Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 09-30-12, Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 09-30-12 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

September 30, 2012

 

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1 Nm 11:25-29

The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,
the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.

Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad,
were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp.
They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent;
yet the spirit came to rest on them also,
and they prophesied in the camp.
So, when a young man quickly told Moses,
"Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, "
Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses?aide, said,
"Moses, my lord, stop them."
But Moses answered him,
"Are you jealous for my sake?
Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets!
Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"

Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14

R. (9a) The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Though your servant is careful of them,
very diligent in keeping them,
Yet who can detect failings?
Cleanse me from my unknown faults!
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
From wanton sin especially, restrain your servant;
let it not rule over me.
Then shall I be blameless and innocent
of serious sin.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

Reading 2 Jas 5:1-6

Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.

Gospel Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

At that time, John said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"

[Salvation]

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From: Numbers 11:25-29

The Appointment of the Seventy Elders

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[25] Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some
of the spirit that was upon him and put it upon the seventy elders; and when the
spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did so no more.

[26] Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named
Medad, and the spirit rested upon them; they were among those registered, but
they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. [27] And a
young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
[28] And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his chosen men,
said, “My lord Moses, forbid them.” [29] But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous
for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would
put his spirit upon them!”

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Commentary:

11:24:30. God himself is the source of the spirit and he can give it to whomever
he chooses, irrespective of human qualifications. Moses, for his part, has abso-
lutely the right attitude: he has no desire to monopolize the spirit or to be its only
channel; he seeks only the people’s welfare and is delighted to see signs of the
spirit in other people; indeed, he would like all the Israelites to have it.

Commenting on this passage, St Cyril of Jerusalem teaches: “there is a hint here
of what happened at Pentecost among us” (”Catechesis Ad Illuminandos”, 16,
26). God did indeed promise the spirit to all the people (cf. Joel 3:1-2) and the day
came when that promise was fulfilled through Jesus Christ who, after his ascen-
sion into heaven, sent the Holy Spirit to the Church (cf. Acts 1:13). Therefore, the
Church, “the holy people of God shares also in Christ’s prophet office: it spreads
abroad a living witness to him especially by a life of faith and love [...]. It is not on-
ly through the sacraments and the ministrations of the Church that the Holy Spirit
makes holy the people, leads them and enriches them with his virtues. Allotting
his gifts according as he wills (cf. Cor 12:11), he also distributes special graces
among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts he makes them fit and ready to
undertake various tasks and offices for the renewal and building up of the Church”
(Vatican 11, “Lumen Gentium”, 12).

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

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

[Salvation]

From: James 5:1-6

A Warning for the Rich

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[1] Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon
you. [2] Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. [3] Your
gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will
eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasures for the last days. [4] Behold,
the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud,
cry out and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
[5] You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your
hearts in a day of slaughter. [6] You have condemned, you have killed the
righteous man; he does not resist you.

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

1-6. With exceptional severity and energy the sacred writer again (cf. 2:5-7) criti-
cizes the sins of the well-to-do. In tones reminiscent of the Prophets (cf., e.g., Is
3:13-26; Amos 6:1ff; Mic 2:1ff), he reproves their pride, vanity and greed (vv. 2-3)
and their pleasure-seeking (v. 5), warning them that the judgment of God is near
at hand (vv. 3, 5). The opening exhortation—”weep and howl”—is a very forceful
call to repentance.

The Church has constantly taught that we have a duty to do away with unjust in-
equalities among men, which are frequently denounced in Scripture. The Second
Vatican Council made an urgent call for a more just, fraternal society, a call for
solidarity: “To fulfill the requirements of justice and equity, every effort must be
made to put an end as soon as possible to the immense economic inequalities
which exist in the world and increase from day to day, linked with individual and
social discrimination, provided, of course, that the rights of individuals and the
character of each people are not disturbed” (”Gaudium Et Spes”, 66).

People who are well-to-do should use their resources in the service of others.
In this connection, the Church teaches that “they have a moral obligation not to
keep capital unproductive and in making investments to think first of the common
good. [...] The right to private property is inconceivable without responsibilities to
the common good. It is subordinated to the higher principle which states that
goods are meant for all” (SCDF, “Libertatis Conscientia”, 87).

2-3. Greed, an inordinate desire for material things, is one of the seven deadly
sins. An avaricious person offends against justice and charity and becomes in-
sensitive to the needs of his neighbor, so keen is he on his self-aggrandizement.
“If you are inclined to avarice,” say St Francis de Sales, “think of its folly: it
makes us slaves to that which was intended to serve us. Remember how we
must leave everything when we die; perhaps those who get our wealth then will
only squander it, and even to their ruin” (”Introduction to the Devout Life”, 4, 10).

Our Lord also speaks about the moth and the rust which consume earthly trea-
sures, and tells us that the true treasure is good works and upright actions,
which will earn us an everlasting reward from God in heaven (cf. Mt 6:19-21).

