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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 01-22-13, Day of Prayer/Legal Protection of Unborn
USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 01-22-13 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 01/21/2013 9:58:47 PM PST by Salvation

January 22, 2013

  Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time  —   Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

 

Reading 1 Heb 6:10-20

Brothers and sisters:
God is not unjust so as to overlook your work
and the love you have demonstrated for his name
by having served and continuing to serve the holy ones.
We earnestly desire each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness
for the fulfillment of hope until the end,
so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who,
through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises.

When God made the promise to Abraham,
since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,
and said, I will indeed bless you and multiply you.
And so, after patient waiting, Abraham obtained the promise.
Now, men swear by someone greater than themselves;
for them an oath serves as a guarantee
and puts an end to all argument.
So when God wanted to give the heirs of his promise
an even clearer demonstration of the immutability of his purpose,
he intervened with an oath,
so that by two immutable things,
in which it was impossible for God to lie,
we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged
to hold fast to the hope that lies before us.
This we have as an anchor of the soul,
sure and firm, which reaches into the interior behind the veil,
where Jesus has entered on our behalf as forerunner,
becoming high priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.

Responsorial Psalm ps 111:1-2, 4-5, 9 and 10c

R. (5) The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
His praise endures forever.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel Mk 2:23-28

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,
his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.
At this the Pharisees said to him,
“Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
He said to them,
“Have you never read what David did
when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?
How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest
and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,
and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them,
“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”


TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; ordinarytime; prayer; saints
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The Angelus 

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

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

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

Hail Mary . . . 

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

Hail Mary . . . 


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

Let us pray: 

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

Amen. 


21 posted on 01/21/2013 10:32:27 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
A Day of Prayer and Penance for Life in the dioceses of the United States

A Day of Prayer and Penance for Life
in the dioceses of the United States
January 22nd

Visitation
Flemish. Rogier van der Weyden (oil on oak panel, ca 1445)
Museum der Bildenden Künste, Leipzig

A special Mass “For Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life” was confirmed by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments for use in the dioceses of the United States. This Mass may be used on occasions to celebrate the dignity of human life.  The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) §373 was altered to allow this Mass to be said on January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday), the day of penance for abortion:

GIRM 373: In all the Dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion.

The liturgical celebrations for this day may be the Mass “For Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life” (no. 48/1 of the Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions), celebrated with white vestments, or the Mass “For the Preservation of Peace and Justice” (no. 30 of the Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions), celebrated with violet vestments.”  (American adaptation) 

Mass for Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life

Readings: Readings of the day or any readings from the Lectionary for Ritual Masses, the "Mass for Peace and Justice"

Collect A
God our Creator,
We give thanks to you,
Who alone have the power to impart the breath of life
as you form each of us in our mother’s womb;
Grant, we pray,
that we, whom you have made stewards of creation,
may remain faithful to this sacred trust
and constant in safeguarding the dignity of every human life.
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

Collect B
O God, who adorn creation with splendor and beauty
and fashion human lives in your image and likeness,
Awaken in every heart
reverence for the work of your hands,
and renew among your people
a readiness to nurture and sustain
your precious gift of human life.
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


Novena for the Protection of the Unborn also in Spanish


Medical Morality Page


22 posted on 01/22/2013 7:16:53 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Information:
St. Vincent Pallotti
Feast Day: January 22
Born:

1798 in Rome, Italy

Died: 1850
Canonized: 1963 by Pope John XXIII



23 posted on 01/22/2013 7:28:41 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Vincent of Saragossa

St. Vincent of Saragossa
Feast Day: January 22
Died: 304

Vincent was born in Heusca and grew up at Saragossa in Spain. He was educated by the bishop, St. Valerius. Valerius recognized his talents and goodness and made Vincent a deacon when he was quite young. Bishop Valerius asked him to preach and teach about Jesus and the Church.

Then one day Emperor Dacian arrested both Valerius and Vincent. Although he kept them in jail for a long time, they remained happy and peaceful and their faith in Jesus stayed strong. Then the emperor sent Bishop Valerius away from the country, but he sent Deacon Vincent to be cruelly tortured.

Vincent asked the Holy Spirit for strength. He wanted to be true to Jesus no matter how terrible things were for him. The Lord gave him that strength and Deacon Vincent remained peaceful through all his sufferings.

When they finished torturing Vincent, he was returned to prison where he converted the jailer. Finally, the emperor allowed people to visit Vincent. The Christians came and cared for his wounds and tried their best to make him comfortable. It was not long before he died in 304.

