Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 07-22-12, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 07-22-12 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

July 22, 2012

 

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1 Jer 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds
who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture,
says the LORD.
Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,
against the shepherds who shepherd my people:
You have scattered my sheep and driven them away.
You have not cared for them,
but I will take care to punish your evil deeds.
I myself will gather the remnant of my flock
from all the lands to which I have driven them
and bring them back to their meadow;
there they shall increase and multiply.
I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them
so that they need no longer fear and tremble;
and none shall be missing, says the LORD.

Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
as king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name they give him:
"The LORD our justice."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Reading 2 Eph 2:13-18

Brothers and sisters:
In Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have become near by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, he who made both one
and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh,
abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,
that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,
thus establishing peace,
and might reconcile both with God,
in one body, through the cross,
putting that enmity to death by it.
He came and preached peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near,
for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Gospel Mk 6:30-34

The apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
"Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.

When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.

[Salvation]

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[Salvation]

From: Jeremiah 23:1-6

[1] “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!”
says the LORD. [2] Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concer-
ning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock, and
have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend
to you for your evil doings, says the LORD. [3] Then I will gather the remnant of
my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them
back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. [4] I will set shepherds
over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed,
neither shall any be missing, says the LORD.

The future king

---

[5] “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a
righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute
justice and righteousness in the land. [6] In his days Judah will be saved, and
Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The
Lord is our righteousness’.”

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Commentary:

23:1-8. The previous chapters (21:1-22:30) announced the exile to come, and
come it did, on account of the kings’ failure to keep the Covenant. The kings, in
chronological order, were the subject of the various oracles. Now Jeremiah, loo-
king to the future, uses the image of shepherds to proclaim a new era in which
God himself will be the shepherd-ruler of his people (vv. 1-4); he will raise up a
new king who will govern justly (vv. 5-6); and the new situation that will develop
after the return from exile will be more glorious than that of the period after the
exodus from Egypt (vv. 7-8). Bl. John Paul II refers to this oracle to stress that
the new people of God, the Church, will always have pastors to guide it: “In
these words from the prophet Jeremiah, God promises his people that he will ne-
ver leave them without shepherds to father them together and guide them: ‘I will
set shepherds over them [my sheep] who will care for them, and they shall fear
no more, nor be dismayed’ (Jer 23:4). The Church, the people of God, constantly
experiences the reality of the prophetic message and continues joyfully to thank
God for it. She knows that Jesus Christ himself is the living, supreme and defini-
tive fulfillment of God’s promise: ‘I am the good shepherd’ (Jn 10:11). He, ‘the
great shepherd of the sheep’ (Heb 13:20), entrusted to the apostles and their
successors the ministry of shepherding God’s flock (cf. Jn 21:15ff; 1 Pet 5:2)”
(Pastores dabo vobis, 1).

23:5-6. The promise of the new king is the key to understanding Jeremiah’s
thought. The passage is repeated (with slight variations) in 33:15-16. “The days
are coming”, a phrase often found in oracles of salvation, is a reference to the
End time, but sometimes it can mean the return from exile. The “righteous
branch”, meaning the future king, will eventually become a technical term for the
Messiah, in both Zechariah (Zech 3:8; 6:12) and the New Testament (cf. Lk 1:78):
he is “righteous”, he shall “execute…righteousness” and he will be called “the
Lord in our righteousness”. All this insistence on justice and right indicates, first-
ly, that Jeremiah wants to justify the accession of Zedekiah, whose name means
“justice of the Lord”; but he also wants to show that the future Messiah will be
David’s legal, legitimate descendant: the Lord guarantees this by calling him a
“righteous” that is “legitimate”, branch. And the main message, of course, is that
in the new era justice will reign and there will be peace and security; it will be the
time of definitive salvation.

Thus, Jeremiah is proclaiming the coming of a descendant of David who will bring
about a new era of prosperity and salvation. Jeremiah is the last prophet, in order
of time, to proclaim a Messiah King, an intermediary between God and his people.
At the same time, he is also promising direct intervention by God.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

[Salvation]

From: Ephesians 2:13-18

Reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles in Christ

---

[13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near
in the blood of Christ. [14] For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and
has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, [15] by abolishing, in his flesh the
law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new
man in place of the two, so making peace, [16] and might reconcile us both to
God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. [17]
And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those
who were near; [18] for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the
Father.

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

11-22. What is the significance of the calling of the Gentiles to the Church?
Their previous situation, separated from Christ (vv. 11-12), has undergone radical
change as a result of the Redemption Christ achieved on the Cross: that action
has, on the one hand, brought the two peoples together (made peace between
them: vv. 13-15) and, on the other, it has reconciled them with God, whose ene-
my each was (w. 16-18). The Redemption has given rise to the Church, which St
Paul here describes as a holy temple built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets (vv. 19-22).

14-15. “He is our peace”: through his death on the cross Christ has abolished
the division of mankind into Jews and Gentiles. The Gentiles, who had been far
away from God, from his covenant and from his promises (cf. v. 12), are now on
a par with the Jews: they share in the New Covenant that has been sealed with
the blood of Christ. That is why he is “our peace”. In him all men find that soli-
darity they yearned for, because, through his obedient self-sacrifice unto death,
Christ has made up for the disobedience of Adam, which had been the cause of
human strife and division (cf. Gen 3-4). “Christ, the Word made flesh, the prince
of peace, reconciled all men to God by the cross, and, restoring the unity of all
in one people and one body, he abolished hatred in his own flesh (cf. Eph 2:16;
Col 1:20-22) and, having been lifted up through his resurrection, he poured forth
the Spirit of love into the hearts of men” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 78).

God’s plan to attract mankind to himself and to reestablish peace included the
election of the Jewish people, from whom the Messiah would be born; and in
that Messiah all the nations of the world would be blessed (cf. Gen 11:3). He
is in fact called “prince of peace” (Is 9:6; cf. Mic 5:4). However, many Jews had
come to regard their election in such a narrow-minded way that they saw it as
creating a permanent barrier between themselves and the Gentiles. Some rabbis
of our Lord’s time despised and even hated the Gentiles. The separation between
the two peoples was reflected in the temple wall which divided the court of the
Gentiles from the rest of the sacred precincts (cf. Acts 21:28). The real roots of
the separation lay in Jewish pride at being the only ones to have the Law of God
and keep it by scrupulous attention to countless legal niceties.

By his death on the cross Jesus Christ has broken down the barriers dividing
Jews from Gentiles and also those which kept man and God apart. St Paul says
this metaphorically when he says that Christ “has broken down the dividing wall,”
referring to the wall in the temple. But he is not resorting to metaphor when he
says that Christ abolished “in his flesh the law of commandments and ordi-
nances”. Christ, through his obedience to the Father unto death (cf. Phil 2:8),
has brought the Law to fulfillment (cf. Mt 5:17 and note on Mt 5:17-19); he has
become, for all mankind, the way to the Father. The Law of the Old Testament,
although it was something good and holy, also created an unbridgeable gap be-
tween God and man, because man, on his own, was incapable of keeping the
Law (cf. notes on Gal 3:19-20; 3:21-25; and Acts 15:7-11). Christ, through grace,
has created a new man who can keep the very essence of the Law — obedience
and love.

The “new man” of whom St Paul speaks here is Jesus Christ himself, who
stands for both Jews and Gentiles, because he is the new Adam, the head of a
new mankind: the “new man”, St Thomas Aquinas explains, “refers to Christ him-
self, who is called ‘new man’ because of the new form his conception took, ...the
newness of the grace which he extends ..., and the new commandment which
he brings” (”Commentary on Eph, ad loc.”).

By taking human nature and bringing about our redemption, the Son of God has
become the cause of salvation for all, without any distinction between Jew and
Greek, slave and free, male and female (cf. Gal 3:28): only through Christ’s grace
can peace be achieved and all differences overcome. Bl. John XXIII explains this
in his encyclical “Pacem In Terris”: peace is “such a noble and elevated task
that human resources, even though inspired by the most praiseworthy goodwill,
cannot bring it to realization alone. In order that human society may reflect as
faithfully as possible the Kingdom of God, help from on high is necessary. For
this reason, during these sacred days our supplication is raised with greater fer-
vor towards him who by his painful passion and death overcame sin—the root of
discord and the source of sorrows and inequalities—and by his blood reconciled
mankind to the Eternal Father: ‘For he is our peace, who has made us both one’.”

16. Through his death on the cross, Jesus Christ reestablishes man’s friendship
with God, which sin had destroyed. Pope John Paul suggests that “With our
eyes fixed on the mystery of Golgotha we should be reminded always of that
‘vertical’ dimension of division and reconciliation concerning the relationship be-
tween man and God, a dimension which in the eyes of faith always prevails over
the ‘horizontal’ dimension, that is to say, over the reality of division between peo-
ple and the need for reconciliation between them. For we know that reconciliation
between people is and can only be the fruit of the redemptive act of Christ, who
died and rose again to conquer the kingdom of sin, to reestablish the covenant
with God and thus break down the dividing wall which sin had raised up between
people” (”Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia”, 7). Redemption therefore brings about
our reconciliation with God (cf. Rom 5:10-2 Cor 5:18) and it affects everyone,
Gentiles as well as Jews, and all creation (cf. Col 1:20). This reconciliation is
achieved in the physical body of Christ sacrificed on the cross (cf. Col 1:22) and
also in his mystical body, in which Christ convokes and assembles all whom he
has reconciled with God by his redemptive sacrifice (cf. 1 Cor 12:13ff). The words
“in one body” can be taken in two senses—as referring to Christ’s physical body
on the cross and to his mystical body, the Church.

The sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ, “the memorial of the death and
resurrection of the Lord, in which the Sacrifice of the cross is forever perpetuated,
is the summit and the source of all worship and Christian life. By means of it the
unity of the body of Christ is signified and brought about, and the building up of
the body of Christ is perfected” (Code of Canon Law, can. 897).

18. Prior to Christ’s coming, man was excluded from the Father’s house, living
like a slave rather than a son (cf. Gal 4:1-5). But in the fullness of time God sent
his Son to give us the spirit of sonship that enables us to call God our Father (cf.
note on Rom 8:15-17).

“The way that leads to the throne of grace would be closed to sinners had Christ
not opened the gate. That is what he does: he opens the gate, leads us to the
Father, and by the merits of his passion obtains from the Father forgiveness of
our sins and all those graces God bestows on us” (St Alphonsus, “Thoughts on
the Passion”, 10, 4).

Here we see the part played by the Holy Spirit in the work of salvation decreed
by the Father and carried out by the Son. The words “in one Spirit”, as well as
identifying the access route to the Father, also imply two basic facts: on the
one hand, that the mysterious union which binds Christians together is caused
by the action of the Holy Spirit who acts in them; on the other, that this same
Holy Spirit, inseparable from the Son (and from the Father) because they con-
stitute the same divine nature, is always present and continually active in the
Church, the mystical body of Christ. “When the work which the Father gave the
Son to do on earth (cf. In 17:4) was accomplished, the Holy Spirit was sent on
the day of Pentecost in order that he might continually sanctify the Church,
and that, consequently, those who believe might have access through Christ in
one Spirit to the Father (cf. Eph 2:18). [...] Hence the universal Church is seen
to be ‘a people brought into unity from the unity of the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit’ (cf. St Cyprian, “De Oratione Dominica”, 23)” (Vatican II, “Lumen
Gentium”, 4).

Christ has brought about salvation, and, to enable all to appropriate that salva-
tions he calls them to form part of his body, which is the Church. The Holy Spirit
is, as it were, the soul of this mystical body; it is he who gives it life and unites
all its members. “If Christ is the head of the Church, the Holy Spirit is its soul:
‘As the soul is in our body, so the Holy Spirit is in the body of Christ, that is, the
Church’ (St Augustine, “Sermon 187”)” (Leo XIII, “Divinum Illud Munus”, 8). The
Holy Spirit is inseparably united to the Church, for St Irenaeus says, “where the
Church is, there is the Spirit of God; and where the Spirit of God is, there is the
Church and the fullness of grace” (”Against Heresies”, III, 24).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

[Salvation]

From: Mark 6:30-34

The Apostles Return

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[30] The Apostles returned to Jesus, and told Him all that they had done and
taught. [31] And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place,
and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure
even to eat. [32] And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by them-
selves.

First Miracles of the Loaves

---

[33] Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot
from the towns, and got there ahead of them. [34] As He landed He saw a great
throng, and He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without
a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.

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

30-31. We can see here the intensity of Jesus’ public ministry. Such was His
dedication to souls that St. Mark twice mentions that the disciples did not even
have time to eat (cf. Mark 3:20). A Christian should be ready to sacrifice his
time and even his rest in the service of the Gospel. This attitude of availability
will lead us to change our plans whenever the good of souls so requires.

But Jesus also teaches us here to have common sense and not to go to such
extremes that we physically cannot cope: “The Lord makes His disciples rest,
to show those in charge that people who work or preach cannot do so without
breaks” (St. Bede, “In Marci Evangelium Expositio, in loc.”). “He who pledges
himself to work for Christ should never have a free moment, because to rest is
not to do nothing: it is to relax in activities which demand less effort” (St. J.
Escriva, “The Way”, 357).

34. Our Lord had planned a period of rest, for Himself and His disciples, from the
pressures of the apostolate (Mark 6:31-32). And He has to change His plans be-
cause so many people come, eager to hear Him speak. Not only is He not an-
noyed with them: He feels compassion on seeing their spiritual need. “My peo-
ple are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). They need instruction and
our Lord wants to meet this need by preaching to them. “Jesus is moved by
hunger and sorrow, but what moves Him most is ignorance” (St. J. Escriva,
“Christ Is Passing By”, 109).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

[Salvation]

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

Mass Readings

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First reading	Jeremiah 23:1-6 ©

‘Doom for the shepherds who allow the flock of my pasture to be destroyed and scattered – it is the Lord who speaks! This, therefore, is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds in charge of my people: You have let my flock be scattered and go wandering and have not taken care of them.

  Right, I will take care of you for your misdeeds – it is the Lord who speaks! But the remnant of my flock I myself will gather from all the countries where I have dispersed them, and will bring them back to their pastures: they shall be fruitful and increase in numbers. I will raise up shepherds to look after them and pasture them; no fear, no terror for them any more; not one shall be lost – it is the Lord who speaks!

‘See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks –

when I will raise a virtuous Branch for David,

who will reign as true king and be wise,

practising honesty and integrity in the land.

In his days Judah will be saved

and Israel dwell in confidence.

And this is the name he will be called:

The-Lord-our-integrity.’

---

Psalm	Psalm 22:1-6 ©

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;

  there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

  where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me,

  to revive my drooping spirit.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path;

  he is true to his name.

If I should walk in the valley of darkness

  no evil would I fear.

You are there with your crook and your staff;

  with these you give me comfort.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for me

  in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

  my cup is overflowing.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

  all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell

  for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

---

Second reading	Ephesians 2:13-18 ©

In Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far apart from us have been brought very close, by the blood of Christ. For he is the peace between us, and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, actually destroying in his own person the hostility caused by the rules and decrees of the Law. This was to create one single New Man in himself out of the two of them and by restoring peace through the cross, to unite them both in a single Body and reconcile them with God: in his own person he killed the hostility. Later he came to bring the good news of peace, peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near at hand. Through him, both of us have in the one Spirit our way to come to the Father.

---

Gospel Acclamation	Jn10:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,

says the Lord,

I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel	Mark 6:30-34 ©

The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But people saw them going, and many could guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.

[Salvation]

			PRAYERS AFTER HOLY MASS AND COMMUNION Leonine Prayers Complete Prayer to St. Michael Prayer Before the Crucifix Anima Christi Prayer Prayer for Vocations Leonine Prayers Following are the Prayers after Low Mass which were prescribed by Pope Leo XIII who composed the Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel, and were reinforced by Pope Pius XI and Pope Pius XII to pray for the conversion of Russia. These prayers were in effect until after Vatican II. A decade later Paul VI said, "satan has entered the sanctuary." Could the elimination of these powerful prayers with a ten year indulgence have played a huge part in allowing the devil such easy access? The answer is obvious. Below the normal Leonine Prayers is the longer version of the Prayer to St. Michael, composed by His Excellency Pope Leo XIII to defend against The Great Apostasy.

Latin Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus et benedictus fructis ventris tui, Jesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen. (Said 3 times)     Salve Regina, Mater misericordiae, vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae. Ad te suspiramus gementes et fientes in hac lacrymarum valle. Eia ergo, Advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte. Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis, post hoc exilium, ostende. O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria. Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genitrix. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.     Oremus. Deus, refugium nostrum et virtus, populum ad te clamantem propitius respice; et intercedente gloriosa, et immaculata Virgine Dei Genitrice Maria, cum beato Joseph, ejus Sponso, ac beatis Apostolis tuis Petro et Paulo, et omnibus Sanctis, quas pro conversione peccatorum, pro libertate et exaltatione sanctae Matris Ecclesiae, preces effundimus, misericors et benignus exaudi. Per eundum Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio; contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur: tuque, Princeps militiae Caelestis, satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute in infernum detrude. Amen. Cor Jesu sacratissimum. Miserere nobis. Cor Jesu sacratissimum. Miserere nobis. Cor Jesu sacratissimum. Miserere nobis.			Vernacular    Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. (Said 3 times)    Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee to we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mouring and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.    Let us pray. O God, our refuge and our strength, look down with mercy upon the people who cry to Thee; and by the intercession of the glorious and immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Saint Joseph her spouse, of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the saints, in Thy mercy and goodness hear our prayers for the conversion of sinners, and for the liberty and exaltation of the Holy Mother the Church. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.    Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray: and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us.

---

Complete Prayer to Saint Michael

The following is the longer version of the vital prayer composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1888 after his startling vision as to the future of the Church. This prayer was dedicated for the Feast of St. Michael 1448 years from the date of the election of the first Leo - Pope Saint Leo the Great. Everyone is familiar with the first prayer below which was mandated by His Holiness as part of the Leonine Prayers after Low Mass. After Vatican II, in legion with the devil Giovanni Montini outlawed this necessary prayer and then one wonders how "the smoke of satan" got into the sanctuary? The conciliarists wanted to make sure the words in bold below would never see the light of day again for in it Leo foretold what would happen: The shepherd would be struck, the sheep scattered. Below are both the short and longer versions of this poignant prayer which should never be forgotten.

    Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray, and do thou, O heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

O glorious Archangel Saint Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, be our defense in the terrible warfare which we carry on against principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, spirits of evil. Come to the aid of man, whom God created immortal, made in His own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. Fight this day the battle of our Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in heaven. That cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the Name of God and of His Christ, to seize upon, slay, and cast into eternal perdition, souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. That wicked dragon pours out. as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity. These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the Immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on Her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck the sheep may be scattered. Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious powers of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.

V: Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered ye hostile powers.
R: The Lion of the Tribe of Juda has conquered the root of David.
V: Let Thy mercies be upon us, O Lord.
R: As we have hoped in Thee.
V: O Lord hear my prayer.
R: And let my cry come unto Thee.

V: Let us pray. O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon Thy holy Name, and as suppliants, we implore Thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin, immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel Saint Michael, Thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of our souls. Amen.

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Prayer Before the Crucifix

   Look down upon me, O good and gentle Jesus, while before Thy face I humbly kneel, and with burning soul pray and beseech Thee to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, true contrition for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment; the while I contemplate with great love and tender pity Thy five most precious wounds, pondering over them within me, calling to mind the words which David Thy prophet said of Thee, my good Jesus: "They have pierced My hands and My feet; they have numbered all My bones."

Indulgence of ten years; a plenary indulgence if recited after devout reception of Holy Communion, Raccolta 201)

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Anima Christi - Soul of Christ

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds, hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
In the hour of my death, call me.
And bid me come to Thee, that with
Thy saints I may praise Thee for ever and ever. Amen.

Indulgence of 300 days; if recited after devout reception of Holy Communion, seven years Raccolta 131)

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Prayer for Vocations

   O Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst take to Thyself a body and soul like ours, to teach us the glory of self-sacrifice and service, mercifully deign to instill in other hearts the desire to dedicate their lives to Thee. Give us PRIESTS to stand before Thine Altar and to preach the words of Thy Gospel; BROTHERS to assist the priests and to reproduce in themselves Thy humility; SISTERS to teach the young and nurse the sick and to minister Thy charity to all; LAY PEOPLE to imitate Thee in their homes and families. Amen.

[Salvation]

Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)

[Salvation]

Continue to Pray for Pope Benedict [Ecumenical]

[Salvation]

 

Jesus, High Priest

 

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem.  He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

[Salvation]

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1.  Sign of the Cross:  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

2.  The Apostles Creed:  I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3.  The Lord's Prayer:  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. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary:  HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be:  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.

Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer.  Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

 

The Mysteries of the Rosary

By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

[Salvation]

~ PRAYER ~

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
 Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we  humbly pray,
 and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
 by the power of God,
 Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
 Amen
+

[Salvation]

A Prayer for our Free Nation Under God
God Save Our Country web site (prayer warriors)
Prayer Chain Request for the United States of America
Pray for Nancy Pelosi
Prayer and fasting will help defeat health care reform (Freeper Prayer Thread)
Prayer Campaign Started to Convert Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians to Pro-Life
[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries
Non-stop Rosary vigil to defeat ObamaCare

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:

"Pray for Obama.  Psalm 109:8"

   

PLEASE JOIN US -

Evening Prayer
Someone has said that if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.
Did you know that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?  

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.    Please forward this to your praying friends.

[Salvation]

Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ

 

 

July Devotion: The Precious Blood

July Devotion: The Precious Blood 

Like the Sacred Wounds of Jesus, His Precious Blood deserves special honor because of its close relation to the Sacred Passion. That honor was given to it from the beginning by the Apostles who praised its redeeming power. (Rom. 5:9 "we are justified by His blood"; Heb. 13:12 "and so Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people by His blood, suffered outside the gate"; 1 John 1:7 "and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.") 

The Church has always held devotion to the Precious Blood in high esteem. We continue to recognize and publicly acknowledge the profound indebtedness of the whole human race to Christ, Priest and Victim. 

Standing at the foot of the cross, we see Jesus' head, hands, feet, and side pouring out streams of precious blood. It is precious because it: 

·      Redeems us and atones for our sins. Through His precious blood we are reconciled to God, made one with Him. Death ceases to be death and heaven's gates are opened to us.  

·      Cleanses us from all sin.  

·      Preserves us and keeps us safe from the grasp of evil.  When the Father sees us washed in the Blood of the Lamb we are spared.  

·      Comforts us. It is the constant reminder that Jesus - true God and true man suffered and died to save us and to open heaven to us because He loves us.  

·      Sanctifies us.  The same blood that justifies by taking away sin, continues to work within us.  Its action gives us the grace to continue on the path toward the Kingdom of God.  It assists us in achieving our new nature, leading us onward in subduing sin and in following the commands of God.  

Jesus shed His precious blood seven times during His life on earth.  They events were: 

·      Jesus shed His Blood in the Circumcision  

·      Jesus shed His Blood whilst praying in the Garden of Olives  

·      Jesus shed His Blood in the scourging  

·      Jesus shed His Blood in the crowning with thorns  

·      Jesus shed His Blood while carrying His cross  

·      Jesus shed His Blood in the crucifixion  

·      Jesus shed His Blood and water when His side was pierced 

 

The Power of the Precious Blood 

"I adore You, O Precious Blood of Jesus, flower of creation, fruit of virginity, ineffable instrument of the Holy Spirit, and I rejoice at the thought that You came from the drop of virginal blood on which eternal Love impressed its movement; You were assumed by the Word and deified in His person. I am overcome with emotion when I think of Your passing from the Blessed Virgin's heart into the heart of the Word, and, being vivified by the breath of the Divinity, becoming adorable because You became the Blood of God." (St. Albert the Great)

 

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At their recent meeting, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had continuous Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for "healing and peace."   They encouraged parishes and communities to have ongoing Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  In these dark months of woundedness, pain and violence we need to turn to the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist, for healing, peace, and light.  

"What power we have in the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist!  He is there to protect us, to be our refuge and our redemption.  (In Exodus 12, God told Moses to have His chosen people mark their door posts with the blood of an unblemished lamb, during the first Passover. Those who did this were spared when the Angel of the death passed by). This is why Archbishop Sheen said that we must call down the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  For, he warned, when we stop calling down the Blood of the Lamb, we start calling down the blood of each other."  (From our book Bread of Life)      

"And the Lamb on the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water" (Rev 7:17). 

"In the tumultuous events of our time, it is important to look to the Eucharist: it must be at the heart of the life of priests and consecrated people; the light and strength of spouses in putting into practice their commitment to fidelity, chastity and the apostolate; the ideal in education and in training children, adolescents and young people; the comfort and support of those who are troubled, of the sick and all who are weeping in the Gethsemane of life."  (Pope John Paul II)  

Precious Blood of Jesus, save us! 

"The only time our Lord asked the Apostles for anything was the night when He went into His agony.  But as often in the history of the church since that time, evil was awake, but the disciples were asleep.  That is why there came out of His anguished and lonely Heart a sigh: 'Could you not watch one hour with Me?'" (Mt 26:40).  Not for an hour of activity did he plead, but for an hour of friendship (Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen).  

 

St. Maria Goretti,  Patroness of Youth & Children of Mary, Feast-July 6 St. Maria of Italy (1890-1902), couldn't wait to make her First Communion.  She wanted to receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist so that she could become more beautiful and pure like Him; she wanted Him to live in her, close to her heart.  After she received Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for the first time, she stayed in Church for a long time after Mass to talk to Him. Maria's family lived with and worked for a farmer. His son Alessandro kept trying to make Maria sin against purity.  One day, when everyone else was working, Alessandro grabbed Maria and tried to make her sin.  Maria kept crying out for him to stop, and each time she did, he stabbed her. Courageously,   Maria resisted him and was stabbed fourteen times. St. Maria died the next day.  

"Look at Maria Goretti....  Like her, be capable of defending your purity of heart and body.  Be committed to the struggle against evil and sin.  Always esteem and love, purity and virginity." (Pope John Paul II, 1990)      

 

A Prayer for Priests 

O my God, help those priests who are faithful to remain faithful; to those who are falling, stretch forth Your Divine Hand that they may grasp it as their support.  In the great ocean of Your mercy, lift those poor unfortunate ones who have fallen, that being engulfed therein they may receive the grace to return to Your Great Loving Heart.  Amen.  Precious Blood of Jesus, protect them!

 

The Eucharist is the fruit of our Lords Passion. Jesus gave up His Body on the cross so that He may give you His Body in the Holy Eucharist. Jesus poured out His very last drop of Blood on the cross so that He may fill you with His Divine Love each time that you receive Him in Holy Communion and visit Him in Eucharistic Adoration! 

"The Eucharist, in the Mass and outside of the Mass, is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and is therefore deserving of the worship that is given to the living God, and to Him alone" (Pope John Paul II, September 29, 1979, Phoenix Park, Ireland) 

"The bread and wine, fruit of human hands, transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit into the body and blood of Christ, become a pledge of the 'new heaven and new earth,' announced by the Church in her daily mission." "In Christ, whom we adore present in the mystery of the Eucharist, the father uttered his final word with regard to humanity and human history." "To live the Eucharist, it is necessary, as well, to spend much time in adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament, something which I myself experience every day drawing from it strength, consolation and assistance."  "How could the Church fulfill her vocation without cultivating a constant relationship with the Eucharist, without nourishing herself with this food which sanctifies, without founding her missionary activity on this indispensable support?" "To evangelize the world there is need of apostles who are 'experts' in the celebration, adoration and contemplation of the Eucharist" (Pope John Paul II, World Mission Message 2004).

 

The Power of the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist  

 

"The Precious Blood belongs in an especial manner to men. Much more, therefore, does God invite them to come to its heavenly baths, and receive therein, not only the cleansing of their souls, but the power of a new and amazing life. Every doctrine in theology is a call to the Precious Blood.  Every ceremony in the Church tells of it . . . .  Every supernatural act is a growth of it. Everything that is holy on earth is either a leaf, bud, blossom or fruit of the Blood of Jesus. To its fountains God calls the sinner, that he may be lightened of his burdens. There is no remission of him in anything else.  Only there is his lost sonship to be found. The saints are no less called by God to these invigorating streams. It is out of the Precious Blood that men draw martyrdoms, vocations, celebacies, austerities, heroic charities, and all the magnificent graces of high sanctity.  The secret nourishment of prayer is from those fountains" (Father Faber, The Precious Blood).  

 

The Most Precious Blood of Jesus
July is traditionally associated with the Precious Blood of Our Lord. It may be customary to celebrate the votive Mass of the Precious Blood on July 1.

The extraordinary importance of the saving Blood of Christ has ensured a central place for its memorial in the celebration of this cultic mystery: at the centre of the Eucharistic assembly, in which the Church raises up to God in thanksgiving "the cup of blessing" (1 Cor 10, 16; cf Ps 115-116, 13) and offers it to the faithful as a "real communion with the Blood of Christ" (1 Cor 10, 16); and throughout the Liturgical Year. The Church celebrates the saving Blood of Christ not only on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, but also on many other occasions, such that the cultic remembrance of the Blood of our redemption (cf 1 Pt 1, 18) pervades the entire Liturgical Year. Hence, at Vespers during Christmastide, the Church, addressing Christ, sings: "Nos quoque, qui sancto tuo redempti sumus sanguine, ob diem natalis tui hymnum novum concinimus." In the Paschal Triduum, the redemptive significance and efficacy of the Blood of Christ is continuously recalled in adoration. During the adoration of the Cross on Good Friday the Church sings the hymn: "Mite corpus perforatur, sanguis unde profluit; terra, pontus, astra, mundus quo lavanturflumine", and again on Easter Sunday, "Cuius corpus sanctissimum in ara crucis torridum, sed et cruorem roesum gustando, Deo vivimus (194).

ST. GASPAR: Founder of the Society of the Precious Blood
Mass in the Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (London, 9/18)

Devotion to the Drops of Blood Lost by our Lord Jesus Christ on His Way to Calvary (Prayer/Devotion)
Chaplet of the Most Precious Blood
Catholic Word of the Day: PRECIOUS BLOOD, 12-03-11
The Traditional Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Catholic Caucus)
Devotion to the Precious Blood
DOCTRINE OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,And More on the Precious Blood
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
NOTHING IS MORE POTENT AGAINST EVIL THAN PLEADING THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you"  (Jn 6:53).  

[Salvation]

July 2012

Pope's Intentions

General Intention: Work Security. That everyone may have work in safe and secure conditions.

Missionary Intention: Christian Volunteers. That Christian volunteers in mission territories may witness to the love of Christ.

[Salvation]

Arlington Catholic Herald

GOSPEL COMMENTARY MK 6:30-34

Come away and rest a while

By Fr. Jack Peterson

Life can be frantic, frustrating and exhausting. The stress of work, school, family life, maintaining friendships,helping those in need and creating space for God in our lives can be overwhelming and draining.

In the Gospel for this week, Jesus’ disciples return from a missionary trip and report all that they had done and taught. Jesus turns to them and says, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” These are words of comfort from our Savior that need to be pondered in our hearts.

First, Jesus invites us to come away with Him. This is supremely important. There is no real renewal of our hearts and lives without God. It is impossible to experience deep refreshment if we exclude God from our rest and recreation. The soul, an essential part of our being, needs to be renewed as well as the body. Any time off from our labors that does not seek to restore our relationship with Jesus will leave us feeling empty and remaining exhausted at the end of our time away.

Second, Jesus invites us to find a place that is deserted, that is, free from distractions, so that we can truly rest. How often do we seek rest and even get away from our normal routine but fail to properly rest because we do too much and are unable to disconnect because of iPads and cellphones.

The recent storm that ravaged Northern Virginia June 29 caused an unusual amount of power outages. Many in our area were without power, water and even cellphone usage for several days. I have heard from a number of people that after they got over the initial shock, they actually enjoyed time off from the Internet and their cellphone. When we go to the Dominican Republic with students from Marymount University in Arlington for our Alternative Spring Break, we spend a whole week with no Internet or cellphone service. The students comment every year on how nice it is to be free of those devices for a week. It gives them more time to build relationships, pray, think and rest properly. We need to learn how to creatively and actively make sure that technology does not rule our lives but rather is used properly to serve our real goals.

Jesus’ invitation to come away applies to our summer vacations. Consequently, our time away from work with family and friends needs to include some time for prayer, Mass and spiritual reading. This might be a bit of a shock to some, but taking time to encounter Christ and be in His presence brings surprising refreshment to our vacation, the kind of refreshment that we long for while away.

Christ’s summons to His disciples in this week’s Gospel also applies to our daily lives. Jesus knows that we need to turn to Him each day for nourishment, strength, and our raison d’être. He is a well of living water springing up to new life for the world. Plus, His personal love for us drives Him to desire time with us. Every day we need to “come away to a deserted place” with Jesus. Giving God 15 minutes for prayer each day allows us to dive into the spring of living water.

Third, Jesus also teaches us that there are times when we need to sacrifice our need for rest in order to lovingly serve the needs of our neighbor. Parents of newborns know this reality quite well as do those who take care of the sick. After encouraging the disciples to come away with Him and rest for a while, Jesus does not get the opportunity to do so. The crowds discover Jesus’ plans and are in great need of encountering Him and hearing the good news. They are “like sheep without a shepherd.” So, Jesus, “moved with pity,” chooses to set aside His needs and the needs of the disciples and take the time to be with the people and “teach them many things.” Christian love is sacrificial in nature.

I spoke with someone not long ago who recently had made efforts to renew their daily prayer life. They noted how their prayer was a powerful, new source of strength and comfort for them. Jesus was enabling them to handle significant trials with fresh wisdom and new hope. Old trials were not going away per se, but they did not have the same grip as in the past. They are able to rely upon Jesus, and He is providing surprising new insights and capacities to be strong in the face of life’s battles.

“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”

Fr. Peterson is assistant chaplain at Marymount University in Arlington and director of the Youth Apostles Institute in McLean.

[Salvation]

The Work of God

Year B

 -  16th Sunday in ordinary time

He had compassion and began to teach them many things.

Mark 6:30-34

30 And the apostles coming together unto Jesus, related to him all things that they had done and taught.
31 And he said to them: Come apart into a desert place, and rest a little. For there were many coming and going: and they had not so much as time to eat.
32 And going up into a ship, they went into a desert place apart.
33 And they saw them going away, and many knew: and they ran flocking there on foot from all the cities, and were there before them.
34 And Jesus going out saw a great multitude: and he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

How beautiful it is for me to listen to the soul that comes humbly to disclose his life to me, even though I already know it, there is certain attraction in that littleness that sweetens my ear, it is the simplicity of heart that attracts me and fills me with joy. Just as a child comes to his mother to tell her stories to her delight, so I delight by listening happily to the complaints, the achievements and the hopes of every soul.

Let the children come to me, because the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs, I say it again, oh, if they all came to me like little children, if they could change their hearts of stone for the infantile tenderness, the whole world would change. As a child listens attentively to the instruction of his parents, so I listen to the soul that comes to me with humility. I am the Great Master of the Soul; he who desires my teaching must share his life with me, must put all his trust in me and listen attentively in order to learn.

It is notorious to see how young people come to a state of mental maturity when they reject the teachings of their parents and go against the healthy moral principals they accepted in their previous innocence. It is very sad to see how this change from child to adult, brings to a false security against the good teachings of infancy.

In the same way, the soul of a child learns to know God innocently and with a faith without barriers, thereafter comes intellectualism and the examples of the world to destroy those strong foundations of the spiritual life. For this reason, the soul has to be shaken in order to understand that it has come out of the way, then my Spirit claims incessantly until some understand my call and decide to change.

The advice I gave to my disciples was to search for moments of silence to be in prayer. I practiced this and gave them example, I taught them that the Kingdom of heaven is within; it is there in the interior dwelling, the altar of the soul, where my Spirit speaks and listens, where the transformation of the human being occurs, where you can know me.


My voice surges in the temple of silence, in the darkness of the soul I reveal my light to those who follow my Word, “be still and know, that I am the Lord”.

In order to quieten the soul, it is necessary to stay away from so many mundane events that take away time, saturate the mind and infect the heart. Moderate entertainment is good, but hunger for entertainment is gluttony that destroys the soul with insatiable passion for the world. I repeat, don’t you have at least an hour to spend with me? I am the Lord the Lord of the Sunday, the day to honor God, I claim this day to attend the Holy Mass, to dedicate it to the family and to spiritual growth. But what has it become? The same as my feasts of Holy Week and Nativity, Sundays are days dedicated to the gods of the world and to offend me with indifference.

This is the reason why so many souls cannot quieten down and enjoy the privileges of the saints, this is why my word is dispersed like seeds that fall on the rocks, they cannot thrive.

However, I have nothing against anyone, I wait eagerly the return of each soul, I happily give my teachings to those who want to listen to me, I am the Good Shepherd, the Teacher who waits punctually for his pupils, all are invited, come, learn from me, be humble as I am humble, do not despise the gift that I am offering.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

[Salvation]

Archdiocese of Washington

The Priority of Personal Prayer – A Meditation on the Gospel for the 16th Sunday of the Year

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

The Gospel today speaks to us of the Priority of Personal Prayer. You may recall that in last week’s gospel Jesus had sent them out two by two to proclaim the Kingdom. Now they return and want to eagerly report the progress and the graces they encountered.

But Jesus as he listens, urges them, perhaps because they are overjoyed, to come aside and rest awhile, for they have labored long. In so doing Jesus also teaches us about prayer. Lets consider four teachings on prayer that are evident in the Gospel:

I. The Practice of Praise-filled prayer. The text opens with the disciples gathering with Jesus and joyfully recounting all they had experienced on their missionary journey. In a similar text in Luke 10 the disciples return filled with joy and rejoice that demons are subject to them (in the power of Jesus) (Lk. 10:17).

Thus the first instinct of the disciples is joyful gratitude before the Lord.

Is your prayer filled with praise and thanksgiving? Are you grateful to God for all he has done? Do you tell God what is happening in your life and give his thanks for all he has enabled you to do?

Too many people think of prayer only in relation to petition. But praise is also an essential component in prayer. When Jesus began his instruction on prayer is said, When you pray say. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven hallowed be thy name!’ (Mat 6:9). In other words, “Father your name is holy, you are a great God, a wonderful God, you can do all things and I praise you! Thank you Father, your name is holy and you are Holy.”

So praise the Lord. Thank him for what he is doing and tell him everything you are experiencing. Scripture says, that we were made for the praise of his glory (Eph. 1:16). So praise the Lord in your prayer. Don’t know how? Take a psalm of praise, pray or sing the Gloria from Mass, sing or recite a hymn, but praise him!

II. The Peace of Personal Prayer. Jesus invites them to come away by themselves to a quiet place and rest a while. Most people seldom think of their personal prayer as a privileged invitation by the Lord, nor do they think of it as rest.

Yet consider, that the Lord invites us to come aside and spend personal and private time with him. Most people would relish personal attention from a great celebrity or famous person. Why not from the Lord? An old song says, “what a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer.“

Note also the description of of this time as “rest.” Most people think of prayer more as a task than as rest. Yet to pray is to rest, to withdraw from this world for a brief time and enjoy the presence of the Lord. Scripture says, For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved,  In quietness and trust is your strength.” (Is 30:15)

And old hymn says:

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Learn to think of prayer as quiet time, as rest with the Lord where he soothes and strengthens us, refreshes and blesses us.

III. The Primacy of Prioritized Prayer. The text tells us that people were coming and going in great numbers seeking the attention of the Lord and the Apostles, they could not even get a moment to eat.

Now there is no doubt that the people had critical needs. They needed to be taught, healed, fed, and cared for in many and critical ways. And yet even Jesus said, in effect, “We’ve got to get away from all this for awhile.” He directed them to go off in the boat to a deserted place.

Indeed, one of the few places they could “get away” was out on the water. So out they went where the crowds could not follow and hem them in. Alone and quiet for just a brief while….

Jesus made prayer a priority. Scripture says of him, But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed (Luke 5:16). Scripture speaks of him rising early to pray (Mk 1:35), praying late into the night (Mt 14:23), praying all night (Lk 6:12), in the mountains (Matt 14:23) and deserted places. Yes, Jesus made prayer a priority.

Understanding prayer as rest helps us to understand why prayer must be a priority. If we are going to engage in the work to which God has called us we need to be replenished and refreshed daily by time with the Lord.

If we engage in physical work and never stop to rest, we will collapse. The spiritual life has a similar law. Resting with God in prayer fills us with his presence, his grace and strength so that we can be equipped, empowered and enabled unto the tasks which God has given us.

No one can give or share what he does not have. And if we aren’t praying and experiencing God’s presence how can we share it? To share grace, we have to receive it. To speak the Word the we have to receive it. To witness to the Lord we have to know him.

Jesus often had to hide in order to pray. Sometimes the only quiet place they could find was out on the lake. But Jesus did make time for prayer and he invites the apostles and us to do the same, not only despite the busyness of life, but because of it.

Story – A priest friend of mine said he once gave spiritual direction to a religious sister back in the 70s. At that time it was common for people to say “my work is my prayer.” When this priest inquired of the good sister’s prayer life she answered: “Oh, I’m too busy to pray, but that’s OK, my work is my prayer, that’s my spirituality.” And he said, “Sister, if you’re not praying you don’t have a spirituality.” And he got her praying one hour a day. Some years later he ran into at the airport. By now she had moved on to become a major superior in her order. “How are you doing Mother,” he asked. “Oh,” she said, “I am very busy!” (and he cringed), but she added, “I am so busy these days, that I have to spend two hours a day praying!”

Now there’s a smart woman. When we’re stupid we think, “I am too busy to pray,” When we’re smart we say, “I am so busy, I need to pray more.”

Jesus made prayer a priority. Prayer is the rest that strengthens us for the task, it is the refreshment that gives us new vigor and zeal.

IV. The Power of Pious Prayer. The text says that after spending this time alone with the apostles, the boat came to the other shore. And sure enough, there was the crowd. But Jesus, and the apostles had been refreshed, and were now rested. Thus Jesus, refreshed and renewed, seeing the vast crowd and began to teach them at great length.

Prayer has that effect. Drawing close to God, who is love, we are then equipped to better love others. Jesus, though he never lacked love for them, models this renewal for us, for the text says that seeing them, his heart was moved with pity for them.

An aside – The Greek word σπλαγχνίζομαι (splagchnizomai) means more fully, to be moved with compassion. “Pity” in English often has a condescending tone. But what is happening here is that Jesus sees them, loves them and has compassion for their state; for the religious leaders in Jerusalem had largely abandoned them and considered them the great unwashed. But Jesus loved them and taught them at great length.

For us, it often takes many years and lots of prayer to equip our hearts in this way. One of the signs that grace and prayer are having their effect is that our love for others, even for the multitude grows deeper, becomes more compassionate, patient and merciful. This takes great prayer and long hours of sitting at the Lord’s feet and learning from him.

But here is the power that prayer bestows: that we should be more fully equipped for our mission, more zealous and more loving. The rest of prayer rejuvenates our better nature and helps it grow.

Four teachings on prayer. Jesus found time to Pray, he made prayer a priority. How about you?

[Salvation]

Sunday Gospel Reflections

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Jeremiah 23:1-6 II: Ephesians 2:13-18

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Gospel
Mark 6:30-34

³⁰ The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught.
³¹ And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
³² And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves.
³³ Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns, and got there ahead of them.
³⁴ As he went ashore he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

---

Interesting Details

• Between the passage we read last week about Jesus sending the disciples out (Mk 6:7-13) and the passage of this week about the returning disciples, is a passage on the death of John the Baptist. Such "sandwiching" is a device by Mark to say that the disciples would be persecuted.
• This passage also sets the stage for the feeding of the five thousand, which we will read from the Gospel of John on the next five Sundays. "To a lonely place" shows that not much food was available, and the feeding was miraculous.
• People there eat leisurely and socially. If the disciples stay in town, people would continue to come to them. If the disciples eat in town, other people would come and share. In order that the disciples can eat leisurely and bond among themselves after being apart on mission, Jesus takes them away from other people.
• A shepherd nurtures and protects the sheep. Jesus as shepherd contrasts with Herod killing John the Baptist in the preceding passage. Before feeding the people, Jesus provides what is even more important: teaching them. [Hamm]

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One Main Point

The disciples of Jesus would be persecuted, but Jesus would lead and feed his people with the help of the disciples.

---

Reflections

1. Do I take time to rest and to bond with other disciples of Jesus, and with Jesus himself?
2. Who is my shepherd, and do I follow the teaching of my shepherd?
3. Have I experienced persecution? How does Jesus take care of me?

[Salvation]

Sunday, July 22, 2012
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel:

Jeremiah 23:1-6 Psalm 23:1-6 Ephesians 2:13-18 Mark 6:30-34 To be able to discover the actual will of the Lord in our lives always involves the following: a receptive listening to the Word of God and the Church, fervent and constant prayer, recourse to a wise spiritual guide, and a faithful discernment of the gifts and talents given by God, as well as the diverse social and historic situations in which one lives. -- Pope John Paul ll

[Salvation]

The Angelus 

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: 
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. 

Hail Mary . . . 

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. 

Hail Mary . . . 

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray: 

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen. 

[markomalley]

Jul 22, Invitatory for Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Lord, open my lips.
– And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.

Psalm 100

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy.

Ant.

Know that he, the Lord, is God.
He made us, we belong to him,
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Ant.

Go within his gates, giving thanks.
Enter his courts with songs of praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.

Ant.

Indeed, how good is the Lord,
eternal his merciful love.
He is faithful from age to age.

Ant.

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. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.

[markomalley]

Jul 22, Office of Readings for Sunday of the 16th week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:
Ordinary: 651
Proper of Seasons: 514
Psalter: Sunday, Week IV, 1123

Christian Prayer:
Does not contain Office of Readings.

Office of Readings for Sunday 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

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
perfect in power, in love and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity.

Melody: Nicaea 11.12.12.10; Music: John B. Dykes, 1823-1876; Text: Reginald Heber, 1783-1826
“Holy, Holy, Holy” performed by Norwich Cathedral Choir is available from Amazon.com.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Who can climb the Lord’s mountain, or stand in his holy place?

Psalm 24
The Lord’s entry into his temple
Christ opened heaven for us in the manhood he assumed (St. Irenaeus).

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas;
on the waters he made it firm.

Ant. Who can climb the Lord’s mountain, or stand in his holy place?

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart,
who desires not worthless things,
who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.

Ant. Who can climb the Lord’s mountain, or stand in his holy place?

He shall receive blessings from the Lord
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him,
seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Ant. Who can climb the Lord’s mountain, or stand in his holy place?

O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!

Ant. Who can climb the Lord’s mountain, or stand in his holy place?

Who is the king of glory?
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant,
the Lord, the valiant in war.

Ant. Who can climb the Lord’s mountain, or stand in his holy place?

O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!

Ant. Who can climb the Lord’s mountain, or stand in his holy place?

Who is he, the king of glory?
He, the Lord of armies,
he is the king of glory.

Ant. Who can climb the Lord’s mountain, or stand in his holy place?

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 your Son was unjustly condemned, Lord God, and surrounded by the impious, he cried to you, and you set him free. Watch over your people as the treasure of your heart and guide their steps along safe paths that they may see your face.

Ant. Who can climb the Lord’s mountain, or stand in his holy place?

Ant. 2 Bless our God, you nations of the world; he has given us life, alleluia.

Psalm 66
Eucharistic hymn
The Lord is risen and all people have been brought by him to the Father (Hesychius).

I

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth,
O sing to the glory of his name.
O render him glorious praise.
Say to God: “How tremendous your deeds!

Ant. Bless our God, you nations of the world; he has given us life, alleluia.

Because of the greatness of your strength
your enemies cringe before you.
Before you all the earth shall bow;
shall sing to you, sing to your name!”

Ant. Bless our God, you nations of the world; he has given us life, alleluia.

Come and see the works of God,
tremendous his deeds among men.
He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the river dry-shod.

Ant. Bless our God, you nations of the world; he has given us life, alleluia.

Let our joy then be in him;
he rules for ever by his might.
His eyes keep watch over the nations;
let rebels not rise against him.

Ant. Bless our God, you nations of the world; he has given us life, alleluia.

O peoples, bless our God,
let the voice of his praise resound,
of the God who gave life to our souls
and kept our feet from stumbling.

Ant. Bless our God, you nations of the world; he has given us life, alleluia.

For you, O God, have tested us,
you have tried us as silver is tried:
you led us, God, into the snare;
you laid a heavy burden on our backs.

Ant. Bless our God, you nations of the world; he has given us life, alleluia.

You let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water
but then you brought us relief.

Ant. Bless our God, you nations of the world; he has given us life, alleluia.

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. Bless our God, you nations of the world; he has given us life, alleluia.

Ant. 3 Listen to me, all you who revere God, let me tell you what great things he has done for me, alleluia.

II

Burnt offering I bring to your house;
to you I will pay my vows,
the vows which my lips have uttered,
which my mouth spoke in my distress.

Ant. Listen to me, all you who revere God, let me tell you what great things he has done for me, alleluia.

I will offer burnt offerings of fatlings
with the smoke of burning rams.
I will offer bullocks and goats.

Ant. Listen to me, all you who revere God, let me tell you what great things he has done for me, alleluia.

Come and hear, all who fear God.
I will tell what he did for my soul:
to him I cried aloud,
with high praise ready on my tongue.

Ant. Listen to me, all you who revere God, let me tell you what great things he has done for me, alleluia.

If there had been evil in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
But truly God has listened;
he has heeded the voice of my prayer.

Ant. Listen to me, all you who revere God, let me tell you what great things he has done for me, alleluia.

Blessed be God who did not reject my prayer
nor withhold his love from me.

Ant. Listen to me, all you who revere God, let me tell you what great things he has done for me, alleluia.

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

Almighty Father, in the death and resurrection of your own Son you brought us through the waters of baptism to the shores of new life. By those waters and the fire of the Holy Spirit you have given each of us consolation. Accept our sacrifice of praise; may our lives be a total offering to you, and may we deserve to enter your house and there with Christ praise your unfailing power.

Ant. Listen to me, all you who revere God, let me tell you what great things he has done for me, alleluia.

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.

God’s word is alive; it strikes to the heart.
– It pierces more surely than a two-edged sword.

READINGS

First reading
From the beginning of the second letter of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians
1:1-14
Thanksgiving in the midst of tribulations

Paul, by God’s will an apostle of Jesus Christ, and Timothy his brother, to the church of God that is at Corinth and to all the holy ones of the church who live in Achaia. Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Praised be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation! He comforts us in all our afflictions and thus enables us to comfort those who are in trouble, with the same consolation we have received from him. As we have shared much in the suffering of Christ, so through Christ do we share abundantly in his consolation. If we are afflicted it is for your encouragement and salvation, and when we are consoled it is for your consolation, so that you may endure patiently the same sufferings we endure. Our hope for you is firm because we know that just as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the consolation.

Brothers, we do not wish to leave you in the dark about the trouble we had in Asia; we were crushed beyond our strength, even to the point of despairing of life. We were left to feel like men condemned to death so that we might trust, not in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. He rescued us from that danger of death and will continue to do so. We have put our hope in him who will never cease to deliver us. But you must help us with your prayers, so that on our behalf God may be thanked for the gift granted us through the prayers of so many.

Conscience gives testimony to the boast that in our behavior toward all and especially toward you we have always acted from God-given holiness and candor; this has been prompted, not by debased human wisdom, but by God’s goodness. We never write anything that you cannot read and understand. I hope that, just as you know us to a certain degree already, you will in time come to know us well, and will recognize that we shall be your boast, and you ours, on the day of our Lord Jesus.

RESPONSORY Psalm 94:18-19

Your love, O Lord, sustains me.
– In the midst of all my troubles, your consolation gladdens my soul.

As we share abundantly in Christ’s suffering, so through Christ we share abundantly in his consolation.
– In the midst of all my troubles, your consolation gladdens my soul.

Second reading
From the beginning of a letter to the Magnesians by Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr
We should be Christians in deed, as well as in name

Ignatius, also called Theophorus, to the church at Magnesia on the Meander, a church blessed with the grace of God the Father in Christ Jesus, our Savior, in whom I salute you. I send you every good wish in God the Father and in Jesus Christ.

I was delighted to hear of your love of God, so well-ordered and devout, and so I decided to address you in the faith of Jesus Christ. Honored as I am with a name of the greatest splendor, though I am still in chains I sing with the praises of the churches, and pray that they be united with the flesh and the spirit of Jesus Christ, who is our eternal life; a union in faith and love, to which nothing must be preferred; and above all a union with Jesus and the Father, for if in him we endure all the power of the prince of this world, and escape unharmed, we shall make our way to God.

I have had the honor of seeing you in the person of Damas your bishop, a man of God, and in the persons of your worthy presbyters, Bassus and Apollonius, and my fellow-servant, the deacon Zotion; may I continue to take delight in him for he is obedient to the bishop as to the grace of God, and to the presbyters as to the law of Jesus Christ.

Now it hardly becomes you to presume on your bishop’s youth, but rather, having regard to the power of God the Father, to show him every mark of respect. This, I understand, is what your holy presbyters do, not taking advantage of his youthful condition but deferring to him with the prudence which comes from God, or rather not to him but to the Father of Jesus Christ, to the bishop of all. So then, for the honor of him who loves us, it is proper to obey without hypocrisy; for a man does not so much deceive the bishop he can see as try to deceive the bishop he cannot see. In such a case he has to reckon not with a man, but with God who knows the secrets of the heart.

We should then really live as Christians and not merely have the name; for many invoke the bishop’s name but do everything apart from him. Such men, I think, do not have a good conscience, for they do not assemble lawfully as commanded.

All things have an end, and two things, life and death, are side by side set before us, and each man will go to his own place. Just as there are two coinages, one of God and the other of the world, each with its own image, so unbelievers bear the image of this world, and those who have faith with love bear the image of God the Father through Jesus Christ. Unless we are ready through his power to die in the likeness of his passion, his life is not in us.

RESPONSORY 1 Timothy 4:12, 16, 15

Be an example for all believers in speech and conduct, in love, faith and purity.
– In this way you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

Ponder these duties and attend to them, so that all may see your progress.
– In this way you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

TE DEUM

You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.

To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

You, Christ, are the King of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.

When you became man to set us free
you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.

You overcame the sting of death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.

Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.

Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.
– Govern and uphold them now and always.

Day by day we bless you.
– We praise your name for ever.

Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.
– Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.

Lord, show us your love and mercy,
– for we have put our trust in you.

In you, Lord, is our hope:
– And we shall never hope in vain.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Show favor, O Lord,
to your servants
and mercifully increase the gifts of your grace,
that, made fervent in hope, faith and charity,
they may be ever watchful in keeping your commands.
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.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.

[markomalley]

Jul 22, Morning Prayer for Sunday of the 16th week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:
Ordinary: 654
Proper of Seasons: 517
Psalter: Sunday, Week IV, 1127

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 689
Proper of Seasons: 620
Psalter: Sunday, Week IV, 925

Morning Prayer for Sunday 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

From all that dwell below the skies,
Let the Creator’s Name arise;
Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the Redeemer’s Name be sung,
Through every land, by every tongue.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Eternal are Thy mercies, Lord;
Eternal truth attends Thy Word.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore,
Till sunshine rise and set no more.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Your lofty themes, ye mortals, bring,
In songs of praise divinely sing;
Alleluia, alleluia.
The great salvation loud proclaim,
And shout for joy the Savior’s Name.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

In every land begin the song;
To every land the strains belong;
Alleluia, alleluia.
In cheerful sounds all voices raise,
And fill the world with loudest praise.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

From All That Dwell Below the Skies by St. Michael’s Singers; Words: Isaac Watts, 1719. Music: John Hatton, 1793.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Praise the Lord, for his loving kindness will never fail, alleluia.

Psalm 118
Song of joy for salvation
The Lord our mighty God now reigns supreme; let us rejoice and be glad and give him praise (Revelation 19:6-7).

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
for his love endures for ever.

Ant. Praise the Lord, for his loving kindness will never fail, alleluia.

Let the sons of Israel say:
“His love endures for ever.”
Let the sons of Aaron say:
“His love endures for ever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say:
“His love endures for ever.”

Ant. Praise the Lord, for his loving kindness will never fail, alleluia.

I called to the Lord in my distress;
he answered and freed me.
The Lord is at my side; I do not fear.
What can man do against me?
The Lord is at my side as my helper:
I shall look down on my foes.

Ant. Praise the Lord, for his loving kindness will never fail, alleluia.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in men:
it is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.

Ant. Praise the Lord, for his loving kindness will never fail, alleluia.

The nations all encompassed me;
in the Lord’s name I crushed them.
They compassed me, compassed me about;
in the Lord’s name I crushed them.
They compassed me about like bees;
they blazed like a fire among thorns.
In the Lord’s name I crushed them.

Ant. Praise the Lord, for his loving kindness will never fail, alleluia.

I was hard-pressed and was falling
but the Lord came to help me.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
he is my savior.
There are shouts of joy and victory
in the tents of the just.

Ant. Praise the Lord, for his loving kindness will never fail, alleluia.

The Lord’s right hand has triumphed;
his right hand raised me.
The Lord’s right hand has triumphed;
I shall not die, I shall live
and recount his deeds.
I was punished, I was punished by the Lord,
but not doomed to die.

Ant. Praise the Lord, for his loving kindness will never fail, alleluia.

Open to me the gates of holiness:
I will enter and give thanks.
This is the Lord’s own gate
where the just may enter.
I will thank you for you have answered
and you are my savior.

Ant. Praise the Lord, for his loving kindness will never fail, alleluia.

The stone which the builders rejected
has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes.
This day was made by the Lord;
we rejoice and are glad.

Ant. Praise the Lord, for his loving kindness will never fail, alleluia.

O Lord, grant us salvation;
O Lord, grant success.
Blessed in the name of the Lord
is he who comes.
We bless you from the house of the Lord;
the Lord God is our light.

Ant. Praise the Lord, for his loving kindness will never fail, alleluia.

Go forward in procession with branches
even to the altar.
You are my God, I thank you.
My God, I praise you.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good;
for his love endures for ever.

Ant. Praise the Lord, for his loving kindness will never fail, alleluia.

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

Lord God, you have given us the great day of rejoicing: Jesus Christ, the stone rejected by the builders, has become the cornerstone of the Church, our spiritual home. Shed upon your Church the rays of your glory, that it may be seen as the gate of salvation open to all nations. Let cries of joy and exultation ring out from its tents, to celebrate the wonder of Christ’s resurrection.

Ant. Praise the Lord, for his loving kindness will never fail, alleluia.

Ant.2 Alleluia! Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, alleluia!

Canticle – Daniel 3:52-57
Let all creatures praise the Lord
The Creator… is blessed for ever (Romans 1:25).

Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

Ant. Alleluia! Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, alleluia!

And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.

Ant. Alleluia! Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, alleluia!

Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.

Ant. Alleluia! Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, alleluia!

Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

Ant. Alleluia! Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, alleluia!

Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

Ant. Alleluia! Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, alleluia!

Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.

Ant. Alleluia! Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, alleluia!

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.

Ant. Alleluia! Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, alleluia!

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. Alleluia! Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, alleluia!

Ant. 3 Let everything that breathes give praise to the Lord, alleluia.

Psalm 150
Praise the Lord
Let mind and heart be in your song: this is to glorify God with your whole self (Hesychius).

Praise God in his holy place,
praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his powerful deeds,
praise his surpassing greatness.

Ant. Let everything that breathes give praise to the Lord, alleluia.

O praise him with sound of trumpet,
praise him with lute and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipes.

Ant. Let everything that breathes give praise to the Lord, alleluia.

O praise him with resounding cymbals,
praise him with clashing of cymbals.
Let everything that lives and that breathes
give praise to the Lord.

Ant. Let everything that breathes give praise to the Lord, alleluia.

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

Lord God, maker of heaven and earth and of all created things, you make your just ones holy and you justify sinners who confess your name. Hear us as we humbly pray to you: give us eternal joy with your saints.

Ant. Let everything that breathes give praise to the Lord, alleluia.

READING 2 Timothy 2:8, 11-13

Remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of David,
was raised from the dead. You can depend on this:
If we have died with him
we shall also live with him;
If we hold out to the end
we shall also reign with him.
But if we deny him he will deny us. If we are unfaithful
he will still remain faithful, for he cannot deny himself.

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

We give thanks to you, O God, as we call upon your name.
– We give thanks to you, O God, as we call upon your name.

We cry aloud how marvelous you are,
– as we call upon your name.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– We give thanks to you, O God, as we call upon your name.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. He saw the great crowd and had pity on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd.

Luke 1:68 – 79
The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

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. He saw the great crowd and had pity on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd.

INTERCESSIONS

Open your hearts to praise the God of power and goodness, for he loves us and knows our needs:
– We praise you, Lord, and trust in you.

We bless you, almighty God, King of the universe, because you called us while we were yet sinners,
to acknowledge your truth and to serve your majesty.
– We praise you, Lord, and trust in you.

O God, you opened the gates of mercy for us,
let us never turn aside from the path of life.
– We praise you, Lord, and trust in you.

As we celebrate the resurrection of your beloved Son,
help us to spend this day in the spirit of joy.
– We praise you, Lord, and trust in you.

Give to your faithful, O Lord, a prayerful spirit of gratitude,
that we may thank you for all your gifts.
– We praise you, Lord, and trust in you.

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

Show favor, O Lord,
to your servants
and mercifully increase the gifts of your grace,
that, made fervent in hope, faith and charity,
they may be ever watchful in keeping your commands.
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.

DISMISSAL

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

[markomalley]

Jul 22, Midday Prayer for Sunday of the 16th week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:
Ordinary: 659
Proper of Seasons: 518 (concluding prayer)
All from the Psalter: Sunday, Week IV, 1133 (Midday)

Midday Prayer for Sunday in Ordinary Time, using Current Psalmody

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

O Lord my God! when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul! my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul! my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

”How Great Thou Art” by Melinda Kirigin-Voss; Originally this was a Swedish folk melody, “O Store Gud” by Carl Boberg (1859-1940) and was translated by Stuart K. Hine in 1899.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 He who eats this bread will live for ever, alleluia.

Psalm 23
The Good Shepherd
The Lamb himself will be their shepherd and will lead them to the springs of living waters (Revelation 7:17).

The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
to revive my drooping spirit.

He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort.

You have prepared a banquet for me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and 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.

Psalm-prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Shepherd of your Church, you give us new birth in the waters of baptism, anoint us with saving oil, and call us to salvation at your table. Dispel the terrors of death and the darkness of error. Lead your people along safe paths that they may rest securely in you and live for ever in your Father’s house.

Ant. He who eats this bread will live for ever, alleluia.

Ant. 2 The Lord will come in glory and show himself wonderful in his saints, alleluia.

Psalm 76
Thanksgiving for victory
They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven (Matthew 24:30).

I

God is made known in Judah;
in Israel his name is great.
He set up his tent in Jerusalem
and his dwelling place in Zion.
It was there he broke the flashing arrows,
the shield, the sword, the armor.

You, O Lord, are resplendent,
more majestic than the everlasting mountains.
The warriors, despoiled, slept in death;
the hands of the soldiers were powerless.
At your threat, O God of Jacob,
horse and rider lay stunned.

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. The Lord will come in glory and show himself wonderful in his saints, alleluia.

Ant. 3 Pay your vows, and bring offerings to the Lord our God, alleluia.

II

You, you alone, strike terror.
Who shall stand when your anger is roused?
You uttered your sentence from the heavens;
the earth in terror was still
when God arose to judge,
to save the humble of the earth.

Men’s anger will serve to praise you;
its survivors surround you in joy.
Make vows to your God and fulfill them.
Let all pay tribute to him who strikes terror,
who cuts short the life of princes,
who strikes terror in the kings of the 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.

Psalm-prayer

Your power is awesome, Father, and wonderful is your holiness. In your presence the earth both trembles and stands still, for you shattered death’s power by the cross. Rise to help your people: give your light, and grant salvation to the meek of the earth, that they may praise your name in heaven.

Ant. Pay your vows, and bring offerings to the Lord our God, alleluia.

READING Deuteronomy 10:12

What does the Lord, your God, ask of you but to fear the Lord, your God, and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul?

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.

Lord, who can dwell in your sanctuary?
– One whose life is blameless, and whose heart is true.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Show favor, O Lord,
to your servants
and mercifully increase the gifts of your grace,
that, made fervent in hope, faith and charity,
they may be ever watchful in keeping your commands.
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.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.

[markomalley]

Jul 22, Evening Prayer for Sunday of the 16th week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:
Ordinary: 668
Proper of Seasons: 518
Psalter: Sunday, Week IV, 1137

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 694
Proper of Seasons: 621
Psalter: Sunday, Week IV, 931

Evening Prayer II for Sunday 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

Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down;
fix in us thy humble dwelling;
all thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.

Come, Almighty to deliver,
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.

Finish, then, thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee;
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.

Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788; Music: John Zundel, 1815-1882; Tune: BEECHER, Meter: 87.87 D
“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” performed by Gloucester Cathedral Choir is available from Amazon.com.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 In eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you, alleluia.

Psalm 110
The Messiah, king and priest
Christ’s reign will last until all his enemies are made subject to him (1 Corinthians 15:25).

The Lord’s revelation to my Master:
“Sit on my right:
your foes I will put beneath your feet.”

Ant. In eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you, alleluia.

The Lord will wield from Zion
your scepter of power:
rule in the midst of all your foes.

Ant. In eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you, alleluia.

A prince from the day of your birth
on the holy mountains;
from the womb before the dawn I begot you.

Ant. In eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you, alleluia.

The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change.
“You are a priest for ever,
a priest like Melchizedek of old.”

Ant. In eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you, alleluia.

The Master standing at your right hand
will shatter kings in the day of his great wrath.

Ant. In eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you, alleluia.

He shall drink from the stream by the wayside
and therefore he shall lift up his head.

Ant. In eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you, alleluia.

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

Father, we ask you to give us victory and peace. In Jesus Christ, our Lord and King, we are already seated at your right hand. We look forward to praising you in the fellowship of all your saints in our heavenly homeland.

Ant. In eternal splendor, before the dawn of light on earth, I have begotten you, alleluia.

Ant. 2 Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for holiness; they will be satisfied.

Psalm 112
The happiness of the just man
Live as children born of the light. Light produces every kind of goodness and justice and truth (Ephesians 5:8-9).

Happy the man who fears the Lord,
who takes delight in his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth;
the children of the upright are blessed.

Ant. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for holiness; they will be satisfied.

Riches and wealth are in his house;
his justice stands firm for ever
He is a light in the darkness for the upright:
he is generous, merciful and just.

Ant. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for holiness; they will be satisfied.

The good man takes pity and lends,
he conducts his affairs with honor.
The just man will never waver:
he will be remembered for ever.

Ant. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for holiness; they will be satisfied.

He has no fear of evil news;
with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
With a steadfast heart he will not fear;
he will see the downfall of his foes.

Ant. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for holiness; they will be satisfied.

Open-handed, he gives to the poor;
his justice stands firm for ever.
His head will be raised in glory.

Ant. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for holiness; they will be satisfied.

The wicked man sees and is angry,
grinds his teeth and fades away;
the desire of the wicked leads to doom.

Ant. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for holiness; they will be satisfied.

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

Lord God, you are the eternal light which illumines the hearts of good people. Help us to love you, to rejoice in your glory, and so to live in this world as to avoid harsh judgment in the next. May we come to see the light of your countenance.

Ant. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for holiness; they will be satisfied.

Ant. 3 Praise God, all you who serve him, both great and small, alleluia.

Canticle – See Revelation 19:1-7
The wedding of the Lamb

Alleluia.
Salvation, glory, and power to our God:
– Alleluia.
his judgments are honest and true.
– Alleluia. Alleluia.

Ant. Praise God, all you who serve him, both great and small, alleluia.

Alleluia.
Sing praise to our God, all you his servants,
– Alleluia.
all who worship him reverently, great and small.
– Alleluia. Alleluia.

Ant. Praise God, all you who serve him, both great and small, alleluia.

Alleluia.
The Lord our all-powerful God is King;
– Alleluia.
Let us rejoice, sing praise, and give him glory.
– Alleluia. Alleluia.

Ant. Praise God, all you who serve him, both great and small, alleluia.

Alleluia.
The wedding feast of the Lamb has begun,
– Alleluia.
and his bride is prepared to welcome him.
– Alleluia. Alleluia.

Ant. Praise God, all you who serve him, both great and small, alleluia.

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. Praise God, all you who serve him, both great and small, alleluia.

READING Hebrews 12:22-24

You have drawn near to Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to myriads of angels in festal gathering, to the assembly of the first-born enrolled in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.

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

Our Lord is great, mighty is his power.
– Our Lord is great, mighty is his power.

His wisdom is beyond compare,
– mighty is his power.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– Our Lord is great, mighty is his power.

CANTICLE OF MARY

Ant. Mary has chosen the better part, and it shall not be taken from her.

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. Mary has chosen the better part, and it shall not be taken from her.

INTERCESSIONS

Rejoicing in the Lord, from whom all good things come, let us pray:
– Lord, hear our prayer.

Father and Lord of all, you sent your Son into the world, that your name might be glorified in every place,
strengthen the witness of your Church among the nations.
– Lord, hear our prayer.

Make us obedient to the teachings of your apostles,
and bound to the truth of our faith.
– Lord, hear our prayer.

As you love the innocent,
render justice to those who are wronged.
– Lord, hear our prayer.

Free those in bondage and give sight to the blind,
raise up the fallen and protect the stranger.
– Lord, hear our prayer.

Fulfill your promise to those who already sleep in your peace,
through your Son grant them a blessed resurrection.
– Lord, hear our prayer.

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

Show favor, O Lord,
to your servants
and mercifully increase the gifts of your grace,
that, made fervent in hope, faith and charity,
they may be ever watchful in keeping your commands.
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.

DISMISSAL

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

[markomalley]

Jul 22, Night Prayer for Sunday of the 16th week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours:
Vol I, Page 1172
Vol II, Page 1628
Vol III, Page 1272
Vol IV, Page 1236

Christian Prayer:
Page 1037

Night Prayer after Evening Prayer II on Sundays and Solemnities

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.

Kýrie, eléison
– Kýrie, eléison

Christé, eléison
– Christé, eléison

Kýrie, eléison
– Kýrie, eléison

HYMN

O radiant Light, O Son divine
Of God the Father’s deathless face
O image of the light sublime
That fills the heavenly dwelling-place

Lord Jesus Christ, as daylight fades
As shine the lights of eventide
We praise the Father with the Son
The spirit blest and with them one.

O Son of God, the source of life
Praise is your due by night and day
Unsullied lips must raise the strain
Of your proclaimed and splendid name.

O Radiant Light by Choir of The Cathedral of the Madeleine & The Madeleine Choir School; Lyrics copyright 1973, Fides Publishers, Inc. Notre Dame, Indiana from “Morning Praise and Evensong”. Used by permission of the publisher for non-profit or devotional purposes.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Night holds no terrors for me sleeping under God’s wings.

Psalm 91
Safe in God’s sheltering care
I have given you the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions (Luke 10:19).

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
and abides in the shade of the Almighty
says to the Lord: “My refuge,
my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!”

It is he who will free you from the snare
of the fowler who seeks to destroy you;
he will conceal you with his pinions
and under his wings you will find refuge.

You will not fear the terror of the night
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the plague that prowls in the darkness
nor the scourge that lays waste at noon.

A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand fall at your right,
you, it will never approach;
his faithfulness is buckler and shield.

Your eyes have only to look
to see how the wicked are repaid,
you who have said: “Lord, my refuge!”
and have made the Most High your dwelling.

Upon you no evil shall fall,
no plague approach where you dwell.
For you has he commanded his angels,
to keep you in all your ways.

They shall bear you upon their hands
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
On the lion and the viper you will tread
and trample the young lion and the dragon.

Since he clings to me in love, I will free him;
protect him for he knows my name.
When he calls I shall answer: “I am with you,”
I will save him in distress and give him glory.

With length of life I will content him;
I shall let him see my saving power.

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. Night holds no terrors for me sleeping under God’s wings.

READING Revelation 22:4-5

They shall see the Lord face to face and bear his name on their foreheads. The night shall be no more. They will need no light from lamps or the sun, for the Lord God shall give them light, and they shall reign forever.

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.

GOSPEL CANTICLE

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,
we have celebrated today
the mystery of the rising of Christ to new life.
May we now rest in your peace,
safe from all that could harm us,
and rise again refreshed and joyful,
to praise you throughout another day.
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

[markomalley]

WDTPRS 16th Ordinary Sunday: The Enemy is seeking you!

The Collect for the 16th Ordinary Sunday, not in any pre-Conciliar Missale Romanum, has its antecedent in a 9th century manuscript.  Enjoy the fine clausula (rhythmic ending).

We have been cheated of the beauty of our Catholic worship in Latin, which is our common patrimony. After such a gap of time, it will be difficult to grasp these tightly woven ancient Latin Collects with their lovely rhythms, their clarity of thought, their force.  After many centuries they still communicate the profound intellectual formation and the faith of their composers, our Christian family ancestors.

Propitiare, Domine, famulis tuis, et clementer gratiae tuae super eos dona multiplica, ut, spe, fide et caritate ferventes, semper in mandatis tuis vigili custodia perseverent.

Famulus and feminine famula appear frequently in our prayers.  Famulus is probably from Latin’s ancient cousin, the Oscan faama, “house.”   A Latin famulus or famula was a household servant or hand-maid, slave or free. They were considered members of the larger family.

Custodia is “a watching, guard, care, protection” and has the military overtone of “guard, sentinel”.  Vigil is “wakeful, watchful”, and, like custodia, can also be “a watchman, sentinel”.  Liturgically, a “vigil” is the evening and night before a great feast day.  In ancient times vigils were times of fasting and penance.  Men who were to be knighted kept a night’s vigil. They were watchful against the attacks of the world, the flesh and the Devil.  They fasted, prayed, and examined their consciences in order to be pure for the rites to follow.

LITERAL VERSION:

Look propitiously on Your servants, O Lord, and indulgently multiply upon them the gifts of Your grace so that, burning with faith, hope and charity, they may persevere always in your commands with vigilant watchfulness.

OBSOLETE ICEL (1973):

Lord, be merciful to your people. Fill us with your gifts and make us always eager to serve you in faith, hope, and love.

NEW CORRECTED ICEL (2011):

Show favor, O Lord, to your servants and mercifully increase the gifts of your grace, that, made fervent in hope, faith and charity, they may be ever watchful in keeping your commands.

Scripture often gives us images of watches during the night.  At the birth of the Lord shepherds “were keeping watch over their flock by night (vigilantes et custodientes vigilias noctis)” (Luke 2:8).  Jesus said, “Watch (vigilate) therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched (vigilaret) and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:42-44).   Our Lord explains that servants should keep watch in order to open the door for the master of the house even if he returns in the dead of the night (cf Luke 12:37-39).  St Paul constantly urges Christians to be “watchful”.  In 1 Peter 5:8 we read sobering, “Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”.

The Enemy is seeking you!  (1 Peter 5:8)

In the ancient Roman countryside there were great estates (latifundium) having many buildings for family, household servants, the various workers, storage, etc.  These dwellings were often self-sufficient, and were surrounded with walls against attacks by brigands.  Even into Renaissance times, a great house in a city (domus) might be fortified with watch towers.  The householder or the lord of the estate was the head or father of the larger “family”.  Kind or cruel, the paterfamilias was judge, protector and provider to everyone under his care.

Simple ancient famuli had to work to produce good fruits in order to survive with a good quality of life and a safe place to belong.  Sophisticated modern famuli, marked with the family name “Christian”, marked permanently with the family seal through baptism and confirmation, must produce fruits according to our vocations.

When life’s reckoning comes, will we be like the foolish virgins? They watched all night for the arrival of the Bridegroom, but they didn’t have enough oil for their lamps.  They were locked out of the house in the dangerous night with no place to go, no work to do, no purpose to fulfill. They no longer belonged.

“Vigilate… Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13).

When you hear the priest pronounce this Collect, beg our Lord – so gracious and patient with us even when we are lazy and sinful – to continue giving us gifts of faith, hope and charity we need for the very survival of our souls.

