Jul 09, Evening Prayer for Monday of the 14th week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:
Ordinary: 668
All from the Psalter: Monday, Week II, 863

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 632
All from the Psalter: Monday, Week II, 827

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 694
All from the Psalter: Monday, Week II, 798

Evening Prayer for Monday in Ordinary Time

God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

In the Lord I’ll be ever thankful,
In the Lord I will rejoice!
Look to God, do not be afraid.
Lift up your voices, the Lord is near,
Lift up your voices, the Lord is near.

Music: J. Berthier; Ateliers et Presses de Taize, F-71250 Taize-Communaute
“In the Lord I’ll be ever thankful” performed by Taizé is available from Amazon.com.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Yours is more than mortal beauty; every word you speak is full of grace.

Psalm 45
The marriage of the king
The Bridegroom is here; go out and welcome him (Matthew 25:6).

I

My heart overflows with noble words.
To the king I must speak the song I have made;
my tongue as nimble as the pen of a scribe.

You are the fairest of the children of men
and graciousness is poured upon your lips:
because God has blessed you for evermore.

O mighty one, gird your sword upon your thigh;
in splendor and state, ride on in triumph
for the cause of truth and goodness and right.

Take aim with your bow in your dread right hand.
Your arrows are sharp: peoples fall beneath you.
The foes of the king fall down and lose heart.

Your throne, O God, shall endure for ever.
A scepter of justice is the scepter of your kingdom.
Your love is for justice; your hatred for evil.

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness above other kings:
your robes are fragrant with aloes and myrrh.

From the ivory palace you are greeted with music.
The daughters of kings are among your loved ones.
On your right stands the queen in gold of Ophir.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Yours is more than mortal beauty; every word you speak is full of grace.

Ant. 2 The Bridegroom is here; go out and welcome him.

II

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words:
forget your own people and your father’s house.
So will the king desire your beauty:
he is your lord, pay homage to him.

And the people of Tyre shall come with gifts,
the richest of the people shall seek your favor.
The daughter of the king is clothed with splendor,
her robes embroidered with pearls set in gold.

She is led to the king with her maiden companions.
They are escorted amid gladness and joy;
they pass within the palace of the king.

Sons shall be yours in place of your fathers:
you will make them princes over all the earth.
May this song make your name for ever remembered.
May the peoples praise you from age to age.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

When you took on flesh, Lord Jesus, you made a marriage of mankind with God. Help us to be faithful to your word and endure our exile bravely, until we are called to the heavenly marriage feast, to which the Virgin Mary, exemplar of your Church, has preceded us.

Ant. The Bridegroom is here; go out and welcome him.

Ant. 3 God planned in the fullness of time to restore all things in Christ.

Canticle – Ephesians 1:3-10
God our Savior

Praised be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has bestowed on us in Christ
every spiritual blessing in the heavens.

God chose us in him
before the world began
to be holy
and blameless in his sight.

He predestined us
to be his adopted sons through Jesus Christ,
such was his will and pleasure,
that all might praise the glorious favor
he has bestowed on us in his beloved.

In him and through his blood, we have been redeemed,
and our sins forgiven,
so immeasurably generous
is God’s favor to us.

God has given us the wisdom
to understand fully the mystery,
the plan he was pleased
to decree in Christ.

A plan to be carried out
in Christ, in the fulness of time,
to bring all things into one in him,
in the heavens and on earth.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. God planned in the fullness of time to restore all things in Christ.

READING 1 Thessalonians 2:13

You likewise know how we exhorted every one of you, as a father does his children–how we encouraged and pleaded with you to make your lives worthy of the God who calls you to his kingship and glory. That is why we thank God constantly that in receiving his message from us you took it, not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God at work within you who believe.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

RESPONSORY

Accept my prayer, O Lord, which rises up to you.
– Accept my prayer, O Lord, which rises up to you.

Like burning incense in your sight,
– which rises up to you.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– Accept my prayer, O Lord, which rises up to you.

CANTICLE OF MARY

Ant. For ever will my soul proclaim the greatness of the Lord.

Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. For ever will my soul proclaim the greatness of the Lord.

INTERCESSIONS

Let us praise Christ, who loves, nourishes and supports his Church. With faith let us cry out to him:
– Answer the prayers of your people, Lord.

Lord Jesus, grant that all men be saved,
and come to the knowledge of truth.
– Answer the prayers of your people, Lord.

Preserve our holy father, Pope Benedict,
and all our bishops, come with your power to help them.
– Answer the prayers of your people, Lord.

Remember those who long for honest work,
so that they may lead a life of peaceful security.
– Answer the prayers of your people, Lord.

Lord, be the refuge of the poor,
their help in distress.
– Answer the prayers of your people, Lord.

