Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 05-24-13
USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 05-24-13 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 05/24/2013 6:25:02 AM PDT by Salvation

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-31 last
To: Salvation
Mark
  English: Douay-Rheims Latin: Vulgata Clementina Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
  Mark 10
1 AND rising up from thence, he cometh into the coasts of Judea beyond the Jordan: and the multitudes flock to him again. And as he was accustomed, he taught them again. Et inde exsurgens venit in fines Judææ ultra Jordanem : et conveniunt iterum turbæ ad eum : et sicut consueverat, iterum docebat illos. κακειθεν αναστας ερχεται εις τα ορια της ιουδαιας δια του περαν του ιορδανου και συμπορευονται παλιν οχλοι προς αυτον και ως ειωθει παλιν εδιδασκεν αυτους
2 And the Pharisees coming to him asked him: Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. Et accedentes pharisæi interrogabant eum : Si licet vero uxorem dimittere : tentantes eum. και προσελθοντες [οι] φαρισαιοι επηρωτησαν αυτον ει εξεστιν ανδρι γυναικα απολυσαι πειραζοντες αυτον
3 But he answering, saith to them: What did Moses command you? At ille respondens, dixit eis : Quid vobis præcepit Moyses ? ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτοις τι υμιν ενετειλατο μωσης
4 Who said: Moses permitted to write a bill of divorce, and to put her away. Qui dixerunt : Moyses permisit libellum repudii scribere, et dimittere. οι δε ειπον μωσης επετρεψεν βιβλιον αποστασιου γραψαι και απολυσαι
5 To whom Jesus answering, said: Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you that precept. Quibus respondens Jesus, ait : Ad duritiam cordis vestri scripsit vobis præceptum istud : και αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις προς την σκληροκαρδιαν υμων εγραψεν υμιν την εντολην ταυτην
6 But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. ab initio autem creaturæ masculum et feminam fecit eos Deus. απο δε αρχης κτισεως αρσεν και θηλυ εποιησεν αυτους ο θεος
7 For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother; and shall cleave to his wife. Propter hoc relinquet homo patrem suum et matrem, et adhærebit ad uxorem suam : ενεκεν τουτου καταλειψει ανθρωπος τον πατερα αυτου και την μητερα και προσκολληθησεται προς την γυναικα αυτου
8 And they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. et erunt duo in carne una. Itaque jam non sunt duo, sed una caro. και εσονται οι δυο εις σαρκα μιαν ωστε ουκετι εισιν δυο αλλα μια σαρξ
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Quod ergo Deus conjunxit, homo non separet. ο ουν ο θεος συνεζευξεν ανθρωπος μη χωριζετω
10 And in the house again his disciples asked him concerning the same thing. Et in domo iterum discipuli ejus de eodem interrogaverunt eum. και εν τη οικια παλιν οι μαθηται αυτου περι του αυτου επηρωτησαν αυτον
11 And he saith to them: Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another, committeth adultery against her. Et ait illis : Quicumque dimiserit uxorem suam, et aliam duxerit, adulterium committit super eam. και λεγει αυτοις ος εαν απολυση την γυναικα αυτου και γαμηση αλλην μοιχαται επ αυτην
12 And if the wife shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. Et si uxor dimiserit virum suum, et alii nupserit, mœchatur. και εαν γυνη απολυση τον ανδρα αυτης και γαμηθη αλλω μοιχαται
13 And they brought to him young children, that he might touch them. And the disciples rebuked them that brought them. Et offerebant illi parvulos ut tangeret illos. Discipuli autem comminabantur offerentibus. και προσεφερον αυτω παιδια ινα αψηται αυτων οι δε μαθηται επετιμων τοις προσφερουσιν
14 Whom when Jesus saw, he was much displeased, and saith to them: Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Quos cum videret Jesus, indigne tulit, et ait illis : Sinite parvulos venire ad me, et ne prohibueritis eos : talium enim est regnum Dei. ιδων δε ο ιησους ηγανακτησεν και ειπεν αυτοις αφετε τα παιδια ερχεσθαι προς με μη κωλυετε αυτα των γαρ τοιουτων εστιν η βασιλεια του θεου
15 Amen I say to you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall not enter into it. Amen dico vobis : Quisquis non receperit regnum Dei velut parvulus, non intrabit in illud. αμην λεγω υμιν ος εαν μη δεξηται την βασιλειαν του θεου ως παιδιον ου μη εισελθη εις αυτην
16 And embracing them, and laying his hands upon them, he blessed them. Et complexans eos, et imponens manus super illos, benedicebat eos. και εναγκαλισαμενος αυτα τιθεις τας χειρας επ αυτα ευλογει αυτα

