Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 11-12-10, Mem. St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 11-12-10 | New American Bible

[SumProVita]

“The Continent-wide Mission in Latin America
Missionary: That the Churches of Latin America may move ahead with the continent-wide mission proposed by their bishops, making it part of the universal missionary task of the People of God.”

In case anyone is interested...this is a 4-5 year plan (depending on the bishop of each diocese) and involves entire parishes. It’s truly a wonderful plan and already reaping a harvest in several places. The catechesis in this program is excellent! We should pray earnestly for its success and that similar programs will be promoted by our bishops here in the USA.

[Salvation]

I wasn’t aware of the extent of this. Bring it to the U. S. please!

[Salvation]

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.

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Introduction

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.

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Hymn

O Three in One, and One in Three,

Who rulest all things mightily,

Bow down to hear the songs of praise

Which, freed from bonds of sleep, we raise.

While lingers yet the peace of night,

We rouse us from our slumbers light;

That might of instant prayer may win

The healing balm for wounds of sin.

If, by the wiles of Satan caught,

This night-time we have sinned in aught,

That sin thy glorious power today,

From heaven descending, cleanse away.

Let naught impure our bodies stain,

No laggard sloth our souls detain,

No taint of sin our spirits know,

To chill the fervour of their glow.

Wherefore, Redeemer, grant that we

Fulfilled with thine own light may be:

That, in our course, from day to day,

By no misdeed we fall away.

Grant this, O Father ever One

With Christ, thy sole-begotten Son,

And Holy Ghost, whom all adore,

Reigning and blest for evermore.

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Psalm 54 (55)
Against a faithless friend

My God, do not despise my prayer against the oppression of the wicked.

Open your ears, O God, to my prayer,

  and do not hide when I call on you:

  turn to me and answer me.

My thoughts are distracted and I am disturbed

  by the voice of my enemy and the oppression of the wicked.

They let loose their wickedness on me,

  they persecute me in their anger.

My heart is tied in a knot

  and the terrors of death lie upon me;

fear and trembling cover me;

  terror holds me tight.

I said, “Will no-one give me wings like a dove?

  I shall fly away and rest.

I shall flee far away

  and remain all alone.

I shall wait for him who will save me

  from the stormy wind and the tempest.”

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.

My God, do not despise my prayer against the oppression of the wicked.

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Psalm 54 (55)

The Lord will free us from the power of the enemies who lie in wait for us.

Scatter them, Lord, and separate their tongues,

  for I see violence and conflict in the city.

By day and by night they circle it

  high on its battlements.

Within it are oppression and trouble;

  scheming and fraud fill its squares.

For if my enemy had slandered me,

  I think I could have borne it.

And if the one who hated me had trampled me,

  perhaps I could have hidden.

But you – a man just like me,

  my companion and my friend!

We had happy times together,

  we walked together in the house of God.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen.

The Lord will free us from the power of the enemies who lie in wait for us.

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Psalm 54 (55)

Throw all your cares on the Lord and he will give you sustenance.

Let death break in upon them!

  Let them go down alive to the underworld,

  for wickedness shares their home.

As for me, I will call upon God,

  and the Lord will rescue me.

Evening, morning, noon – I shall watch and groan,

  and he will hear my voice.

He will redeem my soul

  and give it peace from those who attack me –

  for very many are my enemies.

God will hear and will bring them low,

  God, the eternal.

They will never reform:

  they do not fear God.

That man – he stretched out his hand against his allies:

  he corrupted his own covenant.

His face was smoother than butter,

  but his heart was at war;

his words were softer than oil,

  but they were sharp as drawn swords.

Throw all your cares on the Lord

  and he will give you sustenance.

  He will not let the just be buffeted for ever.

No – but you, Lord, will lead the wicked

  to the gaping mouth of destruction.

The men of blood and guile

  will not live half their days.

But I, Lord, will put my trust in you.

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.

Throw all your cares on the Lord and he will give you sustenance.

---

My son, attend to my wisdom,

– and turn your ears to my words of prudence.

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Reading	Daniel 10:1-21 ©

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a revelation was made to Daniel known as Belteshazzar, a true revelation of a great conflict. He grasped the meaning of the revelation; what it meant was disclosed to him in a vision.

  At that time, I, Daniel, was doing a three-week penance; I ate no rich food, touched no meat or wine, and did not anoint myself, until these three weeks were over. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I stood on the bank of that great river, the Tigris, I raised my eyes to look about me, and this is what I saw:

A man dressed in linen, with a girdle of pure gold round his waist;

his body was like beryl,

his face shone like lightning,

his eyes were like fiery torches,

his arms and his legs had the gleam of burnished bronze,

the sound of his voice was like the noise of a crowd.

I, Daniel, alone saw the apparition; the men who were with me did not see the apparition, but so great a trembling overtook them that they fled to hide. I was left alone, gazing on this great apparition; I was powerless, my appearance altered out of all recognition, what strength I had deserted me.

  I heard him speak, and at the sound of his voice I fell unconscious to the ground. I felt a hand touching me, setting my knees and my hands trembling. He said, ‘Daniel, you are a man specially chosen; listen carefully to the words that I am going to say; stand up; I have been sent to you and here I am.’ He said this, and I stood up trembling. He said then, ‘Daniel, do not be afraid: from that first day when you resolved to humble yourself before God, the better to understand, your words have been heard; and your words are the reason why I have come. The prince of the kingdom of Persia has been resisting me for twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the leading princes, came to my assistance. I have left him confronting the kings of Persia and have come to tell you what will happen to your people in the days to come. For here is a new vision about those days.’

  When he had said these things to me I prostrated myself on the ground, without saying a word; then someone looking like a son of man came and touched my lips. I opened my mouth to speak, and I said to the person standing in front of me, ‘My lord, anguish overcomes me at this vision, and what strength I had deserts me. How can my lord’s servant speak to my lord now that I have no strength left and my breath fails me?’ Once again the person like a man touched me; he gave me strength. ‘Do not be afraid,’ he said ‘you are a man specially chosen; peace be with you; play the man, be strong!’ And as he spoke to me I felt strong again and said, ‘Let my lord speak, you have given me strength.’

  He said then, ‘Do you know why I have come to you? It is to tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. I must go back to fight against the prince of Persia: when I have done with him, the prince of Javan will come next. And now I will tell you the truth about these things. In all this there is no one to lend me support except Michael your prince, on whom I rely to give me support and reinforce me.’

Responsory

From that first day when you resolved to humble yourself before God, the better to understand, your words have been heard: this is why I have come.

Do not be afraid, Daniel, I have come to tell you what is written in the Book of Truth: this is why I have come.

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Reading	Pope Pius XI's encyclical "Ecclesiam Dei"

He gave his life for the unity of the Church

In designing his Church God worked with such skill that in the fullness of time it would resemble a single great family embracing all men. It can be identified, as we know, by certain distinctive characteristics, notably its universality and unity.

  Christ the Lord passed on to his apostles the task he had received from the Father: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations. He wanted the apostles as a body to be intimately bound together, first by the inner tie of the same faith and love which flows into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and, second, by the external tie of authority exercised by one apostle over the others. For this he assigned the primacy to Peter, the source and visible basis of their unity for all time. So that the unity and agreement among them would endure, God wisely stamped them, one might say, with the mark of holiness and martyrdom.