St. Vincent is the patron saint of Portugal. Let us pray today in the words of St. Vincent: "God fill us with your Spirit and strengthen us in your love."

24 posted on 01/22/2013 7:35:22 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Catholic
Almanac:

Tuesday, January 22

Liturgical Color: Green


Pope Benedict XV died on this day in 1922. He reigned as pope during World War I. Although he was an excellent diplomat, all sides in the conflict refused his help. Several of his peace plans were rejected, possibly extending the war.


25 posted on 01/22/2013 3:33:16 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: January 22, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: God our Creator, we give thanks to you, who alone have the power to impart the breath of life as you form each of us in our mother's womb; grant, we pray, that we, whom you have made stewards of creation, may remain faithful to this sacred trust and constant in safeguarding the dignity of every human life. 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.

Ordinary Time: January 22nd

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

Old Calendar: Saints Vincent and Anastasius, martyrs

January 22 is the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and the day established by the Church of penance for abortion, has been formally named as the “Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.” On this day (or January 23rd when January 22nd falls on a Sunday) your parish, school or religious formation program may celebrate the Mass for Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life. This Mass, found in our newly-translated Missal, may now be used on occasions to celebrate the dignity of human life.

The relevant change reads: “The liturgical celebrations for this day may be the Mass “For Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life? (no. 48/1 of the Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions), celebrated with white vestments, or the Mass “For the Preservation of Peace and Justice? (no. 30 of the Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions), celebrated with violet vestments.”

In addition to this special Mass on this day, perhaps your parish, school or religious formation program could encourage traditional forms of penance, host pro-life and chastity speakers, lead informative projects that will directly build up the culture of life, show a pro-life DVD, raise funds for local crisis pregnancy centers or offer additional prayer services.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity


The Love of Life
Love is not merely a feeling, but is rather the desire for the best possible good for those whom we love. Through our natural intelligence and through Divine Revelation we become aware of the value of this most basic of all gifts which is life. Mere reason leads us to comprehend that it is better to be alive than never have had been in existence. The knowledge of the value of life that comes through revelation leads us to understand better this gift and to appreciate it: as a result, we worship and love more and more the Giver of this gift. This love is what moves us to protect the life of the unborn or any who might be unjustly treated. We are also led to protect women that might feel tempted or forced to commit abortion, as we know the devastating consequences that abortion will have in their lives. Last but not least we have to love, even if most of them seem to be utterly unlovable, the many perpetrators of abortion: medical personnel, and pro-abortion activists and politicians. We have to do everything that we can to convince them of their errors so that they repent and change their ways, both for their own benefit and for the benefit of society.

All human beings are created in the image and likeness of God. Using a traditional scholastic term, we can state that He is the exemplary cause of every human being, in other words, He is the model on which all human beings are created. He looked upon himself and wished that other beings would share in His own happiness. So if we reflect upon ourselves, we can begin to understand our participation in the greatness of our Creator. This participation on His greatness leads us to comprehend that He has brought us out of nothing with a purpose, because knowing His intelligence and His loving nature it is clear that all His actions are always guided by a magnificent purpose. The first intention for which He has created us is that we should enjoy for an eternity His loving company in Heaven. All human persons are called to this eternal and loving company, no one is excluded, save those who, through their own actions, exclude themselves.

This manner of creation brings us to understand the unique essential dignity of every human being. A dignity that is not lost for any deprivation of the many external perfections that we might expect to find in a human person. A person might be born with a disability, or may suffer disability through injury or disease, but these deprivations do not affect his basic dignity. A Christian also has the hope that one day when the doors of Paradise will be opened for those children, all their human imperfections will be healed and they will enjoy forever the beatific vision that we all long for.

We are also created to be collaborators in the salvation of the World. The Lord normally does not intervene directly in the world; He does it through our free collaboration in his plans of salvation. He gives to us the saving truths through Holy Scripture, our natural reason and the mediation of the Church and we have to manifest them in our daily lives. If we love those truths we should be impelled to share them with all whom the Lord places in front of us. So when we speak with love and conviction of those truths we cannot be accused of carrying out an exaggerated rhetoric when we defend human life from its biological beginning until natural death. Nobody in his right mind can call it "vitriolic rhetoric" when we denounce that millions upon millions of unborn babies have been killed in the womb in the U.S. and in the rest of the world. It is literally a question of life and death, for the victim, for the mother of the baby and for the perpetrator of abortion, assisted suicide or euthanasia. The victim will have his earthly life terminated; the mother will suffer greatly for her actions, and the perpetrator and the mother will live under the shadow of the unhappiness of having rejected the loving truths of their Creator and certainly they will place their eternal salvation in jeopardy. Our main solidarity has to be always with the victim of the crime, because if the conscience of the nation is not moved by this growing injustice, we know that a growing number will be victimized in the future. Our solidarity is also with the mothers of those babies because often they have been misled or forced into committing this terrible action.