21 posted on 05/24/2013 7:52:47 PM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: annalex
1. And he arose from thence, and comes into the coasts of Judea by the farther Side of Jordan: and the people resort to him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.
2. And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
3. And he answered and said to them, What did Moses command you?
4. And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
5. And Jesus answered and said to them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife.
8. And they two shall be one flesh: so then they are no more two, but one flesh.
9. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.
10. And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11. And he said to them, Whoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, commits adultery against her.
12. And if a woman shall put away her husband and be married to another, she commits adultery.

BEDE; Up to this time Mark had related what our Lord said and did in Galilee; here he begins to relate what He did, taught, or suffered in Judea, and first indeed across the Jordan on the east; and this is what is said in these words: And he arose from thence, and comes into the coasts of Judea, by the farther side of Jordan; then also on this side Jordan, when He came to Jericho, Bethany, and Jerusalem. And though all the province of the Jews is generally called Judea, to distinguish it from other nations, more especially, however, its southern portion was called Judea, to distinguish it from Samaria, Galilee, Decapolis, and the other regions in the same province.

THEOPHYL. But He enters the region of Judea, which the envy of the Jews had often caused Him to leave, because His Passion was to take place there. He did not, however, then go up to Jerusalem, but to the confines of Judea, that He might do good to the multitudes, who were not evil; for Jerusalem was, from the malice of the Jews, the worker of all the wickedness. Wherefore it goes on: And the people resort to him again, and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

BEDE; Mark the difference of temper in the multitude and in the Pharisees. The former meet together, in order to be taught, and that their sick may be healed, as Matthew relates; the latter come to Him, to try to deceive their Savior by tempting Him. Wherefore there follows, And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting Him.

THEOPHYL. They come to Him indeed, and do not quit Him, lest the multitudes should believe on Him; and by continually coming to Him, they thought to bring Him into difficulty, and to confuse Him by their questions. For they proposed to Him a question, which had on either side a precipice, so that whether He said that it was lawful for a man to put away his wife, or that it was not lawful, they might accuse Him, and contradict what He said, out of the doctrines of Moses. Christ, therefore, being Very Wisdom, in answering their question, avoids their snares.

CHRYS. For being asked, whether it is lawful, he does not immediately reply, it is not lawful, lest they should raise an outcry, but He first wished them to answer Him as to the sentence of the law, that they by their answer might furnish Him with what it was right to say. Wherefore it goes on, And he answered and said to them, What did Moses command you?

And afterwards, And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. They put forward indeed this that Moses had said either on account of the question of our Savior, or wishing to excite against Him a multitude of men. For divorce was an indifferent thing among the Jews, and all practiced it, as though it were permitted by the law.

AUG. It makes nothing, however, to the truth of the fact, whether, as Matthew says, they themselves addressed to the Lord the question concerning the bill of divorcement, allowed to them by Moses, on our Lord's forbidding the separation, and confirming His sentence from the law, or whether it was in answer to a question of His, that they said this concerning the command of Moses, as Mark here says. For His wish was to give them no reason why Moses permitted it, before they themselves had mentioned the fact; since then the wish of the parties speaking, which is what the words ought to express, is in either way shown, there is no discrepancy, though there be a difference in the way of relating it. It may also be meant that, as Mark expresses it, the question put to them by the Lord, What did Moses command? was in answer to those who had previously asked His opinion concerning the putting away of a wife; and when they had replied that Moses permitted them to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away, His answer was concerning that same law, given by Moses, how God instituted the marriage of a male, and a female, saying those things which Matthew relates; on hearing which they again rejoined what they had replied to Him when He first asked them, namely, Why then did Moses command?