  Both these distinctions fell to Josaphat, archbishop of Polock of the Slavonic rite of the Eastern Church. He is rightly looked upon as the great glory and strength of the Eastern Rite Slavs. Few have brought them greater honour or contributed more to their spiritual welfare than Josaphat, their pastor and apostle, especially when he gave his life as a martyr for the unity of the Church. He felt, in fact, that God had inspired him to restore world-wide unity to the Church and he realised that his greatest chance of success lay in preserving the Slavonic rite and Saint Basil’s rule of monastic life within the one universal Church.

  Concerned mainly with seeing his own people reunited to the See of Peter, he sought out every available argument which would foster and maintain Church unity. His best arguments were drawn from liturgical books, sanctioned by the Fathers of the Church, which were in common use among Eastern Christians, including the dissidents. Thus thoroughly prepared, he set out to restore the unity of the Church. A forceful man of fine sensibilities, he met with such success that his opponents dubbed him “the thief of souls.”

Responsory

Jesus prayed: Holy Father, keep them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be completely one, in order that the world may know that you sent me.

I gave them the same glory you gave me, so that they may be completely one, in order that the world may know that you sent me.

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Let us pray.

Lord, filled with your Holy Spirit Saint Josaphat laid down his life for his flock.

  Renew that Spirit in your Church, strengthen our hearts with your grace, so that, with the help of his prayers, we may be ready to lay down our lives for our brethren.

[We make our prayer] through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

  who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

  God for ever and ever.

Amen.

[Salvation]

Saint Josaphat, Bishop & Martyr

Saint Josaphat
Bishop & Martyr
Memorial
November 12th

Collect:
Lord,
fill your Church with the Spirit
that gave Saint Josaphat courage
to lay down his life for his people.
By his prayers
may your Spirit make us strong
and willing to offer our lives
for our brothers and sisters.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

First Reading: Ephesians 4:1-7,11-13
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. And His gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

 

Gospel: John 17:20-26
"I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which thou hast given me in thy love for me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, the world has not known thee, but I have known thee; and these know that thou hast sent me. 26 I made known to them thy name, and I will make it known, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them."

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The following is taken from the Catholic Encyclopedia

Josaphat Kuncevyv
Born in the little town of Volodymyr in Luthiania in the year 1580, young Josaphat proved himself to have zeal for God at a young age. As a boy he shunned the usual games of childhood, prayed much, and lost no opportunity for assisting at the divine services. Children especially regarded him with the greatest affection, and found him a worthy model. Both parents contributed to implant the seeds of piety in the heart of their child.

Owing to the straitened circumstances of his parents, he was apprenticed to the merchant Popovyc at Vilna. In this town, remarkable for the corruption of its morals, and the contentions of the various religious sects, Josaphat seemed specially guarded by Providence and became aquainted with certain excellent men under whose direction he advanced in learning and virtue.

As an apprentice, he devoted every leisure hour to prayer and study. At first Popovyc viewed this behavior with displeasure, but Josaphat gradually won such a postion in his esteem, that Popovyc offered him his entire fortune and his daughter's hand.

But Josaphat's love for the religious life never wavered. At the age of twenty-four he entered the Basilian monastery of the Trinity at Vilna, and brought with him the same piety and zeal for God. His favorite pious exercise was to make a poktony (i.e., a reverence in which the head touches the ground) with the ejaculation: "Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a poor sinner". Never eating meat he fasted much, wore a hair shirt and an angular chain, slept on the bare floor, and chastised his body until the blood flowed. The Jesuits frequently urged him to set boundaries to his austerities.

In 1609 after private study under the Jesuit Fabricius, Josaphat was ordained priest. He subsequently became superior in several monasteries, and on November 12, 1617, was reluctantly consecrated bishop of Vitebsk, with right of succession to the Archbishopric of Polotsk. He became archbishop in 1618.

Josaphat had lived most of his life during a time of great schism and while each succeeding year saw fresh evidence of his fruitful labors, it also witnessed the steady growth of the schismatic party. Finally on November 12, 1623, an axe stroke and a bullet brought Josaphat his martyr's crown.

After numerous miracles had occurred, a commission was appointed by Urban VIII in 1628 to inquire into the cause of Josaphat, and examined on oath 116 witnesses. Although five years had elapsed since Josaphat's death, his body was still incorrupt. In 1637 a second commission investigated the martyr's life and in 1867, twenty years after his martyrdom, Josaphat was canonnized.

As deacon, priest, and Bishop he was distinguished by his extraordinary zeal in the service of souls. Not alone in the church did he preach and hear confessions, but likewise in the fields, hospitals, prisons, and even on his journeys. Even where his words of instruction might by themselves have failed, his entreaties and tears ensured him success.

This zeal united with his kindness and extraordinary love for the poor, won numbers to the Catholic faith. Among his converts were included many important personages such as Ignatius, Patriarch of Moscow, and Emmanuel Cantacuzenus who belonged to the family of the Greek Emperor Palaeologus. As archbishop he restored the churches; issued a catechism to the clergy with instructions that it should be learned by heart; composed rules for the priestly life, entrusting to the deacons the task of superintending their observance; assembled synods in various dioceses, and firmly opposed the Chancellor when he wished to make concessions in favor of schismatics.

Throughout all his strivings and all his occupations, he continued his exemplary life as a religious, and never abated his zeal for self-mortification and prayer. He awaited death with a certain yearning, refusing to avail himself of the opportunity of flight afforded him. After his death his influence was still greater: conversions were numerous, and veneration for him continued to extend.

[annalex]

