Aug 27, Evening Prayer – Memorial for Monica

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 632
Psalter: Monday, Week I, 680
Proper of Saints: 1355 (canticle antiphon, concluding prayer)
Common of Holy Women: 1867 (reading, responsory, intercessions)

Christian Prayer (single volume)
Ordinary: 694
Psalter: Monday, Week I, 723
Proper of Saints: tbd (canticle antiphon, concluding prayer)
Common of Holy Women: tbd (reading, responsory, intercessions)

Evening Prayer for Monday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of Saint Monica

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

Amen! Truly I say to you:
Gather in my name, I am with you.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

Blessed are the gentle,
they shall inherit the land.

Amen! Truly I say to you:
Gather in my name, I am with you.

Blessed are they who mourn,
they shall be consoled.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice,
the justice of God shall be theirs.

Amen! Truly I say to you:
Gather in my name, I am with you.

Blessed are the merciful,
mercy shall be shown to them.

Blessed are the pure of heart,
they shall see God.

Amen! Truly I say to you:
Gather in my name, I am with you.

Blessed are those who bring peace,
they shall be children of God.

Blessed are those who suffer in the cause of Christ,
the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

Amen! Truly I say to you:
Gather in my name, I am with you.
Gather in my name, I am with you.

The Beatitudes performed by Noirin Ni Riain; Text: adapted from Matthew 5:3-11.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 The Lord looks tenderly on those who are poor.

Psalm 11
God is the unfailing support of the just
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice; they shall be satisfied (Matthew 5:6).

In the Lord I have taken my refuge.
How can you say to my soul:
“Fly like a bird to its mountain.

See the wicked bracing their bow;
they are fixing their arrows on the string
to shoot upright men in the dark.
Foundations once destroyed, what can the just do?”

The Lord is in his holy temple,
the Lord, whose throne is in heaven.
His eyes look down on the world;
his gaze tests mortal men.

The Lord tests the just and the wicked;
the lover of violence he hates.
He sends fire and brimstone on the wicked;
he sends a scorching wind as their lot.

The Lord is just and loves justice;
the upright shall see his face.

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 search the hearts of all, both the good and the wicked. May those who are in danger for love of you, find security in you now, and, in the day of judgment, may they rejoice in seeing you face to face.

Ant. The Lord looks tenderly on those who are poor.

Ant. 2 Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.

Psalm 15
Who is worthy to stand in God’s presence?
You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (Hebrews 12:22).

Lord, who shall be admitted to your tent
and dwell on your holy mountain?

He who walks without fault;
he who acts with justice
and speaks the truth from his heart;
he who does not slander with his tongue;

He who does no wrong to his brother,
who casts no slur on his neighbor,
who holds the godless in disdain,
but honors those who fear the Lord;

he who keeps his pledge, come what may;
who takes no interest on a loan
and accepts no bribes against the innocent.
Such a man will stand firm forever.

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

Make our lives blameless, Lord. Help us to do what is right and to speak what is true, that we may dwell in your tent and find rest on your holy mountain.

Ant. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.

Ant. 3 God chose us in his Son to be his adopted children.

Canticle — Ephesians 1:3-10
God our Savior

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ant. God chose us in his Son to be his adopted children.

READING Romans 8:28-30

We know that God makes all things work together for the good of those who have been called according to His decree. Those whom He foreknew, He predestined to share the image of His Son,
that the Son might be the firstborn of many brothers. Those He predestined, He likewise called; those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He in turn glorified.

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

The Lord has chosen her,
his loved one from the beginning.
– The Lord has chosen her, his loved one from the beginning.

He has taken her to live with him,
– his loved one from the beginning.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– The Lord has chosen her,
his loved one from the beginning.

CANTICLE OF MARY

Ant. While in this world, Monica lived in Christ; the goodness of her life was so evident that the name of the Lord was praised in her faith and in her works.

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. While in this world, Monica lived in Christ; the goodness of her life was so evident that the name of the Lord was praised in her faith and in her works.

INTERCESSIONS

Through the intercession of holy women, let us pray for the Church in these words:
– Be mindful of your Church, Lord.

Through all the holy women martyrs who conquered bodily death by their courage,
strengthen your Church in the hour of trial.
– Be mindful of your Church, Lord.

Through married women who have advanced in grace through holy matrimony,
make the apostolic mission of your Church fruitful.
– Be mindful of your Church, Lord.

Through widows who ease their loneliness and sanctified it by prayer and hospitality,
help your Church reveal the mystery of your love to the world.
– Be mindful of your Church, Lord.

Through mothers who have borne children for the kingdom of God and the human community,
help your Church bring all men to a rebirth in life and salvation.
– Be mindful of your Church, Lord.

Through all your holy women who have been worthy to contemplate the light of your countenance,
let the deceased members of your Church exult in that same vision forever.
– Be mindful of your Church, 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

O God,
who console the sorrowful
and who mercifully accepted
the motherly tears of Saint Monica
for the conversion of her son Augustine,
grant us, through the intercession of them both,
that we may bitterly regret our sins and find the grace of your pardon.
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.

Aug 27, Night Prayer for Monday of the 21st week of Ordinary Time

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

Christian Prayer:
Page 1041

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

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

Night Prayer for Monday

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

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

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

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

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

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

HYMN

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

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

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

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

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

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

PSALMODY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

READING 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

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

RESPONSORY

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

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

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

CANTICLE OF SIMEON

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Concluding Prayer

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

BLESSING

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

Antiphon or song in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Saint Monica

Saint Monica
Memorial
August 27th

Saint Monica
Andrea del Verrocchio
S. Spirito, Florence

"The child of those tears shall never perish."
Monica, a saint especially revered by mothers because of her tireless prayers for the conversion of her wayward son, Augustine, was born of Christian parents in Tagaste, North Africa in 333, and died in Ostia, near Rome, in 387. She was married young to a government official, Patricius, who was not a Christian, and had a bad temper, though she bore her burdens patiently, and their life together was relatively peaceful. Three children were born to, Augustine, Navigius, and a daughter, Perpetua.
Augustine, the eldest son, though brilliant, was, according to his own account, a lazy and dissolute youth whose bad behavior caused his mother much grief especially so after he went away to school at Madaura and to Carthage. Although Patricius became a Christian not long before he died, Augustine persisted in his pursuit of pleasure, and, as a nineteen-year-old student, joined the heretical Manichaean sect. When he began to spout heresies, Monica became alarmed, and intensified her efforts to bring him to Christ. In the Confessions, Augustine recounts Monica's dream which consoled and encouraged her:

"In her dream she saw herself standing on a sort of wooden rule, and saw a bright youth approaching her, joyous and smiling at her, while she was grieving and bowed down with sorrow. But when he inquired of her the cause of her sorrow and daily weeping (not to learn from her, but to teach her, as is customary in visions), and when she answered that it was my soul's doom she was lamenting, he bade her rest content and told her to look and see that where she was there I was also. And when she looked she saw me standing near her on the same rule." (Confessions, Book III, 9.14).