AUG. Moses, however, was against a man's dismissing his wife, for he interposed this delay, that a person whose mind was bent on separation, might be deterred by the writing of the bill, and desist; particularly, since, as is related, among the Hebrews, no one was allowed to write Hebrew characters but the scribes. The law therefore wished to send him, whom it ordered to give a bill of divorcement, before he dismissed his wife, to them, who ought to be wise interpreters of the law, and just opponents of quarrel. For a bill could only be written for him by men, who by their good advice might overrule him, since his circumstances and necessity had put him into their bands, and so by treating between him and his wife they might persuade them to love and concord. But if a hatred so great had arisen that it could not be extinguished and corrected, then indeed a bill was to be written, that he might not lightly put away her who was the object of his hate, in such a way as to prevent his being recalled to the love, which he owed her by marriage, through the persuasion of the wise. For this reason it is added, For the hardness of your heart, he wrote this precept; for great was the hardness of heart which could not be melted or bent to the taking back and recalling the love of marriage, even by the interposition of a bill in a way which gave room for the just and wise to dissuade them.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. Or else, it is said, For the hardness of your hearts, because it is possible for a soul purged from desires and from anger to bear the worst of women; but if those passions have a redoubled force over the mind, many evils will arise from hatred in marriage. Thus then, He saves Moses, who had given the law, from their accusation, and turns the whole upon their head. But since what He had said was grievous to them, He at once brings back the discourse to the old law, saying, But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female.

BEDE; He says not male and females, which the sense would have required had it referred to the divorce of former wives, but male and female, so that they might be bound by the tie of one wife.

CHRYS. If however he had wished one wife to be put away and another to be brought in, He would have created several women. Nor did God only join one woman to one man, but He also bade a man quit his parents and cleave to his wife. Wherefore it goes on: And he said, (that is, God said by Adam,) For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife. From the very mode of speech, showing the impossibility of severing marriage, because He said, He shall cleave.

BEDE; And in like manner, because He says, he shall cleave to his wife, not wives. It goes on: And they two shall be one flesh.

CHRYS. Being framed out of one root, they will join into one body. It goes on: So then they are no more two, but one flesh.

BEDE; The reward then of marriage is of two to become one flesh. Virginity being joined to the Spirit, becomes of one spirit.

CHRYS. After this, bringing forward an awful argument, He said not, do not divide, but He concluded, What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.

AUG. Behold the Jews are convinced out of the books of Moses, that a wife is not to be put away, while they fancied that in putting her away, they were doing the will of Moses. In like manner from this place, from the witness of Christ Himself, we know this, that God made and joined male and female, for denying which the Manichees are condemned, resisting now not the books of Moses, but the Gospel of Christ.

BEDE; What therefore God has conjoined by making one flesh of a man and a woman, that man cannot separate, but God alone. Man separates, when we dismiss the first wife because we desire a second; but it is God who , separates, when by common consent, for the sake of serving God, we so have wives as though we had none.

CHRYS. But if two persons, whom God has joined together, are not to be separated; much more is it wrong to separate from Christ, the Church, which God has joined to Him.

THEOPHYL. But the disciples were offended, as not being fully satisfied with what had been said; for this reason they again question Him, wherefore there follows, And in the house, his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

PSEUDO-JEROME; This second question is said to be asked again by the Apostles, because it is on the subject of which the Pharisees had asked Him, that is, concerning the state of marriage; and this is said by Mark in his own person.

GLOSS. For a repetition of a saying of the Word, produces not weariness, but thirst and hunger; wherefore it is said, They that eat me shall yet be hungry, and they that drink me shall yet be thirsty; for the tasting of the honeyed words of wisdom yields all manner of savor to them who love her. Wherefore the Lord instructs His disciples over again; for it goes on, And he said to them, Whoever shall put away his wife and marry another, commits adultery upon her.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. The Lord calls by the name of adultery cohabitation with her who is not a man's wife; she is not, however, a wife, whom a man has taken to him, after quitting his first; and for this reason he commits adultery upon her, that is, upon the second, whom he brings in. And the same thing is true in the case of the woman; wherefore it goes on, And if a woman shall put away her husband, and marry another, she commits adultery; for she cannot be joined to another as her own husband, if she leave him who is really her own husband. The law indeed forbade what was plainly adultery; but the Savior forbids this, which was neither plain, nor known to all, though it was contrary to nature.

BEDE; In Matthew it is more fully expressed, Whoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication. The only carnal cause then is fornication; the only spiritual cause is the fear of God, that a man should put away his wife to enter into religion, as we read that many have done. But there is no cause allowed by the law of God for marrying another, during the lifetime of her who is quitted.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. There is no contrariety in Matthew's relating that He spoke these words to the Pharisees, though Mark says that they were spoken to the disciples; for it is possible that He may have spoken them to both.

13. And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
14. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said to them, Suffer the little children to come to me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15. Truly I say to you, Whoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
16. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

THEOPHYL. The wickedness of the Pharisees in tempting Christ, has been related above, and now is shown the great faith of the multitude, who believed that Christ conferred a blessing on the children whom they brought to Him, by the mere laying on of His hands. Wherefore it is said: And they brought young children to him, that he might touch them.

CHRYS. But the disciples, out of regard for the dignity of Christ, forbade those who brought them. And this is what is added: And his disciples rebuked those who brought them. But our Savior; in order to teach His disciples to be modest in their ideas, and to tread under foot worldly pride, takes the children to Him, and assigns to them the kingdom of God: wherefore it goes on: And he said to them, Suffer little children to come to me, and forbid them not

ORIGEN; If any of those who profess to hold the office of teaching in the Church should see a person bringing to them some of the foolish of this world, and low born, and weak, who for this reason are called children and infants, let him not forbid the man who offers such an one to the Savior, as though he were acting without judgment. After this He exhorts those of His disciples who are already grown to full stature to condescend to be useful to children, that they may become to children as children, that they may gain children; for He Himself, when He was in the form of God, humbled Himself, and became a child. On which He adds: For of such is the kingdom of heaven.

CHRYS. For indeed the mind of a child is pure from all passions, for which reason, we ought by free choice to do those works, which children have by nature.

THEOPHYL. Wherefore He says not, for of these, but of such is the kingdom of God, that is, of persons who have both in their intention and their work the harmlessness and simplicity which children have by nature. For a child does not hate, does nothing of evil intent, nor though beaten does he quit his mother; and though she does him in vile garments, prefers them to kingly apparel; in like manner he, who lives according to the good ways of his mother the Church, honors nothing before her, nay, not pleasure, which is the queen of many; wherefore also the Lord subjoins, Truly I say to you, Whoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

BEDE; That is, if you have not innocence and purity of mind like that of children, you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. Or else, we are ordered to receive the kingdom of God, that is, the doctrine of the Gospel, a little child, because as a child, when he is taught, does not contradict his teachers, nor put together reasonings and words against them, but receives with faith what they teach, and obeys them with awe, so we also are to receive the word of the Lord with simple obedience, and without any gainsaying. It goes on: And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. Fitly does He take them up into His arms to bless them, as it were, lifting into His own bosom , and reconciling Himself to His creation, which in the beginning fell from Him, and was separated from Him. Again, He puts His hands upon the children, to teach us the working of His divine power; and indeed, He puts His hands upon them, as others are wont to do, though His operation is not as that of others, for though He was God, He kept to human ways of acting, as being very man.

BEDE; Having embraced the children, He also blessed them, implying that the lowly in spirit are worthy of His blessing, grace, and love.

Catena Aurea Mark 10
22 posted on 05/24/2013 7:53:10 PM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: annalex


Baroncelli Polyptych: Coronation of the Virgin

Giotto di Bondone

c. 1334
Tempera on wood
Baroncelli Chapel, Santa Croce, Florence

23 posted on 05/24/2013 7:53:36 PM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: All
 
Catholic
Almanac:

Friday, May 24

Liturgical Color: Green


Today is the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. This church built in 1228, in honor of St. Francis, was heavily damaged in an earthquake in 1997, but has since been restored. (Franciscan Calendar)


24 posted on 05/24/2013 8:19:14 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: All
Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: May 24, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: May your Spirit, O Lord, we pray, imbue us powerfully with spiritual gifts, that he may give us a mind pleasing to you and graciously conform us to your will. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Ordinary Time: May 24th

Thursday of the Seventh Week of Ordinary Time: Australia: Solemnity of Mary Help of Christians; Bl. Louis-Zepherin Moreau (Canada)

Old Calendar: Monday after Pentecost

Today the Church in Australia celebrates the Solemnity of Mary Help of Christians. Mary Help of Christians was adopted as patron of the new Church of Australia in 1844, at a significant time in their history. British settlement was just over fifty years old, the transportation of convicts was coming to an end, and the first elections in Australian history had been held in 1843. Issues of land, immigration and education had begun to surface and the Church was involved in these social problems. The Holy See confirmed the patronage in 1852.

The Canadian Church honors Bl. Louis-Zephirin Moreau today. He is the founder of the communities of the Sisters of Saint Joseph and the Sisters of Sainte Marthe. He also participated in the founding of numerous other institutions and pious works. He died on May 24, 1901.


Mary Help of Christians
As Mother of God's children, Mary has responded by helping Christians throughout the ages. She has done this by coming to the aid of individuals, families, towns, kingdoms and nations.

In 1214 she gave the Rosary to Saint Dominic as a weapon to combat the Albigesian heresy which was devastating Southern France. It is very clear to Christians and it is also the Will of God that we have and will continue to have the Help of Mary through the recitation of the Holy Rosary.

In the year 1531 Our Lady appeared in Mexico to an indian named Juan Diego. He was a humble peasant aged 51. As a result of the apparitions, over 10 million indians were converted to Catholicism, the sacrificial killings of babies stopped, and Our Lady left an image which is a reflection of herself imprinted miraculously on the tilma of Juan Diego.

In 1571 the whole of Christendom was saved by Mary Help of Christians when faithful Catholics throughout Europe prayed the Rosary. The great battle of Lepanto occurred on October 7th 1571. For this reason this date has been chosen as the feast of the Holy Rosary. In 1573 Pope Pius V instituted the feast in thanksgiving for the decisive victory of Christianity over Islamism.

Near the end of the 17th century, Emperor Leopold I of Austria took refuge in the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians at Pasau, when 200,000 Ottoman Turks besieged the capital city of Vienna. Pope Innocent XI united Christendom against the ominous attack of Mohammedanism. A great victory occurred thanks to Mary Help of Christians. On September 8th, Feast of Our Lady's Birthday, plans were drawn for the battle. On September 12, Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, Vienna was finally freed through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians. All Europe had joined with the Emperor crying out "Mary, Help!" and praying the Holy rosary.

In 1809, Napoleon's men entered the Vatican, arrested Pius VII and brought him in chains to Grenoble, and eventually Fontainbleau. His imprisonment lasted five years. The Pope smuggled out orders from prison for the whole of Christendom to pray to Our Lady Help of Christians, and thus the whole of Europe once again became a spiritual battle ground, not of arms against ruthless arms, but of Rosaries against ruthless military might. Soon Napoleon was off the throne and the Pope freed from prison.

After proving her maternal help, throughout the centuries, Our Lady has continued to appear in hundreds of places throughout the world mainly during the 20th century, Lourdes and Fatima being the most famous apparitions. She has brought help from Heaven, and has warned her children to do prayer and penance as a formula for peace. She has stressed that her children must pray the Holy Rosary daily.

Taken from The Work of God website.

Patron: Church in Australia; Andorran security forces; Austrialian military chaplains; New York; New Zealand.

Things to Do:


Bl. Louis-Zepherin Moreau
Born and baptised at Becanour on the first of April 1824, the future saint was the fifth of thirteen children from the marriage Louis-Zephirin Moreau and Marquerite Champoux-Saint-Pair. This "intelligent, pious, modest, gentle, and thoughtful" child was educated in his native parish until the age of fifteen before being admitted into the Seminary of Nicolet. In 1844, he received the ecclesiastic habit at Quebec, but in 1845, Msgr Signay sent him back home, because he found him to be in fragile health. It would take more than this setback to discourage the young man on his path towards the priesthood. He then begged Msgr Bourget to permit him to achieve his dream at the Ecole de theology of Montreal. This was accomplished, thanks to the kindness of Msgr Prince, head of this institution. Father Moreau was ordained a priest on Dec. 19, 1846. at the age of 22. Six years later, Msgr Prince became the first titular of the new diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe and he appointed Father Moreau as secretary-chancellor. The apprenticeship of the future prelate was as parish priest for the cathedral, and he was administrator of the diocese five times. On Jan 15 1876, at the age of 51, Father Moreau became the fourth bishop of Saint Hyacinth.

As bishop, he remained what he had always been: "good, simple, humble, and poor". Twenty three years after his death, steps were taken towards his beatification and canonization. The numerous healings which were attributed to him would later launch this irrevocable progression towards the formal recognition of his holiness.

Excerpted from Our French - Canadian Ancestors, Thomas J. Laforest

Things to do:

  • Trials and crosses always accompany us as we embrace our vocation. Renew your commitment to Christ and your fidelity to the vocation He has called you to.


25 posted on 05/24/2013 8:30:30 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Salvation
The Word Among Us

Meditation: Sirach 6: 5-17

7th Week in Ordinary Time

“A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth.” (Sirach 6:15)

Several years ago, sociologists at Duke University published a study on isolation in America. The study found that over the past two decades, Americans’ circle of close friends has shrunk dramatically. Twice as many people report that they have no one with whom they can share important matters.

How sad that so many people feel all alone! Unfortunately, it seems as if modern life keeps us from being too committed to one another. Between busy schedules, changing obligations, and fast-paced lives, we can allow ourselves to drift away from one another. It seems that we all want to have and to be faithful friends, but we find it very challenging!

Sirach describes the kind of friend we all want to have—one who sticks by us no matter what. In good times and bad, through ups and downs, a true friend remains faithful. It’s no accident, either, that this quality of faithfulness is echoed in the wedding vows we profess: for better or worse, in sickness and health, richer or poorer, until death.

So how do we learn to love like that? By steeping ourselves in the knowledge of God’s faithfulness to us: his unwavering, reliable commitment to us. The more we experience what this kind of friendship is like, the more ready we will be to show it to the people closest to us. Who loves more perfectly than Jesus, the Friend who never forsakes us, the Spouse who is always devoted? Who knows us better than our Father, who sees all our sin and yet stays with us to help us grow in holiness?

Take some time today to think about God’s faithfulness. Think about how he led his people to the Promised Land despite their weak faith and episodes of disobedience. Think about King David and how, despite his up-and-down faithfulness to the commandments, God never withdrew his blessing. Or think about how Jesus forgave Peter for denying him three times. Fill your mind with stories like these, and you’ll learn what faithful friendship looks like. Let them teach you how to be a better friend—and how to welcome the love of the friends God has already given you.

“Jesus, form your faithfulness in me. Show me how faithfully you love me so that I can become just as faithful to my friends.”

Psalm 119:12, 16, 18, 27, 34-35; Mark 10:1-12


26 posted on 05/24/2013 8:31:51 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: All
 
Marriage = One Man and One Woman
Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for May 24, 2013:

(Reader’s Tip) Tell you spouse specifically what you’d like him or her to pray for. Then ask what he or she needs prayers for.


27 posted on 05/24/2013 8:37:19 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: All
Regnum Christi

One Flesh
| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY
Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time



Father Edward Hopkins, LC

 

Mark 10:1-12

Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan. And crowds again gathered around him; and, as was his custom, he again taught them. Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Introductory Prayer:Lord Jesus, I believe in your immeasurable love reflected in your gift of the Eucharist. I believe that you call me to share in this gift with my own gift of self. I trust that you will grant me the light and desire to sacrifice myself and purify my love for you and others. I love you, Lord, with this prayer. May it increase the authenticity of the love expressed in my daily life.

Petition:Lord, help me to penetrate the meaning of “loving in the flesh.”

1. Docile or ‘Un-teachable’? Jesus taught those who gathered to learn from him that they should keep their hearts open and docile. The Pharisees gather not as learners, but as those who “know better.” They constantly look for problems and difficulties in Jesus’ teaching. Their aim is to test him, to find what is wrong, or to trap him in his words. This they never manage to do. From his teaching in the Temple at the age of 12 till the present, no one has spoken like him—with authority and truth. How do I approach the teaching of Jesus and his Church? Am I, with faith, open to learn and change my behavior, if necessary? Or do I, with a hardened heart, look for a way to affirm my own truth?

2. Hardness of Heart: To divorce or not to divorce? This question is not right! The correct question is: “How does God want us to love?” The difference lies in the state of our heart. The one who is open and loves God seeks to know his will. The one who is closed-minded is usually a slave of sin and so lacks the freedom to seek or know the truth. Such a person’s only objective is to justify what he or she wants. Divorce can be justified—it was by Moses. Why? Because of our hardness of hearts, our not being ready to live the fullness of real love. Jesus speaks the truth and gives the grace to live it. Do I allow him to challenge me to live beyond the minimal, beyond the borders of “Thou shalt not,” and to desire what he desires? What do I do to free myself from the sin and imperfections that keep me ignorant of God’s true will in my life?

3. The Flesh of God’s Plan: The “flesh” that God created was holy, a gift: a Temple of God and destined for eternal life. Jesus became flesh and then left us his flesh, because we had lost sight of its true value and sacredness. It may be only in the Eucharist that we can regain the truth of our flesh and of our vocation to love, to self-donation. Crucified-Christ shatters our fleshy tendency to self-gratification. It substitutes “one flesh,” one body, given for the life of others. The unity and indissolubility of marriage declare the key of love: We are no longer two but one flesh, one life, one interest, one vocation. Just as Jesus no longer can talk about “his own life” after giving us the Eucharist, so a married couple no longer can talk of “self,” but only of the gift of “what God has joined together.” What is my flesh for? The life of others?

Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, free my heart from all its attachment to sin and selfishness. Grant me a desire to know your will. Purify my respect, love and appreciation for the sacredness of my body and that of others, the sacred unity of marriage, and the sacred gift of your flesh in the Eucharist.

Resolution:I will spend one hour in adoration reflecting with Christ on the gifts of life, love, marriage and the Eucharist, all seen more clearly in “his flesh.”


28 posted on 05/24/2013 9:25:27 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: All

Love, Peace and Joy

 

by Food For Thought on May 24, 2013 ·

The gospel teaches us about the sanctity of the sacrament of marriage. It is truly God’s will for us to be faithful to our marriage vows. Christ said that husband and wife become one flesh and thus “let no one separate what God has joined” (Mark 10:9).

God has given us the laws and commandments so that we can live in peace, love and happiness. However, we have been continuously questioning God’s authority upon us, His creation. Because of our stubbornness, we make our own laws to suit our selfish interests. Moses wrote a law on divorce not because he agreed to divorce. He disapproved divorce because it is against God’s commandment. His intention was to discourage the Jews from getting divorced by having to undergo difficult procedures for the divorce to take effect. Yet, this did not stop the Jews from divorcing their spouses. Even today, we have become so proud and materialistic to the point of being gods ourselves. We live in a busy and materialistic world that we disregard the teachings of God. We stubbornly change the laws to fit our whimsical, capricious and selfish ways. Laws on divorce and abortion are passed without regard to their effects. Studies have shown that children of divorced parents suffer tremendous emotional and psychological pain. Women who underwent abortion live a life of guilt and regret.

Let us follow God’s will for us, His children, the way Christ loved and obeyed his Father, and so enjoy the fruits that will bring to our lives – love, peace, and joy.


29 posted on 05/24/2013 9:30:13 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: All
One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 


<< Friday, May 24, 2013 >>
 
Sirach 6:5-17
View Readings
Psalm 119:12, 16, 18, 27, 34-35 Mark 10:1-12
 

SUPER RELATIONSHIPS

 
"The two shall become as one." —Mark 10:8
 

The Lord has taken the relationship of marriage and raised it to a supernatural level. "They are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore let no man separate what God has joined" (Mk 10:8-9).

Moreover, the Lord has raised the relationships of friendship, brotherhood, and sisterhood to a supernatural level. In our new life, through grace, faith, and Baptism, we have become more than friends and more than natural brothers and sisters. In the old covenant, the Lord graced people with faithful friendships, which were "sturdy shelters," "treasures," and "life-saving remedies" (see Sir 6:14-16). However, these beautiful friendships were rare (see Sir 6:6). In the new covenant, the Lord has given us a hundred times as many brothers and sisters than we had before we left everything to follow Jesus (Mk 10:29-30). Moreover, these relationships are deeper than humanly possible. By God's grace, we can love our brothers and sisters to the point of laying down our lives for them (1 Jn 3:16). We can be one with them as Jesus and the Father are one (Jn 17:21). We can have Trinity-unity.

Live the new, supernatural relationships of the new life in Christ.

 
Prayer: Father, may all my relationships be in You. May they be pure, loving, and holy.
Promise: "A kind mouth multiplies friends, and gracious lips prompt friendly greetings." —Sir 6:5
Praise: Herman was too shy to even greet people during the sign of peace at Mass. A friend wrote him a letter telling him to let his light shine, for no one lights a lamp to be put under a bushel basket (Mt 5:15-16). Jesus instantly changed his heart. Thirty years later, Herman has ministered the light of Jesus to thousands of people.

30 posted on 05/24/2013 9:39:07 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: All

Prayer to End Abortion

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,
And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.

I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,
Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death
by the Resurrection of Your Son.

I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.
Today I commit myself
Never to be silent,
Never to be passive,
Never to be forgetful of the unborn.

I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,
And never to stop defending life
Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,
And our nation once again becomes
A nation with liberty and justice
Not just for some, but for all.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen!


31 posted on 05/24/2013 9:40:03 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-31 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson