January 18, 2014

Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

There was a stalwart man from Benjamin named Kish,
who was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror,
son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite.
He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man.
There was no other child of Israel more handsome than Saul;
he stood head and shoulders above the people.

Now the asses of Saul’s father, Kish, had wandered off.
Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you
and go out and hunt for the asses.”
Accordingly they went through the hill country of Ephraim,
and through the land of Shalishah.
Not finding them there,
they continued through the land of Shaalim without success.
They also went through the land of Benjamin,
but they failed to find the animals.

When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD assured him,
“This is the man of whom I told you; he is to govern my people.”

Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said,
“Please tell me where the seer lives.”
Samuel answered Saul: “I am the seer.
Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today.
In the morning, before dismissing you,
I will tell you whatever you wish.”

Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head;
he also kissed him, saying:
“The LORD anoints you commander over his heritage.
You are to govern the LORD’s people Israel,
and to save them from the grasp of their enemies roundabout.

“This will be the sign for you
that the LORD has anointed you commander over his heritage.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (2a) Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
O LORD, in your strength the king is glad;
in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
You have granted him his heart’s desire;
you refused not the wish of his lips.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
For you welcomed him with goodly blessings,
you placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked life of you: you gave him
length of days forever and ever.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
Great is his glory in your victory;
majesty and splendor you conferred upon him.
For you made him a blessing forever;
you gladdened him with the joy of your face.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.

Gospel Mk 2:13-17

Jesus went out along the sea.
All the crowd came to him and he taught them.
As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,
sitting at the customs post.
Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed Jesus.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples;
for there were many who followed him.
Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners
and tax collectors and said to his disciples,
“Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus heard this and said to them,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

From: 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1

Saul Meets Samuel

[1] There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of
Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth; [2] and he
had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man
among the people of Israel more handsome than he; from his shoulders upward
he was taller than any of the people.

[3] Now the asses of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul, his son,
“Take one of the servants with you and arise, go and look for the asses. [4] And
they passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of
Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Sha-
alim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin,
but did not find them.

[17] When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, “Here is the man of whom I
spoke to you! He it is who shall rule over my people.” [18] Then Saul approached
Samuel in the gate, and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?” [19] Sa-
muel answered Saul, “I am the seer; go up before me to the high place for today
you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that
is on your mind.”

Saul is Anointed

[1] Then Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and
said, “Has not the LORD anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And
you shall reign over the people of the LORD and you will save them from the hand
of their enemies round about. And this shall be the sign to you that the LORD
has anointed you to be prince over his heritage.”

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

9:1-10:16 This section focuses on Saul, who will be the first king of Israel. The
writer makes it clear that God is the one who plans things, who selects Saul
and who sets him up over the people.

This account (which may have been made up by combining earlier, separate
traditions) forms a simple literary piece in which each episode stands on its own
and is neatly linked to the one that follows. The figure of Saul is the connecting
thread, but the Lord is the true protagonist. We can say that there are seven
scenes here, in seven settings: 1) Saul’s family is introduced; it belongs to the
tribe of Benjamin, based in the south of the country (9:1-2). 2) Saul and his ser-
vant, in search of lost asses, go north, where the “man of God” lives (9:3-10). It
is all so unplanned that the hand of God seems to be at work. 3) Saul and the
young maidens who have come out of the city to draw water (9:11-13): the
scene is evocative of episodes where Jacob (Gen 24:11ff) and Moses (Ex 2:16ff)
have casual meetings which change the course of their lives. 4) Saul and Samuel
meet for the first time in the city of Ramah (9:14-27). The sacrifice (v. 13), the sa-
crificial meal and the conversation between Saul and Samuel show the religious
nature of the event and the Lord’s initiative in raising Saul to the dignity of prince
(”naguid”) over the people (v. 16), but not yet that of king (”melek”). 5) Saul is a-
nointed at the outskirts of the city (9:27-10:9): this is the central scene in the ac-
count. In a private but solemn rite Samuel anoints Saul king and kisses him as
a mark of reverence. 6) The meeting between Saul and the pro- phets on the way
to Gibeah (10:10-12): this scene acts as a contrast with the previous one, for it
cuts down to size the figure of Saul (cf. 19:24) who so ridiculously sought to iden-
tify with these “prophets” who used to work themselves into trances by means
of music and gestures (cf. 10:5). 7) The conversation between Saul and his uncle
at Gibe-ah (10:14-16): Saul’s calling to be king is reasserted by the writer, but it
must be kept secret.