[annalex]

Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 6
30.	And the apostles coming together unto Jesus, related to him all things that they had done and taught.	Et convenientes Apostoli ad Jesum, renuntiaverunt ei omnia quæ egerant, et docuerant.	και συναγονται οι αποστολοι προς τον ιησουν και απηγγειλαν αυτω παντα και οσα εποιησαν και οσα εδιδαξαν
31.	And he said to them: Come apart into a desert place, and rest a little. For there were many coming and going: and they had not so much as time to eat.	Et ait illis : Venite seorsum in desertum locum, et requiescite pusillum. Erant enim qui veniebant et redibant multi : et nec spatium manducandi habebant.	και ειπεν αυτοις δευτε υμεις αυτοι κατ ιδιαν εις ερημον τοπον και αναπαυεσθε ολιγον ησαν γαρ οι ερχομενοι και οι υπαγοντες πολλοι και ουδε φαγειν ευκαιρουν
32.	And going up into a ship, they went into a desert place apart.	Et ascendentes in navim, abierunt in desertum locum seorsum.	και απηλθον εις ερημον τοπον τω πλοιω κατ ιδιαν
33.	And they saw them going away, and many knew: and they ran flocking thither on foot from all the cities, and were there before them.	Et viderunt eos abeuntes, et cognoverunt multi : et pedestres de omnibus civitatibus concurrerunt illuc, et prævenerunt eos.	και ειδον αυτους υπαγοντας και επεγνωσαν αυτον πολλοι και πεζη απο πασων των πολεων συνεδραμον εκει και προηλθον αυτους και συνηλθον προς αυτον
34.	And Jesus going out saw a great multitude: and he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.	Et exiens vidit turbam multam Jesus : et misertus est super eos, quia erant sicut oves non habentes pastorem, et cœpit docere multa.	και εξελθων ειδεν ο ιησους πολυν οχλον και εσπλαγχνισθη επ αυτοις οτι ησαν ως προβατα μη εχοντα ποιμενα και ηρξατο διδασκειν αυτους πολλα

[annalex]

30. And the apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.
31. And he said to them, Come you yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
32. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.
33. And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and out went them, and came together to him.
34. And Jesus, when he came out, saw many people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

GLOSS. The Evangelist, after relating the death of John, gives an account of those things which Christ did with His disciples after the death of John, saying, And the Apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.

PSEUDO-JEROME; For they return to the fountain-head whence the streams flow; those who are sent by God, always offer up thanks for those things which they have received.

THEOPHYL. Let us also learn, when we are sent on any mission, not to go far away, and not to overstep the bounds of the office committed, but to go often to him, who sends us, and report all that we have done and taught; for we must not only teach but act.

BEDE; Not only do the Apostles tell the Lord what they themselves had done and taught, but also his own and John's disciples together tell him what John had suffered, during the time that they were occupied in teaching, as Matthew relates. It goes on: And he said to them, Come you yourselves apart, &c.

AUG. This is said to have taken place, after the passion of John, therefore what is first related took place last, for it was by these events that Herod was moved to say, This is John the Baptist, whom I beheaded.

THEOPHYL. Again, He goes to a desert place from His humility. But Christ makes His disciples rest, that men who are set over others may hear, that they who labor in any work or in the word deserve rest, and ought not to labor continually.

BEDE; How arose the necessity for giving rest to His disciples, He shows, when He adds, For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat; we may then see how great was the happiness of that time, both from the toil of the teachers, and from the diligence of the learners. It goes on, And embarking into a ship, they departed into a desert place privately. The disciples did not enter into the ship alone, but taking up the Lord with them, they went to a desert place, as Matthew shows. Here He tries the faith of the multitude, and by seeking a desert place. He would see whether they care to follow Him. And they follow Him, and that not on horseback, nor in carriages, but laboriously coming on foot, they show how great is their anxiety for their salvation.

There follows, And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and out went them. In saying that they out went them on foot, it is proved that the disciples with the Lord did not reach the other bank of the sea, or of the Jordan, but they went to the nearest places of the same country, where the people of those parts could come to them on foot.

THEOPHYL. So do you not wait for Christ till He Himself call you, but outrun Him, and come before Him. There follows, And Jesus when he came out saw much people, and was moved with compassion towards them, because they were as sheep having no shepherd. The Pharisees being ravenous wolves did not feed the sheep, but devoured them; for which reason they gather themselves to Christ, the trite Shepherd, who gave them spiritual food, that is, the word of God. Wherefore it goes on, And he began to teach them many things. For seeing that those who followed Him on account of His miracles were tired from the length of the way, He pitied them, and wished to satisfy their wish by teaching them.

BEDE; Matthew says that he healed their sick, for the real way of pitying the poor is to open to them the way of truth by teaching them, and to take away their bodily pains.

PSEUDO-JEROME; Mystically, however, the Lord took apart those whom He chose, that though living amongst evil men, they might not apply their minds to evil things, as Lot in Sodom, Job in the land of Uz, and Obadiah in the house of Ahab.

BEDE; Leaving also Judea, the holy preachers, in the desert of the Church, overwhelmed by the burden of their tribulations amongst the Jews, obtained rest by the imparting of the grace of faith to the Gentiles.

PSEUDO-JEROME; Little indeed is the rest of the saints here on earth, long is their labor, but afterwards, they are bidden to rest from their labors. But as in the ark of Noah, the animals that were within were sent forth, and they that were without rushed in, so is it in the Church, Judas went, the thief came to Christ. But as long as men go back from the faith, the Church can have no refuge from grief; for Rachel weeping for her children would not be comforted. Moreover, this world is not the happiest, in which the new wine is drank, when the new song will be sung by men made anew, when this mortal shall have put in immortality.

BEDE; But when Christ goes to the deserts of the Gentiles, many bands of the faithful leaving the walls of their cities, that is their old manner of living, follow Him.

Catena Aurea Mark 6

[annalex]

The Church Amidst Persecutions

Attribution unknown

[Salvation]

All saints days are superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.

Saint Mary Magdalen

Saint Mary Magdalen
Memorial
July 22nd

The Repentant Magdalen
Georges de la Tour
c. 1640
National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C

 

Collect:
O God, whose Only Begotten Son
entrusted Mary Magdalene before all others
with announcing the great joy of the Resurrection,
grant, we pray,
that through her intercession and example
we may proclaim the living Christ
and come to see him reigning in your glory.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: Song of Songs 3:1-4
The bride says this: On my bed, at night, I sought him whom my heart loves. I sought but did not find him. so I will rise and go through the City; in the streets and the squares I will seek him whom my heart loves. I sought but did not find him. The watchmen came upon me on their rounds in the City: "Have you seen him whom my heart loves?" Scarcely had I passed them than I found him whom my heart loves.

optional first reading: 2 Corinthians 5:14-17

Gospel Reading: John 20: 1-2.11-18
It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone haed been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb", she said, "and we don't know where they have put Him".

Meanwhile, Mary stayed outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, still weeping, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, "Woman, why are you weeping?" "They have taken my Lord away", she replied, "and I don't know where they have put Him". As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not recognize Him. Jesus said, "Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have taken Him away, tell me where you have put Him, and I will go and remove Him". Jesus said, "Mary!" She knew Him then and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabbuni!" -- which means Master. Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and find the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and to your Father, to my God and your God". So Mary of Magdala went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her.

 

Prayer
Praise be to Thee, O Christ, Creator, Redeemer, and Savior,
Of heaven and earth and seas, of angels and of men
Whom we confess to be both God and Man,
Who didst come in order to save sinners,
Thyself without sin, taking the appearance of sin.
Among this poor flock, Thou didst visit the Canaanite woman and
Mary Magdalen.

From the same table Thou didst nourish the one with the crumbs of
the Divine Word, the other with Thy inebriating cup.
While Thou art seated at the typical feast in the house of Simon
the Leper.
The Pharisee murmurs, while the woman weeps, conscious of her
guilt.

The sinner despises his fellow-sinner, Thou, sinless one hearest
the prayer of the penitent, cleanses her from stains, lovest her
so as to make her beautiful.

She embraces the feet of her Lord, washes them with her tears,
dries them with her hair: washing and wiping them, she anoints
them with sweet ointment, and covers them with kisses.

Such, O Wisdom of the Father, is the banquet that delights Thee!
Though born of a Virgin, Thou cost not disdain to be touched by a
sinful woman.

The Pharisee invited Thee but it is Mary that gives Thee a feast.
Thou forgivest much to her that loves much, and that falls not
again into sin.

From seven devils cost Thou free her by Thy sevenfold Spirit.
To her, when Thou risest from the dead, Thou showest Thyself first
of all.

By her, O Christ. Thou cost designate the Gentile Church, the
stranger whom Thou callest to the children's table;

Who, at the feast of the Law and at the feast of grace, is
despised by the pride of Pharisees, and harassed by leprous
heresy.

Thou knowest what manner of woman she is, it is because she is a
sinner that she touches Thee, and because she longs for pardon.
What could she have, poor sick one, without receiving it, and
without the physician assisting her?

O King of kings, rich unto all, save us, wash away all the stains
of our sins, O Thou the hope and glory of the saints.

 

RESPONSORY
Congratulate me, all ye that love the Lord; for He whom I sought
appeared to me: *and while I wept at the tomb I saw my Lord,
alleluia.

v. When the disciples withdrew, I did not withdraw, and being
kindled with the fire of His love, I burned with desire.

* And while.

PRAYER
We beseech Thee, O Lord, that we may be helped by the intercession
of blessed Mary Magdalen, entreated by whose prayers Thou didst
raise up again to life her brother Lazarus, who had been dead four
days. Thou Who livest and reignest forever. Amen

(Taken from Volume XIII of "The Liturgical Year" by Abbot Gueranger O.S.B. published by Marian House, Powers Lake, ND 58773.)

Copyright (c) 1997 EWTN Online Services.

 

About Saint Mary Magdalene
Of the earlier life of Saint Mary Magdalene we know only that she was "a woman who was a sinner". From the depth of her degradation she raised her eyes to Jesus with sorrow, hope, and love. Covered with shame, she came to where Jesus was at table, and knelt behind Him. She said not a word, but bathed His feet with her tears, wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed them with humility. Then she poured on them costly ointment. The divine lips of her Savior removed her reproach, spoke her absolution, and bade her go in peace. From that time on, she ministered to Jesus, sat at His feet, and listened to His words. She was one of the family of Bethany "whom Jesus so loved" that He raised her brother Lazarus from the dead.

It happened that once again, on the eve of His Passion, she brought precious ointment, and this time, as His purified and beloved follower, poured it on His head; and we may say that the entire House of God is still filled with the fragrance of her anointing. Mary Magdalene stood with Our Lady and Saint John at the foot of the cross, representative of the many who have loved much because much has been forgiven them.

To her, the first after His blessed Mother, and through her to His Apostles, Our Lord gave the certainty of His resurrection.

Source: Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on Butler's Lives of the Saints, and other sources by John Gilmary Shea (Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894). The Order of the Magnificat of the Mother of God

[Salvation]

Relic of Saint Mary Magdalene...Makes First North American Tour
St. Mary Magdalen
Scholars seek to correct Christian tradition on Mary Magdalene
Christ Transforms Those He Meets, Says Pope - Speaks of Mary Magdalene
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene
Straight Answers: Who Was Mary Magdalene?
Saint Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene, a chaste, virgin, the hand maid of the Lord!
Saint Mary Magdalene,The Beautiful Penitent

[Salvation]

Information: St. Mary Magdalene

Feast Day:	July 22
Born:	1st century AD, Magdala
Died:	1st century AD, Ephesus, Asia Minor or Marseilles, France
Patron of:	apothecaries; contemplative life; converts; glove makers; hairdressers; penitent sinners; people ridiculed for their piety; perfumeries; pharmacists; reformed prostitutes; sexual temptation; tanners; women

[Salvation]

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Mary Magdelene

Feast Day: July 22
Born/Died: (around the time of Jesus)

Mary Magdalene was from Magdala near the Sea of Galilee. She was very beautiful and very proud and was well-known as a sinner when she first met Jesus. But after she met Jesus, she felt great sorrow for her evil life and made up her mind to live a good life. When Jesus went to supper at the home of a rich man named Simon, Mary came to weep at his feet. Then, with her long, beautiful hair, she wiped his feet dry and anointed them with expensive perfume.

Some people were surprised that Jesus let such a sinner touch him. Our Lord who could see into Mary's heart said, "Many sins are forgiven her, because she has loved much." Then to Mary he said kindly, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

From then on, with the other holy women, Mary humbly served Jesus and his apostles. When Our Lord was crucified, she was there at the foot of his cross. She stayed with the Blessed Mother and St. John, unafraid for herself. All she could think about was that Jesus was suffering. No wonder Jesus said of her: "She has loved much."

After Jesus' body had been placed in the tomb, Mary went to anoint it with spices early Easter Sunday morning. She was shocked when she saw that the tomb was empty. Not finding the sacred body, she stood outside the tomb and began to weep. Suddenly she saw someone she thought was the gardener. She asked him if he knew where the body of her beloved Master had been taken.

Touched by her deep sorrow, the man spoke in a voice filled with love that she knew so well: "Mary!" It was Jesus, standing right there in front of her. He was risen from the dead. And he had chosen to reveal himself first to her. The Gospels tell us that Mary was sent by Jesus himself to announce the Good News of the resurrection to Peter and the apostles.

Reflection: St. Mary Magdalene was a sinner, yet Jesus forgave her. He could see that she loved much.

[Salvation]

 

Catholic

Almanac:

Sunday, July 22

Liturgical Color: White

Today is the Memorial of St. Mary Magdalene. She was a devoted follower of Jesus. The Bible depicts her as washing the feet of Jesus with her tears and drying them with her hair in sorrow for her sins.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: July 22, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Show favor, O Lord, to your servants and mercifully increase the gifts of your grace, that, made fervent in hope, faith and charity, they may be ever watchful in keeping your commands. 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.

PRAYERS

• Litany of the Saints
• Prayer for Troops
• Prayer for Peace

Ordinary Time: July 22nd

Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Old Calendar: Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns, and got there ahead of them. As he went ashore he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things (Mk 6:32-34).

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

---

Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah 23:1-6. In these seven verses, Jeremiah utters dire threats against the shepherds, the leaders of the people of Judah. Their neglect of the flock given into their care and their neglect of God was bringing exile on their people. God would avenge his people bring back the "remnant" of his flock and set trustworthy shepherds over them.

The second reading is from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians 2:13-18. St. Paul reminds his Ephesian converts that Christ has brought unity of brotherhood to Jews and Gentiles.

The Gospel is from St. Mark 6:30-34. In these few verses St. Mark very strongly brings out the compassion, the human understanding of Jesus for man. He first planned to give his Apostles a well-earned rest. They had evidently worked hard while out on their mission and a few days rest would restore their lost energy. He himself, too, must have been hard pressed, preaching and dealing with the crowds. In the absence of the Apostles he had no one to help him—he too needed a rest. He, therefore, planned that he and they should go to a quiet corner of the Sea of Galilee where there was no village and where, therefore, they would not be disturbed.

The desire of the crowds, however, to see him and to hear him speak upset these plans. The people got to the quiet spot first. There they were waiting when the boat pulled to shore. He could have sent them away, but again his human compassion took over. Seeing these simple people of Galilee so anxious to hear about God and his mercy, he let them stay and began to preach the good news of forgiveness and hope to them. For the most part they were simple, unlettered villagers, shepherds and fishermen. They knew a little about the Law of Moses but only a little. There was no one but the local rabbi to teach them and the local rabbis were not very educated at the time. The doctors of the law, the great theologians were all in Jerusalem where they got the respect and the financial reward which they felt they merited. Hence the people of the country were more or less forgotten and neglected. They were, as our Lord described them, "like sheep without a shepherd," wandering about half-lost.

They were certainly fortunate, however, in finding the true shepherd who would lead them to the eternal pastures. Not only would he now sacrifice his rest to come to their aid but he would, later on, lay down his life for them and for all of us. We, like those poor people of Galilee, have so much to be grateful for. The compassionate Christ has had pity on us too, and has brought us into his fold. He knows all our infirmities and all our human weaknesses, and he is ever-ready to have pity on us and pardon us. Those people of Galilee were not saints, they were ordinary, run-of-the mill, not over religious people. They cheated one another; they were often uncharitable to one another; they were not always chaste and pure; they prayed very little and perhaps only when they wanted some material benefit. Yet our Lord had compassion on them.

This should give us great confidence, great encouragement. Christ has not changed: he is the same yesterday, today and forever. He has the same compassion for us that he had for those Galileans; we too are often like sheep without a shepherd wandering half-lost through life. He is ever calling us to come to himself so that he will lead us to safe pastures. If only we would listen to his merciful call! Today's Gospel is one such call — it goes out to every member of this congregation who has been lax in his or her religious life up to now. Christ wants us back on the high-road to heaven. All we have to do is to break with the past, with the earthly things that kept us from God. We can set out as freemen to follow Christ. He has left to his Church the holy sacrament of penance in which he guarantees us complete and entire remission of all past sins if we confess them with true sorrow. Let us not think that our sins are too big to be forgiven, that Christ could not have compassion on us because of our dreadful past. We can remember those Galileans; many of them were sinners as we are and he had compassion on them. He came to call sinners, he tells us. Let us answer his call today—tomorrow might be too late.

Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Mark 6:30-34

“His heart was moved.” (Mark 6:34)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus was encouraged because the apostles had just returned from a very suc­cessful missionary trip. They had healed some people, delivered oth­ers from demons, and brought many to conversion. And yet, Jesus was discouraged as well. John, his friend and kinsman, had just been beheaded.

With this good and bad news on his mind, Jesus took a practical approach and invited the apostles— and himself—to get away for a time of rest (Mark 6:31). But a crowd of people followed, and Jesus changed his plans and began to teach the peo­ple. In a sense, you could say that the “practical” Jesus was replaced by the “compassionate” Jesus. He was able to see beyond his needs and the needs of his disciples because of his union with the Holy Spirit.

It wasn’t just Jesus whose eyes were open in this way. The apostles gave up their plans for rest as well. Then, after what could have been hours of teaching, Jesus told them to give the people something to eat (Mark 6:37).

Jesus wants us to be practi­cal. He wants us to be ordered. He wants us to set goals and achieve them. But there are also times when he wants us to put our plans aside for the greater good. We can learn how to sense these movements from God so that the practical does not overshadow the compassionate and spontaneous. You may sense a prompting to speak to someone after Mass or in the grocery store. You may sense simply that God wants you to put your arms around your hus­band or child or that you should put aside what you are doing and read Scripture for a few minutes. When­ever something like this happens, try to act on it. You never know where it will lead you.

“Jesus, teach me to be open to your Spirit’s promptings. I don’t want to be so regulated that I can’t hear your voice or follow your leadings. Lord, I want to be flexible and open!”

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Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion

(Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 23:1-6; Ephesians 2:13-18; Mark 6:30-34)

1. In the first reading Jeremiah describes a time when God’s people will “need no longer fear and tremble,” but “be saved” and “dwell in security” because “a righteous shoot to David as king” is coming who will “reign and govern wisely.” In what way were these prophetic words fulfilled by Jesus Christ? How does your relationship with Christ, and your experience of his love, provide you with peace and security each day?

2. In the Responsorial Psalm, the well-known “Shepherd Psalm,” the Lord’s presence and guidance is described as providing repose, refreshment, courage, anointing, goodness, kindness, etc. In what ways are these closely aligned with the fruits of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22-23? What are some examples of how you have experienced these fruits in your workplace, your families, and your parish?

3. In the letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul describes how we have all been reconciled, made one in Christ, because he “broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh” (Ephesians 2:14). In what ways may God be calling you to break down “dividing wall of enmity” that still exist between you and others (in your workplace, your families, your parish)?

4. Also, in the letter to the Ephesians, we are told that we “have access in one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18). Do you believe that the Holy Spirit, received through Baptism and faith, gives you access to God the Father? If this Scriptural truth is a struggle for you, what steps can you take to overcome any obstacles and experience more fully the grace of the Father’s presence in your life?

5. In Mark’s Gospel, we see that Jesus’ attention was not only focused on the crowds who were hastening to pursue Him, but also on the apostles who had been busy in his name and needed a little time to rest. In what ways do you allow the busyness of your life to prevent you from “resting” in Christ’s presence through prayer? What small steps can you take to allow for additional times of “rest” in Christ’s presence (for example, before or after Mass, in visits to the Blessed Sacrament, each morning in prayer, etc.)?

6. In the meditation, we are challenged with these words: “Jesus wants us to be practical. He wants us to be ordered. He wants us to set goals and achieve them. But there are also times when he wants us to put our plans aside for the greater good. We can learn how to sense these movements from God so that the practical does not overshadow the compassionate and spontaneous.” How well do you sense the “promptings” of the Holy Spirit in leading you during the day? What steps can you take to open yourself more to the Spirit’s promptings?

7. Take some time now to pray for a greater openness to the Spirit’s prompting, and for the grace to say yes to where the Lord wants to lead you. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.

[Salvation]

A Christian Pilgrim

COME AWAY BY YOURSELVES TO A LONELY PLACE, AND REST A WHILE  

(A biblical refection on THE 16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – July 22, 2012) 

Gospel Reading: Mark 6:30-34 

First Reading: Jer 23:1-6; Psalms: Ps 23:1-6; Second Reading: Eph 2:13-18 

The Scripture Text

The apostles returned to Jesus, and told Him all that they had done and taught. And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns, and got there ahead of them. As He landed He saw a great throng, and He has compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. (Mk 6:30-34 RSV) 

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven,” says Ecclesiastes. “A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace” (Eccles 3:1-8). How many a patient has gone to a specialist to be given sound advice like that. Blessed is the man who is resigned to the seasons of the mind as God created them.

The apostles had been sent, two by two, on their first religious mission by the authority of the Lord Himself. Bubbling with novice fervor, they returned highly excited about the impressive things they could do in the name of Jesus. Following this practical experience, they wanted and needed to be with the Master and compare notes with each other. Jesus understood their need for rest and suggested that they get away from the crowd for a private discussion.

Matthew gives another reason for their brief withdrawal from public view – the recent death of John the Baptist. Jesus had been close to John. His baptizer and herald; and some of the apostles had originally been John’s disciples. They now needed to ponder the meaning of his life and death, share their profound sorrows and reflect on what awaited them in their own ministry (see Mt 14:13).

Although their plans were frustrated when the impatient crowd intruded upon the private scene, the story clearly exemplifies the necessity for human support and the obligation to take time off from the constant routine of duties. This Gospel prerogative is currently carried out in our days off, times of recollection, annual retreats and sabbaticals. These change our pace and place that we might regroup our weakened energy, faith and commitment.

This is necessary not only for the clergy and religious, but for all people as well. Work six days and rest one day is the advice given in the first chapter of Genesis. We all know the body’s demands for sleep and how sluggish we feel after a restless night.

Leisure time is especially important for those who give advice and direction to others. The counsellor’s mind needs time to put things together, build up a reserve of knowledge and give from his or her fullness, like a reservoir. He or she cannot race from one case to the next, like a rushing shallow river. The Rule of St. Benedict has advised society for 1500 years to live according to the threefold rhythm of prayer, work and recreation.

An occasional dinner out for a husband and wife can produce a continual bonding of their union. Obviously they would have food at home, which they could eat and save money, but that’s not the point. There are greater things to save than money.

May be you’re pressed for time with tons of work to do. You still have an obligation to take a break for a little while, as Jesus counselled. His first recruits, who had a whole world to save. Remember, He made the blue prints of human nature and knows how we’re meant to work.

Short Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have taught us that the human spirit, like the human body, needs relaxation: rest and renewal. The spirit needs joy – cheerful acceptance of Your Will, Lord. A true, confident, loving attachment to You, Lord, is a constant refreshment. Guide our minds by Your truth that we may live in union with You in the Kingdom of Your promise. Amen.

[Salvation]

 

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for July 22, 2012:

“Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock.” (Jer. 23:1) Sometimes it’s hard to hear the voice of God and know who to believe. The prophet, Jeremiah, tells us to look for justice. What injustice can you as a couple take a stand against?

[Salvation]

Sunday Scripture Study

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time  -  Cycle B

July 22, 2012

Click here for USCCB readings

Opening Prayer  

First Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6

Psalm: 23:1-6

Second Reading: Ephesians 2:13-18

Gospel Reading: Mark 6:30-34

• In last Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jesus sent out his twelve apostles to perform in his name all that he himself had been doing (Mark 6:7-13).

• After a brief interlude in Mark’s gospel where he relates the martyrdom of John the Baptist (verses14-29), the apostles return from their missionary journey. Recognizing that those that labor for the kingdom of God need times of rest and recollection, Jesus attempts to take them to a remote location where they can be refreshed.

• The crowds who are following Jesus, however, find out where they are going and meet them as they disembark. Rather than becoming peeved at having his plans for rest spoiled, Jesus’ “heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd” (verse 34).

• In this they were like the people described in the Old Testament (Numbers 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; Judith 11:19; Jeremiah 23:1-6 [our first reading]; Zechariah 10:2). In that same Old Testament, God promised he himself would supplant the evil shepherds and shepherd his sheep through the Messiah (Ezekiel 34:23; John 10:11-16).

 

QUESTIONS:

• In the 1^st reading, what charge does the Lord have against the shepherds of Israel? What is his remedy for that situation? In what ways is the prophecy of verses 5-6 fulfilled in Jesus in salvation history? How is it fulfilled in your life

• In the 2^nd Reading, what is the dividing wall that Paul is thinking of in verse 14, and what does it symbolize? What has Christ done to it? Within your family—whether immediate or extended—how might Christ bring peace where there might have been feuds, long-term disagreements, or strained relationships? What should your own role be in bringing that peace to bear on such problems?

• Why did Jesus decide to take the disciples away (v 31)? What happened as soon as they left?

• How did the disciples and Jesus differ in the way they viewed the problem? How would you have felt about the intrusion?

• What event does this situation lead to (verses 35-44)?

• In what way were the people who ran after Jesus “like sheep without a shepherd” (verse 34)? Who would become their shepherd (John 10:14-18)? Who would Jesus designate to shepherd his sheep when he returned to heaven and until he comes again (John 21:15-17)?

• When was the last time you made a retreat? Why might Jesus invite you to make a retreat?

• How do you balance your life of prayer and life of service? Do you consider one an intrusion on the other? What should our attitude about this be?

Catechism of the Catholic Church: §§ 857-858, 2602, 753-754

 

However softly we speak, He is near enough to hear us. Neither is there any need for wings to go to find Him. All one need do is go into solitude and look at Him within oneself.   -St. Teresa of Avila

[Salvation]

Cross Over to a Deserted Place

Pastor’s Column

16^th Sunday Ordinary Time

July 22, 2012

 

“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile.”

                                                            Mark 6:31

 

          In last week’s gospel, Jesus had sent the disciples out two by two to all the towns and villages (Mark 6:7-13). Jesus and his disciples cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Time and again we find Jesus crossing to the other side during his ministry. These crossings mark boundaries between different phases of Jesus' ministry.

 

          Jesus and his disciples are crossing in order to search for a deserted place to rest and pray.  In other words, they are looking for a kind of retreat or vacation for themselves.  It is noteworthy that Jesus does not find what he's looking for.  He has ministered to many crowds of people, and being fully human as well as fully God, he needs to rest and recharge his batteries just like the rest of us do.  However, the people have figured him out – they know where he is going.  The apostles and disciples often do not know where Jesus is headed – but these people somehow do.  So Jesus does not get the rest that he intended.

 

          Have you ever had a longing to “cross to the other side”? Where is the “other side" in your life?  To cross to the other side is to cross into God's territory.  A search for rest – a search for a deserted place, a fun vacation, a good time with your friends – even sightseeing – all these things are really a search for God.  This is because all these things are an earthly way of trying to describe heaven. Heaven is the place where God lives, his home: and he wishes to invite us here.

 

          Even on Earth all of us need to rest.  All of us need to search for a deserted place to find God.  The way we do this is through prayer.  Many of us lead such active lives – we are so busy. Hopefully we can see Jesus in the people that we work with, live with, go to school with, minister to, or run into -- but without prayer – my life will lack focus.

 

          It is true that we can't always run off to a desert, a monastery, or hermitage in order to enter into communion with God – and it is encouraging that even Jesus and the disciples didn't always succeed in getting the rest they needed!  A deserted place where we can be with God must be cultivated.  One good place that we have here is the Adoration Chapel.  Perhaps you have a room in your house or you can close the door and pray without being disturbed.  Perhaps you can go up to Mount Angel Abbey or a religious place.  One can find God in nature. But the real "deserted place" lies in the heart.  In fact, we don't have to go anywhere – Jesus is waiting for us in our heart. In our noisy, overactive, media-saturated world, Christ will always be found in the deserted places of the heart.                                                         

                                                                   Father Gary     

[Salvation]

16th Sunday, Scattered and Gathered

"He taught them many things"

Sunday Word: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/072212.cfm

Jer 23: 1-6

Eph 2: 13-18
Mrk 6: 30-34

The names of Alexander VI, Julius II, and Leo X will forever be etched in Papal history as among the most notorious men to sit on the chair of St. Peter as Pope.  The 15^th and 16^th century Renaissance family names, from whom some of these characters came, of Borgia and Medici may be synonymous with nepotism, intrigue, sexual scandal, simony, financial squander, and personal immorality. Alexander VI, who kept both several mistresses and his illegitimate children in the Papal apartments stands high among the most corrupt.  Not to be outdone by Leo X who surrounded himself with admirers and once famously stated, “God has given us the Papacy now let us enjoy it!”  And indeed he did to the detriment of the Church, especially its resources.  Such corruption gave restless reformers such as Martin Luther credible fuel for their fire.   

Yes, these are among the Papal bad boys – the “shepherds who mislead and scatter . . .” as we hear in our first reading from Jeremiah this Sunday.  Their lives are colorful to say the least but all was not lost for the Church even under their leadership.  These are the men who supported the construction of great monuments of Catholic faith and promoted brilliant artists and sculptures such as Rafael and Michelangelo.  The building of the present day St. Peter Basilica at the Vatican was the brainchild of Pope Julius II as was the painting of the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel by the inspired Michelangelo with whom he definitely had a love/hate relationship. Subsequent Church Councils such as Trent, Vatican I and Vatican II continued the much needed reform of the Church.

Yet, upon the Papal throne, our supreme Shepherds have also seen good men and among them brilliant theologians and leaders of the Church with heroic holiness.  It was once said that all the Popes of the twentieth century should probably be canonized.  Among them are St. Pius X, Blessed John XXIII and of course, Blessed John Paul II.

In the end, God has sustained his Church in spite of our human sin.  With all the corruption of the 15^th and 16^th century, which make our contemporary Church “scandals” pale by comparison, the faith was preserved and continued to be passed on, clarified, and strengthened for generations.  What may have been scattered through scandal and human sin has in the end been gathered by Christ himself repeatedly over the centuries. The holiness of Christ gives holiness to the Church.  

Our Gospel scene from Mark this Sunday has the apostles returning to Jesus after the missionary journey we have heard about the last two Sunday’s.  “Two by two” they went and now return clearly elated but also tired.  Jesus compassionately invites them to, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” Yet, the assembled crowd, “like sheep without a shepherd” seeks out Jesus and the exhausted apostles.  Not giving them much opportunity for rest, Jesus steps forward as the quintessential good shepherd, the benevolent wise teacher who gathers this vast crowd together, to “teach them many things.” I think we may see a method and purpose here. A kind of strategy on the part of Jesus.

Divide and conquer is a favorite phrase of military strategy.  It might also be useful in sports such as football, soccer, or basketball.  The opposing team must be on their guard and not allow themselves to be scattered and thereby weakened.  Good leadership and a united plan go a long way to achieve success as the wise leader gathers his troops or his team together.

In the case of our biblical perspective this Sunday, we hear the scandal caused by the bad Kings of ancient Israel. Jeremiah’s haunting words of, “Woe to the shepherds . . .” are those which move down through every age.  Minus the great King David of course who, despite his own human weakness, becomes the human family line of Jesus himself.

Jeremiah warns about sheep that are scattered but promises a king who will do “what is just and right.” This king will gather the scattered sheep.

St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians this Sunday likewise reminds us that, “you who once were far off (scattered) have been become near (gathered) by the blood of Christ.”

In our Gospel the word and presence of Christ gathers the apostles together once again after they have scattered away on mission.  He gathers together a lost and rudderless crowd who pursue him like sheep who seek the voice of a shepherd they can trust and follow.  His heart was “moved with pity for them . . .” and he gathered them together, to feed them with his word. 

For us, we may notice not only an interesting geographical location in the desert or by the Sea of Galilee, but more what is Jesus’ own intent?  What can we see that assures us this reliable, trustful Shepherd is a voice we must all hear? He speaks to us in personal prayer, when we find an out of the way place.  He speaks to us in our Church through leadership that remains faithful to its call.  He speaks to us in our liturgical gathering when we arrive with lives that may feel scattered or fragmented.  We hear him through the events of our lives that, perhaps by hindsight, become powerful teachable moments.

It is in gathering moments when the Church comes together to be fed around the table of the Word and Eucharist that we most see the Church gathered in visible form.  This weekend we hear about the word which Jesus spoke.  We see he feeds the vast crowd by teaching them “many things.”

Next Sunday, he feeds them both physically and spiritually with the miraculous multiplication of loaves and fish but also makes himself the source of that food which is clearly an illusion of his own body and blood in the Eucharist. 

Now that we hear from the priest at each Mass that, “my sacrifice and yours . . .” is offered along with the bread and wine, we know that we can bring our scattered and sometimes broken lives to the most perfect source who can gather us in with himself. 

Show favor, O Lord, to your servants
and mercifully increase the gifts of your grace,
that made fervent in hope, faith and charity,
they may be ever watchful in keeping your commands.
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. 

(Collect of Mass)    

Fr. Tim

[Salvation]

Insight Scoop

“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”

A Scriptural Reflection on the Readings for Sunday, July 22, 2012, the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time | Carl E. Olson

Readings:
• Jer 23:1-6
• Ps 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6
• Eph 2:13-18
• Mk 6:30-34

The Bible refers to many strange and exotic creatures, including dragons, snakes, talking donkeys, and demon-possessed swine. But the most widely discussed and depicted animal in all of Scripture is ordinary, meek, and not altogether bright. Sheep are easily the most-mentioned animals in the Old and New Testaments, with some 400 literal and metaphorical references, in addition to about a hundred references to shepherds.

Along with goats, sheep were essential to the lifestyle—both nomadic and agrarian—of the Hebrews, who relied heavily on the wool, milk, and meat of the sheep. That vital relationship between sheep and shepherd was the basis for figurative language describing a familial and spiritual relationship, sometimes between the people and their leaders, and sometimes between the people and God. The Pentateuch describes God as “the Shepherd” (Gen. 49:24), and expresses the need of the “congregation of the Lord” to have an appointed leader so they “may not be as sheep which have no shepherd” (Num. 27:16-17). There are several references to sheep who have no shepherd or master (1 Kng. 22:17; 2 Chr. 18:16), a theme developed at length by several of the prophets, especially Ezekiel and Jeremiah.

Ezekiel 34 is the longest example of a condemnation of bad shepherds—religious and civil leaders who have failed the people precisely because they have not obeyed the commandments of God. Today’s reading from Jeremiah is another example of a prophetic denunciation of those who “mislead and scatter the flock” of God’s pasture, failing to care for and protect the people.

Jeremiah speaks of a day when God will gather “a remnant” of his flock and appoint shepherds “who will “shepherd them.” This is a prelude to a prophecy about the Messiah—the righteous shoot, or offspring, of David—who will reign, govern, and bring salvation. The rule of the Messiah is a sacred kingship bringing to realization the blessings of the covenant and establishing justice and righteousness. This, of course, is a reference to Jesus Christ, who has, Paul writes in today’s reading from his letter to the Ephesians, reconciled man to God through the Cross and established peace.

This reconciliation through Christ’s flesh, death, and resurrection is concretely realized within the Church. Lumen Gentium, the Second Vatican Council’s dogmatic constitution on the Church, draws deeply from Scripture in describing this truth:

The Church is a sheepfold whose one and indispensable door is Christ. It is a flock of which God Himself foretold He would be the shepherd, and whose sheep, although ruled by human shepherds; are nevertheless continuously led and nourished by Christ Himself, the Good Shepherd and the Prince of the shepherds, who gave His life for the sheep” (par. 6).

Paul explained to readers in Ephesus that Christ came and preached peace so both Jews and Gentiles could have access through him “in one Spirit to the Father.” All men are called to the sheepfold, the household of God, and invited to enter. Some, sadly, will turn away, preferring false freedom over eternal life.

Today’s Gospel depicts the moment between the disciples returning from preaching repentance door to door and the feeding of the five thousand (Mk. 6:35-44). Having invited those who were his disciples to rest a while, Jesus soon thereafter saw the great crowd who were following him, “for they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Here, at last, was a shepherd who truly loves his people!

Each man needs a shepherd, for he is incapable of fulfilling the deepest longings of his soul and heart. As St. Augustine acknowledged in his Confessions, “our heart is restless until it rests in you.” Only the Lord, King David wrote in perhaps his most famous psalm, can lead us by restful waters and refresh our souls. “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.” The divine shepherd guides us, protects us, and feeds us with his body and blood, soul and divinity. He fills our deepest desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

(This "Opening the Word" column originally appeared in the July 19, 2009, edition of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Fellowship with Christ

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mark 6:30-34

The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true man, I believe in you. I trust in you because as a man you experienced everything I experience except sin. You have pity on me in my weakness because you became weak for love of me. I believe in you. I trust you. I thank you for your everlasting love and benevolence.

Petition: Lord, help me to know you more intimately.

1. Father, Brother, Mentor: The apostles joyfully reported to Jesus all they had done and taught. They are like children, and he is a true father and a brother toward them. He is their mentor par excellence. He listens, responds, encourages and instructs them. They feel privileged to belong to him. Because of their love for Christ they continually renew their commitment to his cause. There is no doubt that he deserves this and much more. That is why they stick with him even when doing so means serving the large crowds amidst their own hunger and exhaustion. They wouldn’t leave him for the world.

2. Empowering the Apostles: Christ is a true leader for his apostles. He attracts them and guides them. His leadership is highly positive. He conquers their hearts because he is a man possessed by a transcendent and eternal ideal, which radiates from him with extraordinary vigor. With his deep knowledge of the human person (John 15:13), he is able to draw from each apostle’s qualities the maximum benefit for what is true and good. He doesn’t use them as lifeless instruments or tools. He begins by promoting each one’s temporal and eternal good and then directs them towards fulfilling the ideal that unites them. He creates a healthy mystique of belonging to the circle of his disciples.

3. Fellowship with Him: The crowds find out where Jesus and his apostles are going. From all the towns they hasten there on foot and arrive at that place before them. Imagine their excitement, their drive to seek out Jesus, and their rush to be with him. It is true that they are a fickle crowd. They have yet to know the Lord in all the breadth of his virtue and goodness. Nevertheless, the little they know of him resounds in the depths of their hearts. They sense in the Lord and within the community of his followers bonds of loyalty and fellowship and a spirit of authentic love. This is what their human hearts long for. Those who seek out Christ are never disappointed.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, you were a father, a brother and a guide for the apostles. You were a master sculptor, molding them into your image of goodness, humility and generosity. Do the same for me, Lord. Mold me. Sculpt me into your image. Make me one of yours.

Resolution: I will see myself as your apprentice today, Lord. I will try to listen to your voice in every thought and action. I will do this for love of you.

[Salvation]

Hungry Sheep, Weary Shepherds

• Faith
• July 20th, 2012
• Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

Lots of perks come with being the boss, whether you are the boss of a church, company, or nation. You get to call the shots, for starters. Then there is good food, good drink. Travel. Parties. Expense accounts. Pomp and circumstance. Bodyguards.

Technology has changed a lot, but people haven’t. In ancient times as in modern, those in authority did whatever they could to make their importance felt. Kings lived in sumptuous palaces, had harems of beautiful women, and compelled people to fight for them and build monuments to them. Unfortunately, many religious leaders did much the same thing, such as the sons of Eli (I Samuel 2:12-17).

But when it was time for Israel to get a king worthy of the name, God wanted to teach his people about leadership of a different kind. Saul, the first king of Israel, followed the self-serving example of pagan leaders. But in the midst of his doomed reign, God sent Samuel to anoint a new king. It is extremely significant that this boy, David, was a shepherd.

Sheep are vulnerable, slow-footed, and dull-witted creatures. This makes them “easy pickins” for a variety of predators. They need protection, firm guidance, and, of course, food and drink.  That’s where a shepherd comes in. He gathers them together, so that strays aren’t picked off by wolves or poachers. If an enemy should be so brazen as to attack the entire flock, he defends the flock with his life. He knows where water and food are abundant, and he carefully leads the flock through arid, barren country to get there. And that’s why the shepherd is the Bible’s image of both king and priest. Biblical leadership is not about privilege and perks, but sacrificial service.  The sheep don’t care for the shepherd. Rather, the shepherd cares for the sheep.

Yet even David forgot this for a critical moment, when he himself became a predator and stole another man’s wife (2 Samuel 11). If he was the best of Israel’s kings, you can imagine what the worst was like. And let’s not even talk about the High Priests leading up to Annas and Caiaphas!  Jeremiah, in Sunday’s first reading, tells us all about their track record.

In Sunday’s Gospel, we see Jesus set the example of true leadership. He had just sent his twelve shepherd apprentices out on their first mission, which was a thrilling success. But they returned weary and Jesus was determined to sneak them away for a bit of rest. So the chief shepherd and his interns set out for the other side of the lake, normally a desolate and tranquil spot.

But news of their departure spread quickly. When they arrived at the opposite shore, they found not solitude but wall-to-wall people. Expecting rest and refreshment, they encountered even more work and commotion. Jesus had every right to send them away. Enough is enough.

But this was a teaching moment. He wanted his interns to see that it’s not about the shepherd’s needs. Shepherds exist to meet the sheep’s needs. These sheep were clueless about which direction to take in their lives and where to find food that would truly satisfy. They were vulnerable, confused, and famished, like sheep without a shepherd.

So the Good Shepherd gave them what they were hungry for, namely, truth . . . truth about where they had come from, and where they were going. Unlike the beasts, we human beings need more than food and drink to live; we require meaning and purpose for our lives. This is what Jesus gave them. He told them that they, simple sheep though they were, had an exalted destiny, to be God’s sons and daughters and live with him forever.

Truth is not a weapon; it is nourishment which the people around us desperately need, whether they know it or not. True shepherds never allow either fear or weariness to get in the way of feeding people with the truth.

 

Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio writes from Texas.

[Salvation]

Christ Breaks Down the Barrier of Hostility

• Homily of the Day
• July 22nd, 2012
• My Catholic

First Reading: 1 Jer 23:1-6

Psalm: 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

Second Reading: 2 Eph 2:13-18

Gospel: Mk 6:30-34

Jesus is our Peace. He alone can break down the barrier of hostility that separates us from one another. A barrier of hostility had built up between Jews and Gentiles. Many barriers of hostility separate husbands and wives, parents and children, and employer and employee. These are not physical barriers of concrete, wood, or steel, but spiritual barriers of hostility, unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, or resentment. These barriers can imprison us for life and forever in hell after this life. Only Jesus can remove these barriers.

In the suburbs of America, people buy invisible fences to keep their dogs in the yard. Barriers of hostility are like invisible fences. Whenever we come close to being free, living a new life, repenting of sin, and loving Jesus with all our hearts, the devil activates the invisible fence and keeps us trapped in the yard of sin, apathy, self-hatred, and selfishness. However, the invisible fence can’t shock the animal unless there’s a specific collar on it. Likewise, the devil can’t activate the invisible fence without our wearing an invisible collar of hostility, unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, or resentment. If we repent of these sins and thereby take off our collar, we can walk through the invisible fence and be free. The barrier of hostility is gone.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

<< Sunday, July 22, 2012 >>

16th Sunday Ordinary Time Saint of the Day

Jeremiah 23:1-6
Ephesians 2:13-18
View Readings

Psalm 23:1-6
Mark 6:30-34

THE INVISIBLE FENCE

"It is He Who is our Peace, and Who made the two of us one by breaking down the barrier of hostility that kept us apart." —Ephesians 2:14

 

Jesus is our Peace. He alone can break down the barrier of hostility that separates us from one another. A barrier of hostility had built up between Jews and Gentiles. Many barriers of hostility separate husbands and wives, parents and children, and employer and employee. These are not physical barriers of concrete, wood, or steel, but spiritual barriers of hostility, unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, or resentment. These barriers can imprison us for life and forever in hell after this life. Only Jesus can remove these barriers.

In the suburbs of America, people buy invisible fences to keep their dogs in the yard. Barriers of hostility are like invisible fences. Whenever we come close to being free, living a new life, repenting of sin, and loving Jesus with all our hearts, the devil activates the invisible fence and keeps us trapped in the yard of sin, apathy, self-hatred, and selfishness. However, the invisible fence can't shock the animal unless there's a specific collar on it. Likewise, the devil can't activate the invisible fence without our wearing an invisible collar of hostility, unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, or resentment. If we repent of these sins and thereby take off our collar, we can walk through the invisible fence and be free. The barrier of hostility is gone.

 

Prayer: Jesus, remove my barriers by removing my collar of sin.

Promise: "Jesus saw a vast crowd. He pitied them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them at great length." —Mk 6:34

Praise: Praise Jesus, obedient, forgiving, and risen Savior. Alleluia!

[Salvation]

For every mother-to-be or father-to-be approaching the doors of the abortion clinic -- here is a prayer for you.

 

 

"Mary, Mother of Jesus be a mother to be now, make me better."

                        --prayer from Mother Teresa of Calcutta.