During this anguished period of prayer for her son, Monica consulted a bishop who had himself been a Manichaean before he became a Christian. He declined to intervene with Augustine, whom, the bishop correctly observed, was not open to hearing the truth. She persisted tearfully, but he refused to intervene. Nevertheless, the bishop consoled Monica that "the child of those tears shall never perish", which she took as a sign from God. Though he continued in his heresies for nine years, Monica followed Augustine to Rome and then to Milan.in an effort to rescue her son from his errors. In Milan she met Ambrose, who helped lead Augustine into the true faith.
A few months after his conversion, Augustine, Monica and Adeodatus, set out to return to Africa, but Monica died at Ostia, the ancient port city of Rome, and she was buried there. Augustine was so deeply moved by his mother's death that he was inspired to write his Confessions, "So be fulfilled what my mother desired of me--more richly in the prayers of so many gained for her through these confessions of mine than by my prayers alone" (Book IX.13.37)
An account of Monica's early life, her childhood, marriage, her final days and her death, is given in Confessions Book IX, 8-12. He expresses his gratitude for her life:

"I will not speak of her gifts, but of thy gift in her; for she neither made herself nor trained herself. Thou didst create her, and neither her father nor her mother knew what kind of being was to come forth from them. And it was the rod of thy Christ, the discipline of thy only Son, that trained her in thy fear, in the house of one of thy faithful ones who was a sound member of thy Church" (IX.8.7).

Centuries later, Monica's body was reburied in Rome, and eventually her relics were interred in a chapel left of the high altar of the Church of St. Augustine in Rome.
Collect:
O God, who console the sorrowful
and who mercifully accepted
the motherly tears of Saint Monica
for the conversion of her son Augustine,
grant us, through the intercession of them both,
that we may bitterly regret our sins
and find the grace of your pardon.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
First Reading: Ecclesiasticus 26:1-4,13-16
Happy is the husband of a good wife;
the number of his days will be doubled.
A loyal wife rejoices her husband,
and he will complete his years in peace.
A good wife is a great blessing;
she will be granted among the blessings of the man who fears the Lord.
Whether rich or poor, his heart is glad,
and at all times his face is cheerful.
A wife's charm delights her husband,
and her skill puts fat on his bones.
A silent wife is a gift of the Lord,
and there is nothing so precious as a disciplined soul.
A modest wife adds charm to charm,
and no balance can weigh the value of a chaste soul.
Like the sun rising in the heights of the Lord,
so is the beauty of a good wife in her well-ordered home.
Gospel Reading: Luke 7:11-17
Soon afterward [Jesus] went to a city called Nain, and His disciples and a great crowd went with Him. As He drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." And He came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And He gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God has visited His people!" And this report concerning Him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

Saint Monica
Benozzo Gozzoli (fresco - 1464-65)
Apsidal chapel, Sant'Agostino, San Gimignano

Prayer for Families - Pope John Paul II

St. Monica: Patron Saint of Married Women and Model for Christian Mothers [Cath/Orthodox Caucus]

The Tears of St. Monica: A Wellspring of Hope
First among North African Christians [St. Monica]
British prayer effort invokes St. Monica on behalf of inactive Catholics
Pope Benedict points to St. Monica as example of 'holy parent'
St. Monica — Offering Hope for Mothers
Pope: St Monica and St Augustine for youth who go down “wrong roads” and “dead ends”
Saint Monica, Widow 332-387[mother of Saint Augustine]
Saint of the Day: St.Monica
Saint Monica
St. Monica

Information: St. Monica

Feast Day:	August 27
Born:	322 at Tagaste (Souk Ahrus), Algeria
Died:	387 at Ostia, Italy
Major Shrine:	Sant'Agostino, Rome
Patron of:	patience, married women, homemakers and housewives, mothers, wives, widows, alcoholics, difficult marriages, disappointing children, victims of adultery or unfaithfulness, and victims of (verbal) abuse

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Monica

Feast Day: August 27
Born: 332 :: Died: 387

St. Monica was born in Tagaste, northern Africa and she was the mother of St. Augustine. She was brought up as a good Christian. Her strong training was a great help to her when she married Patricius the pagan (a person who does not believe in God).

Patricius admired his wife, but he made her suffer because of his bad temper. Still Monica never answered back and never complained about him to anyone. Instead she prayed for him fervently.

God heard her prayer and Patricius finally agreed to become a Christian in 371. He was baptized on his deathbed in 372. His mother, too, became a Christian.

St. Monica's joy over the holy way in which her husband had died soon changed to great sorrow. She found out that her 19 year old son Augustine was living a bad, selfish life. This clever young man had turned to a false religion and had formed wicked habits.

Monica prayed and cried and did much penance for her son. She begged priests to talk to him. Augustine was brilliant but very stubborn. He did not want to give up his sinful life. But Monica would not give up either.

When he went to Rome without her, she followed him. At Rome, she found he had become a teacher in Milan. So Monica went to Milan. And in all those years, she never stopped praying for him.

What love and faith! After years of prayers and tears, her reward came when Augustine was converted. He not only became a good Christian, as she had prayed. Augustine also became a priest, a bishop, a great writer and a very famous saint.

St. Monica died in Ostia, outside Rome, in 387 with her son Augustine at her bedside.