Last but not least we wish and pray that all abortionists will understand the terrible consequences of their actions and be converted.

Excerpted from Spirit & Life, Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro-Carámbula, Interim President, Human Life International


St. Anastasius
The Martyrology relates: At Bethsaloen in Assyria, St. Anastasius, a Persian monk, who after suffering much at Caesarea in Palestine from imprisonment, stripes, and fetters, had to bear many afflictions from Chosroes, king of Persia, who caused him to be beheaded. He had sent before him to martyrdom seventy of his companions, who were drowned in a river. His head was brought to Rome, at Aquæ Salviæ, together with his revered image, by the sight of which demons are expelled, and diseases cured, as is attested by the Acts of the second Council of Nicea. The saint was venerated highly in Rome.


The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Day Five: Walking as Friends of Jesus

Today we reflect on the biblical images of human friendship and love as models for God’s love for every human being. Understanding ourselves as beloved friends of God has consequences for relationships within the community of Jesus. Within the Church, all barriers of exclusion are inconsistent within a community in which all are equally the beloved friends of Jesus.

Vatican Resources



26 posted on 01/22/2013 3:42:55 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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The Word Among Us

Meditation: Mark 2:23-28

2nd Week in Ordinary Time

The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. (Mark 2:27)

On this anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that opened the doors to legalized abortion, the Church asks us to pray for legal protection of the unborn. If you’ve ever seen a fence around a pasture, you can understand the need to pray for a change in our laws. We all know that a pasture fence helps keep the animals together and provides protection from outside dangers. Could the sheep stay together without a fence? It’s possible, but not likely. Sheep aren’t very good at regulating themselves, after all.

Laws function in a similar way. They set limits for human behavior. While God created us to gravitate toward the good, sin has altered our attractions, and we now have trouble making the right choices. Where our natural impulses may take us down the wrong path, a good law can correct our trajectory. It holds us to a higher standard and helps us to live peacefully with each other.

For the Israelites, the Sabbath law served as a structure that helped them remember all that God had done for them, that they belonged to him, and that he deserved their worship. Was their purpose in life to fulfill the Sabbath law? No. The law was made to help them live as God’s people. It was meant to bring them to a point where worship and respect for God would naturally flow from them. That’s why Jesus didn’t stop his disciples from picking grain. The Sabbath was less about work and more about people’s hearts.

So on this day of grim remembrance, let us take up the call to pray for just laws that protect the innocent. Such laws certainly would help stop the slaughter of unborn children. But even more important, laws protecting them could create some breathing room, an environment of safety until people’s hearts could come to a deeper and more lasting change. But let’s also pray for a transformation of minds and hearts, so that the protection of the unborn becomes a no-brainer. May we all work for both results: just laws and softened hearts!

“Heavenly Father, how it must sadden you to see innocent lives ended and women violated through abortion! By your grace, let justice and mercy become the guiding forces that shape our laws. Lord, let no helpless child perish!”