“You have laid up treasure for the last days”: a reference to the Day of Judgment,
as in v. 5: “you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter” (cf. e.g., Is 34:6;
Jer 12:3; 25:34). It can also be translated as “you have laid up treasure in the last
days”, which would be a reference to the present time, which (ever since the co-
ming of the Messiah) is seen as in fact the last days, the beginning of the escha-
tological era. The two renderings are compatible because they both have refe-
rence to the Judgment.

4. Cheating workers of their earnings was already condemned in the Old Testa-
ment (cf., e.g., Lev 19:13; Deut 24:14-15; Mal 3:5). It is one of the sins which
“cries out to heaven” for immediate, exemplary punishment; the same applies
to murder (cf. Gen 4:10), sodomy (Gen 18:20-21) and oppression of widows
and orphans (Ex 22:22-24).

The Church has often reminded the faithful about the duty to pay fair wages: “re-
muneration for work should guarantee man the opportunity to provide a dignified
livelihood for himself and his family on the material, social, cultural and spiritual
level to correspond to the role and the productivity of each, the relevant economic
factors in his employment, and the common good” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et
Spes”, 67).

“The Lord of hosts”: a common Old Testament description of God, manifesting
his omnipotence, as Creator and Lord of the whole universe; it is used to acclaim
God in the Sanctus of the Mass: “Lord God of power and might” (”Dominus Deus
Sabaoth”).

5. This description of the lifestyle of these rich people (vv. 2, 3, 5) recalls the pa-
rable of the rich man and Lazarus (cf. Lk 16: 19ff). Those who live in this way do
well to listen to the Master’s warning: “Take heed to yourselves lest your hearts
be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and
that day come upon you suddenly like a snare” (Lk 21:34).

Against the hedonism condemned by the sacred writer, Christians should be
conscious of the duty to promote a just society: “Christians engaged actively in
modern economic and social progress and in the struggle for justice and charity
must be convinced that they have much to contribute to the prosperity of man-
kind and to world peace. Let them, as individuals and as group members, give a
shining example to others. Endowed with the skill and experience so absolutely
necessary for them, let them preserve a proper sense of values in their earthly
activity in loyalty to Christ and his Gospel, in order that their lives, individual as
well as social, may be inspired by the spirit of the Beatitudes, and in particular
by the spirit of poverty.

“Anyone who in obedience to Christ seeks first the kingdom of God will derive
from it a stronger and purer love for helping all his brethren and for accompli-
shing the task of justice under the inspiration of charity” (”Gaudium Et Spes”,
72).

6. “The righteous man”: according to St Bede (cf. “Super Iac. Expositio, ad
loc.”), this refers to our Lord, who is just “par excellence” and is described as
such in other passages of Scripture (cf., e.g., Acts 3:14; 7:52). This interpreta-
tion is quite appropriate, given the fact that in the needy we should see Jesus
Christ himself (cf. Mt 25:31-45); they often suffer at the hands of those who re-
fuse to recognize even their most elementary rights: “The bread of the needy is
the life of the poor, whoever deprives them of it is a man of blood. To take away
a neighbor’s living is to murder him; to deprive an employee of his wages is to
shed blood” (Sir 34:21-22).

“Every man has the right to possess a sufficient amount of the earth’s goods for
himself and his family. This has been the opinion of the Fathers and Doctors of
the Church, who taught that men are bound to come to the aid of the poor and
to do so not merely out of their superfluous goods [...] Faced with a world today
where so many people are suffering from want, the Council asks individuals and
governments to remember the saying of the Fathers: ‘Feed the man dying of hun-
ger, because if you do not feed him you are killing him!’ and it urges them accor-
ding to their ability to share and dispose of their goods to help others, above all
by giving them aid which will enable them to help and develop them selves’
(”Gaudium Et Spes”, 69).

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

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

[Salvation]

From: Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

Being the Servant of All

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[38] John said to Him (Jesus), “Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in
Your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us.” [39] But Je-
sus said, “Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in My name
will be able soon after to speak evil of Me. [40] For he that is not against us is
for us.”

Scandal

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[41] “For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because
you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose his reward.

[42] “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin it would
be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were
thrown into the sea. [43] And if your hand causes you to sin cut it off; it is bet-
ter for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquen-
chable fire. [45] And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you
to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. [47] And if your eye
causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God
with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, [48] where their worm
does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

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

38-40. Our Lord warns the Apostles, and through them all Christians, against ex-
clusivism in the apostolate—the notion that “good is not good unless I am the one
who does it.” We must assimilate this teaching of Christ’s: good is good, even if
it is not I who do it. Cf. note on Luke 9:49-50.

[The note on Luke 9:49-50 states:

49-50. Our Lord corrects the exclusivist and intolerant attitude of the Apostles.
St Paul later learned this lesson, as we can see from what he wrote during his
imprisonment in Rome: “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but
others from good will [...]. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pre-
tense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice” (Philippians 1:15,
18). “Rejoice, when you see others working in good apostolic activities. And
ask God to grant them abundant grace and that they may respond to that grace.
Then, you, on your way: convince yourself that it’s the only way for you” (St. J.
Escriva, “The Way”, 965).]