We commend to your care all bishops, priests and deacons who have died,
may they sing your praises for ever around your heavenly throne.
– Answer the prayers of your people, Lord.

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.

Concluding Prayer

Almighty Father,
you have given us the strength
to work throughout this day.
Receive our evening sacrifice of praise
in thanksgiving for your countless gifts.
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.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.

Jul 09, Night Prayer for Monday of the 14th week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours:
Vol I, page 1175
Vol II, Page 1632
Vol III, Page 1275
Vol IV, Page 1239

Christian Prayer:
Page 1041

General instruction:
Please pray with us actively, especially by joining with us in saying antiphons and responses, most of which are indicated in this highlight.

Consider an examination of your own conscience before beginning to best make use of our time together in prayer.

Night Prayer for Monday

God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

Examination of conscience:
We are called to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men, in our hearts and in our minds, in our actions and inactions. To do so, it is vital that we examine our conscience daily and to ask for God’s mercy as we fall short and to ask for His strength to do better.

Lord Jesus,
you came to reconcile us to one another and to the Father:
Lord, have mercy.
– Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus,
you heal the wounds of sin and division:
Christ, have mercy.
– Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus,
you intercede for us with your Father:
Lord, have mercy.
– Lord, have mercy.

HYMN

The day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended,
The darkness falls at Thy behest;
To Thee our morning hymns ascended,
Thy praise shall sanctify our rest.

We thank Thee that Thy church, unsleeping,
While earth rolls onward into light,
Through all the world her watch is keeping,
And rests not now by day or night.

As o’er each continent and island
The dawn leads on another day,
The voice of prayer is never silent,
Nor dies the strain of praise away.

The sun that bids us rest is waking
Our brethren ’neath the western sky,
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high.

So be it, Lord; Thy throne shall never,
Like earth’s proud empires, pass away:
Thy kingdom stands, and grows forever,
Till all Thy creatures own Thy sway.

“The Day Thou Gavest” by The Choir of St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral; Words: John Ellerton, 1870; Music: Clement Scholefield, 1874
“The Day Thou Gavest” by The Choir of St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral is available from Amazon.com

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 O Lord, our God, unwearied is your love for us.

Psalm 86
Poor man’s prayer in trouble
Blessed be God who comforts us in all our trials (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4).

Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer
for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am faithful;
save the servant who trusts in you.

You are my God, have mercy on me, Lord,
for I cry to you all day long.
Give joy to your servant, O Lord,
for to you I lift up my soul.

O Lord, you are good and forgiving,
full of love to all who call.
Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my voice.

In the day of distress I will call
and surely you will reply.
Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord;
nor work to compare with yours.

All the nations shall come to adore you
and glorify your name, O Lord:
for you are great and do marvelous deeds,
you who alone are God.

Show me, Lord, your way
so that I may walk in your truth.
Guide my heart to fear your name.

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart
and glorify your name for ever;
for your love to me has been great:
you have saved me from the depths of the grave.

The proud have risen against me;
ruthless men seek my life;
to you they pay no heed.

But you, God of mercy and compassion,
slow to anger, O Lord,
abounding in love and truth,
turn and take pity on me.

O give your strength to your servant
and save your handmaid’s son.
Show me the sign of your favor
that my foes may see to their shame
that you console me and give me your help.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. O Lord, our God, unwearied is your love for us.

READING 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

God has destined us for acquiring salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us, that all of us, whether awake or asleep, together might live with him.

RESPONSORY

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

You have redeemed us, Lord God of truth.
– I commend my spirit.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

CANTICLE OF SIMEON

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

Luke 2:29-32
Christ is the light of the nations and the glory of Israel

Lord, now you let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:

my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:

a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

Concluding Prayer

Lord,
give our bodies restful sleep
and let the work we have done today
bear fruit in eternal life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

BLESSING

May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death.
– Amen.

Antiphon or song in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest and martyr & his companions, martyrs

Saint Augustine Zhao Rong,
Priest and martyr & his companions, martyrs
Optional Memorial
July 9th

from the Vatican Website

Saint Augustine Zhao Rong was a Chinese diocesan priest who was martyred with his 119 companions in 1815. Among their number was an eighteen-year-old boy, Chi Zhuzi, who cried out to those who had just cut off his right arm and were preparing to flay him alive: "Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian."
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
Collect:
O God, who in your wonderful providence
have strengthened your Church
through the confession of the Martyrs
Saint Augustine Zhao and companions,
grant that your people,
faithful to the mission entrusted to it,
may enjoy ever greater freedom
and witness to the truth before the world.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
First Reading: 1 John 5:1-5
Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and every one who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Gospel Reading: John 12:24-26
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him.