Catholic

Almanac:

Monday, August 27
Liturgical Color: White
Today is the Memorial of St. Monica, patron saint of mothers. For years, St. Monica prayed for the conversion of her ill-tempered husband and undisciplined son, St. Augustine. She lived long enough to see both convert, dying in 387 A.D.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: August 27, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, who console the sorrowful and who mercifully accepted the motherly tears of Saint Monica for the conversion of her son Augustine, grant us, through the intercession of them both, that we may bitterly regret our sins and find the grace of your pardon. 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.

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

The Immaculate Heart

Ordinary Time: August 27th

Memorial of St. Monica

Old Calendar: St. Joseph Calasanctius (Calasanz), confessor; Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Hist)

St. Monica (333-387) was born in Tagaste, northern Africa and died in Ostia, near Rome. Monica was a Christian, but her husband Patricius was a pagan and a man of loose morals. Monica's virtues and prayers, however, converted him, and he was baptized a year before his death. When her son, Augustine, joined the Manichean sect and went astray in faith and morals, Monica's tears and prayers for her son were incessant. She followed him to Milan, where Augustine went to teach, and there continued to storm heaven with her prayers for her son. Finally, she had the joy of witnessing St. Ambrose baptize Augustine in 387. She died in Ostia, as she and her son gazed at the sea and discoursed about the joys of the blessed.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Joseph Calasanz which is celebrated on August 26 in the Ordinary Form. St. Monica's feast is on May 4.

Historically today is the feast of the Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

St. Monica
St. Monica is an example of those holy matrons of the ancient Church who proved very influential in their own quiet way. Through prayer and tears she gave the great Augustine to the Church of God, and thereby earned for herself a place of honor in the history of God's kingdom on earth.

The Confessions of St. Augustine provide certain biographical details. Born of Christian parents about the year 331 at Tagaste in Africa, Monica was reared under the strict supervision of an elderly nurse who had likewise reared her father. In the course of time she was given in marriage to a pagan named Patricius. Besides other faults, he possessed a very irascible nature; it was in this school of suffering that Monica learned patience. It was her custom to wait until his anger had cooled; only then did she give a kindly remonstrance. Evil-minded servants had prejudiced her mother-in-law against her, but Monica mastered the situation by kindness and sympathy.

Her marriage was blessed with three children: Navigius, Perpetua, who later became a nun, and Augustine, her problem child. According to the custom of the day, baptism was not administered to infants soon after birth. It was as an adolescent that Augustine became a catechumen, but possibly through a premonition of his future sinful life, Monica postponed his baptism even when her son desired it during a severe illness.

When Augustine was nineteen years old, his father Patricius died; by patience and prayer Monica had obtained the conversion of her husband.

The youthful Augustine caused his mother untold worry by indulging in every type of sin and dissipation. As a last resort after all her tears and entreaties had proved fruitless, she forbade him entrance to her home; but after a vision she received him back again. In her sorrow a certain bishop consoled her: "Don't worry, it is impossible that a son of so many tears should be lost."

When Augustine was planning his journey to Rome, Monica wished to accompany him. He outwitted her, however, and had already embarked when she arrived at the docks. Later she followed him to Milan, ever growing in her attachment to God. St. Ambrose held her in high esteem, and congratulated Augustine on having such a mother. At Milan she prepared the way for her son's conversion. Finally the moment came when her tears of sorrow changed to tears of joy. Augustine was baptized. And her lifework was completed. She died in her fifty-sixth year, as she was returning to Africa. The description of her death is one of the most beautiful passages in her son's famous "Confessions.

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

Patron: Abuse victims; alcoholics; alcoholism; difficult marriages; disappointing children; homemakers; housewives; married women; mothers; victims of adultery; victims of unfaithfulness; victims of verbal abuse; widows; wives.

Symbols: Monstrance; IHC on a tablet; veil or handkerchief; open book; girdle; staff; tears.

The Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Also known as The Franciscan Crown Rosary)
The Franciscan Crown Rosary, properly known as "The Franciscan Crown of Our Lady's Joys" dates back to approximately the year 1422. According to tradition, as related by the famous Franciscan historian Father Luke Wadding, a very pious young man who had been admitted to the Franciscan Order in that year was saddened and had decided to return to the world and quit the cloister. Before his entry into the Order, it was his custom to adorn a statue of the Blessed Virgin with a wreath of fresh and beautiful flowers. Now, he was unable to continue his act of piety and devotion to the Blessed Virgin.

Our Lady appeared to him and prevented him from taking such a step as he had planned. "Do not be sad and cast down, my son," she said, "because you are no longer permitted to place wreaths of flowers on my statue. I shall teach you to change this pious practice into one that will be far more pleasing to me and more meritorious to your soul. In place of the flowers that soon wither and cannot always be found, you can weave for me a crown from the flowers of your prayers that will always remain fresh and can always be had." When Our Lady had disappeared, the overjoyed Novice at once began to recite the prayers in honor of her Seven Joys, as she had directed. While he was deeply engrossed in this devotion, the Novice Master happened to pass by and saw an angel weaving a marvelous wreath of roses. After every tenth rose, he inserted a golden lily. When the wreath was finished, the angel placed it on the head of the praying Novice. The Novice Master demanded the Novice tell him the meaning of this vision. The joyful Novice complied. The good priest was so impressed that he immediately made it known to his brethren. Thus, the practice of reciting the Franciscan Crown of Our Lady's Joys soon spread as a favorite devotion of the Friars.

The Joys of Mary remembered in the devotion are these:

The Annunciation of the Angel to Mary
The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
The Nativity of Our Lord
The Adoration of the Magi
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
The Resurrection of Our Lord
and The Crowning of Our Lady, Mary, in Heaven as Queen

Excerpted from The Franciscan Order of the Divine Compassion

The Word Among Us

Meditation: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12

“We ourselves boast of you in the churches of God.” (2 Thessalonians 1:4)

Words can do terrible and lasting damage. A high school student threatens violence because of slanderous comments posted about him on the Internet. A politician’s reputation is ruined more because of the harsh things said about him than by anything he did. A pastor suffers public ridicule because he makes a controversial stand on a moral issue. As James pointed out, at times the tongue is indeed “a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8).