41. The value and merit of good works lies mainly in the love of God with which
they are done: “A little act, done for love, is worth so much” (St. J. Escriva,
“The Way”, 814). God regards in a special way acts of service to others, how-
ever small: “Do you see that glass of water or that piece of bread which a holy
soul gives to a poor person for God’s sake; it is a small matter, God knows, and
in human judgment hardly worthy of consideration: God, notwithstanding, recom-
penses it, and forthwith gives for it some increase of charity” (St Francis de
Sales, “Treatise on the Love of God”, book 2, chap. 2).

42. “Scandal is anything said, done or omitted which leads another to commit
sin” (”St Pius X Catechism”, 417). Scandal is called, and is, diabolical when the
aim of the scandal-giver is to provoke his neighbor to sin, understanding sin as
offense against God. Since sin is the greatest of all evils, it is easy to understand
why scandal is so serious and, therefore, why Christ condemns it so roundly.
Causing scandal to children is especially serious, because they are so less able
to defend themselves against evil. What Christ says applies to everyone, but es-
pecially to parents and teachers, who are responsible before God for the souls of
the young.

43. “Hell”, literally “Gehenna” or “Ge-hinnom”, was a little valley south of Jerusa-
lem, outside the walls and below the city. For centuries it was used as the city
dump. Usually garbage was burned to avoid it being a focus of infection. Gehen-
na was, proverbially, an unclean and unhealthy place: our Lord used this to ex-
plain in a graphic way the unquenchable fire of hell.

43-48. After teaching the obligation everyone has to avoid giving scandal to oth-
ers, Jesus now gives the basis of Christian moral teaching on the subject of “oc-
casions of sin”—situations liable to lead to sin. He is very explicit: a person is
obliged to avoid proximate occasions of sin, just as he is obliged to avoid sin it-
self; as God already put it in the Old Testament: “Whoever lives in danger will
perish by it” (Sir 3:26-27). The eternal good of our soul is more important than
any temporal good. Therefore, anything that places us in proximate danger of
committing sin should be cut off and thrown away. By putting things in this way
our Lord makes sure we recognize the seriousness of this obligation.

The Fathers see, in these references to hands and eyes and so forth, people who
are persistent in evil and ever-ready to entice others to evil behavior and erroneous
beliefs. These are the people we should distance ourselves from, so as to enter
life, rather than accompany them to hell (St Augustine, “De Consensu Evangelis-
tarum”, IV, 16; St John Chrysostom, “Hom. on St Matthew”, 60).

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

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

[Salvation]

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

Readings at Mass

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First reading	Numbers 11:25-29 ©

The Lord came down in the Cloud. He spoke with Moses, but took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the spirit came on them they prophesied, but not again.

  Two men had stayed back in the camp; one was called Eldad and the other Medad. The spirit came down on them; though they had not gone to the Tent, their names were enrolled among the rest. These began to prophesy in the camp. The young man ran to tell this to Moses, ‘Look,’ he said ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ Then said Joshua the son of Nun, who had served Moses from his youth, ‘My Lord Moses, stop them!’ Moses answered him, ‘Are you jealous on my account? If only the whole people of the Lord were prophets, and the Lord gave his Spirit to them all!’

---

Psalm	Psalm 18:8,10,12-14 ©

The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.

The law of the Lord is perfect,

  it revives the soul.

The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,

  it gives wisdom to the simple.

The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.

The fear of the Lord is holy,

  abiding for ever.

The decrees of the Lord are truth

  and all of them just.

The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.

So in them your servant finds instruction;

  great reward is in their keeping.

But who can detect all his errors?

  From hidden faults acquit me.

The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.

From presumption restrain your servant

  and let it not rule me.

Then shall I be blameless,

  clean from grave sin.

The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.

---

Second reading	James 5:1-6 ©

An answer for the rich. Start crying, weep for the miseries that are coming to you. Your wealth is all rotting, your clothes are all eaten up by moths. All your gold and your silver are corroding away, and the same corrosion will be your own sentence, and eat into your body. It was a burning fire that you stored up as your treasure for the last days. Labourers mowed your fields, and you cheated them – listen to the wages that you kept back, calling out; realise that the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. On earth you have had a life of comfort and luxury; in the time of slaughter you went on eating to your heart’s content. It was you who condemned the innocent and killed them; they offered you no resistance.

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Gospel Acclamation	Jn17:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your word is truth, O Lord:

consecrate us in the truth.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel	Mark 9:38-43,45,47-48 ©

John said to Jesus, ‘Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.

  ‘If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.

  ‘But anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck. And if your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that cannot be put out. And if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell where their worm does not die nor their fire go out.’

[Salvation]

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

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

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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.