Information: St. Veronica Giuliani

Feast Day:	July 9
Born:	1660, Mercatello in the Duchy of Urbino
Died:	9 July 1727, Città di Castello
Canonized:	1839 by Pope Gregory XVI
Major Shrine:	Monastery of St. Veronica Giuliani, Città di Castello

Interactive Saints for Kids

The Martyrs of Orange

Feast Day: July 09
Born/Died: Eighteenth century

During the French Revolution, thirty-two nuns were put in prison at Orange in France. These sisters were from different religious orders. There were sixteen Ursuline sisters, thirteen Sisters Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament, two Bernardine sisters and one Benedictine sister.

These nuns were told that they had to take an oath of loyalty to the leaders of the French Revolution. The sisters who knew and believed that the oath was against God and the Church refused to sign it. They were immediately taken to the Orange jail.

Some of the sisters knew each other, while others did not. In the prison, the nuns got together and formed a community in that dark, damp room. They prayed together at particular times during the day. They cheered up and comforted each other and formed strong bonds, as the early persecuted Christian Church had.

On July 6, the first sister was taken to trial and condemned to the guillotine. She never returned. Every day another sister, some days two sisters, were taken to be killed. No one knew who would be next. The group became smaller and smaller, but the remaining sisters prayed especially for those who would die that day. Then they would sing a hymn of praise to God called the Te Deum.

By the end of July, 1794, thirty-two sisters had been sentenced to death by the people's court at Orange, France and died as martyrs for their faith in Jesus. When the French Revolution was over, the judges of Orange were found guilty and punished for what they had done.

The thirty-two sisters called the martyrs of Orange were declared "blessed" by Pope Pius XI in 1925.

Reflection: In times of difficulty, how am I able to both give and receive support within my faith community?

Catholic

Almanac:

Monday, July 9
Liturgical Color: Green
Today the Church honors St. Jerome of Werden. He was a Franciscan missionary priest who preached against Calvinism in Holland. His sermons angered Calvinists and he was attacked and hung in 1572.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: July 9th

Optional Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong, priest and companions, Chinese martyrs

Daily Readings for: July 09, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, who in your wonderful providence have strengthened your Church through the confession of the Martyrs Saint Augustine Zhao and companions, grant that your people, faithful to the mission entrusted to it, may enjoy ever greater freedom and witness to the truth before the world. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

Old Calendar: St. Maria Goretti, virgin & martyr; St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More (Hist)

Saint Augustine Zhao Rong was a Chinese diocesan priest who was martyred with his 119 companions in 1815. Among their number was an eighteen year old boy, Chi Zhuzi, who cried out to those who had just cut off his right arm and were preparing to flay him alive: "Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian." This optional memorial is new to the USA liturgical calendar and will be inscribed on July 9.

Augustine Zhao Rong and companions
Christianity arrived in China by way of Syria in the 600s. Depending on China's relations with the outside world, Christianity over the centuries was free to grow or was forced to operate secretly.

The 120 martyrs in this group died between 1648 and 1930. Most of them (eighty-seven) were born in China and were children, parents, catechists or laborers, ranging from nine years of age to seventy-two. This group includes four Chinese diocesan priests.

The thirty-three foreign-born martyrs were mostly priests or women religious, especially from the Order of Preachers, the Paris Foreign Mission Society, the Friars Minor, Jesuits, Salesians and Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.

Augustine Zhao Rong was a Chinese soldier who accompanied Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse (Paris Foreign Mission Society) to his martyrdom in Beijing. Augustine was baptized and not long after was ordained as a diocesan priest. He was martyred in 1815.

Beatified in groups at various times, these 120 martyrs were canonized in Rome on October 1, 2000.

Excerpted from Saint of the Day, Leonard Foley, O.F.M.

Things to Do:

Read more about the missionaries and Chinese believers who were canonized.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Hosea 2:16-18, 21-22

“I will espouse you to me forever. ” (Hosea 2:19)

Have you noticed how many businesses have begun to offer “24/7” service? This means that they will be available all the time, every hour of every day. The concept has become popular because people want to know that they can do their shopping any time they want or need to.

Well maybe this isn’t as new as we may think. After all, our heavenly Father has been offering 24/7 help since the dawn of creation. When he first created us, God promised to be with us and provide for us all of our days. Even when we turned from him, he walked with us out of the garden, directing our paths and calling us to turn back to him. In time, he even sent his Son to walk among us and to offer his life for us.

So it makes sense that God would promise the people of Hosea’s time that he would “betroth” them to him forever (Hosea 2:19). Even though the people had begun to worship the fertility gods of the Canaanites, God wouldn’t abandon them. Even though they had forgotten that he was the one who provided for them, God never forgot them as the ones he promised to care for (2:10). They may need some time in a wilderness of exile before they would remember him again (2:16). They may even need some drastic humbling (2:12). But God will never stop forming and teaching them, until the day when they are his— and only his.

