Oct 29, Office of Readings for Monday of the 30th week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 615
Proper of Seasons: 441
Psalter: Monday, Week II, 811

Christian Prayer:
Does not contain Office of Readings

Office of Readings for Monday in Ordinary Time

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

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

HYMN

Sing praise to God who reigns above,
The God of all creation,
The God of power, the God of love,
The God of our salvation;
With healing balm my soul he fills,
And every faithless murmur stills:
To God all praise and glory.

What God’s almighty power hath made,
His gracious mercy keepeth;
By morning glow or evening shade
His watchful eye never sleepeth;
Within the kingdom of his might,
Lo! all is just and all is right:
To God all praise and glory.

Then all my gladsome way along,
I sing aloud thy praises,
That men may hear the grateful song
My voice unwearied raises;
Be joyful in the Lord, my heart,
Both soul and body, bear your part:
To God all praise and glory.

O ye who name Christ’s holy name,
Give God all praise and glory;
All ye who own this power, proclaim
Aloud the wondrous story!
Cast each false idol from his throne.
The Lord is God, and he alone:
To God all praise and glory.

“Sing praise to God who reigns above” by The Choir of King’s School; Melody: Mit Freuden Zart 87.87.887; Music: Bohemian Brethren’s Hymnbook, 1566; Text: Johan J. Schutz, 1640-1690; Translator: Frances E. Cox, 1812-1897
“Sing praise to God who reigns above” performed by The Choir of King’s School is available from Amazon.com

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Bow down and hear me, Lord; come to my rescue.

Psalm 31
A troubled person’s confident appeal to God
Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit (Luke 23:46).

I

In you, O Lord, I take refuge.
Let me never be put to shame.
In your justice, set me free,
hear me and speedily rescue me.

Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mighty stronghold to save me,
for you are my rock, my stronghold.
For your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.

Release me from the snares they have hidden
for you are my refuge, Lord.
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
It is you who will redeem me, Lord.

O God of truth, you detest
those who worship false and empty gods.
As for me, I trust in the Lord:
let me be glad and rejoice in your love.

You have seen my affliction
and taken heed of my soul’s distress,
have not handed me over to the enemy,
but set my feet at large.

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. Bow down and hear me, Lord; come to my rescue.

Ant. 2 Lord, let the light of your countenance shine on your servant.

II

Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I am in distress.
Tears have wasted my eyes,
my throat and my heart.

For my life is spent with sorrow
and my years with sighs.
Affliction has broken down my strength
and my bones waste away.

In the face of all my foes
I am a reproach,
an object of scorn to my neighbors
and of fear to my friends.

Those who see me in the street
run far away from me.
I am like a dead man, forgotten,
like a thing thrown away.

I have heard the slander of the crowd,
fear is all around me,
as they plot together against me,
as they plan to take my life.

But as for me, I trust in you, Lord,
I say: “You are my God.
My life is in your hands, deliver me
from the hands of those who hate me.

Let your face shine on your servant.
Save me in your love.”

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. Lord, let the light of your countenance shine on your servant.

Ant. 3 Blessed be the Lord, for he has poured out his mercy upon me.

III

How great is the goodness, Lord,
that you keep for those who fear you,
that you show to those who trust you
in the sight of men.

You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plotting of men:
you keep them safe within your tent
from disputing tongues.

Blessed be the Lord who has shown me
the wonders of his love
in a fortified city.

“I am far removed from your sight,”
I said in my alarm.
Yet you heard the voice of my plea
when I cried for help.

Love the Lord, all you saints.
He guards his faithful
but the Lord will repay to the full
those who act with pride.

Be strong, let your heart take courage,
all who hope in the Lord.

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

Psalm-prayer

God of kindness and truth, you saved your Chosen One, Jesus Christ, and you gave your martyrs strength. Watch over your people who come to you here and strengthen the hearts of those who hope in you, that they may proclaim your saving acts of kindness in the eternal city.

Ant. Blessed be the Lord, for he has poured out his mercy upon me.

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.

Guide me in the way of your truth and teach me.
– For you are my saving God.

READINGS

First reading
From the book of Wisdom
1:16—2:1a, 10-24
The foolish thoughts of the impious against the just

It was the wicked who with hands and words invited death,
considered it a friend, and pined for it,
and made a covenant with it,
Because they deserve to be in its possession,
they who said among themselves, thinking not aright:

“Let us oppress the needy just man;
let us neither spare the widow
nor revere the old man for his hair grown white with time.
But let our strength be our norm of justice;
for weakness proves itself useless.
Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.

“He professes to have knowledge of God
and styles himself a child of the Lord.
To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
merely to see him is a hardship for us,
Because his life is not like other men’s,
and different are his ways.
He judges us debased;
he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.
He calls blest the destiny of the just
and boasts that God is his Father.

“Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put him to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”

These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
And they knew not the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense of holiness
nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.
For God formed man to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made him.
But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world,
and they who are in his possession experience it.

RESPONSORY Wisdom 2:1, 12, 13, 17, 18; Matthew 27:43

The wicked said: Let us be in wait for the just man, for he disapproves of our way of life and calls himself the son of God.
– Let us test the truth of his words; God will deliver him from the hands of his enemies, if he truly is his son.

He trusted in God; let God rescue him if he wants him, for he said: I am the Son of God.
– Let us test the truth of his words; God will deliver him from the hands of his enemies, if he truly is his son.

Second reading
From a letter to the Corinthians by Saint Clement, pope
The Spirit pleads for us

Dear friends, take care that God’s blessings, which are many, do not become the condemnation of us all; we must live lives worthy of him and in mutual harmony do what is good and acceptable in his sight. He tells us: The Spirit of the Lord is a lantern, searching the hidden places of our inmost being.

We must remember how near he is and that no thought of ours, no conversation we hold is hidden from him. It is right, therefore, that we should not turn our backs and flee from God’s will. We should rather give offense to stupid and foolish men, puffed up and taking pride in their boastful speech, than give offense to God.

