August 13, 2012

Monday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Ez 1:2-5, 24-28c

On the fifth day of the fourth month of the fifth year,
that is, of King Jehoiachin's exile,
The word of the LORD came to the priest Ezekiel,
the son of Buzi,
in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar.--
There the hand of the LORD came upon me.

As I looked, a stormwind came from the North,
a huge cloud with flashing fire enveloped in brightness,
from the midst of which (the midst of the fire)
something gleamed like electrum.
Within it were figures resembling four living creatures
that looked like this: their form was human.

Then I heard the sound of their wings,
like the roaring of mighty waters,
like the voice of the Almighty.
When they moved, the sound of the tumult was like the din of an army.
And when they stood still, they lowered their wings.

Above the firmament over their heads
something like a throne could be seen,
looking like sapphire.
Upon it was seated, up above, one who had the appearance of a man.
Upward from what resembled his waist I saw what gleamed like electrum;
downward from what resembled his waist I saw what looked like fire;
he was surrounded with splendor.
Like the bow which appears in the clouds on a rainy day
was the splendor that surrounded him.
Such was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14

R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights;
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys,
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And he has lifted up the horn of his people.
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia.
R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel Mt 17:22-27

As Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee,
Jesus said to them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men,
and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day."
And they were overwhelmed with grief.

When they came to Capernaum,
the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said,
"Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?"
"Yes," he said.
When he came into the house, before he had time to speak,
Jesus asked him, "What is your opinion, Simon?
From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax?
From their subjects or from foreigners?"
When he said, "From foreigners," Jesus said to him,
"Then the subjects are exempt.
But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook,
and take the first fish that comes up.
Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.
Give that to them for me and for you."

From: Ezekiel 1:2-5, 24-28c

Introduction

[2] On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoia-
chin), [3] the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the
land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon
him there.

Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of the Lord

[4] As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud,
with brightness round about it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst
of the fire, as it were gleaming bronze. [5] And from the midst of it came the like-
ness of four living creatures.” And this was their appearance: they had the form
of men.

[24] And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of ma-
ny waters, like the thunder of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of
a host; when they stood still, they let down their wings. [25] And there came a
voice from above the firmament over their heads; when they stood still, they let
down their wings.

[26] And above the firmament over their heads there was the likeness of a throne,
in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a like-
ness as it were of a human form. [27] And upward from what had the appearance
of his loins I saw as it were gleaming bronze, like the appearance of fire enclosed
round about; and downward from what had the appearance of his loins I saw as it
were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about him. [28] Like
the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the ap-
pearance of the brightness round about.

Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.

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Commentary:

1:1-3. As is usual in the prophetical books, the heading identifies the author and
indicates when and where he exercised his ministry. Ezekiel was a priest, and
there is evidence of this throughout the book — for example, in the stress he puts
on precepts to do with divine worship and in his frequent use of the teaching tech-
niques used by people who held temple positions.

“The thirtieth year”: this seems to provide the key to dating Ezekiel’s ministry,
but it is not easy to decide how this should be interpreted. It could be a reference
to the prophet’s age at the start of his mission, as if he were to say, “when I was
thirty years old,” or it could be a reference to when the theophany that he is about
to describe (vv. 2-3) occurred. Since that in fact happened in 593 BC (see below),
the thirty years would refer to the period of time that had elapsed since that event.
He could mean that he had the visions thirty years after the finding of the book of
Deuteronomy in 622 BC, in the time of King Josiah (cf. 2 Kings 22:1-23:30), or
that he was thirty. From Origen onwards (”Homilae in Ezechielem”, 1, 4), most
scholars take it that the reference is to the age of Ezekiel at the time. Thirty was
an important age for a priest, because that was when he began to exercise a
priest’s duties in the temple (cf. Num 4:23, 30), and it is probable that that was
the point when Ezekiel received the word of the Lord and began his prophetical
ministry. Jesus, too, was “about thirty years of age” (Lk 3:23) when he began his
public ministry; and the Fathers point out the parallel: “When he was thirty years
old, the heavens were opened and Ezekiel the prophet saw visions of God on the
banks of the river Chebar. When he was thirty years old, our Lord travelled to the
Jordan; the heavens were opened and the Spirit descended in the form of a dove,
and a voice cried out from heaven, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased” (St Gregory the Great, “Homiliae in Ezechielem prophetam”, 1,2, 5).

Verses 2-3 are in the third person, unlike the rest of the passage, which is in the
first person singular. They specify the date of the start of Ezekiel’s ministry, “the
first year of the exile of King Jehoiachin”, that is, 593 BC, for that first deportation
took place in 597 (cf. 2 Kings 24:10-17). These two verses giving the prophet’s
name and the year when his ministry began were probably added by a later au-
thor.

The Chebar is a tributary of the Euphrates; archaeological remains have been
discovered on its banks which show that there was a Jewish settlement there
from the sixth century BC on. By mentioning the location twice, the text wants
to make it clear that the theophany or vision took place outside the land of Is-
rael, in Babylon, and that, therefore, the Lord had remained with his followers
even when they were living among the Gentiles, in a pagan and unclean land.

The fact that Ezekiel has a prophet’s role is conveyed by the use of two wor-
dings. The first, “the word of the Lord came to (him)”, occurs in many other pro-
phetical books (Hos 1:1; Joel 1:1; etc.); the second, “the hand of the Lord was
upon him” (cf. 3:22; 8:1; 33:22; 37:1; 40:1) is used more in connexion with the
early non-writer prophets, specifically those in the time of Elijah (1 Kings 18:46).
Thus, Ezekiel is being depicted as a person of great importance, a priest by de-
scent, a true defender of the faith like Elijah, and a prophet like his immediate
predecessors.

1:4-3:27. This fairly homogenous section introduces the two protagonists of the
book — God and the prophet. God reveals himself in all his majesty in a remark-
able theophany: Ezekiel is able to see the splendour of his glory (1:4-28). The
prophet is depicted as the person entrusted with the Lord’s words and charged
with passing them on to the people (2:1-3:15). Ezekiel is made a watchman; he
must warn the people and look out for them at all times, no matter what it takes:
“What did Ezekiel do to prompt my admiration? Having been ordered to accuse
Jerusalem of her sins, he set his heart wholly on obedience to the Lord’s com-
mand and paid no heed to the persecution he might encounter because of his
preaching” (Origen, “Homiliae in Ezechielem”, 6, 1).

1:4-28. This is an awesome vision. The prophet watches in amazement as he
sees the throne arrive (v. 26), on which is seated “a likeness as it were of a hu-
man form”, which becomes “the likeness of the glory of the Lord” (v. 28). The
“glory of the Lord” is something that cannot be described. What can one say?
It is like “gleaming bronze” (v. 4), “like burning coals of fire, like torches” (v. 13),
“like sapphire” (v. 26) etc.; human language is at a complete loss to describe
the grandeur of God’s glory. The account of the vision shows that God stands
above everything; he is ineffable. St Cyril of Jerusalem puts it this way: “Do you
want to know why it is impossible to understand the nature of God? [...] Tell me
about the cherubim [...]. In so far as it is possible, the prophet Ezekiel offered
a description of them: each one had four faces: the faces of a man, of a lion, of
an eagle, and of a bull [...]. If we cannot form a clear idea of the cherubim, even
with the help of this prophetic description; if we cannot make out the image of
the throne as the prophet has described it, how can we expect to understand
the one seated on the throne, the invisible and ineffable God? It is impossible for
us to comprehend who God is; but by seeing all his works, it is possible for us
to praise and worship him” (Catecheses ad illuminandos, 9, 3).

The various elements in the account leave us in no doubt as to the splendour of
the vision, but the details given about each are difficult to understand. Many com-
mentators think that the details were added much later, in an attempt to adapt
the vision to the traditions of divine worship — for example, to identify the throne
of the glory of the Lord with the carriage that was used for bearing the ark of the
Covenant solemn processions. Certainly, each piece of the vision must have a
meaning, though it may sometimes escape us.

Wind, cloud and fire (cf. v. 4) accompany great theophanies, such that of Sinai
(Ex 19:16-20; Ps 18:9-15, 29:3-10); here they serve to emphasize the heavenly
nature of the vision (”the heavens were opened”: v. 1).