Hebrews 6:10-20; Psalm 111:1-2, 4-5, 9-10


27 posted on 01/22/2013 3:53:42 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
Mark
  English: Douay-Rheims Latin: Vulgata Clementina Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
  Mark 2
23 And it came to pass again, as the Lord walked through the corn fields on the sabbath, that his disciples began to go forward, and to pluck the ears of corn. Et factum est iterum Dominus sabbatis ambularet per sata, et discipuli ejus cœperunt progredi, et vellere spicas. και εγενετο παραπορευεσθαι αυτον εν τοις σαββασιν δια των σποριμων και ηρξαντο οι μαθηται αυτου οδον ποιειν τιλλοντες τους σταχυας
24 And the Pharisees said to him: Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? Pharisæi autem dicebant ei : Ecce, quid faciunt sabbatis quod non licet ? και οι φαρισαιοι ελεγον αυτω ιδε τι ποιουσιν εν τοις σαββασιν ο ουκ εξεστιν
25 And he said to them: Have you never read what David did when he had need, and was hungry himself, and they that were with him? Et ait illis : Numquam legistis quid fecerit David, quando necessitatem habuit, et esuriit ipse, et qui cum eo erant ? και αυτος ελεγεν αυτοις ουδεποτε ανεγνωτε τι εποιησεν δαυιδ οτε χρειαν εσχεν και επεινασεν αυτος και οι μετ αυτου
26 How he went into the house of God, under Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the loaves of proposition, which was not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave to them who were with him? quomodo introibit in domum Dei sub Abiathar principe sacerdotum, et panes propositionis manducavit, quos non licebat manducare, nisi sacerdotibus, et dedit eis qui cum eo erant ? πως εισηλθεν εις τον οικον του θεου επι αβιαθαρ αρχιερεως και τους αρτους της προθεσεως εφαγεν ους ουκ εξεστιν φαγειν ει μη τοις ιερευσιν και εδωκεν και τοις συν αυτω ουσιν
27 And he said to them: The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. Et dicebat eis : Sabbatum propter hominem factum est, et non homo propter sabbatum. και ελεγεν αυτοις το σαββατον δια τον ανθρωπον εγενετο ουχ ο ανθρωπος δια το σαββατον
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath also. Itaque Dominus est Filius hominis, etiam sabbati. ωστε κυριος εστιν ο υιος του ανθρωπου και του σαββατου

28 posted on 01/22/2013 5:51:39 PM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex
23. And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
24. And the Pharisees said to him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
25. And he said to them, Have you never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungered, he, and they that were with him?
26. How he went into the house of God, in the days of Abiathar the High Priest, and did eat the show-bread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
27. And he said to them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28. Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

PSEUD-CHRYS. The disciples of Christ, freed from the figure, and united to the truth, do not keep the figurative feast of the sabbath, wherefore it is said, And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

BEDE; We read also in the following part, that they who came and went away were many, and that they had not time enough to take their food, wherefore, according to man's nature, they were hungry.

CHRYS. But being hungry, they no ate simple food, not for pleasure, but on account of the necessity of nature. The Pharisees however, serving the figure and the shadow, accused the disciples of doing wrong. Wherefore there follows, But the Pharisees said to him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful.

AUG. For it was a precept in Israel, delivered by a written law, that no one should detain a thief found in his fields unless he tried to take something away with him. For the man, who had touched nothing else but what he had eaten, they were commanded to allow to go away free and unpunished. Wherefore the Jews accused our Lord's disciples, who were plucking the ears of corn, of breaking the sabbath, rather than of theft.

PSEUD-CHRYS. But our Lord brings forward David, to whom it once happened to eat though it was forbidden by the law, when he touched the Priest's food, that by his example, he might do away with their accusation of the disciples. For there follows, Have you never read, &c.

THEOPHYL. For David, when flying from the face of Saul, went to the Chief Priest, and ate the show-bread , and took away the sword of Goliath, which things had been offered to the Lord. But a question has been raised how the Evangelist called Abiathar at this time High Priest, when the Book of Kings calls him Abimelech.

BEDE; There is, however, no discrepancy, for both were there, when David came to ask for bread, and received it: that is to say, Abimelech, the High Priest, and Abiathar his son; but Abimelech having been slain by Saul, Abiathar fled to David, and became the Companion of all his exile afterwards. When he came to the throne, he himself also received the rank of High Priest, amid the son became of much greater excellence than the falter, and therefore was worthy to be mentioned as the High Priest, even during his father's life-time It goes on: And he said to them, the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.

For greater is the care to be taken of the health and life of a man, than the keeping of the sabbath. Therefore the sabbath was ordered to be observed in such a way, that, if there were a necessity, he should not be guilty, who broke the sabbath-day; therefore it was not forbidden to circumcise on the sabbath, because that was a necessary work. And the Maccabees, when necessity pressed on them, fought on the Sabbath-day. Wherefore, His disciples being hungry, what was not allowed in the law became lawful through their necessity of hunger; as now, if a sick man break a fast, he is not held guilty in any way.

It goes on: Therefore the Son of man is Lord, &c. As if he said, David the king is to be excused for feeding on the food of the priests, how much more the Son of man, the true King and Priest, and Lord of the sabbath, is free from fault, for pulling ears of corn on the sabbath-day.

PSEUD-CHRYS. He calls himself properly, Lord of the sabbath, and Son of man, since being the Son of God, he deigned to be called Son of man, for the sake of men. Now the law has no authority over the Lawgiver and Lord, for more is allowed the king, than is appointed by the law. The law is given to the weak indeed, but not to the perfect and to those who work above what the law enjoins.

BEDE; But in a mystical sense the disciples pass through the corn fields, when the holy doctors look with the care of a pious solicitude upon those whom they have initiated in the faith, and who, it is implied, are hungering for time best of all things, the salvation of men. But to pluck the ears of corn means to snatch men away from the eager desire of earthly things. And to rub with the hands is by examples of virtue to put from the purity of their minds the concupiscence of the flesh, as men do husks.

To eat the grains is when a man, cleansed from the filth of vice by the months of preachers, is incorporated amongst the members of the Church. Again, fitly are the disciples related to have done this, walking before the face of the Lord, for it is necessary that the discourse of the doctor should come first, although the grace of visitation from on high, following it, must enlighten the heart of the hearer. And well, on the sabbath-day, for the doctors themselves in preaching labor for the hope of future rest, and teach their hearers to toil over their tasks for the sake of eternal repose.

THEOPHYL. Or else, because when they have rest from their passions, then are they made doctors to head others to virtue, plucking away from them earthly things.

BEDE; Again, if they walk through the corn fields with the Lord, who rejoice in meditating upon His sacred words. They hunger, when they desire to find in them the bread of life; and they hunger on sabbath days, as soon as their minds are in a soothing rest, and they rejoice in freedom from troubled thoughts; they pluck the ears of corn, and by rubbing, cleanse them, till they come to what is fit to eat, when by meditation they take to themselves the witness of the Scriptures, to which they arrive by reading, and discuss them continually, until they find in them the marrow of love; this refreshment of the mind is truly unpleasing to fools, but is approved by the Lord.

Catena Aurea Mark 2
29 posted on 01/22/2013 5:52:24 PM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex


The Altar of Templo de Santa Rosa de Viterbo

18th century
Queretaro, Mexico

30 posted on 01/22/2013 5:53:13 PM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: All
 
Marriage = One Man and One Woman
Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for January 22, 2013:

(Reader’s Tip) Every anniversary we write love letters to each other and take a “couple” picture. Put them together in a binder to treasure for years to come.


31 posted on 01/22/2013 6:10:13 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Regnum Christi

Mankind in Dire Need
| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY
Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Father Walter Schu, LC

 

Mark 2:23-28

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. At this the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?" He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry? How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?" Then he said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.  That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."

Introductory Prayer:
Lord, the most important moment of my day has arrived. I am alone with you for a heart-to-heart talk. Who am I that you should want to spend this time with me; that you should want to pour yourself out to me? What a joy, what an honor, what a glory to be the follower of a king like you!

Petition:
Lord, help me to pray for and serve those who persecute me and  to win them over to the Gospel through love, just like you did.


1. “Unlawful on the Sabbath”:
How dire was mankind’s need for a Savior! The Jews were God’s chosen people; they had received God’s own revelation in the Old Testament. The Pharisees were the religious leaders of the Jewish people. Yet they buried God’s law so deeply beneath layers of man-made precepts that hungry men were not allowed to pick grain in order to eat on the Sabbath. The law had become an end in itself and had taken precedence over persons in need. How could mankind ever be led safely along the true path to salvation without becoming hopelessly entangled in the thickets of false rituals and arbitrary precepts? The Son of God, the Eternal Word of the Father, humbled himself to become the Son of Man in order to bring us the fullness of truth. But Christ did much more than bring us the fullness of God’s revelation. He gave us the strength, through his own life of grace within us, to live out that truth in our lives. Am I sufficiently tapped into that source of grace in my life?


2. Seeking to Win over Enemies:
If we were in Christ’s place, what would have been our reaction to the Pharisees? Perhaps we would have yielded to their imposing presence. Maybe we would have summoned up our courage and dismissed their intransigence without even deigning to reply. Christ reveals both his fearlessness and his goodness of heart by seeking to win them over. He quotes the Scriptures that they believe in and cites 1 Samuel 21:1-6. David and his men, fleeing from Saul, eat the holy bread of the Presence: twelve loaves placed each morning on the table in the sanctuary, as homage to the Lord from the twelve tribes of Israel. When they were withdrawn to make room for fresh ones, these loaves were reserved for the Levitical priests. Christ seeks to reveal to the Pharisees, in a way they can accept, that they have gone astray from true religion, in which love of God and neighbor takes precedence over following rules. Christ sums up the nature of true religion and points out the Pharisees’ error in one sublime sentence: “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.”  Do I perceive the burden Christ has given me as light? That is what he intends and promises. If I do not, why not?


3. Lord of the Sabbath:
Christ does not stop with revealing the nature and purpose of true religion. He makes a bold proclamation, one which must have stunned the Pharisees, and perhaps even widened the eyes of his own disciples: “The Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” Christ declares in no uncertain terms that his authority is equal to that of God himself, who instituted the Sabbath at the dawn of man’s creation. Christ wants from the Pharisees nothing less than an act of faith in his own divine person. His heart longs to save them. Christ yearns to bring to salvation everyone he encounters, including his enemies. Does my own zeal for souls bring me to reflect something of Christ’s courage and love when I am faced with opposition? Do I desire and seek what is good for everyone regardless of their attitude towards me?

Conversation with Christ:
Thank you, Lord, for becoming a man to save us in our dire need for you. Thank you for loving even your enemies and seeking to win them over to your new life. Help me to love more like you did. Help me to realize the value of a single soul.

Resolution:
I will pray and make sacrifices for someone who is persecuting me or the Church. Forgetting about myself, I will look for ways to bring them to experience the love of Christ.


32 posted on 01/22/2013 6:22:52 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

Repayment

 

by Food For Thought on January 22, 2013 · 

This gospel clearly defines that man is the apple of the eye of God. At the end of creation, God said it was good. It was good because it was all created for man. God wanted man to be happy, giving him paradise and everything that man needed. And the greatest proof of God’s love has been His ability to forgive man all the time, and to offer His only begotten Son, as ransom for man. When we offend God who is divine, the sin is not an ordinary sin against man, but against God, therefore needing also a divine sacrifice in the person of Jesus Christ. He was truly expiated and redeemed us from the ultimate fires of hell with his death and resurrection. We should truly be happy today, knowing that we are the center of attention of God, our Father. We should have gratitude and share this same spirit of love for others. The Sabbath, who has the highest value has been offered for man, therefore we should also offer all for our fellowman. Love your neighbor as yourself. Gratitude to God is shown when we love our neighbor. This is how we can repay God, by loving all those He loves, especially our fellowman.


33 posted on 01/22/2013 9:00:03 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 


<< Tuesday, January 22, 2013 >> St. Vincent
 
Hebrews 6:10-20
View Readings
Psalm 111:1-2, 4-5, 9-10 Mark 2:23-28
 

LOVING TO WORK

 
"Do not grow lazy." —Hebrews 6:12
 

The Lord could have worked out His plan of salvation without involving us, but He decided to make us parts of His body (see 1 Cor 12:12). He has chosen to accomplish His plan through our lives of good works (Eph 2:10). Therefore, it is extremely important for us to work hard for the Lord. Thus, the Lord commanded us to beg the Harvest Master to send workers into His harvest (Mt 9:38).

Because our work is so important, Satan tries to shut it down. He lies to us by saying our work is so meaningless that it will soon be forgotten by others and even by God. Yet, the truth is that God "will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him by your service, past and present, to His holy people" (Heb 6:10). Another tactic by which the devil tries to slow down or stop our work is planting doubt in us about the reward of our labors. We are tempted to wonder if our work will ever amount to much and even if "our reward will be great in heaven" (see Mt 5:12; 2 Tm 4:8). The truth is that we can be fully assured of that for which we hope and of inheriting God's promises (Heb 6:11-12; Mt 10:41-42). A third tactic Satan uses is to convince us to "take a break," that we have "done our share," and we now need to "take some time for ourselves." However, we "must never grow weary of doing what is right" (2 Thes 3:13).

Resist these temptations. Work hard and harder for the Lord (see Hg 2:4). "Our desire is that each of you show the same zeal till the end" (Heb 6:11).

 
Prayer: Father, may I work with my whole being for You (Col 3:23). St. Joseph the Worker, pray for me.
Promise: "The Son of Man is Lord even of the sabbath." —Mk 2:28
Praise: St. Vincent made Christ known throughout the Roman Empire and suffered extreme tortures as a testimony of his faith.

34 posted on 01/22/2013 9:02:04 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

35 posted on 01/22/2013 9:03:54 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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