Let us reverence the Lord Jesus, whose blood was shed for us. Let us respect those in authority, let us honor the presbyters. Let us train the young in the fear of God. Let us lead our wives toward all that is good. Let them show by their conduct that they are lovers of chastity; by their gentleness let them reveal a pure and sincere disposition; by their silence let them manifest the control they have over their tongues; let them bestow an equal charity, without respect for persons, on all who have a holy fear of God.

Your children must share in the way of discipleship in Christ. They must learn how effective humility is before God, what chaste love can accomplish with God, how good and noble is the fear of God, for it brings salvation to all who possess it and who live holy lives with a pure heart. The one whose Spirit is in us is the searcher of our thoughts and of counsels of our hearts. At his will, he shall take that Spirit from us.

All this is strengthened by the faith that comes to us in Christ. He himself addresses us through the Holy Spirit and says: Come, my children, listen to me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Is there a man who wants life, desiring to see good days? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking what is false. Turn away from evil and do good. Seek peace and go in pursuit of it.

The Father is merciful in all he does and full of generosity; he is loving to those who fear him. In goodness and gentleness he gives his graces to those who approach him with undivided hearts. We must then put away all duplicity and not be distrustful in the face of his excelling and ennobling gifts.

RESPONSORY Tobit 4:19; 14:10, 11

Bless the Lord God at all times, and ask him to guide you in his paths
– So that all that you do may be rooted in him.

Ask God to guide you, that you may do what is pleasing to him in sincerity and with all your strength.
– So that all that you do may be rooted in him.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Almighty
ever-living God,
increase our faith,
hope and charity,
and make us love what you command,
so that we may merit what you promise.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

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

Oct 29, Morning Prayer for Monday of the 30th week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:
Ordinary: 654
All from the Psalter: Monday, Week II, 851

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 618
All from the Psalter: Monday, Week II, 815

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 689
All from the Psalter: Monday, Week II, 792

Morning Prayer for Monday in Ordinary Time

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

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

HYMN

I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at His command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
He formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.
Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where e’er I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.

There’s not a plant or flower below, but makes thy glories known;
And clouds arise and tempests blow, by order from thy throne;
While all that borrows life from thee is ever in thy care,
And everywhere that man can be, thou, God, art present there.

“I Sing The Mighty Power” by Steven Anderson; Words: Isaac Watts, Divine and Moral Songs for Children, 1715. Music: Forest Green, traditional English melody, arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 When will I come to the end of my pilgrimage and enter the presence of God?

Psalm 42
Longing for the Lord’s presence in his Temple
Let all who thirst come; let all who desire it, drink from the life-giving water (Revelation 22:17).

Like the deer that yearns
for running streams,
so my soul is yearning
for you, my God.

My soul is thirsting for God,
the God of my life;
when can I enter and see
the face of God?

My tears have become my bread,
by night, by day,
as I hear it said all the day long:
“Where is your God?”

These things will I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I would lead the rejoicing crowd
into the house of God,
amid cries of gladness and thanksgiving,
the throng wild with joy.

Why are you cast down, my soul,
why groan within me?
Hope in God; I will praise him still,
my savior and my God.

My soul is cast down within me
as I think of you,
from the country of Jordan and Mount Hermon,
from the Hill of Mizar.

Deep is calling on deep,
in the roar of waters;
your torrents and all your waves
swept over me.

By day the Lord will send
his loving kindness;
by night I will sing to him,
praise the God of my life.

I will say to God, my rock:
“Why have your forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
oppressed by the foe?”

With cries that pierce me to the heart,
my enemies revile me,
saying to me all day long:
“Where is your God?”

Why are you cast down, my soul,
why groan within me?
Hope in God; I will praise him still,
my savior and my God.

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

Psalm-prayer

Father in heaven, when your strength takes possession of us we no longer say: Why are you cast down, my soul? So now that the surging waves of your indignation have passed over us, let us feel the healing calm of your forgiveness. Inspire us to yearn for you always, like the deer for running streams, until you satisfy every longing in heaven.

Ant. When will I come to the end of my pilgrimage and enter the presence of God?

Ant. 2 Lord, show us the radiance of your mercy.

Canticle – Sirach 36:1-5, 10-13
Prayer of entreaty for the holy city, Jerusalem
This is eternal life: to know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent ( John 17:3).

Come to our aid, O God of the universe,
and put all the nations in dread of you!
Raise your hand against the heathen,
that they may realize your power.

As you have used us to show them your holiness,
so now use them to show us your glory.
Thus they will know, as we know,
that there is no God but you.

Give new signs and work new wonders;
show forth the splendor of your right hand and arm.

Gather all the tribes of Jacob,
that they may inherit the land as of old.
Show mercy to the people called by your name;
Israel, whom you named your first-born.

Take pity on your holy city,
Jerusalem, your dwelling place.
Fill Zion with your majesty,
your temple with your glory.

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. Lord, show us the radiance of your mercy.

Ant. 3 The vaults of heaven ring with your praise, O Lord.

Psalm 19A
Praise of the Lord, Creator of all
The dawn from on high shall break on us… to guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:78,79).

The heavens proclaim the glory of God,
and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up the story
and night unto night makes known the message.

No speech, no word, no voice is heard
yet their span extends through all the earth,
their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

There he has placed a tent for the sun;
it comes forth like a bridegroom coming from his tent,
rejoices like a champion to run its course.

At the end of the sky is the rising of the sun;
to the furthest end of the sky is its course.
There is nothing concealed from its burning heat.

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

To enlighten the world, Father, you sent to us your Word as the sun of truth and justice shining upon mankind. Illumine our eyes that we may discern your glory in the many works of your hand.

Ant. The vaults of heaven ring with your praise, O Lord.

READING Jeremiah 15:16

When I found your words, I devoured them;
they became my joy and the happiness of my heart,
Because I bore your name,
O Lord, God of hosts.

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

Sing for joy, God’s chosen ones, give him the praise that is due.
– Sing for joy, God’s chosen ones, give him the praise that is due.

Sing a new song to the Lord,
– give him the praise that is due.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– Sing for joy, God’s chosen ones, give him the praise that is due.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. Blessed be the Lord, for he has come to his people and set them free.

Luke 1:68-79
The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.

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

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

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

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

Ant. Blessed be the Lord, for he has come to his people and set them free.

INTERCESSIONS

Our Savior has made us a nation of priests to offer acceptable sacrifice to the Father. Let us call upon him in gratitude:
– Preserve us in your ministry, Lord.

Christ, eternal priest, you conferred the holy priesthood on your people,
grant that we may offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to the Father.
– Preserve us in your ministry, Lord.

In your goodness pour out on us the fruits of your Spirit,
patience, kindness and gentleness.
– Preserve us in your ministry, Lord.

May we love you and possess you, for you are love,
and may every action of our lives praise you.
– Preserve us in your ministry, Lord.

May we seek those things which are beneficial to our brothers,
without counting the cost, to help them on the way to salvation.
– Preserve us in your ministry, Lord.

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

Concluding Prayer

Almighty Father,
you have brought us to the light of a new day:
keep us safe the whole day through
from every sinful inclination.
May all our thoughts, words and actions
aim at doing what is pleasing in your sight.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

DISMISSAL

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

Oct 29, Midday Prayer for Monday of the 30th week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:
Ordinary: 659
All from the Psalter: Monday, Week II, 858 (Midday)

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 623
All from the Psalter: Monday, Week II, 822 (Midday)

Midday Prayer for Monday using Current Psalmody

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

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

HYMN

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

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

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

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

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Blessed are those who hear the word of God and cherish it in their hearts.

Psalm 119:41-48
VI (Vau)

Lord, let your love come upon me,
the saving help of your promise.
And I shall answer those who taunt me
for I trust in your word.

Do not take the word of truth from my mouth
for I trust in your decrees.
I shall always keep your law
for ever and ever.

I shall walk in the path of freedom
for I seek your precepts.
I will speak of your will before kings
and not be abashed.

Your commands have been my delight;
these I have loved.
I will worship your commands and love them
and ponder your will.

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

Psalm-prayer

Father, let your salvation come to us as you have promised, that we may keep your law always and, taught by the Word of truth, find strength in his salvation.

Ant. Blessed are those who hear the word of God and cherish it in their hearts.

Ant. 2 Doing my Father’s will is the food that sustains me.

Psalm 40:2-14, 17-18
Thanksgiving and plea for help
It was not sacrifice and oblation you wanted, but you have prepared a body for me (Hebrews 10:5).

I

I waited, I waited for the Lord
and he stooped down to me;
he heard my cry.

He drew me from the deadly pit,
from the miry clay.
He set my feet upon a rock
and made my footsteps firm.

He put a new song into my mouth,
praise of our God.
Many shall see and fear
and shall trust in the Lord.

Happy the man who has placed
his trust in the Lord
and has not gone over to the rebels
who follow false gods.

How many, O Lord my God,
are the wonders and designs that you have worked for us;
you have no equal.
Should I proclaim and speak of them,
they are more than I can tell!

You do not ask for sacrifices and offerings,
but an open ear.
You do not ask for holocaust and victim.
Instead, here am I.

In the scroll of the book it stands written
that I should do your will.
My God, I delight in your law
in the depth of my heart.

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. Doing my Father’s will is the food that sustains me.

Ant. 3 I am poor but the Lord takes care of me.

II

Your justice I have proclaimed
in the great assembly.
My lips I have not sealed;
you know it, O Lord.

I have not hidden your justice in my heart
but declared your faithful help.
I have not hidden your love and your truth
from the great assembly.

O Lord, you will not withhold
your compassion from me.
Your merciful love and your truth
will always guard me.

For I am beset with evils
too many to be counted.
My sins have fallen upon me
and my sight fails me.
They are more than the hairs on my head
and my heart sinks.

O Lord, come to my rescue,
Lord, come to my aid.

O let there be rejoicing and gladness
for all who seek you.
Let them ever say: “The Lord is great,”
who love your saving help.

As for me, wretched and poor,
the Lord thinks of me.
You are my rescuer, my help,
O God, do not delay.

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

Psalm-prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, you were made obedient unto death, and your name was exalted above all others. Teach us always to do the Father’s will, so that, made holy by obedience which unites us to the sacrifice of your body, we can expect your great love in times of sorrow and sing a new song to our God.

Ant. I am poor but the Lord takes care of me.

READING Jeremiah 32:40

I will make with them an eternal covenant, never to cease doing good to them; into their hearts I will put the fear of me, that they may never depart from me.

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

God is my savior and my glory.
– I take refuge in him.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

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

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

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

Oct 29, Evening Prayer for Monday of the 30th week of Ordinary Time

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

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

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

Evening Prayer for Monday in Ordinary Time

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

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

HYMN

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

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

PSALMODY

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

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

I

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

II

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

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

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

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

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

Psalm-prayer

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

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

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

Canticle – Ephesians 1:3-10
God our Savior

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

READING 1 Thessalonians 2:13

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

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

RESPONSORY

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

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

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

CANTICLE OF MARY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

INTERCESSIONS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Concluding Prayer

Almighty Father,
you have given us the strength
to work throughout this day.
Receive our evening sacrifice of praise
in thanksgiving for your countless gifts.
We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

DISMISSAL

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

Oct 29, Night Prayer for Monday of the 30th 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

Information: St. Narcissus

Feast Day:	October 29
Born:	99
Died:	215

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Narcissus

Feast Day: October 29
Born: 99 :: Died: 215

Saint Narcissus from the time he was young, took great interest and care to study about his Christian faith. When he was of age, he became a priest and because he was so good, people called him "the holy priest".

He only became the Bishop of Jerusalem when he was eighty years old but he ruled the Church with the energy of a young man. Narcissus was an excellent bishop and with God's grace performed many miracles.

One Holy Saturday, the members of his Church were all upset because they could not find any oil to light the lamps in the Church for the Easter Vigil.

St. Narcissus asked them to draw water from a nearby well and after he blessed it, told them to put it in the lamps. To the delight of the people, the water changed to oil and some of this oil was later saved in a sealed jar in Jerusalem in memory of the miracle.

Everyone admired this good and holy man except people who chose to live evil lives. Three enemies of the saint accused him of a terrible crime.

One said: "May I die by fire if it is not true!"
The second said: "May I be wasted away by leprosy if it is not true."
The third said: "May I be struck blind if it is not true."

Yet no one believed their lie and the wicked story. The people knew how good Narcissus was. But Narcissus who wanted to spend time alone with God in prayer used it as an excuse to go off and live in the desert.

His put his trust in God, whom he served so lovingly. And God took care of Narcissus by proving that the story of those men was not true. Each of the men got the punishment they had called upon their own heads.

Then because his people pleaded, Narcissus returned to be bishop of Jerusalem to the great joy of his people. Although he was even older, he seemed to be more energetic and stronger than ever.

When he became too weak to carry on, he begged God to send him a bishop to help him. Our Lord sent him another saint, Alexander of Cappadocia. With great love and eagerness, they ruled the diocese together.

Narcissus lived to be over 116 years old. He died in the year 215.

Catholic

Almanac:

Monday, October 29
Liturgical Color: Green
Today the Church honors Bl. Mary Restituta, an Austrian nun. The Nazis arrested her in 1942 because she hung crucifixes in the hospital where she was a nurse. She was killed as an example to others who defy the government.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: October 29, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Almighty ever-living God, increase our faith, hope and charity, and make us love what you command, so that we may merit what you promise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

Milk and Honey Cookies

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

St. Narcissus Prayer

LIBRARY

Ordinary Time: October 29th

Monday of the Thirtieth Week of Ordinary Time

Old Calendar: St. Narcissus (Hist)

Historically today is the feast of St. Narcissus who was consecrated Bishop of Jerusalem about the year 180. He was already an old man, and God attested his merits by many miracles, which were long held in memory by the Christians of Jerusalem. The holy bishop had long desired a life of solitude, and he withdrew secretly into the desert, leaving the Church in peace. But God spoke for His servant, and the bishop's accusers suffered the penalties they had invoked. Then Narcissus returned to Jerusalem and resumed his office. He died in extreme old age, bishop to the last.

St. Narcissus
St Narcissus was born towards the close of the first century, and was almost fourscore years old when he was placed at the head of the church of Jerusalem, being the thirtieth bishop of that see. Eusebius assures us that the Christians of Jerusalem preserved in his time the remembrance of several miracles which God had wrought by this holy bishop, one of which he relates as follows. One year, on Easter-eve, the deacons were unprovided with oil for the lamps in the church, necessary at the solemn divine office that day. Narcissus ordered those who had care of the lamps to bring him some water from the neighbouring wells. This being done, he pronounced a devout prayer over the water; then bade them pour it into the lamps, which they did, and it was immediately converted into oil, to the great surprise of the faithful. Some of this miraculous oil was kept there as a memorial at the time when Eusebius wrote his history. The veneration of all good men for this holy bishop could not shelter him from the malice of the wicked. Three incorrigible sinners, fearing his inflexible severity in the observance of ecclesiastical discipline, laid to his charge a detestable crime, which Eusebius does not specify. They confirmed their atrocious calumny by dreadful oaths and imprecations; one wishing he might perish by fire, another that he might be struck with a leprosy, and the third that he might lose his sight, if what they alleged was not the truth. Notwithstanding these protestations, their accusation did not find credit; and some time after the divine vengeance pursued the calumniators. The first was burnt in his house, with his whole family, by an accidental fire in the night; the second was struck with a universal leprosy; and the third, terrified by these examples, confessed the conspiracy and slander, and by the abundance of tears which he continually shed for his sins, lost his sight before his death.

Narcissus, notwithstanding the slander had made no impression on the people to his disadvantage, could not stand the shock of the bold calumny, or rather made it an excuse for leaving Jerusalem and spending some time in solitude, which had long been his wish. He spent several years undiscovered in his retreat, where he enjoyed all the happiness and advantage which a close conversation with God can bestow. That his church might not remain destitute of a pastor, the neighbouring bishops of the province after some time placed in it Pius, and after him Germanion, who dying in a short time was succeeded by Gordius. Whilst this last held the see, Narcissus appeared again, like one from the dead. The whole body of the faithful, transported at the recovery of their holy pastor, whose innocence had been most authentically vindicated, conjured him to reassume the administration of the diocese. He acquiesced; but afterwards, bending under the weight of extreme old age, made St. Alexander his coadjutor. St. Narcissus continued to serve his flock, and even other churches, by his assiduous prayers and his earnest exhortations to unity and concord, as St. Alexander testifies in his letter to the Arsinoites in Egypt, where he says that Narcissus was at that time, about one hundred and sixteen years old. The Roman Martyrology honours his memory on the 29th of October.

If we truly respect the church as the immaculate spouse of our Lord, we will incessantly pray for its exaltation and increase, and beseech the Almighty to give it pastors according to his own heart, like those who appeared in the infancy of Christianity. And, that no obstacle on our part may prevent the happy effects of their zeal, we should study to regulate our conduct by the holy maxims which they inculcate; we should regard them as the ministers of Christ; we should listen to them with docility and attention; we should make their faith the rule of ours, and shut our ears against the language of profane novelty.

Excerpted from Butler's Lives of the Saints

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 13:10-17

30th Week in Ordinary Time

“When Jesus saw her, he called to her.” (Luke 13:12)

It’s a safe bet that people never fell into a pious coma as they listened to Jesus teach and preach. Whether he left them enraged, amazed, or engaged, he always got their attention. And so all eyes were riveted on him as he taught in the synagogue on that Sabbath day.

Well, not quite all. One pair of eyes was glued to the ground.

They belonged to a woman who was severely disabled, her spine bent into the shape of a shepherd’s crook. She was, quite literally, a lowly person who commanded no attention. Having seen her bent over for eighteen years, people took it for granted. And since, at the time, affliction was often viewed as a divine punishment for sin, this woman commanded even less respect. So it must have come as a huge shock when Jesus singled her out, healed her, and affirmed her dignity as a “daughter of Abraham” worthy of God’s intervention (Luke 13:16).

