Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 07-04-13, Independence Day

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 07-04-13 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

July 4, 2013

 

Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

 

 

Reading 1 Gn 22:1b-19

God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
Then God said: “Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a burnt offering
on a height that I will point out to you.”
Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey,
took with him his son Isaac, and two of his servants as well,
and with the wood that he had cut for the burnt offering,
set out for the place of which God had told him.

On the third day Abraham got sight of the place from afar.
Then he said to his servants: “Both of you stay here with the donkey,
while the boy and I go on over yonder.
We will worship and then come back to you.”
Thereupon Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering
and laid it on his son Isaac’s shoulders,
while he himself carried the fire and the knife.
As the two walked on together, Isaac spoke to his father Abraham:
“Father!” he said.
“Yes, son,” he replied.
Isaac continued, “Here are the fire and the wood,
but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”
“Son,” Abraham answered,
“God himself will provide the sheep for the burnt offering.”
Then the two continued going forward.

When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Next he tied up his son Isaac,
and put him on top of the wood on the altar.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD’s messenger called to him from heaven,
“Abraham, Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he answered.
“Do not lay your hand on the boy,” said the messenger.
“Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.”
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son.
Abraham named the site Yahweh-yireh;
hence people now say, “On the mountain the LORD will see.”
Again the LORD’s messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
“I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth
shall find blessing—all this because you obeyed my command.”

Abraham then returned to his servants,
and they set out together for Beer-sheba,
where Abraham made his home.

 

Responsorial Psalm PS 115:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

R. (9) I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Not to us, O LORD, not to us
but to your name give glory
because of your kindness, because of your truth.
Why should the pagans say,
“Where is their God?”
R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Our God is in heaven;
whatever he wills, he does.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the handiwork of men.
R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
They have mouths but speak not;
they have eyes but see not;
They have ears but hear not;
they have noses but smell not.
R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Their makers shall be like them,
everyone who trusts in them.
The house of Israel trusts in the LORD;
he is their help and their shield.
R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.

 

Gospel Mt 9:1-8

After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
“This man is blaspheming.”
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
“Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”–
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.

 

[Salvation]

For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

[Salvation]

Or you may hear this as part of the Mass for Independence Day.

Collect:
God of justice, Father of truth,
who guide creation in wisdom and goodness
to fulfillment in Christ your Son,
open our hearts to the truth of his Gospel,
that your justice guide our lives.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen

or

Father of all nations and ages,
we recall the day when our country
claimed its place among the family of nations;
for what has been achieved we give you thanks,
for the work that still remains we ask your help,
and as you have called us from many peoples to be one nation,
grant that, under your providence,
our country may share your blessings
with all the peoples of the earth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

Readings: from Masses for Various Occasions & Needs (For Public Needs)

 

[Salvation]

Warning -- you are getting multiple pings tonight, because I am going to be out of town. Please pray for my safe travel.

Alleluia Ping!

 

If you aren’t on this ping list NOW and would like to be, 

please Freepmail me.

[Salvation]

