Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 03-16-13

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 03-16-13 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

March 16, 2013

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent

 

Reading 1 Jer 11:18-20

I knew their plot because the LORD informed me;
at that time you, O LORD, showed me their doings.

Yet I, like a trusting lamb led to slaughter,
had not realized that they were hatching plots against me:
“Let us destroy the tree in its vigor;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
so that his name will be spoken no more.”

But, you, O LORD of hosts, O just Judge,
searcher of mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause!

Responsorial Psalm PS 7:2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12

R. (2a) O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
O LORD, my God, in you I take refuge;
save me from all my pursuers and rescue me,
Lest I become like the lion’s prey,
to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me.
R. O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
Do me justice, O LORD, because I am just,
and because of the innocence that is mine.
Let the malice of the wicked come to an end,
but sustain the just,
O searcher of heart and soul, O just God.
R. O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
A shield before me is God,
who saves the upright of heart;
A just judge is God,
a God who punishes day by day.
R. O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.

Gospel Jn 7:40-53

Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said,
“This is truly the Prophet.”
Others said, “This is the Christ.”
But others said, “The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he?
Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David’s family
and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
So a division occurred in the crowd because of him.
Some of them even wanted to arrest him,
but no one laid hands on him.

So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees,
who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?”
The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.”
So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived?
Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?
But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.”
Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them,
“Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him
and finds out what he is doing?”
They answered and said to him,
“You are not from Galilee also, are you?
Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

Then each went to his own house.

[Salvation]

Information: St. Berard of Carbio

Feast Day:	January 16
Born:	Carbio, Umbria, Italy
Died	16 January 1220, Morocco
Canonized:	1481, Rome by Pope Sixtus IV

[Salvation]

Interactive Saints for Kids

Blessed Torello

Feast Day: March 16
Born: 1202 :: Died: 1282

Torello was born at Poppi, Tuscany in Italy. His life as a child in the village was ordinary and normal. But after his father's death, he was left with a small fortune and made the wrong kind of friends. They were boys who drank and wasted their time instead of working. Torello liked his new friends and tried hard to please them.

Then while he was playing sport one day, a rooster flew down from its roost. It landed on Torello's arm and crowed three times, long and loud. Torello was speechless and walked away without finishing the game. He knew he was being warned, just as St. Peter had once been warned that his foolish way of life was leading him away from Jesus.

Torello made up his mind then and there to change his life. He went to see the abbot of San Fedele who helped him make a good confession. Then Torello went out to a quiet place in the forest and chose a spot near a big tree where he spent eight days in prayer. At the end of that time he decided that he would be a hermit.

He went back to Poppi and sold all his property. He kept only enough money to buy the small square plot of land around the big tree he had found in the woods. Next to that tree he built a little shack where he spent the rest of his life. He grew his own vegetables for food and got water from the stream. He prayed and performed penances, the hardest of which was sleeping only three hours a night.

Being a hermit Torello felt close to God and he spent fifty years of his life in peace with God. While he was alive, only one friend knew of Torello's hidden life as a hermit in the forest. Blessed Torello died at the age of eighty in 1282.

[annalex]

John
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	John 7
40.	Of that multitude therefore, when they had heard these words of his, some said: This is the prophet indeed.	Ex illa ergo turba cum audissent hos sermones ejus, dicebant : Hic est vere propheta.	πολλοι ουν εκ του οχλου ακουσαντες τον λογον ελεγον ουτος εστιν αληθως ο προφητης
41.	Others said: This is the Christ. But some said: Doth the Christ come out of Galilee?	Alii dicebant : Hic est Christus. Quidam autem dicebant : Numquid a Galilæa venit Christus ?	αλλοι ελεγον ουτος εστιν ο χριστος αλλοι ελεγον μη γαρ εκ της γαλιλαιας ο χριστος ερχεται
42.	Doth not the scripture say: That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and from Bethlehem the town where David was?	nonne Scriptura dicit : Quia ex semine David, et de Bethlehem castello, ubi erat David, venit Christus ?	ουχι η γραφη ειπεν οτι εκ του σπερματος δαυιδ και απο βηθλεεμ της κωμης οπου ην δαυιδ ο χριστος ερχεται
43.	So there arose a dissension among the people because of him.	Dissensio itaque facta est in turba propter eum.	σχισμα ουν εν τω οχλω εγενετο δι αυτον
44.	And some of them would have apprehended him: but no man laid hands on him.	Quidam autem ex ipsis volebant apprehendere eum : sed nemo misit super eum manus.	τινες δε ηθελον εξ αυτων πιασαι αυτον αλλ ουδεις επεβαλεν επ αυτον τας χειρας
45.	The ministers therefore came to the chief priests and the Pharisees. And they said to them: Why have you not brought him?	Venerunt ergo ministri ad pontifices et pharisæos. Et dixerunt eis illi : Quare non adduxistis illum ?	ηλθον ουν οι υπηρεται προς τους αρχιερεις και φαρισαιους και ειπον αυτοις εκεινοι δια τι ουκ ηγαγετε αυτον
46.	The ministers answered: Never did man speak like this man.	Responderunt ministri : Numquam sic locutus est homo, sicut hic homo.	απεκριθησαν οι υπηρεται ουδεποτε ουτως ελαλησεν ανθρωπος ως ουτος ο ανθρωπος
47.	The Pharisees therefore answered them: Are you also seduced?	Responderunt ergo eis pharisæi : Numquid et vos seducti estis ?	απεκριθησαν ουν αυτοις οι φαρισαιοι μη και υμεις πεπλανησθε
48.	Hath any one of the rulers believed in him, or of the Pharisees?	numquid ex principibus aliquis credidit in eum, aut ex pharisæis ?	μη τις εκ των αρχοντων επιστευσεν εις αυτον η εκ των φαρισαιων
49.	But this multitude, that knoweth not the law, are accursed.	sed turba hæc, quæ non novit legem, maledicti sunt.	αλλ ο οχλος ουτος ο μη γινωσκων τον νομον επικαταρατοι εισιν
50.	Nicodemus said to them, (he that came to him by night, who was one of them:)	Dixit Nicodemus ad eos, ille qui venit ad eum nocte, qui unus erat ex ipsis :	λεγει νικοδημος προς αυτους ο ελθων νυκτος προς αυτον εις ων εξ αυτων
51.	Doth our law judge any man, unless it first hear him, and know what he doth?	Numquid lex nostra judicat hominem, nisi prius audierit ab ipso, et cognoverit quid faciat ?	μη ο νομος ημων κρινει τον ανθρωπον εαν μη ακουση παρ αυτου προτερον και γνω τι ποιει
52.	They answered, and said to him: Art thou also a Galilean? Search the scriptures, and see, that out of Galilee a prophet riseth not.	Responderunt, et dixerunt ei : Numquid et tu Galilæus es ? scrutare Scripturas, et vide quia a Galilæa propheta non surgit.	απεκριθησαν και ειπον αυτω μη και συ εκ της γαλιλαιας ει ερευνησον και ιδε οτι προφητης εκ της γαλιλαιας ουκ εγηγερται
53.	And every man returned to his own house.	Et reversi sunt unusquisque in domum suam.	και απηλθεν εκαστος εις τον οικον αυτου

[annalex]

40. Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
41. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
42. Has not the Scripture said, That Christ comes of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
43. So there was a division among the people because of him.
44. And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.
45. Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said to them, Why have you not brought him?
46. The officers answered, Never man spoke like this man.
47. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are you also deceived?
48. Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?
49. But this people who knows not the law are cursed.
50. Nicodemus said to them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)
51. Does our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he does?
52. They answered and said to him, Are you also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee arises no prophet.
53. And every man went to his own house.

AUG. Our Lord having invited those, who believed in Him, to drink of the Holy Spirit, a dissension arose among the multitude: Many of the people therefore, when they heart these saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

THEOPHYL. The one, that is, who was expected. Others, i.e. the people said, This is the Christ.

ALCUIN. These had now begun to drink in that spiritual thirst, and had laid aside the unbelieving thirst. But others still remained dried up in their unbelief: But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture said, That Christ comes of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? They knew what were the predictions of the Prophets respecting Christ, but knew not that they all were fulfilled in Him. They knew that He had been brought up at Nazareth, but the place of His birth they did not know; and did not believe that it answered to the prophecies.

CHRYS. But be it so, they knew not His birth-place: were they ignorant also of His extraction? that He was of the house and family of David? Why did they ask, Has not the Scripture said, that Christ comes of the seed of David? They wished to conceal His extraction, and therefore put forward where He had been educated. For this reason, they do not go to Christ and ask, How say the Scriptures that Christ must come from Bethlehem, whereas you come from Galilee purposely and of malice prepense they do not do this. And because they were thus inattentive, and indifferent about knowing the truth, Christ did not answer them: though He had lauded Nathanael, when he said, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? and called Him an Israelite indeed, as being a lover of truth, an well learned in the ancient Scriptures.

So there was as a division among the people concerning Him.

THEOPHYL. Not among the rulers; for they were resolved one way, viz. not to acknowledge Him as Christ. The more moderate of them only used malicious words, in order to oppose Christ's path to glory; but the more malignant wished to lay hands on Him: And some of them would haze taken Him.

CHRYS. The Evangelist says this to show, that they had no concern for, and no anxiety to learn, the truth.

But no man laid hands on Him.

ALCUIN. That is, because He Who had the power to control their designs, did not permit it.

CHRYS. This were sufficient to have raised some compunction in them; but no, such malignity believes nothing; it looks only to one thing, blood.

AUG. They; however who were sent to take Him, returned guiltless of the offense, and full of admiration: Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said to them, Why have you not brought Him?

ALCUIN. They who wished to take and stone Him, reprove the officers for not bringing Him.

CHRYS. The Pharisees and Scribes profited nothing by seeing the miracles, and reading the Scriptures; but their officers, who had done neither, were captivated with once hearing Him; and they who went to take hold of Him, were themselves taken hold of by the miracle. Nor did they say, We could not because of the multitude: but made themselves proclaimers of Christ's v wisdom;: The of officers answered, Never man spoke like this Man.

AUG. He spoke thus, because He was both God and man.

CHRYS. Not only is their wisdom to be admired, for not wanting miracles, but being convinced by His teaching only, (for they do not say, Never man did such miracles as this Man, but, Never man spoke like this Man,) but also their boldness, in saying this to the Pharisees, who were such enemies of Christ. They had not heard a long discourse, but minds unprepossessed against Him did not require one.

AUG. The Pharisees however rejected their testimony: Then answered them the Pharisees, Are you also led away? As if to say, We see that you are charmed by His discourse.

ALCUIN. And so they were led away; and laudably too, for they had left the evil of unbelief, and were gone over to the faith.

CHRYS. They make use of the most foolish argument against them: Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on Him? but this people who knows not the law are cursed? This then was their ground of accusation, that the people believed, but they themselves did not.

AUG. They who knew not the law, believed on Him who had given the law, and they who taught the law condemned Him; thus fulfilling our Lord's words, I am come, that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made blind.

CHRYS. How then are they cursed, who are convinced by the law? Rather are you cursed, who have not observed the law.

THEOPHYL. The Pharisees answer the officers courteously and gently, because they are afraid of their forthwith separating from them, and joining Christ.

CHRYS. As they said that none of the rulers believed on Him, the Evangelist contradicts them: Nicodemus said to them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them.)

AUG. He was not unbelieving, but fearful; and therefore came by night to the light, wishing to be enlightened, but afraid of being known to go. He replies, Does our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he does? He thought that, if they would only hear Him patiently, they would be overcome, as the officers had been. But they preferred obstinately condemning Him, to knowing the truth.

AUG. He calls the law of God, our law; because it was given to men.

CHRYS. Nicodemus shows that they knew the law, and did not act according to the law. They, instead of disproving this, take to rude and angry contradiction: They answered and said to him, Are you also of Galilee?

AUG. i.e. led away by a Galilean. Our Lord was called a Galilean, because His parents were of the town of Nazareth; I mean by parents, Mary.

CHRYS. Then, by way of insult, they direct Him to the Scriptures, as if He were ignorant of them; Search and look, for out of Galilee arises no prophet: as if to say, Go, learn what the Scriptures say.

ALCUIN. They knew the place where He had resided, but never thought of inquiring where He was born; and therefore they not only denied that He was the Messiah, but even that He was a prophet.

AUG. No prophet indeed arises out of; Galilee, but the Lord of prophets arose thence.

And every man went to his own house.

ALCUIN. Having effected nothing, devoid of faith, and therefore incapable of being benefited, they returned to their home of unbelief and ungodliness.

Catena Aurea John 7

[annalex]

Christ among the Doctors

Leonaert Bramer

1640-45
Oil on panel, 51 x 38 cm
Private collection

[Salvation]

 

Catholic

Almanac:

Saturday, March 16
Liturgical Color: Violet
Bl. Robert Dalby died on this day in 1589. He was a protestant minister in England who became a Catholic priest. Catholic persecution was raging through England and he was soon arrested. Because he was a priest he was tortured and killed.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: March 16, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: May the working of your mercy, O Lord, we pray, direct our hearts aright, for without your grace we cannot find favor in your sight. 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

• Eggplant Gratin

ACTIVITIES

• La Falla de San Chusep—Saint Joseph's Day in Valencia

PRAYERS

• Prayer for the Fourth Week of Lent
• Novena to St. Joseph
• Lent Table Blessing 4

Lent: March 16th

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent

While still more people gathered in the crowd, he 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 (Lk 11:29-32).

Today is an Ember Day in the Tridentine Rite. There are two principal objects for the Ember Days of this period of the year: the first is to offer to God the season of Spring, and, by fasting and prayer, to draw down His blessing upon it; the second is to ask Him to enrich with His choicest graces the priests and sacred ministers who are to receive their Ordination on Saturday.

Stational Church

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Meditation - The Faults of Our Neighbor
In disagreements between you and your neighbor, you must always remember that to be in the right is the consideration that influences a Christian the least. The philosopher may indulge such a satisfaction. But to be in the right and to act as if one were not, to allow one's opponent to triumph on the side of injustice,-this means to overcome evil by good, and to secure peace for one's soul. No more convincing argument for your own vindication is required than the silent exterior acknowledgment that you are in the wrong. He who edifies does more for the truth than he who is zealous for the combat. Instead of trying to refute those that are in the wrong, it is better to pray for them. A stream flows much more rapidly when nothing is done to hold it back. Pray for those who are prejudiced against you, never become embittered against them, pity them, await their return to better feelings, and help to free them from their prejudices. One would not be human if he does not feel how easy it is to stray, and how much it costs to acknowledge this. The spirit of meekness, of indulgence, of patience and humility in examining the behavior of others toward us, secures us that peace of mind which is not compatible with the jealous, suspicious sensibilities of self-love. — Fénelon

Things to Do:

• Read this thought-provoking article by George Rutler, Why We Need Lent, to understand why such a season of mortification is necessary for us to become saints.

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Today's Station is at St. Nicholas in Prison. It was constructed in the ruins of two temples and the ancient Forum Olitorium, and you can see fragments from them reused in the church. The most important of the temples was the Temple og Piety, built by Acilius Glabrius, consul in 191 B.C. The dedication to St. Nicholas was made by the Greek population in the area.

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 7:40-53

4th Week of Lent

The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he? (John 7:41)

There was confusion amongst the crowd as they tried to reconcile the origins of the Messiah with the relative unimportance of a place like Galilee. This is not the only time that people have asked this kind of question. “A saint will not come from the slums of Calcutta, will she?” “A pope will not come from Communist Poland, will he?” “A Doctor of the Church will not be a girl from a remote French cloister, will she?”

Jesus’ critics were focused on the fact that he came from an area of no particular significance. While they speculated about Galilee versus Bethlehem, the home of the great King David, they missed the way that Jesus’ wisdom and authority pointed to his royal lineage. Fooled by his ordinary appearance, they could not discern the King of kings and Lord of lords, the messianic “Son of David,” who himself raised David from obscurity to nobility (1 Samuel 16).

Of course, they also were unaware that the Messiah’s ordinariness was foreshadowed in the Scriptures: “There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him… . We held him in no esteem” (Isaiah 53:2-3). Jesus was overlooked then as he is today, just as the shepherd David was overlooked before the Lord told Samuel, “Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance, but the Lord looks into the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). In the same way, many of the apostles would have been overlooked by anyone but God. Even the first pope, St. Peter, was just a fisherman!

God does not overlook anyone, including you! He doesn’t worry about where you came from. Rather, he looks at your heart. He looks at your desires and your dreams. He doesn’t look back but looks ahead. He wants to give you a future full of hope. Whether or not the world thinks you are important, you matter more than the world to him. So don’t keep him waiting any longer. Go to him with your cares and your fears. Go to him with your hopes and dreams. Let him turn your ordinary into his extraordinary!

“Jesus, to the world you may be just a carpenter from Galilee or even a prophet, but to me you are the eternal Son of God, my Redeemer and Lord.”

Jeremiah 11:18-20; Psalm 7:2-3, 9-12

[Salvation]

 

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for March 16, 2013:

In making decisions about becoming parents it’s important to not just go on a whim or hearsay. Are you aware of the science behind Natural Family Planning? Check it out at the For Your Marriage website.

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Openness of Heart

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent

John 7: 40-53

Some in the crowd who heard Jesus speak said, "This is truly the Prophet." Others said, "This is the Messiah." But others said, "The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he? Does not scripture say that the Messiah will be of David´s family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?" So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why did you not bring him?" The guards answered, "Never before has anyone spoken like this one." So the Pharisees answered them, "Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed." Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, "Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?" They answered and said to him, "You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee."  Then each went to his own house,

Introductory Prayer: Christ, you are the most open-spirited person in history.  You are open to all who sincerely seek you. So I seek you now, Lord, through this meditation. I hunger for your friendship and grace. I love you, but I long for my love to grow so I can be ever closer to you and more and more like you.  

Petition: Lord, open my heart to you who are truth itself.

1. The Openness and Sincerity are Convincing: Just some moments prior, Christ has spoken of himself as living water (John 7:38), and some in the crowd react much the same way as did the Samaritan woman at the well.  At first they thought of him as a prophet, but now they begin to believe that he is the Messiah.  “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me…” (John 6:37).  Even the temple guards could not bring themselves to arrest him, so compelling were his words.  Christ tells his apostles not to prepare any words in their defense when they are dragged before judges and magistrates (Cf. Mark 13:11).  Living in the truth is our best preparation for communicating it in a compelling way.

2. Willful Blindness: The leaders however, as Nicodemus points out, are not even willing to encounter Christ and hear him out.  Their obstinacy leads them to error:  “Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” (What about Jonah and Hosea?)  It also leads them to malice . They are not even willing to give Jesus the benefit of the doubt that he simply might have been delusional about his identity; instead, pushed by jealousy, they have already made up their minds to accuse him of willful deception.  Do I knowingly and willingly shy away from the truth, any truth?  Do I realize where this could and will lead me?

3. The Truth Will Set You Free: The truth is often difficult to swallow. In particular, the truth about Christ in relation to my life—he is my Lord, he is my Redeemer, he deserves my all––seems somehow fanatic, irrational, and unnatural in a world which values technological progress, political correctness, and looking-out-for-number-one. But Christians worthy of the name, in all centuries and in all walks of life, have discovered that believing in the person of Jesus Christ, who meant every word he said, is an experience of real freedom. It is a freedom from the dead-end world of materialism, sin and death. It is a freedom to live a life of love, truly human and divine, a love like Christ’s love for me, up to death on a Cross!

Conversation with Christ: Lord, no one has ever spoken like you.  You have given us your Word in the gospels.  I realize that I need to have much more frequent contact with your words so as to free me from my blindness.  Let my understanding of your Word never serve me as an occasion of vainglory or arrogance, rather as a tool to help others come to know you better.

Resolution: I will break down a prejudice that I still harbor in my heart against some aspect of Christ’s message.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Saturday, March 16, 2013 >>

Jeremiah 11:18-20
View Readings

Psalm 7:2-3, 9-12

John 7:40-53

PRESSURE-COOKER

"I knew it because the Lord informed me; at that time You, O Lord, showed me their doings." —Jeremiah 11:18

 

The temple guards were so impressed by Jesus' words that they disobeyed their orders to arrest Him (Jn 7:45). They said: "No man ever spoke like that before" (Jn 7:46). The religious leaders pressured the guards to not accept Jesus and to follow the "party line." The guards gave in to the pressure.

"There were many, even among the Sanhedrin, who believed in Him; but they refused to admit it because of the Pharisees, for fear they might be ejected from the synagogue. They preferred the praise of men to the glory of God" (Jn 12:42-43). They gave in to the pressure.

The apostles were pressured to abandon Jesus. Peter was pressured to deny Him three times. They all folded under pressure (see Mk 14:50, 68ff).

After Pentecost, once again the pressure was on. This time the apostles (Acts 4:19; 5:29), Stephen (Acts 7:55ff), Philip (Acts 8:4ff), Ananias (Acts 9:13), Paul (Acts 28:31), etc., refused to crack under the pressure. The Holy Spirit made the difference.

Because we live in an anti-Christian society and a "culture of death," we Christians are often under pressure at home, work, school, and even at church. If we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit during this Lent and Easter season, we will stand up to the pressure.

 

Prayer: Father, may I be "good under pressure."

Promise: "A Shield before me is God, Who saves the upright of heart." —Ps 7:11

Praise: Albert's witness to his grandchildren has drawn his children back to the Church.

[Salvation]