Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 02-20-13

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 02-20-13 | Revised New American Bible

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February 20, 2013

Wednesday of the First Week in Lent

 

Reading 1 Jon 3:1-10

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
“Set out for the great city of Nineveh,
and announce to it the message that I will tell you.”
So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh,
according to the LORD’s bidding.
Now Nineveh was an enormously large city;
it took three days to go through it.
Jonah began his journey through the city,
and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing,
“Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,”
when the people of Nineveh believed God;
they proclaimed a fast
and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.

When the news reached the king of Nineveh,
he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe,
covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes.
Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh,
by decree of the king and his nobles:
“Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep,
shall taste anything;
they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water.
Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God;
every man shall turn from his evil way
and from the violence he has in hand.
Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath,
so that we shall not perish.”
When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,
he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;
he did not carry it out.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19

R. (19b) A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

Gospel Lk 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

[Salvation]

Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Lenten Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Jonah 3:1-10 Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19 Luke 11:29-32 Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear; for the King hath greatly desired thy beauty;. With thy comeliness and thy beauty, set out, proceed prosperously, and reign. -- Psalm 45:11,12

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Just A Minute (Listen) Some of EWTN's most popular hosts and guests in a collection of one minute inspirational messages. A different message each time you click.

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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. 

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Information: St. Eucherius

Feast Day:	February 20
Born:	687 AD, Orléans, France
Died:	20 February 743

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Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Eucherius

Feast Day: February 20
Born:696 :: Died:743

St. Eucherius was born in Orleans, France. He was very pious in his youth as he received a Christian upbringing and he was also highly educated.

A sentence from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians made a big impression on him: "This world as we see it is passing away" (1 Corinthians 7:31). It made Eucherius realize that our lives on this earth are very short and that heaven and hell last forever. He decided to seek the joys of heaven by living for God alone.

In 714, St. Eucherius left his rich home and entered a Benedictine abbey as a monk. There he spent seven years in close union with God. After the death of his uncle, the bishop of Orleans, the people asked for Eucherius to take his place.

Eucherius was then only twenty-five and he was very humble. He did not want to leave his beloved abbey. With tears, he begged to be allowed to remain alone with God in the monastery. But finally, he gave in for love of obedience. Eucherius became a holy, wise bishop and did much good to his priests and people.

A powerful man Charles Martel sold some of the Church's property to support his wars. Because Bishop Eucherius told him that was wrong, when Charles won the war, he had Eucherius taken prisoner.

He was sent away to Cologne in Germany. The people there greeted him with joy and he was given the job of distributing the governor's alms. Later he was transferred to a fort near Liege.

But the governor in whose charge Martel had placed the bishop was touched by Eucherius' meekness toward his enemies. Some time later, the governor quietly released the bishop from prison and sent him to a monastery. Here the saint spent all his time peacefully in prayer until his death in 743.

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Catholic

Almanac:

Wednesday, February 20
Liturgical Color: Green
Today is the optional memorial of Blessed Francesco and Blessed Jacinta Marto. They were 2 of the 3 children to which the Blessed Virgin appeared at Fatima in 1917. Pope John Paul II beatified them in 2000.

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Catholic Culture

Lent: February 20th

Wednesday of the First Week of Lent; Bls. Francisco & Jacinta Marto (Portugal)

Daily Readings for: February 20, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Look kindly, Lord, we pray, on the devotion of your people, that those who by self-denial are restrained in body may by the fruit of good works be renewed in mind. 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

• Portuguese Almond Torte

ACTIVITIES

• Teaching Self-Denial

PRAYERS

• Prayer for the First Week of Lent
• Lent Table Blessing 1
• Fatima Prayer of Reparation

LIBRARY

• Why the Christian Must Deny Himself | Austin G. Murphy

This feast can only be celebrated publicly in Portugal at the moment, but assuming Bl. Francisco and Jacinta Marto are eventually canonized, it will be then be possible to celebrate it universally. It is, however, possible to celebrate it privately in other parts of the world now.

Stational Church

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Blessed Francisco & Jacinta Marto
Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three children, Portuguese shepherds from Aljustrel, received apparitions of Our Lady at Cova da Iria, near Fatima, a city 110 miles north of Lisbon. At that time, Europe was involved in an extremely bloody war. Portugal itself was in political turmoil, having overthrown its monarchy in 1910; the government disbanded religious organizations soon after.

At the first appearance, Mary asked the children to return to that spot on the thirteenth of each month for the next six months. She also asked them to learn to read and write and to pray the rosary “to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war.” They were to pray for sinners and for the conversion of Russia, which had recently overthrown Czar Nicholas II and was soon to fall under communism. Up to 90,000 people gathered for Mary’s final apparition on October 13, 1917.

