Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 02-28-14

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 02-28-14 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

February 28, 2014

Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

 

 

Reading 1 Jas 5:9-12

Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered.
You have heard of the perseverance of Job,
and you have seen the purpose of the Lord,
because the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

But above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear,
either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath,
but let your “Yes” mean “Yes” and your “No” mean “No,”
that you may not incur condemnation.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8-9, 11-12

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Gospel Mk 10:1-12

Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan.
Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom,
he again taught them.
The Pharisees approached him and asked,
“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?”
They replied,
“Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her.”
But Jesus told them,
“Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.”
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery.”

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From: James 5:9-12

A Call for Constancy (Continuation)

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[9] Do not grumble, brethren, against one another, that you may not be judged;
behold, the Judge is standing at the doors. [10] As an example of suffering and
patience, brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. [11]
Behold, we call those happy who were steadfast. You have heard of the stead-
fastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is
compassionate and merciful.

The Value of Prayer. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick

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[12] But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with
any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, that you may not fall
under condemnation.

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Commentary:

7-11. Just before he ends his letter, St James again (cf. 1:24, 12) exhorts his rea-
ders to be patient, perhaps in case some are tempted to avenge themselves on
the rich. He uses the simile of the farmer, who patiently waits for the earth to yield
the fruits of his work: in the same kind of way the oppressed will be rewarded for
all their afflictions when the Lord comes. St James encourages them also by re-
minding them of the patience and long-suffering of the prophets and of Job.

Christian hope, and the patience it induces, enables people to put up with injus-
tice in this present life; but it is not an easy way out of one’s responsibilities nor
an invitation to be passive. A Christian should strive to make this world a place
of justice and peace, but should realize it is a transient place, and not make
these temporal ideals an absolute goal. “God did not create us to build a lasting
city here on earth. [...] Nevertheless, we children of God ought not to remain
aloof from earthly endeavors, for God has placed us here to sanctify them and
make them fruitful with our blessed faith, which alone is capable of bringing true
peace and joy to all men wherever they may be [...]. We urgently need to chris-
tianize society. We must imbue all levels of mankind with a supernatural outlook,
and each of us must strive to raise his daily duties, his job or profession to the
order of supernatural grace. In this way all human occupations will be lit up by
a new hope that transcends time and the inherent transience of earthly realities”
(St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 210).

7-9. St James’ words show how vividly the early Christians realized that the Chris-
tian life should be a time for watchfulness and for looking forward to the Parousia
of the Lord, when our redemption will be finally sealed (cf. Lk 21:28). Jesus did
not choose to reveal the precise moment of his coming (cf. Mt. 24:36); he
stressed, rather, the need to be watchful, to make sure it found us ready (cf. Mt
24:42, 44; 25:13). Therefore, every Christian should live in the expectation of
that event which surely will come, though he knows not when. This is also what
the Apostle means when he says “the coming of the Lord is at hand” and “the
Judge is standing at the doors”, for he may come at any moment.

10-11. The lives of the prophets are a very good model of patience and endu-
rance in the adversity. Some of them in particular (Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah) under-
went great suffering on account of their obedience to God.

“You have seen the purpose of the Lord”: this is the interpretation of St Bede and
St Augustine, referring to the example of patience set by Jesus in his passion and
death on the cross. Most commentators prefer the other possible translation, “You
have seen the outcome the Lord gave him”, referring to Job, who bore patiently
the trials God sent to him (cf. Job 42:10ff), because, for one thing, it avoids ha-
ving to give the term “Lord”, which appears twice in the same verse (v. 11), two
different meanings—Jesus Christ and God one and three.

11. “The Lord is compassionate and merciful”: Sacred Scripture often describes
the Lord as a God of mercy, attributing to him human sentiments like “abounding
in steadfast love”, “bowels of mercy”, meaning that he has tender, even maternal,
feelings towards us (cf., e.g., Ex 34:6; Joel 2:13; Lk 1:78).

St Thomas Aquinas, who often says that divine omnipotence is displayed particu-
larly in the form of mercy (cf. “Summa Theologiae”, I, q. 21, a. 4; II-Il, q. 30, a. 4)
explains very simply and graphically that God’s mercy is abundant and infinite:
“To say that a person is merciful is like saying that he is sorrowful at heart (”mise-
rum cor”), that is, he is afflicted with sorrow by the misery of another as though it
were his own. Hence it follows that he endeavors to dispel the misery of the other
person as if it were his own; and this is the effect of mercy. God cannot feel sor-
row over the misery of others, but it does most properly belong to him to dispel
that misery, whatever form that shortcoming or deprivation takes” (”Summa Theo-
logiae”, I, q. 21, a. 3).

In Christ, Pope John Paul II teaches, the mercy of God is very clear to see: “’he
himself makes it incarnate’ and personifies it. ‘He himself, in a certain sense, is
mercy’. To the person who sees it in him — and finds it in him — God becomes
‘visible’ in a particular way as the Father ‘who is rich in mercy’ (Eph 2:4)” (”Dives
In Misercordia”, 2).

12. This exhortation is almost an exact echo of the words of the Lord: “Let what
you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, anything more than that comes from evil” (Mt 5:37).
The Jews of the time tended to take oaths far too readily and had developed an
elaborate casuistry about them (cf. note on Mt 5:33-37); our Lord criticized these
abuses, and St James repeats his teaching. However, that does not mean that
oath-taking is always wrong: in fact Sacred Scripture itself praises it when it is
done in the right way for good reasons (cf. Jer 4:2), and St Paul sometimes re-
sorts to it (cf., e.g., Rom 1:9; 2 Cor 1:23). Hence the Church teaches that it is law-
ful and even does honor to God to take an oath when it is strictly necessary and
provided one acts in accordance with truth and justice.

St James’ “let your yes be yes and your no be no” is in fact a summing up of the
virtue of sincerity, a virtue which is very pleasing to God (cf. Jn 1:4 and essential
in human relationships.

*********************************************************************************************
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: Mark 10:1-12

The Indissolubility of Marriage

---

[1] And He (Jesus) left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the
Jordan, and crowds gathered to Him again; and again, as His custom was, He
taught them.

[2] And Pharisees came up and in order to test Him asked, “Is it lawful for a man
to divorce his wife?” [3] He answered them, “What did Moses command you?”
[4] They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put
her away.” [5] But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart he wrote this
commandment. [6] But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male
and female.’; [7] ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be
joined to his wife, [8] and the two shall become one.’ So they are no longer two
but one. [9] What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.”

[10] And in the house the disciples asked Him about this matter. [11] And He
said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery
against her; [12] and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she
commits adultery.”

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

Commentary:

1-12. This kind of scene occurs often in the Gospel. The malice of the Phari-
sees contrasts with the simplicity of the crowd, who listen attentively to Jesus’
teaching. The Pharisees’ question aimed at tricking Jesus into going against the
Law of Moses. But Jesus Christ, Messiah and Son of God, has perfect under-
standing of that Law. Moses had permitted divorce because of the hardness of
that ancient people: women had an ignominious position in those primitive tribes
(they were regarded almost as animals or slaves); Moses, therefore, protected
women’s dignity against these abuses by devising the certificate of divorce; this
was a real social advance. It was a document by which the husband repudiated
his wife and she obtained freedom. Jesus restores to its original purity the digni-
ty of man and woman in marriage, as instituted by God at the beginning of crea-
tion. “A man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they
become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24): in this way God established from the very be-
ginning the unity and indissolubility of marriage. The Church’s Magisterium, the
only authorized interpreter of the Gospel and of the natural law, has constantly
guarded and defended this teaching and has proclaimed it solemnly in countless
documents (Council of Florence, “Pro Armeniis”; Council of Trent, “De Sacram.
Matr.”; Pius XI, “Casti Connubi”; Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 48; etc.).

Here is a good summary of this doctrine: “The indissolubility of marriage is not a
caprice of the Church nor is it merely a positive ecclesiastical law. It is a precept
of natural law, of divine law, and responds perfectly to our nature and to the super-
natural order of grace” (St. J. Escriva, “Conversations”, 97). Cf. note on
Matthew 5:31-32.

5-9. When a Christian realizes that this teaching applies to everyone at all times,
he should not be afraid of people reacting against it: “It is a fundamental duty of
the Church to reaffirm strongly [...] the doctrine of the indissolubility of marriage.
To all those who, in our times, consider it too difficult, or indeed impossible, to
be bound to one person for the whole of life, and to those caught up in a culture
that rejects the indissolubility of marriage and openly mocks the commitment of
spouses to fidelity, it is necessary to reaffirm the good news of the definitive na-
ture of that conjugal love that has in Christ its foundation and strength (cf. Ephe-
sians 5:25).

“Being rooted in the personal and total self-giving of the couple, and being re-
quired by the good of the children, the indissolubility of marriage finds its ultimate
truth in the plan that God has manifested in His revelation: He wills and He com-
municates the indissolubility of marriage as a fruit, a sign and a requirement of
the absolutely faithful love that God has for man and that the Lord Jesus has for
the Church.

