Posted on 01/10/2014 11:03:38 PM PST by Salvation
January 11, 2014
Reading 1 1 Jn 5:14-21
Beloved:
We have this confidence in him
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask,
we know that what we have asked him for is ours.
If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly,
he should pray to God and he will give him life.
This is only for those whose sin is not deadly.
There is such a thing as deadly sin,
about which I do not say that you should pray.
All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.
We know that anyone begotten by God does not sin;
but the one begotten by God he protects,
and the Evil One cannot touch him.
We know that we belong to God,
and the whole world is under the power of the Evil One.
We also know that the Son of God has come
and has given us discernment to know the one who is true.
And we are in the one who is true,
in his Son Jesus Christ.
He is the true God and eternal life.
Children, be on your guard against idols.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b
R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel Jn 3:22-30
Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea,
where he spent some time with them baptizing.
John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim,
because there was an abundance of water there,
and people came to be baptized,
for John had not yet been imprisoned.
Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew
about ceremonial washings.
So they came to John and said to him,
“Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan,
to whom you testified,
here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.”
John answered and said,
“No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven.
You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ,
but that I was sent before him.
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom;
the best man, who stands and listens for him,
rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice.
So this joy of mine has been made complete.
He must increase; I must decrease.”
Please FReepmail me to get on/off the Alleluia Ping List.
From: 1 John 5:14-21
Prayer for Sinners
The Christian’s Confidence as a Child of God
[19] We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the evil
one.
[20] And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding,
to know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ.
This is the true God and eternal life. [21] Little children, keep yourselves from
idols.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
13-21. St John’s words in v. 13 are evocative of the first epilogue to his Gospel,
where he explains why he wrote that book: “that you may believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name” (Jn
20:31). In this verse of the letter, the Apostle stresses the efficacy of faith, which
is already an anticipation of eternal life (cf. notes on 1 Jn 3:2; 5:9-12).
His final counsels are designed to strengthen our confidence in prayer and to
urge the need for prayer on behalf of sinners (vv. 14-17); they also stress the con-
viction and confidence that faith in the Son of God gives the believer (vv. 18-21).
14-15. Earlier, the Apostle referred to confidence in prayer and to how we can be
sure of receiving what we pray for: that confidence comes from the fact that “we
keep his commandments and do what pleases him” (1 Jn 3:22). Now he stres-
ses that God always listens to us, if we ask “according to his will”. This condi-
tion can be taken in two ways, as St Bede briefly explains: “Insofar as we ask
for the things he desires, and insofar as those of us who approach him are as he
desires us to be” (”In I Epist. S. Ioannis, ad loc.”). The asker therefore needs to
strive to live in accordance with God’s will, and to identify himself in advance with
God’s plans. If one does not try to live in keeping with God’s commandments,
one cannot expect him to listen to one’s prayers.
When prayer meets those requirements, “we know that we have obtained the re-
quests made of him”, as our Lord himself assured us: “if you ask anything in my
name, I will do it” (Jn 14:14). “It is not surprising, then,” the Cure of Ars teaches,
“that the devil should do everything possible to influence us to give up prayer or
to pray badly, because he knows better than we do how terrible it is for hell and
how impossible it is that God should refuse us what we ask him for in prayer.
How many sinners would get out of sin if they managed to have recourse to pra-
yer!” (”Selected Sermons”, Fifth Sunday after Easter).
16-17. “Mortal sin”: the meaning of the original text is “sin which leads to death”.
The gravity of this sin (St John does not specify its exact nature) recalls the gra-
vity of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (cf. Mt 12:31-32) and of the sin of apo-
stasy which Hebrews speaks of (Heb 6:4-8).
The Fathers have interpreted this expression in various ways, referring to different
grave sins. In the context of the letter (in the previous chapters St John often
speaks about the antichrists and false prophets who “went out” from the commu-
nity: 2:19) the best interpretation seems to be that of St Bede and St Augustine,
who apply it to the sin of the apostate who, in addition, attacks the faith of other
Christians. “My view is”, St Augustine says, “that the sin unto death is the sin
of the brother who, after knowing God by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, at-
tacks brotherly union and in a passion of envy reacts against that very grace by
which he was reconciled to God” (”De Sermo Dom. in monte”, l, 22, 73).
If St John does not expressly command his readers to pray for these sinners,
it does not mean that they are beyond recovery, or that it is useless to pray for
them. Pope St Gelasius I teaches: “There is a sin of death for those who persist
in that same sin; there is a sin not of death for those who desist from sin. There
is, certainly, no sin for the pardon of which the Church does not pray or from
which, by the power which was divinely granted to it, it cannot absolve those
who desist from it” (”Ne forte”).
Referring to this passage of St John, Pope John Paul II says: “Obviously, the
concept of death here is a spiritual death. It is a question of the loss of the true
life or ‘eternal life’, which for John is knowledge of the Father and the Son (cf. Jn
17:3), and communion and intimacy with them. In that passage the sill that leads
to death seems to be the denial of the Son (cf. 1 Jn 2:22), or the worship of false
gods (cf. 1 Jn 5:21). At any rate, by this distinction of concepts John seems to
wish to emphasize the incalculable seriousness of what constitutes the very es-
sence of sin, namely the rejection of God. This is manifested above all in aposta-
sy and idolatry: repudiating faith in revealed truth and, making certain created re-
alities equal to God, raising them to the status of idols”; and false gods (cf. 1 Jn
5:16-21).”
And after referring to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (cf. Mt 12:31-32) he adds:
“Here of course it is a question of extreme and radical manifestations — rejection
of God, rejection of his grace, and therefore opposition to the very source of salva-
tion (cf. St Thomas, “Summa Theologiae”, II-II, q. 14, a. 1-3) — these are manifes-
tations whereby a person seems to exclude himself voluntarily from the path of
forgiveness. It is to be hoped that very few persist to the end in this attitude of re-
bellion or even defiance of God. Moreover, God in his merciful love is greater than
our hearts, as St John further teaches us (cf. 1 Jn 3:20), and can overcome all
our psychological and spiritual resistance. So that, as St Thomas writes, ‘consi-
dering the omnipotence and mercy of God, no one should despair of the salvation
of anyone in this life’ (”Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 14, a. 3, ad 1)” (”Reconciliatio
et Paenitentia”, 17).
18-20. “We know”: each of these verses begins this way. He does not mean theo-
retical knowledge but that understanding that comes from living faith. St John is
once again stressing the Christian’s joyful confidence, which he has expounding
throughout the letter (cf. 2:3-6 and note). This confidence is grounded on three ba-
sic truths: 1) he who is born of God does not sin (cf. 1 Jn 3:6-9 and note); 2) “we
are of God”, and therefore we are particularly free of the world, which is still in the
power of the evil one (cf. 4:4; 5:12); 3) the Son of God has become man (cf. 4:2;
5:1). The incarnation of the Word is the central truth which sheds light on the two
previous ones, because our supernatural insight is the effect of the Incarnation (v.
20): Jesus Christ, true God and true man, is also eternal life, for only in him can
we attain that life.
18. “In this Johannine affirmation”, Pope John Paul II teaches, “there is an indica-
tion of hope, based on the divine promises: the Christian has received the guaran-
tee and the necessary strength not to sin. It is not a question therefore of a sin-
lessness acquired through one’s own virtue or even inherent in man, as the Gnos-
tics thought. It is a result of God’s action. In order not to sin the Christian has
knowledge of God, as St John reminds us in this same passage. But a little ear-
lier he had written: ‘No one born of God commits sin; for God’s seed [RSV: “na-
ture”] abides in him’ (1 Jn 3:9). If by ‘God’s seed’ we understand, as some com-
mentators suggest, Jesus the Son of God, then we can say that in order not to
sin, or in order to gain freedom from sin, the Christian has within himself the pre-
sence of Christ and the mystery of Christ, which is the mystery of God’s loving
kindness” (”Reconciliatio et Paentientia”, 20).
19. “The whole world is in the power of the evil one”: although the Greek term
may be neuter and would allow a more abstract translation (”in the power of evil”),
it is more consistent with the context to take it in a personal sense. St John is
pointing up the contrast between Christ’s followers and those of the evil one:
whereas the world (in the pejorative sense) is like a slave in the power of the devil,
true Christians are in Christ, as free people, with a share in Christ’s own life. “We
have been born of God through grace and have been reborn in Baptism through
faith. On the other hand, those who love the world are in the power of the enemy,
be it because they have not yet been liberated from him by the waters of regene-
ration or because, after their rebirth, they have once more submitted to his rule
through sinning” (”In I Epist. S. Ioannis, ad loc.”).
20. “Him who is true”: that is, the only true God as distinct from false gods; the
Jews used to refer to God as “the True”, without naming him. When St John
goes on to say that “we are in him, who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ”, he is
confessing the divinity of Christ and the fact that he is the only mediator between
the Father and mankind.
21. Although at first sight, this formal exhortation may seem surprising, it was
appropriate in its time, because these first Christians were living in the midst of
a pagan world, and were exposed to the danger of idolatry.
However, St John may be speaking metaphorically: the true danger facing Chris-
tians, then and now, is that of following the idols of the heart — that is, sin; in
which case he is giving this final counsel: Keep away from sin, be on guard a-
gainst those whose fallacious arguments could lead you to sin.
*********************************************************************************************
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.
From: John 3:22-30
John Again Bears Witness
[25] Now a discussion arose between John’s disciples and a Jew over purifying.
[26] And they came to John, and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you be-
yond the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, here he is, baptizing, and all are
going to him.” [27] John answered, “No one can receive anything except what
is given him from heaven. [28] You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am
not the Christ, but I have been sent before him. [29] He who has the bride is the
bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices
greatly at the bridegroom’s voice; therefore this joy of mine is now full. [30] He
must increase, but I must decrease.”
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
22-24. A little later on (Jn 4:2) the evangelist makes it clear that it was not Jesus
himself who baptized, but his disciples. Our Lord probably wanted them from the
very beginning to get practice in exhorting people to conversion. The rite referred
to here was not yet Christian Baptism — which only began after the resurrection
of Christ (cf. Jn 7:39; 16:7; Mt 28: 19) — but “both baptisms, that of St John the
Baptist and that of our Lord’s disciples [...], had a single purpose-to bring the
baptized to Christ [...] and prepare the way for future faith” (St John Chrysostom,
“Hom. on St John”, 29, 1).
The Gospel gives the exact time and place of this episode. Aenon is an Aramaic
word meaning “wells”. Salim was situated to the north-east of Samaria, south of
the town of Scythopolis or Beisan, near the western bank of the Jordan, about
twenty kilometers (thirteen miles) to the south of the Lake of Gennesaret.
The Gospel notes that “John had not yet been put in prison” (v. 24), thus rounding
out the information given by the Synoptics (Mt 4:12; Mk 1:14). We know, therefore,
that Jesus’ public ministry began when John the Baptist’s mission was still going
on, and, particularly, that there was no competition of any kind between them; on
the contrary, the Baptist, who was preparing the way of the Lord, had the joy of
actually seeing his own disciples follow Jesus (cf. Jn 1:37).
27-29. John the Baptist is speaking in a symbolic way here, after the style of the
prophets; our Lord himself does the same thing. The bridegroom is Jesus Christ.
From other passages in the New Testament we know that the Church is descri-
bed as the Bride (cf. Eph 5:24-32; Rev 19:7-9). This symbol of the wedding ex-
presses the way Christ unites the Church to himself, and the way the Church is
hallowed and shaped in God’s own life. The Baptist rejoices to see that the Mes-
siah has already begun his public ministry, and he recognizes the infinite dis-
tance between his position and that of Christ: his joy is full because he sees
Jesus calling people and them following him.
“The friend of the bridegroom”, according to Jewish custom, refers to the man
who used to accompany the bridegroom at the start of the wedding and play a
formal part in the wedding celebration — the best man. Obviously, as the Baptist
says, there is a great difference between him and the bridegroom, who occupies
the center of the stage.
30. The Baptist knew his mission was one of preparing the way of the Lord; he
was to fade into the background once the Messiah arrived, which he did faithfully
and humbly. In the same way, a Christian, when engaged in apostolate, should
try to keep out of the limelight and allow Christ to seek men out; he should be
always emptying himself, to allow Christ fill his life. “It is necessary for Christ to
grow in you, for you to progress in your knowledge and love of him: for, the more
you know him and love him, the more he grows in you. [...] Therefore, people who
advance in this way need to have less self-esteem, because the more a person
discovers God’s greatness the less importance he gives to his own human condi-
tion” (St Thomas Aquinas, “Commentary on St John, in loc.”).
*********************************************************************************************
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.
First reading |
1 John 5:5-13 © |
Who can overcome the world?
Only the man who believes that Jesus is the Son of God:
Jesus Christ who came by water and blood,
not with water only,
but with water and blood;
with the Spirit as another witness –
since the Spirit is the truth –
so that there are three witnesses,
the Spirit, the water and the blood,
and all three of them agree.
We accept the testimony of human witnesses,
but God’s testimony is much greater,
and this is God’s testimony,
given as evidence for his Son.
Everybody who believes in the Son of God
has this testimony inside him;
and anyone who will not believe God
is making God out to be a liar,
because he has not trusted
the testimony God has given about his Son.
This is the testimony:
God has given us eternal life
and this life is in his Son;
anyone who has the Son has life,
anyone who does not have the Son does not have life.
I have written all this to you
so that you who believe in the name of the Son of God
may be sure that you have eternal life.
Psalm |
Psalm 147:12-15,19-20 © |
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
or
Alleluia!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Zion, praise your God!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates
he has blessed the children within you.
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
or
Alleluia!
He established peace on your borders,
he feeds you with finest wheat.
He sends out his word to the earth
and swiftly runs his command.
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
or
Alleluia!
He makes his word known to Jacob,
to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations;
he has not taught them his decrees.
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation |
cf.1Tim3:16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Glory to you, O Christ,
proclaimed to the pagans;
glory to you, O Christ,
believed in by the world.
Alleluia!
Or |
cf.Mt4:23 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom
and cured all kinds of diseases among the people.
Alleluia!
Or |
Mt4:16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The people that lived in darkness
has seen a great light;
on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death
a light has dawned.
Alleluia!
Or |
Lk4:17 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives.
Alleluia!
Or |
Lk7:16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
A great prophet has appeared among us;
God has visited his people.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Luke 5:12-16 © |
Jesus was in one of the towns when a man appeared, covered with leprosy. Seeing Jesus he fell on his face and implored him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘if you want to, you can cure me.’ Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I want to! Be cured!’ And the leprosy left him at once. He ordered him to tell no one, ‘But go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering for your healing as Moses prescribed it, as evidence for them.’
His reputation continued to grow, and large crowds would gather to hear him and to have their sickness cured, but he would always go off to some place where he could be alone and pray.
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John | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
John 3 |
|||
22. | After these things Jesus and his disciples came into the land of Judea: and there he abode with them, and baptized. | Post hæc venit Jesus et discipuli ejus in terram Judæam : et illic demorabatur cum eis, et baptizabat. | μετα ταυτα ηλθεν ο ιησους και οι μαθηται αυτου εις την ιουδαιαν γην και εκει διετριβεν μετ αυτων και εβαπτιζεν |
23. | And John also was baptizing in Ennon near Salim; because there was much water there; and they came and were baptized. | Erat autem et Joannes baptizans, in Ænnon, juxta Salim : quia aquæ multæ erant illic, et veniebant et baptizabantur. | ην δε και ιωαννης βαπτιζων εν αινων εγγυς του σαλημ οτι υδατα πολλα ην εκει και παρεγινοντο και εβαπτιζοντο |
24. | For John was not yet cast into prison. | Nondum enim missus fuerat Joannes in carcerem. | ουπω γαρ ην βεβλημενος εις την φυλακην ο ιωαννης |
25. | And there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews concerning purification: | Facta est autem quæstio ex discipulis Joannis cum Judæis de purificatione. | εγενετο ουν ζητησις εκ των μαθητων ιωαννου μετα ιουδαιου περι καθαρισμου |
26. | And they came to John, and said to him: Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou gavest testimony, behold he baptizeth, and all men come to him. | Et venerunt ad Joannem, et dixerunt ei : Rabbi, qui erat tecum trans Jordanem, cui tu testimonium perhibuisti, ecce hic baptizat, et omnes veniunt ad eum. | και ηλθον προς τον ιωαννην και ειπον αυτω ραββι ος ην μετα σου περαν του ιορδανου ω συ μεμαρτυρηκας ιδε ουτος βαπτιζει και παντες ερχονται προς αυτον |
27. | John answered, and said: A man cannot receive any thing, unless it be given him from heaven. | Respondit Joannes, et dixit : Non potest homo accipere quidquam, nisi fuerit ei datum de cælo. | απεκριθη ιωαννης και ειπεν ου δυναται ανθρωπος λαμβανειν ουδεν εαν μη η δεδομενον αυτω εκ του ουρανου |
28. | You yourselves do bear me witness, that I said, I am not Christ, but that I am sent before him. | Ipsi vos mihi testimonium perhibetis, quod dixerim : Non sum ego Christus : sed quia missus sum ante illum. | αυτοι υμεις μαρτυρειτε οτι ειπον ουκ ειμι εγω ο χριστος αλλ οτι απεσταλμενος ειμι εμπροσθεν εκεινου |
29. | He that hath the bride, is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth with joy because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled. | Qui habet sponsam, sponsus est : amicus autem sponsi, qui stat, et audit eum, gaudio gaudet propter vocem sponsi. Hoc ergo gaudium meum impletum est. | ο εχων την νυμφην νυμφιος εστιν ο δε φιλος του νυμφιου ο εστηκως και ακουων αυτου χαρα χαιρει δια την φωνην του νυμφιου αυτη ουν η χαρα η εμη πεπληρωται |
30. | He must increase, but I must decrease. | Illum oportet crescere, me autem minui. | εκεινον δει αυξανειν εμε δε ελαττουσθαι |
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.
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.
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
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From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:
"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"
PLEASE JOIN US -
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Luke 2:21 "...Et vocatum est Nomen eius IESUS"
("And His Name was called JESUS")
Psalm 90:14 "Because he hoped in me I will deliver him:
I will protect him because he hath known My Name."
Zacharias 10:12 "I will strengthen them in the Lord,
and they shall walk in His Name, saith the Lord."
Apocalypse 3:8 "I know thy works. Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut: because thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied My Name."
Apocalypse 15:4 "Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and magnify Thy Name?..."
Blessed be the most holy Name of Jesus without end!
January Devotion: The Holy Name of Jesus
The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. This feast is also celebrated on January 3. Here is an explanation of the devotion.
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has associated entire months to special devotions. The devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus has been traditionally associated with the month of January, due to its celebration on January 3. The name Jesus was given to the Holy Child at God's command (Luke 1:31). The Holy Name is all-powerful because of the Person who bears it; we honor it because of the command of Christ, that we should pray in His Name and because it reminds us of all the blessings we receive through our Holy Redeemer. Hence St. Paul was able to write to the Philippians: ". . . at the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" (Phil. 2:10). By means of this devotion we also make amends for improper use of the Holy Name.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
Prayer/Hymn in Honor of the Most Holy Name of Jesus - Iesu, Dulcis Memoria
Iesu, Dulcis Memoria is a celebrated 12th century hymn attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), Doctor Mellifluus. The entire hymn has some 42 to 53 stanzas depending upon the manuscript. Parts of this hymn were used for the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, which was formerly celebrated on the Sunday between the Circumcision and Epiphany, or failing such a Sunday, on January 2. The part below was used at Vespers. In the liturgical revisions of Vatican II, the feast was deleted, though a votive Mass to the Holy Name of Jesus had been retained for devotional use. With the release of the revised Roman Missal in March 2002, the feast was restored as an optional memorial on January 3.
Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.
No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus' name,
The Savior of mankind.
O hope of every contrite heart!
0 joy of all the meek!
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!
But what to those who find? Ah! this
Nor tongue nor pen can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.
Jesus! our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shalt be;
In Thee be all our glory now,
And through eternity. Amen.
---Roman Breviary
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
O Divine Jesus, Thou hast promised that anything we ask of the Eternal Father in Thy name shall be granted.
O Eternal Father. In the name of Jesus, for the love of Jesus, in fulfillment of this promise, and because Jesus has said it, grant us our petitions for the sake of Jesus, Thy Divine Son. Amen.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Phil:2:10-11
The Most Holy Name
The Power of Jesus Name
What does IHS stand for? The meaning of the Holy Name of Jesus [Catholic Caucus]
Litany Of The Holy Name of Jesus
Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
Jesus, The Name above all Names
Devotion to the Holy Name (of Jesus) [Catholic Caucus]
Lessons In Iconography : The Chi Rho - Christ
St. Francis de Sales on the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Excerpt from a Sermon) (Catholic Caucus)
St. Francis de Sales on the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
St. Bernard on the Most Holy Name of Jesus [Ecumenical]
Saving the day in His Holy Name: St. Genevieve gets a reprieve [Catholic Caucus]
The Holy Name of Jesus
Holy Name of Jesus [San Bernadino of Siena] Ecumenical
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name [of Jesus]
The Name of Jesus: Its Power in Our Lives
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus
The Holy Name of Jesus
Pope's Intentions
Universal: That all may promote authentic economic development that respects the dignity of all peoples.
For Evangelization: That Christians of diverse denominations may walk toward the unity desired by Christ.
Saturday after Epiphany
Commentary of the day
Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407), priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church
Homilies on Saint Matthew's Gospel, no.25, 1-3
"Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, 'Be made clean.'"
Jesus did not just say: “I will do it. Be made clean.” He went further: “He stretched out his hand and touched him.” Now here is something worthy of our notice. Given that he cured him by an act of his will and with a word, why did he touch him with his hand? For no other reason, it seems to me, than to demonstrate that he is not inferior but superior to the Law and that, from now on, nothing is impure for those who are pure (cf. Lv 3)... Jesus' hand did not become impure at the leper's contact; to the contrary, the leper's body was purified by means of the holiness of the hand. For Christ did not just come to heal bodies but to raise up souls to sanctity, and here he teaches us to care for our soul and purify it without bothering ourselves about external ablutions. The only leprosy we need to be afraid of is leprosy of soul, that is to say, sin...
As for us, let us show thanksgiving to God at all times. Let us thank him, not only for the gifts he has given to us but, still more, for those he has granted to others. In this way we shall be able to destroy our envy and nurture and increase our love of neighbor.
Saturday, January 11, 2014 Weekday |
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