Less than two years later, Francisco died of influenza in his family home. He was buried in the parish cemetery and then re-buried in the Fatima basilica in 1952. Jacinta died of influenza in Lisbon, offering her suffering for the conversion of sinners, peace in the world and the Holy Father. She was re-buried in the Fatima basilica in 1951. Their cousin, Lucia dos Santos, became a Carmelite nun and was still living when Jacinta and Francisco were beatified in 2000. Sister Lucia died five years later. The shrine of Our Lady of Fatima is visited by up to 20 million people a year.

— Excerpted from Saint of the Day: Lives, Lessons and Feast by Leonard Foley, O.F.M.; revised by Pat McCloskey, O.F.M.

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Today's Station is at St. Mary Major. The spring Ember Week consecrated the new season to God and by prayer and fasting sought to obtain abundant graces for those who on Saturday were to receive Holy Orders. The Station was fittingly held in the church, which witnessed the first scrutinies for the coming ordinations, and which was dedicated to the mother of the great High Priest.

[Salvation]

 

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for February 20, 2013:

Did you resolve to pray more during Lent? End each evening by praying together, thanking God for your spouse and the blessings of the day.

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Vultus Christi

Pontifex Futurorum Bonorum

By

Father Mark

 on February 20, 2013 8:36 AM |

 

The Crucifix of San Gimignano (Benedetto da Maiano,1442-1497)

And although I am about to withdraw, I remain close to all of you in prayer, and I am sure that you too will be close to me, even if I am hidden from the world. (Pope Benedict XVI, 14 February 2013)

The call to adoration and reparation is, at the same time,
a call to silence, and to hiddenness,
and to separation from the world.

It was when Our Lord Jesus Christ was lifted up from the earth,
and held in the narrow enclosure of the Cross,
that He exercised His priesthood supremely
by offering Himself in sacrifice to His Father.

Suspended upon the Cross,
He entered into the silence and hiddenness of the Holy of Holies
and, there, He offered Himself as Victim to the Father.
The mystery of what He was doing was hidden,
even from the eyes of those looking on.

His disfigured Face, and bruised and bloodied Body
displayed nothing of the glory that shone upon Him
in this, the Hour of His sacrifice.

Even His most holy Mother,
who entered the Holy of Holies with Him
to make her offering in union with His,
saw and felt nothing of the Divine Glory
into which His oblation was received by the Father,
in the Holy Spirit.

The experience of the Mother of Sorrows
was one of silence, and hiddenness,
and separation from all that surrounded her in that Hour.
Mary is the model of all who would unite themselves
to the oblation of Jesus as victims.

Words are useless.
One must enter in, beyond the veil.
One must leave behind and outside
all consideration for earthly things.
In silence, in hiddenness, and in solitude
is Christ's one oblation made perfect in souls.

Consent, then, to become silent.
Accept to disappear.
Cherish hiddenness.
Leave all behind
to enter with Christ the Priest
into the inner sanctuary of His oblation to the Father.

Especially now,
in the light of the Holy Father's personal choice,
I see clearly that a monastery of adoration and reparation
must be characterized by silence,
and by hiddenness,
and by disappearance into the inner sanctuary beyond the veil.
There, and only there,
will souls be able to be offered in union with
the victimhood and priesthood of Jesus,
in a way that gives immense glory to the Father
and saves souls.

Learn from the contemplation of the Sacred Host
how to be silent,
how to disappear,
how to leave the world.
Look at Our Lord in the Sacrament of His redeeming love.
Is He not silent?
Is He not hidden?
Is He not separated from all things and, at the same time,
present to all things?
This is the pattern of our life here.
Prefer it to all else.

[Salvation]

Vultus Christi

The Supreme Rule of the Council

By

Father Mark

 on February 20, 2013 9:19 AM |

Our Benedictine Pope

In his address to the clergy of Rome last Thursday (14 February 2012), the Holy Father revealed something of his own profoundly Benedictine soul by quoting the Rule of Saint Benedict, and by giving us the text he quoted as the key to understanding and interpreting the Second Vatican Council. Operi Dei nihil praeponatur (Rule of Saint Benedict 43:3). In fact, the Holy Father calls this phrase "the supreme rule of the Council." Would that this "supreme rule" had been understood and implemented during the past fifty years!

Beginnings and Re-Beginnings

What the Holy Father declares, concerning the beginning of the Second Vatican Council, is an over-arching principle that must be applied to every beginning and to every re-beginning in the life of the Church. "It was, let us say, truly an act of Providence that at the beginning of the Council was the liturgy, God, adoration." Had this principle been applied to the new beginnings of diocesan and parish life, and to the new beginnings or re-foundings of religious life, what might the fruits have been?

It is, I think, never to late to begin again. Is this not one of the truths that the liturgy of Lent presents to us again and again? Who will have the courage to begin again, starting this time around from the supreme and indispensable terminus a quo: the liturgy, God, adoration.

