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From: Isaiah 49:8-15

The Lord’s Aid to the Returning Exiles (Continuation)

[8] Thus says the LORD:
“In a time of favor I have answered you,
in a day of salvation I have helped you;
I have kept you and given you
as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
to apportion the desolate heritages;
[9] saying to the prisoners, ‘Come forth,’
to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’
They shall feed along the ways,
on all bare heights shall be their pasture;
[10] they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall smite them,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them.
[11] And I will make all my mountains a way,
and my highways shall be raised up.
[12] Lo, these shall come from afar,
and lo, these from the north and from the west,
and these from the land of Syene.”
[13] Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the LORD has comforted his people,
and will have compassion on his afflicted.

The Restoration of Zion

[14] But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me,
my LORD has forgotten me?”
[15] “Can a woman forget her sucking child,
that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.”

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

49:7-13. The Lord, who has chosen his servant and commissioned him to reu-
nite the scattered tribes, shows special kindness to those who have come back
from exile or who are on the point of doing so. This important teaching comes
across very clearly in this somewhat heterogeneous passage.

It starts (v. 7) by contrasting the love of God and the humiliation of the chosen
people, who will eventually be exalted (cf. 52:13-15); some commentators see
the verse as part of the second Song of the Servant. The following stanza (vv.
8-9a) is addressed to those who have already returned home but who are de-
pressed by the terrible state of the country: the Lord cannot but be faithful and
he will grant salvation “in a time of favor” (v. 8). St Paul will apply this “time of
favor” to the coming of Christ (cf. 2 Cor 6:2). The final stanza (vv. 9b-13), ‘ad-
dressed to the repatriates, is a further attempt to raise the spirits of people who
have already returned home from all points of the compass (v. 12): “from afar”
probably means Mesopotamia and therefore the east; “the west”, literally, “the
Sea”, often used with that meaning (cf. 24:14); “Syene” or “Sinim”, that is, na-
tives of Syene, a city in the extreme south of Egypt, symbolizes the south in
general. Once again, the joy of the new exodus is mentioned, and the passage
ends with a brief but intense hymn of praise to God (v. 13). The point is made
repeatedly that God gives his beloved people special protection.

49:14-50:3. After the oracles concerning the servant, the prophet now focuses
on Zion, the city beloved of the Lord, to which people will come from all over, the
diaspora, to settle there. It will be a genuine miracle. The first verses speak very
movingly of God’s love for his people (49:14-20). The passage goes on, in a di-
dactic style, to stress that the Lord will bring about the liberation of Jerusalem
(49:21-26). It draws two comparisons—that of an eastern kingdom (49:22-23)
and that of mighty warrior (49:24-26); each ends with an assertion reminiscent
of Ezekiel’s message: “And you will know that I am the Lord” (cf. “Introduction
to Ezekiel”, p. 595, below). Finally (50:1-3), the sense of abandonment felt by
those in Jerusalem (cf. v. 14) is answered from another angle. Using the wed-
ding imagery first used by Hosea (cf. Hos 1-3), the prophet puts words in the
Lord’s mouth to the effect that the exile was not meant to be forever; it was not
irrevocable. There was no document written to terminate the marriage (cf. Deut
24:1-2, Jer 3:8); nor was the sale contract ever closed. Exile was a punishment
that had to happen; it was a temporary thing, provoked by the people’s sins.
But God keeps his promises; he will restore Zion; he is as mighty now as he
was at the time of the exodus, as he will demonstrate.

In the fullness of time, when Jesus brings salvation, this oracle will have even
greater significance: “In Jesus Christ God has established a new and everlasting
covenant with mankind. He has placed his almighty power at the service of our
salvation. When his creatures lose confidence and are afraid through lack of faith,
we hear once again the voice of Isaiah who speaks out in the name of the Lord:
‘Is my hand too short to redeem? Have I not strength to save?” (St Josemaria
Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 190).