Our world is full of people like this bent woman. Some are struggling silently with a long-term illness or disability that has isolated them. Some are bowed down by grief or hopelessness. For others, it’s fear, a past hurt, or an unrepented sin that keeps them down. Perhaps you know someone like this, someone who needs to hear Jesus call to them as he called to that hunched, overlooked woman in the synagogue. Listen prayerfully for a moment, and if anyone comes to mind, ask the Holy Spirit if there’s something you can do. Is there a practical service, a gentle prayer, or a word of encouragement you can offer? Can you be a messenger of hope and healing to that person?

While you’re at it, know that Jesus wants to raise you up, too! Because even the holiest and healthiest among us are works in progress. We all have issues in our lives that still need healing and liberation. If you can identify any areas that need a little more work, bring them to Jesus right now. If not, just come into his presence, knowing that he is fully able to search out and straighten whatever needs to be unbent.

“Jesus, you came ‘to proclaim liberty to captives’ and ‘to let the oppressed go free’ (Luke 4:18). Show me your freedom, Lord, and help me share it with others.”

Ephesians 4:32–5:8; Psalm 1:1-4, 6

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 13
10.	And he was teaching in their synagogue on their sabbath.	Erat autem docens in synagoga eorum sabbatis.	ην δε διδασκων εν μια των συναγωγων εν τοις σαββασιν
11.	And behold there was a woman, who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years: and she was bowed together, neither could she look upwards at all.	Et ecce mulier, quæ habebat spiritum infirmitatis annis decem et octo : et erat inclinata, nec omnino poterat sursum respicere.	και ιδου γυνη ην πνευμα εχουσα ασθενειας ετη δεκα και οκτω και ην συγκυπτουσα και μη δυναμενη ανακυψαι εις το παντελες
12.	Whom when Jesus saw, he called her unto him, and said to her: Woman, thou art delivered from thy infirmity.	Quam cum videret Jesus, vocavit eam ad se, et ait illi : Mulier, dimissa es ab infirmitate tua.	ιδων δε αυτην ο ιησους προσεφωνησεν και ειπεν αυτη γυναι απολελυσαι της ασθενειας σου
13.	And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.	Et imposuit illi manus, et confestim erecta est, et glorificabat Deum.	και επεθηκεν αυτη τας χειρας και παραχρημα ανωρθωθη και εδοξαζεν τον θεον
14.	And the ruler of the synagogue (being angry that Jesus had healed on the sabbath) answering, said to the multitude: Six days there are wherein you ought to work. In them therefore come, and be healed; and not on the sabbath day.	Respondens autem archisynagogus, indignans quia sabbato curasset Jesus, dicebat turbæ : Sex dies sunt in quibus oportet operari : in his ergo venite, et curamini, et non in die sabbati.	αποκριθεις δε ο αρχισυναγωγος αγανακτων οτι τω σαββατω εθεραπευσεν ο ιησους ελεγεν τω οχλω εξ ημεραι εισιν εν αις δει εργαζεσθαι εν ταυταις ουν ερχομενοι θεραπευεσθε και μη τη ημερα του σαββατου
15.	And the Lord answering him, said: Ye hypocrites, doth not every one of you, on the sabbath day, loose his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead them to water?	Respondens autem ad illum Dominus, dixit : Hypocritæ, unusquisque vestrum sabbato non solvit bovem suum, aut asinum a præsepio, et ducit adaquare ?	απεκριθη ουν αυτω ο κυριος και ειπεν υποκριται εκαστος υμων τω σαββατω ου λυει τον βουν αυτου η τον ονον απο της φατνης και απαγαγων ποτιζει
16.	And ought not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?	Hanc autem filiam Abrahæ, quam alligavit Satanas, ecce decem et octo annis, non oportuit solvi a vinculo isto die sabbati ?	ταυτην δε θυγατερα αβρααμ ουσαν ην εδησεν ο σατανας ιδου δεκα και οκτω ετη ουκ εδει λυθηναι απο του δεσμου τουτου τη ημερα του σαββατου
17.	And when he said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the things that were gloriously done by him.	Et cum hæc diceret, erubescant omnes adversarii ejus : et omnis populus gaudebat in universis, quæ gloriosæ fiebant ab eo.	και ταυτα λεγοντος αυτου κατησχυνοντο παντες οι αντικειμενοι αυτω και πας ο οχλος εχαιρεν επι πασιν τοις ενδοξοις τοις γινομενοις υπ αυτου

10. And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
11. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
12. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said to her, Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.
13. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
14. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said to the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
15. The Lord then answered him, and said, you hypocrite, do not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or or ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
16. And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
17. And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

AMBROSE; He soon explained that He had been speaking of the synagogue, showing, that He truly came to it, who preached in it, as it is said, And he was teaching in one of the synagogues.

CHRYS. He teaches indeed not separately, but in the synagogues; calmly, neither wavering in any thing, nor determining aught against the law of Moses; on the Sabbath also, because the Jews were then engaged in the hearing of the law.

CYRIL; Now that the Incarnation of the Word was manifested to destroy corruption and death, and the hatred of the devil against us, is plain from the actual events; for it follows, And behold there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity, &c. He says spirit of infirmity, because the woman suffered from the cruelty of the devil, forsaken by God because of her own crimes or for the transgression of Adam, on account of which the bodies of men incur infirmity and death. But God gives this power to the Devil, to the end that men when pressed down by the weight of their adversity might betake them to better things. He points out the nature of her infirmity, saying, And was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

BASIL; Because the head of the brutes is bent down towards the ground and looks upon the earth, but the head of man was made erect towards the heaven, his eyes tending upward. For it becomes us to seek what is above, and with our sight to pierce beyond earthly things.

CYRIL; But our Lord, to show that His coming into this world was to be the loosing of human infirmities, healed this woman. Hence it follows, And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said to her, Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity. A word most suitable to God, full of heavenly majesty; for by His royal assent He dispels the disease.