“Christ renews the first plan that the Creator inscribed in the hearts of man and
woman, and in the celebration of the sacrament of matrimony offers ‘a new heart’:
thus the couples are not only able to overcome ‘hardness of heart’ (Matthew 19:
8), but also and above all they are able to share the full and definitive love of
Christ, the new and eternal Covenant made flesh. Just as the Lord Jesus is the
‘faithful witness’ (Revelation 3:14), the ‘yes’ of the promises of God (cf. 2 Corin-
thians 1:20) and thus the supreme realization of the unconditional faithfulness
with which God loves His people, so Christian couples are called to participate
truly in the irrevocable indissolubility that binds Christ to the Church, His bride,
loved by Him to the end (cf. John 13:1).

“To bear witness to the inestimable value of the indissolubility and fidelity of mar-
riage is one of the most precious and most urgent tasks of Christian couples in
our time” (John Paul II, “Familiaris Consortio”, 20).

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

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

[Salvation]

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

Readings at Mass

---

First reading

James 5:9-12 ©

Do not make complaints against one another, brothers, so as not to be brought to judgement yourselves; the Judge is already to be seen waiting at the gates. For your example, brothers, in submitting with patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord; remember it is those who had endurance that we say are the blessed ones. You have heard of the patience of Job, and understood the Lord’s purpose, realising that the Lord is kind and compassionate.

  Above all, my brothers, do not swear by heaven or by the earth, or use any oaths at all. If you mean ‘yes’, you must say ‘yes’; if you mean ‘no’, say ‘no.’ Otherwise you make yourselves liable to judgement.

---

Psalm

Psalm 102:1-4,8-9,11-12 ©

The Lord is compassion and love.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord

  all my being, bless his holy name.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord

  and never forget all his blessings.

The Lord is compassion and love.

It is he who forgives all your guilt,

  who heals every one of your ills,

who redeems your life from the grave,

  who crowns you with love and compassion.

The Lord is compassion and love.

The Lord is compassion and love,

  slow to anger and rich in mercy.

His wrath will come to an end;

  he will not be angry for ever.

The Lord is compassion and love.

For as the heavens are high above the earth

  so strong is his love for those who fear him.

As far as the east is from the west

  so far does he remove our sins.

The Lord is compassion and love.

---

Gospel Acclamation

Ps110:7,8

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your precepts, O Lord, are all of them sure;

they stand firm for ever and ever.

Alleluia!

Or

Jn17:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your word is truth, O Lord:

consecrate us in the truth.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel

Mark 10:1-12 ©

Jesus came to the district of Judaea and the far side of the Jordan. And again crowds gathered round him, and again he taught them, as his custom was. Some Pharisees approached him and asked, ‘Is it against the law for a man to divorce his wife?’ They were testing him. He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ ‘Moses allowed us’ they said ‘to draw up a writ of dismissal and so to divorce.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘It was because you were so unteachable that he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. This is why a man must leave father and mother, and the two become one body. They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’ Back in the house the disciples questioned him again about this, and he said to them, ‘The man who divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another she is guilty of adultery too.’

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Perpetual Novena for the Nation (Ecumenical)

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Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)

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Jesus, High Priest

 

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem.  He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

[Salvation]

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

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

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

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

 

The Mysteries of the Rosary

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

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

[Salvation]

~ PRAYER ~

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
 Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we  humbly pray,
 and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
 by the power of God,
 Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
 Amen
+

[Salvation]

A Prayer for our Free Nation Under God
God Save Our Country web site (prayer warriors)
Prayer Chain Request for the United States of America
Pray for Nancy Pelosi
Prayer and fasting will help defeat health care reform (Freeper Prayer Thread)
Prayer Campaign Started to Convert Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians to Pro-Life
[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries
Non-stop Rosary vigil to defeat ObamaCare

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:

"Pray for Obama.  Psalm 109:8"

   

PLEASE JOIN US -

Evening Prayer
Someone has said that if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.
Did you know that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?  

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.    Please forward this to your praying friends.

[Salvation]

February Devotion: The Holy Family

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of February has been primarily asociated with the Holy Family, probably due to the feast of Our Lord's presentation at the temple, celebrated on February 2. At the very outset of Christ's work on earth, God showed the world a family in which, as Pope Leo XIII teaches, "all men might behold a perfect model of domestic life, and of all virtue and holiness." The harmony, unity, and holiness which characterized this holy Family make it the model for all Christian families.