Today, think about God’s commitment to you. Proclaim in faith that his hand is always upon you. Let his faithfulness stir your heart and protect you in times of temptation. When you feel weak, make it a point to run to him for strength and confidence. As you do, you’ll find that he is running to you even more quickly. He wants to embrace you, to heal you, and to fill you with good gifts. So stand on this one, solid promise today: My God will never, ever abandon me.

“Lord, you are my refuge. I know you never let go of me, and so I trust in your faithfulness. I believe that you are with me every day of my life.”

Psalm 145:2-9; Matthew 9:18-26

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for July 9, 2012:

(Reader’s Tip) “In each challenging situation I strive to remember that this man is God’s amazing gift to me, and that God trusts me to love him with the same love God has for us.

St. Augustine Zhao Rong and 119 companions, martyrs in China

Regnum Christi

Faith is All-Powerful

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Father Edward McIlmail, LC

Matthew 9:18-26

While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward, knelt down before him, and said, "My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live." Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples. A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, "If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured." Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, "Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you." And from that hour the woman was cured. When Jesus arrived at the official´s house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, he said, "Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping." And they ridiculed him. When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. And news of this spread throughout all that land.

Introductory Prayer: Jesus, you are my savior and redeemer; I believe that you want to hear from me. I approach you in confidence and offer this prayer for those who are afraid to draw near to you.

Petition: Grant me, Jesus, a deeper faith in your power to heal me and my loved ones.

1. Awaiting Our Move: We note that the official´s faith moves Jesus to action. Remarkable! The Son of God accommodates a mere creature, due to a show of faith. So often we see problems around us and expect God to solve them without any effort on our part. God knows our problems better than we do (cf. Matthew 6:8). Yet, he sometimes doesn´t act until he sees an act of faith on our part. The official showed such faith. It was extraordinary, after all, for him to approach Jesus in front of other people and ask point-blank for a miracle. Do I have such confidence when I approach Jesus in prayer? Is my faith strong enough to ask him for something extraordinary?

2. Touching Moment: The woman suffering hemorrhages had great faith in Jesus, too. In her case, she didn´t express it in words. Rather, she expressed it in a deed, by discreetly touching Jesus´ cloak. That kind of faith speaks volumes. It helps if our words are joined with actions. Petitions don´t always suffice. We have to act, to move, to leave our comfort zone, in order to approach Jesus. Prayer is good; prayer plus action gives God even more fertile ground to work with. How can I complement my prayer life? Can I help my pastor with a special project, for instance?

3. Mourning Has Broken: In Our Lord´s time it was not uncommon to have professional mourners show up when someone died. Jesus´ comment that the official´s daughter was merely sleeping brought ridicule on him. Who needs mourners if the young lady is alive? We can be like professional mourners at times, resigned to the evil and death around us. We might throw up our hands and think we can hope for nothing better. We might even be tempted, like the mourners, to ignore Our Lord´s reassuring presence. We might think: "What! Me, be a saint?" Or: "Me, called to the priesthood or consecrated life?" Or: "Do you really expect us to handle another child right now?" Luckily for us, Christ is undeterred. He comes to bring us life, to lead us out of sin, to make us more generous. In a word, he comes to call us to holiness. Do I resist such a call?

Conversation with Christ: The official and the suffering woman show an admirable faith. I want to have that same kind of faith, Lord. Sometimes I feel paralyzed by my problems, so much so that I find it hard to approach you confidently. Increase my faith and sense of hope. Let me live as if I really believe that you rule the world.

Resolution: I will offer up a sacrifice (or a visit to the Blessed Sacrament or an act of charity) for a special intention.

Faith, Hope and Love

Archives
September 25th, 2009
Patti Maguire Armstrong

The altar server genuflected, snuffed out the candles, and returned to the sacristy after the funeral Mass of my father-in-law. Outside the church, small orange flags tied to each of the vehicles of the funeral procession crackled back and forth in the cold spring wind.

My husband stood with our four sons at the back of the church, along with his sisters and brothers gathered by their mother’s side. Seizing a moment of quiet, I slipped into a back pew with the weights of anxiety and sorrow pulling my knees down to the kneeler. Silently I prayed to my husband’s deceased father, “Okay, Frank. I am not going to let you rest on your laurels. I need you to pray for me. You see, twenty-five years ago, before I married your son Tom, I gave birth to a baby boy. I never had the privilege of raising him, because I gave him up for adoption.” I had never told my father-in-law about this because society and those around me had told me to get on with my life and to forget. The truth is that I never forgot.

A mother does not forget. “Pray for me, Frank, and for my firstborn child. We have started corresponding through the adoption agency and I want it to turn out okay.” I hurried after my family as they exited, grabbing a few of Grandpa Frank’s funeral prayer cards on the table by the door. I intended to place one in our family Bible, a tradition that I learned from my Irish grandmother.

My husband had been supportive of me contacting my first son. My initial call to the agency felt like a kick in my stomach when the social worker reported that my file contained no letters or updates. But finally after four years the agency informed me that my son had written of his intent to contact me. My emotions spun me around. For so many years I had tried to push the memory of losing him under the surface of my conscious awareness. Now the idea of contact with him brought a thrill and terror all together.

When I received his first letter, it contained a photo of him. He looked more like me than did my other three boys. He definitely had my hair. Since the day I had last seen my son, I began the habit of searching the face of every boy near the age my son would have been at the time. Having no idea where my son had been placed, he could have been the lad on the swings, the boy in the car next to me, the teen grocery carryout, the lector at church. Now that I knew how he looked, I still found myself studying each young man’s features. I had to remind myself, “You have found him! You know what he looks like!”

As summer vacation arrived, I found myself checking daily for a second letter from my son. It was like waiting for labor to begin. I wrote him a purposefully short note just to let him know that I was thinking of him, but I did not want to place any pressure upon him to respond until he might be ready.

While writing I glanced at my hand and realized I hadn’t worn my Claddaugh ring for a while. The ring, a gift from my husband, bears a crown, heart, and a pair of hands, which for me symbolized faith, hope and love. I would have to search for the ring later. On July 5, I received my second letter from my son, and I was ecstatic. He stated that he wanted to exchange identifying information. I would finally know his full name and where he lived and vice versa. I hoped that he would want to know me.

Editor’s Note: This excerpt is from Patti’s book Amazing Grace for Mother’s.

Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 9
18.	As he was speaking these things unto them, behold a certain ruler came up, and adored him, saying: Lord, my daughter is even now dead; but come, lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.	Hæc illo loquente ad eos, ecce princeps unus accessit, et adorabat eum, dicens : Domine, filia mea modo defuncta est : sed veni, impone manum tuam super eam, et vivet.	ταυτα αυτου λαλουντος αυτοις ιδου αρχων εις ελθων προσεκυνει αυτω λεγων οτι η θυγατηρ μου αρτι ετελευτησεν αλλα ελθων επιθες την χειρα σου επ αυτην και ζησεται
19.	And Jesus rising up followed him, with his disciples.	Et surgens Jesus, sequebatur eum, et discipuli ejus.	και εγερθεις ο ιησους ηκολουθησεν αυτω και οι μαθηται αυτου
20.	And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment.	Et ecce mulier, quæ sanguinis fluxum patiebatur duodecim annis, accessit retro, et tetigit fimbriam vestimenti ejus.	και ιδου γυνη αιμορροουσα δωδεκα ετη προσελθουσα οπισθεν ηψατο του κρασπεδου του ιματιου αυτου
21.	For she said within herself: If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be healed.	Dicebat enim intra se : Si tetigero tantum vestimentum ejus, salva ero.	ελεγεν γαρ εν εαυτη εαν μονον αψωμαι του ιματιου αυτου σωθησομαι
22.	But Jesus turning and seeing her, said: Be of good heart, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.	At Jesus conversus, et videns eam, dixit : Confide, filia, fides tua te salvam fecit. Et salva facta est mulier ex illa hora.	ο δε ιησους επιστραφεις και ιδων αυτην ειπεν θαρσει θυγατερ η πιστις σου σεσωκεν σε και εσωθη η γυνη απο της ωρας εκεινης
23.	And when Jesus was come into the house of the ruler, and saw the minstrels and the multitude making a rout,	Et cum venisset Jesus in domum principis, et vidisset tibicines et turbam tumultuantem, dicebat :	και ελθων ο ιησους εις την οικιαν του αρχοντος και ιδων τους αυλητας και τον οχλον θορυβουμενον
24.	He said: Give place, for the girl is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.	Recedite : non est enim mortua puella, sed dormit. Et deridebant eum.	λεγει αυτοις αναχωρειτε ου γαρ απεθανεν το κορασιον αλλα καθευδει και κατεγελων αυτου
25.	And when the multitude was put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand. And the maid arose.	Et cum ejecta esset turba, intravit : et tenuit manum ejus, et surrexit puella.	οτε δε εξεβληθη ο οχλος εισελθων εκρατησεν της χειρος αυτης και ηγερθη το κορασιον
26.	And the fame hereof went abroad into all that country.	Et exiit fama hæc in universam terram illam.	και εξηλθεν η φημη αυτη εις ολην την γην εκεινην

18. While he spoke these things to them, behold, there came a certain ruler; and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay your hand upon her, and she shall live.
19. And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.
20. And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
21. For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
22. But Jesus turned him about, and when He saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; your faith has made you whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

CHRYS; After His instructions He adds a miracle, which should mightily discomfit the Pharisees, because He who came to beg this miracle, was a ruler of the synagogue, and the mourning was great, for she was his only child, and of the age of twelve years, that is, when the flower of youth begins; While he spoke these things to them, behold there came one of their chief men to him.

AUG; This narrative is given both by Mark and Luke, but in a quite different order; namely, when after the casting out of time demons and their entrance into the swine, he had returned across the lake from the country of the Gerasenes. Now Mark does indeed tell us that this happened after He had crossed the lake, but how long after He does not determine. Unless there had been some interval of time, that could not have taken place that Matthew relates concerning the feast in his house. After this, immediately follows that concerning the ruler of the synagogue's daughter. If the ruler came to Him while He was yet speaking that of the new patch, and the new wine, then no other act of speech of his intervened. And in Mark's account, the place where these things might come in, is evident. In like manner, Luke does not contradict Matthew; for what he adds, And behold a man, whose name was Jairus, is not to be taken as though it followed instantly what had been related before, but after that feast with the Publicans, as Matthew relates. While he spoke these things to them, behold, one of their chief men, namely, Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, came to him, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, my daughter is even now dead. It should be observed, lest there should seem to be some discrepancy, that the other two Evangelists represent her as at the point of death, but yet not dead, but so as afterwards to say that there came afterwards some saying, She is dead, trouble not the Master, for Matthew for the sake of shortness represents the Lord as having been asked at first to do that which it is manifest He did do, namely, raise the dead. He looks not at the words of the father respecting his daughter, but rather his mind. For he had so far despaired of her life, that he made his request rather for her to be called to life again, thinking it impossible that she, whom he had left dying, should be found yet alive. The other two then have given Jairus' words; Matthew has put what he wished and thought. Indeed had either of them related that it was the father himself that said that Jesus should not be troubled for she was now dead, in that case the words that Matthew has given would not have corresponded with the thoughts of the ruler. But we do not read that he agreed with the messengers. Hence we learn a thing of the highest necessity, that we should look at nothing in any man's words, but his meaning to which his words ought to be subservient; and no man gives a false account when he repeats a man's meaning in words other than those actually used.

CHRYS; Or; The ruler says, she is dead, exaggerating his calamity. As it is time manner of those that prefer a petition to magnify their distresses, and to represent them as something more than they really are, in order to gain the compassion of those to whom they make supplication; whence he adds, But come and lay your hand upon her, and she shall live. See his dullness. He begs two things of Christ, to come, and to lay His hand upon her. This was what Naaman the Syrian required of the Prophet. For they who are constituted thus hard of heart have need of sight and things sensible.

REMIG; We ought to admire and at the same time to imitate the humility and mercifulness of the Lord; as soon as ever He was asked, He rose to follow him that asked; And Jesus rose, and followed him. Here is instruction both for such as are in command, and such as are in subjection. To these He has left an example of obedience; to those who are set over others He shows how earnest and watchful they should be in teaching; whenever they hear of any being dead in spirit, they should hasten to Him; And his disciples went with him.

CHRYS; Mark and Luke say that He took with Him three disciples only, namely, Peter, James, and John; He took not Matthew, to quicken his desires, and because he was yet not perfectly minded; and for this reason He honors these three, that others may become like-minded. It was enough meanwhile for Matthew to see the things that were done respecting her that had the issue of blood, concerning whom it follows; And, behold, a woman who had suffered an issue of blood twelve years, came behind and touched the hem of his garment.

JEROME; This woman that had the flux came to the Lord not in the house, nor in the town, for she was excluded from them by the Law, but by the way as He walked; thus as He goes to heal one woman, another is cured.

CHRYS; She came not to Christ with an open address through shame concerning this her disease, believing herself unclean; for in the Law this disease was esteemed highly unclean. For this reason she hides herself.

REMIG; in which her humility must be praised, that she came not before His face, but behind, and judged herself unworthy to touch the Lord's feet, yea, she touched not His whole garment, but the hem only; for the Lord wore a hem according to the command of the Law . So the Pharisees also wore hems which they made large, and in some they inserted thorns. But the Lord's hem was not made to wound, but to heal, and therefore it follows, For she said within herself, If I can but touch his garment, I shall be made whole. How wonderful her faith, that though she despaired of healing from the physicians, on whom notwithstanding she had exhausted her living, she received that a heavenly Physician was at hand, and therefore bent her whole soul on Him; whence she deserved to be healed; But Jesus turning and seeing her, said, Be of good cheer, daughter, your faith has made you whole.

RABAN; What is this that He bids her, Be of good cheer, seeing if she had not had faith, she would not have sought healing of Him? He requires of her strength and perseverance, that she may come to a sure and certain salvation.