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 17
26.	And as it came to pass in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.	Et sicut factum est in diebus Noë, ita erit et in diebus Filii hominis :	και καθως εγενετο εν ταις ημεραις νωε ουτως εσται και εν ταις ημεραις του υιου του ανθρωπου
27.	They did eat and drink, they married wives, and were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark: and the flood came and destroyed them all.	edebant et bibebant : uxores ducebant et dabantur ad nuptias, usque in diem, qua intravit Noë in arcam : et venit diluvium, et perdidit omnes.	ησθιον επινον εγαμουν εξεγαμιζοντο αχρι ης ημερας εισηλθεν νωε εις την κιβωτον και ηλθεν ο κατακλυσμος και απωλεσεν απαντας
28.	Likewise as it came to pass, in the days of Lot: they did eat and drink, they bought and sold, they planted and built.	Similiter sicut factum est in diebus Lot : edebant et bibebant, emebant et vendebant, plantabant et ædificabant :	ομοιως και ως εγενετο εν ταις ημεραις λωτ ησθιον επινον ηγοραζον επωλουν εφυτευον ωκοδομουν
29.	And in the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.	qua die autem exiit Lot a Sodomis, pluit ignem et sulphur de cælo, et omnes perdidit :	η δε ημερα εξηλθεν λωτ απο σοδομων εβρεξεν πυρ και θειον απ ουρανου και απωλεσεν απαντας
30.	Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man shall be revealed.	secundum hæc erit qua die Filius hominis revelabitur.	κατα ταυτα εσται η ημερα ο υιος του ανθρωπου αποκαλυπτεται
31.	In that hour, he that shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away: and he that shall be in the field, in like manner, let him not return back.	In illa hora, qui fuerit in tecto, et vasa ejus in domo, ne descendat tollere illa : et qui in agro, similiter non redeat retro.	εν εκεινη τη ημερα ος εσται επι του δωματος και τα σκευη αυτου εν τη οικια μη καταβατω αραι αυτα και ο εν τω αγρω ομοιως μη επιστρεψατω εις τα οπισω
32.	Remember Lot's wife.	Memores estote uxoris Lot.	μνημονευετε της γυναικος λωτ
33.	Whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose it, shall preserve it.	Quicumque quæsierit animam suam salvam facere, perdet illam : et quicumque perdiderit illam, vivificabit eam.	ος εαν ζητηση την ψυχην αυτου σωσαι απολεσει αυτην και ος εαν απολεση αυτην ζωογονησει αυτην
34.	I say to you: in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.	Dico vobis : In illa nocte erunt duo in lecto uno : unus assumetur, et alter relinquetur :	λεγω υμιν ταυτη τη νυκτι εσονται δυο επι κλινης μιας εις παραληφθησεται και ο ετερος αφεθησεται
35.	Two women shall be grinding together: the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left: two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be keft.	duæ erunt molentes in unum : una assumetur, et altera relinquetur : duo in agro : unus assumetur, et alter relinquetur.	δυο εσονται αληθουσαι επι το αυτο μια παραληφθησεται και η ετερα αφεθησεται 17:36
36.	They answering, say to him: Where, Lord?	Respondentes dicunt illi : Ubi Domine ?
37.	Who said to them: Wheresoever the body shall be, thither will the eagles also be gathered together.	Qui dixit illis : Ubicumque fuerit corpus, illuc congregabuntur et aquilæ.	και αποκριθεντες λεγουσιν αυτω που κυριε ο δε ειπεν αυτοις οπου το σωμα εκει συναχθησονται οι αετοι

(*) "two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left" is not in the Greek source, and the breakdown of verses differs.

[annalex]

26. And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
27. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
28. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
29. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

BEDE; The coming of our Lord, which He had compared to lightning flying swiftly across the heavens, He now likens to the days of Noah and Lot, when a sudden destruction came upon mankind.

CHRYS. For refusing to believe the words of warning they were suddenly visited with a real punishment from God; but their unbelief proceeded from self-indulgence, and softness of mind. For such as a man's wishes and inclinations are, will also be his expectations. Therefore it follows, they eat and drank.

AMBROSE; He rightly declares the deluge to have been caused by our sins, for God did not create evil, but our deservings found it out for themselves. Let it not however be supposed that marriages, or again meat and drink, are condemned, seeing that by the one succession is sustained, by the other nature, but moderation is to be sought for in all things. For whatsoever is more than this is of evil.

BEDE; Now Noah builds the ark mystically. The Lord builds His Church of Christ's faithful servants, by uniting them together in one, as smooth pieces of wood; and when it is perfectly finished, He enters it: as at the day of Judgment, He who ever dwells within His Church enlightens it with His visible presence. But while the ark is in building, the wicked flourish, when it is entered, they perish; as they who revile the saints in their warfare here, shall when they are crowned hereafter be smitten with eternal condemnation.

EUSEB. Having used the example of the deluge, that no one might expect a future deluge by water, our Lord cites, secondly, the example of Lot, to show the manner of the destruction of the wicked, namely, that the wrath of God would descend upon them by fire from heaven.

BEDE; Passing by the unutterable wickedness of the Sodomites, He mentions only those which may be thought trifling offenses, or none at all; that you may understand how fearfully unlawful pleasures are punished, when lawful pleasures taken to excess receive for their reward fire and brimstone.

EUSEB. He does not say that fire came down from heaven upon the wicked Sodomites before that Lot went out from them, just as the deluge did not swallow up the inhabitants of the earth before that Noah entered the ark; for as long as Noah and Lot dwelt with the wicked, God suspended His anger that they might not perish together with the sinners, but when He would destroy those, He withdrew the righteous. So also at the end of the world, the consummation shall not come before all the just are separated from the wicked.

BEDE; For He who in the mean time though we see Him not yet sees all things, shall then appear to judge all things. And He shall come especially at that time, when He shall see all who are forgetful of His judgments in bondage to this world.

THEOPHYL. For when Antichrist has come, then shall men become wanton, given up to abominable vices, as the Apostle says, Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. For if Antichrist is the dwelling-place of every sin, what else will he then implant in the miserable race of men, but what belongs to himself. And this our Lord implies by the instances of the deluge and the people of Sodom.

BEDE; Now mystically, Lot, which is interpreted 'turning aside,' is the people of the elect, who, while in Sodom, i.e. among the wicked, live as strangers, to the utmost of their power turning aside from all their wicked ways. But when Lot went out, Sodom is destroyed, for at the end of the world, the angels shall go forth and sever the wicked from among the just, and cast them into a furnace of fire. The fire and brimstone, however, which He relates to have rained from heaven, does not signify the flame itself of everlasting punishment, but the sudden coming of that day.

31. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
32. Remember Lot's wife.
33. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

AMBROSE; Because good men must needs on account of the wicked be sore vexed in this world, in order that they may receive a more plentiful reward in the world to come, they are here punished with certain remedies, as it is here said, In that day, &c. that is, if a man goes up to the top of his house and rises to the summit of the highest virtues, let him not fall back to the groveling business of this world.

AUG. For he is on the housetop who, departing from carnal things, breathes as it were the free air of a spiritual life. But the vessels in the house are the carnal senses, which many using to discover truth which is only taken in by the intellect, have entirely missed it. Let the spiritual man then beware, lest in the day of tribulation he again take pleasure in the carnal life which is fed by the bodily senses, and descend to take away this world's vessels. It follows, And he that is in the field, let him not return back; that is, He who labors in the Church, as Paul planting and Apollos watering, let him not look back upon the worldly prospects which he has renounced.

THEOPHYL. Matthew relates all these things to have been said by our Lord, with reference to the destruction of Jerusalem, that when the Romans came upon them, they who were on the housetop should not come down to take any thing, but fly at once, nor they that were in the field return home. And surely so it was at the taking of Jerusalem, and again will be at the coming of Antichrist, but much more at the completion of all things, when that intolerable destruction shall come.

EUSEB. He hereby implies that a persecution will come from the son of perdition upon Christ's faithful. By that day then He means the time previous to the end of the world, in which let not him who is flying return, nor care to lose his goods, lest he imitate Lot's wife, who when she deaf out of the city of Sodom, turning back, died, and became a pillar of salt.

AMBROSE; Because thus she looked behind, she lost the gift of her nature. For Satan is behind, behind also Sodom. Wherefore flee from intemperance, turn away from lust, for recollect, that he who turned not back to his old pursuits escaped, because he reached the mount; whereas she looking back to what was left behind, could not even by the aid of her husband reach the mount, but remained fixed.

AUG. Lot's wife represents those who in time of trouble look back and turn aside from the hope of the divine promise, and hence she was made a pillar of salt as a warning to men not to do likewise, and to season as it were their hearts, lest they become corrupt.

THEOPHYL. Next follows the promise, Whosoever shall seek, &c. as if he said, Let no man in the persecutions of Antichrist seek to secure his life, for he shall lose it, but whoso shall expose himself to trials and death shall be safe, never submitting himself to the tyrant from his love of life.

CYRIL; How a man may lose his own life to save it, St. Paul explains when he speaks of some who crucified their flesh with the affections and lusts, that is, with perseverance and devotion engaging in the conflict.

34. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37. And they answered and said to him, Where, Lord? And he said to them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

BEDE; Our Lord had just before said, that he who is in the field must not return back; and lest this should seem to have been spoken of those only who would openly return from the field, that is, who would publicly deny their Lord, He goes on to show, that there are some who, while seeming to turn their face forward, are yet in their heart looking behind.

AMBROSE; He rightly says, night, for Antichrist is the hour of darkness, because he pours a dark cloud over the minds of men while he declares himself to be Christ. But Christ as lightning shines brightly, that we may be able to see in that night the glory of the resurrection.

AUG. Or He says, in that night, meaning in that tribulation.

THEOPHYL. Or He teaches us the suddenness of Christ's coming, which we are told will be in the night. And having said that the rich can scarcely be saved, He shows that not all the rich perish, nor all the poor are saved.

CYRIL; For by the two men in one bed, He seems to denote the rich who repose themselves in worldly pleasures, for a bed is a sign of rest. But not all who abound in riches are wicked, but if one is good and elect in the faith, he will be taken, but another who is not so will be left. For when our Lord descends to judgment, He will send His Angels, who while they leave behind on the earth the rest to suffer punishment, will bring the holy and righteous men to Him; according to the Apostle's words, We shall be caught up together in the clouds to meet Christ in the air.

AMBROSE; Or out of the same bed of human infirmity, one is left, that is, rejected, another is taken up, that is, is caught to meet Christ in the air. By the two grinding together, he seems to imply the poor and the oppressed. To which belongs what follows. Two men shall be in the field, &c. For in these there is no slight difference. For some nobly bear up against the burden of poverty, leading a lowly but honest life, and these shall be taken up; but the others are very active in wickedness, and they shall be left. Or those grinding at the mill seem to represent such as seek nourishment from hidden sources, and from secret places draw forth things openly to view. And perhaps the world is a kind of corn mill, in which the soul is shut up as in a bodily prison. And in this corn mill either the synagogue or the soul exposed to sin, like the wheat, softened by grinding and spoilt by too great moisture, cannot separate the outward from the inner parts, and so is left because its flour dissatisfies. But the holy Church, or the soul which is not soiled by the stains of sin, which grinds such wheat as is ripened by the heat of the eternal sun, presents to God a good flour from the secret shrines of the heart. Who the two men in the field are we may discover if we consider, that there are two minds in us, one of the outer man which wastes away, the other of the inner man which is renewed by the Sacrament. These are then the laborers in the field, the one of which by diligence brings forth good fruit, the other by idleness loses that which he has. Or those who are compared we may interpret to be two nations, one of which being faithful is taken, the other being unfaithful is left.

AUG. Or there are three classes of men here represented. The first is composed of those who prefer their ease and quiet, and busy not themselves in secular or ecclesiastical concerns. And this quiet life of theirs is signified by the bed. The next class embraces those who being placed among the people are governed by teachers. And such he has described by the name of women, because it is best for them to be ruled by the advice of those who are set over them; and he has described these as grinding at the mill, because in their hands revolves the wheel and circle of temporal concerns. And with reference to these mattershe has represented them as grinding together, inasmuch as they give their services to the benefit of the Church. The third class are those who labor in the ministry of the Church as in the field of God. In each of these three classes then there are two sorts of men, of which the one abide in the Church and are taken up, the other fall away and are left.

AMBROSE; For God is not unjust that He should separate in His reward of their deserts men of like pursuits in life, and not differing in the quality of their actions. But the habit of living together does not equalize the merits of men, for not all accomplish what they attempt, but he only who shall persevere to the end shall be saved.

CYRIL; When He said that some should be taken up, the disciples not unprofitably inquire, 'Where, Lord?'

BEDE; Our Lord was asked two questions, where the good should be taken up, and where the bad left; He gave only one answer, and left the other to be understood, saying, Wherever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

CYRIL; As if He said, As when a dead body is thrown away, all the birds which feed on human flesh flock to it, so when the Son of man shall come, all the eagles, that is, the saints, shall haste to meet Him.

AMBROSE; For the souls of the righteous are likened to eagles, because they soar high and forsake the lower parts, and are said to live to a great age. Now concerning the body, we can have no doubt, and above all if we remember that Joseph received the body from Pilate. And do not you see the eagles around, the body are the women and Apostles gathered together around our Lord's sepulcher? Do not you see them then, When he shall come in the clouds, and every eye shall behold him? But the body is that of which it was said, My flesh is meat indeed; and around this body are the eagles which fly about on the wings of the Spirit, around it also eagles which believe that Christ has come in the flesh. And this body is the Church, in which by the grace of baptism we are renewed in the Spirit.

EUSEB. Or by the eagles feeding on the dead animals, he has here described the rulers of the world, and those who shall at that time persecute the saints of God, in whose power are left all those who are unworthy of being taken up, who are called the body or carcass. Or by the eagles are meant the avenging powers which shall fly about to torment the wicked. AUG. Now these things which Luke has given us in a different place from Matthew, he either relates by anticipation, so as to mention beforehand what was afterwards spoken by our Lord, or he means us to understand that they were twice uttered by Him.

Catena Aurea Luke 17

[annalex]

The Last Judgment

Tintoretto

1560-62
Oil on canvas, 1450 x 590 cm
Madonna dell'Orto, Venice

[Salvation]

Spiritual Bouquet
A different meditation each time you click.

 

Meditations by Padre Pio
	Let us follow the advice of David: "Raise your hands in the holy places during the night and bless the Lord". Yes, children, let us bless Him always and let us pray that He will always be our guide, ship, and our port.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: November 12, 2010
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Lord, fill your Church with the Spirit that gave Saint Josaphat courage to lay down his life for his people. By his prayers may your Spirit make us strong and willing to offer our lives for our brothers and sisters. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. Amen.

RECIPES

• Caucasian Shashlik
• Ciastka Miodowe
• Pierogi
• Pirohi
• Potato Dumplings
• Potato Pudding
• Raisin Bread
• Roast with Vegetables
• Torte
• Ukrainian Poppy Seed Cake

ACTIVITIES

• Death and Burial
• November and the Holy Souls
• Practical Suggestions for Christian Living (Anointing of the Sick)
• Praying for the Dead and Gaining Indulgences During November
• Prepare for Death
• Preparing for Heaven
• Religion in the Home for Elementary School: November
• Religion in the Home for Preschool: November
• Teaching About Death
• Teaching Children About Sickness and Death
• Namedays
• What is a Nameday?

PRAYERS

• November Devotion: The Holy Souls in Purgatory
• Little Litany of the Holy Souls
• Prayer for a Happy Death
• Daily Acceptance of Death

12th

  Memorial of St. Josaphat, bishop and martyr Old Calendar: St. Martin I, pope and martyr

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Josaphat, a Catholic of the Ruthenian rite. Born in the then Polish region of Lithuania of Orthodox parents, he became a Catholic and a Ukrainian Basilian monk. Chosen bishop, he worked faithfully for the unity of the Church until he suffered martyrdom at the hands of an angry mob in Russia. His feastday in the Extraordinary Rite is celebrated on November 14.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Martin I who was pope from 649 to 654. He was a courageous defender of the faith against heresy. He held a council at Rome which condemned the Monothelite heresy which taught that Christ had no human but only a divine will. The heretical emperor, Constans II, had him treacherously arrested and taken to Constantinople. After many sufferings and humiliations, he was exiled to Cherson in the Crimea where he died of exhaustion in 654.

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St. Josaphat
Josaphat Kuncewitcz was born about the year 1580 at Vladimir, Volhynia, [part of the Polish province of Lithuania at the time] and given the name John at baptism. While being instructed as a child on the sufferings of our Savior, his heart is said to have been wounded by an arrow from the sacred side of the Crucified. In 1604 he joined the Ukrainian Order of Saint Basil (Basilians), lived as a monk in a very mortified life, went barefoot even in winter, refrained from the use of wine and flesh-meat, and always wore a penitential garb. In 1614 he was appointed archimandrite of Vilna, Russia and four years later archbishop of Polotzk; in this position he worked untiringly for Church reunion. He was a great friend of the poor, once even pledged his archepiscopal omophorion (pallium) to support a poor widow. The foes of union decided to assassinate him. In a sermon, he himself spoke of his death as imminent. When he visited Vitebsk (now in Russia), his enemies attacked his lodging and murdered a number of his companions. Meekly the man of God hastened toward the mob and, full of love, cried, "My children, what are you doing? If you have something against me, see, here I am." With furious cries of "Kill the papist!", they rushed upon him with gun and sword. Josaphat's body was thrown into the river but emerged, surrounded by rays of light, and was recovered. His murderers, when sentenced to death, repented their crime and became Catholics.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Ukraine.

Things to Do:

• Pray to St. Josaphat for the reunion of the separated Eastern Churches.

• Read Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter on the Eastern Churches, Orientale Lumen.

• Read more about St. Josaphat from
  • The Basilica of St. Josaphat
    
  • Saints Alive
    
  • Catholic Online
    
  • Patron Saints Index

• Read Pius XI's Encyclical Ecclesiam Dei on St. Josaphat and Pius XII's encyclical Orientales Omnes Ecclesias (On The Reunion Of The Ruthenian Chuch With Rome) .

• Learn more about the different Eastern Rites which are in union with the Pope.

• Josaphat is the patron saint of Ukraine, but his life has Russian, Polish and Lithuanian influences. The recipes section has several highlighted recipes from these different regions.

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St. Martin I
Pope Martin I (649-654) was outstanding for virtue and knowledge. He was selected by divine Providence to be the supreme defender of the doctrine that in Christ there are two wills, a divine and a human, against the monothelite teaching of one will, favored at Constantinople. Immediately after ascending the papal throne, he convoked a synod at the Lateran which put the true teaching in its proper light and condemned the opposing error. Emperor Constans II supported the monothelite patriarch of Constantinople and commissioned the Exarch Olympios to assassinate the Pope. The Exarch entrusted the task to a lictor to murder Martin during Mass in the church of St. Mary of the Crib. The lictor could not accomplish the mission because he was suddenly struck blind. From that moment many misfortunes befell the Emperor, but no change in attitude resulted. Instead he sent the Exarch Theodor Kalliopes to Rome with orders to arrest the Pope.

Martin was carried to Constantinople to begin a tedious martrydom. He was given over to the scoffing of the rabble as he lay ill on the ship. For three months he languished in prison. Called before a tribunal, he was condemned, robbed of his episcopal garments and put into chains. Finally he was banished to Kherson in the Crimea and died there due to inhuman privations. Two letters written before his death give evidence of how he suffered under the dreadful treatment.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Symbols: Ball of fire; church and crosier; three geese; prison bars;
Often Portrayed As: Pope holding money; pope with geese around him; pope in a prison cell.

Things to Do: Learn more about the monothelite heresy.

[Salvation]

Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

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

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Introduction

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.

---

Hymn

Eternal glory of the sky,

Blest hope of frail humanity,

The Father’s Sole-begotten One,

Yet born a spotless Virgin’s Son.

Uplift us with thine arm of might,

And let our hearts rise pure and bright,

And, ardent in God’s praises, pay

The thanks we owe him every day.

The day-star’s rays are glittering clear,

And tell that day itself is near:

The shadows of the night depart;

Thou, holy Light, illume the heart.

Within our senses ever dwell,

And worldly darkness thence expel:

Long as the days of life endure,

Preserve our souls devout and pure.

The Faith that first must be possessed,

Root deep within our inmost breast:

And joyous Hope in second place,

Then Charity, thy greatest grace.

All laud to God the Father be;

All praise, eternal Son, to thee;

All glory, as is ever meet,

To God the Holy Paraclete.

---

Psalm 50 (51)
God, have mercy on me

Create a pure heart in me, God, put a steadfast spirit into me.

Take pity on me, Lord, in your mercy;

  in your abundance of mercy wipe out my guilt.

Wash me ever more from my guilt

  and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know how guilty I am:

  my sin is always before me.

Against you, you alone have I sinned,

  and I have done evil in your sight.

Know this, so that you may give just sentence

  and an unbiased judgement.

See, I was conceived in guilt,

  in sin my mother conceived me;

but you love truth in the heart,

  and deep within me you have shown me your wisdom.

You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be made clean;

  you will wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

You will make me hear the sound of joy and gladness;

  the bones you have crushed will rejoice.

Turn your face away from my sins

  and wipe out all my transgressions;

create a pure heart in me, God,

  put a steadfast spirit into me.

Do not send me away from your presence,

  or withdraw your holy spirit from me;

give me again the joy of your salvation,

  and be ready to strengthen me with your spirit.

I will teach the unjust your ways,

  and the impious will return to you.

Free me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, God my saviour,

  and my voice will glory in your justice.

Open my lips, Lord,

  and my mouth will proclaim your praise;

for you do not delight in sacrifices:

  if I offered you a burnt offering, it would not please you.

The true sacrifice is a broken spirit:

  a contrite and humble heart, O God, you will not refuse.

Be pleased, Lord, to look kindly on Zion,

  so that the walls of Jerusalem can be rebuilt,

Then indeed you will accept the proper sacrifices, gifts and burnt offerings;

  then indeed will bullocks be laid upon your altar.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen.

Create a pure heart in me, God, put a steadfast spirit into me.

---

Canticle	Tobit 13

Thanksgiving for the freeing of the people

Rejoice, Jerusalem, because through you all people will be gathered in to the Lord.

Bless the Lord, his chosen ones: all of you, praise his greatness.

Keep feast-days of rejoicing and proclaim his holy name.

Jerusalem, holy city: he will punish you for what you have done.

Thank the Lord for his good deeds, and bless the eternal king,

  so that in you, once more, with gladness, your tabernacle may be built,

  so that in you he may make all exiles rejoice,

  so that in you he may care for the distressed

for all ages, for ever.

Your bright light will shine out to the ends of the earth:

  many nations will come to you from afar.

From the farthest corners of the world they will come to your holy name

  carrying gifts in their hands for the King of heaven.

Generation on generation, they will proclaim their joy

  and the name of the chosen city will endure for ever.

So rejoice and be glad among the children of the just,

  for they will be brought together and bless the eternal Lord.

Happy are those who love you, fortunate those who rejoice in your peace.

My soul, bless the Lord, the great King,

  for in Jerusalem his house will be built,

  to stand 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.

Rejoice, Jerusalem, because through you all people will be gathered in to the Lord.

---

Psalm 147 (147B)
God, the foundation of Jerusalem

Zion, praise your God, who sends out his command over the earth.

Praise the Lord, Jerusalem

 — Zion, praise your God.

For he has strengthened the bars of your gates,

  he has blessed your children.

He keeps your borders in peace,

  he fills you with the richest wheat.

He sends out his command over the earth,

  and swiftly runs his word.

He sends down snow that is like wool,

  frost that is like ashes.

He sends hailstones like crumbs

 — who can withstand his cold?

He will send out his word, and all will be melted;

  his spirit will breathe, and the waters will flow.

He proclaims his word to Jacob,

  his laws and judgements to Israel.

He has not done this for other nations:

  he has not shown them his judgements.

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.

Zion, praise your God, who sends out his command over the earth.

---

Short reading	Galatians 2:19-20 ©

I have been crucified with Christ, and I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in this body I live in faith: faith in the Son of God who loved me and who sacrificed himself for my sake.

---

Short Responsory

I will call upon the Lord, the Most High, because of his kindness to me.

– I will call upon the Lord, the Most High, because of his kindness to me.

He will send help from heaven and set me free.

– I will call upon the Lord, the Most High, because of his kindness to me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– I will call upon the Lord, the Most High, because of his kindness to me.

---

Canticle	Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Because of the deep tenderness that God has for us, the Rising Son has come to us from on high.

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.

Because of the deep tenderness that God has for us, the Rising Son has come to us from on high.

---

Prayers and Intercessions

God takes care of all whom he has created and redeemed through his Son. We put our trust in him and renew our prayer:

– Lord, you have worked wonders among us.

Lord of compassion, make our hearts pure and guide our steps,

  so that we remember what is true, and just, and worthy of love.

– Lord, you have worked wonders among us.

For your name’s sake, O God, do not abandon us for ever:

  do not let your covenant fade away.

– Lord, you have worked wonders among us.

Receive our contrite and humble hearts:

  for those who put their trust in you will never be disappointed.

– Lord, you have worked wonders among us.

You called us to be prophets in Christ:

  may we always proclaim your power.

– Lord, you have worked wonders among us.

---

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 who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

  but deliver us from evil.

---

Lord, filled with your Holy Spirit Saint Josaphat laid down his life for his flock.

  Renew that Spirit in your Church, strengthen our hearts with your grace, so that, with the help of his prayers, we may be ready to lay down our lives for our brethren.

[We make our prayer] 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.

AMEN

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: 3 John 5-8

“Please help them in a way worthy of God to continue their journey.” (3 John 6)

John wrote this short letter to a man named Gaius. It is a letter of introduction, urging Gaius to welcome missionaries and offer them hospitality so they can continue their journey.

Scripture places great value on hospitality, which is still very important in the cultures of the Middle East. No matter how poor he is, a person in this region will eagerly welcome strangers into his home, setting his best food before them and attentively waiting on them. The story of Abraham is proverbial: The strangers he welcomes turn out to be angels, who foretell the imminent birth of his long-awaited son and heir (Genesis 18:1-15).

Sometimes we have opportunities to give and receive this sort of hospitality. It may be a single event like hosting the family Thanksgiving gathering or planning a neighborhood party. It may be more of a long-term commitment, like taking in an exchange student or a foster child.

But hospitality also has a spiritual dimension. Even if we don’t offer people a bed or a meal, we can “help them continue their journey.” We are all on a journey. When we were baptized, each of us “set out for the sake of the Name” (3 John 7). Each of us is at a different stage of the journey. Some are just now having a personal awakening to the power and reality of Christ. Others may be preparing to meet God face-to-face. Wherever we are, we can welcome our fellow travelers. Sometimes that will mean giving a hand to someone who needs it. Sometimes it will mean applauding someone who is moving forward. Sometimes that will mean offering material assistance, and other times it will mean a word of encouragement. Or timely instruction. Or even a word of correction and redirection.

Take a moment to think about those who have helped you on your journey and to think of how you can pass along this hospitality to someone else. Are you ready to open your home and your heart to family members, to neighbors, to fellow parishioners, to strangers, or to the needy? As you do this, you’ll find the journey even more enjoyable.

“Father, thank you for the people who have opened their hearts and their homes to me. Open my eyes to those you would have me help on their journey to you.”

Psalm 112:1-6; Luke 18:1-8

[Salvation]

 

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Daily Marriage Tip for November 12, 2010:

When conceding or compromises aren’t working, another decision-making strategy is Chance in which you flip a coin or play paper/rock/scissors. An even better approach, however, is to Create a new solution. In this way you create a win/win situation that satisfies you both. See tomorrow for more.

[Salvation]

Secret Harbor ~ Portus Secretioris

12 November 2010

God Seeks Our Love Because of Our Unworthiness

Here’s more from the vault of Carthusian reflections. While it is seldom a topic of external conversation, at least interiorly the thought has crossed many hearts and minds as to the extent of sacrifice required to grow in intimacy with God, as well as how much suffering will our Lord permit in our life if we truly desire to follow in His Footsteps. For those who set aside time for God every day, such thoughts can become a daily Agony in the Garden. Our human weakness has many questions about the spiritual life, all stemming from our inability to surrender completely and unconditionally. This causes our life with God to lack an ‘ideal’, an inability to conceive a union that is very beautiful. Hope you enjoy these few paragraphs!

At last, I have found my ideal. Now I know where I want to go, and that I shall arrive at my goal. Hitherto, I have groped my way in the darkness; the difficulties I have encountered have wearied and discouraged me. Now I know, and henceforth nothing will hold me back. I will not rest until I have found God in the innermost depths of my heart: ‘I have found Him Who my soul loves; I held Him and I will not let Him go’ (Canticles 3:4). Love will give me wings, for ‘love is as strong as death’ (Canticles 8:6). Difficulties will no longer matter, for ‘I can do all things in Him Who strengthens me’ (Philippians 4:13).

If I glance over my past life and am truly sincere with myself, I will have to admit that so far my spiritual life has lacked an ideal, and that is the real reason I have made so little progress. I have failed to understand how deeply God loves and seeks souls – souls that will give themselves to Him so that He may give Himself to them. The degree of intimacy to which our Lord calls us will be achieved in the measure of the generosity of our response to grace. His love is without measure, and longs to give itself completely to souls. But souls are afraid, because of the consequence of that intimacy which calls for great sacrifices on our part.

In future, however, I shall be honest with myself. On the one hand, I know that God wants to take full and entire possession of my soul and that He has predestined me to be ‘conformable to the Image of His Son’ (Romans 8:29). He wants me to be His son by adoption. On the other hand, I know also that my unworthiness is no obstacle to His love. Who, indeed, could deem himself worthy? ‘If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves’ (1 Saint John 1:8).

But there is much more than this. It is not in spite of our unworthiness that God seeks our love, but because of it: that He may reveal His glory in us. The more unworthy the material, the more is glory reflected on an artist who fashions a masterpiece out of it. It is this truth that our Lord tried to bring home to men in the parables of the prodigal son, and of the lost sheep. There is more joy in heaven, we are told, over one sinner doing penance than over all the just (cf. Saint Luke 15:7). If, then, I have made up my mind to persevere in my ideal, I must be continually acknowledging that, on the one hand, I am nothing and can do nothing of myself, but that, on the other hand, God is all: that He can do all things and wants to do all in me, so that I can make a complete oblation of my life to Him.

 

Posted by Jeffrey S. J. Allan at 11:11

[Salvation]

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

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Introduction

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.

---

Hymn

O gladsome light, O grace

Of God the Father’s face,

  The eternal splendour wearing;

Celestial, holy, blest,

Our Saviour Jesus Christ,

  Joyful in thine appearing.

Now, ere day fadeth quite,

We see the evening light,

  Our wonted hymn outpouring;

Father of might unknown,

Thee, his incarnate Son,

  And Holy Ghost adoring.

To thee of right belongs

All praise of holy songs,

  O Son of God, Life-giver:

Thee therefore, O most High,

The world doth glorify,

  And shall exalt for ever.

---

Psalm 144 (145)
The greatness and goodness of God

Day after day I will bless you, O Lord, and tell of your marvellous deeds.

I will praise you to the heights, O God, my king –

  I will bless your name for ever and for all time.

I will bless you, O God, day after day –

  I will praise your name for ever and all time.

The Lord is great, to him all praise is due –

  he is great beyond measuring.

Generation will pass to generation the praise of your deeds,

  and tell the wonders you have done.

They will tell of your overwhelming power,

  and pass on the tale of your greatness.

They will cry out the story of your great kindness,

  they will celebrate your judgements.

The Lord takes pity, his heart is merciful,

  he is patient and endlessly kind.

The Lord is gentle to all –

  he shows his kindness to all his creation.

Let all your creatures proclaim you, O Lord,

  let your chosen ones bless you.

Let them tell of the glory of your reign,

  let them speak of your power –

so that the children of men may know what you can do,

  see the glory of your kingdom and its greatness.

Your kingdom stands firm for all ages,

  your rule lasts for ever and 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.

Day after day I will bless you, O Lord, and tell of your marvellous deeds.

---

Psalm 144 (145)

All look to you for help, Lord; you are near to all who call on you.

The Lord is faithful in all his words,

  the Lord is holy in all his deeds.

The Lord supports all who are falling,

  the Lord lifts up all who are oppressed.

All look to you for help,

  and you give them their food in due season.

In your goodness you open your hand,

  and give every creature its fill.

The Lord is just in all his ways,

  the Lord is kind in all that he does.

The Lord is near to those who call on him,

  to all those who call on him in truth.

For those that honour him,

  he does what they ask,

  he hears all their prayers,

  and he keeps them safe.

The Lord keeps safe all who love him,

  but he dooms all the wicked to destruction.

My mouth shall tell the praises of the Lord.

Let all flesh bless his holy name,

  for ever and 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.

All look to you for help, Lord; you are near to all who call on you.

---

Canticle	Apocalypse 15

A hymn of adoration

Just and true are your ways, King of all ages.

Great and wonderful are your deeds,

  O Lord God the Almighty!

Just and true are your ways,

  O King of the ages!

Who shall not fear and glorify your name, O Lord?

  For you alone are holy.

All nations shall come and worship you,

  for your judgements have been revealed.

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.

Just and true are your ways, King of all ages.

---

Short reading	Romans 8:1-2 ©

The reason why those who are in Christ Jesus are not condemned is that the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

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Short Responsory

Christ died for our sins, to offer us to God.

– Christ died for our sins, to offer us to God.

He died in the flesh but came to life in the Spirit.

– Christ died for our sins, to offer us to God.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– Christ died for our sins, to offer us to God.

---

Canticle	Magnificat

My soul rejoices in the Lord

Remember, Lord, your mercies, as you promised to our ancestors.

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.

Remember, Lord, your mercies, as you promised to our ancestors.

---

Prayers and Intercessions

All who know the name of Christ hope in him. Therefore let us acclaim him:

– Kyrie, eleison.

On its own, our human nature is a weak and stumbling thing:

  O Christ, keep us upright always.

– Kyrie, eleison.

On its own, it is prone to sin:

  O Christ, bring it healing and forgiveness.

– Kyrie, eleison.

Sin offends you but penitence pleases you:

  turn away the whip of your anger, which our sins have deserved.

– Kyrie, eleison.

You forgave the sins of the woman caught in adultery; you lifted the lost sheep on your shoulders and carried it home:

  do not hold back from showing us your mercy.

– Kyrie, eleison.

While they lived on earth, many put their hope in you:

  admit them all through the gates of heaven, which were opened by the power of your cross.

– Kyrie, eleison.

---

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 who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

  but deliver us from evil.

---

Lord, filled with your Holy Spirit Saint Josaphat laid down his life for his flock.

  Renew that Spirit in your Church, strengthen our hearts with your grace, so that, with the help of his prayers, we may be ready to lay down our lives for our brethren.

[We make our prayer] 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.

AMEN

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Living My Encounter with Christ

INTERNATIONAL | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Friday, 32nd Week in OT (Nov. 12, 2010)

November 12, 2010
Memorial of Saint Josaphat, bishop and martyr
Father Edward Hopkins, LC

Luke 17:26-37
Jesus said to his disciples: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, a person who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise a person in the field must not return to what was left behind. Remember the wife of Lot. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left." They said to him in reply, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather."

Introductory Prayer: I believe in you, Lord, my companion and strength. I believe that you come out to meet me each day, asking me to depend more on you and less on creatures. I hope in you, Lord, as the one who fills my longing to love and be loved. I love you here and now with my prayer and with my desire to be faithful and generous in the little things you ask of me.

Petition: Lord, help me to put you first in my life.

1. They Were Eating and Drinking  In the time of Noah and of Lot, God’s judgment was said to come down upon man. Yet the real moment of judgment for each one of us comes immediately upon our own death. It is then that the kingdom will be fully revealed to us, and it will be decided whether we will be part of it or not. But it is in the course of my own life that my option for being received into the kingdom is decided. God comes to me today. How will I respond? My response now and each day determines my eternal place in the kingdom.

2. Do Not Return to What Was Left Behind  In most disasters people have little chance to collect belongings; those who try are often lost as a result. The same will be true of the Final Judgment – or at our own death; when Jesus comes, will I be ready? What do I most cherish? What I must hold on to is my relationship with Christ. And this implies in so many ways losing “my life” here. Do I live with the attitude of losing my life a little more each day, detaching myself from things, activities and people, so as to be freer to love, serve and be with Christ?

3. Where the Body Is?  “Where Lord?” the disciples ask; where will the day of the Son of man take place? It will take place, says Jesus, wherever you are. Whether we die and encounter Christ in a personal judgment or are alive to encounter the Lord at his Second Coming and the Final Judgement, the reality is the same. Standing next to a saint or a sinner will not alter our fate. Who we know or what contacts we have will do little. Where we are in our relationship with Christ will be the only real determining factor. Where am I, Lord, today, in relationship with you? May this be my only concern!

Conversation with Christ:  Lord Jesus, increase my desire to live my life in close relation with you. Order all my activities according to your will, and my relationships according to your heart. “I want whatever you want, because you want it, the way you want it, as long as you want it” (Prayer of Pope Clement XI).

Resolution:  I will give priority to my relationship with Christ. I will make prayer my first act today before every meal.

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

Find a Life You Never Expected!

November 12th, 2010 by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.  

2 Jn 4-9 / Lk 17:26-37

Sometimes, especially among the young, there’s the feeling that the commandments have an arbitrary character about them, being a kind of obstacle course, the survival of which earns one the reward of heaven.  Nothing could be further from the truth: The commandments are not God’s whims, but descriptors of the only way of living that can ever work or bring us happiness in this life.

Walking in Jesus’ footsteps and living in accord with His law of love enables us to build together an environment that is free of fear and good for everyone, young and old, great and small.  Living together in that way makes possible the “conversation” and fellowship that we long for and it prepares our inner beings for that silent, never-ending conversation with God which we call heaven.

By themselves, the rules and laws cannot save us; only God can do that.  Indeed, the commandments can be a source of both frustration and sadness as we find ourselves continually falling short of the ideal.  But for those whose hearts are bonded to Christ by faith, there is no fear: He knows us well and He will give us what we need in order to carry on, even in the wake of our greatest mistakes.

Trust the power of His love, and you will find a life you never expected!

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

<< Friday, November 12, 2010 >>

St. Josaphat Saint of the Day

2 John 4-9
View Readings

Psalm 119:1-2, 10-11, 17-18

Luke 17:26-37

THE CRISIS OF TRUTH

"Look out that you yourselves do not lose what you have worked for." —2 John 8

 

Although the church of the USA has in some circles the reputation of being alive, some maintain that in fact the church is mostly dead (see Rv 3:1). If this is true, the Lord's word to us is: "Wake up, and strengthen what remains before it dies" (Rv 3:2). We may lose what we have worked for and what remains of what we have worked for (2 Jn 8) if we in any way share in the evil of deceitful Christians who are so "progressive" that they do not remain rooted in the teaching of Christ (2 Jn 7, 9, 11). We must guard the rich deposit of faith (2 Tm 1:14) and fight hard for the faith (Jude 3); otherwise, we will lose what we have left, and "even the little" we think we have (Lk 8:18).

"Progressive," that is, false, teaching is very destructive. It spreads like the plague and upsets Christians' faith (2 Tm 2:17-18). False teaching eventually creates an intolerance (2 Tm 4:3) and contempt (2 Pt 2:2) for true teaching. Therefore, these false teachers "must be silenced" (Ti 1:11). We can do this by:

1. learning the truth from the Church (see 1 Tm 3:15) and the Bible,
2. teaching the truth,
3. sharply (Ti 1:13), yet gently (2 Tm 2:25), correcting false teachers,
4. staying clear of false teachers (2 Tm 3:5-7) and the influences of secular humanism, and
5. suffering persecution for living and teaching the truth (see Sir 4:28).

[Salvation]

Compline -- Night Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer)

---

Introduction

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.

---

This is an excellent moment for an examination of conscience. In a communal celebration of Compline, one of the penitential acts given in the Missal may be recited.

---

Hymn

Christ, thou who art the light and day,

Who chasest nightly shades away,

Thyself the Light of Light confessed,

And promiser of radiance blest:

O holy Lord, we pray to thee,

Throughout the night our guardian be;

In thee vouchsafe us to repose,

All peaceful till the night shall close.

O let our eyes due slumber take,

Our hearts to thee forever wake:

And let thy right hand from above

Shield us who turn to thee in love.

O strong defender, hear our prayers,

Repel our foes and break their snares,

And govern thou thy servants here,

Those ransomed with thy life-blood dear.

Almighty Father, this accord

Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord,

Who with the Holy Ghost and thee

Doth reign through all eternity.

---

Psalm 87 (88)
The prayer of one gravely ill

I cry out to you, Lord, by day and by night.

Lord God, my saviour,

  I have cried out to you by day and by night.

Let my prayer come before you:

  turn your ear to my request.

For my soul is full of evils,

  my life has come close to its end.

I am counted with those who go down to the pit:

  I am left without help.

I am one of the dead,

  like the murdered who sleep in their tombs,

who lie there forgotten,

  cut off from your care.

You have thrust me down into the pit,

  to the gloom and the shadow of death.

Your anger weighs heavy upon me;

  you have drowned me under your waves.

You have taken my friends away from me:

  you have made me hateful in their sight,

  I am shut in, I may not go out.

My eyes are weak from my sufferings.

I have called to you, Lord, all the day;

  I have stretched out my hands to you.

Is it for the dead that you perform your wonders?

  Will the ghosts rise up and proclaim you?

In the tomb, will they tell of your kindness?

  Will they tell of your faithfulness in the place of the lost?

Will your wonders be known in the darkness,

  or your righteousness in the land of oblivion?

And so I have called out to you, Lord,

  and in the morning my prayer will come before you.

With what purpose, Lord, do you reject my soul?

  Why do you hide your face from me?

I am poor; from my youth I have been dying;

  I have borne the terrors you sent, I am lost in confusion.

Your anger has overrun me, your terrors have broken me:

  they have flowed round me like water,

  they have besieged me all the day long.

You have taken my friends and those close to me:

  all I have left is shadows.

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.

I cry out to you, Lord, by day and by night.

---

Reading	(Jeremiah 14:9) ©

Lord, you are in our midst, we are called by your name. Do not desert us, O Lord our God!

---

Short Responsory

Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness.

– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

---

Canticle	Nunc Dimittis

Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace.

  You have fulfilled your promise.

My own eyes have seen your salvation,

  which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples.

A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness;

  the glory of your people Israel.

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.

Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

---

Let us pray.

Lord, let us be so united with your only Son that we become worthy to rise with him into new life, who lives and reigns for ever and ever, Amen.

---

May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.

AMEN

---

	Salve Regina

Hail to you, O Queen, mother of loving kindness,

  our life, our happiness, our hope.

Hear us cry out to you,

  children of Eve in our exile.

Hear as we sigh, with groaning and weeping

  in this life, this valley of tears.

Come then, our Advocate, turn towards us

  the gaze of your kind and loving eyes.

And show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb,

  when at last our exile here is ended.

O gentle, O loving, O sweet virgin Mary.

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;

vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Hevae.

Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes

in hac lacrimarum valle.

Eia ergo, advocata nostra,

illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte.

Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,

nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria.