Reading 1 Is 66:18-21

Responsorial Psalm Ps 117:1, 2

Reading 2 Heb 12:5-7, 11-13

Gospel Lk 13:22-30

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

1 posted on 08/24/2013 8:02:25 PM PDT by Salvation

To: nickcarraway; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; ArrogantBustard; Catholicguy; RobbyS; marshmallow; ...

Alleluia Ping!

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

please Freepmail me.

2 posted on 08/24/2013 8:06:03 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

From: Isaiah 66:18-21

The nations in pilgrimage to Jerusalem

[18] For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all na-
tions and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory, [19] and I will
set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tar-
shish, Put, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands a-
far off, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory; and they shall declare my
glory among the nations. [20] And they shall bring all your brethren from all the
nations as an offering to the Lord, upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters,
and upon mules, and upon dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says
the Lord, just as the Israelites bring their cereal offering in a clean vessel to the
house of the Lord. [21] And some of them also I will take for priests and for Le-
vites, says the Lord.

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Commentary:

66:18-24. The book ends with a colophon, part in prose (vv. 18-21), part in verse
(vv. 22-24). It begins by announcing that the glory of the Lord will be proclaimed
to the nations, and they will respond by flocking in pilgrimage to the temple of
the Lord.

Verses 18-21 are a sort of parallel to 2:2-4: both passages act as a kind of mar-
ker, one for the beginning and one for the end of the book. In other words, the
exile in Babylon will come to be seen as divine punishment inflicted on the peo-
ple for their sins, for their breaking the Covenant. There may be an oblique refe-
rence here to the expulsion of our first parents from the garden of Eden (Gen 1:
23): Israel, too, was expelled from its land and from Zion, “the house of Jacob”
(2:6). But God, in his mercy towards his people, will pardon them and have them
come back to his “holy mountain”, Jerusalem (v. 20), and his gathering will also
involve “all nations and tongues” (v. 18). This return to Zion is a sign that their
transgression is totally forgiven. In some ways, the book of Isaiah is an (imper-
fect) anticipation and account of salvation history which runs right through the
Bible, from the expulsion from Paradise (Gen 3:23), to the vision of the “heaven-
ly Jerusalem”, in the “new heavens and the new earth” (v. 22 and Rev 21:1-27),
at the centre of which will be found the “tree of life” (Rev 22:14).

Theodoret of Cyrus reads these words as an announcement of the universal salva-
tion that stems from the Incarnation, and he comments that the prophet showed
that Christ became “a slave not only to redeem the Jews but to bring salvation to
all the nations” (Commentaria in Isaiam, 66, 18). The Second Letter to the Corin-
thians attributed to St Clement of Rome also sees v. 18 as an announcement of
the Second Coming of our Lord: “I am coming to gather all nations and tongues:
this verse prophesies the last day, when Christ will come again to reward each
man according to his deeds” (Pseudo-Clement, Epistula II and Corinthios, 17,
4).

The nations mentioned in v. 19 are not easy to identify; but Tarshish is probably
Spain; Put, Libya; Lud, Lydia; Tubal, Cilicia; and Javan, Ionia, Greece.

“And some of them also I will take for priests” (v. 21): this may mean (though one
cannot be sure) that God will choose priests and Levites from among the pagans.
Given the tenor of v. 22, it is more likely that “descendants” of Israel will hold the
office of the holy priesthood; either interpretation fits in with the general newness
and universalism that are a feature of chapters 65 and 66 (cf. 61:6).

The last oracle in the book of Isaiah is a call to an active, living hope (vv. 22-24).
Verse 23, in its initial historical context, was addressed to the chosen people of
the Old Testament, but it opens out to include all mankind; that is how the Fa-
thers interpreted it. “There will be a new heaven and a new earth, where man will
live forever united with God. Isaiah tells us that this new life will last forever: For
as the new heavens and the new earth which I shall make shall remain before
me, says the Lord; so shall your descendants and your name remain (Is 66:22)”
(St Irenaeus of Lyons, Adversus haereses, 5, 36, 1).

Even so, a warning is issued about the punishment that awaits evildoers (v. 24).
The harshness of the language here is in sharp contrast to the general tone of
hope. The prophet may have chosen to strike this dark note in order to have the
inhabitants of Zion (the saved) recognize God’s sovereignty over those who re-
ject him and have them appreciate the blessings bestowed in Zion, that is, in
heaven. Jesus uses the metaphor of the worm that does not die to describe the
punishment earned by the grave sin of scandal (cf. Mk 9:48).

*********************************************************************************************
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.

3 posted on 08/24/2013 8:16:08 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

From: Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13

Perseverance in Affliction

[5] And have you forgotten the exhortation which addresses you as sons?—”My
son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you
are punished by him. [6] For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chas-
tises every son whom he receives.” [7] It is for discipline that you have to endure.
God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not dis-
cipline?

[11] For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it
yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Striving for Peace; Purity; Reverent Worship

[12] Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, [13] and
make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint
but rather be healed.

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

4-13. Following Christ’s example, Christians should struggle to avoid sin; they
should put up with tribulation and persecution because if such adversity arises
it means that the Lord permits it for our good. The letter’s tone of encourage-
ment seems to change here to one of reproach. It is as if the writer were saying,
“Christ gave his life for your sins, contending even to the point of dying for you;
how is it that you do not put up with suffering, out of love for him? It is true that
you are being persecuted: God is disciplining you as a Father disciplines his
children. But you are children of God and therefore your attitude should be one
of abandonment to his will even when it seems hard. That is the way a Father
brings up his children.”

The main point is that the only important thing is fidelity to God, and that the sin
of apostasy is the greatest of all misfortunes. “Don’t forget, my son, that for you
on earth there is but one evil, which you must fear and avoid with the grace of
God: sin” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 386).

5-11. Suffering, the sacred writer teaches, is a sign of God’s paternal love for us;
it proves that we really are his children.

This teaching is supported by the quotation from Proverbs 3: 12, taken from a
long discourse in which a father exhorts his son to acquire true wisdom. In the
present passage the father is identified with God and we with the sons whom he
is addressing.

By being incorporated into Christ through Baptism a person becomes a child of
God: this is the very basis of the Christian life and it should be a source of sere-
nity and peace in every difficulty we meet in the course of life. The term “disci-
pline” which appears so much in this passage does not convey the full richness
of the original Greek word, “paideia”, which has to do with the educational up-
bringing of child by parent, of pupil by teacher, and also the punishment meted
out in this context. Here the focus is largely on the second aspect. However, it
should be remembered that in ancient times education and instruction always
involved the idea of punishment. God, therefore, should not be seen as a cruel
or pitiless father, but as a good father who brings up his children in an affectio-
nate yet firm way. Adversity and suffering are a sign that this divine teaching me-
thod is at work: God uses them to educate us and discipline us. “You suffer in
this present life, which is a dream, a short dream. Rejoice, because your Father-
God loves you so much, and if you put no obstacles in his way, after this bad
dream he will give you a good awakening” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 692). If we
were illegitimate children he would not bother to educate us; but because we are
true sons he disciplines us, to make us worthy of bearing his name. “Everything
that comes to us from God,” an ancient ecclesiastical writer reminds us, “and
that we initially see as beneficial or disadvantageous, is sent to us by a father
who is full of tenderness and by the wisest of physicians, with our good in mind”
(Cassian, “Collationes”, VII, 28).

When the soul has this kind of attitude, that is, when the trials the Lords sends
are willingly accepted, “with peaceful fruit of righteousness” and it yields fruit of
holiness which fills it with peace: “Jesus prays in the garden: “Pater mi” (Mt
26:39), “Abba, Pater!” (Mk 14:36). God is my Father, even though he may send
me suffering. He loves me tenderly, even while wounding me. Jesus suffers, to
fulfill the Will of the Father.... And I, who also wish to fulfill the most holy Will of
God, following in the footsteps of the Master, can I complain if I too meet suffe-
ring as my traveling companion?

“It will be a sure sign of my sonship, because God is treating me as he treated
his own divine Son. Then I, as he did, will be able to groan and weep alone in my
Gethsemani; but, as I lie prostrate on the ground, acknowledging my nothingness,
there will rise up to the Lord a cry from the depths of my soul: “Pater mi, Abba,
Pater,... fiat!” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way of the Cross”, I, 1).

12-13. This exhortation follows logically from the previous one. It seems to evoke
the world of athletic competition referred to at the beginning of the chapter. Verse
12 is like a shout of encouragement to a runner who is beginning to flag in the
middle of a race.

The author uses a quotation from Isaiah (Is 35:3) in which drooping hands and
weak knees indicate moral decline (cf. 2 Sam 2:7; 4:1; Jer 47:3). He then goes
on to use words from Proverbs 4:26 to encourage right living: “make straight
steps with your feet”: if the Christian perseveres in his efforts even if he is some-
what “lame”, that is, even if he is someone whose faith is weak and is in danger
of apostasy, he will be able to return to fitness in spite of everything.

However, this exhortation can be taken as addressed not only to those who need
to mend their ways but also to Christians in general, who should be exemplary
and never in any way be a stumbling-block to their weaker brethren.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

4 posted on 08/24/2013 8:16:44 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

From: Luke 13:22-30

The Narrow Gate

[22] He (Jesus) went on his way through towns and villages, teaching, and jour-
neying toward Jerusalem. [23] And some one said to him, “Lord, will those who
are saved be few?” And he said to them, [24] “Strive to enter by the narrow door;
for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. [25] When once the
householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and
knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us.’ He will answer you, ‘I do not know
where you are from.’ [26] Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your
presence, and you taught in our streets.’ [27] But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not
know where you come from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!” [28]
There you will weep and gnash your teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac
and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust
out. [29] And men will come from east and west, and from north and south, and
sit at table in the kingdom of God. [30] And behold, some are last who will be
first, and some are first who will be last.”

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

23-24. Everyone is called to form part of the Kingdom of God, for he “desires all
men to be saved” (1 Tim 2:4). “Those who, through no fault of their own, do not
know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with
a sincere heart and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they
know it through the dictates of their conscience: those too may achieve eternal
salvation. Nor shall divine providence deny the assistance necessary for salva-
tion to those who, without any fault of theirs, have not yet arrived at an explicit
knowledge of God, and who, not without grace, strive to lead a good life. What-
ever good or truth is found among them is considered by the Church to be a pre-
paration for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may
at length have life” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 16).

Certainly, only those who make a serious effort can reach the goal of salvation
(cf. Lk 16:16; Mt 11:12). Our Lord tells us so by using the simile of the narrow
gate. “A Christian’s struggle must be unceasing, for interior life consists in begin-
ning and beginning again. This prevents us from proudly thinking that we are per-
fect already. It is inevitable that we should meet difficulties on our way. If we did
not come up against obstacles, we would not be creatures of flesh and blood.
We will always have passions that pull us downwards; we will always have to
defend ourselves against more or less self-defeating urges” (St. J. Escriva,
“Christ Is Passing By”, 75).

25-28. As at other times, Jesus describes eternal life by using the example of a
banquet (cf., e.g., Lk 12:35ff; 14:15). Knowing the Lord and listening to his prea-
ching is not enough for getting to heaven; what God judges is how we respond
to the grace he gives us: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter
the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”
(Mt 7:21).

29-30. Generally speaking, the Jewish people regarded themselves as the sole
beneficiaries of the messianic promises made by the prophets; but Jesus pro-
claims that salvation is open to everyone. The only condition he lays down is that
men freely respond to God’s merciful call. When Christ died on the cross the veil
of the temple was torn in two (Lk 23:45 and par.), a sign of the end of the distinc-
tion between Jews and Gentiles. St Paul teaches: “For he [Christ] is our peace,
who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall [...] that he
might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and
might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing
the hostility to an end” (Eph 2:14-16). Therefore, “all men are called to belong to
the new people of God. This people therefore, whilst remaining one and only one,
is to be spread throughout the whole world and to all ages in order that the de-
sign of God’s will may be fulfilled: he made human nature one in the beginning
and has decreed that all his children who were scattered should be finally ga-
thered together as one” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 13).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

5 posted on 08/24/2013 8:17:16 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Readings at Mass

First reading

Isaiah 66:18-21 ©

The Lord says this: I am coming to gather the nations of every language. They shall come to witness my glory. I will give them a sign and send some of their survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Put, Lud, Moshech, Rosh, Tubal, and Javan, to the distant islands that have never heard of me or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory to the nations. As an offering to the Lord they will bring all your brothers, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, on dromedaries, from all the nations to my holy mountain in Jerusalem, says the Lord, like Israelites bringing oblations in clean vessels to the Temple of the Lord. And of some of them I will make priests and Levites, says the Lord.

Psalm

Psalm 116:1-2 ©

Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.

Alleluia!

O praise the Lord, all you nations,

acclaim him all you peoples!

Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.

Alleluia!

Strong is his love for us;

he is faithful for ever.

Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.

Alleluia!

Second reading

Hebrews 12:5-7,11-13 ©

Have you forgotten that encouraging text in which you are addressed as sons? My son, when the Lord corrects you, do not treat it lightly; but do not get discouraged when he reprimands you. For the Lord trains the ones that he loves and he punishes all those that he acknowledges as his sons. Suffering is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any son whose father did not train him? Of course, any punishment is most painful at the time, and far from pleasant; but later, in those on whom it has been used, it bears fruit in peace and goodness. So hold up your limp arms and steady your trembling knees and smooth out the path you tread; then the injured limb will not be wrenched, it will grow strong again.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we shall come to him.

Alleluia!

Or	Jn14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus said: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.

No one can come to the Father except through me.’

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 13:22-30 ©

Through towns and villages Jesus went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, ‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.

‘Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us” but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.” Then you will find yourself saying, “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets” but he will reply, “I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!”

‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside. And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.

‘Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.’

6 posted on 08/24/2013 8:24:49 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

7 posted on 08/24/2013 8:26:03 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

8 posted on 08/24/2013 8:27:21 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

9 posted on 08/24/2013 8:27:46 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

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.

10 posted on 08/24/2013 8:40:51 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

Pray the Rosary

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

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

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

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary

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

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

11 posted on 08/24/2013 8:41:19 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

~ 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
+

12 posted on 08/24/2013 8:41:44 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

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.

13 posted on 08/24/2013 8:42:20 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

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

Sacred Heart Of Jesus image

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculate Heart of Mary image

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

14 posted on 08/24/2013 8:42:46 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

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.

15 posted on 08/24/2013 8:43:14 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

The Work of God

Luke 13:22-30

22 And he went through the cities and towns teaching, and making his journey to Jerusalem.
23 And a certain man said to him: Lord, are they few that are saved? But he said to them:
24 Strive to enter by the narrow gate; for many, I say to you, shall seek to enter, and shall not be able.
25 But when the master of the house shall be gone in, and shall shut the door, you shall begin to stand without, and knock at the door, saying: Lord, open to us. And he answering, shall say to you: I know you not, whence you are.
26 Then you shall begin to say: We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
27 And he shall say to you: I know you not, whence you are: depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.
29 And there shall come from the east and the west, and the north and the south; and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.
30 And behold, they are last that shall be first; and they are first that shall be last.

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Strive to enter by the narrow gate. It has been made small so that only the little ones will fit through it; it is narrow because only those without attachments will enter. If it were too easy to go to heaven, I would not have sacrificed myself as the price for your salvation.

The road of the life of this world is wide, many follow it because it is like a river of desires and pleasures, it drags them into spiritual danger and it is a definite way to perdition. The road to heaven is narrow and difficult to follow, not everyone can find it easily because it demands following my gospel. It is very easy to stray from it because of the distractions of the world.

The pursuit of the Kingdom of Heaven demands hard work, obedience and perseverance. Many start the walk on the road of salvation, but few stay on it; some think they will be able to come back but let me warn you, it is not wise to play with the spiritual life.

The evil one is constantly setting obstacles in the path of holiness to destroy the good work of souls. Beware of the enemy; arm yourself with the weapons of virtue. Pray for your faith, hope and love to be stronger, atone for your sins by practicing charity.

Don’t justify yourself, thinking that you are already on the high steps of the spiritual ladder, the higher you are, the harder you will fall. Be humble and admit your weaknesses and limitations. Those who consider themselves to be last may be first because of their humility, but those who justify themselves will be last because of their pride.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

16 posted on 08/24/2013 8:55:50 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Archdiocese of Washington

Sinner Please Don’t Let this Harvest Pass – A Teaching on the readings for the 21st Sunday of the year

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

In the readings today the Lord describes a danger, our tendency to to make light of judgment and not be sober that one day we must account for what we have done. And though the Lord sets forth in the first reading his desire to save us, we must understand that our will, our yes, is essential to our salvation. Having taught us of this, Our Lord also gives us the Letter to the Hebrews that well sets for a kind of plan hereby, having accepting Jesus, we can make a daily walk with him in a kind of delivering discipline. Lets take a look at the reading to day, hear the urgent warnings and soberly lay hold of the solutions offered.

I. The Danger that is Described - The text begins – “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. (Lk 13:22-30)

There is a similar text in Matthew where the Lord says, Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Mat 7:13-14).

This text is a call to sobriety and away from an unbiblical way of thinking (also antithetical to long testimony of sacred tradition). For many today assume a kind of universalism that presumes most, if not the vast majority will go to heaven. But, as we have reviewed many times on this blog before, that is not what scripture says. Indeed, scripture says the exact opposite.

And while it remains true that there are no percentages given here, no exact numbers, we ought not so “interpret” the text such that Jesus’ use of the words “many” and “few” come to mean nothing, or the opposite of what he says. He is teaching us here a sober truth that, given the tendency of the human heart to hardness, stubbornness and obtuseness, “many” are currently on a path that is rejecting his offer of a saving relationship, rejecting his offer of the Kingdom and its values.

And though many wish to consider the teaching on judgement or the existence of eternal Hell untenable today, this is largely due to the modern tendency to refashion God and the faith according to modern preferences, rather than to cling what is true and revealed.

Thus, God is reduced to an affirmer, an enricher, a facilitator, or merely one who takes care of me, (all true but only a partial description). But significant set aside is the true essence of God as absolutely holy, just, pure and undefiled, who must at last utterly purify his faithful to reflect his utter purity and glory, but must have their consent to do so. It is likely to those that “refashion” God to a more palatable version after their own likeness that the Lord says in this Gospel “I do not know where you are from!”

Also refashioned (by those who set aside Hell), is human freedom which God has given us as our dignity, so that we can freely love Him, and what he values, in a covenant relationship, rather than serve him as slaves. I have written more on this here. Hell has to Be.

But for now let it be stated that Hell is taught clearly and consistently in Scripture and that it is taught to us in love as an urgent warning about the seriousness and significance of our choices which build to a final choice. No one loves you more than Jesus Christ, and no one spoke of judgement and Hell more than Jesus Christ.

Some today also object to any argument related to the faith that is “fear-based.” But this of course is not a reasonable posture to adopt when dealing with human beings. The fact is that we require and respond to a variety of appeals. And while fear may not be an appeal rooted in the highest goals, it remains an important appeal rooted in well ordered self love.

Jesus certainly saw fit to appeal to the fear of punishment, loss, and hell. In fact, it is arguable that this was his main approach and that one would struggle to find very many texts where Jesus appeals more to a perfect contrition and a purely holy fear rooted in love alone as a motive to avoid sin. But over and over in dozens of passages and parables Jesus warns of punishment and exclusion from the Kingdom for unrepented sin and for the refusal to be ready. Here are just a few:

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matt 7:13-14)
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Mat 13:41-42)
“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ” (Mk 13:35-37)
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with carousing, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come on you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch you therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. (Luke 21:34-36)
“But about that day or hour no one knows…For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away…“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matt 24:36-44)
The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt 24:51)
Then the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. (Matt 25:10-13)
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat…“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matt 24:41-42, 46)
Whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell. (Matt 5:28-29)
Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matt 5:22)
And if your foot offend you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. (Mk 9:45-46)
Friend, how came you in here not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matt 22:12-14)
Then said Jesus again to them, I go my way, and you shall seek me, but you shall die in your sins: where I go, you cannot come….I have told you that you will die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins (John 8:21, 24).
by their fruits you shall know them. Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matt 7:20-23)
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:15-16)
He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. (John 12:48)
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give youthis testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” (Rev 22:14-16)

Now in all these appeals, fear based or not, the goal is per se to be scared but to be sober and to develop a sense of urgency in following the call of God, and also of summoning others to saving faith. Sinner please don’t let this harvest pass. And die and lose your soul at last.

The text says that salvation is not attained by everyone, that some are not “strong enough” that some (many!) are on a road that does not lead to glory. Rather than go to sleep morally, the text urges us t be awake, sober and urgent in securing salvation everyone we meet by God’s grace.

Many today only think of hell for the extremely wicked (murder, genocidal maniacs, serial rapists et al). But as the texts quoted above teach, there are many other paths that also lead away from heaven and toward hell: unforgiveness, cares of the world, unrepented sexual sins like fornication, homosexual acts and adultery. Riches create difficulties that make it hard to enter the kingdom. Still others cannot and will not endure persecutions, trials or setback related to the faith and chose to deny Christ before others.

The fact of the matter is that many people just aren’t all that interested in heaven and they reject many of its values such as forgiveness, chastity, generosity and so forth. They aren’t strong in their desire. They are not “strong enough” to make the journey.

And thus, there is a danger that is described here by Jesus about which we must be sober.

II. The Divine Desire - Today’s first reading from Isaiah assures us that God wants to save us all. And thus if there resistance to heaven and the relationship of being with God forever, it is from our side, not God’s. The texts says in part, I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory. …that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory; and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations. …Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the LORD. (Is 66:18-21)

Other texts in the Scriptures also speak of God’s desire to save us all and of his extension of the offer of saving love to all:

As surely as I live, says the LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?’ (Ez 33:11)

God our Savior…wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth….And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles. (1 Tim 2:3-7)

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. (2 Peter 3:9-10)

Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:6-7)

So, God is not our adversary in salvation he is our only way. He wants to save us But he respects our choice

III. The Discipline that delivers - If then we tend to be stubborn and stiff-necked (and we are), and yet God wants to save us, then how is this to be accomplished. Well of course step one is to accept the Lord’s offer of his Son Jesus who alone can save us. We do this through faith and baptism, but also through the daily renewal of our “Yes” by God’s grace.

The Second reading also spells out for us a kind of remedy or way in which God by his grace works to draw us deeper into his saving love and path. The text says,

My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.” Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline? At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it. (Heb 12:5-7).

And in these words is a kind of five-point plan for one who has embraced saving love to remain in it:

A. Respect God’s Regimen -For the text says, My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord. The Greek word translated here as disdain is ὀλιγώρει (oligorei) which means more literally to care too little for something or to fail to accord it proper weight and respect. And the word translated here as discipline is παιδείας (paideias) which refers to the training and education of children so as to bring them to proper maturity. Hence the text here is telling us that God’s discipline for us is not punitive per se but is developmental, and necessary for us and that we ought not arrogantly make light of our need for this sort of training and discipline. While we may like to think of ourselves as mature and “all that” before God and his wisdom, we are tiny children in great need of growing up into the fullness of Christ.

B. Reconsider when reproved for the text says, nor lose heart when reproved by him – Here too the Greek is helpful, and the word translated here as “reproved” is ἐλεγχόμενος (elenchomenos) which more fully means properly, to be convinced with solid, compelling evidence, to be proven wrong, or to be compelled on to make a correction in ones thinking). And thus, though we may bristle or feel discouraged when corrected we ought to reconsider that God is all wise, and be open to being convicted by the truth he brings to us. Though the truth may at first challenge us we ought to reconsider and remember that the truth ultimately sets us free.

C. Remember his regard -For the text says, for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.”….God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline? – God does not discipline us for his sake, to merely show power or demonstrate who is in charge. He disciplines us because he loves us and wants to save us. He is our Father, not our task-master. We are his children. We ought to remember the regard, the love he has for us and that he does not punish for the sake of his ego, but for our sake as sons and daughters.

D. Remain Resolved - For the text says, Endure your trials as “discipline” The important reminders must be constantly held by us. Our flesh will tend to want to rebel and our fragile egos will bristle easily. But we must endure, we must resolve, we must persevere and remain on the path God sets out for us.

E. Receive the Reward - For the text says, At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.

And thus today we have a sober teaching from the Lord who describes a danger of which we must be sober. And while the readings today also describe a divine desire to save us, there is need for a discipline that delivers us.

We ought be sober about what the Lord teaches. There are too many today who are not sober that many are going to be lost. As such they do not attend to their own souls, and even if they do, they are not attentive to the souls of others.

But if Jesus is sober and suffered so, why not us? If your children or grandchildren are away from the Church, not praying, not receiving Sacraments, and likely locked in serious and unrepented mortal sins and habits of sin, do not take this lightly. The Lord warns and warns and warns. Do not take this lightly or take refuge in false and unbiblical claims that presume an almost universal salvation.

The Lord demands from us a sober and biblical zeal for souls rooted in a sober apprehension that we humans tend to stray and mysteriously do not seem to want what God offers. Being sober helps us to be be urgent and urgency makes us evangelical enough to go to those we love and say, Sinner don’t let this harvest pass, and die, and lose your soul at last!

17 posted on 08/24/2013 9:18:10 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Sunday Gospel Reflections

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Isaiah 66:18-21 II: Hebrews 12:5-7,11-13

Gospel
Luke 13:22-30

²² He passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
²³ Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered them,
²⁴ "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.
²⁵ After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from.'
²⁶ And you will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.'
²⁷ Then he will say to you, 'I do not know where (you) are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!'
²⁸ And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out.
²⁹ And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.
³⁰ For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

Interesting Details

(v.22) By going to Jerusalem, Jesus is faithful to his mission: fulfilling his Father's will even when that means suffering and death. He also instructs his disciples on the various dimensions of the Christian way.
(v.23) " ... a few people be saved". Jesus changes the focus from the number of people who will be saved to who will be saved: anyone who enters through the narrow gate.
(v.24) "strive to enter" indicates both the effort on the part of those seeking salvation and the judgment that not all will achieve their goal.
Narrow gate. Jesus himself is the gate (see John 10:7). We are saved by identifying ourselves with Jesus even if that means we must die to ourselves.
(v.25) The narrowness of the door is not the only obstacle, time is also critical: "After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door". Then no one, not a few (23) not many (24) and not you (25) will be able to enter.
"strong enough". Strength here is not the physical strength to push open a heavy gate but the spiritual strength to remain faithful to our call to discipleship and follow Jesus to Jerusalem.
(v.27) Disciple of Jesus demands more than superficial acquaintance with him and his teachings. It means we must share in his life, take up his mission to die and rise with him.
(v.29) The Kingdom of God is seen as a banquet. Those who do not want to commit themselves to Jesus' teachings find themselves on the outside. In his generosity, God opens the banquet to all peoples, from the east and the west.
(v.30) Becoming last is a metaphor for dying to self, to enter through a narrow gate. This is what Jesus asks that the first become the last.

One Main Point

We gain eternal salvation by being faithful disciples, by dying to ourselves and following Jesus to Jerusalem.

Reflections

To strive to enter through a narrow gate, what changes do I need to make in my life that I have been putting off?
In what way am I called to become last?

18 posted on 08/24/2013 9:22:21 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Daily Gospel Commentary

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C

Commentary of the day
Vatican Council II
Constitution on the Church « Lumen gentium », §1-2

"People will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God"

Christ is the Light of nations. Because this is so, this Sacred Synod gathered together in the Holy Spirit eagerly desires, by proclaiming the Gospel to every creature,(Mk 16,15) to bring the light of Christ to all men, a light brightly visible on the countenance of the Church...

The eternal Father, by a free and hidden plan of His own wisdom and goodness, created the whole world. His plan was to raise men to a participation of the divine life. Fallen in Adam, God the Father did not leave men to themselves, but ceaselessly offered helps to salvation, in view of Christ, the Redeemer "who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature".(Col 1,15) All the elect, before time began, the Father "foreknew and pre- destined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that he should be the firstborn among many brethren".(Rm 8,29) He planned to assemble in the holy Church all those who would believe in Christ. Already from the beginning of the world the foreshadowing of the Church took place. It was prepared in a remarkable way throughout the history of the people of Israel and by means of the Old Covenant.(1*) In the present era of time the Church was constituted and, by the outpouring of the Spirit, was made manifest. At the end of time it will gloriously achieve completion, when, as is read in the Fathers, all the just, from Adam and "from Abel, the just one, to the last of the elect,"(St. Gregory the Great) will be gathered together with the Father in the universal Church.

19 posted on 08/24/2013 9:25:21 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Sunday, August 25, 2013
Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading:
Psalm:
Second Reading:
Gospel:

Isaiah 66:18-21
Psalm 117:1-2
Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13
Luke 13:22-30

Christ said, 'I am the Truth'; he did not say 'I am the custom.'

-- St Toribio

20 posted on 08/24/2013 9:27:08 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

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