Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 08-02-13, OM, St. Eusebius/Vercelli, St. Peter Julian Eymard

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 08-02-13 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

August 2, 2013

Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

 

 

Reading 1 Lv 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37

The LORD said to Moses,
“These are the festivals of the LORD which you shall celebrate
at their proper time with a sacred assembly.
The Passover of the LORD falls on the fourteenth day of the first month,
at the evening twilight.
The fifteenth day of this month is the LORD’s feast of Unleavened Bread.
For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
On the first of these days you shall hold a sacred assembly
and do no sort of work.
On each of the seven days you shall offer an oblation to the LORD.
Then on the seventh day you shall again hold a sacred assembly
and do no sort of work.”

The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the children of Israel and tell them:
When you come into the land which I am giving you,
and reap your harvest,
you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest
to the priest, who shall wave the sheaf before the LORD
that it may be acceptable for you.
On the day after the sabbath the priest shall do this.

“Beginning with the day after the sabbath,
the day on which you bring the wave-offering sheaf,
you shall count seven full weeks,
and then on the day after the seventh week, the fiftieth day,
you shall present the new cereal offering to the LORD.

“The tenth of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement,
when you shall hold a sacred assembly and mortify yourselves
and offer an oblation to the LORD.

“The fifteenth day of this seventh month is the LORD’s feast of Booths,
which shall continue for seven days.
On the first day there shall be a sacred assembly,
and you shall do no sort of work.
For seven days you shall offer an oblation to the LORD,
and on the eighth day you shall again hold a sacred assembly
and offer an oblation to the LORD.
On that solemn closing you shall do no sort of work.

“These, therefore, are the festivals of the LORD
on which you shall proclaim a sacred assembly,
and offer as an oblation to the LORD burnt offerings and cereal offerings,
sacrifices and libations, as prescribed for each day.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 81:3-4, 5-6, 10-11ab

R. (2a) Sing with joy to God our help.
Take up a melody, and sound the timbrel,
the pleasant harp and the lyre.
Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our solemn feast.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
For it is a statute in Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob,
Who made it a decree for Joseph
when he came forth from the land of Egypt.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.
There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.

Gospel Mt 13:54-58

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.
They were astonished and said,
“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Is he not the carpenter’s son?
Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us?
Where did this man get all this?”
And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house.”
And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith.

[Salvation]

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

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From: Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37

Celebration of the Sabbath

---

[1] The Lord said to Moses, [4] “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord,
the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for
them.”

Celebration of the Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread

---

[5] “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening,
is the Lord’s passover. [6] And on the fifteenth day of the same month is
the feast of unleavened bread to the Lord; seven days you shall eat
unleavened bread. [7] 0n the first day you shall have a holy convocation;
you shall do no laborious work. [8] But you shall present an offering by
fire to the Lord seven days; on the seventh day is a holy convocation; you
shall do no laborious work.”

Celebration of the First Fruits

---

[9] And the Lord said to Moses, [10] “Say to the people of Israel, When you
come into the land which I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring
the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest; [11] and he
shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, that you may find acceptance; on the
morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.”

Celebration of the Feast of Weeks

---

[15] “And you shall count from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day
that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven full weeks shall they
be, [16] counting fifty days to the morrow after the seventh sabbath; then
you shall present a cereal offering of new grain to the Lord.”

Celebration of the Day of Atonement

---

[27] “On the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it
shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict
yourselves and present an offering by fire to the Lord.”

Celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles

---

[34b] “On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the
feast of booths to the Lord. [35] On the first day shall be a holy
convocation; you shall do no laborious work. [36] Seven days you shall
present offerings by fire to the Lord; on the eighth day you shall hold a
holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is a solemn
assembly; you shall do no laborious work.”

[37] “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim
as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the Lord offerings by fire,
burnt offerings and cereal offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each
on its proper day.”

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

23:1-4. Some of the feats mentioned in this calendar are also to be found in
other books (cf. Ex 23:14-19; 34:18-26; Deut 16:1). It deals first with the
sabbath, which becomes the paradigm for all the other feasts, especially as
far as rest is concerned. Such importance was given to what could or could
not be done on the sabbath that all sorts of absurd and formalistic
exaggerations developed. More than once Jesus criticized the severe
interpretations devised by the scribes—a complicated and intolerable
casuistry (cf. Mt 15:1-9; 23:41 Acts 15:10).

23:5-8. The Passover is also dealt with in Exodus 12:1-14:21-28 and 13:3-10.
The first month was called Nisan; earlier on it was called Abib, “spring” or
“ears (of grain)”. The feast began at sundown. Here it is depicted as a
preparation for the feast of the unleavened bread, which began the following
day, 15 Nisan, and lasted seven days, during which bread was eaten
unleavened. The religious assembly took place on the first day and the last.
During these assemblies various sacrifices were offered and a sacred meal
took place. We recall that it was during this feast that Jesus instituted
the Eucharist, doing so in the context of the passover supper. And it was
during the Passover that Jesus was sacrificed on the altar of the cross. St
John tells us that the sacrifice of Christ began at the sixth hour on the
day of Preparation, the exact time that the passover lambs were sacrificed.
This makes the beginning of a new Passover, in which a new victim is
sacrificed, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (cf. Jn
1:29, 36; 19:14).

23:9-14. The feast of the first fruits, although the date is not a fixed
one, is connected with the Passover. In the Jordan valley grain was already
ripe for harvest by this time (cf. Num 28:26-31). The offering of first
fruits is based on the conviction that everything comes from God. In
recognition of that divine sovereignty the first sheaf to ripen was offered
in sacrifice—a tradition which developed to the point that no one could eat
the crop without first making this offering to God. The “morrow” after the
sabbath was thought by some to have been the first sabbath after 14 Nisan.
Other scholars think that the sabbath was 15 Nisan and then the offering of
the first fruits took place on 16 Nisan. The “morrow” was the base day for
reckoning the start of feast of Pentecost, seven weeks later. The offering
of the first sheaves was accompanied by the sacrifice of a year-old lamb and
two tenths of an ephah of flour (cf. the note on Ex 29:38-46) that is,
approximately 4.2 liters, and a quarter of a hin of wine (approximately one
litre or two pints).

23:15-22. This feast, too, has elements connected with the grain harvest.
Later on it became linked with the giving the Law at Sinai. It was called
Pentecost because it came fifty days after Passover. In Hebrew it was called
Aseret, the “great convocation” or assembly. Another name for it is the
feast of Weeks (a reference to the seven weeks which had passed since the
Passover). The offering of the loaves of bread made from the first sheaf
expressed thanksgiving and joy for the harvest recently completed. The
various sacrifices were offered as a sign of repentance for and as an act of
adoration for the greatness of God who had blessed the work of his people.

From a Christian point of view, it is interesting that it was on the feast
of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit came down on the apostles. For one thing,
that Pentecost marked the start of a new stage with another Law, a much more
perfect one, written not on stones but in the depths of men’s hearts (cf. 2
Cor 3:3). For another, because it also seems significant that it was at the
moment when the fruits of the earth were being harvested that the Church
should receive the most precious fruit of Christ’s death on the cross, the
strength of the Spirit who purifies and sanctities men with his divine
grace.

23:23-44. In the Bible the number seven had a sacred character; symbolizing
in some way the perfection of God. Therefore the seventh month, as also the
seventh year, had special significance in Israel. Thus, in the seventh month
(in Hebrew, Tishre) three feasts were held. The first was the feast of
Trumpets, which took place on the seventh day. It began with the sounding
of trumpets; hence its name. Trumpets were also used to greet the appearance
of the new moon. These details probably reflect traces of astral cults;
however, by becoming incorporated into the liturgy, they became purified and
raised to a new plane, to express at different times and different ways a
deep feeling of attachment to the Creator of heaven and earth.

On the tenth of the same month the day of atonement was celebrated—Yom
Kippur. It was a day of penance and expiation. It began at sundown, with the
start of the sabbath rest. The grave penalties imposed for transgressions
show the importance this day had, and still has today, in Jewish liturgy.

The other great feast is that of Tabernacles, celebrated over seven days,
beginning on 15 Tisre. In the Code of the Covenant it is called the feast of
ingathering (cf. Ex 23:16). The last of the harvest was saved around this
time, particularly the grape harvest. The feast marked the close of the
agricultural year; it was a most joyful least. It was also regarded as
preparation for the new period which would start immediately with the new
sowing. Prayers were offered for early rains, which were so crucial to
starting the work. This was why the rite of water was so much to the fore.
Water was borne in procession from the pool of Siloe and then poured round
the altar of the temple. In Jesus’ time a bunch of myrtle and acacia
branches (from trees growing on the river bank) was shaken during the
procession, thereby invoking the divine blessing of rain. In the times of
Ezra and Nehemiah. in the middle of the 5th century BC, huts made from
branches of trees were set up on the terfaces of houses or in the
countryside, and the people camped in them over the days of the feast, in
memory of the pilgrimage of the people of Israel in the desert, when they
lived in tents. This custom still survives in the Jewish religion.

The Gospel of St John has much to say about this feast and about Jesus’
activity in connection with it (cf. Jn 7:2ff), including the, important
revelations our Lord made apropos of its rites: it was on this feast that
Jesus proclaimed that from his heart rivers of living water would flow, a
reference to “the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive”
(Jn 7:39).

*********************************************************************************************
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]

Memorial: St Ignatius of Loyola, Priest

From: Matthew 13:54-58

No One is a Prophet in His Own Country

---

[54] And coming to His (Jesus’) own country He taught them in their synagogue,
so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom
and these mighty works? [55] Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother
called Mary? And are not His brethren James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
[56] And are not all His sisters with us? Where then did this Man get all this?”
[57] And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not
without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” [58] And He did
not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

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

53-58. The Nazarenes’ surprise is partly due to people’s difficulty in recognizing
anything exceptional and supernatural in those with whom they have been on fa-
miliar terms. Hence the saying, “No one is a prophet in his own country.” These
old neighbors were also jealous of Jesus. Where did He acquire this wisdom?
Why Him rather than us? They were unaware of the mystery of Jesus’ conception;
surprise and jealousy cause them to be shocked, to look down on Jesus and not
to believe in Him: “He came to His own home, and His own people received Him
not” (John 1:11).

“The carpenter’s son”: this is the only reference in the Gospel to St. Joseph’s
occupation (in Mark 6:3 Jesus Himself is described as a “carpenter”). Probably
in a town like Nazareth the carpenter was a general tradesman who could turn
his hand to jobs ranging from metalwork to making furniture or agricultural imple-
ments.

For an explanation of Jesus’ “brethren”, see the note on Matthew 12:46-47.

[The note of Matthew 12:46-47 states:

46-47. “Brethren”: ancient Hebrew, Aramaic and other languages had no special
words for different degrees of relationship, such as are found in more modern lan-
guages. In general, all those belonging to the same family, clan and even tribe
were “brethren”.

In the particular case we have here, we should bear in mind that Jesus had dif-
ferent kinds of relatives, in two groups—some on His mother’s side, others on St.
Joseph’s. Matthew 13:55-56 mentions, as living in Nazareth, James, Joseph,
Simon and Judas (”His brethren”) and elsewhere there is reference to Jesus’ “sis-
ters” (cf. Matthew 6:3). But in Matthew 27:56 we are told that James and Joseph
were sons of a Mary distinct from the Blessed Virgin, and that Simon and Judas
were not brothers of James and Joseph, but seemingly children of a brother of St.
Joseph.

Jesus, on the other hand, was known to everyone as “the son of Mary” (Mark
6:3) or “the carpenter’s son” (Matthew 13:55).

The Church has always maintained as absolutely certain that Jesus had no
brothers or sisters in the full meaning of the term: it is a dogma that Mary was
ever-Virgin (cf. note on Matthew 1:25).]

*********************************************************************************************
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

Leviticus 23:1,4-11,15-16,27,34-37 ©

The Lord spoke to Moses. He said:

  ‘These are the Lord’s solemn festivals, the sacred assemblies to which you are to summon the sons of Israel on the appointed day.

  ‘The fourteenth day of the first month, between the two evenings, is the Passover of the Lord; and the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of Unleavened Bread for the Lord. For seven days you shall eat bread without leaven. On the first day you are to hold a sacred assembly; you must do no heavy work. For seven days you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord. The seventh day is to be a day of sacred assembly; you must do no work.’

  The Lord spoke to Moses. He said:

  ‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them:

  ‘“When you enter the land that I give you, and gather in the harvest there, you must bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest, and he is to present it to the Lord with the gesture of offering, so that you may be acceptable. The priest shall make this offering on the day after the sabbath.

  ‘“From the day after the sabbath, the day on which you bring the sheaf of offering, you are to count seven full weeks. You are to count fifty days, to the day after the seventh sabbath, and then you are to offer the Lord a new oblation.

  ‘“The tenth day of the seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. You are to hold a sacred assembly. You must fast, and you must offer a burnt offering to the Lord.

  ‘“The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of Tabernacles for the Lord, lasting seven days. The first day is a day of sacred assembly; you must do no heavy work. For seven days you must offer a burnt offering to the Lord. On the eighth day you are to hold a sacred assembly, you must offer a burnt offering to the Lord. It is a day of solemn meeting; you must do no heavy work.

  ‘“These are the solemn festivals of the Lord to which you are to summon the children of Israel, sacred assemblies for the purpose of offering burnt offerings, holocausts, oblations, sacrifices and libations to the Lord, according to the ritual of each day.”’

---

Psalm

Psalm 80:3-6,10-11 ©

Ring out your joy to God our strength.

Raise a song and sound the timbrel,

  the sweet-sounding harp and the lute;

blow the trumpet at the new moon,

  when the moon is full, on our feast.

Ring out your joy to God our strength.

For this is Israel’s law,

  a command of the God of Jacob.

He imposed it as a rule on Joseph,

  when he went out against the land of Egypt.

Ring out your joy to God our strength.

Let there be no foreign god among you.

  no worship of an alien god.

I am the Lord your God,

  who brought you from the land of Egypt.

  Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

Ring out your joy to God our strength.

---

Gospel Acclamation

cf.1Th2:13

Alleluia, alleluia!

Accept God’s message for what it really is:

God’s message, and not some human thinking.

Alleluia!

Or

1P1:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

The word of the Lord remains for ever:

What is this word?

It is the Good News that has been brought to you.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel

Matthew 13:54-58 ©

Coming to his home town, Jesus taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? His sisters, too, are they not all here with us? So where did the man get it all?’ And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

[Salvation]

Year of Faith: Does God Command Evil Actions in the Bible? Part II (Part I linked
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]

 

 

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]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

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

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

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

 

The Mysteries of the Rosary

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

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

[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]

August Devotion -- The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.

This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.

On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.

INVOCATIONS

O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.

Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."

Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.

Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII

IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.

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

Sacred Heart Of Jesus

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Blessed be the Most Loving Heart and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother, in eternity and forever. Amen. ....Only the Heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way ----From the Catechism. P:1439 From the depth of my nothingness, I prostrate myself before Thee, O Most Sacred, Divine and Adorable Heart of Jesus, to pay Thee all the homage of love, praise and adoration in my power. Amen. - - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and his Heart which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins. Christian prayer loves to follow the way of the cross in the Savior's steps.-- >From the Catechism. P: 2669 The Salutation to the Heart of Jesus and Mary   An Offering of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary
Novena Prayer to Sacred Heart  of Jesus Prayer to the Wounded Heart of Jesus   Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart   Meditation & Novena Prayer on the Sacred Heart Beads to the Sacred Heart		Novena Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary   A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary   The Daily Offering to the  Immaculate Heart of Mary   Exaltation of the Immaculate  Heart of Mary   Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

The Holy Heart of Mary Is, After the Heart of Jesus, the Most Exalted Throne of Divine Love
Let us recollect that God has given us the feast of the most pure Heart of the Blessed Virgin so that we may render on that day all the respect, honor and praise that we possibly can. To enkindle this spirit within us let us consider our motivating obligations.

The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.

This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?

How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?

— St. John Eudes

Today: Immaculate Heart of Mary [DEVOTIONAL]

The Immaculate Heart of Mary [Devotional] Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Saturdays and the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Brown Scapular (Catholic Caucus)
The History of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Homilies preached by Father Robert Altier on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Marian Associations Unite to Celebrate Immaculate Heart
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, AUGUST 22ND
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

August Devotion -- The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.

This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.

On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.

INVOCATIONS

O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.

Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."

Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.

Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII

IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.

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

Sacred Heart Of Jesus

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Blessed be the Most Loving Heart and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother, in eternity and forever. Amen. ....Only the Heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way ----From the Catechism. P:1439 From the depth of my nothingness, I prostrate myself before Thee, O Most Sacred, Divine and Adorable Heart of Jesus, to pay Thee all the homage of love, praise and adoration in my power. Amen. - - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and his Heart which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins. Christian prayer loves to follow the way of the cross in the Savior's steps.-- >From the Catechism. P: 2669 The Salutation to the Heart of Jesus and Mary   An Offering of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary
Novena Prayer to Sacred Heart  of Jesus Prayer to the Wounded Heart of Jesus   Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart   Meditation & Novena Prayer on the Sacred Heart Beads to the Sacred Heart		Novena Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary   A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary   The Daily Offering to the  Immaculate Heart of Mary   Exaltation of the Immaculate  Heart of Mary   Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

The Holy Heart of Mary Is, After the Heart of Jesus, the Most Exalted Throne of Divine Love
Let us recollect that God has given us the feast of the most pure Heart of the Blessed Virgin so that we may render on that day all the respect, honor and praise that we possibly can. To enkindle this spirit within us let us consider our motivating obligations.

The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.

This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?

How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?

— St. John Eudes

[Salvation]

August 2013
Pope's Intentions

Parents and Teachers. That parents and teachers may help the new generation to grow in upright conscience and life.

The Church in Africa. That the local Church in Africa, faithfully proclaiming the Gospel, may promote peace and justice.

 

[Salvation]

Daily Gospel Commentaries

Commentary of the day
Benedict XVI, pope from 2005 to 2013
Encyclical « Spe Salvi », 47 (trans. © copyright Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

"Because of their lack of faith"

Some recent theologians are of the opinion that the fire which both burns and saves is Christ himself, the Judge and Savior. The encounter with him is the decisive act of judgment. Before his gaze all falsehood melts away. This encounter with him, as it burns us, transforms and frees us, allowing us to become truly ourselves. All that we build during our lives can prove to be mere straw, pure bluster, and it collapses. Yet in the pain of this encounter, when the impurity and sickness of our lives become evident to us, there lies salvation. His gaze, the touch of his heart heals us through an undeniably painful transformation “as through fire”. But it is a blessed pain, in which the holy power of his love sears through us like a flame, enabling us to become totally ourselves and thus totally of God.

In this way the inter-relation between justice and grace also becomes clear: the way we live our lives is not immaterial, but our defilement does not stain us for ever if we have at least continued to reach out towards Christ, towards truth and towards love. Indeed, it has already been burned away through Christ's Passion. At the moment of judgment we experience and we absorb the overwhelming power of his love over all the evil in the world and in ourselves. The pain of love becomes our salvation and our joy.

[Salvation]

Ioannes Paulus PP. II
Karol Wojtyla
16.X.1978 - 2.IV.2005

The best, the surest , and the most effective way of establishing everlasting peace on the face of the earth is through the great power of perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament." -- Pope John Paul II

"Could you not watch one hour?" -- Mark 14:37

I am happy to testify that many young people are discovering the beauty of adoration, whether personal or in community. I invite priests to encourage youth groups in this, but also to accompany them to ensure that the forms of adoration are appropriate and dignified, with sufficient times for silence and listening to the word of God. In life today, which is often noisy and scattered, it is more important than ever to recover the capacity for interior silence and recollection: Eucharistic adoration permits one to do this not only within one's "I" but rather in the company of that "You" full of love who is Jesus Christ, "the God who is near us."

 

~Pope Benedict XVI

“The Pope has a great spiritual sense of worship and [importance of] reaching out to every human being,” says Msgr. Fazio. “In Buenos Aires in recent years, he has spontaneously promoted the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in parishes, and it is bearing spiritual fruit.” Furthermore, Msgr. Fazio is sure the Pope will “pay particular attention to Eucharistic adoration and the preaching of the word.”

Ioannes Paulus PP. II
Karol Wojtyla
16.X.1978 - 2.IV.2005

The best, the surest , and the most effective way of establishing everlasting peace on the face of the earth is through the great power of perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament." -- Pope John Paul II

[Salvation]

Parishes Worldwide Prepare for Eucharistic Adoration Hour (June 2 at 11 am ET)
Adoration begins in Eternal City for US elections

Perpetual Eucharistic adoration begins at the Olympics
With Eyes Wide Open -- Encountering the Lord in Adoration [Catholic Caucus]
Reasons for Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration(Catholic Caucus)
'We Are a Church On Fire': Eucharistic Adoration Transforms Acushnet Parish
Eucharistic Adoration [for college students nationwide]
Pray Unceasingly: Perpetual Adoration as a Necessary Antidote to Abortion

[CATHOLIC CAUCUS] There is water here (Eucharistic Adoration)
Eucharistic Adoration is Life Changing
Here is Christ! (Daily Holy Hour) [Catholic Caucus]
Letter to a Brother Priest [on Eucharistic adoration]
ND’s McBrien: Eucharistic Adoration “is a...spiritual step backward” (Catholic Caucus)
Adoration with no end: 24-hour Eucharistic ritual returns to Boston [Catholic Caucus]
Kansas parish opens adoration chapel
Perpetual adoration returns to Boston after 40 year absence [Catholic Caucus]
I Fall To My Knees (A Reflection on Eucharistic Adoration)
A Chinese Girl-True Story That Inspired Bishop Fulton Sheen- Eucharist Adoration (Catholic Caucus)

Eucharistic Adoration increases prayer, vocations in Uganda(Catholic Caucus)
Faithful Invited to Follow Pope, Adore Eucharist [Catholic Caucus]
Catholic Caucus: The Hour That Makes My Day | Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
A Shepherd Speaks (Eucharistic Adoration) -- Bishop Edward J. Slattery [Catholic Caucus]
Why Eucharistic Adoration?(Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
The Core of Monasticism Is Adoration [Catholic Caucus](Homily of Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday
Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration: a Parish's Fuel
The History of Eucharistic Adoration Development of Doctrine in the Catholic Church
The Cease-Fire of Prayer and Fasting
Eucharistic Adoration: The Early Years

Catholic Meditation and Devotion: The Holy Hour
Spend Some Time With Jesus Tonight...
The Eucharistic Mystery Calls For Our Response
Pope Backs Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration
Eucharistic adoration is key, but also has drawbacks, bishops say
Eucharistic adoration: Intimacy with Christ
The Gaze [Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament]
St. Francis of Assisi and Eucharistic Adoration
Ancient Roman Catholic ritual making a comeback in Minnesota
Adoration for Vocations to be Promoted Worldwide

POPE GRANTS PLENARY INDULGENCE FOR YEAR OF THE EUCHARIST
New Plenary Indulgence to Mark Year of the Eucharist
The Adoration of the Name of Jesus (El Greco)
Adoration Tally Presented to Pope by Vocation.com
In The Presence Of The Lord
2.2 Million hours of prayer, and counting
Eucharistic Adoration or Abortion?
Bishop Calls for Perpetual Adoration of Eucharist
What I learned about Eucharistic Adoration
PERPETUAL ADORATION

[Salvation]

Friday, August 02, 2013
Our Lady of the Angels of Portiuncula (Solemnity)

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel:

Sirach 24:1-4, 16, 22-24 Psalm 34:5, 7, 9-10, 18-19 Galatians 4:3-7 Luke 1:26-33 The more Christian and conscious people are of their dignity and of their vital role in the Church, the more they urgently feel the need for priests who are truly priests. -- Pope John Paul

[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. 

[Salvation]

Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop

Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop
Optional Memorial
August 2nd


Unknown artist

(+371). He fought staunchly against the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Jesus Christ, and the Arians tortured and exiled him. He was also the first Western bishop to unite the clerical and monastic life.

Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003

Collect:
Lead us, Lord God, to imitate the constancy of Saint Eusebius
in affirming the divinity of your Son,
so that, by preserving the faith he taught as your Bishop,
we may merit a share in the very life of your Son.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading:1 John 5:1-5
Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and every one who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:1-12a
Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when He sat down His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.

---

Related Link on the Vatican Website: Benedict XVI, General Audience, Saint Peter's Square, Wednesday, 17 October 2007, Saint Eusebius of Vercelli

[Salvation]

Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Priest

Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Priest
Optional Memorial
August 2nd

from Prayer Card

Collect:

O God, who adorned Saint Peter Julian Eymard
with a wonderful love for the sacred mysteries
of the Body and Blood of your Son,
graciously grant
that we, too, may be worthy to receive
the delights he drew from this divine banquet.
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.

First Reading: Acts 4:32-35

Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet; and distribution was made to each as any had need.

Gospel Reading: John 15:1-8

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of Mine that bears no fruit, He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

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History:

Founder of the Society of the Blessed Sacrament, and of the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, born at La Mure d'Isère, Diocese of Grenoble, France, February 4, 1811. From early childhood he gave evidence of great holiness and most tender devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. In 1829, he entered the novitiate of the Oblates of Mary, but illness compelled him to return home. At the age of twenty he entered the grand seminary of Grenoble, and was ordained priest July 20, 1834. He returned to the Marist novitiate in 1839. In 1845 he was appointed Provincial of the Oblates of Mary. His entire spiritual life was centered around the Eucharist. It was the subject of his sermons and exhortations, the object of his worship and prayers. Those who fell under his spiritual direction were taught by his counsel to fix their attention on the Blessed Sacrament.

In January of 1851 Peter Eymard made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Fourvières, and there promised Mary to devote his life to founding a congregation of priests whose principal duty should be to honor the Blessed Sacrament. Having obtained the necessary ecclesiastical permission, he procured a small house in Paris, in which he and a single companion took up their abode. Here, on January 6, 1857, the Blessed Sacrament was exposed, and the nascent community of two members commenced the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as prescribed by their rule. Their founder received his first encouragement for the work in a laudatory Brief, blessing the work and its author, and signed by Pius IX, in 1857. Five years after, in 1862, Peter Eymard had enough spiritual sons to open a regular novitiate. From this date the congregation spread rapidly, until now its houses may be found in Rome, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Canada, the United States, and South America. The Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, a congregation of cloistered women who carry on perpetual adoration in their convents, were also founded by him in 1858. The Priests' Eucharistic League and the Archconfraternity of the Blessed Sacrament are evidences of his zeal among priests and the faithful. Peter Eymard's writings have been collected, and form four volumes: "The Real Presence", which has been translated into English; Retreat at the Feet of Jesus Eucharistic", "La Sainte Communion", and "L'Eucharistie et la Perfection Chrétienne". These writings have received the approbation of the Holy See. He died August 1, 1868. The author was declared Venerable August 11, 1908 and canonized on December 9, 1962 by Pope John XXIII.

(Principal source - Catholic Encyclopedia - 1913 edition )

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from Eymard's writings

• Although there are several methods of meditation, St. Eymard suggests one is truly Eucharistic since it is taken from the four ends of the Eucharistic Sacrifice. The method is to divide Eucharistic Adoration into four quarters, Adoration, Thanksgivng, Reparation and Petition. He recommends preparing before going to church the subject of meditation and that one should be practical and consistent with his devotions toward God.
• According to St.Eymard the Stations of the cross was considered among the most important excercise of a retreat. He made the Stations daily until his death.

Source My Eucharistic Day, Rules and Practices recommended by St. Peter Julian Eymard, Prow Books/Franciscan Marytown Press 1954.

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Saint Eusebius, Bishop of Vercelli[370a.d.]

[Salvation]

Novena with Saint Peter Julian Eymard for Prayer in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament [Prayer]
Eucharistic Stations Of The Cross (Saint Peter Julian Eymard)
Corpus Christi (by St. Peter Julian Eymard)
A series of reflections from St. Peter Julian Eymard Blessed Sacrament(Catholic Caucus)
St.Peter Julian Eymard[Apostle of the Eucharist]

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Information: Our Lady of the Angels of Portiuncula

Feast Day: August 2

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[Catholic Caucus: Coincidences That Aren't [Our Lady of the Angels]
[CATHOLIC CAUCUS] A Gift from Heaven: the Portiuncula Indulgence

[Salvation]

Information: St. Eusebius Vercelli

Feast Day: August 2

Born: 283, Sardinia

Died: August 1, 371, Vercelli, Piemonte

Patron of: Vercelli

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Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Eusebius

Feast Day: August 2
Born: 283 :: Died: 371

St. Eusebius (of Vercelli) was born on the island of Sardinia in Italy. His parents were faithful Christians and his father died a martyr for the Christian faith. Eusebius grew up to be a strong Christian and actively served his community. After his father's death his family moved to Rome and there he was ordained a Lector.

This was a time when the people elected bishops and when the people of Vercelli saw how well he served their Church; they willingly chose him as bishop. He and some of his priests lived a simple life and became eager and happy followers of Jesus. They learned from Eusebius how to guide the people who came to them for help and many of his priests later became bishops.

Emperor Constantius who was an Arian did not believe that Jesus was God and created lots of trouble for the Catholics. The Pope sent Eusebius on a mission to try and make peace. But the powerful Arians did not want to make peace and only tried to force their will on the Catholics. Because Eusebius was a champion of the truth, he was not afraid and refused to listen to Emperor Constantius.

So Constantius sent him away to Palestine where he lived with a kind man who was the only Catholic in town. But after the kind man died, the Arians kidnapped Eusebius; they insulted him by tearing his clothes and dragging him through the streets. They broke into his house and stole his belongings and food. Then they locked him in a tiny cell without food for four days.

When Emperor Constantius died all the Bishops who were sent away were allowed to return home.

But the problems were not over and Eusebius spent his last years working hard to spread the truth and strengthen the faith of the Christians. Bishop Eusebius died on August 1, 371.

 

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Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 13
54.	And coming into his own country, he taught them in their synagogues, so that they wondered and said: How came this man by this wisdom and miracles?	Et veniens in patriam suam, docebat eos in synagogis eorum, ita ut mirarentur, et dicerent : Unde huic sapientia hæc, et virtutes ?	και ελθων εις την πατριδα αυτου εδιδασκεν αυτους εν τη συναγωγη αυτων ωστε εκπληττεσθαι αυτους και λεγειν ποθεν τουτω η σοφια αυτη και αι δυναμεις
55.	Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Jude:	Nonne hic est fabri filius ? nonne mater ejus dicitur Maria, et fratres ejus, Jacobus, et Joseph, et Simon, et Judas ?	ουχ ουτος εστιν ο του τεκτονος υιος ουχι η μητηρ αυτου λεγεται μαριαμ και οι αδελφοι αυτου ιακωβος και ιωσης και σιμων και ιουδας
56.	And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence therefore hath he all these things?	et sorores ejus, nonne omnes apud nos sunt ? unde ergo huic omnia ista ?	και αι αδελφαι αυτου ουχι πασαι προς ημας εισιν ποθεν ουν τουτω ταυτα παντα
57.	And they were scandalized in his regard. But Jesus said to them: A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.	Et scandalizabantur in eo. Jesus autem dixit eis : Non est propheta sine honore, nisi in patria sua, et in domo sua.	και εσκανδαλιζοντο εν αυτω ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτοις ουκ εστιν προφητης ατιμος ει μη εν τη πατριδι αυτου και εν τη οικια αυτου
58.	And he wrought not many miracles there, because of their unbelief.	Et non fecit ibi virtutes multas propter incredulitatem illorum.	και ουκ εποιησεν εκει δυναμεις πολλας δια την απιστιαν αυτων

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54. And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence has this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
55. Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
56. And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then has this man all these things?
57. And they were offended in him. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house.
58. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

JEROME, After the parables which the Lord spoke to the people, and which the Apostles only understand, He goes over into His own country that He may teach there also.

AUG; From the foregoing discourse consisting of these parables, He passes to what follows without any very evident connection between them. Besides which, Mark passes from these parables to a different event from what Matthew here gives; and Luke agrees with him, so continuing the thread of the story as to make it much more probable that that which they relate followed here, namely, about the ship in which Jesus slept, and the miracle of the demons cast out; which Matthew has introduced above.

CHRYS; By his own country here, He means Nazareth; for it was not there but in Capernaum that, as is said below, He wrought so many miracles; but to these He shows His doctrine, causing no less wonder than His miracles.

REMIG; He taught in their synagogues where great numbers were met, because it was for the salvation of the multitude that He came from heaven upon earth. It follows; So that they marveled and said, Whence has this man this wisdom, and these many mighty works? His wisdom is referred to His doctrine His mighty works to His miracles.

JEROME; Wonderful folly of the Nazarenes! They wonder whence wisdom itself has wisdom, whence Power has mighty works! But the source of their error is at hand, because they regard Him as the Son of a carpenter; as they say, Is not this the carpenter's son?

CHRYS; Therefore were they in all things insensate, seeing they lightly esteemed Him on account of him who was regarded as His father, notwithstanding the many instances in old times of sons illustrious sprung from ignoble fathers; as David was the son of a husband man, Jesse; Amos the son of a shepherd, himself a shepherd And they ought to have given Him more abundant honor because, that coming of such parents, He spoke after such manner; clearly showing that it came not of human industry but of divine grace.

PSEUDO- AUG; For the Father of Christ is that Divine Workman who made all these works of nature who set forth Noah's ark, who ordained the tabernacle of Moses, and instituted the Ark of the covenant; that Workman who polishes the stubborn mind, and cuts down the proud thoughts.

HILARY; And this was the carpenter's son who subdues iron by means of fire, who tries the virtue of this world in the judgment, and forms the rude mass to every work of human need; the figure of our bodies, for example, to the diverse ministrations of the limbs, and all the actions of life eternal.

JEROME; And when they are mistaken in His Father, no wonder if they are also mistaken in His brethren. Whence it is added, Is not his mother Mary, and his brethren, James, and Joseph, and Simon and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us?

ID; Those who are here called the Lord's brethren, are the sons of a Mary, His Mother's sister; she is the mother of this James and Joseph, that is to say, Mary the wife of Cleophas and this is the Mary who is called the mother of James the Less.

AUG; No wonder then that any kinsmen by the mother's side should be called the Lord's brethren, when even by their kindred to Joseph some are here called His brethren by those who thought Him the son of Joseph.

HILARY; Thus the Lord is held in no honor by His own; and though the wisdom of His teaching , and the power of His working raised their admiration, yet do they not believe that He did these things in the name of the Lord, and they cast His father's trade in His teeth. Amid all the wonderful works which He did, they were moved with the contemplation of His Body, and hence they ask, Whence has this man these things? And thus they were of offended in him.

JEROME; This error of the Jews is our salvation, and the condemnation of the heretics, for they perceived Jesus Christ to be man so far as to think Him the son of a carpenter.

CHRYS; Observe Christ's mercifulness; He is evil spoken of, yet He answers with mildness; Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor but in his own country, and in his own house.

REMIG; He calls Himself a Prophet, as Moses also declares, when He says, a Prophet shall God raise up to you of your brethren. And it should be known, that not Christ only, Who is the Head of all the Prophets, but Jeremiah, Daniel, and the other lesser Prophets, had more honor and regard among strangers than among their own citizens.

JEROME; For it is almost natural for citizens to be jealous towards one another; for they do not look to the present works of the man, but remember the frailties of his childhood; as if they themselves had not passed through the very same stages of age to their maturity.

HILARY; Further, He makes this answer, that a Prophet is without honor in his own country, because it was in Judaea that He was to he condemned to the sentence of the cross; and forasmuch as the power of God is for the faithful alone, He here abstained from works of divine power because of their unbelief; whence it follows, And he did not there many mighty works because of their unbelief.

JEROME; Not that because they did not believe He could not do His mighty works; but that He might not by doing them be condemning His fellow citizens in their unbelief.

CHRYS; But if His miracles raised their wonder, why did He not work many? Because He looked not to display of Himself, but to what would profit others; and when that did not result, He despised what pertained only to Himself that He might Dot increase their punishment. Why then did He even 'these few miracles? That they should not say, We should have believed had any miracles been done among us.

JEROME; Or we may understand it otherwise, that Jesus is despised in His own house and country, signifies in the Jewish people; and therefore He did among them few miracles, that they might not be altogether without excuse; but among the Gentiles He does daily greater miracles by His Apostles, not so much in healing their bodies, as in saving their souls.

Catena Aurea Matthew 13

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The Holy Family

Francesco Albani

c. 1610
Oil on copper, 37,5 x 28,5 cm
Private collection

[Salvation]

Catholic Almanac

Friday, August 2

Liturgical Color: Green

Today is the Solemnity of Our Lady of
the Angels of Portiuncula. The basilica
dedicated to Our Lady, is the site where
St. Francis of Assisi founded the
Franciscan Order. He died there in
1226.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: August 02, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Lead us, Lord God, to imitate the constancy of Saint Eusebius in affirming the divinity of your Son, so that, by preserving the faith he taught as your Bishop, we may merit a share in the very life of your Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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O God, who adorned Saint Peter Julian Eymard with a wonderful love for the sacred mysteries of the Body and Blood of your Son, graciously grant that we, too, may be worthy to receive the delights he drew from this divine banquet. 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

o    Basic French Bread

ACTIVITIES

o    Religion in the Home for Elementary School: August

o    Religion in the Home for Preschool: August

PRAYERS

o    Prayer to Saint Peter Julian Eymard

o    Novena In Honor of Saint John Marie Vianney

o    Litany of the Most Blessed Sacrament

o    Eucharistic Stations Of The Cross

LIBRARY

o    Devotion to the Real Presence and Growth in Sanctity | Fr. John A. Hardon S.J.

o    My Eucharistic Day | St. Peter Julian Eymard

o    My Eucharistic Day: Tuesday | Unknown

o    Worship the Eucharistic Jesus and Become Who You Are | Thomas Norris

» Enjoy our Liturgical Seasons series of e-books!

Old Calendar: St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori, bishop, confessor & doctor; St. Stephen I, pope & martyr; Our Lady of the Angels (Hist)

Born in La Mure, France, Saint Peter became a parish priest in 1834 and joined the Marists five years later. He fostered Eucharistic adoration throughout his life and founded a religious order of priest-adorers of the Holy Eucharist who came to be known as the Priests of the Blessed Sacrament.

St. Eusebius was a Roman priest of the fourth century. According to the acts relating his martyrdom he was condemned by Constantius, the Arian Emperor, to be starved to death in a room in his own house. He was buried in the cemetery of St. Calixtus. His cult has always enjoyed special favor in Rome and his house was transformed into a church.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Alphonsus de Liguori. His feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is now celebrated on August 1. It is also the commemoration of St. Stephen I, a Roman, who ruled the Church from 254 to 257 during the reign of the Emperor Valerian. He is famous for his correspondence with St. Cyprian about the validity of baptism administered by heretics. The pope's martyrdom was the beginning of Valerian's persecution.

Historically today is the feast of Our Lady of the Angels.

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St. Peter Julian Eymard

Born in La Mure d'Isere in southeastern France, Peter Julian's faith journey drew him from being a priest in the Diocese of Grenoble (1834) to joining the Marists (1839) to founding the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (1856). In addition to those changes, Peter Julian coped with poverty, his father's initial opposition to Peter's vocation, serious illness, a Jansenistic striving for inner perfection and the difficulties of getting diocesan and later papal approval for his new religious community.

His years as a Marist, including service as a provincial leader, saw the deepening of his Eucharistic devotion, especially through his preaching of Forty Hours in many parishes.

The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament began working with children in Paris to prepare them to receive their first Communion. It also reached out to non-practicing Catholics, inviting them to repent and begin receiving Holy Communion again. He was a tireless proponent of frequent Holy Communion, an idea given more authoritative backing by Pope Pius X in 1905.

Inspired at first by the idea of reparation for indifference to the Eucharist, Peter Julian was eventually attracted to a more positive spirituality of Christ-centered love. Members of the men's community, which Peter founded, alternated between an active apostolic life and contemplating Jesus in the Eucharist. He and Marguerite Guillot founded the women's Congregation of the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament.

Peter Julian Eymard was beatified in 1925 and canonized in 1962, one day after Vatican II's first session ended.

Excerpted from the Saint of the Day, Leonard Foley, O.F.M.

Things to Do:

• Make a holy hour today. You might find this work — My Eucharistic Day — from the Catholic Culture Library helpful. It was compiled from the writings of Saint Peter Julian Eymard with the permission and encouragement of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers.
• From the Catholic Culture library: Audience with God in Your Parish.

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St. Eusebius of Vercelli

Eusebius was the founder of the canons regular, priests living under a religious rule and dedicated to pastoral work. The canons regular was the immediate result of the rise of monasticism in the East, and St. Eusebius of Vercelli saw the possibilities of this new movement for the clergy. His example was imitated all over the West and brought about a renewal of clerical life. He was born in Sardinia and as a child was taken to Rome, where he became a member of the Roman clergy under Pope Julius. Consecrated for the see of Vercelli in 344, he gathered his clergy into a community life, founding also the dioceses of Turin and Embrun. In 355, he attended the Council of Milan as legate of Pope Liberius, which defended St. Athanasius against those Western bishops intimidated by the emperor. When Eusebius was ordered along with other bishops to condemn Athanasius, he refused, insisting instead that they all sign the Nicene Creed. When threatened by the emperor, Eusebius stood his ground and told the emperor he had no right interfering in Church matters.

In anger, the emperor sent Eusebius into exile in Palestine, where he was severely mistreated by the Arians. He was moved around from place to place and after his release by the Emperor Julian he consulted with Athanasius in Alexandria on the Arian crisis. Returning to Italy, he joined with St. Hilary of Poitiers in opposing the Arian bishop of Milan and returned to Vercelli amid the rejoicing of his people.

Eusebius is considered by many to be the author of the Athanasian Creed, and a copy of the Gospels written in his own hand is preserved in the cathedral at Vercelli. He died on August 1, 371, his courage in suffering for the faith inspiring other bishops to oppose the Arian heresy.

Excerpted from the The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens

Things to Do:

• Read the account of the Life of St. Eusebius from the Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine.
• St. Eusebius of Vercelli refused to "go along with the crowd," even when threatened by an emperor, and he suffered long and cruelly for his convictions. Sometimes we have to oppose others, especially in matters that are important, and how we do it is as important as that we do it. We should never lose our Christian kindness and gentle manner, even in opposing others, but it should be very clear where we stand.
• Arianism was a Christological view held by followers of Arius in the early Christian Church. They denied that Christ and God the Father were of the same fundamental essence, seeing the Son as a created and inferior being to the Father. (See Hilaire Belloc's chapter on Arianism from The Great Heresies.) Read what the Catholic Encyclopedia says about this heresy. Say the Apostles Creed or an Act of Faith and thank God for the gift of the true Faith.
• The Christology of Jehovah's Witnesses is also a form of Arianism; they regard Arius as a forerunner of Charles Taze Russell, the founder of their movement. Imitate St. Eusebius by learning how to defend your faith. Read these articles from the Catholic Culture Library: The Watchtower's Flickering Light, Christ's Divinity Proved by the JW Bible and "Unless You Drink of My Blood...".

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St. Stephen I

He is said to have been the chief deacon of Pope Lucius and recommended by him as his successor. He was soon involved in the case of two Spanish bishops who apparently had under persecution bought letters of safety from the persecutors. One of them, Martial, was deposed, and the other, Basilides, resigned, but then went to Rome and got the pope to reinstate him. He "imposed upon our colleague Stephen," declared the other Spanish bishops, "who lives a long way off and did not know the true facts of the case." St. Cyprian agreed that the two offenders were unfit to continue in office and the affair seems to have provoked a certain discord between him and Stephen, but what happened further is no longer known. Then Cyprian wrote to the pope in support of the bishops of Gaul, urging him to take action against the bishop of Arles, Marcian, who was accused of Novatianist rigorism but the result of this case is not on record either.

An important controversy then arose on the subject of baptism administered by heretics. St. Cyprian and three African synods declared that such baptism was null and void, and that one so baptized must be baptized anew upon becoming a Catholic; this innovation was supported by many bishops in Asia. St. Stephen faithfully upheld the ancient accepted teaching that, other things being equal, baptism given by heretics is valid, and was violently abused by Firmilian of Casarea in Cappadocia in consequence. "No innovation must be introduced," declared the pope, "but let that be observed which tradition has handed down," and refused to receive the delegates of the African synod that supported St. Cyprian in the year 256. Stephen thought of excommunicating the innovators, writes St. Augustine, "but, having the pity of holy charity, he judged it better to abide in union. The peace of Christ triumphed in their hearts," but the disagreement continued.

St. Stephen sent material succour to the faithful in the provinces of Syria and Arabia, and is said to have taken the first step in the emergence of liturgical vestments: the Liber Pontificalis states that he ordered that clothes worn by clerics at church services were to be kept for that purpose, and not taken into daily use or worn by laymen.

Excerpted from the A Dictionary of the Popes, Donald Attwater

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Our Lady of the Angels

From the earliest days of the Church. Mary has held the title Our Lady Queen of Angels. At the Annunciation, at the Nativity, at her Assumption into heaven, and finally at her Coronation as Queen of Angels and Men, angels have been associated with Our Lady. There are a number of famous shrines dedicated to Mary under this title, including the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli at Assisi, where the great St. Francis recognized his vocation; the church in Rome which was designed and executed by Michelangelo on ruins from the time of Diocletian; the shrine of St. Mary of the Angels in Engeberg, Switzerland; Notre Dame des Anges near Lurs, France; the shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Angels at Boulogne, France; the church of Our Lady of the Angels in London, England; and the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.

Excerpted from A Litany of Mary by Ann Ball

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Matthew 13:54-58

Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop

He did not work many deeds there because of their lack of faith. (Matthew 13:58)

Imagine yourself rafting down a river, enjoying the cool summer breeze and the peaceful scenery. Then you run into a huge log. As you try to maneuver around it, your raft flips over, and you fall into the water, getting your feet caught between some rocks. You panic and start thrashing about and your friend jumps in after you. But he has a hard time releasing you because you’re struggling so much. “Let go!” he shouts over the water. “Relax! I’ve got you.” As you finally surrender, he gets you free and is able to bring you to the shore—safe and sound.

Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus wasn’t able to perform many miracles in his home town because of the people’s weak faith. Mind you, the people weren’t thrashing around emotionally, but they still couldn’t bring themselves to surrender to Jesus. They stayed stuck in their limited logical thinking, even though he was right in front of them, offering them a way out—and a way up.

In our journey with the Lord, we too need to learn to surrender to Jesus as our good friend and as the Lord of all creation. This is an important element in the call to faith: to trust that Jesus knows what he’s doing and to believe that he is strong enough to save you. Yes, faith has to do with knowing the doctrines of the Church. Yes, it has to do with trying our best to follow the commandments and to care for the poor and needy. And yes, it has to do with sharing our beliefs and standing up for what is right in this world. But at the heart of faith is this call to surrender. Without this, all the other things are drained of their power.

What usually gets you stuck? Fear and panic over the future? Guilt or resentments from the past? A “logical” approach to the present that doesn’t leave room for grace or the supernatural? Whatever it is, know that Jesus is inviting you to something greater. Imagine him standing in front of you, his arms open wide. Hear him tell you, “Relax. I’ve got you. You can let go.”

“Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. By your grace, enable me to trust, and to reach out to you in confidence.”

Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34, 37; Psalm 81:3-6, 10-11

 

[Salvation]

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

Daily Marriage Tip for August 2, 2013:

Even though married couples share an intimate life together, sometimes talking directly about sex can feel awkward. Natural Family Planning gives you language and a daily routine to prompt those sensitive discussions. Try it.

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Lack of Faith

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew 13:54-58

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, "Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter´s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?" And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house." And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in your power. I know that you are the Lord of all history. I trust that you are guiding my life. Thank you for showing me that you will triumph. Thank you for the triumph you have already achieved in my heart and in the hearts of so many people. I want to allow you to have total control over my life.

Petition: Lord, increase my faith in you.

1. Too Much Familiarity: The people of Nazareth thought they knew all about Jesus. He had grown up among them. Apparently they had not seen anything extraordinary about him before he started his public ministry. They thought he was just like everyone else. So when they hear that he is doing miracles and teaching with authority, they do not believe it. Sometimes I also run the danger of putting limits on Christ’s power in my life. I see the unimpressive circumstances of my life and the recurrence of the same old problems. I do not believe that Christ can do something supernatural in the midst of an ordinary situation. Today I am receiving an invitation to step beyond the routine and believe more deeply in the power of Christ.

2. An Unwelcome Prophet: The solution to their deepest problems was in their own backyard. Yet, the people of Nazareth felt that such a familiar figure could not bring anything extraordinary. When the Church sometimes challenges me with some of her teachings – on charity, on family life, on the need to be a courageous witness –, do I sometimes find excuses, like saying that my circumstances are too difficult, or the Church does not understand my situation? Do I sometimes let the prophetic voice of the Church die in my heart? When I feel challenged by the Gospel and by the Church I should be thankful. Christ is inviting me to discover the deepest meaning of my life. He is giving me a chance to allow his presence to make a deep change in my life. He is allowing me to discover him in faith and is taking me beyond my comfort zone to the level of the coming of his Kingdom.

 

3. A Miracle Worker in Waiting: What sort of miracles does Christ want to do in my life? Christ has a plan to make my life a luminous witness to the power of his grace. He wants to fill my life with his holiness and help me be a light for others. If I can shake off my superficiality and lack of faith, I will discover the powerful presence of the Savior who helps me live each moment with depth and love. He can do miracles in my life. He can help me live the virtues which are most costly for me. Am I willing to take a risk for Christ and trust him totally?

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I know you want to do great things in my life. Help me to see how you can transform the ordinary, seemingly unimportant circumstances of my day into moments when your grace triumphs. Enable me to be docile to your Holy Spirit, so he can do miracles in my life.

Resolution: I will increase my faith in Christ by taking a risk for him in some aspect of my spiritual or apostolic life.

[Salvation]

Becoming “Un-Familiar”

by Food For Thought on August 2, 2013

 

10

One of the most common failures of being human is that we tend to
take things and people for granted, especially if they have become
very familiar to us. One time when Jesus returned to his hometown of
Nazareth, he stood up to preach on the sabbath in the synagogue. He
met with resistance because he failed to manifest any mark of
distinction. The people did not complain that his message was
shallow; actually they were amazed at what he said. Their objection
was based on the fact that he was too familiar to them. They could
not accept this hometown boy turned prophet. They knew him as the
village carpenter, the son of Mary, a woman they had seen coming and
going like all the other women in the area.

As Christians, we have heard the Gospels many times. We have become
so familiar with the parables and miracles of Jesus that we run the
risk of failing to appreciate them. Perhaps many Catholics put more
faith in the words of authors, media commentators or television ads,
than they do in the word of Christ.

We have a good friend in Jesus. This same Jesus says to each one of
us: “Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and
I will refresh you.” May our faith make us realize that we have a
treasure in the Eucharist, for there waiting for us under the
sacramental veils is Jesus, our true friend.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 29, Issue 5

<< Saturday, August 3, 2013 >>

Leviticus 25:1, 8-17
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Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 7-8

Matthew 14:1-12
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POWER HOUSE

"This Man is John the Baptizer — it is he in person, raised from the dead; that is why such miraculous powers are at work in Him!" —Matthew 14:2

Herod thought that Jesus was John the Baptizer raised from the dead and that this was why Jesus had such miraculous powers. Although Herod was wrong about Jesus' identity, he was right about resurrection. Jesus was not John risen, but miraculous power is based on resurrection from the dead.

Through baptism, we "have been raised up in company with Christ" (Col 3:1). We have been baptized into Jesus' death and resurrection (Rm 6:5). Therefore, we have awesome power. As Jesus testified, we can even do greater by far than He Himself did (Jn 14:12). Our bodies are temples of Power, because they are temples of the Holy Spirit, Who is Power Itself (Acts 1:8).

Our temples of Power are clothed with power from head to toe (see Lk 24:49). Because we have been baptized into the family of the all-powerful God, we have power to move mountains (Mt 17:20), "cure the sick, raise the dead, heal the leprous, expel demons" (Mt 10:8). We can attack the gates of hell (Mt 16:18), bring down every stronghold opposed to Jesus (2 Cor 10:4), and shoot Satan himself out of the sky like lightning (see Lk 10:18). In Christ, through baptism into His death and resurrection, you are a power house. Act accordingly.

Prayer: Father, may I let You empower me as Mary did.

Promise: "May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear Him!" —Ps 67:8

Praise: God protected the Williams' family from harm by arranging for them to not be at home when a hurricane toppled a tree through the roof of their bedroom. Praise You, Jesus, for Your constant protection!

[Salvation]

 

"Aren't you glad your mother didn't have an abortion?"

[Salvation]

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