INVOCATION
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph most kind, Bless us now and in death's agony.

FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE HOLY FAMILY
Grant unto us, Lord Jesus, ever to follow the example of Thy holy Family, that in the hour of our death Thy glorious Virgin Mother together with blessed Joseph may come to meet us and we may be worthily received by Thee into everlasting dwellings: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Roman Missal

CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY FAMILY
O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, who having come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou defend us, guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace, and concord in Christian love: in order that, by conforming ourselves to the divine pattern of Thy family, we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness.

Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by thy kindly intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings.

O Saint Joseph, most holy guardian of Jesus and Mary, assist us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal necessities; that so we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and thee, for all eternity.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be, three times.

IN HONOR OF THE HOLY FAMILY
O God, heavenly Father, it was part of Thine eternal decree that Thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, should form a holy family with Mary, His blessed mother, and His foster father, Saint Joseph. In Nazareth home life was sanctified, and a perfect example was given to every Christian family. Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may fully comprehend and faithfully imitate the virtues of the Holy Family so that we may be united with them one day in their heavenly glory. Through the same Christ our Lord. 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

Holy Family Chaplet

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with me in my last hour.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul
in peace with you.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Amen.

Say 3 Our Father's, 3 Hail Mary's, and 3 Glory be's.

PRAYER TO
THE HOLY FAMILY
=====================================================================================

GOD our Heavenly Father, You call all peoples to be united as one family in worshipping You as the one and true God. You willed that Your Son become man, giving Him a virgin mother and a foster father to form the Holy Family of Nazareth.

WE pray: may the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, image and model of every human family unit walk in the spirit of Nazareth and grow in the understanding of its particular mission in society and the Church. May our families be living cells of love, faithfulness and unity, thus reflecting God's covenant with humanity and Christ's redeeming love for His Church.

JESUS, Mary and Joseph protect our families from all evil; keep us, who are away from home, one in love with our dear ones.

The Holy Family

  "The Holy Family with the infant St. John the Baptist ( the Doni tondo )" by Michelangelo c.1506, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence Parent's Prayer

Jesus, Son of God, Son of Man, and Son of Mary, I thank you for the gift of life you have entrusted to my care. Help me be a parent both tender and wise, both loving and forgiving.

Mary, Holy Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and our Motherly Queen of Heaven, nourish our family with your heavenly grace. Help us to remain faithful to The Most Holy Trinity, in all our sorrows and joys.

Joseph, Earthly father to our Lord God, guardian and spouse of Mary, keep our family safe from harm. Help us in all times of discouragement or anxiety.

Holy Family of Nazareth, help our family to walk in your footsteps. May we be peace-loving and peace-giving.
Amen.

 

Imitating the Holy Family: Four Traits that Make It Possible
[Catholic Caucus] On the Holy Family [Angelus]
Biblical Teachings on Marriage and Family. A Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
Recovering God’s Plan for Marriage and Family: A Sermon on the Feast of the Holy Family

“Why were you looking for me?" (On the Feast of The Holy Family)
U.S. Postal Service Issues Holy Family Forever Stamp
On Prayer in the Life of the Holy Family
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Chesterton on "The Human Family and the Holy Family"
Joseph, Mary and Jesus: A Model Family
ADVICE TO PARENTS by Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
The Holy Family
St. Joseph as Head of the Holy Family (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)

Feast of the Holy Family
Feast of the Holy Family (Dom Guéranger OSB)
The Feast of the Holy Family
The Holy Family vs. The Holy Innocents: A Christmas season reflection [Catholic Caucus]
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The Redemption and Protection of the Family [Feast of the Holy Family]
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Unraveling Jesus' mystery years in Egypt
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Lots of Graphics: Post your favorite image of the St. Mary and Child, the Holy Family...

[Salvation]

February 2014 Year A

Pope's Intentions:

Universal: That the Church and society may respect the wisdom and experience of older people.

For Evangelization: That priests, religious, and lay people may work together with generosity for evangelization.

[Salvation]

Friday, February 28, 2014
Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

James 5:9-12 Psalm 103:1-4, 8-12 Mark 10:1-12 For the Son of God became man so that we might become God. -- St. Athanasius, De incarnatione

[Salvation]

Just A Minute (Listen) Some of EWTN's most popular hosts and guests in a collection of one minute inspirational messages. A different message each time you click.

[Salvation]

The Angelus 

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: 
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. 

Hail Mary . . . 

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. 

Hail Mary . . . 

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray: 

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen. 

[Salvation]

Information: St. Hilary

Feast Day: February 28 or November 17

Born: at Sardinia

Died: 28 February 468 at Rome, Italy

[Salvation]

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Romanus and St. Lupicinus

Feast Day: February 28
Born: 390/(around)400 : : Died: 460/480

These French saints were brothers. Everyone who knew St. Romanus as a youth admired him for his goodness. He had a great wish to become a saint. Since he saw that it was very easy to forget about God in this world, at the age of thirty five, Romanus decided to go away to a quiet place and live as a hermit.

First, he asked the advice of a holy monk, and then he started off. He took a book with him called The Lives of the Fathers of the Desert by Cassian. He also took seeds to plant and a few tools.

With these supplies, he went into the forests of the Jura mountains between Switzerland and France and settled down beneath a huge fire tree at a place called Condat. There he found a spot of land good for growing his garden and food, and some trees from which he could eat a kind of wild fruit. He spent his time praying and reading his book. He also planted and cared for his garden, quietly enjoying nature.

Soon afterward, his brother Lupicinus joined him. Romanus and Lupicinus were very different. Romanus was hard on himself but he was kind and gentle and full of understanding with others. Lupicinus was tough and very strict with himself and usually the same with others but he only meant good and did not do it to hurt anyone. The two brothers understood each other and got along peacefully.

Many men came to join them. They wanted to be monks, too, so they built two monasteries. Romanus was the abbot of Condat (now Saint Claude) and Lupicinus was the abbot of Leuconne. Later they built the convent of La Beaume for nuns (now St. Romain de la Roche).

The monks lived simple, hard lives. They ate simple food which was mainly bread made of barley or bran and pulses and slept on the ground or on hard boards. St. Lupicinus wore a tunic made of skins of animals with a cowl: and wore wooden shoes.

They prayed much and made sacrifices cheerfully. They did penance to strengthen themselves against the temptations of the devil. They worked very hard farming to grow their food and kept silent all the time.

They lived like this because they wanted to grow close to God and when they were silent they were able to pray and talk with God. Their lifestyle helped them become more holy.

St. Romanus died in 460 and was buried at the abbey of Beaume. His younger brother, St. Lupicinus, died in 480.

[annalex]

Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 10
1.	AND rising up from thence, he cometh into the coasts of Judea beyond the Jordan: and the multitudes flock to him again. And as he was accustomed, he taught them again.	Et inde exsurgens venit in fines Judææ ultra Jordanem : et conveniunt iterum turbæ ad eum : et sicut consueverat, iterum docebat illos.	κακειθεν αναστας ερχεται εις τα ορια της ιουδαιας δια του περαν του ιορδανου και συμπορευονται παλιν οχλοι προς αυτον και ως ειωθει παλιν εδιδασκεν αυτους
2.	And the Pharisees coming to him asked him: Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.	Et accedentes pharisæi interrogabant eum : Si licet vero uxorem dimittere : tentantes eum.	και προσελθοντες [οι] φαρισαιοι επηρωτησαν αυτον ει εξεστιν ανδρι γυναικα απολυσαι πειραζοντες αυτον
3.	But he answering, saith to them: What did Moses command you?	At ille respondens, dixit eis : Quid vobis præcepit Moyses ?	ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτοις τι υμιν ενετειλατο μωσης
4.	Who said: Moses permitted to write a bill of divorce, and to put her away.	Qui dixerunt : Moyses permisit libellum repudii scribere, et dimittere.	οι δε ειπον μωσης επετρεψεν βιβλιον αποστασιου γραψαι και απολυσαι
5.	To whom Jesus answering, said: Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you that precept.	Quibus respondens Jesus, ait : Ad duritiam cordis vestri scripsit vobis præceptum istud :	και αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις προς την σκληροκαρδιαν υμων εγραψεν υμιν την εντολην ταυτην
6.	But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female.	ab initio autem creaturæ masculum et feminam fecit eos Deus.	απο δε αρχης κτισεως αρσεν και θηλυ εποιησεν αυτους ο θεος
7.	For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother; and shall cleave to his wife.	Propter hoc relinquet homo patrem suum et matrem, et adhærebit ad uxorem suam :	ενεκεν τουτου καταλειψει ανθρωπος τον πατερα αυτου και την μητερα και προσκολληθησεται προς την γυναικα αυτου
8.	And they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh.	et erunt duo in carne una. Itaque jam non sunt duo, sed una caro.	και εσονται οι δυο εις σαρκα μιαν ωστε ουκετι εισιν δυο αλλα μια σαρξ
9.	What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.	Quod ergo Deus conjunxit, homo non separet.	ο ουν ο θεος συνεζευξεν ανθρωπος μη χωριζετω
10.	And in the house again his disciples asked him concerning the same thing.	Et in domo iterum discipuli ejus de eodem interrogaverunt eum.	και εν τη οικια παλιν οι μαθηται αυτου περι του αυτου επηρωτησαν αυτον
11.	And he saith to them: Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another, committeth adultery against her.	Et ait illis : Quicumque dimiserit uxorem suam, et aliam duxerit, adulterium committit super eam.	και λεγει αυτοις ος εαν απολυση την γυναικα αυτου και γαμηση αλλην μοιχαται επ αυτην
12.	And if the wife shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.	Et si uxor dimiserit virum suum, et alii nupserit, mœchatur.	και εαν γυνη απολυση τον ανδρα αυτης και γαμηθη αλλω μοιχαται
13.	And they brought to him young children, that he might touch them. And the disciples rebuked them that brought them.	Et offerebant illi parvulos ut tangeret illos. Discipuli autem comminabantur offerentibus.	και προσεφερον αυτω παιδια ινα αψηται αυτων οι δε μαθηται επετιμων τοις προσφερουσιν
14.	Whom when Jesus saw, he was much displeased, and saith to them: Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God.	Quos cum videret Jesus, indigne tulit, et ait illis : Sinite parvulos venire ad me, et ne prohibueritis eos : talium enim est regnum Dei.	ιδων δε ο ιησους ηγανακτησεν και ειπεν αυτοις αφετε τα παιδια ερχεσθαι προς με μη κωλυετε αυτα των γαρ τοιουτων εστιν η βασιλεια του θεου
15.	Amen I say to you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall not enter into it.	Amen dico vobis : Quisquis non receperit regnum Dei velut parvulus, non intrabit in illud.	αμην λεγω υμιν ος εαν μη δεξηται την βασιλειαν του θεου ως παιδιον ου μη εισελθη εις αυτην
16.	And embracing them, and laying his hands upon them, he blessed them.	Et complexans eos, et imponens manus super illos, benedicebat eos.	και εναγκαλισαμενος αυτα τιθεις τας χειρας επ αυτα ευλογει αυτα

[annalex]

1. And he arose from thence, and comes into the coasts of Judea by the farther Side of Jordan: and the people resort to him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.
2. And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
3. And he answered and said to them, What did Moses command you?
4. And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
5. And Jesus answered and said to them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife.
8. And they two shall be one flesh: so then they are no more two, but one flesh.
9. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.
10. And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11. And he said to them, Whoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, commits adultery against her.
12. And if a woman shall put away her husband and be married to another, she commits adultery.

BEDE; Up to this time Mark had related what our Lord said and did in Galilee; here he begins to relate what He did, taught, or suffered in Judea, and first indeed across the Jordan on the east; and this is what is said in these words: And he arose from thence, and comes into the coasts of Judea, by the farther side of Jordan; then also on this side Jordan, when He came to Jericho, Bethany, and Jerusalem. And though all the province of the Jews is generally called Judea, to distinguish it from other nations, more especially, however, its southern portion was called Judea, to distinguish it from Samaria, Galilee, Decapolis, and the other regions in the same province.

THEOPHYL. But He enters the region of Judea, which the envy of the Jews had often caused Him to leave, because His Passion was to take place there. He did not, however, then go up to Jerusalem, but to the confines of Judea, that He might do good to the multitudes, who were not evil; for Jerusalem was, from the malice of the Jews, the worker of all the wickedness. Wherefore it goes on: And the people resort to him again, and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

BEDE; Mark the difference of temper in the multitude and in the Pharisees. The former meet together, in order to be taught, and that their sick may be healed, as Matthew relates; the latter come to Him, to try to deceive their Savior by tempting Him. Wherefore there follows, And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting Him.

THEOPHYL. They come to Him indeed, and do not quit Him, lest the multitudes should believe on Him; and by continually coming to Him, they thought to bring Him into difficulty, and to confuse Him by their questions. For they proposed to Him a question, which had on either side a precipice, so that whether He said that it was lawful for a man to put away his wife, or that it was not lawful, they might accuse Him, and contradict what He said, out of the doctrines of Moses. Christ, therefore, being Very Wisdom, in answering their question, avoids their snares.