But contrast those hurtful words with the words we find in Paul’s greeting to the Thessalonians. This is a community of strong believers who are undergoing trials and persecution. Paul speaks to them about the grace and peace of Jesus. He recounts all the good things that are happening to them: how they are growing in faith and charity. He applauds their endurance in the midst of suffering. Yes, Paul can be stern at times, but here we see a gentle apostle lifting up the church and speaking words of encouragement and hope.

What is our attitude toward the church? To your fellow Christians? To those who don’t believe in Christ?

No less than anyone else, we are all subject to the temptation to pass judgment and criticize when we encounter someone we disagree with. But if we have experienced the love of Christ and the hope of the resurrection, we know that our duty is to speak words of hope and love, not condemnation and antagonism. With the right attitude of love and kindness, we can create an atmosphere where people are lifted up, an atmosphere where the truth is spoken gently, kindly, and respectfully.

Today, think about someone whom you can encourage—someone who may think differently than you or someone who is going through a trying time. When you see that person, ask the Holy Spirit to give you words of comfort and solidarity. Not only will your words help that person, they will soften your own heart as well!

“Lord, may the words of my mouth bring comfort, encouragement, and inspiration to the people around me. May the thoughts of my heart be like your thoughts, full of mercy and compassion.”

Psalm 96:1-5; Matthew 23:13-22

Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 23
13.	But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men, for you yourselves do not enter in; and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter.	Væ autem vobis scribæ et pharisæi hypocritæ, quia clauditis regnum cælorum ante homines ! vos enim non intratis, nec introëuntes sinitis intrare.	23:14 ουαι υμιν γραμματεις και φαρισαιοι υποκριται οτι κλειετε την βασιλειαν των ουρανων εμπροσθεν των ανθρωπων υμεις γαρ ουκ εισερχεσθε ουδε τους εισερχομενους αφιετε εισελθειν
14.	Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. For this you shall receive the greater judgment.	Væ vobis scribæ et pharisæi hypocritæ, quia comeditis domos viduarum, orationes longas orantes ! propter hoc amplius accipietis judicium.	23:13 ουαι δε υμιν γραμματεις και φαρισαιοι υποκριται οτι κατεσθιετε τας οικιας των χηρων και προφασει μακρα προσευχομενοι δια τουτο ληψεσθε περισσοτερον κριμα
15.	Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves.	Væ vobis scribæ et pharisæi hypocritæ, quia circuitis mare, et aridam, ut faciatis unum proselytum, et cum fuerit factus, facitis eum filium gehennæ duplo quam vos.	ουαι υμιν γραμματεις και φαρισαιοι υποκριται οτι περιαγετε την θαλασσαν και την ξηραν ποιησαι ενα προσηλυτον και οταν γενηται ποιειτε αυτον υιον γεεννης διπλοτερον υμων
16.	Woe to you blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but he that shall swear by the gold of the temple, is a debtor.	Væ vobis duces cæci, qui dicitis : Quicumque juraverit per templum, nihil est : qui autem juraverit in auro templo, debet.	ουαι υμιν οδηγοι τυφλοι οι λεγοντες ος αν ομοση εν τω ναω ουδεν εστιν ος δ αν ομοση εν τω χρυσω του ναου οφειλει
17.	Ye foolish and blind; for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?	Stulti et cæci : quid enim majus est ? aurum, an templum, quod sanctificat aurum ?	μωροι και τυφλοι τις γαρ μειζων εστιν ο χρυσος η ο ναος ο αγιαζων τον χρυσον
18.	And whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, is a debtor.	Et quicumque juraverit in altari, nihil est : quicumque autem juraverit in dono, quod est super illud, debet.	και ος εαν ομοση εν τω θυσιαστηριω ουδεν εστιν ος δ αν ομοση εν τω δωρω τω επανω αυτου οφειλει
19.	Ye blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?	Cæci : quid enim majus est, donum, an altare, quod sanctificat donum ?	μωροι και τυφλοι τι γαρ μειζον το δωρον η το θυσιαστηριον το αγιαζον το δωρον
20.	He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things that are upon it:	Qui ergo jurat in altari, jurat in eo, et in omnibus quæ super illud sunt.	ο ουν ομοσας εν τω θυσιαστηριω ομνυει εν αυτω και εν πασιν τοις επανω αυτου
21.	And whosoever shall swear by temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it:	Et quicumque juraverit in templo, jurat in illo, et in eo qui habitat in ipso :	και ο ομοσας εν τω ναω ομνυει εν αυτω και εν τω κατοικησαντι αυτον
22.	And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.	et qui jurat in cælo, jurat in throno Dei, et in eo qui sedet super eum.	και ο ομοσας εν τω ουρανω ομνυει εν τω θρονω του θεου και εν τω καθημενω επανω αυτου

13. But woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer you them that are entering to go in.

ORIGEN; Christ is truly the Son of that God Who gave the Law; after the example of the blessings pronounced in the Law, did Himself pronounce the blessings of them that are saved; and also after the cursings of the Law, He now sets forth a woe against sinners; Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. They who allow that it is compatible with goodness to utter these denunciations against sinners, should understand that the purpose of God is the same in the cursings of the Law. Both the cursing there and the woe here fall upon the sinner not from Him who denounces, but from themselves who commit the sins which are denounced, and worthily bring upon themselves the inflictions of God's discipline, appointed for the turning of men to good. So a father rebuking a son utters words of cursing, but does not desire that he should become deserving of those curses, but rather that he should turn himself from them. He adds the cause of this woe, you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor suffer them that are entering to go in. These two commandments are by nature inseparable; because not to suffer others to enter in, is of itself enough to keep the hinderer out.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. By the kingdom of heaven is meant the Scriptures, because in them the kingdom of heaven is lodged; the understanding of these is the door. Or the kingdom of heaven is the blessedness of heaven, and the door thereof Christ, by Whom men enter in. The door-keepers are the Priests, to whom is committed the word of teaching or interpreting Scripture, by which the door of truth is opened to men. The opening of this door is right interpretation. And observe that He said not, Woe unto you, for you open, but, for you shut up; the Scriptures then are not shut up, though they are obscure.

ORIGEN; The Pharisees and the Scribes then would neither enter in, nor hear Him who said, By me if any man enter in he shall be saved; nor would they suffer those to enter in, who were able to have believed through the things which had been spoken before by the Law and the Prophets concerning Christ, but shut up the door with every kind of device to deter men from entering. Also they detracted from His teaching, denied all prophecy concerning Him, and blasphemed every miracle as deceitful, or wrought by the Devil. All who in their evil conversation set an example of sinning to the people, and who commit injustice, offending the weak, seem to shut up the kingdom of heaven before men. And this sin is found among the people, and chiefly among the doctors, when they teach men whet the Gospel righteousness requires of them, but do not what they teach. But those who both teach and live well open to men the kingdom of heaven, and both enter in themselves, and invite others to enter in. Many also will not suffer those who are willing to enter into the kingdom of heaven, when they without reason excommunicate out of jealousy others who are better than themselves; thus they refuse them entrance, but these of sober spirit, overcoming by their patience this tyranny, although forbidden, yet enter in and inherit the kingdom. Also they who with much rashness have set themselves to the profession of teaching before they have learned, and following Jewish fables, detract from those who search out the higher things of Scripture; these do, as far as in them lies, shut out men from the kingdom of heaven.

14. Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore you shall receive the greater damnation.

CHRYS. Next the Lord rebukes them for their gluttony, and what was the worst, that not from the rich but from widows they took wherewith to fill their bellies, thus burdening the poverty of those whom they should have relieved.

GLOSS. Devour widow's houses, that is, your superstitions have this only aim, namely, to make a gain of the people that is put under you.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. The female sex is imprudent, as not contemplating with reason all that it sees or hears; and weak, as being easily turned either from bad to good, or from good to bad. The male sex is more prudent and hardy. And therefore pretenders to holiness practice most upon women, who are unable to see their hypocrisy, and are easily inclined to love them on the ground of religion. But widows they chiefly choose to attempt; first, because a woman who has her husband to advise her is not so readily deceived; and secondly, she has not the means of giving, being in the power of her husband. The Lord then, whilst He confounds the Jewish Priests, instructs the Christian that they should not frequent widows rather than others, for though their purpose may not be bad, it gives occasion to suspicions.

CHRYS. The manner of this plundering is grievous for they make long prayers. Every one who does evil deserves punishment; but he who takes occasion for his offense from religion, deserves more severe punishment; Therefore you shall receive the greater damnation.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. First, for that you are wicked, and then because you put on the cloak of sanctity. Your covetousness you dress up in the color of religion, and use God's arms in the Devil's service, that iniquity may be loved while it is thought to be piety.

HILARY; Or, because their observance of the kingdom of heaven proceeds hence, that they may keep up their practice of going about to widows' houses, they shall therefore receive the headier judgment, as having their own sin and the ignorance of others to answer for.

GLOSS. Or, because the servant that knew his Lord's will and did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.

15. Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites for you compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

CHRYS. This the next charge against them is, that they are unequal to the salvation of many, seeing they need so much labor to bring one to salvation; and not only are they slack in conversion, but destroy even those whom they do convert, by corrupting them by example of evil life.

HILARY; That they compass sea and land signifies that throughout the whole world they shall be enemies of Christ's Gospel, and shall bring men under the yoke of the Law against the justification of faith. There were proselytes made into the Synagogue from among the Gentiles, the small number of whom is here denoted by what is said one proselyte. For after the preaching of Christ there was no faith left in their doctrine, but whoever was gained to the faith of the Jews became a child of hell.

ORIGEN; For all who Judaize since the coming of the Savior, are taught to follow the temper of those who cried at that time, Crucify, crucify him.

HILARY; And he becomes the child of a twofold punishment, because he has not obtained remission of his Gentile sins, and because he has joined the society of those who persecuted Christ.

JEROME; Or otherwise; The Scribes and Pharisees compassed the whole world to make proselytes of the Gentiles, that is, to mix the uncircumcised stranger with the people of God.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. And that not of compassion from desire to save him whom they taught, but either from covetousness, that the greater number of worshipers might increase the number of offerings made in sacrifice, or out of vain glory. For he who sinks himself in a slough of sins, how should he be desirous to rescue another out of them? Will a man be more merciful to another than to himself? By a man's actions therefore it may be known whether he seeks another's conversion for God's sake, or out of vain glory.

GREG. But forasmuch as hypocrites though they do ever crooked things, yet cease not to speak right things, and thus by their good instructions beget sons, but are not able to bring them up by good life, but the more they give themselves up to worldly works, the more willingly do they suffer those whom they have begotten to work the same. And because their hearts are hardened, these very sons whom they have begotten they do not own by any sign of the affection due. Wherefore it is here said of the hypocrites, And when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

AUG. This He said not because proselytes were circumcised, but because they imitated the lives of those from following whom He had prohibited His disciples, saying, Do you not after their works. Two things are observable in this command; first, the honor shown to Moses' teaching, that even wicked men when sitting in his seat are compelled to teach good things; and that the proselyte is made a child of hell, not by hearing the words of the Law, but by following their doings. And twofold more than they for this reason, that he neglects to fulfill what he had undertaken of his own choice, having been not born a Jew, but of free will become a Jew.

JEROME; Or, because before while he was a Gentile he erred in ignorance and was only a child of hell; but seeing the vices of his masters, and understanding that they destroyed in their actions what they taught in words, he returns to his vomit, and becoming a Gentile, he is worthier of greater punishment as one that has deserted his cause.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. Or, because while he was a worshiper of idols, he observed righteousness even because of men; but when he became a Jew, prompted by the example of evil teachers, he became worse than his teachers.

CHRYS. For a disciple imitates a virtuous master, but goes beyond a vicious one.

JEROME; He is called a child of hell in the same way as one is said to be a child of perdition, and a child of this world; every man is called the son of him whose works he does.

ORIGEN; From this place we learn that there will be a difference of torment in hell, seeing one is here said to be singly a child of hell, another twofold. And we ought to consider here whether it is possible that a man should be generally a child of hell, as a Jew, suppose, or a Gentile, or whether specially so in consequence of some particular sins; that as righteous man is increased in glory by the abundance of his righteousness, so a sinner's punishment is increased manifold by the number of his sins.