“The likeness of four living creatures” (v. 5): the Hebrew word hayot, used for
these, indicates that they are not domestic animals or wild beasts, but mytho-
logical beings of the sort often represented in Assyrian art. In Ezekiel the num-
ber four means fullness (the idea must derive from the four cardinal points—north,
south, east, west): the four creatures have four wings each, and four faces, and
each of them has a wheel so that they can move in any four directions (vv. 15-
17). The creatures are unlike any known creature, for sometimes they are trea-
ted masculine, and sometimes as feminine; sometimes the verb is in the singu-
lar, sometimes in the plural. In some way, they symbolize all living things, hu-
mans and beasts, created to show, in what they are and what they do, the glo-
ry of God in all its splendour. Almost from the beginning, Christian exegesis (cf.
St lrenaeus, “Adversus haereses”, 3, 11, 18) interpreted the four animals (cf. v.
10) as symbolizing the four evangelists: “Because he begins his Gospel with an
account of the human genealogy [of the Lord], Matthew is symbolized by the
man; Mark is symbolized by the lion because he begins with a loud cry in the
desert: Luke is symbolized by the bull because his book begins with a sacrifice;
John is the eagle because his first focus is on the divinity of the Word [... ]: in
trying to see into the heart of the divine he is like the eagle that stares into the
sun” (St Gregory the Great, “Homiliae in Ezechielem prophetam”, 1, 4, 1).

The “wheels” (vv. 15-21) suggest a war chariot, but they have extraordinary fea-
tures and operate as if they were alive: they are “full of eyes” (v. 18) and “the spi-
rit of the living creatures was in (them)” (v. 20). They symbolize all inanimate cre
ation — a dimension of creation which, like man, is designed to reveal the great-
ness of the glory of God. The “firmament” (v. 22), in Semitic cosmology, was a
huge, solid plate separating the upper waters from those below; rain resulted
when God opened trapdoors in this plate (cf. Gen 1:6-8). But the firmament also
acted as a divide between heaven and earth; below it, creatures lived their lives;
above it, God lived his. Therefore, the things depicted here as being above the fir-
mament (vv. 24-28) have to do with God: the voice, the sapphire throne, the fire,
etc. are all manifestations of divine majesty.

The “glory of God” forms the centre of the vision: all the other details are meant
to underscore the splendour of that glory. In Ezekiel, as in the Priestly tradition
(cf. Ex 13:22; 24:16; 40:35; Lev 9:23-24), the “glory of God” means the presence
of God, who rules over all that he has created and is active among them. When
the glory of God is present, the people are safe, and things go well; when it is
withdrawn, it is a sign that the very worst will happen. Ezekiel records that the
vision comes to him as a “likeness” (”demut” in the Hebrew, as in Genesis 1:26)
of the glory of God. So, St Cyril of Jerusalem makes the point that “The prophet
saw the likeness of the glory of God (Ezek 1:28); he did not see the Lord, but
only the likeness of his glory; he did not even see the glory itself, as it really is,
but only its likeness. And yet, though he saw only the likeness of the glory of
the Lord, the prophet was so moved that he fell to the ground. If so great a man
as the prophet falls to the ground and trembles in the presence of the likeness
of the Lord’s glory, any man who tries to see God as he really is will surely die.
And Scripture tells us so: No man shall see the face of God and live” (Cateche-
sis ad lluminandos, 9, 1).

*********************************************************************************************
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.

From: Matthew 17:22-27

Second Prophecy of the Passion; the Temple Tax

[22] As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is
to be delivered into the hands of men, [23] and they will kill Him, and He will be
raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.

[24] When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel tax went
up to Peter and said, “Does not your Teacher pay the tax?” 25] He said, “Yes.”
And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think,
Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons
or from others?” [26] And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him,
“Then the sons are free. [27] However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea
and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its
mouth you will find a shekel; take that and give to them for Me and for yourself.”

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

24-27. “Half-shekel”, or “didrachma”: a coin equal in value to the annual contribu-
tion every Jew had to make for the upkeep of the temple—a day’s wage of a labo-
rer. The shekel or stater which our Lord refers to in verse 27 was a Greek coin
worth two didrachmas.

Jesus uses things great and small to get His teaching across to His disciples.
Peter, who is to be the rock on which He will found His Church (Matthew 16:18-
19), He prepares by letting him see His dramatic Transfiguration (17:1-8); now
He gives Peter another inkling of His divinity through an apparently unimportant
miracle. We should take note of Jesus’ teaching method: after His second an-
nouncement of His passion, His disciples are downhearted (Matthew 17:22-23);
here He lifts Peter’s spirits with this friendly little miracle.

26. This shows how conscientiously our Lord fulfilled His civic duties. Although
the half-shekel tax had to do with religion, given the theocratic structure of Israel
at the time, payment of this tax also constituted a civic obligation.

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

Mass Readings

First reading	Ezekiel 1:2-5,24-28 ©

On the fifth of the month – it was the fifth year of exile for King Jehoiachin – the word of the Lord was addressed to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldaeans, on the bank of the river Chebar.

There the hand of the Lord came on me. I looked; a stormy wind blew from the north, a great cloud with light around it, a fire from which flashes of lightning darted, and in the centre a sheen like bronze at the heart of the fire. In the centre I saw what seemed four animals. I heard the noise of their wings as they moved; it sounded like rushing water, like the voice of Shaddai, a noise like a storm, like the noise of a camp; when they halted, they folded their wings, and there was a noise.

Above the vault over their heads was something that looked like a sapphire; it was shaped like a throne and high up on this throne was a being that looked like a man. I saw him shine like bronze, and close to and all around him from what seemed his loins upwards was what looked like fire; and from what seemed his loins downwards I saw what looked like fire, and a light all round like a bow in the clouds on rainy days; that is how the surrounding light appeared. It was something that looked like the glory of the Lord. I looked, and prostrated myself.

Psalm	Psalm 148:1-2,11-14 ©

Your glory fills all heaven and earth.

Alleluia!

Praise the Lord from the heavens,

praise him in the heights.

Praise him, all his angels,

praise him, all his host.

Your glory fills all heaven and earth.

Alleluia!

All earth’s kings and peoples,

earth’s princes and rulers,

young men and maidens,

old men together with children.

Your glory fills all heaven and earth.

Alleluia!

Let them praise the name of the Lord

for he alone is exalted.

The splendour of his name

reaches beyond heaven and earth.

Your glory fills all heaven and earth.

Alleluia!

He exalts the strength of his people.

He is the praise of all his saints,

of the sons of Israel,

of the people to whom he comes close.

Your glory fills all heaven and earth.

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation	Ps147:12,15

Alleluia, alleluia!

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

He sends out his word to the earth.

Alleluia!

Or	cf.2Th2:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Through the Good News God called us

to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Alleluia!

Gospel	Matthew 17:22-27 ©

One day when they were together in Galilee, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men; they will put him to death, and on the third day he will be raised to life again.’ And a great sadness came over them.

When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel came to Peter and said, ‘Does your master not pay the half-shekel?’ ‘Oh yes’ he replied, and went into the house. But before he could speak, Jesus said, ‘Simon, what is your opinion? From whom do the kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from foreigners?’ And when he replied, ‘From foreigners’, Jesus said, ‘Well then, the sons are exempt. However, so as not to offend these people, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that bites, open its mouth and there you will find a shekel; take it and give it to them for me and for you.’

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.

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)
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)
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.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

Pray the Rosary

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 Joyful Mysteries
(Mondays and Saturdays)
1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]

August Devotion -- The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.

This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.

On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.

INVOCATIONS

O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.

Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."

Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.

Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII

IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Sacred Heart Of Jesus

Sacred Heart Of Jesus image

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculate Heart of Mary image

Blessed be the Most Loving Heart and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother, in eternity and forever. Amen.

....Only the Heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way ----From the Catechism. P:1439

From the depth of my nothingness, I prostrate myself before Thee, O Most Sacred, Divine and Adorable Heart of Jesus, to pay Thee all the homage of love, praise and adoration in my power.
Amen. - - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and his Heart which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins. Christian prayer loves to follow the way of the cross in the Savior's steps.-- >From the Catechism. P: 2669

The Salutation to the Heart of Jesus and Mary

An Offering of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Novena Prayer to Sacred Heart of Jesus

Prayer to the Wounded Heart of Jesus

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

Meditation & Novena Prayer on the Sacred Heart

Beads to the Sacred Heart

Novena Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Daily Offering to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Exaltation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

The Holy Heart of Mary Is, After the Heart of Jesus, the Most Exalted Throne of Divine Love
Let us recollect that God has given us the feast of the most pure Heart of the Blessed Virgin so that we may render on that day all the respect, honor and praise that we possibly can. To enkindle this spirit within us let us consider our motivating obligations.