49:15-16. The image of the mother who can never forget her children (v. 15) is
one of the most beautiful metaphors used in the Bible to describe the love that
God has for his people; it has been echoed by spiritual writers down the ages.
Bl. John Paul II applied it with reference to the merciful love that God shows
his own—the “rahamin” in Hebrew, a word that derives from maternal love (”re-
hem” means motherly embrace). Like a mother, God has borne mankind, and
especially the chosen people, in his womb; he has given birth to it in pain, has
nourished and consoled it (cf. 42:14; 46:3-4): “From the deep and original bond
— indeed the unity — that links a mother to her child there springs a particular re-
lationship to the child, a particular love. Of this love one can say that it is com-
pletely gratuitous, not merited, and that in this aspect it constitutes an interior
necessity: an exigency of the heart. It is, as it were, a ‘feminine’ variation of the
masculine fidelity: to self expressed by “hesed”. Against this psychological
background, “rahamin” generates a whole range of feelings, including goodness
and tenderness, patience and understanding, that is, readiness to forgive. [...]
This love, faithful and invincible thanks to the mysterious power of motherhood,
is expressed in the Old Testament texts in various ways: as salvation from dan-
gers, especially from enemies; also as forgiveness of sins—of individuals and
also of the whole of Israel; and finally in readiness to fulfill the (eschatological)
promise and hope in spite of human infidelity” (”Dives In Misericordia”, note 52;
cf. “Mulieris Dignitatem”, 8).

The first words of v. 16 are another graphic description of the love of God; and
so we find Bl. John Paul II using them in an exhortation on that subject “Dear
young people, receive the love that God first gives you (cf. 1 Jn 4:19). Hold fast
to this certainty, the only one that can give meaning, strength and joy to life: his
love will never leave you, his covenant of peace will never be removed from you
(cf. Is 54:10). He has stamped your name on the palms of his hands (cf. Is 49:
16)” (”World Youth Day”, 6 January 1997).

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

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

From: John 5:17-30

The Cure of a Sick Man at the Pool at Bethzatha (Continuation)

[17] But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working still, and I am working.”
[18] This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not
only broke the Sabbath but also called God His Father, making Himself equal
with God.

Christ Defends His Action

[19] Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of His
own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing; for whatever He does, that
the Son does likewise. [20] For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all that
He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you
may marvel. [21] For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also
the Son gives life to whom He will. [22] The Father judges no one, but has given
all judgment to the Son, [23] that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the
Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
[24] Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent
Me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death
to life.

[25] “Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will
hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. [26] For as the
Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself,
[27] and has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of
Man. [28] Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the
tombs will hear His voice [29] and come forth, those who have done good, to the
resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.

[30] “I can do nothing on My own authority; as I hear, I judge; and My judgment
is just, because I seek not My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.”

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

17-18. “My Father is working still, and I am working”: we have already said that
God is continually acting. Since the Son acts together with the Father, who with
the Holy Spirit are the one and only God, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
can say that He is always working. These words of Jesus contain an implicit re-
ference to His divinity: the Jews realize this and they want to kill Him because
they consider it blasphemous. “We all call God our Father, who is in Heaven (Is-
aiah 63:16; 64:8). Therefore, they were angry, not at this, that He said God was
His Father, but that He said it in quite another way than men. Notice: the Jews
understand what Arians do not understand. Arians affirm the Son to be not equal
to the Father, and that was why this heresy was driven from the Church. Here,
even the blind, even the slayers of Christ, understand the works of Christ” (St.
Augustine, “In Ioann. Evang., 17, 16). We call God our Father because through
grace we are His adopted children; Jesus calls Him His Father because He is
His Son by nature. This is why He says after the Resurrection: “I am ascending
to My Father and your Father” (John 20:17), making a clear distinction between
the two ways of being a son of God.

19. Jesus speaks of the equality and also the distinction between Father and
Son. The two are equal: all the Son’s power is the Father’s, all the Son does
the Father does; but they are two distinct persons: which is why the Son does
what He has seen the Father do.

These words of our Lord should not be taken to mean that the Son sees what
the Father does and then does it Himself, like a disciple imitating his master;
He says what He says to show that the Father’s powers are communicated to
the Son through generation. The word “see” is used because men come to
know things through the senses, particularly through the sight; to say that the
Son sees what the Father does is a way of referring to all the powers which He
receives from Him for all eternity (cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, “Comm. on St. John,
in loc.”).

20-21. When He says that the Father shows the Son “all that He Himself is do-
ing”, this means that Christ can do the same as the Father. Thus, when Jesus
does things which are proper to God, He is testifying to His divinity through them
(cf. John 5:36).

“Greater works”: this may be a reference to the miracles Jesus will work during
His lifetime and to His authority to execute judgment. But THE miracle of Jesus
was His own resurrection, the cause and pledge of our own (cf. 1 Corinthians
15:20ff), and our passport to supernatural life. Christ, like His Father, has unli-
mited power to communicate life. This teaching is developed in verses 22-29.

22-30. Authority to judge has also been given by the Father to the Incarnate
Word. Whoever does not believe in Christ and in His word will be condemned (cf.
3:18). We must accept Jesus Christ’s lordship; by doing so we honor the Father;
if we do not know the Son we do not know the Father who sent Him (verse 23).
Through accepting Christ, through accepting His word, we gain eternal life and
are freed from condemnation. He, who has taken on human nature which He will
retain forever, has been established as our judge, and His judgment is just, be-
cause He seeks to fulfill the Will of the Father who sent Him, and He does no-
thing on His own account: in other words, His human will is perfectly at one with
His divine will; which is why Jesus can say that He does not do His own will but
the Will of Him who sent Him.

22. God, being the Creator of the world, is the supreme Judge of all creation. He
alone can know with absolute certainty whether the people and things He has
created achieve the end He has envisaged for them. Jesus Christ, the Incarnate
Word, has received divine authority (cf. Matthew 11:27; 28:18; Daniel 7:14), inclu-
ding the authority to judge mankind. Now, it is God’s will that everyone should be
saved: Christ did not come to condemn the world but to save it (cf. John 12:47).
Only someone who refuses to accept the divine mission of the Son puts himself
outside the pale of salvation. As the Church’s Magisterium teaches: “He claimed
judicial power as received from His Father, when the Jews accused Him of brea-
king the Sabbath by the miraculous cure of a sick man. [...] In this power is in-
cluded the right of rewarding and punishing all men, even in this life” (Pius XI,
Quas Primas, Dz-Sch 3677”). Jesus Christ, therefore, is the Judge of the living
and the dead, and will reward everyone according to his works (cf. 1 Peter 1:17).

“We have, I admit, a rigorous account to give of our sins; but who will be our
judge? The Father [...] has given all judgment to the Son. Let us be comforted:
the eternal Father has placed our cause in the hands of our Redeemer Himself.
St. Paul encourages us, saying, Who is [the judge] who is to condemn us? It is
Jesus Christ, who died [...] who indeed intercedes for us (Romans 8:34). It is the
Savior Himself, who, in order that He should not condemn us to eternal death,
has condemned Himself to death for our sake, and who, not content with this,
still continues to intercede for us in Heaven with God His Father” (St. Alphonsus
Liguori, “The Love of Our Lord Jesus Christ Reduced To Practice”, Chapter 3).

24. There is also a close connection between hearing the word of Christ and be-
lieving in Him who sent Him, that is, in the Father. Whatever Jesus Christ says
is divine revelation; therefore, accepting Jesus’ words is equivalent to believing in
God the Father: “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me, but in Him who sent
Me.... For I have not spoken on My own authority; the Father who sent Me has
Himself given Me the commandment what to say and what to speak” (John 12:
44, 49).

A person with faith is on the way to eternal life, because even in this earthly life
he is sharing in divine life, which is eternal; but he has not yet attained eternal
life in a definitive way (for he can lose it), nor in a full way: “Beloved, we are God’s
children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He
appears we shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2). If a person stays firm in the faith and
lives up to its demands, God’s judgment will not condemn him but save him.

Therefore, it makes sense to strive, with the help of grace, to live a life consistent
with the faith: “If men go to so much trouble and effort to live here a little longer,
ought they not strive so much harder to live eternally?” (St. Augustine, “De Verb.
Dom. Serm.”, 64).

25-30. These verses bring the first part of our Lord’s discourse to a close (it runs
from 5:19 to 5:47); its core is a revelation about His relationship with His Father.
To understand the statement our Lord makes here we need to remember that,
because He is a single (divine) person, a single subject of operations, a single I,
He is expressing in human words not only His sentiments as a man but also the
deepest dimension of His being: He is the Son of God, both in His generation in
eternity by the Father, and in His generation in time through taking up human
nature. Hence Jesus Christ has a profound awareness (so profound that we can-
not even imagine it) of His Sonship, which leads Him to treat His Father with a
very special intimacy, with love and also with respect; He is aware also of His
equality with the Father; therefore when He speaks about the Father having gi-
ven Him life (verse 26) or authority (verse 27), it is not that He has received part
of the Father’s life or authority: He has received absolutely all of it, without the
Father losing any.

“Do you perceive how their equality is shown and that they differ in one respect
only, namely, that one is the Father, while the other is the Son? The expression
‘He has given’ implies this distinction only, and shows that all other attributes are
equal and without difference. From this it is clear that He does everything with
as much authority and power as the Father and is not endowed with power from
some outside source, for He has life as the Father has” (St. John Chrysostom,
“Hom. on St. John”, 39, 3).

One of the amazing things about these passages of the Gospel is how Jesus
manages to express the sentiments of God-Man despite the limitations of human
language: Christ, true God, true man, is a mystery which the Christian should
contemplate even though he cannot understand it: he feels bathed in a light so
strong that it is beyond understanding, yet fills his soul with faith and with a de-
sire to worship his Lord.

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

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

Readings at Mass

First reading	Isaiah 49:8-15 ©

Thus says the Lord:

At the favourable time I will answer you,

on the day of salvation I will help you.

(I have formed you and have appointed you

as covenant of the people.)

I will restore the land

and assign you the estates that lie waste.

I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out’,

to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’

On every roadway they will graze,

and each bare height shall be their pasture.

They will never hunger or thirst,

scorching wind and sun shall never plague them;

for he who pities them will lead them

and guide them to springs of water.

I will make a highway of all the mountains,

and the high roads shall be banked up.

Some are on their way from afar,

others from the north and the west,

others from the land of Sinim.

Shout for joy, you heavens; exult, you earth!

You mountains, break into happy cries!

For the Lord consoles his people

and takes pity on those who are afflicted.

For Zion was saying, ‘The Lord has abandoned me,

the Lord has forgotten me.’

Does a woman forget her baby at the breast,

or fail to cherish the son of her womb?

Yet even if these forget,

I will never forget you.

Psalm	Psalm 144:8-9,13-14,17-18 ©

The Lord is kind and full of compassion.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

How good is the Lord to all,

compassionate to all his creatures.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion.

The Lord is faithful in all his words

and loving in all his deeds.

The Lord supports all who fall

and raises all who are bowed down.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion.

The Lord is just in all his ways

and loving in all his deeds.

He is close to all who call him,

who call on him from their hearts.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion.

Gospel Acclamation	Jn3:16

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son:

everyone who believes in him has eternal life.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Or	Jn11:25, 26

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;

whoever believes in me will never die.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Gospel	John 5:17-30 ©

Jesus said to the Jews, ‘My Father goes on working, and so do I.’ But that only made them even more intent on killing him, because, not content with breaking the sabbath, he spoke of God as his own Father, and so made himself God’s equal.

To this accusation Jesus replied:

‘I tell you most solemnly,

the Son can do nothing by himself;

he can do only what he sees the Father doing:

and whatever the Father does the Son does too.

For the Father loves the Son

and shows him everything he does himself,

and he will show him even greater things than these,

works that will astonish you.

Thus, as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,

so the Son gives life to anyone he chooses;

for the Father judges no one;

he has entrusted all judgement to the Son,

so that all may honour the Son

as they honour the Father.

Whoever refuses honour to the Son

refuses honour to the Father who sent him.

I tell you most solemnly,

whoever listens to my words,

and believes in the one who sent me,

has eternal life;

without being brought to judgement

he has passed from death to life.

I tell you most solemnly,

the hour will come – in fact it is here already –

when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,

and all who hear it will live.

For the Father, who is the source of life,

has made the Son the source of life;

and, because he is the Son of Man,

has appointed him supreme judge.

Do not be surprised at this,

for the hour is coming when the dead will leave their graves

at the sound of his voice:

those who did good will rise again to life;

and those who did evil, to condemnation.

I can do nothing by myself;

I can only judge as I am told to judge,

and my judging is just,

because my aim is to do not my own will,

but the will of him who sent me.’

Benedict XVI's Final General Audience
On Ash Wednesday
On God As Creator of Heaven and Earth
On Abraham's Faith
On Christ As Mediator Between God and Man
On the Incarnation
On God the Almighty Father
Year of Faith: Indulgences and Places of Pilgrimage [Ecumenical]
On the Identity of Jesus

On the Faith of Mary, the Virgin Mother of Christ
Father Cantalamessa's 1st Advent Sermon (Catholic Caucus)
On The Unfolding of God's Self-Revelation
On the Beauty of God's Plan of Salvation
On Bearing Witness to the Christian Faith
On the Splendor of God's Truth
On the Knowledge of God
Archbishop Chaput says Year of Faith holds solution to relativism
Following the Truth: The Year Of Faith – 10 Things You Should Know [Catholic Caucus]
Papal Encyclical on Faith Announced

On the Desire for God
On the Ecclesial Nature of Faith
On the Nature of Faith
Catechism's benefits explained for Year of Faith (Catholic Caucus)
A Life of Faith: Papal Theologian Speaks on the Grace of Faith
ASIA/LAOS - "Year of Faith" amid the persecutions of Christians forced to become "animists"
From no faith to a mountain-top of meaning: Father John Nepil (Catholic Caucus)
Living the Year of Faith: How Pope Benedict Wants You to Begin [Catholic Caucus]
Share Your Faith in This Year of Faith: Two keys to help you do it.
On A New Series of Audiences for The Year of Faith

Pope will deliver year-long teaching series on restoring faith
Pope Benedict XVI Grants Plenary Indulgence to Faithful [Catholic Caucus]
Pope, at Marian shrine, entrusts Year of Faith, synod to Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Catholic Church Calls for Public Prayers in Offices on Fridays
Highlights in the Plan for Year of Faith: Traditional Events Will Take on Special Perspective
Catholic Church calls for public prayers in offices on Fridays
Vatican Unveils Logo for Year of Faith [Catholic Caucus]
Miami Prelate Recalls Pope's Visit to Cuba, Looks to Year of Faith [Catholic Caucus]
The World-Changing Year of Faith [Catholic Caucus]
Vatican to Issue Recommendations for Celebrating Year of Faith

Your Guide To A Catholic Lent
Following the Truth: Lent: Becoming Uncomfortable About Being Comfortable [Catholic and Open]
Following the Truth: Spiritual Exercises – Week One [of Lent] In Review
Clerical Narcissism and Lent
Content of Pope's Lenten spiritual exercises revealed
How Lent Can Make a Difference in Your Relationship with God (Ecumenical Thread)
A Call from the FSSP French District: offer up your Lent for Catholic Unity [Catholic Caucus]
A Call from the FSSP French District: offer up your Lent for Catholic Unity [Catholic Caucus]
On the 40 Days of Lent
Christians Tailor Lent Outside Catholic Traditions
Christians Tailor Lent Outside Catholic Traditions
Lent, A Time to Shoulder Our Christian Responsibilities
Consecrate this Lent to Jesus through Mary, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity [Catholic Caucus]
Opinion: Lent for Redacted [Ekoomenikal]

Ash (or Clean) Monday - Lent Begins (for some Catholics) - February 20, 2012
[Why I Am Catholic]: Lent And Holy Week (A Primer) [Catholic Caucus]
Lent, A Time to Give from the Heart [Catholic caucus}
Learning the beatitudes during Lent -- use your Rosary to learn the Beatitutdes [Catholic Caucus]
Lenten Ember Days: March 16th, 18th, and 19th, 2011 (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
St. Vincent Ferrer - Sermon for the First Sunday of Lent [Ecumenical]
Pope describes ‘Lenten road’ that leads to renewal
St. Andrew of Crete, Great Canon of Repentance - Tuesday's portion (Orthodox/Latin Caucus)
The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete (Monday's portion) [Orth/Cath Caucus]
Penance and Reparation: A Lenten Meditation(Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
For Lent - Top 10 Bible Verses on Penance
Cana Sunday: Entrance into Great Lent
2011 Catechetical Homily on the opening of Holy and Great Lent
8 Ways to Pray During Lent [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Baptists, Lent, and the Rummage Sale
So What Shall We Do during These Forty Days of Lent? [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Lenten Traditions (Catholic Caucus)
Are You Scrupulous? A Lenten Homily by John Cardinal O’Connor
Blow the Trumpet! Call the Assembly! The Blessings of Fasting
Lenten Challenges

Lent and the Catholic Business Professional (Interview)
Temptations Correspond to Our Vulnerabilities: Biblical Reflection for 1st Sunday of Lent
A Lenten “Weight” Loss Program
On the Lenten Season
Lent 2010: Pierce Thou My Heart, Love Crucified [Catholic Caucus]
US seminarians begin Lenten pilgrimage to Rome's ancient churches
Conversion "is going against the current" of an "illusory way of life"[Pope Benedict XVI for Lent]
vanity] Hope you all make a good Lent [Catholic Caucus]
Lent -- Easter 2010, Reflections, Prayer, Actions Day by Day
Stational Churches (Virtually visit one each day and pray)
40 Ways to Get the Most Out of Lent!
What to Give Up (for Lent)? The List
On the Spiritual Advantages of Fasting [Pope Clement XIII]
Christ's temptation and ours (Reflection for the First Sunday of Lent)
Pope Benedict XVI Message for Lent 2010 (Feb 15 = Ash Monday & Feb 17 = Ash Wednesday)
Whatever happened to (Lenten) obligations? [Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving]Archbishop John Vlazny
Vatican Presents Lenten Website: LENT 2009
A Scriptural Way of the Cross with Meditations by Saint Alphonsus Liguori (Lenten Prayer/Devotional)
Prayer, Fasting and Mercy by St. Peter Chrysologus, Early Church Father [Catholic Caucus]
History of Lent (Did the Church always have this time before Easter?)

Beginning of Lent
Lent (Catholic Encyclopedia - Caucus Thread)
At Lent, let us pray for the Pope (converts ask us to pray for the pope)
Daily Lenten Reflections 2009
LENTEN STATIONS [Stational Churches for Lent] (Catholic Caucus)
40 Days for Life campaign is now under way (February 25 - April 5]
This Lent, live as if Jesus Christ is indeed Lord of your life
Reconciliation, forgiveness, hope – and Lent
Intro to Fast and Abstinence 101
Lent: Why the Christian Must Deny Himself (with Scriptural references)
40 Ways to Improve Your Lent
Everything Lent (Lots of links)
The Best Kind of Fasting
Getting Serious About Lent
Lent Overview
Meditations on the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ [Devotional]
On Lent... and Lourdes (Benedict XVI's Angelus address)
Lent for Newbies
Lent -- 2008 -- Come and Pray Each Day
Lent: Why the Christian Must Deny Himself

Lenten Workshop [lots of ideas for all]
Lent and Reality
Forty Days (of Lent) [Devotional/Reflections]
Pope Benedict takes his own advice, plans to go on retreat for Lent
GUIDE FOR LENT - What the Catholic Church Says
Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI for Lent 2008
40 Days for Life: 2008 Campaigns [Lent Registration this week]
Vatican Web Site Focuses on Lent
Almsgiving [Lent]
Conversion Through Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving [Lent]
Lenten Stations -- Stational Churches - visit each with us during Lent {Catholic Caucus}
Something New for Lent: Part I -- Holy Souls Saturdays
Reflections for Lent (February, March and April, 2007)
Lent 2007: The Love Letter Written by Pope Benedict
Pre-Lent through Easter Prayer and Reflections -- 2007
Stations of the Cross [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
For study and reflection during Lent - Mind, Heart, Soul [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Ash Wednesday and the Lenten Fast-Family observance Lenten season [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Pre-Lenten Days -- Family activities-Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras)[Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
40 Ways to Get the Most Out of Lent! [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]

Lenten Fasting or Feasting? [Catholic Caucus]
Pope's Message for Lent-2007
THE TRUE NATURE OF FASTING (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
The Triduum and 40 Days
The Three Practices of Lent: Praying, Fasting. Almsgiving
Why We Need Lent
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI FOR LENT 2006
Lent a Time for Renewal, Says Benedict XVI
Why You Should Celebrate Lent
Getting the Most Out of Lent
Lent: A Time to Fast >From Media and Criticism Says President of Pontifical Liturgical Institute
Give it up (making a Lenten sacrifice)
The History of Lent
The Holy Season of Lent -- Fast and Abstinence
The Holy Season of Lent -- The Stations of the Cross
Lent and Fasting
Mardi Gras' Catholic Roots [Shrove Tuesday]
Kids and Holiness: Making Lent Meaningful to Children
Ash Wednesday
All About Lent

40 Days for Life: Vision and Mission, February 13 - March 24, 2013

Perpetual Novena for the Nation (Ecumenical)

Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)

Prayer for the Election of a New Pope

Jesus, High Priest

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

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

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

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

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

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

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

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

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

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

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

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

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

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

Pray the Rosary

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

2. The Apostles Creed: II BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

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

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

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

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

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

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

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

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

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary

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

The Sorrowful Mysteries
(Tuesdays and Fridays)
1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God's will be done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in our heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient bearing of trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]

~ PRAYER ~

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

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

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:

"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"

PLEASE JOIN US -

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

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

March Devotion: Saint Joseph

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. Due to the solemnity of Saint Joseph on March 19, this month is devoted to this great saint, the foster father of Christ. "It greatly behooves Christians, while honoring the Virgin Mother of God, constantly to invoke with deep piety and confidence her most chaste spouse, Saint Joseph. We have a well grounded conviction that such is the special desire of the Blessed Virgin herself." --Pope Leo XIII

FOR OUR WORK
Glorious Saint Joseph, pattern of all who are devoted to toil, obtain for me the grace to toil in the spirit of penance, in order thereby to atone for my many sins; to toil conscientiously, putting devotion to duty before my own inclinations; to labor with thankfulness and joy, deeming it an honor to employ and to develop, by my labor, the gifts I have received from Almighty God; to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties; to work above all with a pure intention and with detachment from self, having always before my eyes the hour of death and the accounting which I must then render of time ill-spent, of talents unemployed, of good undone, and of my empty pride in success, which is so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all through Mary, all in imitation of thee, 0 Patriarch Joseph! This shall be my motto in life and in death. Amen.

FOR THE INTERCESSION OF SAINT JOSEPH
O Joseph, virgin-father of Jesus, most pure spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray every day for us to the same Jesus, the Son of God, that we, being defended by the power of His grace and striving dutifully in life, may be crowned by Him at the hour of death.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

St. Joseph
St. Joseph was an ordinary manual laborer although descended from the royal house of David. In the designs of Providence he was destined to become the spouse of the Mother of God. His high privilege is expressed in a single phrase, "Foster-father of Jesus." About him Sacred Scripture has little more to say than that he was a just man-an expression which indicates how faithfully he fulfilled his high trust of protecting and guarding God's greatest treasures upon earth, Jesus and Mary.

The darkest hours of his life may well have been those when he first learned of Mary's pregnancy; but precisely in this time of trial Joseph showed himself great. His suffering, which likewise formed a part of the work of the redemption, was not without great providential import: Joseph was to be, for all times, the trustworthy witness of the Messiah's virgin birth. After this, he modestly retires into the background of holy Scripture.

Of St. Joseph's death the Bible tells us nothing. There are indications, however, that he died before the beginning of Christ's public life. His was the most beautiful death that one could have, in the arms of Jesus and Mary. Humbly and unknown, he passed his years at Nazareth, silent and almost forgotten he remained in the background through centuries of Church history. Only in more recent times has he been accorded greater honor. Liturgical veneration of St. Joseph began in the fifteenth century, fostered by Sts. Brigid of Sweden and Bernadine of Siena. St. Teresa, too, did much to further his cult.

At present there are two major feasts in his honor. On March 19 our veneration is directed to him personally and to his part in the work of redemption, while on May 1 we honor him as the patron of workmen throughout the world and as our guide in the difficult matter of establishing equitable norms regarding obligations and rights in the social order.

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

St. Joseph is invoked as patron for many causes. He is the patron of the Universal Church. He is the patron of the dying because Jesus and Mary were at his death-bed. He is also the patron of fathers, of carpenters, and of social justice. Many religious orders and communities are placed under his patronage.

Patron: Against doubt; against hesitation; Americas; Austria; Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; California; Belgium; Bohemia; bursars; cabinetmakers; Canada; Carinthia; carpenters; China; Church; confectioners; craftsmen; Croatian people (in 1687 by decree of the Croatian parliament) dying people; emigrants; engineers; expectant mothers; families; fathers; Florence, Italy; happy death; holy death; house hunters; immigrants; interior souls; Korea; laborers; Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin; Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky; Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire; Mexico; Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee; New France; New World; Oblates of Saint Joseph; people in doubt; people who fight Communism; Peru; pioneers; pregnant women; protection of the Church; Diocese of San Jose, California; diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; social justice; Styria, Austria; travelers; Turin Italy; Tyrol Austria; unborn children Universal Church; Vatican II; Viet Nam; Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston West Virginia; wheelwrights; workers; working people.

Symbols: Bible; branch; capenter's square; carpenter's tools; chalice; cross; hand tools; infant Jesus; ladder; lamb; lily; monstrance; old man holding a lily and a carpenter's tool such as a square; old man holding the infant Jesus; plane; rod.

Prayer to St. Joseph

Pope Pius X composed this prayer to St. Joseph, patron of working people, that expresses concisely the Christian attitude toward labor. It summarizes also for us the lessons of the Holy Family's work at Nazareth.

Glorious St. Joseph, model of all who devote their lives to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in the spirit of penance in order thereby to atone for my many sins; to work conscientiously, setting devotion to duty in preference to my own whims; to work with thankfulness and joy, deeming it an honor to employ and to develop by my labor the gifts I have received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties; to work above all with a pure intention and with detachment from self, having always before my eyes the hour of death and the accounting which I must then render of time ill spent, of talents wasted, of good omitted, and of vain complacency in success, which is so fatal to the work of God.

All for Jesus, all through Mary, all in imitation of you, O Patriarch Joseph! This shall be my motto in life and in death, Amen.

Litany of Saint Joseph
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Joseph, pray for us.
Illustrious Son of David, pray for us.
Light of the Patriarchs, pray for us.
Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.
Chaste Guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.
Foster-Father of the Son of God, pray for us.
Faithful Protector of Christ, pray for us.
Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.
Joseph most just, pray for us.
Joseph most chaste, pray for us.
Joseph most prudent, pray for us.
Joseph most courageous, pray for us.
Joseph most obedient, pray for us.
Joseph most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of patience, pray for us.
Lover of poverty, pray for us.
Model of working men, pray for us.
Ornament of the domestic life, pray for us.
Guardian of virgins, pray for us.
Pillar of the family, pray for us.
Consoler of the miserable, pray for us.
Hope of the sick, pray for us.
Patron of the dying, pray for us.
Terror of demons, pray for us.
Protector of the Holy Church, pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
V. He hath made him master of His house.
R. And ruler of all His possessions.

Let us pray.
O God, who in Thy ineffable providence didst vouchsafe to choose blessed Joseph to be the Spouse of Thy most holy Mother: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may have him for our intercessor in Heaven, whom on earth we venerate as out most holy Protector. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

Was St. Joseph a tzadik?
St. Joseph: Patron saint of three Popes [Catholic Caucus]
St. Joseph and the Staircase
St. Joseph, Foster Father, Novena [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Patron of a “Happy Death” A Special Role for St. Joseph [Catholic/Orhtodox Caucus]
Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With: The 7 Sorrows and 7 Joys of St. Joseph
Catholic Group Blasts Pelosi For Invoking St. Joseph on Pro-Abortion Health Care Bill
THE SEVEN SORROWS AND SEVEN JOYS OF ST. JOSEPH
Joseph, Mary and Jesus: A Model Family
Season of Announcement - Revelation to Joseph

In hard times, don't forget about the humble carpenter Joseph
Saint Joseph: Complete submission to the will of God (Pope Benedict XVI) (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
St. Joseph as Head of the Holy Family (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
St. Joseph, Patron of a Peaceful Death [Catholic Caucus]
Octave: St. Joseph, A 'Man’s Man', Calling Men to Jesus
St. Teresa de Avila's Devotion to St. Joseph (Catholic Caucus)
Catholic Men's National Day of Prayer, MARCH 15, 2008, The Solemnity of St. Joseph (Catholic Caucus)
The Role and Responsibility of Fatherhood - St. Joseph as Model
St. Joseph - Foster Father of Jesus
Some divine intervention in real estate-[Bury St. Joseph Statues in Ground]

Many Turn To Higher Power For Home Sales
St. Joseph the Worker, Memorial, May 1
Catholic Devotions: St. Joseph the Worker
Nothing Will Be Denied Him (St. Joseph)
The Heart of a Father [St. Joseph]
St. Joseph's DAY
Quemadmodum Deus - Decree Under Blessed Pius IX, Making St. Joseph Patron of the Church
Father & Child (Preaching on St. Joseph)
March 19 - Feast of St. Joseph - Husband of Mary - Intercessor of civil leaders
St. Joseph's Spirit of Silence

St. Joseph's Humility (By St. Francis de Sales)
St. Joseph [Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary], Solemnity, March 19
St Joseph’s Paternal Love
The Heart of St. Joseph
MORE THAN PATRON OF HOMES, IT'S TIME FOR ST. JOSEPH TO GAIN HIGHEST OF RECOGNITION [Fatherhood]
The Importance of Devotion to St. Joseph
St. Francis de Sales on St. Joseph (Some Excerpts for St. Joseph's Day 2004)
St. Joseph: REDEMPTORIS CUSTOS (Guardian Of The Redeemer)
(Saint) Joseph the Patriarch: A Reflection on the Solemnity of St. Joseph
How I Rediscovered a "Neglected" Saint: Work of Art Inspires Young Man to Rediscover St. Joseph

Novena to Saint Joseph

O Saint Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.

O Saint Joseph, assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.

O Saint Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath, Amen.

O Saint Joseph, hear my prayers and obtain my petitions. O Saint Joseph, pray for me. (mention your intention)

St. Joseph Novena

O good father Joseph! I beg you, by all your sufferings, sorrows and joys, to obtain for me what I ask.

(Here name your petition).

Obtain for all those who have asked my prayers, everything that is useful to them in the plan of God. Be near to me in my last moments, that I may eternally sing the praises of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Amen.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be)

The Pope's Intentions are set up a year ahead. By the end of March we should have a Pope who can then take ownership of these prayers.

March 2013

Pope's Intentions

Respect for Nature

That respect for nature may grow with the awareness that all creation is God's work entrusted to human responsibility.

Clergy

That bishops, priests, and deacons may be tireless messengers of the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Lenten Weekday

First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:

Isaiah 49:8-15
Psalm 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18
John 5:17-30

This synthesis of faith was not made to accord with human opinions, but rather what was of the greatest importance was gathered from all the Scriptures, to present the one teaching of the faith in its entirety. And just as the mustard seed contains a great number of branches in a tiny grain, so too this summary of faith encompassed in a few words the whole knowledge of the true religion contained in the Old and the New Testaments.

-- St. Cyril of Jerusalem

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.

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.

March 13, 2013

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Reading 1 Is 49:8-15

Responsorial Psalm PS 145:8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18

Gospel Jn 5:17-30

Readings at Mass