Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 10-09-13, OM, St. Denis, Bishop/Martyr, St John Leonardi, Prie

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 10-09-13 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

October 9, 2013

Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

 

 

Reading 1 Jon 4:1-11

Jonah was greatly displeased
and became angry that God did not carry out the evil
he threatened against Nineveh.
He prayed, “I beseech you, LORD,
is not this what I said while I was still in my own country?
This is why I fled at first to Tarshish.
I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God,
slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish.
And now, LORD, please take my life from me;
for it is better for me to die than to live.”
But the LORD asked, “Have you reason to be angry?”

Jonah then left the city for a place to the east of it,
where he built himself a hut and waited under it in the shade,
to see what would happen to the city.
And when the LORD God provided a gourd plant
that grew up over Jonah’s head,
giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort,
Jonah was very happy over the plant.
But the next morning at dawn
God sent a worm that attacked the plant,
so that it withered.
And when the sun arose, God sent a burning east wind;
and the sun beat upon Jonah’s head till he became faint.
Then Jonah asked for death, saying,
“I would be better off dead than alive.”

But God said to Jonah,
“Have you reason to be angry over the plant?”
“I have reason to be angry,” Jonah answered, “angry enough to die.”
Then the LORD said,
“You are concerned over the plant which cost you no labor
and which you did not raise;
it came up in one night and in one night it perished.
And should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city,
in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons
who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left,
not to mention the many cattle?”

Responsorial Psalm PS 86:3-4, 5-6, 9-10

R. (15) Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship you, O Lord,
and glorify your name.
For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds;
you alone are God.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.

Gospel Lk 11:1-4

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”
He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.”

[Salvation]

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

[Salvation]

Well, my computer is back up and running. Aren’t computer problems the worst?

[Salvation]

Alleluia Ping!

 

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

please Freepmail me.

[johngrace]

Yippee!!!! LOL!!

[Salvation]

From: Jonah 4:1-11

Jonah’s sense of grievance

---

[1] But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. [2] And he prayed to
the Lord and said, “I pray thee, Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my
country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a
gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and
repentest of evil. [3] Therefore now, O Lord, take my life from me, I beseech thee,
for it is better for me to die than to live.” [4] And the Lord said, “Do you do well to
be angry?” [5] Then Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city, and
made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see
what would become of the city.

[6] And the Lord God appointed a plan, and made it come up over Jonah, that it
might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was
exceedingly glad because of the plant. [7] But when dawn came up the next day,
God appointed a worm which attacked the plant, so that it withered. [8] When the
sun rose, God appointed a sultry east wind, and the sun beat upon the head of
Jonah so that he was faint; and he asked that he might die, and said, “It is better
for me to die than to live.”

God corrects Jonah and justifies his taking pity on Nineveh

---

[9] But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he
said, “I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” [10] And the Lord said, “You
pity the plant, for which you did not labour, nor did you make it grow, which came
into being in a night, and perished in a night. [11] And should not I pity Nineveh,
that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand per-
sons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

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

4:1-11. The Ninevites repent, and God refrains from pursuing his course of action.
The book could end here, if its message were simply that God’s salvation extends
to the Gentiles as well. However, the dialogue that now takes place between
Jonah and the Lord gives an unexpected twist to the story and enriches it from the
doctrinal point of view: it shows the full extent of God’s mercy; it tells us why
some prophetical oracles did not come true, even though they were the utter-
ances of genuine prophets; and it explains, in a definitive way, the reasons behind
God’s actions.

As in the rest of the book, the message lies in the characters themselves, particu-
larly Jonah. He preached in Nineveh, but all the indications are that he did not
expect to have any effect. Indeed, even though he has seen that God has de-
cided to forgive Nineveh, deep down he may feel that that will not last: the Nine-
vites will go back to their old ways, or God has simply delayed punishing them.
So, he takes up a position outside the city “to see what would become of (it)”
(v. 5). At first sight, Jonah’s anger (vv. 14-, 8-9) seems almost grotesque; but
there is justification for it. To distinguish true from false prophecy, Deuteronomy
gave the following criterion: “when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if
the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word which the Lord has
not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you need not be afraid of
him” (Deut 18:22). Therefore, as Jonah sees things, the Lord’s decision to punish
Nineveh and then his reversal of it amounted to saying that Jonah was not a true
prophet.

The question raised here is a complex one and it deserves more than a super-
ficial reply; hence the text’s insistence on the mercy of the Lord. When Jonah
earlier fled from God, even though he knew him to be the Lord, who created the
sea and the dry land (cf. 1:9), he knew that clemency and compassion were
essential traits of the Lord (cf. Ex 34:6-7); and he knows the same now (v. 4), but
he is unwilling to experience it in real life. Therefore, God uses this “castor-oil
plant” to give him a lesson about his mercy – a practical as well as a theoretical
lesson. The plant is, in the first place, an additional proof of god’s mercy: it
makes Jonah comfortable and soothes his anger (v. 6). But then the episode of
the plant becomes a kind of parable. If Jonah pities the plant which relieved his
discomfort (v. 10), why should God not take pity on those Ninevites? One could
think (as Jonah did) that enough was enough: a show of penance cannot dis-
guise the fact that Nineveh has always been a wicked city (cf. 1:2). And it is at
this point that the Lord gives further justification for his desire to forgive. The fact
of the matter is that the Ninevites did evil because they knew no better (they did
not know their right hand from their left: cf. Eccles 10:2) and there are more than
120,000 of them (literally, twelve times ten thousand), that is, a symbolic number
suggesting that the Ninevites are more like the chosen people than Jonah might
think.

In this connexion, apropos the number of Ninevites, St John Chrysostom com-
ments: “This great number is mentioned for a particular reason: every prayer,
when it is offered in the company of many voices, has enormous power” (De
incomprehensibile Dei natura, 3).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

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

[Salvation]

From: Luke 11:1-4

The Our Father

---

[1] He (Jesus) was praying in a certain place, and when He ceased,
one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John
taught His disciples.” [2] And He said to them, “When you pray, say:
`Our Father, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come. [3] Give us
each day our daily bread; [4] and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves
forgive every one who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation.’”

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

1-4. St. Luke gives us a shorter form of the Lord’s Prayer, or Our Fa-
ther, than St. Matthew (6:9-13). In Matthew there are seven petitions,
in Luke only four. Moreover, St. Matthew’s version is given in the
context of the Sermon on the Mount and specifically as part of Jesus’
teaching on how to pray; St. Luke’s is set in one of those occasions
just after our Lord has been at prayer—two different contexts. There is
nothing surprising about our Lord teaching the same thing on different
occasions, not always using exactly the same words, not always at
the same length, but always stressing the same basic points. Natu-
rally, the Church uses the longer form of the Lord’s Prayer, that of St.
Matthew.

“When the disciples asked the Lord Jesus, `Teach us to pray’, He
replied by saying the words of the `Our Father’, thereby giving a
concrete model which is also a universal model. In fact, everything
that can and must be said to the Father is contained in those seven
requests which we all know by heart. There is such simplicity in them
that even a child can learn them, but at the same time such depth that
a whole life can be spent meditating on their meaning. Isn’t that so?
Does not each of those petitions deal with something essential to our
life, directing it totally towards God the Father? Doesn’t this prayer
speak to us about `our daily bread’, `forgiveness of our sins, since we
forgive others’ and about protecting us from `temptation’ and `delivering
us from evil?’” ([Pope] John Paul II, “General Audience”, 14 March
1979).

The first thing our Lord teaches us to ask for is the glorification of God
and the coming of His Kingdom. That is what is really important—the
Kingdom of God and His justice (cf. Matthew 6:33). Our Lord also
wants us to pray confident that our Father will look after our material
needs, for “your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all”
(Matthew 6:32). However, the Our Father makes us aspire especially
to possess the goods of the Holy Spirit, and invites us to seek forgive-
ness (and to forgive others) and to avoid the danger of sinning. Finally
the Our Father emphasizes the importance of vocal prayer. “`Domine,
doce nos orare. Lord teach us to pray!’ And our Lord replied: `When
you pray say: “Pater noster, qui es in coelis”... Our Father, who art in
Heaven...’. What importance we must attach to vocal prayer!” ([St] J.
Escriva, “The Way”, 84).

1. Jesus often went away to pray (cf. Luke 6:12; 22:39ff). This practice
of the Master causes His disciples to want to learn how to pray. Jesus
teaches them to do what He Himself does. Thus, when our Lord prays,
He begins with the Word “Father!”: “Father, into Thy handsI commit My
spirit” (Luke 23:46); see also Matthew 11:25; 26:42, 53; Luke 23:34;
John 11:41; etc.). His prayer on the Cross, “My God, My God,...”
(Matthew 27:46), is not really an exception to this rule, because there
He is quoting Psalm 22, the desperate prayer of the persecuted just
man.

Therefore, we can say that the first characteristic prayer should have
is the simplicity of a son speaking to his Father. “You write: `To pray
is to talk with God. But about what?’ About what? About Him, about
yourself: joys, sorrows, successes, failures, noble ambitions, daily
worries, weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petition: and love
and reparation. In a word: to get to know Him and to get to know your-
self: `to get acquainted!’” ([St] J. Escriva, “The Way”, 91).

2. “Hallowed be Thy name”: in this first petition of the Our Father “we
pray that God may be known, loved, honored and served by everyone
and by ourselves in particular.” This means that we want “unbelievers
to come to a knowledge of the true God, heretics to recognize their
errors, schismatics to return to the unity of the Church, sinners to be
converted and the righteous to persevere in doing good.” By this first
petition, our Lord is teaching us that `we must desire God’s glory more
than our own interest and advantage.” This hallowing of God’s name is
attained “by prayer and good example and by directing all our thoughts,
affections and actions towards Him” (”St. Pius X Catechism”, 290-293).

“Thy Kingdom come”: “By the Kingdom of God we understand a triple
spiritual kingdom—the Kingdom of God in us, which is grace; the King-
dom of God on earth, which is the Catholic Church; and the Kingdom
of God in Heaven, which is eternal bliss [...]. As regards grace, we
pray that God reign in us with His sanctifying grace, by which He is
pleased to dwell in us as a king in his throne-room, and that He keeps
us united to Him by the virtues of faith, hope and charity, by which He
reigns in our intellect, in our heart and in our will [...]. As regards the
Church, we pray that it extend and spread all over the world for the sal-
vation of men [...]. As regards Heaven, we pray that one day we be
admitted to that eternal bliss for which we have been created, where
we will be totally happy” (”ibid.”, 294-297).

3. The Tradition of the Church usually interprets the “bread” as not only
material bread, since “man does not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy
8:3). Here Jesus wants us to ask God for “what we need each day for
soul and body [...]. For our soul we ask God to sustain our spiritual life,
that is, we beg Him to give us His grace, of which we are continually in
need [...]. The life of our soul is sustained mainly by the divine word
and by the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar [...]. For our bodies we pray
for what is needed to maintain us” (”St. Pius X Catechism”, 302-305).

Christian doctrine stresses two ideas in this petition of the Our Father:
the first is trust in Divine Providence, which frees us from excessive
desire to accumulate possessions to insure us against the future (cf.
Luke 12:16-21); the other idea is that we should take a brotherly in-
terest in other people’s needs, thereby moderating our selfish tenden-
cies.

4. “So rigorously does God exact from us forgetfulness of injuries and
mutual affection and love, that He rejects and despises the gifts and
sacrifices of those who are not reconciled to one another” (”St. Pius
V Catechism”, IV, 14, 16).

“This sisters, is something which we should consider carefully; it is
such a serious and important matter that God should pardon us our
sins, which have merited eternal fire, that we must pardon all trifling
things which have been done to us. As I have so few, Lord, even of
these trifling things, to offer Thee, Thy pardoning of me must be a
free gift: there is abundant scope here for Thy mercy. Blessed be
Thou, who endurest one that is so poor” (St. Teresa of Avila, “Wa
of Perfection”, Chapter 36).

“And lead us not into temptation”: it is not a sin to “feel” temptation
but to “consent” to temptation. It is also a sin to put oneself\ volun-
tarily into a situation which can easily lead one to sin. God allows
us to be tempted, in order to test our fidelity, to exercise us in virtue
and to increase our merits with the help of grace. In this petition we
ask the Lord to give us His grace not to be overcome when put to the
test, or to free us from temptation if we cannot cope with it.

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

Thanks for the Yippee!

[annalex]

Alleluia

[Salvation]

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

Readings at Mass

---

First reading

Jonah 4:1-11 ©

Jonah was very indignant; he fell into a rage. He prayed to the Lord and said, ‘Ah, Lord, is not this just as I said would happen when I was still at home? That was why I went and fled to Tarshish: I knew that you were a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness, relenting from evil. So now, Lord, please take away my life, for I might as well be dead as go on living.’ The Lord replied, ‘Are you right to be angry?’

  Jonah then went out of the city and sat down to the east of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God arranged that a castor-oil plant should grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head and soothe his ill-humour; Jonah was delighted with the castor-oil plant. But at dawn the next day, God arranged that a worm should attack the castor-oil plant – and it withered.

  Next, when the sun rose, God arranged that there should be a scorching east wind; the sun beat down so hard on Jonah’s head that he was overcome and begged for death, saying, ‘I might as well be dead as go on living.’ God said to Jonah, ‘Are you right to be angry about the castor-oil plant?’ He replied, ‘I have every right to be angry, to the point of death.’ The Lord replied, ‘You are only upset about a castor-oil plant which cost you no labour, which you did not make grow, which sprouted in a night and has perished in a night. And am I not to feel sorry for Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, to say nothing of all the animals?’

---

Psalm

Psalm 85:3-6,9-10 ©

You, O Lord, have mercy and compassion.

You are my God, have mercy on me, Lord,

  for I cry to you all the day long.

Give joy to your servant, O Lord,

  for to you I lift up my soul.

You, O Lord, have mercy and compassion.

O Lord, you are good and forgiving,

  full of love to all who call.

Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer

  and attend to the sound of my voice.

You, O Lord, have mercy and compassion.

All the nations shall come to adore you

  and glorify your name, O Lord:

for you are great and do marvellous deeds,

  you who alone are God.

You, O Lord, have mercy and compassion.

---

Gospel Acclamation

Ps118:24

Alleluia, alleluia!

Train me, Lord, to observe your law,

to keep it with my heart.

Alleluia!

Or

Rm8:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

The spirit you received is the spirit of sons,

and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’

Alleluia!

---

Gospel

Luke 11:1-4 ©

Once Jesus was in a certain place praying, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘Say this when you pray:

“Father, may your name be held holy,

your kingdom come;

give us each day our daily bread,

and forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us.

And do not put us to the test.”’

[Salvation]

Audience: Pope continues catechesis on Church as our Mother
The Light of Faith (Lumen Fidei)[Catholic Caucus]

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

[fidelis]

Yay! You’re back! Glad to see it was nothing more serious than a computer problem! :)

[Salvation]

40 Days for Life runs [September 25] through November 3 in 306 cities

[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:  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]

[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]

 

October Devotion: The Holy Rosary
 

This feast was established by Pope Pius V to commemorate the great victory of the Christian army against the Turks in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.

All soldiers on the battlefield prayed the Rosary for three hours and the wind has shifted in their favor. They were able to defeat an army three times bigger, in one of the greatest naval victory in history.

Pope Pius V named this the Feast of Our Lady of Victories, to be celebrated on October 7th.

In 1573, Pope Gregory XIII changed the title of this memorial to Feast of the Holy Rosary.

 

 

Pope Paul VI established the form that we celebrate this feast today, in 1969 under the name “Our Lady of the Rosary”.

“The celebration of this day invites all to mediate upon the mysteries of Christ, following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary who was so singularly associated with the incarnation, passion and glorious resurrection of the Son of God.”

Madonna del Rosario

Caravaggio

1607

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. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence 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 will be forever. 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 Joyful Mysteries
(Mondays and Saturdays)
1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]

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

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]

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 Ghost (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]

 

The Fifteen Promises Granted to Those Who Recite the Rosary [Catholic Caucus]
Essays for Lent: The Rosary

Radio Replies Second Volume - The Rosary
Town Rejects Rosary as Offensive and the Prayers that Changed Everything
No-contact order over a student's rosary
Collecting 860 rosaries result of a lifelong passion (Catholic Caucus)
After rosary campaign, Florida sheriff abruptly shuts down abortion clinic on Marian feast
Public Rosary in San Francisco to draw thousands [Catholic Caucus]
Chicago's Incredible Floating Rosary
Enourmous Rosary floats over Chicago
Surprised by the Joyful Mysteries (of the Rosary) [Catholic Caucus]
HISTORY OF THE ROSARY [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]

The Rosary-a tool for evangelization [Catholic Caucus]
OUR LADY AND HEAVEN’S PEACE PLAN (Say the Rosary) [Ecumenical]
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding in the Temple (Patristic Rosary)
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation (Patristic Rosary)
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity (Patristic Rosary)
Praying the Holy Rosary in October
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation (Patristic Rosary)
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 1st Joyful Mystery: The Annuniciation (Patristic Rosary)
[CATHOLIC CAUCUS] On the Rosary
Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With: 15 [20] Mysteries of the Holy Rosary & When They Are Prayed

It Was the Rosary: Mainz Priest Talks About His Vocation
Rosary to Halt Construction of NYC Mosque (Catholic Caucus)
British Soldier Shot in Afghanistan is Saved by His ROSARY...Like His Great-Grandfather in WWII
Catholic Caucus: Rosary Beads Saved My Life, British Soldier Says
British soldier shot in Afghanistan is saved my his ROSARY
Rosary returned to Vietnam vet as pledged 44 years ago
Rosary for the Bishop celebrates six months of prayer, global expansion
Rosary Rallies for Priests Give Final Flourish to Their Special Year (ECUMENICAL)
The Unseen Power of the Rosary
Worldwide Rosary Relay to Offer Prayer for Priests

Boy Suspended For Rosary -- Reinstated
NY school sued after teen suspended over rosary
Student Suspended for Wearing Rosary Beads
[CATHOLIC CAUCUS] The 3:30 Beads!
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Private Devotions to Mary: The Rosary
Benedict XVI Promotes Rosary in Fatima [Catholic Caucus]
Archbishop Naumann, Bishop Finn Lead Mother's Day Rosary at Planned Parenthood
Did the Apostles Pray the Rosary? (First Novena to the Holy Spirit?) [Catholic Caucus]
The Importance of the Meditated Holy Rosary -- What the Popes have to say [Catholic Caucus]
A Ladder from Earth to Heaven: The Rosary for All Christians

Jesus is in the Holy Rosary
The Rosary, a powerful weapon against the devil
History of The Scriptural Rosary [Ecumenical]
The Lord Is with Thee
Rosary of Our Lady's Tears(Catholic Prayer Thread)
The Rosary and Me - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Rosary promoted as path to Christ and peace [at third annual Rosary Bowl NW]
The Efficacy and Power of One Hail Mary [Ecumenical]
“ Let Us Do It!“ (Sunday: Rosary to be simultaneously prayed on five continents)
The Fruits of the Mysteries of the Rosary

[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries
The Family Rosary [Try it for Lent!] (Catholic Caucus)
History of the Scriptural Rosary - Meditating on The Word
Rosary Resurgence [Ecumenical]
Beginning Catholic: How to Pray the Rosary: Contemplating Christ With Mary [Ecumenical]
[Oregon] Rosary Bowl focuses on links between prayer, evangelization
Praying the Rosary By Bishop Fulton J. Sheen(Catholic Caucus)
Rosary-Prayers Aiming to Break Record [Catholic Caucus]
Rosary vs. Repetitious Prayer [Ecumenical]
The Luminous Mysteries [of the Rosary]: Knowing Jesus in His Public Ministry

Rosary Is a School of Mary, Says Pope: Encourages Recitation [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
New campaign launched to promote family rosary
The Rosary and the Republic
Chant the Rosary... in Latin!
(...)and the rosary
Estimated 50,000 recite rosary in event at Rose Bowl
Our Lady of Victory (HLI Page)
Rosary to Mark St. Martha's Feast
Pray the Rosary
Rosary Aids Spiritual Growth, Says Pope

Remembering Lepanto
The Battle that Saved the Christian West (October 7, 1571: Battle of Lepanto)
Battle of Lepanto: Armada of the Cross
Remember Lepanto
How Europe Escaped Speaking Arabic
Bishop compares election to Battle of Lepanto
Bishop compares election to Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto
Civilization in the Balance: The Battle of Lepanto and Election ‘08
LEPANTO

A Call To Prayer: This Lepanto Moment [Repost]
Lepanto, 1571: The Battle That Saved Europe
Celebrating the Battle of Lepanto
Clash of civilizations: Battle of Lepanto revisited
Lepanto, Bertone e Battesimo, Oh My!
Lepanto Sunday
Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval (A Mini-Lepanto in the Philippines)
Swiss Guards at the Battle of Lepanto, 7 October 1571
Battle of Lepanto
LEPANTO, 7 OCTOBER 1571: The Defense of Europe

Battle of Lepanto
Remember Lepanto!
The Battle of Lepanto
On This Day In History, The Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto
Chesterton's Lepanto
The Miracle At Lepanto...
Lepanto
The Naval Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto

Madonna del Rosario

Caravaggio

1607

[Salvation]

October 2013

Pope's Intentions

People in Despair: That those feeling so crushed by life that they wish to end it may sense the nearness of God's love.

World Mission Day: That the celebration of World Mission Day may help all Christians realize that we are not only receivers but proclaimers of God's word.

[annalex]

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 11
1.	AND it came to pass, that as he was in a certain place praying, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him: Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.	Et factum est : cum esset in quodam loco orans, ut cessavit, dixit unus ex discipulis ejus ad eum : Domine, doce nos orare, sicut docuit et Joannes discipulos suos.	και εγενετο εν τω ειναι αυτον εν τοπω τινι προσευχομενον ως επαυσατο ειπεν τις των μαθητων αυτου προς αυτον κυριε διδαξον ημας προσευχεσθαι καθως και ιωαννης εδιδαξεν τους μαθητας αυτου
2.	And he said to them: When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.	Et ait illis : Cum oratis, dicite : Pater, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum.	ειπεν δε αυτοις οταν προσευχησθε λεγετε πατερ ημων ο εν τοις ουρανοις αγιασθητω το ονομα σου ελθετω η βασιλεια σου γενηθητω το θελημα σου ως εν ουρανω και επι της γης
3.	Give us this day our daily bread.	Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie.	τον αρτον ημων τον επιουσιον διδου ημιν το καθ ημεραν
4.	And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.	Et dimitte nobis peccata nostra, siquidem et ipsi dimittimus omni debenti nobis. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem.	και αφες ημιν τας αμαρτιας ημων και γαρ αυτοι αφιεμεν παντι οφειλοντι ημιν και μη εισενεγκης ημας εις πειρασμον αλλα ρυσαι ημας απο του πονηρου

(*) "γενηθητω το θελημα σου ως εν ουρανω και επι της γης", "be done Thy will as in Heaven so upon the earth" ending verse 2 is not translated.
(**) "αλλα ρυσαι ημας απο του πονηρου", "but deliver us from the evil one" ending verse 4 is not translated.

[annalex]

1. And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2. And he said to them, When you pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3. Give us day by day our daily bread.
4. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

BEDE; After the account of the sisters, who signified the two lives of the Church, our Lord is not without reason related to have both Himself prayed, and taught His disciples to pray, seeing that the prayer which He taught contains in itself the mystery of each life, and the perfection of the lives themselves is to be obtained not by our own strength, but by prayer. Hence it is said, And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place.

CYRIL; Now whereas He possesses every good in abundance, why does He pray, since He is full, and has altogether need of nothing? To this we answer, that it befits Him, according to the manner of His dispensation in the flesh, to follow human observances at the time convenient for them. For if He eats and drinks, He rightly was used to pray, that He might teach us not to be lukewarm in this duty, but to be the more diligent and earnest in our prayers.

TIT. BOST. The disciples having seen a new way of life, desire a new form of prayer, since there were several prayers to be found in the Old Testament. Hence it follows, When he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, in order that we might not sin against God in asking for one thing instead of another, or by approaching God in prayer in a manner that we ought not.

ORIGEN; And that he might point out the kind of teaching, the disciple proceeds, as John also taught his disciples. Of whom in truth you have told us, that among them that are born of women there had arisen none greater than he. And because you have commanded us to seek things that are great and eternal, whence shall we arrive at the knowledge of these but from You, our God and Savior?

GREG. NYSS.. He unfolds the teaching of prayer to His disciples, who wisely desire the knowledge of prayer, directing them how they ought to beseech God to hear them.

BASIL; There are two kinds of prayer, one composed of praise with humiliation, the other of petitions, and more subdued. Whenever then you pray, do not first break forth into petition; but if you condemn your inclination, supplicate God as if of necessity forced thereto. And when you begin to pray, forget all visible and invisible creatures, but commence with the praise of Him who created all things. Hence it is added, And he says to them, When you pray, say, Our Father.

PSEUDO-AUG. The first word, how gracious is it? You durst not raise your face to heaven, and suddenly you receive the grace of Christ. From an evil servant you are made a good son. Boast not then of your working, but of the grace of Christ; for therein is no arrogance, but faith. To proclaim what you have received is not pride, but devotion. Therefore raise your eyes to your Father, who begot you by Baptism, redeemed you by His Son. Say Father as a son, but claim no especial favor to t yourself. Of Christ alone is He the especial Father, of us the common Father. For Christ alone He begot, but us he created. And therefore according to Matthew when it is said, Our Father, it is added, which art in heaven, that is, in those heavens of which it was said, The heavens declare the glory of God. Heaven is where sin has ceased, and where there is no sting of death.

THEOPHYL. But He says not, which art in heaven, as though He were confined to that place, but to raise the hearer up to heaven, and draw him away from earthly things.

GREG. NYSS.. See how great a preparation you need, to be able to say boldly to God, O Father, for if you have your eyes fixed on worldly things, or court the praise of men, or are a slave to your passions, and utter this prayer, I seem to hear God saying, 'Whereas you that are of a corrupt life call the Author of the incorruptible your Father, you pollute with your defiled lips an incorruptible name. For He who commanded you to call Him Father, gave you not leave to utter lies. But the highest of e all good things is to glorify God's name in our lives. Hence He adds, Hallowed be thy name. For who is there so debased, as when He sees the pure life of those who believe, does not glorify the name invoked in such a life. He then who says in his prayer, Be thy name, which I call upon, hallowed in me, prays this, "May I through Your concurring aid be made just, abstaining from all evil."

CHRYS. For as when a man gazes upon the beauty of the heavens, he says, Glory be you, O God; so likewise when He beholds a man's virtuous actions, seeing that the virtue of man glorifies God much more than the heavens.

PSEUDO-AUG. Or it is said, Hallowed be thy name; that is, let Your holiness be known to all the world, and let it worthily praise You. For praise becomes the upright, and therefore He bids them pray for the cleansing of the whole world.

CYRIL; Since among those to whom the faith has not yet come, the name of God is still despised. But when the rays of truth shall have shined upon them, they will confess the Holy of Holies.

TIT. BOST. And because in the name of Jesus is the glory of God the Father, the name of the Father will be hallowed whenever Christ shall be known.

ORIGEN; Or, because the name of God is given by idolaters, and those who are in error, to idols and creatures, it has not as yet been so made holy, as to be separated from those things from which it ought to be. He teaches us therefore to pray that the name of God may be appropriated to the only true God; to whom alone belongs what follow, Thy kingdom come, to the end that may be put down all the rule, authority, and power, and kingdom of the world, together with sin which reigns in our mortal bodies.

GREG. NYSS.. We beseech also to be delivered by the Lord from corruption, to be taken out of death. Or, according to some, Thy kingdom come, that is, May Your Holy Spirit come upon us to purify us.

PSEUDO-AUG. For then comes the kingdom of God, when we have obtained His grace. For He Himself says, The kingdom of God is within you.

CYRIL; Or they who say this seem to wish to have the Savior of all again illuminating the world. But He has commanded us to desire in prayer that truly awful time, in order that men might know that it behoves them to live not in sloth and backwardness, lest that time bring upon them the fiery punishment, but rather honestly and according to His will, that that time may weave crowns for them. Hence it follows, according to Matthew, Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

CHRYS. As if He says, Enable us, O Lord, to follow the heavenly life, that whatever You will, we may will in also.

GREG. NYSS.. For sin since He says that the life of man after the resurrection will be like to that of Angels, it follows, that our life in this world should be so ordered with respect to that which we hope for hereafter, that living in the flesh we may not live according to the flesh. But hereby the true Physician of the souls destroys the nature of the disease, that those who have been seized with sickness, whereby they have departed from the Divine will, may forthwith be released from the disease by being joined to the Divine will. For the health of the soul is the due fulfillment of the will of God.

AUG. It seems according to the Evangelist Matthew, that the Lord's prayer contains seven petitions, but Luke has comprehended it in five. Nor in truth does the one disagree from the other, but the latter has suggested by his brevity how those seven are to be understood. For the name of God is hallowed in the spirit, but the kingdom of God is about to come at the resurrection of the body. Luke then, showing that the third petition is in a manner a repetition of the two former, wished to make it so understood by omitting it. He then added three others. And first, of daily bread, saying, Give us day by day our daily bread.

PSEUDO-AUG. In the Greek the word is that is, something added to the substance. It is not that bread which goes into the body, but that bread of everlasting life, which supports the substance of our soul. But the Latins call this "daily" bread, which the Greeks call "coming to." If it is daily bread, why is it eaten a year old, as is the custom with the Greeks in the east? Take daily what profits you for the day; so live that you may daily be thought worthy to receive. The death of our Lord is signified thereby, and the remission of sins, and cost you not daily partake of that bread of life? He who has a wound seeks to be cured; the wound is that we are under sin, the cure is the heavenly and dreadful Sacrament. If you receive daily, daily does "Today" come to you. Christ is to you Today; Christ rises to thee daily.

TIT. BOST. Or the bread of souls is the Divine power, bringing the everlasting life which is to come, as the bread which comes out of the earth preserves the temporal life. But by saying "daily," He signifies the Divine bread which comes and is to come, which we seek to be given to us daily, requiring a certain earnest and taste of it, seeing that the Spirit which dwells in us has wrought a virtue surpassing all human virtues, as chastity, humility, and the rest.

CYRIL; Now perhaps some think it unfit for saints to seek from God bodily goods, and for this reason assign to these words a spiritual sense. But granting that the chief concern of the saints should be to obtain spiritual gifts, still it becomes them to see that they seek without blame, according to our Lord's command, their common bread. For from the fact that He bids them ask for bread, that is daily food, it seems that He implies that they should possess nothing, but rather practice an honorable poverty. For it is not the part of those who have bread to seek it, but rather of those who are oppressed with want.

BASIL; As if He said, For your daily bread, namely, that which serves for our daily wants, trust not to yourself, but fly to God for it, making known to Him the necessities of your nature.

CHRYS. We must then require of God the necessities of life; not varieties of meats, and spiced wines, and the other things which please the palate, while they load your stomach and disturb your mind, but bread which is able to support the bodily substance, that is to say, which is sufficient only for the day, that we may take no thought of the morrow. But we make only one petition about things of sense, that the present life may not trouble us.

GREG. NYSS.. Having taught us to take confidence through good works, He next teaches us to implore the remission of our offenses, for it follows, And forgive us our sins.

TIT. BOST. This also was necessarily added, for no one is found without sin, that we should not be hindered from the holy participation on account of man's guilt. For whereas we are bound to render to Christ all manner of holiness, who makes His Spirit to dwell in us, we are to be blamed if we keep not our temples clean for Him. But this defect is supplied by the goodness of God, remitting to human frailty the severe punishment of sin. And this act is done justly by the just God, when we forgive as it were our debtors, those, namely, who have injured us, and have not restored what was due. Hence it follows, For we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.

CYRIL; For He wishes, if I may so speak, to make God the imitator of the patience which men practice, that the kindness which they have shown to their fellow servants, they should in like manner seek to receive in equal balance from God, who recompenses to each man justly, and knows how to have mercy upon all men.

CHRYS. Considering then these things, we ought to show mercy to our debtors. For they are to us if we are wise the cause of our greatest pardon; and though we perform only a few things, we shall find many. For we owe many and great debts to the Lord, of which if the least part should be exacted from us, we should soon perish.

PSEUDO-AUG. But what is the debt except sin? If you had not received, you would not owe money to another. And therefore sin is imputed to you. For you had money with which you were born rich, and made after the likeness and image of God, but you have lost what you then had. As when you put on pride you lose the gold of humility, you have receipted the devil's debt which was not necessary; the enemy held the bond, but the Lord crucified it, and canceled it with His blood. But the Lord is able, who has taken away our sins and forgiven our debts, to guard us against the snares of the devil, who is wont to produce sin in us. Hence it follows, And lead us not into temptation, such as we are not able to bear, but like the wrestler we wish only such temptation as the condition of man can sustain.

TIT. BOST. For it is impossible not to be tempted by the devil, but we make this prayer that we may not be abandoned to our temptations. Now that which happens by Divine permission, God is sometimes in Scripture said to do. And in this way by hindering not the increase of temptation which is above our strength, he leads us into temptation.

MAX. Or, the Lord commands us to pray, Lead us not into temptation, that is, let us not have experience of lustful and self-induced temptations. But James teaches those who contend only for the truth, not to be unnerved by involuntary and troublesome temptations, saying, lily brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations.

BASIL; It does not however become us to seek by our prayers bodily afflictions. For Christ has universally commanded men every where to pray that they enter not into temptation. But when one has already entered, it is fitting to ask from the Lord the power of enduring, that we may have fulfilled in us those words, He that endures to the end shall be saved.

AUG. But what Matthew has placed at the end, But deliver us from evil, Luke has not mentioned, that we might understand it belongs to the former, which was spoken of temptation. He therefore says, But deliver us, not, "And deliver us," clearly proving this to be but one petition, "Do not this, but this." But let every one know that he is therein delivered from evil, when he is not brought into temptation.

PSEUDO-AUG. For each man seeks to be delivered from evil, that is, from his enemies and sin, but he who gives himself up to God, fears not the devil, for if God is for us, who he can be against us?

Catena Aurea Luke 11

[annalex]

Agony in the Garden

Duccio di Buoninsegna

1308-11
Tempera on wood, 51 x 76 cm
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Siena

[Salvation]

Daily Gospel Commentary

Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint Cyprian (c.200-258), Bishop of Carthage and martyr
The Lord's Prayer, 9-11; PL 4, 523 (trans. Fathers of the Church, Inc.,1958, alt.)

The prayer of God's children

This is how Our Lord tells us to pray: “Our Father who art in heaven.” A new man, reborn and restored to his God by his grace says in the first place “Father” because he has now begun to be a son. “He came,” the Gospel says, “unto his own and his own received him not. But as many as received him he gave to them the power to become the sons of God, to those who believe in his name” (Jn 1,11-12). He, therefore, who has believed in his name and has become the son of God, thereafter should begin to give thanks by professing himself son of God and by declaring that his father is God in heaven...


How great is the indulgence of the Lord, how great the abundance of his regard for us and his goodness, that he has thus wished us to offer prayer in the sight of God so as to call the Lord “Father”! And just as Christ is the Son of God, he wants us also to be pronounced the sons of God, which name no one of us would dare to take in prayer, had not he himself permitted us so to pray.

So, most beloved brethren, we ought to remember and to know that, when we speak of God, we ought to act as sons of God, so that, just as we are pleased with God as Father, so too he may be pleased with us. Let us live as if temples of God (1Cor 3,16), that it may be clear that the Lord dwells in us.

[Salvation]

Wednesday, October 09, 2013
Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Jonah 4:1-11 Psalm 86:3-6, 9-10 Luke 11:1-4 Let my prayer be directed as incense in Thy sight; the lifting up of my hands, as evening sacrifice. -- Psalm cxl. 2

[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. 

[johngrace]

Lol

[Gerish]

While I am sorry to hear you had computer problems, I am thankful it was anything health related. You had me worried cause I hadn’t received any daily readings in a few days! Glad you are still with us! God Bless you for all you do!

[Servant of the Cross]

Alleuia!

Welcome back, Salvation!

[Salvation]

For me too. I was lost without the internet.

[Salvation]

Saint Denis, Bishop & Martyr, & his companions, martyrs

Saint Denis, Bishop & Martyr
& his companions, martyrs
Optional Memorial
October 9th


JEAN MALOUEL
Calvary and the Martyrdom of St Denis
1416, Panel, 161 x 210 cm
Musée du Louvre, Paris

Saint Denis was born in Italy and became the first bishop of Paris. He was sent to France by Pope Fabian and suffered martyrdom with two members of his clergy, Rusticus and Eleutherius.

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

 

Collect:
O God, who sent Saint Denis and his companions
to preach your glory to the nations
and strengthened them for their mission
with the virtue of constancy in suffering,
grant, we pray, that we may imitate them
in disdaining prosperity in this world
and in being undaunted by any trial.
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: 2 Corinthians 6:4-10
As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:13-16
"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

---

Saint Denis Tartlets

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
2 c. (250g) flour
1 Tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
4 Tbsp (60g) butter
4 Tbsp (60g) shortening
6 Tbsp ice water

Tartlets
1/4 c (50g) butter
1/4 c (50g) sugar
2 egg yolks
1/4 c (50g) almonds, ground
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg white
raspberry jam
powdered sugar for dusting

In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Sprinkle ice water over flour mixture until moistened. Gather dough into a ball, refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Cut out circles large enough to line 3-inch (8 cm) tartlet pans with the dough circles.

Cream the butter and sugar together until thick; beat in the 2 egg yolks, 1 at a time. Add the ground almonds, cornstarch and vanilla. Lastly fold in the stiffly whisked egg white.

Place a teaspoon of jam in the bottom of each tartlet pan and fill with the mixture. Place two narrow strips of pastry across the top. Bake in a fairly hot oven 400°F(200°C) for 15 to 20 minutes.

When cool, dust with powdered sugar.

Makes 12-15 tartlets.

(from Cooking with the Saints,2001 Ignatius Press)

[Salvation]

Saint Denis [Bishop and Martyr]

[Salvation]

Saint John Leonardi, priest

Saint John Leonardi, priest
Optional Memorial
October 9th

(1541-1609) Saint John Leonardi was born in Tuscany and, after studying to become a pharmacist, left this profession and became a priest. He devoted himself to teaching catechism to children; in addition, he gathered laymen to work with him in hospitals and prisons, and in 1574 he founded the Order of Clerics Regular of the Mother of God. He later founded in Rome a society of priests dedicated to serving in foreign missions; this eventually became the Society for the Propogation of the Faith.

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

 

Collect:
O God, giver of all good things,
who through the Priest Saint John Leonardi
caused the Gospel to be announced to the the nations,
grant, through his intercession,
that the true faith may always and everywhere prosper.
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: 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, 5-7
Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways; we refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.

Gospel Reading: Luke 5:1-11
While the people pressed upon Jesus to hear the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. And He saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, He asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when He had ceased speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at Your word I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men." And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

[Salvation]

On St. John Leonardi
St. John Leonardi, priest

[Salvation]

Blessed John Henry Newman

Blessed John Henry Newman

Photo of John Henry Newman 1887

Cor ad cor loquitur (Heart speaks to heart)

John Henry Cardinal Newman (February 21, 1801- Augst 11,1890) was an Anglican clergyman and a leader of the Tractarian or Oxford Movement to reform and "re-catholicize" the Church of England before he entered the Catholic Church in 1845.

He was ordained to the Catholic priesthood May 30, 1847, at the time he established the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in England.

His many published works -- notably his spiritual autobiography, Apologia pro Vita Sua (1864), The Idea of the University (1852), and The Grammar of Assent (1870) -- have inspired Catholics for more than a century with their deep insights and eloquent style. His famous hymn "Lead Kindly Light" is one of the treasures of English-language hymnody. His poem The Dream of Gerontius (1865) is the source of another of his inspiring hymns, “Praise to the Holiest in the Height”. Both before and after he entered the Catholic Church, Newman’s gift of preaching and oratory were as widely admired as his many published writings.

Father Newman was named Cardinal by Pope Leo XIII in 1879. He died at the Oratory in Birmingham on August 11, 1890. He was declared “venerable” by Pope John Paul II in 1991, and his beatification was formally proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI on September 19, 2010, during the official papal visit to the United Kingdom.

His feast day is October 9, the date of his being received into the Catholic Church in 1845.

***

---

MASS WITH THE BEATIFICATION
OF VENERABLE CARDINAL JOHN HENRY NEWMAN

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Cofton Park of Rednal - Birmingham
Sunday, September 19, 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This day that has brought us together here in Birmingham is a most auspicious one. In the first place, it is the Lord’s day, Sunday, the day when our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead and changed the course of human history for ever, offering new life and hope to all who live in darkness and in the shadow of death. That is why Christians all over the world come together on this day to give praise and thanks to God for the great marvels he has worked for us. This particular Sunday also marks a significant moment in the life of the British nation, as it is the day chosen to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the Battle of Britain. For me as one who lived and suffered through the dark days of the Nazi regime in Germany, it is deeply moving to be here with you on this occasion, and to recall how many of your fellow citizens sacrificed their lives, courageously resisting the forces of that evil ideology. My thoughts go in particular to nearby Coventry, which suffered such heavy bombardment and massive loss of life in November 1940. Seventy years later, we recall with shame and horror the dreadful toll of death and destruction that war brings in its wake, and we renew our resolve to work for peace and reconciliation wherever the threat of conflict looms. Yet there is another, more joyful reason why this is an auspicious day for Great Britain, for the Midlands, for Birmingham. It is the day that sees Cardinal John Henry Newman formally raised to the altars and declared Blessed.

I thank Archbishop Bernard Longley for his gracious welcome at the start of Mass this morning. I pay tribute to all who have worked so hard over many years to promote the cause of Cardinal Newman, including the Fathers of the Birmingham Oratory and the members of the Spiritual Family Das Werk. And I greet everyone here from Great Britain, Ireland, and further afield; I thank you for your presence at this celebration, in which we give glory and praise to God for the heroic virtue of a saintly Englishman.

England has a long tradition of martyr saints, whose courageous witness has sustained and inspired the Catholic community here for centuries. Yet it is right and fitting that we should recognize today the holiness of a confessor, a son of this nation who, while not called to shed his blood for the Lord, nevertheless bore eloquent witness to him in the course of a long life devoted to the priestly ministry, and especially to preaching, teaching, and writing. He is worthy to take his place in a long line of saints and scholars from these islands, Saint Bede, Saint Hilda, Saint Aelred, Blessed Duns Scotus, to name but a few. In Blessed John Henry, that tradition of gentle scholarship, deep human wisdom and profound love for the Lord has borne rich fruit, as a sign of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit deep within the heart of God’s people, bringing forth abundant gifts of holiness.

Cardinal Newman’s motto, Cor ad cor loquitur, or “Heart speaks unto heart”, gives us an insight into his understanding of the Christian life as a call to holiness, experienced as the profound desire of the human heart to enter into intimate communion with the Heart of God. He reminds us that faithfulness to prayer gradually transforms us into the divine likeness. As he wrote in one of his many fine sermons, “a habit of prayer, the practice of turning to God and the unseen world in every season, in every place, in every emergency – prayer, I say, has what may be called a natural effect in spiritualizing and elevating the soul. A man is no longer what he was before; gradually … he has imbibed a new set of ideas, and become imbued with fresh principles” (Parochial and Plain Sermons, iv, 230-231). Today’s Gospel tells us that no one can be the servant of two masters (cf. Lk 16:13), and Blessed John Henry’s teaching on prayer explains how the faithful Christian is definitively taken into the service of the one true Master, who alone has a claim to our unconditional devotion (cf. Mt 23:10). Newman helps us to understand what this means for our daily lives: he tells us that our divine Master has assigned a specific task to each one of us, a “definite service”, committed uniquely to every single person: “I have my mission”, he wrote, “I am a link in a chain, a bond of connexion between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do his work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place … if I do but keep his commandments and serve him in my calling” (Meditations and Devotions, 301-2).

The definite service to which Blessed John Henry was called involved applying his keen intellect and his prolific pen to many of the most pressing “subjects of the day”. His insights into the relationship between faith and reason, into the vital place of revealed religion in civilized society, and into the need for a broadly-based and wide-ranging approach to education were not only of profound importance for Victorian England, but continue today to inspire and enlighten many all over the world. I would like to pay particular tribute to his vision for education, which has done so much to shape the ethos that is the driving force behind Catholic schools and colleges today. Firmly opposed to any reductive or utilitarian approach, he sought to achieve an educational environment in which intellectual training, moral discipline and religious commitment would come together. The project to found a Catholic University in Ireland provided him with an opportunity to develop his ideas on the subject, and the collection of discourses that he published as The Idea of a University holds up an ideal from which all those engaged in academic formation can continue to learn. And indeed, what better goal could teachers of religion set themselves than Blessed John Henry’s famous appeal for an intelligent, well-instructed laity: “I want a laity, not arrogant, not rash in speech, not disputatious, but men who know their religion, who enter into it, who know just where they stand, who know what they hold and what they do not, who know their creed so well that they can give an account of it, who know so much of history that they can defend it” (The Present Position of Catholics in England, ix, 390). On this day when the author of those words is raised to the altars, I pray that, through his intercession and example, all who are engaged in the task of teaching and catechesis will be inspired to greater effort by the vision he so clearly sets before us.

While it is John Henry Newman’s intellectual legacy that has understandably received most attention in the vast literature devoted to his life and work, I prefer on this occasion to conclude with a brief reflection on his life as a priest, a pastor of souls. The warmth and humanity underlying his appreciation of the pastoral ministry is beautifully expressed in another of his famous sermons: “Had Angels been your priests, my brethren, they could not have condoled with you, sympathized with you, have had compassion on you, felt tenderly for you, and made allowances for you, as we can; they could not have been your patterns and guides, and have led you on from your old selves into a new life, as they can who come from the midst of you” (“Men, not Angels: the Priests of the Gospel”, Discourses to Mixed Congregations, 3). He lived out that profoundly human vision of priestly ministry in his devoted care for the people of Birmingham during the years that he spent at the Oratory he founded, visiting the sick and the poor, comforting the bereaved, caring for those in prison. No wonder that on his death so many thousands of people lined the local streets as his body was taken to its place of burial not half a mile from here. One hundred and twenty years later, great crowds have assembled once again to rejoice in the Church’s solemn recognition of the outstanding holiness of this much-loved father of souls. What better way to express the joy of this moment than by turning to our heavenly Father in heartfelt thanksgiving, praying in the words that Blessed John Henry Newman placed on the lips of the choirs of angels in heaven:

Praise to the Holiest in the height
And in the depth be praise;
In all his words most wonderful,
Most sure in all his ways!
(The Dream of Gerontius).

© Copyright 2010 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

---

Collect:
O God, who bestowed on the Priest John Henry Newman
the grace to follow your kindly light
and find peace in your Church;
graciously grant that,
through his intercession and example,
we may be led out of shadows and images
into the fulness of your truth.
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

---

John Henry Newman's Maryvale - by Joanne Bogle

Help, Lord, the souls that thou has made -- Blessed John Henry Newman (hymn)

Pope Benedict XVI's Visit to Britain Is Making History- Beatification of Cardinal Newman a highlight of the events -- by Mary Ellen Bork

John Henry Newman's Hymns

John Henry Newman and Music by Susan Treacy, on the Adoremus website

Cardinal Newman On the Mass, on the Adoremus website

Pope Benedict XVI's Apostolic Journey to the United Kingdom on the occasion of the Beatification of Card. John Henry Newman, (16-19 September 2010) on the Vatican Website

[Salvation]

[Blessed] John Henry Newman and Music
Newman’s Faith
Cardinal Newman: Doctor of the Church? [Catholic Caucus]
Happiness in the Church of Rome
Said, as it is among us. [Blessed John Henry Newman]

The `father' of the Catholic -- Blessed John Henry Newman
Three Lessons from Newman
Blessed Cardinal Newman and the Jews
Beatification of Cardinal Newman: Pope's homily [Full Text]
Beatification of John Henry Newman, Cofton Park, Birmingham Homily of the Holy Father
The Birmingham Oratory [founded by John Henry Cardinal Newman]
Cardinal Newman and Oscott College
Newman spoke this evening in Hyde Park
Catholic officials to investigate claims of second Newman miracle
Cardinal Newman: The Victorian Celebrity Intellectual Who Brought Benedict to Britain

Beyond the Beatification of Cardinal Newman
Newman and the Miraculous Medal
Liberal Jesuits Found Newman Institute in Uppsala, Sweden
Commemorative Stamps Celebrate Pope's UK Visit And Newman Beatification [Catholic Caucus]
Why John Henry Newman converted to Catholicism
[CATHOLIC/ANGLICAN CAUCUS] Sun newspaper falsely alleges Cardinal Newman was a homosexual
Sorry, Professor Milbank, Newman was no ecumenist [Cardinal John Henry Newman]
Newman calls us to leave behind stale arguments
Newman & Preaching in the Byzantine Tradition
Pope's beatification of Cardinal Newman 'to take place at disused Longbridge plant'

Fighting For The Real Cardinal Newman
Saint Philip Neri: A Humble Priest {Sermon Excerpt from Ven. John Henry Newman [Catholic Caucus]
Pope Benedict "sanitising Newman"?
Newman's Biographer on His Subject's Orthodoxy and Sexuality
Why Cardinal Newman is No Saint
Pope to visit Queen, beatify Cardinal Newman during England visit
(Cardinal) Newman on Rites and Ceremonies
Deacon Cured Through Intervention of Cardinal Newman Preaches at Westminster Cathedral
John Henry Newman on "What Is a Gentleman?"
With His Daring Scheme for Anglicans, Benedict XVI Fulfills the Hopes of Cardinal Newman

Deacon discusses miracle healings in beatification cause of John Henry Newman [Catholic Caucus]
Pope Benedict Clears Way For Cardinal John Newman To Become First English Saint In 40 Years
Pope Benedict clears way for Cardinal John Newman to become first English saint in 40 years
Newman Beatification Expected
Biographer challenges Newman revisionists
Cardinal John Newman poised for beatification after ruling
Mystery of cardinal's missing bones Cardinal John Henry Newman Faithfully Celibate
No body (found) in exhumed (Cardinal John Henry) Newman's grave
Cardinal Newman Exhumation Fails to Produce Body
Mainstream Media Slammed for Libelling John Henry Newman as Homosexual

Catholic Officials Seek Permission to Exhume Cardinal Newman's Body
John Henry Cardinal Newman to be beatified
Happy Birthday Cardinal Newman, part 2
Happy Birthday Cardinal Newman, part 1
Newman on Conversion
Cardinal Newman 'to become saint very soon'
Cardinal Newman: sainted after US 'miracle'
Searching For Authority (A Minister, finds himself surprised by Truth!) - from Cardinal Newman's writings
The Belief of Catholics concerning the Blessed Virgin: the Second Eve [Newman Reader]
Beatification soon for Cardinal Newman?

[Salvation]

Information: St. Denis

Feast Day: October 9

Born: Third century, Italy

Died: 258 at Montmarte

Major Shrine: Abbey of Saint-Denis, Saint Denis Basilica

Patron of: France; Paris; against frenzy; against strife; headaches; hydrophobia; possessed people; rabies

[Salvation]

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Denis and Companions

Feast Day: October 9
Born: (around 190) :: Died: 258

St. Denis (also know as Dionysius) was born in Italy but is very popular in France. In fact, he is considered the patron saint of France. Because he lived at the beginning of Christian history-during the third century - we don't know as much about him as we would like to.

He came to France and became the bishop of Paris. Then the Emperor Valerian began to harass and trouble the Christians in 258. One day St. Denis was preaching the Good News of Jesus when he and two companions were martyred. His companions were a priest named Rusticus and a deacon named Eleutherius.

The Christian community cherished the memory of these brave martyrs. At first, they were only able to build a little chapel to mark the sight of their death. Later the chapel became the great church of St. Denis.

St. Denis and his companions remind us of the brave men, women and children who have gone before us. They give us the example of their lives and also remind us that they will help us now if we ask them.

The courage of these martyrs sprang from living each day in faithfulness to the spirit of the Gospel.

[Salvation]

Catholic Almanac

Wednesday, October 9

Liturgical Color: Green

Today is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary
Time. The Church honors St. Denis,
bishop and martyr. He became the first
bishop of Paris, converting many to the
Church. This angered local officials and
led to his beheading in 250 A.D.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

 

Daily Readings for: October 09, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, who sent Saint Denis and his companions to preach your glory to the nations and strengthened them for their mission with the virtue of constancy in suffering, grant, we pray, that we may imitate them in disdaining prosperity in this world and in being undaunted by any trial. 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.

---

O God, giver of all good things, who through the Priest Saint John Leonardi caused the Gospel to be announced to the nations, grant, through his intercession, that the true faith may always and everywhere proper. 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    Initial Cookies

o    Linzer Torte

o    Sacher Torte

o    Saint Denis Tartlets

ACTIVITIES

o    Fourteen Holy Helpers

PRAYERS

o    Litany of the Fourteen Holy Helpers

LIBRARY

o    Faith and Private Judgment | John Henry Newman

o    John Leonardi: Ecclesial Renewal and Fidelity to Christ | Pope Benedict XVI

o    Newman and the Drama of True and False Conscience | Cardinal George Pell

o    Newman Belongs to the Great Teachers of the Church | Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger

o    Newman Refutes Contemporary Liberal Theologians | Fr. Edward J. Berbusse S.J.

o    Newman: Laity, Priesthood, And Holiness | Fr. C. John McCloskey III

o    Newman's Spiritual Legacy to the Catholic Priest | William R. Lamm S. M.

o    The Meaning of National Apostasy: a Note on Newman’s Apologia | John R. Griffin

o    The Mystery of Newman | John F. Crosby

o    The Newman of New England | James Likoudis

Ordinary Time: October 9th

Optional Memorial of St. Denis, bishop and martyr and companions, martyrs; St. John Leonardi, priest; Bl. John Henry Newman (Eng/Wales)

 

Old Calendar: St. John Leonardi, confessor; Saints Denis, Rusticus and Eleutherius, martys

St. John Leonardi (1543-1609), a zealous Italian apostle, founded the congregation of the Mother of God, whose priest-members traveled throughout Tuscany urging the people to a stronger interest in their religion. Fr. John Leonardi longed to convert pagans, but his spiritual director, St. Philip Neri, told him to remain in Italy. So instead he founded a seminary in Rome to train young men for the priesthood from all the mission lands.

St. Denis, a third-century apostle of Gaul, and now one of the "Fourteen Holy Helpers" became first bishop of Paris. He suffered martyrdom there, together with his priest Rusticus and his deacon Eleutherius.

These feasts are celebrated today both in the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

Pope Benedict XVI beatified Bl. John Henry Newman on September 19, 2010, at Crofton Park (near Birmingham). The pope noted Newman's emphasis on the vital place of revealed religion in civilized society but also praised his pastoral zeal for the sick, the poor, the bereaved and those in prison. This feast is celebrated today in England and Wales.

---

Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman

John Henry Newman, one of the great Christian intellectuals of the nineteenth century, was born in London in 1801. His spiritual quest having begun in adolescence, he later went on to study theology at Oxford University. Subsequently he became an Anglican pastor, a fellow of Oriel College, and leader of the Oxford Movement which studied the Catholic roots of the faith in England. In 1842, while writing his "Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine", he began to mature his conversion to Catholicism. He was admitted into the Catholic Church in 1845 and ordained a Catholic priest in Rome on 1 June 1847. Following his ordination, and with the encouragement of Pope Pius IX, he founded the first Oratory of St. Philip Neri in England. In 1852 he was appointed rector of the Catholic University of Dublin, Ireland, a post he held until 1854. Pope Leo XIII made him a cardinal in 1879 and he died in 1890 at the Oratory of Edgbaston. The process for his beatification began in 1958. Newman's miraculous intercession in the cure of dean Jack Sullivan, who suffered a serious complaint of the spinal column, was officially recognised and approved by Benedict XVI in July 2009.

Things to Do:

• Read more about Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman here.

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St. John Leonardi

St. John Leonardi was born in Tuscany, Italy in 1541, during the time of upheaval in the Church due to Martin Luther. He studied to be a pharmacist, then became a priest. As a young priest he devoted himself to teaching catechism to youths. In 1574, he founded the Order of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of Lucca, a congregation of diocesan priests. He suffered many tribulations for this work, including exile. His contemporary, St. Philip Neri, was a great friend and spiritual guide, and helped him particularly in his time of exile.

Gradually his influence as a champion of the Catholic faith...became known throughout Italy. He later founded in Rome what became the Institute De Propaganda Fide (Society for the Propagation of the Faith) and the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine for the promotion of the Catholic Faith and the formation of missionaries. St. John Leonardi died at Rome, in 1609, the victim of his devoted care for the sick and plague-stricken.

Symbols: book (to symbolize rules of Congregation he founded); the coat of arms of the order is azure (blue), Our Lady Assumed into Heaven; and its badge and seal the monogram of the Mother of God in Greek characters.

Things to Do:

• St. John promoted the teaching of the Catholic faith. We should study our faith, perhaps by reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church a little each day.
• Try to understand more deeply the historical context during St. John's life — he was fighting the effects of the ...of the Church. Could we refute the teachings of ...?

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St. Denis

St. Denis was born in Italy. In 250 he was sent to France with six other missionary bishops by Pope Fabian. Denis became the first bishop of Paris. He was beheaded in 258 with the priest Rusticus and the deacon Eleutherius at Catulliacum, now Saint-Denis. One of the many legends about his torture and death was that his body carried his severed head some distance from his execution site. St. Denis is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers who were invoked particularly in the Middle Ages against the Black Plague. See August 8 for more information.

Patron: against frenzy; against strife; headaches; against diabolical possession; France; Paris, France.

Symbols: beheaded bishop carrying his head — sometimes a vine growing over his neck; mitered head in his hand or on book; white chasuble; tree or stake; sword; Our Lord with chalice and host.

Things to Do:

• Learn more about the Fourteen Holy Helpers and their historical context.
• Bake a French (or Parisian) pastry. Cooking with the Saints by Ernst Schuegraf has 3 recipes for St. Denis — St. Denis Turnovers, Saint Denis Tartlets and Brioche Saint-Denis (Praline Cake).
• Read in The Golden Legend for some of the legends or stories about St. Denis.

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 11:1-4

Saint Denis, Bishop, and Companions, Martyrs

Lord, teach us to pray. (Luke 11:1)

If you do a Google search for “how to pray,” you’ll get 180,000,000 results … and counting. By the time you read this, the number will have gone up.

If you ask publishers of religious material what readers always want more of, they’ll say something like this: “Something that teaches the basics of prayer.” And so, the volume of books, articles, apps, and e-books on prayer swells every year.

So many choices! So many teachers and approaches! It can leave you feeling that prayer is something very difficult and complex. But today’s Gospel reading says otherwise. It reminds us that although prayer is a very deep subject indeed, you don’t need an advanced degree or a cohort of experts to help you grow in your relationship with God.

The disciples came to Jesus with the very request people are making today: “Teach us to pray.” Jesus gave them the Our Father—a simple model of what the content and spirit of their prayer should be. In fact, Luke’s version, which is short and spare compared to Matthew’s, accents simplicity. It consists of five requests that range from the cosmic to the personal. In the first two, Jesus expands our vision and invites us to share in God’s desire that his plan of salvation be fulfilled (Luke 11:2). The last three petitions are for material and spiritual helps we each need for our earthly journey (11:3-4).

And the spirit of this prayer that Jesus teaches? It’s simple too, and summed up in its first word: “Father.” By inviting us to address God this way, Jesus assures us that we can trust in our status as beloved children of a Father who cares for us and always hears us. In a homily this June, Pope Francis remarked, “Father—this is the key to prayer.” He went on to say that prayer is nothing but “entrusting ourselves to the Father’s embrace.”

So today, listen to Jesus, the great Teacher of prayer, and let his Father embrace you. Receive his love. Reflect on the Our Father’s simple phrases as you go about your day. Let them sink into your heart, shape your prayer, and form your life.

It’s all so simple. So profoundly simple.

“Jesus, teach me to pray. Help me to follow you in a spirit of simplicity and trust.”

Jonah 4:1-11; Psalm 86:3-6, 9-10

[Salvation]

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

Daily Marriage Tip for October 9, 2013:

Does one of you desire more creature comforts than the other? Be flexible. Can you accept what you have, whether a lot or a little?

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Prayer Has an Important Place in Our Continuing Conversion

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Wednesday of the Twenty-Seventh Week of Ordinary Time

Father James Swanson, LC

 

Luke 11:1-4

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test."

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the master of the universe, and yet you wish to listen to me and guide me. You know all things past, present and future, and yet you respect my freedom to choose you. Holy Trinity, you are completely happy and fulfilled on your own, and yet you have generously brought us into existence. You are our fulfillment. Thank you for the gift of yourself. I offer the littleness of myself in return, knowing you are pleased with what I have to give.

Petition: Lord, teach me through the “Our Father” to pray more deeply.

1. Traditional Prayers Teach Us the Correct Attitudes to Have towards God: What better prayer could we devise than a prayer using the very words Jesus taught us here? Yet the “Our Father” is a traditional prayer, a prayer with set words, prone to be recited merely by rote. But in fact, traditional prayers are an invitation to meditate, set up in a way that appeals to beginners. In the “Our Father”, as in all traditional prayers, we repeat phrases that express the essence of a correct relationship with God. Whether we already hold these attitudes in our heart or not, the beauty of traditional prayers is not what we say, but how we say it. If we pray these words, trying to make them our own, conforming our heart to the attitudes they express, then little by little we will form a Christian heart, a heart that loves the way it should.

2. Traditional Prayers Can Change My Heart and Draw It to God: When I first turned to the Lord, I had a lot to work on. Most people do. I didn’t love the way I should have. I was flawed in many other ways. One of the things that helped me was the “Our Father” as well as other traditional prayers. When we first come to the Lord, we don’t know how Christians should think, what attitudes a Christian should hold. When we pray the “Our Father” from the heart, it helps our heart to change, to become more Christ-like. It takes only a moment to pray an “Our Father”, but from time to time, we should meditate on the words. Say each phrase and repeat it, not moving on to the next phrase until we feel that we have really gotten to the bottom of what it is saying.

3 Traditional Prayers Fight Off the Attitudes of the World: Our conversion to Christ is a change of attitudes from those of the world to those of a Christian. Every day, the world proposes its attitudes as something good that should be lived. But often what the world proposes as good is actually harmful to us. How do we resist? By constantly repeating to myself and meditating on Christian attitudes. This is what can happen in using traditional prayers. It is a way of helping our heart understand and embrace the Christianity we profess. The Christian who disdains traditional prayers is rejecting a powerful tool of conversion.

Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, too often I rattle off my prayers without thinking about the attitudes they contain. I want to get the full benefit of all the prayers I say every day. I want to pray these prayers more often, especially the “Our Father,” since it is the prayer that you, yourself, taught me.

Resolution: Today I will pray my traditional prayers with special attention and with the conviction that they will instruct me and change me in a way that leads me closer to God.

[Salvation]

Forgive As He Forgives

by Food For Thought on October 9, 2013

 

13

The first reading is the conclusion of the book of the prophet Jonah. Jonah is sent by God to Nineveh to call the sinful Ninevites to conversion. He goes reluctantly, and lo and behold, they convert and repent of their wickedness, so God does not inflict the disaster he has threatened to do. But the prophet becomes indignant and protests against God’s merciful and forgiving ways.

How ironic this situation is, yet we are sometimes like Jonah. When somebody we dislike or despise starts to reform his life and ends up doing good, sometimes we do not rejoice at this turn of events. We are so lacking in kindness, especially to people whom we do not like. We would prefer that God punish the sinner rather than forgive him. But God is our complete opposite. He is always ready to forgive sinful men when they turn back to Him. His desire is to save all men, and His mercy and compassion are always available to everyone.

Let us pray to be kind and merciful as God wants us to be, so that when the time comes to ask forgiveness for our own sins, He will readily give it to us.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 29, Issue 6

<< Wednesday, October 9, 2013 >>

St. Denis & Companions St. John Leonardi

Jonah 4:1-11
View Readings

Psalm 86:3-6, 9-10

Luke 11:1-4
Similar Reflections

COUCH POTATOES AND REALITY TV

"Jonah then left the city...to see what would happen to the city." —Jonah 4:5

Jonah wanted to see Nineveh go down in flames. Moreover, he wanted to see it in comfort. He prefigures the modern TV-watcher who gets upset when the remote stops working, or the air conditioner breaks down, or the TV reception breaks up. All the while he looks forward to watching people suffer. When Jesus says to "be on the watch" (Lk 21:36), He doesn't mean to watch TV or watch others suffer. He wants us to watch out for our soul and for His guidance.

Jesus taught us to pray: "Do not subject us to the final test" (see Lk 11:4 in the Greek). Jonah wanted to see Nineveh "fail the final test," and he wanted to watch in comfort. You can almost hear Jonah munching on his chips like a "couch potato" watching a "reality TV" show. When the Ninevites repented and Jonah's "reality TV" show didn't end as he wanted, heaven rejoiced (Lk 15:7, 10) but he fumed (see Jon 4:1, 9).

Many of us have a Jonah lurking inside us. We sit back and watch the TV, wanting to watch some people be punished, fail, or lose — and we want to see it all in comfort. If the program doesn't turn out as we wish, we get upset. God twice asked Jonah: "Have you reason to be angry?" (Jon 4:4, 9) Is the Lord asking us the same question?

Jesus calls us to rise up from the couch, stop being a spectator, and serve God. Change reality. Repent!

Prayer: "Father, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins" (Lk 11:2-4).

Promise: "You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in kindness to all who call upon You." —Ps 86:5

Praise: St. Denis obediently evangelized the Franks. In return, they beheaded him. He laid down his life for them (Jn 15:13).

[Salvation]