*********************************************************************************************
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: Mark 2:13-17

The Calling of Matthew

[13] He (Jesus) went out again beside the sea; and all the crowd gathered about
Him, and He taught them. [14] And as He passed on, He saw Levi the son of
Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me.” And he rose
and followed Him.

[15] And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were
sitting with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many who followed Him. [16]
And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that He was eating with sinners
and tax collectors, said to His disciples, “Why does He eat with tax collectors
and sinners?” [17] And when Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are
well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the
righteous, but sinners.”

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

14. St. Mark and St. Luke (5:27-32) both call him “Levi”; the First Gospel, on
the other hand, calls him “Matthew” (Matthew 9:9-13); but they are all referring
to the same person. All three accounts describe the same event. Later on, St
Mark and St Luke, when giving the list of Apostles (Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-
16), include Matthew, not Levi. The Fathers identify Matthew with Levi. Besides
it was quite common for Jews to have two names: Jacob-Israel, Simon-Peter,
Saul-Paul, Joseph-Caiaphas, John-Mark... Frequently, the name and surname
were connected with some significant change in the life and mission of the per-
son concerned. Did Jesus’ saving intervention in this Apostle’s life lead to a
change of name? The Gospel does not tell us.

Levi-Matthew, as a publican or tax collector (Matthew 9:9-13), was sitting at the
‘tax office’, a special place where one went to pay tribute. Publicans were tax
collectors appointed by the Romans. It was, therefore, an occupation hated and
despised by the people; but it was also a much-coveted position because it was
an easy way to become prosperous. Matthew leaves everything behind when
Jesus calls him. He immediately responds to his vocation, because Jesus gives
him the grace to accept his calling.

Jesus is the basis of our confidence in being able to change, provided we co-
operate with His grace, no matter how unworthy our previous conduct may have
been. And He is also the source of the confidence we need in order to be apos-
tolic—helping others to be converted and seek holiness of life. Because He is
the Son of God He is able to raise up children of God even from stones (cf.
Matthew 3:9). Cf. note on Matthew 9:9.

17. The scribes and Pharisees reproach the disciples, and Jesus replies with
a popular proverb: ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those
who are sick.’ He is the doctor of souls, come to cure sinners of their spiritual
ailments.

Our Lord calls everyone, His redemptive mission extends to everyone; He af-
firms this on other occasions, using parables such as that of the marriage feast
(Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 14:16-24). How, then, can we explain the restriction
He seems to place here by saying that He has not come to call the righteous?
It is not really a restriction. Jesus uses the opportunity to reproach the scribes
and Pharisees for their pride: they consider themselves just, and their reliance
on their apparent virtue prevents them from hearing the call to conversion; they
think they can be saved by their own efforts (cf. John 9:41). This explains the
proverb Jesus quotes; certainly His preaching makes it quite clear that ‘no one
is good but God alone’ (Mark 10:18) and that everyone must have recourse to
the mercy and forgiveness of God in order to be saved. In other words, man-
kind is not divided into two—the just and the unjust. We are all sinners, as St.
Paul confirms: ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23).
Precisely because of this, Christ came to call all of us; He justifies those who
respond to His call.

Our Lord’s words should also move us to pray humbly and confidently for peo-
ple who seem to want to continue living in sin. As St. Teresa beseeched God:
“Ah, how hard a thing am I asking of Thee, my true God! I ask Thee to love one
who loves Thee not, to open to one who has not called upon Thee, to give health
to one who prefers to be sick and who even goes about in search of sickness.
Thou sayest, my Lord, that Thou comest to seek sinners; these, Lord, are the
true sinners. Look not upon our blindness, my God, but upon all the blood that
was shed for us by Thy Son. Let Thy mercy shine out amid such tremendous
wickedness. Behold, Lord, we are the works of Thy hands” (”Exclamations of
the Soul to God”, n. 8).

The Fathers of the Church see this calling by Jesus as an invitation to repen-
tance and penance. St. John Chrysostom (”Hom. on St. Matthew”, 30:3), for
example, explains the phrase by putting these words in Jesus’ mouth: “I am
not come that they should continue sinners but that they should change and
become better.”

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

Readings at Mass

First reading

1 Samuel 9:1-4,17-19,10:1 ©

Among the men of Benjamin there was a man named Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah; a Benjaminite and a man of rank. He had a son named Saul, a handsome man in the prime of life. Of all the Israelites there was no one more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders taller than the rest of the people. Now some of the she-donkeys of Saul’s father Kish had strayed, so Kish said to Saul, ‘My son, take one of the servants with you and be off; go and look for the she-donkeys.’ They passed through the highlands of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but did not find them; they passed through the land of Shaalim, they were not there; they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.