From: Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
The Sacrifice of Isaac and the Renewal of the Promise
________________________________________
[1] After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he
said, “Here am I.” [2] He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you
love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon
one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
[9a] When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built
an altar there, and laid the wood in order. [10] Then Abraham put forth his hand,
and took the knife to slay his son. [11] But the angel of the Lord called to him
from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” [12] He
said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that
you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
[13] And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a
ram, caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and
offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
[15] And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven,
[16] and said, “By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done
this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, [17] I will indeed bless you,
and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand
which is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the gate of their
enemies, [18] and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless
themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.”
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
22:1-19. God has been true to his promise: he has given Abraham a son by Sa-
rah. Now it is Abraham who should show his fidelity to God by being ready to
sacrifice his son in recognition that the boy belongs to God. The divine command
seems to be senseless: Abraham has already lost Ishmael, when he and Hagar
were sent away; now he is being asked to sacrifice his remaining son. Disposing
of his son meant detaching himself even from the fulfillment of the promise which
Isaac represented. In spite of all this, Abraham obeys.
‘”As a final stage in the purification of his faith, Abraham ‘who had received the
promises’ (Heb 11:17) is asked to sacrifice the son God had given him. Abra-
ham’s faith does hot weaken (’God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offe-
ring’), for he ‘considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead’
(Heb 11:19). And so the father of believers is conformed to the likeness of the
Father who will not spare his own son but will deliver him up for us all (cf. Rom
8:32). Prayer restores man to God’s likeness and enables him to share in the
power of God’s love that saves the multitude (cf. Rom 4:16-21)” (”Catechism of
the Catholic Church”,2572).
By undergoing the test which God set, Abraham attains perfection (cf. Jas 2:2 1)
and he is now in a position for God to reaffirm in a solemn way the promise he
made previously (cf. Gen 12:3).
The sacrifice of Isaac has features which make it a figure of the redemptive sacri-
fice of Christ. Thus, there is father giving up his son; the son who renders himself
to his father’s will; the tools of sacrifice such as the wood, the knife and the altar.
The account reaches its climax by showing through Abraham’s obedience and
Isaac’s non-resistance, God’s blessing will reach all the nations of the earth (cf.
v. 18). So, it is not surprising that Jewish tradition should attribute a certain re-
demptive value to Isaac’s submissiveness, and that the Fathers should see this
episode prefiguring the passion of Christ, only Son of the Father.
22:2. “The land of Moriah”: according to the Syrian version of Genesis this is
“land of the Ammorites”. We do not in fact know where this place was, although
in 2 Chronicles 3:1 it is identified the mountain on which the temple Jerusalem
was built, to stress the holiness of that site.
22:12. God is satisfied just by Abraham’s sincere intention to do what he asked
of him. It is as good as if he had actually done the deed. “The patriarch turned
sacrificer of his son for the love of God; he stained his right hand with blood in
intention and offered sacrifice. But owing to God’s loving kindness beyond telling
he received his son back safe and sound and went off with him; the patriarch was
commended for his intention and bedecked with a bright crown; he had engaged
in the ultimate struggle and at every stage given evidence of his godly attitude”
(”Homiliae in Genesim”, 48, 1).
Making an implicit comparison between Isaac and Jesus, St Paul sees in the
death of Christ the culmination of God’s love; he writes: “He who did not spare
his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with
him?” (Rom 8:32).
If staying Abraham’s hand was really a sign of God’s love, an even greater one
was really a sign of God’s love, an even greater one was the fact that he allowed
Jesus to die as an expiatory sacrifice on behalf of all mankind. In that later sacri-
fice, because “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8), “the abyss of malice which sin opens wide
has been bridged by his infinite charity. God did not abandon men. His plans
foresaw that the sacrifices of the old law would be insufficient to repair our faults
and reestablish the unity which had been lost. A man who was God would have
to offer himself up” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ is Passing By”, 95).
22: 13-14. Some Fathers see this ram as a prefigurement of Jesus Christ, insofar
as, like Christ, the ram. was immolated in order to save man. In this sense, St
Ambrose wrote: “Whom does the ram represent, if not him of whom it is written,
‘He has raised up a horn for his people’ (Ps 148:14)? [...] Christ: It is He whom
Abraham saw in that sacrifice; it was his passion he saw. Thus, our Lord himself
says of Abraham: ‘Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he
saw it and was glad’ (Jn 8:56). Therefore Scripture says: ‘Abraham called the
name of that place ‘The Lord will provide,’ so that today one can say: the Lord
appeared on the mount, that is, he appeared to Abraham revealing his future pas-
sion in his body, whereby he redeemed the world; and sharing, at the same time,
the nature of his passion when he caused him to see the ram suspended by his
horns. The thicket stands for the scaffold of the cross” (”De Abraham”, 1, 8, 77-
7.8).
*********************************************************************************************
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.

[Salvation]

From: Matthew 9:1-8
The Curing of a Paralytic
________________________________________
[1] And getting into a boat He (Jesus) crossed over and came to His own city.
[2] And behold, they brought to Him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when
Jesus saw their faith He said to the paralytic, “Take heart, My son; your sins
are forgiven.” [3] And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man
is blaspheming.” [4] But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think
evil in your hearts? [5] For which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’, or to
say, ‘Rise and walk’? [6] But that you may know that the Son of Man has autho-
rity on earth to forgive sins” — He then said to the paralytic — “Rise, take up your
bed and go home.” [7] And He rose and went home. [8] When the crowds saw
it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
1. “His own city”: Capernaum (cf. Matthew 4:13 and Mark 2:1).
2-6. The sick man and those who bring him to Jesus ask Him to cure the man’s
physical illness; they believe in His supernatural powers. As in other instances
of miracles, our Lord concerns Himself more with the underlying cause of illness,
that is, sin. With divine largesse He gives more than He is asked for, even though
people do not appreciate this. St. Thomas Aquinas says that Jesus Christ acts
like a good doctor: He cures the cause of the illness (cf. “Commentary on St.
Matthew”, 9, 1-6).
2. The parallel passage of St. Mark adds a detail which helps us understand this
scene better and explains why the text refers to “their faith”: in Mark 2:2-5 we
are told that there was such a crowd around Jesus that the people carrying the
bed could not get near Him. So they had the idea of going up onto the roof and
making a hole and lowering the bed down in front of Jesus. This explains His
“seeing their faith”.
Our Lord was pleased by their boldness, a boldness which resulted from their
lively faith which brooked no obstacles. This nice example of daring indicates
how we should go about putting charity into practice—as also how Jesus feels
towards people who show real concern for others: He cures the paralytic who
was so ingeniously helped by his friends and relatives; even the sick man him-
self showed daring by not being afraid of the risk involved.
St. Thomas comments on this verse as follows: “This paralytic symbolizes the
sinner lying in sin”; just as the paralytic cannot move, so the sinner cannot help
himself. The people who bring the paralytic along represent those who, by gi-
ving him good advice, lead the sinner to God” (”Commentary on St. Matthew”,
9, 2). In order to get close to Jesus the same kind of holy daring is needed, as
the Saints show us. Anyone who does not act like this will never take important
decisions in his life as a Christian.
3-7. Here “to say” obviously means “to say and mean it”, “to say producing the
result which your words imply”. Our Lord is arguing as follows: which is easier
— to cure the paralytic’s body or to forgive the sins of his soul? Undoubtedly, to
cure his body; for the soul is superior to the body and therefore diseases of the
soul are the more difficult to cure. However, a physical cure can be seen, where-
as a cure of the soul cannot. Jesus proves the hidden cure by performing a visi-
ble one.
The Jews thought that any illness was due to personal sin (cf. John 9:1-3); so
when they heard Jesus saying, “Your sins are forgiven”, they reasoned in their
minds as follows: only God can forgive sins (cf. Luke 5:21); this man says that
He has power to forgive sins; therefore, He is claiming a power which belongs
to God alone—which is blasphemy. Our Lord, however, forestalls them, using
their own arguments: by curing the paralytic by saying the word, He shows them
that since He has the power to cure the effects of sin (which is what they believe
disease to be), then He also has power to cure the cause of illness (sin); there-
fore, He has divine power.
Jesus Christ passed on to the Apostles and their successors in the priestly mini-
stry the power to forgive sins: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive sins of any,
they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:22-23).
“Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven” (Matthew 18:18). Priests
exercise this power in the Sacrament of Penance: in doing so they act not in
their own name but in Christ’s—”in persona Christi”, as instruments of the Lord.
Hence the respect, the veneration and gratitude with which we should approach
Confession: in the priest we should see Christ Himself, God Himself, and we
should receive the words of absolution firmly believing that it is Christ who is ut-
tering them through the priest. This is why the minister does not say: “Christ ab-
solves you...”, but rather “I absolve you from your sins...” He speaks in the first
person, so fully is he identified with Jesus Christ Himself (cf. “St. Pius V Cate-
chism”, II, 5, 10).
*********************************************************************************************
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.

[Salvation]

Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

---

First reading

Genesis 22:1-19 ©

God put Abraham to the test. ‘Abraham, Abraham’ he called. ‘Here I am’ he replied. ‘Take your son,’ God said ‘your only child Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him as a burnt offering, on a mountain I will point out to you.’

  Rising early next morning Abraham saddled his ass and took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. He chopped wood for the burnt offering and started on his journey to the place God had pointed out to him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. Then Abraham said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there; we will worship and come back to you.’

  Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering, loaded it on Isaac, and carried in his own hands the fire and the knife. Then the two of them set out together. Isaac spoke to his father Abraham, ‘Father’ he said. ‘Yes, my son’ he replied. ‘Look,’ he said ‘here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’ Abraham answered, ‘My son, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.’ Then the two of them went on together.

  When they arrived at the place God had pointed out to him, Abraham built an altar there, and arranged the wood. Then he bound his son Isaac and put him on the altar on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand and seized the knife to kill his son.

  But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven. ‘Abraham, Abraham’ he said. ‘I am here’ he replied. ‘Do not raise your hand against the boy’ the angel said. ‘Do not harm him, for now I know you fear God. You have not refused me your son, your only son.’ Then looking up, Abraham saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush. Abraham took the ram and offered it as a burnt-offering in place of his son. Abraham called this place ‘The Lord Provides’, and hence the saying today: On the mountain the Lord provides.

  The angel of the Lord called Abraham a second time from heaven. ‘I swear by my own self – it is the Lord who speaks – because you have done this, because you have not refused me your son, your only son, I will shower blessings on you, I will make your descendants as many as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants shall gain possession of the gates of their enemies. All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, as a reward for your obedience.’

  Abraham went back to his servants, and together they set out for Beersheba, and he settled in Beersheba.

EITHER:

The first psalm shown here is used in the whole world except the USA, and the second one is used in the USA because of a clerical error.

Psalm

Psalm 114:1-6,8-9 ©

I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.

I love the Lord for he has heard

  the cry of my appeal;

for he turned his ear to me

  in the day when I called him.

I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.

They surrounded me, the snares of death,

  with the anguish of the tomb;

they caught me, sorrow and distress.

  I called on the Lord’s name.

O Lord, my God, deliver me!

I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.

How gracious is the Lord, and just;

  our God has compassion.

The Lord protects the simple hearts;

  I was helpless so he saved me.

I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.

He has kept my soul from death,

  my eyes from tears

  and my feet from stumbling.

I will walk in the presence of the Lord

  in the land of the living.

I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.

OR:

Psalm

Psalm 113B:1-6,8-9 ©

I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.

Not to us, Lord, not to us,

  but to your name give the glory

for the sake of your love and your truth,

  lest the heathen say: ‘Where is their God?’

I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.

But our God is in the heavens;

  he does whatever he wills.

Their idols are silver and gold,

  the work of human hands.

I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.

They have mouths but they cannot speak;

  they have eyes but they cannot see;

they have ears but they cannot hear;

  they have nostrils but they cannot smell.

I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.

Their makers will come to be like them

  and so will all who trust in them.

Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord;

  he is their help and their shield.

I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.

---

Gospel Acclamation

Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father,

Lord of heaven and earth,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children.

Alleluia!

Or

2Co5:19

Alleluia, alleluia!

God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,

and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel

Matthew 9:1-8 ©

Jesus got in the boat, crossed the water and came to his own town. Then some people appeared, bringing him a paralytic stretched out on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, my child, your sins are forgiven.’ And at this some scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming.’ Knowing what was in their minds Jesus said, ‘Why do you have such wicked thoughts in your hearts? Now, which of these is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ – he said to the paralytic – ‘get up, and pick up your bed and go off home.’ And the man got up and went home. A feeling of awe came over the crowd when they saw this, and they praised God for giving such power to men.

[Salvation]

Francis "Lights" Up – Pope's First Encyclical Due Friday
Pope: Homily at Mass for Evangelium Vitae Day [full text]
Adoration with Pope energizing Catholics worldwide
Parishes Worldwide Prepare for Eucharistic Adoration Hour (June 2 at 11 am ET)
Pope [Francis] at Pentecost: Newness, harmony and mission
Audience: Do not be ‘part-time’ Christians
Pope Francis: Regina caeli
Pope to welcome 70,000 youths, confirm 44 (this Sunday) [Catholic Caucus]
Pope Francis’ General Audience focused on women. Feminists aren’t going to be happy
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio's "Letter On the Year of Faith" (Crossing Threshold of Faith)

Pope Francis – the real deal – has Audience with Cardinals
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

[Salvation]

Perpetual Novena for the Nation (Ecumenical)

[Salvation]

Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)

[Salvation]

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

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:  I 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 Luminous Mysteries or Mysteries of Light
(Thursdays) see Rosarium Virginis Mariae
1. Jesus' Baptism in the Jordan (II Corinthians 5:21, Matthew 3:17 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Gratitude for the gift of Faith]
2. Jesus' self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana (John 2:1- 12) [Spiritual fruit - Fidelity]
3. Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with His call to conversion (Mark 1:15, Mark 2:3-13; Luke 7:47- 48, John 20:22-23) [Spiritual fruit - Desire for Holiness]
4. Jesus' Transfiguration (Luke 9:35 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Spiritual Courage]
5. Jesus' institution of the Eucharist, as the sacramental expression of the Paschal Mystery. (Luke 24:13-35 and parallels, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25) [Spiritual fruit - Love of our Eucharistic Lord]

[Salvation]

 

 

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.

[Salvation]

~ 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
+

[Salvation]

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.

[Salvation]

Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ

 

 

July Devotion: The Precious Blood

July Devotion: The Precious Blood 

Like the Sacred Wounds of Jesus, His Precious Blood deserves special honor because of its close relation to the Sacred Passion. That honor was given to it from the beginning by the Apostles who praised its redeeming power. (Rom. 5:9 "we are justified by His blood"; Heb. 13:12 "and so Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people by His blood, suffered outside the gate"; 1 John 1:7 "and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.") 

The Church has always held devotion to the Precious Blood in high esteem. We continue to recognize and publicly acknowledge the profound indebtedness of the whole human race to Christ, Priest and Victim. 

Standing at the foot of the cross, we see Jesus' head, hands, feet, and side pouring out streams of precious blood. It is precious because it: 

•      Redeems us and atones for our sins. Through His precious blood we are reconciled to God, made one with Him. Death ceases to be death and heaven's gates are opened to us.  

•      Cleanses us from all sin.  

•      Preserves us and keeps us safe from the grasp of evil.  When the Father sees us washed in the Blood of the Lamb we are spared.  

•      Comforts us. It is the constant reminder that Jesus - true God and true man suffered and died to save us and to open heaven to us because He loves us.  

•      Sanctifies us.  The same blood that justifies by taking away sin, continues to work within us.  Its action gives us the grace to continue on the path toward the Kingdom of God.  It assists us in achieving our new nature, leading us onward in subduing sin and in following the commands of God.  

Jesus shed His precious blood seven times during His life on earth.  They events were: 

•      Jesus shed His Blood in the Circumcision  

•      Jesus shed His Blood whilst praying in the Garden of Olives  

•      Jesus shed His Blood in the scourging  

•      Jesus shed His Blood in the crowning with thorns  

•      Jesus shed His Blood while carrying His cross  

•      Jesus shed His Blood in the crucifixion  

•      Jesus shed His Blood and water when His side was pierced 

 

The Power of the Precious Blood 

"I adore You, O Precious Blood of Jesus, flower of creation, fruit of virginity, ineffable instrument of the Holy Spirit, and I rejoice at the thought that You came from the drop of virginal blood on which eternal Love impressed its movement; You were assumed by the Word and deified in His person. I am overcome with emotion when I think of Your passing from the Blessed Virgin's heart into the heart of the Word, and, being vivified by the breath of the Divinity, becoming adorable because You became the Blood of God." (St. Albert the Great)

 

---

At their recent meeting, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had continuous Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for "healing and peace."   They encouraged parishes and communities to have ongoing Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  In these dark months of woundedness, pain and violence we need to turn to the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist, for healing, peace, and light.  

"What power we have in the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist!  He is there to protect us, to be our refuge and our redemption.  (In Exodus 12, God told Moses to have His chosen people mark their door posts with the blood of an unblemished lamb, during the first Passover. Those who did this were spared when the Angel of the death passed by). This is why Archbishop Sheen said that we must call down the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  For, he warned, when we stop calling down the Blood of the Lamb, we start calling down the blood of each other."  (From our book Bread of Life)      

"And the Lamb on the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water" (Rev 7:17). 

"In the tumultuous events of our time, it is important to look to the Eucharist: it must be at the heart of the life of priests and consecrated people; the light and strength of spouses in putting into practice their commitment to fidelity, chastity and the apostolate; the ideal in education and in training children, adolescents and young people; the comfort and support of those who are troubled, of the sick and all who are weeping in the Gethsemane of life."  (Pope John Paul II)  

Precious Blood of Jesus, save us! 

"The only time our Lord asked the Apostles for anything was the night when He went into His agony.  But as often in the history of the church since that time, evil was awake, but the disciples were asleep.  That is why there came out of His anguished and lonely Heart a sigh: 'Could you not watch one hour with Me?'" (Mt 26:40).  Not for an hour of activity did he plead, but for an hour of friendship (Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen).  

 

St. Maria Goretti,  Patroness of Youth & Children of Mary, Feast-July 6 St. Maria of Italy (1890-1902), couldn't wait to make her First Communion.  She wanted to receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist so that she could become more beautiful and pure like Him; she wanted Him to live in her, close to her heart.  After she received Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for the first time, she stayed in Church for a long time after Mass to talk to Him. Maria's family lived with and worked for a farmer. His son Alessandro kept trying to make Maria sin against purity.  One day, when everyone else was working, Alessandro grabbed Maria and tried to make her sin.  Maria kept crying out for him to stop, and each time she did, he stabbed her. Courageously,   Maria resisted him and was stabbed fourteen times. St. Maria died the next day.  

"Look at Maria Goretti....  Like her, be capable of defending your purity of heart and body.  Be committed to the struggle against evil and sin.  Always esteem and love, purity and virginity." (Pope John Paul II, 1990)      

 

A Prayer for Priests 

O my God, help those priests who are faithful to remain faithful; to those who are falling, stretch forth Your Divine Hand that they may grasp it as their support.  In the great ocean of Your mercy, lift those poor unfortunate ones who have fallen, that being engulfed therein they may receive the grace to return to Your Great Loving Heart.  Amen.  Precious Blood of Jesus, protect them!

 

The Eucharist is the fruit of our Lords Passion. Jesus gave up His Body on the cross so that He may give you His Body in the Holy Eucharist. Jesus poured out His very last drop of Blood on the cross so that He may fill you with His Divine Love each time that you receive Him in Holy Communion and visit Him in Eucharistic Adoration! 

"The Eucharist, in the Mass and outside of the Mass, is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and is therefore deserving of the worship that is given to the living God, and to Him alone" (Pope John Paul II, September 29, 1979, Phoenix Park, Ireland) 

"The bread and wine, fruit of human hands, transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit into the body and blood of Christ, become a pledge of the 'new heaven and new earth,' announced by the Church in her daily mission." "In Christ, whom we adore present in the mystery of the Eucharist, the father uttered his final word with regard to humanity and human history." "To live the Eucharist, it is necessary, as well, to spend much time in adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament, something which I myself experience every day drawing from it strength, consolation and assistance."  "How could the Church fulfill her vocation without cultivating a constant relationship with the Eucharist, without nourishing herself with this food which sanctifies, without founding her missionary activity on this indispensable support?" "To evangelize the world there is need of apostles who are 'experts' in the celebration, adoration and contemplation of the Eucharist" (Pope John Paul II, World Mission Message 2004).

 

The Power of the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist  

 

"The Precious Blood belongs in an especial manner to men. Much more, therefore, does God invite them to come to its heavenly baths, and receive therein, not only the cleansing of their souls, but the power of a new and amazing life. Every doctrine in theology is a call to the Precious Blood.  Every ceremony in the Church tells of it . . . .  Every supernatural act is a growth of it. Everything that is holy on earth is either a leaf, bud, blossom or fruit of the Blood of Jesus. To its fountains God calls the sinner, that he may be lightened of his burdens. There is no remission of him in anything else.  Only there is his lost sonship to be found. The saints are no less called by God to these invigorating streams. It is out of the Precious Blood that men draw martyrdoms, vocations, celebacies, austerities, heroic charities, and all the magnificent graces of high sanctity.  The secret nourishment of prayer is from those fountains" (Father Faber, The Precious Blood).  

 

The Most Precious Blood of Jesus
July is traditionally associated with the Precious Blood of Our Lord. It may be customary to celebrate the votive Mass of the Precious Blood on July 1.

The extraordinary importance of the saving Blood of Christ has ensured a central place for its memorial in the celebration of this cultic mystery: at the centre of the Eucharistic assembly, in which the Church raises up to God in thanksgiving "the cup of blessing" (1 Cor 10, 16; cf Ps 115-116, 13) and offers it to the faithful as a "real communion with the Blood of Christ" (1 Cor 10, 16); and throughout the Liturgical Year. The Church celebrates the saving Blood of Christ not only on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, but also on many other occasions, such that the cultic remembrance of the Blood of our redemption (cf 1 Pt 1, 18) pervades the entire Liturgical Year. Hence, at Vespers during Christmastide, the Church, addressing Christ, sings: "Nos quoque, qui sancto tuo redempti sumus sanguine, ob diem natalis tui hymnum novum concinimus." In the Paschal Triduum, the redemptive significance and efficacy of the Blood of Christ is continuously recalled in adoration. During the adoration of the Cross on Good Friday the Church sings the hymn: "Mite corpus perforatur, sanguis unde profluit; terra, pontus, astra, mundus quo lavanturflumine", and again on Easter Sunday, "Cuius corpus sanctissimum in ara crucis torridum, sed et cruorem roesum gustando, Deo vivimus (194).

ST. GASPAR: Founder of the Society of the Precious Blood
Mass in the Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (London, 9/18)

Devotion to the Drops of Blood Lost by our Lord Jesus Christ on His Way to Calvary (Prayer/Devotion)
Chaplet of the Most Precious Blood
Catholic Word of the Day: PRECIOUS BLOOD, 12-03-11
The Traditional Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Catholic Caucus)
Devotion to the Precious Blood
DOCTRINE OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,And More on the Precious Blood
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
NOTHING IS MORE POTENT AGAINST EVIL THAN PLEADING THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you"  (Jn 6:53).  

[Salvation]

July 2013

Pope's Intentions

World Youth Day. That World Youth Day in Brazil may encourage all young Christians to become disciples and missionaries of the Gospel.

Asia. That throughout Asia doors may be open to messengers of the Gospel.

 

[Salvation]

Daily Gospel Commentary

Thursday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407), priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church
Homilies on Saint Matthew's Gospel, no.29, 2 ; PG 57, 359

"Courage, child, your sins are forgiven."

The scribes declared that God alone can forgive sins. But Jesus, even before he forgave sins, revealed the secrets of the heart thereby showing that he also possessed that other power reserved to God... For it is written: “You alone, O Lord, know the secrets of humankind” and “Man sees the outward appearance but God sees the heart” (2Chr 6,30; 1Sam 16,7). In this way Jesus reveals his divinity and equality with the Father, uncovering the depths of their hearts to the scribes and making known those thoughts they are afraid to speak openly for fear of the crowd. And this he did with great gentleness...

The lame man might have made his disappointment known to Christ by saying: “OK! You have come to cure another kind of sickness and heal another kind of evil – sin. But what proof am I going to get that my sins are forgiven?” Yet he said nothing of the sort but put his trust in the one who had the power to heal him...


To the scribes Christ said: “Which is easier? To say: Your sins are forgiven, or rather: Take up your stretcher and go home?” In other words: What seems easier to you? To strengthen a paralyzed body or put aside the sins of the soul? Obviously, to heal a body since forgiveness of sins goes as much beyond the healing as the soul is above the body. But since one of these works is visible and the other not, I am equally going to carry out the work that is visible and lesser in order to prove that which is greater and unseen. At that very moment Jesus witnessed by his works that he is “He who takes away the sins of the world” (Jn 1,29).

 

[Salvation]

Thursday, July 04, 2013
Independence Day

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Isaiah 58:6-11 Psalm 107:2-9 Matthew 25:31-46 You should do no harm to anybody whatsoever, and as much as it is possible, do good to all. -- St Peter Fourier

[Salvation]

PRAYER FOR OUR COUNTRY

 

O my Jesus, You said, "verily I say to you, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you."  Behold, in your name I humbly ask our Heavenly Father to protect every man, woman, and child in our great nation from those who want to delete your name from our society, i.e. on our money, in our courts, and in our schools.  Protect us from plans of destruction from which our enemies have plotted. 

 

You, Heavenly Father, are the real foundation of our nation.  I thank you for making me a citizen of this land of freedom and unlimited opportunity...which are the results of its Christian base. 

 

Please surround and protect us, and our military with Your love and mercy...in Jesus' name. 

Amen

[Salvation]

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.

[Salvation]

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.