” a Jewish girl, beautiful but blind, alluding to the double meaning of light, asks her Christian friend: “You who see, what use have you made of the light?” It is a question that is asked of all of us who claim to be believers.
[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]
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15
posted on
08/24/2008 7:30:23 AM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: Salvation
16
posted on
08/24/2008 8:07:01 AM PDT
by
AliVeritas
(Does Obama know we see his internal memos while they're still being corrected?)
To: AliVeritas
**In a scene in Paul Claudel’s play “The Humiliated Father,” a Jewish girl, beautiful but blind, alluding to the double meaning of light, asks her Christian friend: “You who see, what use have you made of the light?” It is a question that is asked of all of us who claim to be believers.**
Great quote.
As our priest finished his homily today, he asked the question that we will be asked by God at the hour of our particular judgment, “And who did you say that I am?”
17
posted on
08/24/2008 1:38:29 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
The Word Among Us
Meditation: Romans 11:33-36
View NAB Reading at USCCB.org »»
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! (Romans 11:33)
In chapters 9-11 of his Letter to the Romans, Paul takes up a disturbing question: Why were most of his fellow Jews rejecting the message of the gospel, while the Gentiles were converting in large numbers? Paul concluded that it wasn’t because God was unjust. Rather, God had chosen that time to show mercy on the Gentiles and graft them into his family through faith in Christ (Romans 9:18).
Paul knew that God would never turn his back on the Jews: They remain his beloved chosen people. Looking into the future, Paul saw that one day they too would come to faith in Jesus. In fact, God would use the faith of the Gentiles who were now converting to bring them back. So Paul explained that God was working through the disobedience of both the Jews and the Gentiles so that both of them might ultimately experience his mercy (Romans 11:30-32).
That’s why today’s second reading is so full of awe and praise. Paul can’t contain his wonder at God’s “inscrutable” plan of salvation, and so the words just tumble off of his pen. God won’t abandon his people—and he has opened the way for even the Gentiles to come to him!
What about you? Are you amazed at what God has done for you? Think about how God has worked in your life. Remember all the times he has pulled you through impossible situations. It’s very likely he acted in ways you didn’t foresee—and that the results turned out much better than you ever dreamed they would!
Take some time today to think about how God has shown you his power and providence. How many times in the past has he met your needs and calmed your fears? Surely he can do so now! Recall the goodness of the Lord, and let that history fill you with praise and thanksgiving for the God who loves you so much!
“Thank you, Lord, for walking with me every step of the way! I don’t always understand your plans, but I praise you for your grace and your power!”
Isaiah 22:19-23; Psalm 138:1-3,6,8;
Matthew 16:13-20
18
posted on
08/24/2008 2:46:22 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
Catholic Culture
Collect: Father, help us to seek the values that will bring us lasting joy in this changing world. In our desire for what you promise make us one in mind and heart. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
« August 24, 2008 »
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- RECIPES
- ACTIVITIES
- PRAYERS
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 15:13-20).
Sunday ReadingsThe
first reading is taken from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 22:19-23. Because of the reference to the "key of the house of David" in this text, some Fathers saw in it a messianic prophecy, foretelling the removal from power of the leaders of the Chosen People of the Old Testament, and the transfer of that power to Christ, who in turn handed it to Peter as head of the Church, the new Chosen People.
The second reading is from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans 11:33-36 in which he offers praise and thanks to God for including everyone in the salvation He offered, first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles.
The Gospel is from St. Matthew 16:13-20. Jesus, the true Son of God, became man in order to make all men His brothers and co-heirs with Him, to the divine, eternal kingdom. To carry on His divine mission on earth (after He had ascended into heaven), He founded the Church on the twelve Apostles. This Church was to be God's new Chosen People (hence perhaps the twelve Apostles take the place of the heads of the twelve tribes of the Chosen People of old). It was to be made up of all races from all parts of the world. As its mission was to bring the message of salvation to all men, it was to go on until the end of time. For this Church, this divinely instituted society of human beings, to carry out its mission of helping all men to reach their eternal kingdom, it was necessary to be sure of the road and the aids offered to its members. In other words, the Church should be certain that what it told men to believe and to practice was what God wanted them to believe and to practice. Today's reading from St. Matthew tells us how Christ provided for this necessity. In making Peter the head of the Apostolic College, the foundation-stone of his Church, the guarantor of its stability in the symbol of the keys and the promise that all his decisions would be ratified in heaven, Christ gave him the power of freedom from error when officially teaching the universal Church.
In other words, Peter received the primacy in the Church and the gift of infallibility in his official teaching on matters of faith and morals. As the Church was to continue long after Peter had died, it was rightly understood from the beginning that the privileges given to him and which were necessary for the successful mission of the Church, were given to his lawful successors-the Popes.
This has been the constant belief in the Church from its very beginning. The first Vatican Council solemnly defined this dogma and it was reconfirmed recently in the second Vatican Council. In giving these powers to Peter and to his lawful successors Christ was planning for our needs. In order to preserve and safeguard the right conduct of all its members He provided a central seat of authoritative power in His Church. Through the gift of infallibility He assured us that whatever we were commanded to believe (faith) or to do (morals) would always be what He and his heavenly Father wanted us to believe and to do.
How can we ever thank Christ for these marvelous gifts to his Church, that is, to us? Let us say a fervent: "thank you, Lord; You have foreseen all our needs and provided for them, grant us the grace to do the little part you ask of us in order to continue our progress on the one direct road to heaven."
Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.
19
posted on
08/24/2008 2:48:48 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
Lauds -- Morning Prayer
Morning Prayer (Lauds)
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 62 (63) |
| Thirsting for God |
O God, you are my God, I wait for you from the dawn.
My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you.
I came to your sanctuary,
as one in a parched and waterless land,
so that I could see your might and your glory.
My lips will praise you, for your mercy is better than life itself.
Thus I will bless you throughout my life,
and raise my hands in prayer to your name;
my soul will be filled as if by rich food,
and my mouth will sing your praises and rejoice.
I will remember you as I lie in bed,
I will think of you in the morning,
for you have been my helper,
and I will take joy in the protection of your wings.
My soul clings to you; your right hand raises me up.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. |
| Canticle |
Daniel 3 |
| All creatures, bless the Lord |
Bless the Lord, all his works, praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you heavens; all his angels, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, you waters above the heavens; all his powers, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, sun and moon; all stars of the sky, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, rain and dew; all you winds, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, fire and heat; cold and warmth, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, dew and frost; ice and cold, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, ice and snow; day and night, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, light and darkness; lightning and storm-clouds, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, all the earth, praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, mountains and hills; all growing things, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, seas and rivers; springs and fountains, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, whales and fish; birds of the air, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, wild beasts and tame; sons of men, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, O Israel, praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, his priests; all his servants, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, spirits of the just; all who are holy and humble, bless the Lord.
Ananias, Azarias, Mishael, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him for ever.
Let us bless Father, Son and Holy Spirit, praise and exalt them for ever.
Bless the Lord in the firmament of heaven, praise and glorify him for ever. |
| Psalm 149 |
| The saints rejoice |
Sing a new song to the Lord, his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker, and the sons of Sion delight in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing, sing to him with timbrel and lyre,
for the Lord’s favour is upon his people, and he will honour the humble with victory.
Let the faithful celebrate his glory, rejoice even in their beds,
the praise of God in their throats; and swords ready in their hands,
to exact vengeance upon the nations, impose punishment on the peoples,
to bind their kings in fetters and their nobles in manacles of iron,
to carry out the sentence that has been passed: this is the glory prepared for all his faithful.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. |
| Short reading |
Apocalypse 7:10 - 12 © |
| Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen. |
| 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 |
? |
- Christ the Lord is our day and our sunlight, shining on all men and never setting. Let us praise him, saying:
- O Lord, you are our life and our salvation!- Creator of the stars, we offer you in gratitude the first-fruits of this day,
- and we commemorate your resurrection.
- May your Spirit guide us today to do what is pleasing to you:
- may your Wisdom lead us always.
- Let us join together with joy at Mass this Sunday,
- at the table of your word and your Body and Blood.
- Our souls give you thanks
- for your immeasurable kindness.
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Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. |
O God, through you your faithful are united and of one will.
Grant to your people that they may love what you have taught and desire what you have promised:
in this changeable world may our hearts be fixed on where true joy comes from.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen. |
| May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life. |
| A M E N |
20
posted on
08/24/2008 2:55:46 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
Vespers -- Evening Prayer
Vespers (Evening Prayer)
O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 109 (110) |
| The Messiah, king and priest |
The Lord has said to my lord: “Sit at my right hand while I make your enemies into your footstool.”
From Sion the Lord will give you a sceptre, and you will rule in the midst of your foes.
Royal power is yours in the day of your strength, glorious and holy; from the time of your birth, before the dawn.
The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: “You are a priest for ever, a priest of the priesthood of Melchisedech.”
The Lord is at your right hand, and on the day of his anger he will shatter kings.
He will judge the nations, he will pile high their skulls;
he will drink from the stream as he goes – he will hold his head high.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. |
| Psalm 113A (114) |
| Israel set free from Egypt |
When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob’s people from a land of strangers,
Judah became his sanctuary and Israel his domain.
The sea saw it, and fled; the Jordan flowed backwards at the sight;
the mountains leapt like rams; the hills, like yearling sheep.
Sea, what was it, what made you flee? And you, Jordan, why did you flow uphill?
Mountains, why did you leap like rams? Hills, like yearling sheep?
Tremble, Earth, at the presence of the Lord, the presence of the Lord of Jacob,
who has turned the rock into a pool of water and made a fountain out of the flint.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. |
| Canticle |
(Apocalypse 19) |
| The wedding of the Lamb |
Alleluia.
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, because his judgements are true and just.
Alleluia.
Alleluia.
Praise our God, all his servants, and you who fear him, small and great.
Alleluia.
Alleluia.
For the Lord reigns, our God, the Almighty: let us rejoice and exult and give him glory.
Alleluia.
Alleluia.
The marriage of the Lamb has come, and his spouse has made herself ready.
Alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. |
| Short reading |
2 Corinthians 1:3 - 4 © |
| Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, a gentle Father and the God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our sorrows, so that we can offer others, in their sorrows, the consolation that we have received from God ourselves. |
| Canticle |
Magnificat |
| My soul rejoices in the Lord |
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.
For he has shown me such favour –
me, his lowly handmaiden.
Now all generations will call me blessed,
because the mighty one has done great things for me.
His name is holy,
his mercy lasts for generation after generation
for those who revere him.
He has put forth his strength:
he has scattered the proud and conceited,
torn princes from their thrones;
but lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. |
| Prayers and Intercessions |
? |
- We worship Christ the Lord: he is our Head and we are his body. In triumph we cry:
- Lord, may your kingdom come.- Our Saviour, make your Church more and more a sacrament of human unity:
- and an ever more effective road to salvation.
- Stand next to the college of Bishops, and our Pope,
- and give them the gifts of unity, love, and peace.
- May Christians be more closely united with you as their Head;
- may the way they live proclaim your kingdom.
- In your kindness, give peace to the world:
- make peace and security flower everywhere.
- Give the deceased a glorious resurrection at the end of time,
- and allow us to share their blessedness.
|
|
Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. |
O God, through you your faithful are united and of one will.
Grant to your people that they may love what you have taught and desire what you have promised:
in this changeable world may our hearts be fixed on where true joy comes from.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen. |
| May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life. |
| A M E N |
21
posted on
08/24/2008 5:12:37 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
August 23rd, 2008 by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D. ·Print · ShareThis
Is 22:19-23 / Rom 11:33-36 / Mt 16:13-20
On Sunday morning a man showed up at church with both of his ears terribly blistered, so his pastor asked, “WHAT happened to YOU?”
“I was lying on the couch watching a ball game on TV while my wife was ironing nearby. I was totally engrossed in the game when she went out, leaving the iron near the phone. The phone rang, and keeping my eyes on the TV, I grabbed the hot iron and put it to my ear.”
“How dreadful,” gasped the pastor. “But how did the other ear get burned?”
“Well, you see, I’d no sooner hung up and the guy called back!”
+ + +
He just didn’t get it. Lots of folks never get it, never understand how life really works, even at the simplest levels. That’s why Jesus is pressing his followers — and us — so insistently in Sunday’s Gospel: “Do you understand who I am,” he asks, “and what my being here means for you?”
It’s a crucial question. And there’s one sure way of finding the answer, and that is by checking how we’re living. Are we living like people who know for sure that a loving God is walking at their side at every minute? Let’s see:
+ Have we stopped wasting our time worrying?
+ Have we put aside posing and posturing and fretting about our image?
+ Have we stopped closing our eyes to our dark side? And stopped avoiding things that seem too much for us?
+ Do we welcome life with a happy heart. Are we glad to wake up in the morning?
+ Do we see how gifted and special we are? At least sometimes, does seeing our own giftedness just make us want to smile?
+ Do we have hearts so full of thankfulness that we instinctively work at helping others be as happy as we are?
If that’s the way we’re living, then we understand who Jesus is, and we know what it means to have him walking with us. It means that we’ve been set free from all kinds of chains and fears and sadness. It means that no matter what, we’re going to be okay. It also means that we have the power to help set other people free from all manner of sadness by showing them HIS face mirrored right here in our own.
A long time ago there was an old Indian chief whose little granddaughter was something of a sourpuss. “Are you happy?” he asked her one day.
“Yes, grandpa,” she replied.
“Well then, my dear, why don’t you tell your face?”
We have every reason to be very happy right here and now because we already have everything we really need: We have God himself!
Why don’t we tell our face, and our heart?
We’ve already got it all!
22
posted on
08/24/2008 5:16:35 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
Comment #23 Removed by Moderator
To: All
Regnum Christi
Survey Says!
August 24, 2008 |
| U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY |
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Who do people say that the Son of Man is?
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Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Todd Arsenault, LC Matthew 16: 13-20
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Introductory Prayer: My God, I believe in you with all my heart because you have made yourself known to me in so many ways, especially through the gift of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope in you because you have never abandoned me. I love you, Lord, because you have loved me first and have shed your blood for my salvation. I want to love you with my whole life. Recognizing my sinfulness and trusting in your mercy, I humble myself before you. Mother Mary, I entrust my life to your maternal care so that I will always be faithful to God’s holy will for my life. Petition: Lord, instill in me a greater conviction and a deeper faith in you. 1. Tell Me, Who Do People Say that I Am?
Christ isn’t interested in having his disciples merely repeat what others say about him. He wants to know what they believe. “Do you believe in me?” He asks them this question, and he asks it of each of us as well. Our personal faith hinges on our answer to it. If we believe in Christ for who he says he is – God – we can’t help but be a different person. Christ wants each of us to take real ownership of our faith. This is what we were to do when we were confirmed. Christ is counting on each of us to make that supernatural act of faith in him today, as every day. 2. Have Confidence in Christ
Peter gives each of us a lesson in how to have confidence in Christ. He doesn’t hesitate: He takes the bull by the horns and makes his declaration of faith in Christ as the Son of God. Declaring him God was a big move. It set Peter apart for life, but it also identified him more clearly as the one whom our Lord would choose to shepherd his Church through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Peter shows us that we, too, need to stand up and be counted. Christ is pleased to hear Peter’s answer. He greatly desires to hear ours. The same Spirit that inspired Peter inspires us and helps us to persevere in the faith. 3. Counting on Our Fidelity
Christ now takes the opportunity to reveal to Peter the specific mission that he is to accomplish and pass on to the next generations. It is not an easy mission, and I am sure that Peter reflected and prayed long and hard on it. Christ has called us to follow him in a very special way as well, each according to his or her state in life. Christ is counting on each of us to be faithful to him: loving him, loving his Church, loving the Pope, loving our spouse, loving the faith that is a gift to us. He is very much counting on us to respond with fidelity each day, just as he counted on Peter to respond faithfully. Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, I want to be a faithful believer in you. I know that you are with me at all times and will never abandon me. Thank you for revealing yourself to me and allowing me to know you personally. Help me to stand strong when my faith is tested and to bear witness to you as St. Peter did. I never want to leave your side. Help me to remain faithful to death. Resolution: Through word or action, I will witness my faith in Christ to somebody. |
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24
posted on
08/24/2008 6:15:23 PM PDT
by
Salvation
(With God all things are possible.)
To: All