When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, ‘That is the man of whom I told you; he shall rule my people.’ Saul accosted Samuel in the gateway and said, ‘Tell me, please, where the seer’s house is?’ Samuel replied to Saul, ‘I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place. You are to eat with me today. In the morning I shall take leave of you and tell you all that is in your heart.

Samuel took a phial of oil and poured it on Saul’s head; then he kissed him, saying, ‘Has not the Lord anointed you prince over his people Israel? You are the man who must rule the Lord’s people, and who must save them from the power of the enemies surrounding them.’

Psalm

Psalm 20:2-7 ©

O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king.

O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king;

how your saving help makes him glad!

You have granted him his heart’s desire;

you have not refused the prayer of his lips.

O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king.

You came to meet him with the blessings of success,

you have set on his head a crown of pure gold.

He asked you for life and this you have given,

days that will last from age to age.

O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king.

Your saving help has given him glory.

You have laid upon him majesty and splendour,

you have granted your blessings to him forever.

You have made him rejoice with the joy of your presence.

O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps118:36,29

Alleluia, alleluia!

Bend my heart to your will, O Lord,

and teach me your law.

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!

Gospel

Mark 2:13-17 ©

Jesus went out to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.

When Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’

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.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

Pray the Rosary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

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

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

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary

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

The 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 ]

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.

Feast of
the Holy Name of Jesus

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

Daily Gospel Commentary

Saturday of the First week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Vatican Council II
Dogmatic Constitution on revelation « Dei Verbum », § 1-2

"As he passed by, he saw Levi... He said to him, 'Follow me.' "

Hearing the word of God with reverence and proclaiming it with faith, the sacred synod takes its direction from these words of Saint John: "We announce to you the eternal life which dwelt with the Father and was made visible to us. What we have seen and heard we announce to you, so that you may have fellowship with us and our common fellowship be with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ" (1 Jn 1:2-3)...

In His goodness and wisdom God chose to reveal Himself and to make known to us the hidden purpose of His will (Eph 1,9) by which, through Christ, the Word made flesh, man might in the Holy Spirit have access to the Father and come to share in the divine nature (Eph 2,18; 2 Pt 1,4). Through this revelation, therefore, the invisible God (Col 1,15; 1 Tm. 1,17) out of the abundance of His love speaks to men as friends (Ex 33,11; Jn 15,14-15) and lives among them (Bar 3,38), so that He may invite and take them into fellowship with Himself.

This plan of revelation is realized by deeds and words having an inner unity: the deeds wrought by God in the history of salvation manifest and confirm the teaching and realities signified by the words, while the words proclaim the deeds and clarify the mystery contained in them. By this revelation then, the deepest truth about God and the salvation of man shines out for our sake in Christ, who is both the mediator and the fullness of all revelation.

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.

Interactive Saints for Kids

Blessed Christina

Feast Day: January 18
Born: 1481 :: Died: 1543

Matthia Ciccarelli was born at Luco in Abruzzi, Italy. She was the youngest of six children and her father was Domenico de Pericolo. As she grew up, Matthia felt the call to a life of prayer and penance.

She decided to become a cloistered nun. (Cloistered Nuns are nuns who live hidden from the world and spend all their time alone in silent prayer). Matthia entered the convent of St. Augustine in Aquila and took the name Sister Christina.

Sister Christina's life as a nun was hidden and silent but the people of Aquila began to find out about the beauty of her work and the life she had chosen. She and the other nuns were bringing many blessings to them through their fervent prayers.

Sister Christina was cloistered but she knew the needs of the poor people of her area. She and the nuns sent to them whatever they could. Sister Christina was also aware of the crosses and sufferings people experienced. She prayed and offered penances to the Lord for these people.

Jesus blessed Sister Christina with ecstasies. On the feast of Corpus Christi, Christina was seen to float above the ground, and the image of a Host in a golden chalice radiated from her breast.

A vision on Good Friday caused her to have invisible stigmata (the five wounds of Jesus) and the pains of Crucifixion until the next day.

She was also blessed with the gift of prophesy and had the ability on occasion to know the future. The Lord used her to work miracles for the good of others.

When she died on January 18, 1543, the little children of Aquila went through the streets shouting that the holy nun was dead. A large crowd of people came to honor and thank her for the gift she had been for their city.

Although we may not be able to see the results of our prayers, the life of this cloistered nun shows us how powerful prayer can be.

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