CHRYS. For being asked, whether it is lawful, he does not immediately reply, it is not lawful, lest they should raise an outcry, but He first wished them to answer Him as to the sentence of the law, that they by their answer might furnish Him with what it was right to say. Wherefore it goes on, And he answered and said to them, What did Moses command you?

And afterwards, And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. They put forward indeed this that Moses had said either on account of the question of our Savior, or wishing to excite against Him a multitude of men. For divorce was an indifferent thing among the Jews, and all practiced it, as though it were permitted by the law.

AUG. It makes nothing, however, to the truth of the fact, whether, as Matthew says, they themselves addressed to the Lord the question concerning the bill of divorcement, allowed to them by Moses, on our Lord's forbidding the separation, and confirming His sentence from the law, or whether it was in answer to a question of His, that they said this concerning the command of Moses, as Mark here says. For His wish was to give them no reason why Moses permitted it, before they themselves had mentioned the fact; since then the wish of the parties speaking, which is what the words ought to express, is in either way shown, there is no discrepancy, though there be a difference in the way of relating it. It may also be meant that, as Mark expresses it, the question put to them by the Lord, What did Moses command? was in answer to those who had previously asked His opinion concerning the putting away of a wife; and when they had replied that Moses permitted them to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away, His answer was concerning that same law, given by Moses, how God instituted the marriage of a male, and a female, saying those things which Matthew relates; on hearing which they again rejoined what they had replied to Him when He first asked them, namely, Why then did Moses command?

AUG. Moses, however, was against a man's dismissing his wife, for he interposed this delay, that a person whose mind was bent on separation, might be deterred by the writing of the bill, and desist; particularly, since, as is related, among the Hebrews, no one was allowed to write Hebrew characters but the scribes. The law therefore wished to send him, whom it ordered to give a bill of divorcement, before he dismissed his wife, to them, who ought to be wise interpreters of the law, and just opponents of quarrel. For a bill could only be written for him by men, who by their good advice might overrule him, since his circumstances and necessity had put him into their bands, and so by treating between him and his wife they might persuade them to love and concord. But if a hatred so great had arisen that it could not be extinguished and corrected, then indeed a bill was to be written, that he might not lightly put away her who was the object of his hate, in such a way as to prevent his being recalled to the love, which he owed her by marriage, through the persuasion of the wise. For this reason it is added, For the hardness of your heart, he wrote this precept; for great was the hardness of heart which could not be melted or bent to the taking back and recalling the love of marriage, even by the interposition of a bill in a way which gave room for the just and wise to dissuade them.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. Or else, it is said, For the hardness of your hearts, because it is possible for a soul purged from desires and from anger to bear the worst of women; but if those passions have a redoubled force over the mind, many evils will arise from hatred in marriage. Thus then, He saves Moses, who had given the law, from their accusation, and turns the whole upon their head. But since what He had said was grievous to them, He at once brings back the discourse to the old law, saying, But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female.

BEDE; He says not male and females, which the sense would have required had it referred to the divorce of former wives, but male and female, so that they might be bound by the tie of one wife.

CHRYS. If however he had wished one wife to be put away and another to be brought in, He would have created several women. Nor did God only join one woman to one man, but He also bade a man quit his parents and cleave to his wife. Wherefore it goes on: And he said, (that is, God said by Adam,) For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife. From the very mode of speech, showing the impossibility of severing marriage, because He said, He shall cleave.

BEDE; And in like manner, because He says, he shall cleave to his wife, not wives. It goes on: And they two shall be one flesh.

CHRYS. Being framed out of one root, they will join into one body. It goes on: So then they are no more two, but one flesh.

BEDE; The reward then of marriage is of two to become one flesh. Virginity being joined to the Spirit, becomes of one spirit.

CHRYS. After this, bringing forward an awful argument, He said not, do not divide, but He concluded, What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.

AUG. Behold the Jews are convinced out of the books of Moses, that a wife is not to be put away, while they fancied that in putting her away, they were doing the will of Moses. In like manner from this place, from the witness of Christ Himself, we know this, that God made and joined male and female, for denying which the Manichees are condemned, resisting now not the books of Moses, but the Gospel of Christ.

BEDE; What therefore God has conjoined by making one flesh of a man and a woman, that man cannot separate, but God alone. Man separates, when we dismiss the first wife because we desire a second; but it is God who , separates, when by common consent, for the sake of serving God, we so have wives as though we had none.

CHRYS. But if two persons, whom God has joined together, are not to be separated; much more is it wrong to separate from Christ, the Church, which God has joined to Him.