The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.

This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?

How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?

— St. John Eudes

Today: Immaculate Heart of Mary [DEVOTIONAL]

The Immaculate Heart of Mary [Devotional] Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Saturdays and the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Brown Scapular (Catholic Caucus)
The History of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Homilies preached by Father Robert Altier on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Marian Associations Unite to Celebrate Immaculate Heart
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, AUGUST 22ND
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Aug 13, Office of Readings for Monday of the 19th week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 615
Proper of Seasons: 92
Psalter: Monday, Week III, 962

Christian Prayer:
Does not contain Office of Readings

Office of Readings for Monday in Ordinary Time

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

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

HYMN

Praise my soul the King of heaven,
To His feet thy tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Who like Thee His praise should sing?
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Praise the everlasting King.

Praise Him for His grace and favour
To our fathers in distress;
Praise Him still the same for ever,
Slow to chide and swift to bless:
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Glorious in His faithfulness.

Father like He tends and spares us,
Well our feeble frame He knows;
In His hands He gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes:
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Widely as His mercy flows.

Angels help us to adore Him;
Ye behold Him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before Him,
Dwellers all in time and space.
Praise Him! praise Him!
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Praise with us the God of grace.

Lyrics: Henry F. Lyte, 1834; Composer: John Goss, 1869; Meter: 8.7.8.7.8.7.; Tune: LAUDA ANIMA
“Praise, My Soul,The King Of Heaven” performed by Halifax Choral Society is available from Amazon.com.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Our God will be made manifest; he will not come in silence.

Psalm 50
Genuine love of God
I have come not to abolish the law but to bring it to perfection (see Matthew 5:17).

The God of gods, the Lord,
has spoken and summoned the earth,
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion’s perfect beauty he shines.

Our God comes, he keeps silence no longer.
Before him fire devours,
around him tempest rages.
He calls on the heavens and the earth
to witness his judgment of his people.

“Summon before me my people
who made covenant with me by sacrifice.”
The heavens proclaim his justice,
for God himself is the judge.

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. Our God will be made manifest; he will not come in silence.

Ant. 2 Offer to God the sacrifice of praise.

“Listen, my people, I will speak;
Israel, I will testify against you,
for I am God your God.
I accuse you, lay the charge before you.

I find no fault with your sacrifices,
your offerings are always before me.
I do not ask more bullocks from your farms,
nor goats from among your herds.

For I own all the beasts of the forest,
beasts in their thousands on my hills.
I know all the birds in the sky,
all that moves in the field belongs to me.

Were I hungry, I would not tell you,
for I own the world and all it holds.
Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls,
or drink the blood of goats?

Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God
and render him your votive offerings.
Call on me in the day of distress.
I will free you and you shall honor 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.

Ant. Offer to God the sacrifice of praise.

Ant. 3 I want a loving heart more than sacrifice, knowledge of my ways more than holocausts.

III

But God says to the wicked:

“But how can you recite my commandments
and take my covenant on your lips,
you who despise my law
and throw my words to the winds,

you who see a thief and go with him;
who throw in your lot with adulterers,
who unbridle your mouth for evil
and whose tongue is plotting crime,

you who sit and malign your brother
and slander your own mother’s son.
You do this, and should I keep silence?
Do you think that I am like you?

Mark this, you who never think of God,
lest I seize you and you cannot escape;
a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me
and I will show God’s salvation to the upright.”

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, accept us as a sacrifice of praise, so that we may go through life unburdened by sin, walking in the way of salvation, and always giving thanks to you.

Ant. I want a loving heart more than sacrifice, knowledge of my ways more than holocausts.

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.

Listen, my people, and I will speak.
– I am the Lord, your God.

READINGS

First reading
From the book of the prophet Hosea
14:2-10
The call to repentance and the promise of healing

Thus says the Lord:
Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God;
you have collapsed through your guilt.
Take with you words,
and return to the Lord;
Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity,
and receive what is good, that we may render
as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.
Assyria will not save us,
nor shall we have horses to mount;
We shall say no more, ‘Our god,’
to the work of our hands;
for in you the orphan finds compassion.”