16. Woe unto you, you blind guides, which say, Whoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17. You fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18. And, Whoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
19. You fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20. Who therefore shall swear by the altar, swears by it, and by all things thereon.
21. And whoever shall swear by the temple, swears by it, and by him that dwells therein.
22. And he that shall swear by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him that sits thereon.

JEROME; As by making broad phylacteries and fringes they sought after the reputation of sanctity, and made this again a means of gain, so now He charges them with being teachers of wickedness by their fraudulent presence of tradition. For when in any dispute or quarrel, or ambiguous cause, one swore by the temple, and was afterwards convicted of falsehood, he was not held guilty. This is what is meant by that, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing, that is, he owes nothing, But if he had sworn by the gold, or by the money which was offered to the Priests in the temple, he was immediately compelled to pay down that by which he had sworn.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. The temple pertains to God's glory, and to man's spiritual salvation, but the gold of the temple though it pertains to the glory of God, yet does it more so to the delight of man, and the profit of the Priests. The Jews then pronounced the gold which delighted them, and the gifts which fed them, to be more holy than the temple, that they might make men more I disposed to offer gifts, than to pour out prayers in the temple. Whence the Lord suitably reproves them in these words Yet have some Christians at present an equally foolish notion See, they say, in any suit if one swear by God, it seems nought; but if one swear by the Gospel, he seems to have e done some great thing. To whom we shall say in like manner, you fools and blind! the Scriptures were written because of God, God is not because of the Scriptures. Greater therefore is God, than what is hallowed by Him.

JEROME; Again, if one swore by the altar, none held him guilty of perjury; but if he swore by the gift or the victims or the other things which are offered to God upon the altar, this they exacted most rigorously And all this they did not out of fear of God, but out of covetousness.

Thus the Lord charges them with both folly and fraud, inasmuch as the altar is much greater than the victims which are sanctified by the altar.

GLOSS. And lest their infatuation should go so far, that they should affirm that the gold was more holy than the temple, and the gift than the altar,

He argues on another ground, that in the oath which is sworn by the temple and the altar is contained the oath by the gold or by the gift.

ORIGEN; In like manner the custom which the Jews had of swearing by the Heaven He reprobates. For they did not, as they supposed, avoid the danger of taking an oath by God, because, Whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him that sits thereon.

GLOSS. For whoever swears by the creature that is subject, swears by the Divinity that rules over the creation.

ORIGEN; Now an oath is in confirmation of somewhat that has been spoken. The oath here then may signify testimony of Scripture which we produce in confirmation of that word which we speak. So that Divine Scripture is the temple of God, the gold is the meaning which it contains. As the gold which is Outside the Temple is not sanctified, so all thoughts which are without divine Scripture, however admirable they may seem, are not hallowed. We ought not therefore to bring any Speculations of our own for the confirmation of doctrine, unless such as we can show are hallowed by being contained in divine Scripture.

The altar is the human heart, which is the chief thing in man. The offerings and gifts that are hid upon the altar, are every thing which are done in the heart, as to pray, to sing, to do alms, to fast. Every offering of a man then is sanctified by his heart, by which the offering is made. There cannot therefore be a more honorable offering than the heart of man, out of which the offering proceeds. If then one's conscience does not smite him, he has confidence towards God, not by reason of his gifts, but so to speak because he has rightly ordered the altar of his heart. Thirdly, we may say that over the temple, that is over every Scripture, and over the altar, that is over every heart, there is a certain meaning which is called the Heaven, the throne of God Himself, in which we shall be able to see the things that are revealed face to face, when that which is perfect is come.

HILARY; For since Christ is come, reliance upon the Law is vain; for not Christ by the Law, but the Law by Christ, is sanctified, in whom it rests as on a seat or throne; so are they fools and blind, who, overlooking the sanctifier, pay honor to the things sanctified.

AUG. The temple and altar we may also understand of Christ Himself ; the gold and the gifts, of' the praise and sacrifice of prayer which we offer in Him and through Him. For not He by them, but they by Him, are sanctified.

Catena Aurea Matthew 23

The Last Judgement

Petrus Christus

1452
Oak, 134 x 56 cm
Staatliche Museen, Berlin

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for August 27, 2012:

(Reader’s Tip) Pray that Christ will open your heart to His love, that you may love your wife as Christ loves the Church, or your husband as the Church loves him.

Vultus Christi

The Future of the Church in Ireland

By

Father Mark

on August 27, 2012 4:06 PM |

Archbishop Charles J. Brown, Papal Nuncio to Ireland delivered a message of hope last week at the closing Mass of the National Novena to Our Lady of Knock. His Excellency gives a personal witness of the vitality of the Church as he has experienced it at the International Eucharistic Congress, at the ordination of Father Damien Lynch in Balleyvourney, Co Cork, at Croagh Patrick on Reek Sunday, and at the 2012 Youth Festival at Clonmacnois. Here is the text of Archbishop Brown's homily. The subtitles in boldface are my own.

At Our Lady's Shrine

[Your Excellencies... Father Richard Gibbons, Parish Priest of Knock], my fellow priests, dear men and women religious, beloved brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. It is truly an honour and a joy for me to be here with you today on the final day of the National Novena at Our Lady's Shrine in Knock.

Our Lady, Consolatrix Afflictorum

When Blessed John Paul II came here on September 30, 1979, to celebrate Holy Mass, he began with the words: "Here I am at the goal of my journey to Ireland: the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock" and, in a certain sense, his words are true for all of us here today, as we celebrate the conclusion of the National Novena; we too have come to the goal of our journey. We come as pilgrims to pray at the feet of Mary, the humble girl of Nazareth, the glorious Mother of God, the "Woman clothed with the sun" who appeared here in 1879 to comfort and console the Catholic people of Ireland.

Ireland in 1879

The passage of time tends to make us forget what things were like in Ireland when Mary appeared. Ireland was not yet a free and independent nation; close to a million people had suffered and died during the Great Famine thirty years previously, and in the year 1879 when Mary appeared, hunger had returned to the West of Ireland. Huge numbers of Irish people had been forced to leave as emigrants, never to return, so much so that the population of Ireland plummeted by something like 25 per cent.

The Lamb of God

And so it was that, in those very bad times, Mary appeared, to comfort and to console and - although she never spoke a word - to lead her people, to direct her children to the Lamb on the altar, the Lamb who was slain but who now is alive, the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world". Yes, the times in which Mary appeared here in Knock were very bad, and yet it bears noting that the century which followed the apparition would be marked by an extraordinary flourishing of the Catholic Church in Ireland, with huge numbers of vocations to the priesthood and religious life and a deep Christianisation of all aspects of society. Such a flourishing would have seemed impossible in 1879. But the night is often darkest before the dawn.

The Dimming of the Faith

When we reflect on Our Lady's apparition at Knock and the historical circumstances in which it occurred, we cannot help thinking about our times and our own future. Certainly, there are reasons for discouragement. It seems as if every few months, a new survey is released showing, or purporting to show, that the Catholic faith is disappearing in Ireland. We have had two decades of scandals, crimes and failures. 'The Church is finished!' seems to be the cry heard everywhere.

The Radiance of the Faith

But, my brothers and sisters, let me tell you what I have seen and heard (cf. 1 John 1:3). Two months ago, I saw the International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin exceed everyone's expectations, with tens of thousands of people coming to learn more about the central mystery of our faith - the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

An Ordination

One month ago today, I was in Ballyvourney in County Cork, where I had the joy of ordaining a young man to the priesthood. The small country church was filled with people young and old; the liturgy was celebrated in a beautiful way, with music and hymns in the Irish language. The sanctuary was packed with more than eighty good and faithful priests, many very young, some quite old, all of them there to welcome and to support their newest brother in the priesthood.

Pilgrimage

Three weeks ago, in County Mayo, I saw thousands of pilgrims climbing Croagh Patrick on Reek Sunday. Many young people. Many men. Some climbing in bare feet. I saw hundreds of people that day going to confession to the priests on the top of the mountain.

Youth at Prayer

Ten days ago, I was at Clonmacnoise and I saw literally hundreds of young people kneeling in adoration in front of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, praying the Rosary, confessing their sins, rejoicing in the liberating love of God, and sharing the joy and excitement of being Catholic with their peers. That, my brothers and sisters, is the future of the Church in Ireland.

Authentically Catholic

So what is this future going to be like? Before all else, I would say that the future needs to be authentically Catholic if there is to be a future. We need to propose the Catholic faith in its fullness, in its beauty and in its radicality, with compassion and with conviction. We need to be unafraid to affirm the elements of the Catholic way which secular society rejects and ridicules.

Seek Ye First the Kingdom

I believe that the Gospel for today's Mass points the way for the future of the Church in Ireland. Jesus speaks to his disciples about priorities. He tells us not to worry about things like what we are to wear and what we are to eat, or about how much money we can amass. He says put first things first: "Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well" (Mt 6:33). And what is this Kingdom of God proposed by Jesus? It cannot be identified with a worldly kingdom. As Jesus says in front of Pontius Pilate, "My Kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). It is a Kingdom which only reaches its fulfilment and fruition in the life of the world to come, as described in our first reading from the Book of the Apocalypse.

The Kingdom Here and Now

Only in the end, will the Kingdom be complete: "a new heaven and a new earth", the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem. That city - to paraphrase Pope John Paul II's words about Knock - is the goal of our journey. If we seek that city, that goal, that Kingdom, then everything else will be taken care of. But that Kingdom of light and joy is not only a future reality, it is also anticipated, made real in advance, wherever Jesus Christ is truly present in our world, in the celebration and adoration of the Holy Eucharist, in the sacraments and in the love we have for one another.

The Salvation of Souls

As the Church in Ireland moves into the future, we need to recognise that everything the Church does is somehow related to that reality: the reality of salvation.

Papal Initiatives

Pope Benedict XVI has instituted a number of initiatives designed to help the Church move into the future. He has established an office for the New Evangelisation, which means finding new ways of presenting and communicating the ancient faith, especially in those countries like Ireland which were first given the gift of Catholic faith many centuries ago. The Holy Father has called a Synod of Bishops, that is, a meeting of Bishops in Rome, which will take place in October of this year, in order to have Bishops from all over the world reflect on this most critical question. And thirdly, Pope Benedict has established a "Year of Faith", which will also begin this October, on the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.

Transmission of the Faith

Pope Benedict writes: "We want to celebrate this Year in a worthy and fruitful manner. Reflection on the faith will have to be intensified, so as to help all believers in Christ to acquire a more conscious and vigorous adherence to the Gospel, especially at a time of profound change such as humanity is currently experiencing. We will have the opportunity to profess our faith in the Risen Lord in our cathedrals and in the churches of the whole world; in our homes and among our families, so that everyone may feel a strong need to know better and to transmit to future generations the faith of all times" (Porta fidei, 8).

Open the Catechism

The Holy Father is insistent on this point. If we are indeed to "transmit to future generations the faith of all times," we need to deepen our own understanding of that faith. In calling for the Year of Faith, the Holy Father has also indicated a means for deepening our understanding of the faith. The opening day of the Year of Faith (October 11, 2012) is not only the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, it is also the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is a magnificent summary and synthesis of the Catholic faith. The Holy Father recommends that we study the Catechism of the Catholic Church as part of the Year of Faith. He describes the Catechism as a means of encountering the person of Christ. Remarkably, he writes "on page after page, we find that what is presented here is no theory, but an encounter with a Person who lives within the Church" (Porta fidei, 11). That Person is Jesus Christ, God made man.

Here in Ireland, the recently published National Directory for Catechesis of the Bishops of Ireland, entitled Share the Good News, also recommends that Catholics "consider setting up a [study] group to look at the Catechism over a period of time"... "like a book club taking a night to discuss a particular section read beforehand" (page 74). This is a great idea, which would have a very positive effect on the future life of the Church in Ireland.

Where Our Lady Is, There is Fruitfulness

Brothers and sisters, the future of the Church in Ireland begins now. We have all been revitalised in our faith by the unforgettable experience of the International Eucharistic Congress, which, pray God, has marked a turning point in the life of the Church in Ireland. Certainly, the road ahead is not an easy one, but the road ahead for Catholics in Ireland did not look very easy in 1879 when Our Lady appeared here on that rainy evening in August. And yet her appearance was followed by one of the most fruitful periods in the fifteen centuries of Catholicism on this Island. Yes, brothers and sisters: "Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well" (Matt 6:33).