THEOPHYL. But the disciples were offended, as not being fully satisfied with what had been said; for this reason they again question Him, wherefore there follows, And in the house, his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

PSEUDO-JEROME; This second question is said to be asked again by the Apostles, because it is on the subject of which the Pharisees had asked Him, that is, concerning the state of marriage; and this is said by Mark in his own person.

GLOSS. For a repetition of a saying of the Word, produces not weariness, but thirst and hunger; wherefore it is said, They that eat me shall yet be hungry, and they that drink me shall yet be thirsty; for the tasting of the honeyed words of wisdom yields all manner of savor to them who love her. Wherefore the Lord instructs His disciples over again; for it goes on, And he said to them, Whoever shall put away his wife and marry another, commits adultery upon her.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. The Lord calls by the name of adultery cohabitation with her who is not a man's wife; she is not, however, a wife, whom a man has taken to him, after quitting his first; and for this reason he commits adultery upon her, that is, upon the second, whom he brings in. And the same thing is true in the case of the woman; wherefore it goes on, And if a woman shall put away her husband, and marry another, she commits adultery; for she cannot be joined to another as her own husband, if she leave him who is really her own husband. The law indeed forbade what was plainly adultery; but the Savior forbids this, which was neither plain, nor known to all, though it was contrary to nature.

BEDE; In Matthew it is more fully expressed, Whoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication. The only carnal cause then is fornication; the only spiritual cause is the fear of God, that a man should put away his wife to enter into religion, as we read that many have done. But there is no cause allowed by the law of God for marrying another, during the lifetime of her who is quitted.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. There is no contrariety in Matthew's relating that He spoke these words to the Pharisees, though Mark says that they were spoken to the disciples; for it is possible that He may have spoken them to both.

13. And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
14. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said to them, Suffer the little children to come to me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15. Truly I say to you, Whoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
16. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

THEOPHYL. The wickedness of the Pharisees in tempting Christ, has been related above, and now is shown the great faith of the multitude, who believed that Christ conferred a blessing on the children whom they brought to Him, by the mere laying on of His hands. Wherefore it is said: And they brought young children to him, that he might touch them.

CHRYS. But the disciples, out of regard for the dignity of Christ, forbade those who brought them. And this is what is added: And his disciples rebuked those who brought them. But our Savior; in order to teach His disciples to be modest in their ideas, and to tread under foot worldly pride, takes the children to Him, and assigns to them the kingdom of God: wherefore it goes on: And he said to them, Suffer little children to come to me, and forbid them not

ORIGEN; If any of those who profess to hold the office of teaching in the Church should see a person bringing to them some of the foolish of this world, and low born, and weak, who for this reason are called children and infants, let him not forbid the man who offers such an one to the Savior, as though he were acting without judgment. After this He exhorts those of His disciples who are already grown to full stature to condescend to be useful to children, that they may become to children as children, that they may gain children; for He Himself, when He was in the form of God, humbled Himself, and became a child. On which He adds: For of such is the kingdom of heaven.

CHRYS. For indeed the mind of a child is pure from all passions, for which reason, we ought by free choice to do those works, which children have by nature.

THEOPHYL. Wherefore He says not, for of these, but of such is the kingdom of God, that is, of persons who have both in their intention and their work the harmlessness and simplicity which children have by nature. For a child does not hate, does nothing of evil intent, nor though beaten does he quit his mother; and though she does him in vile garments, prefers them to kingly apparel; in like manner he, who lives according to the good ways of his mother the Church, honors nothing before her, nay, not pleasure, which is the queen of many; wherefore also the Lord subjoins, Truly I say to you, Whoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

BEDE; That is, if you have not innocence and purity of mind like that of children, you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. Or else, we are ordered to receive the kingdom of God, that is, the doctrine of the Gospel, a little child, because as a child, when he is taught, does not contradict his teachers, nor put together reasonings and words against them, but receives with faith what they teach, and obeys them with awe, so we also are to receive the word of the Lord with simple obedience, and without any gainsaying. It goes on: And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. Fitly does He take them up into His arms to bless them, as it were, lifting into His own bosom , and reconciling Himself to His creation, which in the beginning fell from Him, and was separated from Him. Again, He puts His hands upon the children, to teach us the working of His divine power; and indeed, He puts His hands upon them, as others are wont to do, though His operation is not as that of others, for though He was God, He kept to human ways of acting, as being very man.

BEDE; Having embraced the children, He also blessed them, implying that the lowly in spirit are worthy of His blessing, grace, and love.

Catena Aurea Mark 10