I will heal their defection,
I will love them freely;
for my wrath is turned away from them.
I will be like the dew for Israel:
he shall blossom like the lily;
He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar,
and put forth his shoots.
His splendor shall be like the olive tree
and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.
Again they shall dwell in his shade
and raise grain;
They shall blossom like the vine,
and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols?
I have humbled him, but I will prosper him.
“I am like a verdant cypress tree”—
Because of me you bear fruit!

Let him who is wise understand these things;
let him who is prudent know them.
Straight are the paths of the Lord,
in them the just walk,
but sinners stumble in them.

RESPONSORY Hosea 14:5; Joel 3:21

I will heal their unfaithfulness, I will love them with all my heart,
– for my anger is turned away from them.

I will avenge their blood; the guilty will not go unpunished, and the Lord will dwell in Zion.
– For my anger is turned away from them.

Second reading
From a treatise On the Incarnation of the Lord by Theodoret of Cyr, bishop
I will heal their wounds

Of his own free will Jesus ran to meet those sufferings that were foretold in the Scriptures concerning him. He had forewarned his disciples about them several times; he had rebuked Peter for being reluctant to accept the announcement of his passion, and he had made it clear that it was by means of his suffering that the world’s salvation was to be accomplished. This was why he stepped forward and presented himself to those who came in search of him, saying: I am the one you are looking for. For the same reason he made no reply when he was accused, and refused to hide when he could have done so; although in the past he had slipped away on more than one occasion when they had tried to apprehend him.

Jesus also wept over Jerusalem because by her unwillingness to believe she was bent on her own ruin, and upon the temple, once so renowned, he passed sentence of utter destruction. Patiently he put up with being struck in the face by a man who was doubly a slave, in body and in spirit. He allowed himself to be slapped, spat upon, insulted, tortured, scourged and finally crucified. He accepted two robbers as his companions in punishment, on his right and on his left. He endured being reckoned with murderers and criminals. He drank the vinegar and the bitter gall yielded by the unfaithful vineyard of Israel. He submitted to crowning with thorns instead of with vine twigs and grapes; he was ridiculed with the purple cloak, holes were dug in his hands and his feet, and at last he was carried to the grave.

All this he endured in working out our salvation. For since those who were enslaved to sin were liable to the penalties of sin, he himself, exempt from sin though he was and walking in the path of perfect righteousness, underwent the punishment of sinners. By his cross he blotted out the decree of the ancient curse: for, as Paul says: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us; for it is written: “Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree.” And by his crown of thorns he put an end to that punishment meted out to Adam, who after his sin had heard the sentence: Cursed is the ground because of you; thorns and thistles shall it bring forth for you.

In tasting the gall Jesus took on himself the bitterness and toil of man’s mortal, painful life. By drinking the vinegar he made his own the degradation men had suffered, and in the same act gave us the grace to better our condition. By the purple robe he signified his kingship, by the reed he hinted at the weakness and rottenness of the devil’s power. By taking the slap in the face, and thus suffering the violence, corrections and blows that were due to us, he proclaimed our freedom.

His side was pierced as Adam’s was; yet there came forth not a woman who, being beguiled, was to be the death-bearer, but a fountain of life that regenerates the world by its two streams: the one to renew us in the baptismal font and clothe us with the garment of immortality, the other to feed us, the reborn, at the table of God, just as babes are nourished with milk.

RESPONSORY Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24

He was pierced through for our offenses, he was crushed for our sins; upon him lies the chastisement that gives us peace;
– by his wounds we are healed.

Christ took our sins upon his body, and was nailed to the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for holiness.
– By his wounds we are healed.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Almighty ever-living God,
whom, taught by the Holy Spirit,
we dare to call our Father,
bring, we pray, to perfection in our hearts
the spirit of adoption as your sons and daughters,
that we may merit to enter into the inheritance
which you have promised.
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.

Aug 13, Morning Prayer for Monday of the 19th week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:
Ordinary: 654
All from the Psalter: Monday, Week III, 1001

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 689
All from the Psalter: Monday, Week III, 867

Morning Prayer for Monday in Ordinary Time

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

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

HYMN

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,
Who 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!

“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty ” performed by Norwich Cathedral Choir; Melody: Nicaea 11.12.12.10; Music: John B. Dykes, 1823-1876; Text: Reginald Heber, 1783-1826

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

Psalm 84
Longing for God’s temple
Here we do not have a lasting city; we seek a home that is yet to come (Hebrews 13:14).

How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord, God of hosts.

My soul is longing and yearning,
is yearning for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and my soul ring out their joy
to God, the living God.

The sparrow herself finds a home
and the swallow a nest for her brood;
she lays her young by your altars,
Lord of hosts, my king and my God.

They are happy, who dwell in your house,
for ever singing your praise.
They are happy, whose strength is in you,
in whose hearts are the roads to Zion.

As they go through the Bitter Valley
they make it a place of springs,
the autumn rain covers it with blessings.
They walk with ever growing strength,
they will see the God of gods in Zion.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer,
give ear, O God of Jacob.
Turn your eyes, O God, our shield,
look on the face of your anointed.

One day within your courts
is better than a thousand elsewhere.
The threshold of the house of God
I prefer to the dwellings of the wicked.

For the Lord God is a rampart, a shield;
he will give us his favor and glory.
The Lord will not refuse any good
to those who walk without blame.

Lord, God of hosts,
happy the man who trusts in you!

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

Bless your people, Lord. You have given us the law that we may walk from strength to strength and raise our minds to you from this valley of tears. May we receive the gifts you have gained for us.

Ant. Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

Ant. 2 Come, let us climb the mountain of the Lord.

Canticle — Isaiah 2:2-5
The mountain of the Lord’s dwelling towers above every mountain
All peoples shall come and worship in your presence (Revelation 15:4).

In days to come,
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.

All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”

For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.

O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!

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 climb the mountain of the Lord.

Ant. 3 Sing to the Lord and bless his name.

Psalm 96
The Lord, king and judge of the world
A new theme now inspires their praise of God; they belong to the Lamb (see Revelation 14:3).

O sing a new song to the Lord,
sing to the Lord all the earth.
O sing to the Lord, bless his name.

Proclaim his help day by day,
tell among the nations his glory
and his wonders among all the peoples.

The Lord is great and worthy of praise,
to be feared above all gods;
the gods of the heathens are naught.

It was the Lord who made the heavens,
his are majesty and state and power
and splendor in his holy place.

Give the Lord, you families of peoples,
give the Lord glory and power;
give the Lord the glory of his name.

Bring an offering and enter his courts,
worship the Lord in his temple.
O earth, tremble before him.

Proclaim to the nations: “God is king.”
The world he made firm in its place;
he will judge the people in fairness.

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad,
let the sea and all within it thunder praise,
let the land and all it bears rejoice,
all the trees of the wood shout for joy

at the presence of the Lord for he comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
With justice he will rule the world,
he will judge the peoples with his truth.

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, you have renewed the face of the earth. Your Church throughout the world sings you a new song, announcing your wonders to all. Through a virgin, you have brought forth a new birth in our world; through your miracles, a new power; through your suffering, a new patience; in your resurrection, a new hope, and in your ascension, new majesty.

Ant. Sing to the Lord and bless his name.

READING James 2:12-13

Always speak and act as men destined for judgment under the law of freedom. Merciless is the judgment on the man who has not shown mercy; but mercy triumphs over judgment.

RESPONSORY

Blessed be the Lord our God, blessed from age to age.
– Blessed be the Lord our God, blessed from age to age.

His marvelous works are beyond compare,
– blessed from age to age.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– Blessed be the Lord our God, blessed from age to age.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. Blessed be the Lord our God.

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. Blessed be the Lord our God.

INTERCESSIONS

Man was created to glorify God through his deeds. Let us earnestly pray:
– May we give glory to your name, Lord.

We bless you, Creator of all things,
for you have given us the goods of the earth and brought us to this day.
– May we give glory to your name, Lord.

Look with favor on us as we begin our daily work,
let us be fellow workers with you.
– May we give glory to your name, Lord.

Make our work today benefit our brothers and sisters,
that with them and for them we may build an earthly city, pleasing to you.
– May we give glory to your name, Lord.

Grant joy and peace to us,
and to all we meet this day.
– May we give glory to your name, Lord.

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Concluding Prayer

Lord God,
king of heaven and earth,
direct our minds and bodies throughout this day,
and make us holy.
Keep us faithful to your law in thought, word and deed.
Be our helper now and always,
free us from sin,
and bring us to salvation in that kingdom
where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

DISMISSAL

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

Aug 13, Midday Prayer for Monday of the 19th week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:
Ordinary: 659
All from the Psalter: Monday, Week III, 1007 (Midday)

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 623
All from the Psalter: Monday, Week III, 971 (Midday)

Midday Prayer for Monday 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

Help us, O Lord, to learn
the truths thy word imparts:
to study that thy laws may be
inscribed upon our hearts.

Help us, O Lord, to live
the faith which we proclaim,
that all our thoughts and words and deeds
may glorify thy name.

Help us, O Lord, to teach
the beauty of thy ways,
that yearning souls may find the Christ,
and sing aloud his praise.

Words: William Watkins Reid, Jr. © 1959; Music: Sandys, Dominica, St. Ethelwald, St. Michael, Day of Praise, Falcon Street; Meter: SM
“Help us, O Lord, to learn” performed by Choir of the Abbey School Tewkesbury is available from Amazon.com.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Lord, I have sought to do your will, through which you give me life.

Psalm 119
XII (Lamed)
A meditation on God’s law I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you ( John 13:34).

Your word, O Lord, for ever
stands firm in the heavens:
your truth lasts from age to age,
like the earth you created.

By your decree it endures to this day;
for all things serve you.
Had your law not been my delight
I would have died in my affliction.

I will never forget your precepts
for with them you give me life.
Save me, for I am yours
since I seek your precepts.

Though the wicked lie in wait to destroy me
yet I ponder on your will.
I have seen that all perfection has an end
but your command is boundless.

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, your Word, which stands firm for ever in heaven, dwells in your Church; may his presence bring lasting light to your temple.

Ant. Lord, I have sought to do your will, through which you give me life.

Ant. 2 I have trusted in you, O Lord, from my youth.

Psalm 71
You have stood by me, Lord, from my youth
Let hope be your joy; be patient in trials (Romans 12:12).

In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, free me:
pay heed to me and save me.

Be a rock where I can take refuge,
a mighty stronghold to save me;
for you are my rock, my stronghold.
Free me from the hand of the wicked,
from the grip of the unjust, of the oppressor.

It is you, O Lord, who are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, since my youth.
On you I have leaned from my birth,
from my mother’s womb you have been my help.
My hope has always been in you.

My fate has filled many with awe
but you are my strong refuge.
My lips are filled with your praise,
with your glory all the day long.
Do not reject me now that I am old;
when my strength fails do not forsake me.

For my enemies are speaking about me;
those who watch me take counsel together.
They say: “God has forsaken him; follow him,
seize him; there is no one to save him.”
O God, do not stay far off:
my God, make haste to help me!

Let them be put to shame and destroyed,
all those who seek my life.
Let them be covered with shame and confusion,
all those who seek to harm 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.

Ant. I have trusted in you, O Lord, from my youth.

Ant. 3 Do not abandon me, my God, when I am old.

But as for me, I will always hope
and praise you more and more.
My lips will tell of your justice
and day by day of your help
though I can never tell it all.

I will declare the Lord’s mighty deeds,
proclaiming your justice, yours alone.
O God, you have taught me from my youth
and I proclaim your wonders still.

Now that I am old and grey-headed,
do not forsake me, God.
Let me tell of your power to all ages,
praise your strength and justice to the skies,
tell of you who have worked such wonders.
O God, who is like you?

You have burdened me with bitter troubles
but you will give me back my life.
You will raise me from the depths of the earth;
you will exalt me and console me again.

So I will give you thanks on the lyre
for your faithful love, my God.
To you will I sing with the harp,
to you, the Holy One of Israel.
When I sing to you my lips shall rejoice
and my soul, which you have redeemed.

And all the day long my tongue
shall tell the tale of your justice:
for they are put to shame and disgraced,
all those who seek to harm 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.

Psalm-prayer

Lord, God of the living, you give us lasting youth through the waters of rebirth, and happiness through the bread of life. Do not desert us when we are old but help us to follow your will in both good times and bad, so that we may for ever praise your faithfulness.

Ant. Do not abandon me, my God, when I am old.

READING Romans 6:22

Now that you are freed from sin and have become slaves of God, your benefit is sanctification as you tend toward eternal life.

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.

O God, turn back, and bring us to life.
– Then your people will rejoice in you.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Father,
yours is the harvest
and yours is the vineyard:
you assign the task
and pay a wage that is just.
Help us to meet this day’s responsibilities,
and let nothing separate us from your love.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

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

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