Regnum Christi

Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Memorial of Saint Monica

Listen to podcast version here.

Matthew 23:13-22

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of Heaven before human beings. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves. "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ´If one swears by the Temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the Temple, one is obligated.´ Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the Temple that made the gold sacred? And you say, ´If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.´ You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; one who swears by the Temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it."

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I come to you again in prayer. Even though I cannot see you, I know through faith that you are present in my life. I hope in your promise to be with me. I love you, and I know you love me. Accept this prayer as a token of my love.

Petition: Lord, help me to be a person of great integrity – the same inside and out.

1. No Hypocrites Need Apply: The scribes and Pharisees lacked the authenticity and rectitude of conscience needed to please God. We need to let our behavior, our word and our conscience be in harmony and open before God. Conscience is that secret sanctuary where we are alone with God and we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit speak to us in the depths of our heart. To violate that conscience, that is, to go against what we know to be true, is to deny ourselves what is most important to our salvation. A good conscience is the greatest good thing we can possess in this life. It gives us peace, serenity and an assurance of our perseverance in good.

2. Misleading Others Has a Price: Christ is very harsh on those who lead others astray, especially those who have a responsibility to teach and guide others in the way of salvation. It is a great sin to give scandal and to lead others away from the path of truth. There are many examples of this: There are those entrusted to teach in the name of the Church but substitute their personal opinions, and those who give a testimony of disordered lifestyles, especially to the young and impressionable. The salvation of all of us is linked together; we need to build each other up and help each other on the way to Christ. Others have a right to our good example and to our speaking truth.

3. No Swearing Here! Jesus warns against idle words, exaggerations and swearing in the name of God or by his altar. He wants us to be sincere in all we say and do, so that the integrity of our lives may be apparent to all who see us. If we live with a clear conscience and act before God in all things, we can then simply give our word and have it mean all we have inside us. What a wonderful thing it is to deal with people who are simple and transparent, who can be taken at face value, because to be devious or calculating never occurs to them, or to be in any way false or insincere.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, give me the grace of real sincerity of heart in dealing with you and with others. Teach me to give my word and mean it with all my heart.

Resolution: I will review my examination of conscience to make sure I am going deep enough to know what God wants of me.

The Coming of Christ

First Reading: 2 Thes 1:1-5, 11-12

Psalm: Ps. 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 4-5

Gospel: Mt. 23:13-22

The two letters of Paul to Thessalonians are the earliest writings of the New Testament. Both were composed about 25 years after the Lord’s Resurrection. In the first of these two letters Paul insists that the Day of the Lord, Christ’s second coming, will come like a thief in the night. Therefore, Paul says, we must always be on the watch for it, we must always be ready.

Unfortunately, some of the Thessalonians misinterpreted Paul. They believed that if the day of the Lord were imminent, there was no sense whatsoever in engaging in the normal activities of life. The only thing was to wait for Jesus’ arrival and to welcome him. These Christians abandoned their responsibilities to family, community and state.

Paul therefore wrote the second letter to quiet the Thessalonians. He wanted to calm them down, to get them to discontinue their excited idleness, to pursue their daily work patiently and diligently.

The words Paul uses in his thoughts and suggestions in his introduction of this letter are gentle and encouraging. He tells the Thessalonians that he is impressed by the way they have been growing not only in their faith but also in their love for each other. He assures them that he has even boasted to other churches about how they have persevered in the midst of their persecutions and trials. He ends today’s reading with a prayer, begging God make the Thessalonians worthy of the call he has given them.

One Bread, One Body

<< Monday, August 27, 2012 >>

St. Monica

2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12
View Readings

Psalm 96:1-5

Matthew 23:13-22

FOLLOW THE LEADER

"Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you frauds! You shut the doors of the kingdom of God in men's faces, neither entering yourselves nor admitting those who are trying to enter." —Matthew 23:13

Jesus sharply criticized the religious leadership of His time. He called many of the leaders hypocrites, who were foolish and blind (Mt 23:16, 17). He accused some of them of making their followers into devils twice as wicked as themselves (Mt 23:15).

Jesus is so strict and harsh with leaders because their bad leadership is so destructive. Jesus loves us so much that He doesn't want us misled. Jesus protects His people by calling leaders to give an account of their leadership (Heb 13:17) — a stricter account (see Jas 3:1; Wis 6:5, 6, 8). Jesus protects and nourishes His people by raising up leaders after His own heart (Jer 3:15).

However, we mess up Jesus' loving protection and His attempts to nurture us by:

not obeying or loving the leaders He has given us,
choosing leaders different than those chosen by God,
not forgiving bad leaders,
not accepting God's call to leadership (Jgs 9:8ff), and
not praying for leaders (see 1 Tm 2:1-2).

Every group will naturally have leaders, but those under Jesus' lordship will supernaturally have leaders. Those who follow Jesus as Leader will be and have good leaders.

Prayer: Father, make us worthy of Your call and fulfill by Your power "every honest intention and work of faith" (2 Thes 1:11).

Promise: "It is no more than right that we thank God unceasingly for you, brothers, because your faith grows apace and your mutual love increases." —2 Thes 1:3

Praise: St. Monica faithfully prayed for the salvation of her husband, son, and grandson, and her fervent prayers were answered decades later.

Did you pray in front of a

Planned Parenthood Clinic

today?

Please pray for an

end to abortion in the United States.

August 27, 2012

Memorial of Saint Monica

Reading 1 2 Thes 1:1-5, 11-12

Responsorial Psalm Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 4-5

Gospel Mt 23:13-22

St. Monica

Daily Readings for: August 27, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

Memorial of St. Monica

Meditation: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12

The Future of the Church in Ireland

The Coming of Christ

One Bread, One Body

FOLLOW THE LEADER

August 27, 2012

Memorial of Saint Monica

Reading 1 2 Thes 1:1-5, 11-12

Responsorial Psalm Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 4-5

Gospel Mt 23:13-22

St. Monica

Daily Readings for: August 27, 2012(Readings on USCCB website)

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

Memorial of St. Monica

Meditation: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12

The Future of the Church in Ireland

The Coming of Christ

One Bread, One Body

FOLLOW THE LEADER

Daily Readings for: August 27, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)