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NOVENA for the ELECTION -- 54 or 56 days (you choose!) ECUMENICAL

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Welcome to 40 Days for Life: September 26 - November 4, 2012

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Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)

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Continue to Pray for Pope Benedict [Ecumenical]

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Jesus, High Priest

 

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

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

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

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

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

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

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

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

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

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

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

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

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

[Salvation]

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

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

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

3.  The Lord's Prayer:  OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

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

5. Glory Be:  GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

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

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

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

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

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

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

 

The Mysteries of the Rosary

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

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

[Salvation]

~ PRAYER ~

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

[Salvation]

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

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:

"Pray for Obama.  Psalm 109:8"

   

PLEASE JOIN US -

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

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

[Salvation]

Our Blessed Lady's Sorrows

Sea of Sorrow

Oh! on what a sea of sorrow
Was the Virgin-Mother cast,
When her eyes with tears o'erflowing
Gazed upon her Son aghast,
From the bloodstained gibbet taken,
Dying in her arms at last.

In her bitter desolation,
His sweet mouth, His bosom too,
Then His riven side beloved,
Then each hand, both wounded through,
Then His feet, with blood encrimsoned,
Her maternal tears bedew.

She, a hundred times and over,
Strains Him closely to her breast
Heart to Heart, arms arms enfolding,
Are His wounds on her impressed:
Thus, in sorrow's very kisses,
Melts her anguished soul to rest.

Oh, dear Mother! we beseech thee,
By the tears thine eyes have shed,
By the cruel death of Jesus
And His wounds' right royal red,
Make our hearts o'erflow with sorrow
From thy heart's deep fountainhead.

To the Father, Son, and Spirit,
Now we bend on equal knee:
Glory, sempiternal glory,
To the Most High Trinity;
Yea! perpetual praise and honor
Now and through all ages be.

Novena Prayer To Our Sorrowful Mother

Most Blessed and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who didst stand generously beneath the cross, beholding the agony of thy dying Son; by the sword of sorrow which then pierced thy soul, by the sufferings of thy sorrowful life, by the unutterable joy which now more than repays thee for them; look down with a mother's pity and tenderness, as I kneel before thee to compassionate thy sorrows, and to lay my petition with childlike confidence in thy wounded heart. I beg of thee, O my Mother, to plead continually for me with thy Son, since He can refuse thee nothing, and through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with thy own sufferings at the foot of the cross, so to touch His Sacred Heart, that I may obtain my request,
For to whom shall I fly in my wants and miseries, if not to thee, O Mother of mercy, who, having so deeply drunk the chalice of thy Son, canst most pity us poor exiles, still doomed to sigh in this vale of tears? Offer to Jesus but one drop of His Precious Blood, but one pang of His adorable Heart; remind Him that thou art our life, our sweetness, and our hope, and thou wilt obtain what I ask, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hail Mary
Virgin Most Sorrowful, pray for us
(Seven times each)

Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy Heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please Our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that: every thought of my mind and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy Divine Son, Jesus; keep me in His grace and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in Heaven and sing thy glories.

Most holy Virgin and Mother, whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the Passion of thy Divine Son, and who in His glorious Resurrection wast filled with never ending joy at His triumph, obtain for us who call upon thee, so to be partakers in the adversities of Holy Church and the Sorrows of the Sovereign Pontiff, as to be found worthy to rejoice with them in the consolations for which we pray, in the charity and peace of the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Litany of the Seven Sorrows

For private use only.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary,
Pray for us.
Holy Mother of God,
Pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, etc.
Mother crucified,
Mother sorrowful,
Mother tearful,
Mother afflicted,
Mother forsaken,
Mother desolate,
Mother bereft of thy Child,
Mother transfixed with the sword,
Mother consumed with grief,
Mother filled with anguish,
Mother crucified in heart,
Mother most sad,
Fountain of tears,
Abyss of suffering,
Mirror of patience,
Rock of constancy,
Anchor of confidence,
Refuge of the forsaken,
Shield of the oppressed,
Subduer of the unbelieving,
Comfort of the afflicted,
Medicine of the sick,
Strength of the weak,
Harbor of the wrecked,
Allayer of tempests,
Resource of mourners,
Terror of the treacherous,
Treasure of the faithful,
Eye of the Prophets,
Staff of the Apostles,
Crown of Martyrs,
Light of confessors,
Pearl of virgins,
Consolation of widows,
Joy of all Saints,

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

Look down upon us, deliver us, and save us from all trouble,
in the power of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Let Us Pray.
Imprint, O Lady, thy wounds upon my heart, that I may read therein sorrow and love
--- sorrow to endure every sorrow for thee, love to despise every love for thee. Amen.

Conclude with the Apostles Creed, Hail Holy Queen, and three Hail Marys,
in honor of the Most Holy Heart of Mary.

Stabat Mater Dolorosa

Stabat mater dolorosa
iuxta Crucem lacrimosa,
dum pendebat Filius.

Cuius animam gementem,
contristatam et dolentem
pertransivit gladius.

O quam tristis et afflicta
fuit illa benedicta,
mater Unigeniti!

Quae maerebat et dolebat,
pia Mater, dum videbat
nati poenas inclyti.

Quis est homo qui non fleret,
matrem Christi si videret
in tanto supplicio?

Quis non posset contristari
Christi Matrem contemplari
dolentem cum Filio?

Pro peccatis suae gentis
vidit Iesum in tormentis,
et flagellis subditum.

Vidit suum dulcem Natum
moriendo desolatum,
dum emisit spiritum.

Eia, Mater, fons amoris
me sentire vim doloris
fac, ut tecum lugeam.

Fac, ut ardeat cor meum
in amando Christum Deum
ut sibi complaceam.

Sancta Mater, istud agas,
crucifixi fige plagas
cordi meo valide.

Tui Nati vulnerati,
tam dignati pro me pati,
poenas mecum divide.

Fac me tecum pie flere,
crucifixo condolere,
donec ego vixero.

Iuxta Crucem tecum stare,
et me tibi sociare
in planctu desidero.

Virgo virginum praeclara,
mihi iam non sis amara,
fac me tecum plangere.

Fac, ut portem Christi mortem,
passionis fac consortem,
et plagas recolere.

Fac me plagis vulnerari,
fac me Cruce inebriari,
et cruore Filii.

Flammis ne urar succensus,
per te, Virgo, sim defensus
in die iudicii.

Christe, cum sit hinc exire,
da per Matrem me venire
ad palmam victoriae.

Quando corpus morietur,
fac, ut animae donetur
paradisi gloria. Amen.

Prayer To Our Lady of Sorrows, by St. Bridget

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of God, who didst endure a martyrdom of love and grief beholding the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus! Thou didst cooperate in the benefit of my redemption by thine innumerable afflictions and by offering to the Eternal Father His only begotten Son as a holocaust and victim of propitiation for my sins. I thank thee for the unspeakable love which led thee to deprive thyself of the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus, true God and true Man, to save me, a sinner. Oh, make use of the unfailing intercession of thy sorrows with the Father and the Son, that I may steadfastly amend my life and never again crucify my loving Redeemer by new sins, and that, persevering till death in His grace. I may obtain eternal life through the merits of His Cross and Passion. Amen.

Mother of love, of sorrow and of mercy, pray for us.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori's Prayer To The Mother Of Sorrows

O, my Blessed Mother, it is not one sword only with which I have pierced thy heart, but I have done so with as many as are the sins which I have committed. O, Lady, it is not to thee, who art innocent, that sufferings are due, but to me, who am guilty of so many crimes. But since thou hast been pleased to suffer so much for me, by thy merits, obtain me great sorrow for my sins, and patience under the trials of this life, which will always be light in comparison with my demerits; for I have often deserved Hell.
Amen.

 

Stabet Mater Dolorosa (catholic/orthodox caucus)
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] Spirituality: Our Lady of Sorrows
The Seven Swords Rosary Of Our Lady Of Sorrows [Catholic Caucus] Prayer and Meditation
The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows [Catholic Caucus] Prayer/Devotion
Our Lady of Sorrows, part I: "Her Martyrdom was longer and greater than that of all the martyrs"

Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With: The 7 Sorrows (Dolours) and 7 Joys of Our Lady
The Seven Dolors (Sorrows) of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Devotional]
Apparition in Africa: Our Lady of Sorrows [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary [Catholic Caucus Devotional]
Feast of Our Lady/Mother of Sorrows
Homilies on Our Lady of Sorrows
Starkenburg:Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Sorrows Shrine
Our Mother of Sorrows
ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, OF THE DOLOURS OF MARY, The Glories [Sorrows] of Mary
Our Lady of Sorrows - Sep 15

[Salvation]

September 2012

Pope's intentions

General Intention: That politicians may always act with honesty, integrity, and love for the truth.

Missionary Intention: Help for the Poorest Churches. That Christian communities may have a growing willingness to send missionaries, priests, and lay people, along with concrete resources, to the poorest Churches.

[Salvation]

Arlington Catholic Herald

Fear hell

Fr. Jerry Pokorsky

The church teaches that those who die in the state of mortal sin are punished in hell. They are deprived of the vision of God and suffer dreadful torments. The pains of hell will last for all eternity. “And the smoke of their torments goes up for ever and ever; and they rest neither day nor night” (Rv 14:11). The fear of hell should urge us to lead a good life because nothing on earth is worth even one moment in hell.

There is no shortage of references to the reality of hell in the Gospel. In this Sunday’s Gospel Christ calls hell an “unquenchable fire” suggesting the pains of hell have the sensation of burning, the greatest pain that man can conceive. Christ warns, “It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna” (Mt 18:8). Instead of God and the angels and saints, sinners in hell have devils and loathsome criminals for eternal companions. Hell contains nothing good. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb 10:31). But to a thoroughly modern and secular culture, hell is merely a medieval superstition.

Or is it?

Although pop culture traditionally has delighted in relatively harmless horror stories and films (from Alfred Hitchcock films to Edgar Allen Poe short stories), in recent decades there has been an ever-increasing demand for the macabre, especially in film (and now video games). Curiously the trend coincides with a secular — even atheistic — emergence. As religion is displaced with secular superstitions, especially among cultural elites (examples left to readers), the younger generation fills the void with a fascination with the ghastly and the occult.

