Posted on 07/09/2013 10:13:31 PM PDT by Salvation
July 10, 2013
Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 Gn 41:55-57; 42:5-7a, 17-24a
When hunger came to be felt throughout the land of Egypt
and the people cried to Pharaoh for bread,
Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph
and do whatever he told them.
When the famine had spread throughout the land,
Joseph opened all the cities that had grain
and rationed it to the Egyptians,
since the famine had gripped the land of Egypt.
In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain,
for famine had gripped the whole world.
The sons of Israel were among those
who came to procure rations.
It was Joseph, as governor of the country,
who dispensed the rations to all the people.
When Joseph’s brothers came and knelt down before him
with their faces to the ground,
he recognized them as soon as he saw them.
But Joseph concealed his own identity from them
and spoke sternly to them.
With that, he locked them up in the guardhouse for three days.
On the third day Joseph said to his brothers:
“Do this, and you shall live; for I am a God-fearing man.
If you have been honest,
only one of your brothers need be confined in this prison,
while the rest of you may go
and take home provisions for your starving families.
But you must come back to me with your youngest brother.
Your words will thus be verified, and you will not die.”
To this they agreed.
To one another, however, they said:
“Alas, we are being punished because of our brother.
We saw the anguish of his heart when he pleaded with us,
yet we paid no heed;
that is why this anguish has now come upon us.”
Reuben broke in,
“Did I not tell you not to do wrong to the boy?
But you would not listen!
Now comes the reckoning for his blood.”
The brothers did not know, of course,
that Joseph understood what they said,
since he spoke with them through an interpreter.
But turning away from them, he wept.
Responsorial Psalm PS 33:2-3, 10-11, 18-19
R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Gospel Mt 10:1-7
Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew,
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot
who betrayed Jesus.
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Wednesday, July 10
Liturgical Color: Green
Today the Church remembers St.
Daniel, priest, and companions, martyrs.
While on a mission to Morocco, these
Franciscan Friars were beheaded in
1221, for their refusal to convert to Islam.
Daily Readings for: July 10, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)
Collect: O God, who in the abasement of your Son have raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness. 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
ACTIVITIES
o Religion in the Home for Elementary School: July
o Religion in the Home for Preschool: July
PRAYERS
o July Devotion: The Precious Blood
o Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
LIBRARY
o Daniel-Rops and the Holiness of History | Justine Krug Buisson
o How Old Is Your Church? | Unknown
Ordinary Time: July 10th
Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: Seven Holy Brothers, martyrs and Sts. Rufina and Secunda, virgins and martyrs
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII for the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of the Seven Brothers and Sts. Rufina and Secunda. The Roman widow Felicitas and her seven sons were martyred in about the year 162. Pope Gregory the Great said of this widow, "She was more than a martyr, for seeing her seven children martyred before her eyes, she was in some sort a martyr in each of them." A century later, Rufina and Secunda, daughters of a wealthy Roman, refused to marry two suitors who had apostatized from the Christian religion. They were scourged and beheaded.
Seven Holy Brothers
During the persecution decreed by Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-168), seven brothers, sons of the saintly Felicitas, were tempted to renounce their Christian faith; the prefect Publius first used flattery, then resorted to atrocious torments. But they remained steadfast, and their mother encouraged them in confessing Christ. Different types of death were allotted them. Januarius died under the scourge; Felix and Philip were beaten with clubs; Silanus was cast from a rock; Alexander, Vitalis and Martial were beheaded. Four months later their mother, too, suffered martyrdom. Burial took place in different cemeteries. During the eighth century Silanus and his mother were taken to the Church of St. Susanna at Rome, where they still rest. Alexander came into the possession of the abbey church of Farfa.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Sts. Rufina and Secunda
Rufina and Secunda were sisters and virgins of Rome. Their parents had betrothed them to Armentarius and Verinus, but they refused to marry, saying that they had consecrated their virginity to Jesus Christ. They were, therefore, apprehended during the reign of the Emperors Valerian and Gallienus. When Junius, the prefect, saw he could not shake their resolution either by promises or by threats, he first ordered Rufina to be beaten with rods. While she was being scourged, Secunda thus addressed the judge: "Why do you treat my sister thus honorably, but me dishonorably? Order us both to be scourged, since we both confess Christ to be God." Enraged by these words, the judge ordered them both to be cast into a dark and fetid dungeon; immediately a bright light and a most sweet odor filled the prison. They were then shut up in a bath, the floor of which was made red-hot; but from this also they emerged unhurt. Next they were thrown into the Tiber with stones laid to their necks, but an angel saved them from the water, and they were finally beheaded ten miles out of the city on the Aurelian Way. Their bodies were buried by a matron named Plautilla, on her estate, and were afterwards translated into Rome, where they now repose in the Basilica of Constantine near the baptistery.
Excerpted from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.
Symbols: Broken images or pottery.
14th Week in Ordinary Time
“The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter…” (Matthew 10:2)
A family was visiting a cathedral just as sunlight cascaded through a stained glass window depicting the twelve apostles. As the mother was telling stories about the Twelve, a priest came along and asked her son what he was looking at. “The saints,” he answered. The priest quizzed him, “And who are the saints?” The boy responded, “They’re the ones with the light shining through them.”
While we now see the shining Twelve as brave evangelists and teachers of the spiritual life, we should remember that they were all ordinary men when Jesus first met them. They came from different walks of life—educated and uneducated, rich and poor—each with his own set of “baggage.” Still, with all their strengths and weaknesses, they embraced Jesus’ call to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven was at hand (Matthew 10:7). Simon was impetuous, and often spoke before he thought. James and John, whom Jesus nicknamed “Sons of Thunder,” wanted glory for themselves. Matthew was a despised tax collector. Thomas was stubborn and incredulous. And so on.
While they started off as a rather motley crew, each one gradually left his old ways behind. Rather than remain simply individuals, they became like a stained glass mosaic of unique pieces coming together to illuminate a beautiful image of their Lord. Everyone, that is, except Judas. But even here is a lesson on what can happen when we close our hearts and put ourselves ahead of Jesus and his people.
Now as then, Jesus is calling ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Do you really think you’re any worse than Peter or James or John or Matthew? What about Mary Magdalene, who had been possessed by seven demons yet became the apostle to the apostles? This is the wonder of God’s grace. He takes what is ordinary and makes it extraordinary; takes what is wounded by sin and heals it; what is fallen and lifts it up and fills it with his grace. So if you feel underqualified, don’t worry. You’re in good company! God sees your vast potential. He can do great things in and through you. Just let him.
“Jesus, I say ‘Yes!’ to you. Let your light shine through me!”
Genesis 41:55-57; 42:5-7, 17-24; Psalm 33:2-3, 10-11, 18-19
Daily Marriage Tip for July 10, 2013:
A spouse might be quiet, as if listening, but not necessarily understand the meaning behind your words. Some are better at this than others. Check out the true message.
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CHAPTER XXXII. Of the Iron Tools and Property of the Monastery
10 Mar. 10 July. 9 Nov.
Let the Abbot appoint brethren, on whose manner of life and character he can rely, to the charge of the iron tools, clothes, and other property of the Monastery; and let him consign to their care, as he shall think fit, the things to be kept and collected after use. Of these let the Abbot keep a list, so that as the brethren in turn succeed to different employments, he may know what he giveth and receiveth back. If any one treat the property of the Monastery in a slovenly or negligent manner, let him be corrected; and if he do not amend, let him be subjected to the discipline of the Rule.
The Tranquility of Order
Saint Benedict sees the real value of tools and of other equipment. He eschews the dreamy-eyed, romantic notion that monks can get by without working. For Saint Benedict, things are important. Monks require clothing, shoes, and bedding. Work requires tools. Study requires books. Whenever men begin to live together, they need tools, clothes, and other property. The care and good order of these things becomes a task of primary importance. When everyone is assumed to be responsible for the care and good order of things, in the end, no one is responsible. Then disorder sets in, and things become misplaced, broken, and neglected.
A Place for Everything
The old domestic adage, "A place for every thing, and every thing in its place," sums up an indispensable principle of life together. This principle applies to every thing in the monastery, beginning in each monk's cell and work space, and extending to the kitchen, refectory, library, sacristy, storage rooms, linen closets, guesthouse, bookshop, laundry, and toilets. This of course is an ideal that one cannot achieve overnight in a newly founded monastery such as ours.
Patience
The organisation of a new monastery will take time and much patience. Organisation is, in itself, a gift not given to all. For this reason the Abbot shall appoint brethren "on whose manner of life and character he can rely, to the charge of the iron tools, clothes, and other property of the monastery."
Precepts
The observance of six practical precepts can, however, facilitate the achievement of good order, efficiency, and responsible stewardship:
1. If you borrow something, return it.
2. If you open something, close it.
3. If you take something, put it back.
4. If you soil something, clean it.
5. If you break or lose something, own up to it.
6. If you need something, ask for it, in the proper way and at the suitable time.
All of this being said, good organisation begins in one's own cell and work area. It is good to sort through one's things regularly and eliminate all that is superfluous: weekly, monthly, and in a major way at the Embertides.
In Our Constitutions
The Constitutions of Silverstream Priory contain the following declarations on Chapter XXXII of the Holy Rule:
131. The monastery and all it possesses and contains is the patrimony of Jesus Christ, by which He sustains those who have left all things to follow Him, and to pour out their lives, in adoration before Him, like an ointment of great price.
132. Every member of the community, therefore, is responsible before God and his brethren for the respect and care of the fabric of the monastery; of its land, forest, streams, and other natural resources; and of its furnishings, machinery, and tools.
133. Each monk will cultivate a personal sense of responsibility for the cleanliness, good order, and beauty of the natural and material environment of the monastery.
134. The rapid development of new technologies obliges even monks to participate to some degree in the larger digital world. It is necessary, then, that, from the time of their initial monastic formation, they learn how to use these technologies in a competent and appropriate way, shaped by the unchanging ascetical principles of separation from the world, silence, and the love of truth.
Choosing an Apostle
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Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
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Matthew 10:1-7 Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the Twelve Apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Introductory Prayer: Lord, I bring myself into your presence knowing the zeal of your heart for souls. The glory of your heavenly Father can shape my own heart. I am confident that, just as the Twelve lit the flame of their love for their mission from the furnace of your divine love, I can ignite all that is lukewarm and tepid in my own soul today. I desire to fulfill more perfectly the mission you have given me. Petition: Lord, grant me the grace to be generous and trustful concerning your plan for me. 1. Jesus Needs Apostles: A condition for the Kingdom to grow is that it have protagonists. Christ refuses to be a one-man show. We honor and bow before the divine choice expressed in Christ’s desire to let his victory be realized through others, beginning with the Twelve. In the Twelve we find the model of every call of Christ to build his Kingdom, to spread the faith by word and deed. If there is no response to his call, there is no Kingdom. Have I meditated on my call often? Do I see it linked to my family and to my workplace? Have I responded to it? 2. The Calling: Many were on the mountain that day. Many were drawn to him and longed to be close to him, but only 12 received the explicit call to be Apostles. The sense of predilection is in every vocation and every mission from God. What we are chosen for in life, no one else can fulfill it. We are called by name, meaning that Christ knows us well when he calls, including all our defects and weaknesses. He did not ask the Twelve for their preferences, look at their SAT scores, or scrutinize their résumés. The choice of God, revealed in prayer, is sovereign and omnipotent in action. The Twelve cannot think there has been some mistake or some miscalculation. The voice of God, who neither deceives nor can be deceived, is speaking. 3. A Free Response: Christ called freely, and in freedom the Twelve responded. He did not bring down angels from heaven to overwhelm them to cooperate, he merely prayed to the Father. As Lord of the harvest, he has called each one of us. Our vocation as an apostle, is not a question of our wanting to be one. It is not a question of our talents or compelling feelings for this or that, but of our faith-driven awareness of God asking and our responding. Why are we where we are now in our vocation in life? In our particular marriage? In a particular lay movement? We can never know fully, for only God knows the depths of his own wisdom. This is the first mystery of the Kingdom that touches each one of us personally: God called, he willed it, and we said “yes.” This is the only answer an apostle must seek. Anything else slows down the mission and interrupts the dialogue of love and service to the mission. Conversation with Christ: Lord, I want to affirm that all my work today is going to be my response to your call to be your disciple and a light to others in this world. I resolve never to doubt the special and perfect nature of your plan for me. May my heart always be confident and generous in responding to your voice. Resolution: I will take the hardest part of my day and embrace it with greater joy out of love for the one who has called me. |
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All Issues > Volume 29, Issue 4
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In the first reading, the story of Joseph continues. Now he is the prime minister of Egypt and in charge of dispensing grain to top buyers from all lands because it was a time of famine all over the world. His brothers come to Egypt to buy grain and he forces them to leave Simeon behind and demands that they bring his younger brother Benjamin from Canaan to Egypt. Reuben laments that all this was happening because of the evil they had done to Joseph whom they thought was already dead. In the same way, we are going to account for all our sins sooner or later. So let us repent now and ask God to change our ways. Maybe we can escape the final judgment if we start to do more good than evil while here on earth.
In the gospel, Jesus shows his intention of founding the Church by choosing the first twelve apostles. He starts to instruct them on how to do their mission. He also gives them authority over unclean spirits and the ability to cure people with ailments. Today Jesus is also sounding off this same call to us – to be his messengers of the good news. We can do this mission first by making our personal lives a living testimony to the love and goodness of God. Or maybe you are being called to be a catechist or a missionary like the apostles. Whatever God is calling you to do, remember that Jesus has promised to be with us till the end of time. So do not be afraid. And do not think you are unworthy of the call. Remember that among the apostles, one denied Jesus three time. Another doubted his resurrection and a third betrayed him. The Lord knows each one of us; he knows our weaknesses. So let us trust in him and ask the Holy Spirit to give us the grace and strength to fulfill our mission.
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English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
Matthew 10 |
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1. | AND having called his twelve disciples together, he gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of diseases, and all manner of infirmities. | Et convocatis duodecim discipulis suis, dedit illis potestatem spirituum immundorum, ut ejicerent eos, et curarent omnem languorem, et omnem infirmitatem. | και προσκαλεσαμενος τους δωδεκα μαθητας αυτου εδωκεν αυτοις εξουσιαν πνευματων ακαθαρτων ωστε εκβαλλειν αυτα και θεραπευειν πασαν νοσον και πασαν μαλακιαν |
2. | And the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, | Duodecim autem Apostolorum nomina sunt hæc. Primus, Simon, qui dicitur Petrus : et Andreas frater ejus, | των δε δωδεκα αποστολων τα ονοματα εστιν ταυτα πρωτος σιμων ο λεγομενος πετρος και ανδρεας ο αδελφος αυτου ιακωβος ο του ζεβεδαιου και ιωαννης ο αδελφος αυτου |
3. | James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the publican, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, | Jacobus Zebedæi, et Joannes frater ejus, Philippus, et Bartholomæus, Thomas, et Matthæus publicanus, Jacobus Alphæi, et Thaddæus, | φιλιππος και βαρθολομαιος θωμας και ματθαιος ο τελωνης ιακωβος ο του αλφαιου και λεββαιος ο επικληθεις θαδδαιος |
4. | Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. | Simon Chananæus, et Judas Iscariotes, qui et tradidit eum. | σιμων ο κανανιτης και ιουδας ισκαριωτης ο και παραδους αυτον |
5. | These twelve Jesus sent: commanding them, saying: Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the city of the Samaritans enter ye not. | Hos duodecim misit Jesus, præcipiens eis, dicens : In viam gentium ne abieritis, et in civitates Samaritanorum ne intraveritis : | τουτους τους δωδεκα απεστειλεν ο ιησους παραγγειλας αυτοις λεγων εις οδον εθνων μη απελθητε και εις πολιν σαμαρειτων μη εισελθητε |
6. | But go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. | sed potius ite ad oves quæ perierunt domus Israël. | πορευεσθε δε μαλλον προς τα προβατα τα απολωλοτα οικου ισραηλ |
7. | And going, preach, saying: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. | Euntes autem prædicate, dicentes : Quia appropinquavit regnum cælorum. | πορευομενοι δε κηρυσσετε λεγοντες οτι ηγγικεν η βασιλεια των ουρανων |
(*) "ιακωβος ο του ζεβεδαιου και ιωαννης ο αδελφος αυτου" begins verse 3 in the translations
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