He also laid His hands upon her, for it follows, He laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. We should here answer, that the Divine power had put on the sacred flesh. For it was the flesh of God Himself, and of no other, as if the Son of Man existed apart from the Son of God, as some have falsely thought. But the ungrateful ruler of the synagogue, when he saw the woman, who before was creeping on the ground, now by Christ's single touch made upright, and relating the mighty works of God, sullies his zeal for the glory of the Lord with envy, and condemns the miracle, that he might appear to be jealous for the Sabbath.

As it follows, And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said to the people, There are six days in which men ought to work, and not on the sabbath-day. He would have those who are dispersed about on the other days, and engaged in their own works, not come on the Sabbath to see and admire our Lord's miracles, lest by chance they should believe. But the law has not forbidden all manual work on the Sabbath-day, and has it forbidden that which is done by a word or the mouth? Cease then both to eat and drink and speak and sing. And if you read not the law, how is it a Sabbath to you? But supposing the law has forbidden manual works, how is it a manual work to raise a woman upright by a word?

AMBROSE; Lastly, God rested from the works of the world not from holy works, for His working is constant and everlasting; as the Son says, My Father works until now, and I work; that after the likeness of God our worldly, not our religious, works should cease. Accordingly our Lord pointedly answered him, as it follows, You hypocrite, do not each on of you on the sabbath-day loose his ox or his ass? &c.

BASIL; The hypocrite is one who on the stage assumes a different character from his own. So also in this life some men carry one thing in their heart, and show another on the surface to the world.

CHRYS. Well then does he call the ruler of the synagogue a hypocrite, for he had the appearance of an observer of the law, but in his heart was a crafty and envious man. For it troubles him not that the Sabbath is broken, but that Christ is glorified. Now observe, that whenever Christ orders a work to be done, (as when He ordered the man sick of the palsy to take up his bed,) He raises His words to something higher, convincing men by the majesty of the Father, as He says, My Father works until now, and I work. But in this place, as doing every thing by word, He adds nothing further, refuting their calumny by the very things which they themselves did.

CYRIL; Now the ruler of the synagogue is convicted a hypocrite, in that he leads his cattle to watering on the Sabbath-day, but this woman, not more by birth than by faith the daughter of Abraham, he thought unworthy to be loosed from the chain of her infirmity. Therefore He adds, And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has bound lo, these eighteen years, to be loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day? The ruler preferred that this woman should like the beasts rather look upon the earth than receive her natural stature, provided that Christ was not magnified. But they had nothing to answer; they themselves unanswerably condemned themselves.

Hence it follows, And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed. But the people, reaping great good from His miracles, rejoiced at the signs which they saw, as it follows, And all the people rejoiced;. For the glory of His works vanquished every scruple in them who sought Him not with corrupt hearts.

GREG. Mystically the unfruitful fig tree signifies the woman that was bowed down. For human nature of its own will rushes into sin, and as it would not bring forth the fruit of obedience, has lost the state of uprightness. The same fig tree preserved signifies the woman made upright.

AMBROSE; Or the fig tree represents the synagogue; afterwards in the infirm woman there follows as it were a figure of the Church, which having fulfilled the measure of the law and the resurrection, and now raised up on high in that eternal resting place, can no more experience the frailty of our weak inclinations. Nor could this woman be healed except she had fulfilled the law and grace. For in ten sentences is contained the perfection of the law, and in the number eight the fullness of the resurrection.

GREG. Or else; man was made on the sixth day, and on the same sixth day were all the works of the Lord finished, but the number six multiplied three times makes eighteen. Because then man who was made on the sixth day was unwilling to do perfect works, but before the law, under the law, and at the beginning of grace, was weak, the woman was bowed down eighteen years.

AUG. That which the three years signified in the tree, the eighteen did in the woman, for three times six is eighteen. But she was crooked and could not look up, for in vain she heard the words, lift up your hearts.

GREG. For every sinner who thinks earthly things, not seeking those that are in heaven, is unable to look up. For while pursuing his baser desires, he declines from the uprightness of his state; or his heart is bent crooked, and he ever looks upon that which he unceasingly thinks about. The Lord called her and made her upright, for He enlightened her and succored her. He sometimes calls but does not make upright, for when we are enlightened by grace, we oft-times see what should be done, but because of sin do not practice it. For habitual sin binds down the mind, so that it cannot rise to uprightness. It makes attempts and fails, because when it has long stood by its own will, when the will is lacking, it falls.

AMBROSE; Now this miracle is a sign of the coming sabbath, when every one who has fulfilled the law and grace, shall by the mercy of God put off the toils of this weak body. But why did He not mention any more animals, save to show that the time would come when the Jewish and Gentile nations should quench their bodily thirst, and this world's heat in the fullness of the fountain of the Lord, and so through the calling forth of two nations, the Church should be saved.

BEDE; But the daughter of Abraham is every faithful soul, or the Church gathered out of both nations into the unity of the faith. There is the same mystery then in the ox or ass being loosed and led to water, as in the daughter of Abraham being released from the bondage of our affections.

Catena Aurea Luke 13

Christ Heals a Woman Bent-over and the Parable of the Fig Tree

Alexander Master

c. 1430
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for October 29, 2012:

(Reader’s Tip) Say yes before the request is made. Forgive before the offense is given. Pray before there is need. Anticipate one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10).

Vultus Christi

Metropolitan Hilarion to the Synod

By

Father Mark

on October 29, 2012 7:37 AM |

On 16 October 2012, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and at the invitation of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, attended a plenary session of the 13th World Synod of Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church as an observer of the Russian Orthodox Church.

At the evening session held in the presence of Pope Benedict XVI and 242 members of the Synod, Metropolitan Hilarion addressed the audience with the following greeting. Texts in boldface indicate my own emphasis.

Your Holiness,
Your Eminences and Excellencies:

May I address you on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church with apostolic greeting: 'Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ' (2 Thess 1:2).

1. The present Synod of Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church is timed to the remarkable date - the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Second Vatican Council and is dedicated to a theme relevant to all Christians - the message of Christ in the secular world. Half a century ago the fathers of the Council were well aware that closer cooperation among Christians of different traditions would make witness to Christ more convincing.

2. The Second Vatican Council made a substantial contribution to the development of inter-Christian dialogue and indeed laid the foundation of official relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches. Our presence at the Synod of Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church bears witness to it. Today we are called to think about solving our common tasks that the present epoch puts forward.

3. The unrestrained pursuit of pleasure and the lust for irresponsible enrichment at the expense of the poor sections of the population were characteristic of the developed societies of Europe and America in recent decades. Individualism and egoism have brought about crisis not only in human and social relations, but also in politics and economics. The crisis which the Western society is undergoing has primarily spiritual roots. Secular society without God naively believes that while exploiting only their own proprietary and consumer instincts it would be able to successfully regulate the growth of well-being, thus achieving prosperity and justice. However, the tragic experience of the entire 20th century has vividly shown that the renunciation of God and His commandments does not lead people to happiness, but, on the contrary, brings about numerous disasters and sufferings. The present crisis, which has affected many countries of the world, shows that the secular society has chosen an erroneous way of development.

4. Both the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church fulfill the mission to which they have been called by Christ and tirelessly bring witness of the truth, while 'proving the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment' (Jn 16:8). In this ministry our Churches become even more conscious of the necessity of combining our efforts so that the Christian answer to the challenges of the modern society can be heard. In recent years, the Orthodox and Catholic Churches have fruitfully cooperated within the Orthodox-Catholic forum, in different international organizations and at other places of dialogue with the secular world. Yet, I believe, we could and should do much more to respond together to new challenges and threats.

5. I would like to use this opportunity to call my brothers in the Catholic Church to create a common front in order to defend Christian faith in all those countries where it is being marginalized and persecuted. In Europe and America we witness growing pressure from those representatives of militant secularism and atheism who attempt to expel Christianity from the public sphere, to ban Christian symbols, to destroy traditional Christian understanding of the family and marriage as a union between a man and a woman, of the value of human life from inception till natural death.

6. In some other parts of the globe the very existence of Christian Churches is under threat. In the countries where the so-called 'Arab spring' is underway millions of Christians suffer from severe persecution. Many have fled from the places where they had lived for centuries. In Iraq, where 1,5 million Christians lived just a few years ago, only 150 thousand remain, while all the others were either exterminated or expelled. Grave persecutions of Christians are going on in Egypt, Lybia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, India, Indonesia and many other countries, both in the Middle East and elsewhere.

7. We are deeply concerned about the humanitarian catastrophe which is unfolding in Syria, where militant Islamists are seeking political power with the help of some Western countries. Wherever they come to power, Christians are being persecuted or exterminated. Christian communities in Syria and other countries of the Middle East are crying for help, while the mass media in the West largely ignore their cries and the politicians prefer to close their eyes on this unprecedented wave of persecution.

8. We, Orthodox and Catholics from all over the world, should raise our voice in defense of Christian population and Christian heritage of the Middle East. We must constantly bring the attention of political leaders, of international organizations and of the mass media to this unfolding human tragedy.

9. Only if we join our forces shall we be able to protect our Christian faith, to overcome present crisis and to give new impetus to our common mission of the new evangelization, 'so that the world may believe' (Jn 17:21).

I wish you peace, God's blessing and success in your work!

Regnum Christi

Jesus Blows me Out of my Comfort Zone – Again!

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Father James Swanson, LC

.

Luke 13:10-17

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, "Woman, you are set free of your infirmity." He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, "There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day." The Lord said to him in reply, "Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?" When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you with a faith that never seeks to test you. I trust in you, hoping to learn to accept and follow your will, even when it does not make sense to the way that I see things. May my love for you and those around me be similar to the love you have shown to me.

Petition: Lord, protect me from spiritual old age.

1. Jesus Is Showing his Messiah Credentials Again: Jesus’ opponents were desperate. They didn’t want to believe that he was the Messiah, and they especially didn’t want anyone else to think he was the Messiah. But there was the pesky problem of his miracles. They knew that when God sent someone to speak for him, he usually performed signs through the person so that people would believe in him. The sign was proof that the person (Jesus in this case) was sent by God. Jesus was doing plenty of miracles, which most people were taking as the sign that he was sent by God. What could Jesus’ opponents do? They could only try to discredit the miracles any way possible.

2. You Can Do a Lot More than You Think on the Sabbath: This miracle was done on the Sabbath. The head of the synagogue had a problem with that. Didn’t God himself rest on the sixth day? Oughtn’t we to do the same? How does this Jesus heal on the Sabbath if he is truly from God? In fact, there were many exceptions to the rules about the Sabbath. In another place, Jesus himself says that the Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). Certainly, the observance of the Sabbath was always subject to the practice of charity, that it was always permissible to break the Sabbath rest in the case when needed to do some necessary act of charity for another. Jesus mentions situations when for practical reasons (necessary farm chores, like watering animals) work can be done without breaking the Sabbath rest.

3. Lord, Please Let me Keep my Mediocrity: And so, there is really nothing to the objection. The head of the synagogue does not want to believe because what Jesus says and does seems threatening to him. If Jesus is the Messiah, he foresees having to change his life, and he does not want to do that. He may not even realize that this is his real objection, but it is. We can be this way, too. We don’t want to accept something Jesus teaches us through his Church because it would mean that we have to change our lives, and we don’t want to. We are comfortable the way we are. If we had to do what Jesus asks, it would take us out of our comfort zone. Sometimes it is mere fear of something different. Jesus always is offering us something different, but we don’t want it. We want to stay in our rut. We have surrounded ourselves with limited horizons and are afraid to stretch them.

Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, help me to accept you fully. If I am rejecting you or your teaching without realizing it, show me. Help me to overcome my attempt to construct my own little universe in which I am God. If I have grown old spiritually, renew my youth and help me break through my restricted, shrunken horizons that exclude you.

Resolution: Where in my life have I settled into spiritual routine and old age? Do I habitually skip some prayer I should be saying, telling myself it isn’t that important? I will make an extra effort to pray it today. Is there some other aspect of my spiritual or moral life that I have removed to make life “more comfortable” for me? Time to start doing it again!

From the Power of Evil

by CE Editor on October 29, 2012 ·

Reflection

• The Gospel today describes the cure of a woman who was crippled. It is a question of one of the many episodes which Luke narrates, without too much order, in describing the long journey of Jesus toward Jerusalem (Lk 9, 51 to 1928).

• Luke 13, 10-11: The situation which brings about the action of Jesus. Jesus is in the synagogue on a day of rest. He keeps the Law respecting Saturday and participating in the celebration together with his people. Luke tells us that Jesus was teaching. In the Synagogue there was a crippled woman. Luke says that she had a spirit which crippled her and prevented her from straightening up. This was a way in which the people of that time explained sicknesses. It was already eighteen years that she was in that situation. The woman does not speak, does not have a name, she does not ask to be cured, she takes no initiative. One is struck by her passivity.

• Luke 13, 12-13: Jesus cures the woman. Seeing the woman, Jesus calls her and says to her: Woman, you are freed from your disability!” The action of freeing is done by the word, addressed directly to the woman, and through the imposition of the hands. Immediately, she stands up and begins to praise the Lord. There is relation between standing up and praising the Lord. Jesus does things in such a way that the woman stands up, in such a way that she can praise God in the midst of the people meeting in the assembly. Peter’s mother-in-law, once she was cured, she stands up and serves (Mk 1, 31). To praise God is to serve the brothers!

• Luke 13, 14: The reaction of the president of the Synagogue. The President of the Synagogue became indignant seeing Jesus’ action, because he had cured on Saturday: “There are six days when work is to be done. Come and be healed in one of those days and not on the Sabbath”. In the criticism of the President of the Synagogue, people remember the word of the Law of God which said: “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath for Yahweh your God. You shall do no work that day”, (Ex 20, 8-10). In this reaction is the reason why the woman could not participate at that time. The dominion of conscience through the manipulation of the law of God was quite strong. And this was the way of keeping the people submitted and bent down, crippled.

• Luke 13, 15-16: The response of Jesus to the President of the Synagogue. The President condemned persons because he wanted them to observe the Law of God. What for the President of the Synagogue is observance of the Law, for Jesus is hypocrisy: “Hypocrites, is there one of you who does not untie his ox or his donkey from the manger on the Sabbath and take it down for watering? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has held bound these eighteen years – was it not right to untie this bond on the Sabbath day?” With this example drawn from every day life, Jesus indicates the incoherence of this type of observance of the Law of God. If it is permitted to untie an ox or a donkey on Saturday to give it water, much more will it be permitted to untie a daughter of Abraham to free her from the power of evil. The true sense of the observance of the Law which pleases God is this: to liberate persons from the power of evil and to make them stand up, in order that they can render glory to God and praise him. Jesus imitates God who sustains those who are unsteady or weak and lifts those who fall (Ps 145, 14; 146, 8).

• Luke 13, 17: The reaction of the people before the action of Jesus. The teaching of Jesus confuses his enemies, but the crowds are filled with joy because of the wonderful things that Jesus is doing: “All the people were overjoyed at all the wonders he worked”. In Palestine, at the time of Jesus, women lived crippled, bent, and submitted to the husband, to the parents and to the religious heads of her people. This situation of submission was justified by the religion. But Jesus does not want her to continue to be crippled, bent. To choose and to liberate persons does not depend on a determinate date. It can be done every day, even on Saturday!

Personal questions

• The situation of women has changed very much since that time, or not? Which is the situation of women in society and in the Church? Is there any relation between religion and oppression of women?

• Did the crowds exult before the action of Jesus? What liberation is taking place today and is leading the crowd to exult and to give thanks to God?

Concluding prayer

How blessed is anyone who rejects the advice of the wicked

and does not take a stand in the path that sinners tread,

nor a seat in company with cynics,

but who delights in the law of Yahweh

and murmurs his law day and night. (Ps 1,1-2)

This has been another fine reflection from the Carmelites at ocarm.org

One Bread, One Body

<< Monday, October 29, 2012 >>

Ephesians 4:32—5:8
View Readings

Psalm 1:1-4, 6

Luke 13:10-17

NO PROBLEM OR KNOW PROBLEM

"There was a woman there who for eighteen years had been possessed by a spirit which drained her strength." —Luke 13:11

The woman in today's Gospel reading who had been possessed, drained, and stooped for eighteen years may represent the American Church. In the Catholic community, we have been drained of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life, drained of almost a generation of young people, and drained of faith through compromise with our secularized and materialistic culture.

As is customary in situations of bondage, we have denied the reality of the problem and thereby prolonged it. Instead of admitting there's something seriously wrong, we use euphemisms, such as "merger," "restructuring," and "transitions" in place of "close-down," "salvaging," and "deterioration."

Also, as with the synagogue of Jesus' day, there is something inside us that resents being set free (Lk 13:14). We know that freedom implies giving up our sinful ways, and so we clutch sin and hold on for dear death. We are in an adulterous relationship with the world.

"Make no mistake about this: no fornicator, no unclean or lustful person — in effect an idolater — has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with worthless arguments" (Eph 5:5-6). We must admit we have a problem, recognize disobedience as the way by which the devil has entered, and repent of our sins. Jesus wants to release us from our shackles, if we only let Him (Lk 13:16).

Prayer: Father, I repent of refusing to admit my need to repent. Forgive me for ruining my life and Your Church.

Promise: "As for lewd conduct or promiscuousness or lust of any sort, let them not even be mentioned among you; your holiness forbids this. Nor should there be any obscene, silly, or suggestive talk; all that is out of place. Instead, give thanks." —Eph 5:3-4

Praise: Ten years ago, Roger decided to live without a car. He simplified his lifestyle and has found great happiness in Jesus.

At the Cross, Mary mourns her Son's death.

In today's world, Mary mourns the deaths of all the aborted children and euthanized elders.

St. Narcissus

Daily Readings for: October 29, 2012(Readings on USCCB website)

RECIPES

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

LIBRARY

Ordinary Time: October 29th

Monday of the Thirtieth Week of Ordinary Time

Meditation: Luke 13:10-17

Metropolitan Hilarion to the Synod

From the Power of Evil

One Bread, One Body

NO PROBLEM OR KNOW PROBLEM

Daily Readings for: October 29, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)