Perhaps this should not be surprising. Most horror themes are variations of the vampire motif: The horrible creature lurking in swamps or in attics or under beds is at once eternally dead, yet alive and very dangerous to the living (mostly to adolescents). Cultural observers and film critics report on the recent drastic descent in filmmaking toward stories of absolute horror with no redemption — a very good definition of hell. Apparently the void left by disbelief in hell is filled with cultural versions of hell that, ironically, fit neatly into scriptural citations. The difference is, of course, after the adrenalin wears off, the adolescent dodges eternal condemnation and returns to the safety of the tedious routines of life.

But the “tedious routines” of life are precisely where salvation and condemnation truly are determined. Catholic writer Flannery O’Connor was a master of this theme. In her short story “Judgment Day,” an elderly Southerner is spending his final days with his daughter far away from his Georgia homeland. According to O’Connor’s inimitable style, the story unfolds in a most depressing way, but upon reflection — with a Catholic faith never mentioned in the story but necessarily presumed — reveals her marvelous insight and optimism.

In a series of flashbacks she portrays the man as a racist who, over time and with the interplay of everyday human relationships, not only resists a youthful impulse to kill because of fear of God’s judgment, but learns to be genuinely happy with his friends, white as well as black. Uprooted by failing health to live with his daughter in her New York City flat, he aches to return to be with his old friends. He makes futile plans to escape the loneliness of the city where people, protecting their privacy (and vices) do not even exchange glances. Instead, he takes a benign interest in establishing, according to his lifelong pattern, a friendship with a neighbor. The neighbor, probably trafficking prostitutes, sees the normal personal interest of the old man as a risk, and he kills him. The story ends with the daughter restless, attaining peace only after she exhumes the body of her father and buries him in his “heavenly” Southern homeland amidst his friends and kin.

The trajectory of Flannery O’Connor’s thought seems to suggest love is not instantaneous, nor does it come without effort. Love is the fruit of grace unleashed in the give-and-take of human relationships. Undoubtedly as a Catholic she would trace that grace to one’s relationship with Christ Himself. Hence, the consuming fires of hell are those of eternally unsatisfying selfishness, without healthy human relationships and without love.

Hell is horrifying because hell, in the final analysis, is boring. In hell you can have as much beer as you want, as much booze as you want, as much cocaine as you want, as many gay and/or straight sexual experiences as you want, as many tattoos as you want, as much money in dollars, euros, yen or gold bullion as you want. In hell you can have whatever you want, whenever you want it, in whatever quantity you want it — provided it is without love.

Indeed, nothing on earth is worth even one moment in hell.

Fr. Pokorsky is pastor of St. Michael Parish in Annandale.

[Salvation]

The Work of God

 

Year B

 -  26th Sunday in ordinary time

The reality of Hell

Mark 9:37-42, 44, 46-47

Mark 9:37-42, 44, 46-47
37 John answered him, saying: Master, we saw one casting out devils in your name, one who does not follow us, and we forbade him.
38 But Jesus said: Do not forbid him. For there is no man that does a miracle in my name, and can soon speak ill of me.
39 For he that is not against you, is for you.
40 For whosoever shall give you to drink a cup of water in my name, because you belong to Christ: amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.
41 And whosoever shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me; it would be better for him that a millstone were hanged around his neck, and he was cast into the sea.
42 And if your hand scandalizes you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter into life, maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into unquenchable fire:
44 And if your foot scandalizes thee, cut it off. It is better for you to enter lame into life everlasting, than having two feet, to be cast into the hell of unquenchable fire:
46 And if your eye scandalizes you, pluck it out. It is better for you with one eye to enter into the kingdom of God, than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire:
47 Where the worm does not die, and the fire is not extinguished.

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

How powerful is my name, that even those who were not united to us, but who believed with faith; had the power against the devil. In reality when my name is mentioned, I come immediately to the one who calls me, this is why he who seeks me finds me and I allow him to know me for his own good.

For every activity that you have, invoke my name and allow me to share my presence with you, nothing glorifies me more than to be desired in your lives. Something that I dislike is spiritual jealousy, since many who are close to me believe that they have the right to judge and stop others from coming close to me also. My house is the house of everyone, I do not judge by appearances, I look in the heart of every human being and I see the potential of repentance in each one. My desire for all is that they stay away from evil and come to me, I take care of giving them the transformation to holiness.

Those who work for my Kingdom will be rewarded eternally, since my money is not of this world, and my fortune enriches all those who desire me and make efforts to live holy lives bearing my light to the kingdom of darkness. Those who because of pride fall into error; become the enmity that tries to destroy the efforts of my elected, poor for them if they don’t come to reason and listen to my call.

My Mercy goes beyond the understanding of the human mind, my benevolence goes even to the enemies of my Kingdom, the opportunity to be with me remains open to everyone and the only petition that I make is that you leave your evil ways behind, repent and begin to walk in my way.

I have said, if your hand, your eye or your foot are occasions for sin, cut them off, because it is better to enter heaven without one eye, or one hand or one foot that to be whole but thrown into hell to suffer by the worm that never dies and the fire that is never extinguished. Here I am putting emphasis in the reality of hell, the place of chastisement for all the rebels who do evil and despise my celestial offering. I don’t mean that someone should mutilate his body in order to punish himself; I am exaggerating the mortification that should be taken to avoid hell.

Any good thing from this world requires many sacrifices to be obtained. This is why I want to tell you that it is worth to deny oneself, to take up the cross and to mortify oneself as necessary in order to obtain the riches of eternal life.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

[Salvation]

Archdiocese of Washington

The Prophet Is In. A Meditation on the Gospel for the 26th Sunday of the Year

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

In todays readings the voice of Moses echoes throughout, Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets! Would that the Lord might bestow his Spirit on them all! And Moses’ prayer is taken up by the Church, who reminds us all that, by our baptism, Moses prayer is realized. For we are all baptized as prophets, as those who are called to be God’s voice in the world, to be his witnesses unto the ends of the earth.

You might say, “The prophet is in.” And just like “the Doctor,” who “is in,” we who are prophets, have some protocols to observe. Lets observe some of our protocols.

I.  The Point of a Prophet – the Gospel opens with John expressing concern that some one, not of their company, was expelling demons. John says, “We tried to prevent him…”

Say what? They tried to prevent some one from casting out demons? Whats wrong with this picture? The whole point of being a prophet is to rescue souls from the grip of demons like: ignorance, fear, darkness, sin, and confusion, and to bring them to Jesus!

Rule one for prophets, when some one is successfully delivering souls from the Devil’s grasp rejoice, pray, support, and learn, but DON’T prevent! We human beings have a common enemy, the devil, and we need to rescue souls from his grip. To use a football image, there  is no such thing as a “prevent offense.” The whole point is to drive out demons.

To this complete disconnect from the point of being a prophet, Jesus says, simply, “don’t   prevent him!” So the point is, don’t miss the point! Don’t prevent! You get the point?

John seems concerned because the exorcist in question is “not of our company.” Are he and the others perhaps jealous?

But here too the point is being missed. The point of the prophet is not himself, or his own glory and prominence. The  point for the prophet is to be about God’s glory, not his own glory.

Nothing can be so deadly to the work of a prophet as for the work to become about personal glory and recognition, rather than God’s glory. Talk about missing the point!

An old songs says, More, more about Jesus. More of his saving fulness see, more of his love who died for me. Another songs says, Don’t exalt the preacher, don’t exalt the pew, preach the Gospel, simple, full and free. Preach him, and you will find the promise is true I’ll draw all men unto me.”

Yes the Lord is the point. Deliverance is the point.  The prophet is not the point.

And if the prophet is in, like the doctor is in, imagine a doctor who did not want anyone to be healed except by him. Imagine that he refused to refer patients to other experts who were not of his practice. What kind of a doctor is that? He is a bad doctor, a doctor who cares only for himself and his own money and glory. But the point of being a doctor is not to care for yourself, but to care for others.

And if the prophet is going to be in, he or she is going to need to realize that the point is not himself, it is healing, and it is the Lord. And the Lord does not give any one person all the gifts. A good prophet understands the point of it all and is willing to refer.

And that leads us to protocol two.

II. The partnership of the prophet.  In an easily overlooked section of the text, Jesus says, Anyone who gives you a cup of cold water, because you belong to Christ, will surely not lose his reward.  Now recall here, that Jesus is speaking to the Apostles, and he is teaching them in effect, that they’re going to need a cup of cold water. In other words, they’re not self-sufficient, they are going to need help.

Simply put, prophets need partners. I do not have all the gifts. You do not have all the gifts. But together, we have all the gifts. On a Sunday morning, I, as priest and celebrant, there are certain things that only I can do. To this extent, the congregation needs me.

But, in particular, when it comes to being a prophet, and office we all share by baptism,  I am not alone. And I cannot be alone in this task.  I do not personally sit at everyone’s dinner table, I do not know everyone’s children, their grandchildren, their family or friends. I simply cannot, all by myself, reach all the people God’s people can and must reach.

And even within the liturgy, I do not have all the gifts. I may preach with words, but the choir can put a song in people’s hearts, and minister the Word to them in ways often more wonderful and effective. Lectors, and Deacons, as well as the choir are necessary partners in prophetically proclaiming God’s word.

Whatever my gifts, or theirs,  none of us alone have all the gifts. But together we have all the gifts that God intends for us.

And if the prophet is in,  like the doctor is in,  then consider again an analogy from the medical world. All doctors have a certain general medical knowledge. But, that being said, they do not have all medical knowledge. They depend on each other for the expertise of the other. They work together as a team, relying on one another’s expertise, and gifts. Some are good at diagnosing, others are experts in the area of cancer. Still others are surgeons or endocrinologists, or orthopedics. That Doctor would be a foolish doctor who never turned to other doctors to benefit from their knowledge, gifts, and expertise.