The Liturgy, God, and Adoration

To begin with the liturgy is not to set about tinkering with it; it is to submit to it, as it is. To begin with God is not to engage in a critical analysis of theology; it is to to fall prostrate saying, "The Lord he is God, the Lord he is God" (1 Kings 18:39). To begin with adoration is, in the inspired words of the Cherubic Hymn of the Byzantine Divine Liturgy, "to lay aside all earthly cares" in homage to "the King of KIngs who comes escorted invisibly by Angelic hosts."

Questions

Not long ago, a religious wrote me expressing concern over the direction being taken, even now, by her Institute. My question to her and to other consecrated men and women would be: Was the reform and renewal of your Institute guided and directed by what Pope Benedict XVI calls "the supreme rule of the Council"? Did it begin in humble submission to the Sacred Liturgy as it was and as it is? Was the point of departure of all your deliberations God . . . or man? Was the ambiance in which your renewal unfolded one of adoration?

Now Is the Acceptable Time

The time of catering to the appetite for novelty, to the demands of itching ears, and to the voices of dissent repeating the latest secularist ideologies is over. Reflecting on the situation here in Ireland, it seems to me that "now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2) to begin afresh: with the liturgy, with God, with adoration. Operi Dei nihil praeponatur -- "Let nothing be preferred to the Work of God" (Rule of Saint Benedict 43:3). If this is, in fact, the supreme rule of the Council, then it must be the supreme rule for straightening the crooked paths of the past fifty years, for leveling the mountains of our accumulated ideological prejudices, and for rebuilding, in the Holy Spirit, a temple worthy of the thrice-holy God: the Body of Christ, His Church.

Excerpt from the Discourse of Pope Benedict XVI 14 February 2013

The Beauty, the Profundity of the Missal

After the First World War, Central and Western Europe had seen the growth of the liturgical movement, a rediscovery of the richness and depth of the liturgy, which until then had remained, as it were, locked within the priest's Roman Missal, while the people prayed with their own prayer books, prepared in accordance with the heart of the people, seeking to translate the lofty content, the elevated language of classical liturgy into more emotional words, closer to the hearts of the people. But it was as if there were two parallel liturgies: the priest with the altar-servers, who celebrated Mass according to the Missal, and the laity, who prayed during Mass using their own prayer books, at the same time, while knowing substantially what was happening on the altar. But now there was a rediscovery of the beauty, the profundity, the historical, human, and spiritual riches of the Missal and it became clear that it should not be merely a representative of the people, a young altar-server, saying "Et cum spiritu tuo", and so on, but that there should truly be a dialogue between priest and people: truly the liturgy of the altar and the liturgy of the people should form one single liturgy, an active participation, such that the riches reach the people. And in this way, the liturgy was rediscovered and renewed.

Operi Dei nihil praeponatur

I find now, looking back, that it was a very good idea to begin with the liturgy, because in this way the primacy of God could appear, the primacy of adoration. "Operi Dei nihil praeponatur": this phrase from the Rule of Saint Benedict (cf. 43:3) thus emerges as the supreme rule of the Council. Some have made the criticism that the Council spoke of many things, but not of God. It did speak of God! And this was the first thing that it did, that substantial speaking of God and opening up all the people, the whole of God's holy people, to the adoration of God, in the common celebration of the liturgy of the Body and Blood of Christ. In this sense, over and above the practical factors that advised against beginning straight away with controversial topics, it was, let us say, truly an act of Providence that at the beginning of the Council was the liturgy, God, adoration.

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Forgotten Gifts

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

 

Luke 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the Judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the Judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here."

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, in this Lenten season, I want to draw closer to you. I believe that you truly became one of us to save us as an act of love beyond all human understanding.  I know I can count on you to carry me through each day. I know that in all circumstances you are with me. I want to love you more than myself and say “yes” to your will in every moment. I trust totally in your grace. Thank you, Lord! This Lent, I want to learn to love you more, as you deserve . I want to be the person you want me to be.

Petition: Lord Jesus, help me to re-discover all the gifts you have given me and help me to use them to bear fruit.

1. Re-Discovering the Familiar: We all know the saying, “familiarity breeds contempt.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus’ contemporaries were in that situation regarding Jesus himself. He had already worked miracles, and his preaching and holiness of life were totally exceptional. Yet, some people were not satisfied, and Jesus rebukes them for seeking more signs. It’s all too easy for us to fall into this same attitude with our faith. Instead of appreciating the riches conserved in the tradition of the Church, many still look for extraordinary signs . The Beatitudes, or the Gospel accounts of Jesus raising people from the dead might seem boring, but private revelations and possible apparitions capture our imagination. Lent is a good time to go back to the basics, and re-encounter Our Lord in the Scripture and in the Mass, as if for the first time.

2. The “Sign of Jonah” Is a Sign for Me: Despite his harsh tone in the Gospel, Jesus actually does promise to give them a sign – “the sign of Jonah.” By this he means his death and resurrection, as he explains in the Gospel according to Matthew (12:40) . There could, in fact, be no greater sign than this and the celebration of the Pascal Mystery is the true climax to which the period of Lent is directed. The penitential character of these forty days can seem to belie their true meaning as a season of hope. Really, we’re purifying ourselves to participate in the death and resurrection of Christ!

3. Sharing Our Blessings: Jesus says to his listeners that they will be judged because they are not appreciating the gift they have before their eyes. It’s an invitation for us not only to appreciate all that we have received in the Church, but also to share it with others. The truths of our faith, which we commemorate and re-live in Lent and Easter, are not intended for us alone but for all humanity. Whether or not that message gets out depends on each one of us. What are we doing to share the true meaning of Lent and Easter with those around us?

Dialogue with Christ: Lord Jesus, help me to appreciate the great gifts you’ve given me in the Church – your presence in the Eucharist and in sacred Scripture, the sacraments, the testimony of the holy lives of so many saints – and in my own life through the work of your grace in my soul. I don’t need any more signs! Help me to share these gifts with the people I encounter by living what I profess – and by having the courage to speak about my faith.

Resolution: Today I will focus on what I am doing when I pray, read the Scripture, or participate in the liturgy. I will raise my level of awareness as if I were doing it for the first time.

[Salvation]

The Sign of Jonah

 

by Food For Thought on February 20, 2013 · 

Why is it that we ask for a “sign” before we believe in God’s love? Isn’t it enough of a sign that Jesus came and died on the cross for us?

In today’s reading, the sign of Jonah made the Ninevites repent. Yet, our generation, to whom God sent his Son, someone greater than Jonah or Solomon, refused to believe and repent. Jesus Christ is the sign for the present generation.

During this time of Lent, let us spend more time in prayer to strengthen our faith. The miracles we are waiting for are happening right now, every day in our lives; we are just too blinded to see them. Jesus showed us the way, all we need to do is follow him.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Wednesday, February 20, 2013 >>

Jonah 3:1-10
View Readings

Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19

Luke 11:29-32

TWO-TIMING

"The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time." —Jonah 3:1

 

God came to Jonah a second time (Jon 3:1), and a sinful city of 120,000 people repented (Jon 3:5; 4:11). Jesus came to Peter a second time (Jn 21:1ff), and soon three thousand people converted and were baptized (Acts 2:41).

We are called to spread God's Word, and the Lord gives us a major role to play in distributing His Word. Certainly, developing and exercising our spiritual and natural gifts, our creativity at spreading the Word of God and permeating the culture with the Gospel (Catechism, 899) are important. That's why God calls us and gifts us with the Holy Spirit. That's why we write this booklet! However, the biggest issue is not our abilities, but whether we will get off the couch and get to work.

Notice the parable of the sower and the seed (Mk 4:3). Jesus doesn't mention whether the sower was emotionally distressed, bitter, happy, or skillful. The only thing Jesus says about the sower is that he "went out sowing" (Mk 4:3). That is, the sower got up that morning and put the seed out. God's Word has power of its own (Is 55:10-11; Heb 4:12). It grows and spreads of itself (Mk 4:27), not because of the merits of whoever sows it.

"There is no chaining the word of God!" (2 Tm 2:9) So, Satan instead tries to persuade us to slip into some chains. If he can shackle us with chains of sin, addictions, compulsions, sloth, fear, apathy, etc., he's kept the Word of God from spreading as far as it otherwise would. Have you let God down? God lets you start a second time. Get out there and get out God's Word.

 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, may I be generous in doing Your will and spreading Your Word.

Promise: "The people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth." —Jon 3:5

Praise: Richard has spent three decades teaching the Bible to the elderly, adults, teenagers, and young children.

[Salvation]

Prayer for Those Who Are Terminally Ill

 

Lord Jesus, you healed so many people during your public ministry. I bring before you now, in prayer, all those who are terminally ill -- those afflicted with cancer, AIDS, and other illnesses.

 

Look lovingly and compassionately upon them. Let them feel the strength of your consolation. Help them and their families to accept this cross they are asked to carry.  Protect them from euthanasia, Lord.

 

Let them see you carrying their cross with them, at their side, as you once carried yours to Calvary. May Mary be there, too, to comfort them. 

 

Lord Jesus, I know and believe that, if it is your will, you can cure those I pray for (especially N.). I place my trust in you. I pray with faith, but I also pray as you did in Gethsemane: your will be done. 

 

Bless us, Lord, and hear my prayer. Amen.

 

Reprinted from "Queen of Apostles Prayerbook" with permission of copyright holder, Pauline Books & Media,