CHRYS; Or because the woman was fearful, therefore He said, Be of good cheer. He calls her daughter, for her faith had made her such.

JEROME; He said not, Your faith shall make you whole, but, has made you whole; for in that you have believed, thou art already made whole.

CHRYS; She had not yet a perfect mind respecting Christ, or she would not have supposed that she could be hid from Him; but Christ would not suffer her to go away unobserved, not that He sought fame, but for many reasons. First, He relieves the woman's fear, that she should not be pricked in her conscience as though she had stolen this boon; secondly, He corrects her error in supposing she could be hid from Him; thirdly, He displays her faith to all for their imitation; and fourthly, He did a miracle, in that He showed He knew all things, no less than in drying the fountain of her blood. It follows, And the woman was made whole from that hour.

GLOSS; This must be understood as the time in which she touched the hem of His garment, not in which Jesus turned to her; for she was already healed, as the other Evangelists testify, and as may be inferred from the Lord's words.

HILARY; Herein is to be observed the marvelous virtue of the Lord, that the power that dwelt in His body should give healing to things perishable, and the heavenly energy extended even through the hems of His garments; for God is not comprehensible that He should be shut in by a body, for His taking a body to Him did not confine His power, but His power took upon it a frail body for our redemption. Figuratively, this ruler is to be understood as the Law, which prays the Lord that He would restore life to the dead multitude which it had brought up for Christ, preaching that His coming was to be looked for.

RABAN; Or; The ruler of the synagogue signifies Moses; he is named Jairus, ' illuminating,' or, ' that shall illuminate,' because he received the words of life to give to us, and by them enlightens all, being himself enlightened by the Holy Spirit. The daughter of the ruler, that is, the synagogue itself, being as it were in the twelfth year of its age, that is, in the season of puberty, when it should have borne spiritual progeny to God, fell into the sickness of error. While then the Word of God is hastening to this ruler's daughter to make whole the sons of Israel, a holy Church is gathered from among the Gentiles, which while it was perishing by inward corruption, received by faith that healing that was prepared for others. It should be noted, that the ruler's daughter was twelve years old, and this woman had been twelve years afflicted; thus she had begun to be diseased at the very time the other was born, so in one and the same age the synagogue had its birth among the Patriarchs, and the nations without began to be polluted with the pest of idolatry. For the issue of blood may be taken in two ways, either for the pollution of idolatry, or for obedience to the pleasures of flesh and blood. Thus as long as the synagogue flourished, the Church languished; the falling away of the first was made the salvation of the Gentiles. Also the Church draws nigh and touches the Lord, when it approaches Him in faith. She believed, spoke her belief; and touched, for by these three things, faith, word, and deed, all salvation is gained. She came behind Him, as He spoke, If any one serve me, let him follow me; or because, not having seen the Lord present in the flesh, when the sacraments of His incarnation were fulfilled, she came at length to the grace of the knowledge of Him. Thus also she touched the hem of His garment, because the Gentiles, though they had not seen Christ in the flesh, received the tidings of His incarnation. The garment of Christ is put for the mystery of His incarnation, wherewith His Deity is clothed; the hem of His garment are the words that hang upon His incarnation. She touches not the garment, but the hem thereof; because she saw not the Lord in the flesh but received the word of the incarnation through the Apostles. Blessed is he that touches but the uttermost part of the word by faith. She is healed while the Lord is not in the city, but while the Lord is yet on the way; as the Apostles cried, Because you judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. And from the time of the Lord's coming the Gentiles began to be healed.

23. And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,
24. He said to them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleeps. And they laughed him to scorn.
25. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.
26. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.

GLOSS; After the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, follows the raising of the dead; And when Jesus was come into the ruler's house.

CHRYS; We may suppose that He proceeded slowly, and spoke longer to the woman whom He had healed, that He might suffer the maid to die and thus an evident miracle of restoring to life might be wrought. In the case of Lazarus also He waited till the third day And when he saw the minstrels and the people making a noise; this was proof of her death.

AMBROSE; For by the ancient custom minstrels were engaged to make lamentation for the dead.

CHRYS; But Christ put forth all the pipers, but took in the parents, that it might not be said that He had healed her by any other means; and before the restoring to life He excites their expectations by His words. And he said, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleeps.

BEDE; As though He had said To you she is dead, but to God who has power to give life, she sleeps only both in soul and body.

CHRYS; By this saying, He soothes the minds of those that. were present, and shows that it is easy to Him to raise the dead; the like He did in the case of Lazarus, Our friend Lazarus sleeps. This was also a lesson to them not to be afraid of death; forasmuch as He Himself also should die, He made His disciples learn in the persons of others confidence and patient endurance of death. For when He was near, death was but as sleep. When He had said this, They mocked him. And he did not rebuke their mocking; that this mocking, and the pipes and all other things, might be a proof of her death. For often times at His miracles when men would not believe, He convicted them by their own answers; as in the case of Lazarus when He said, Where have you laid him? so that they that answered, Come and see, and, He stinks, for he has now been dead four days, could no longer disbelieve that He had raised a dead man.

JEROME; They that had mocked the Reviver were not worthy to behold the mystery of the revival; and therefore it follows, And when the multitude was put forth, he entered, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.

CHRYS; He restored her to life not by bringing in another soul, but by recalling that which had departed, and as it were raising it from sleep, and through this sight preparing the way for belief of the resurrection. And He not only restores her to life, but commands food to be given her, as the other Evangelists relate, that that which was done might be seen to be no delusion. And the fame of it went abroad into all that country.

GLOSS. The fame, namely, of the greatness and novelty of the miracle, and its established truth; so that it could not be supposed to be a forgery.

HILARY; Mystically; The Lord enters the ruler's house, that is, the synagogue, throughout which there resounded in the songs of the Law a strain of wailing.

JEROME; To this day the damsel lays dead in the ruler's house; and they that seem to be teachers are but minstrels singing funeral dirges. The Jews also are not the crowd of believers, but of people making a noise. But when the fullness of the Gentiles shall come in, then all Israel shall be saved.

HILARY; But that the number of the elect. might be known to be but few out of the whole body of believers, the multitude is put forth; the Lord indeed would that they should be saved, but they mocked at His sayings and actions, and so were not worthy to be made partakers of His resurrection.

JEROME; He took her by the hand, and the maid arose; because if the hands the Jews which are detailed with blood be not first cleansed, their synagogue which is dead shall not revive.

HILARY; His fame went about into all that country; that is the salvation of the elect, the gift and works of Christ are preached.

RABAN; Morally; The damsel dead in the house is the soul dead in thought. He says that she is asleep, because they that are now asleep in sin may yet be roused by penitence. The minstrels are flatterers who cherish the dead.

GREG; The multitude are put forth that the damsel may be raised; for unless the multitude of worldly cares is first banished from the secrets of the heart, the soul which is laid dead within, cannot rise again.

RABAN; The maiden is raised in the house with few to witness, the young man without the gate, and Lazarus in the presence of many; for a public scandal requires a public expiation; a less notorious, a lesser remedy; and secret sins may be done away by penitence.

Catena Aurea Matthew 9

The woman with the issue of blood

Early 4th Century
Catacomb of Sts. Marcellinus and Peter, Rome

One Bread, One Body

<< Monday, July 9, 2012 >>

St. Augustine Zhao Rong
& the Chinese Martyrs
Saint of the Day

Hosea 2:16-18, 21-22
View Readings

Psalm 145:2-9

Matthew 9:18-26

LOVE SUPREME

"I will espouse you to Me forever." —Hosea 2:21

Imagine going to a funeral home and seeing Jesus raise a twelve-year-old girl from the dead (Mt 9:25). What would you think? What would you say to Him? What if Jesus then walked over to you and said: "I will espouse you to Me forever" (Hos 2:21)?

Jesus is proposing to you something which transcends any relationship — including marriage — something which will last forever. How could you accept His proposal? How could you even understand it?

Jesus will do three things to prepare you to make the decision of espousal to Him forever. He will:

allure you (Hos 2:16). Jesus — lifted up on the cross, in the Resurrection, and at the right hand of the Father — will draw you to Himself (Jn 12:32; see also Jn 6:44).
lead you into the desert (Hos 2:16).
speak to your heart (Hos 2:16). The Sacred Heart of Jesus will have heart-to-heart talks with you.

After this desert experience, you will decide to be espoused to Jesus forever "in right and in justice, in love and in mercy" (Hos 2:21). You will be espoused to Jesus in fidelity "and you shall know the Lord" (Hos 2:22). Respond "I do" to Jesus, the Bridegroom (Mk 2:19).

Prayer: Father, may I "grasp fully, with all the holy ones, the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ's love" (Eph 3:18).

Promise: "Jesus turned around and saw her and said, 'Courage, daughter! Your faith has restored you to health.' That very moment the woman got well." —Mt 9:22

Praise: St. Augustine Zhao Rong was a soldier who converted to the Catholic faith while providing an escort service for a French bishop. He became a priest and spread the Gospel until arrested. He died as a martyr while in prison.

The map above depicts the average percent of abortions by country.

Pray, pray, pray to end abortion throughout the world.

The Martyrs of Orange

Optional Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong, priest and companions, Chinese martyrs

Daily Readings for: July 09, 2012(Readings on USCCB website)

RECIPES

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

Meditation: Hosea 2:16-18, 21-22

Faith, Hope and Love

One Bread, One Body

LOVE SUPREME

Daily Readings for: July 09, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)