And so it is with prophets. We must learn that we do not have all the gifts, that we have many needs which others can help complete. We all need a “cup of cold water,” and all the help that that it symbolizes,  from others who are in with us in this work of being prophets.

The profit is in, but he cannot be in all by himself.  he must be part of a team, just like doctors who are in apart of a  team, or group practice.

III. The practice of the prophets. Just like doctors have what we call “a practice,” so too prophets. And the heart of the ministry, (the practice) of the biblical prophets was to call God’s people to repent from their sins, and base their lives wholeheartedly on God, who alone could save them. This is the “practice” of a prophet.

Jesus in the clear tradition of the prophets began his ministry with the cry, Repent and believe the good news!

Note the balance between the bad news, and the good news. Just like any doctor, who knows the ravages of disease and seeks to warn people to stay away from unhealthy practices, Jesus (and every prophet) cries out “Repent!”  from the disease of sin.

But doctors do not warn of disease and unhealthy practices to discourage people, but, rather to draw them to seek help and be serious about health and well being. And so it is with prophets who must often speak powerfully of the disease of sin. They do not do this to discourage, but, rather,  to draw people to salvation and healing.

No true prophet, can avoid this proper balance. The good news of healing only makes sense, in the light of the bad news of sin. The good news of healing can only come when the bad news of sin is dealt with by God’s grace.

There are some today who seek to silence prophets in terms of the call to repent. Some, even in the Church, want only to accentuate the positive and scold those who speak openly of sin and the need to repent. “Honey not vinegar!”  is their cry.

But again, the analogy with the doctor is helpful. What would we think of the doctor who, when people come to him was serious, even deadly conditions, never spoke to them of these things,  but always said to them “You are fine!” What would we think?  We would think of this doctor as a bad doctor, even guilty of malpractice. For the heart of a doctor’s work, his practice, is to be sober and serious about the reality of disease. A good doctor must speak clearly and honestly with his patients about what ails them, and point them to curative and healing medicines.

It is the same with prophets who must take sin seriously, be sober about it, and speak honestly and clearly to God’s people about the reality of it. They must also, earnestly, and with love draw people to the medicine of the sacraments, to the power of prayer and praise, the study of God’s Word, and to the Lord who alone can ultimately heal them.

We see Jesus at work in the practice of a prophet in today’s Gospel. Observe  that he speaks very provocatively and was great sobriety about how serious, how deadly serious sin is. He says, regarding those who would lead others into sin, that would be better for them if a great millstone were put around their neck and they be  thrown into the sea! So serious is sin, that if our hand is the cause of our sin we should cut it off, if our eye, we should gouge it out! And while the Lord uses hyperbole here, the point is this, that it is more serious to sin than to lose our hand or foot or eye. Indeed, it would be better to lose our life altogether than  to be the cause of another’s sin.

Now we don’t think like this. Most of us make light of sin. We are somewhat like a patient in the doctors office who thinks of himself as a few pounds overweight. But in reality he is  in category “Obesity 3.” And yet he says to the doctor, “But doctor, I eat like a bird!” Yes, he eats like a bird,  all day long, all night long too!

Doctors deal with the sick all day long as well. And so do prophets. The Lord in this gospel is strong, and unambiguous about sin, about how awful it is, about how deadly. But as a prophet, who does not have a purpose to discourage, he says this only to encourage us, and summon us to sobriety about sin and zeal for the Gospel, wherein we are promised total victory over sin, total victory over the Devil’s holds in our life.

People who are well do not need a doctor. Surely the Lord came to call sinners. And the first stage of our healing, is to admit you’re sick and answer the call  that, the doctor, the Prophet, is in. And then he can go to work. An old song says, “I got it bad and that ain’t good”. But the good news is, there is a doctor in the house.

So, the practice of a prophet  is a balanced one. In a sentence, Repent! And believe the good news!

IV.  The prayer of the prophet.  - And finally, we return to where we began, the prayer of Moses, Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets! Would that the Lord might bestow his Spirit on them all! And here is the prayer of every true prophet: not that he be alone, not that he have all the glory. But rather, that all God’s people be gifted, and take their rightful role in proclaiming God to this world;  that all the gifts necessary for the Church be operative, and fully functioning.  Gifts for the clergy, gifts for the laity. No competition for glory, no competition for praise. But rather,  partnership and mutual appreciation that the task of prophecy is a task for us all.

There’s a song that says, ”You should be a witness! Why don’t you testify? Stand up and be a witness for the Lord!” Another song says, “I thought I wasn’t gonna to testify, but I couldn’t keep it to myself, what the Lord has done for me!”

Yes, here’s every prophet’s prayer, every priest’s prayer, that all God’s people who stand up and testify, and be profits to this world, so much in need of God’s word. The prophet is in, and will see you now.