Posted on 06/30/2014 8:14:05 PM PDT by Salvation
July 1, 2014
Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 Am 3:1-8; 4:11-12
Hear this word, O children of Israel, that the LORD pronounces over you,
over the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt:
You alone have I favored,
more than all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will punish you
for all your crimes.
Do two walk together
unless they have agreed?
Does a lion roar in the forest
when it has no prey?
Does a young lion cry out from its den
unless it has seized something?
Is a bird brought to earth by a snare
when there is no lure for it?
Does a snare spring up from the ground
without catching anything?
If the trumpet sounds in a city,
will the people not be frightened?
If evil befalls a city,
has not the LORD caused it?
Indeed, the Lord GOD does nothing
without revealing his plan
to his servants, the prophets.
The lion roars—
who will not be afraid!
The Lord GOD speaks—
who will not prophesy!
I brought upon you such upheaval
as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah:
you were like a brand plucked from the fire;
Yet you returned not to me,
says the LORD.
So now I will deal with you in my own way, O Israel!
and since I will deal thus with you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 5:4b-6a, 6b-7, 8
R. (9a) Lead me in your justice, Lord.
At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
You hate all evildoers;
you destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
But I, because of your abundant mercy,
will enter your house;
I will worship at your holy temple
in fear of you, O LORD.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
Gospel Mt 8:23-27
As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
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From: Amos 3:1-8, 4:11-12
Election and punishment of Israel
The prophet, a messenger of the Lord
The Lords warnings have gone unheeded
[12] Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
because I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel!
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
3:1-6:14. The second (and longest) part of the book contains denunciations of
Israel and predictions about how her sins will be punished. It consists of three
oracles, each beginning with Hear this word . . . (3:1; 4:1; 5:1), and three others
containing the words O you . . . or Woe to you (5:7, 18; 6:1). In terms of con-
tent, all these oracles are a development of the oracle against Israel that closed
the previous section (2:6-16).
This part begins with a new interpretation of the meaning of Gods choice of Israel.
The oracles are about that election. The Israelites think that their pilgrimages to
the popular shrines of Bethel and Gilgal (where they make voluntary offerings and
give tithes, 4:4-5, and assemble for festivals, 5:21-25) mean that they have ful-
filled their religious duties and are in a good standing before God. They are living
in prosperous times: what better proof that God is pleased with them. Material
prosperity was more marked in Israel than in Judah, but, still, life was reasonably
good under Uzziah. However, this material well-being went hand in hand with
social injustice — oppression of the poor and needy, and a contradiction between
formal religious acts and personal morality.
This is the context in which Amos preaches and utters his prophetic denounce-
ments: quite a lot of people are getting richer, but the ranks of the poor are being
swelled all the time; the rich and powerful are exploiting the poor, and are refusing
them justice; attendance at religious ceremonies in Bethel and Gilgal (schismatic
sanctuaries, for the temple of Jerusalem was the only proper place of worship) did
not affect peoples hearts; it did not provoke them to resolve to amend their lives;
they were deceiving themselves, trusting in God without having grounds for doing
so, and believed (wrongly) that they were absolved from their sins.
3:1-8. Gods choice of Israel is very vividly described here. Amos does not use the
term covenant or steadfast love to describe Gods attitude towards Israel (those
are terms often found in other prophetical texts); but he does make it clear that the
Lords commitment to his people is a single-minded one: You only have I known
of all the families of the earth (v. 2). This election means that Israel has special
duties towards God — and that God takes special care of Israel (cf. v. 3). And so
St Jerome comments on the verse as follows: You only I have known of all the
people of the earth; therefore I will visit your iniquities upon you (cf. Amos 3:2):
For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he
receives (Heb 12:6). God says that I will visit, not I will punish, for the coming of
the Lord is both punishment and cure; and, he says, I will visit all of their iniquities:
all shall be chastised and none shall remain uncured (Commentarii in Amos, 3,
1-2).
A little further on, this teaching is rounded off with a sapiential consideration (vv.
3-8). The Lord addresses Israel by means of his prophets. All events have a
cause that one cannot perceive, but they do point to their cause: when two peo-
ple go walking together it is a sign that they have previously arranged to do so
(v. 3); the roar of the lion shows that he has caught his prey or is about to do so
(v. 4), etc. So, the conclusion to be drawn is clear (cf. v. 8): if Amos is prophe-
sying, he is doing so because the Lord has spoken and man must take heed.
In a way, this verse is a kind of parallel to what Amos says to the priest of Bethel
(cf. 7:14-15): it is the Lord who has sent him to prophesy; God is the one who
has taken the initiative: The literal meaning of these words is as follows: If all
the animals of the earth are terrified and tremble at the sound of the lions roar,
how can we not prophesy when the Lord bids us speak and tell the people of the
torments that await them? (St Jerome, Commentarii in Amos, 3, 3-8).
4:6-12. This oracle has a regular rhythm to it — each of the Lords actions ends
with the sort of refrain you find in a poem: ... yet you did not return to me, says
the Lord (vv. 6, 8, 9, 10, 11). The actions taken by the Lord (withdrawing food,
drought, blight, destruction of cities) are reminiscent of the plagues of Egypt; but,
most of all, they demonstrate the Lords sovereignty over nature. This is the same
message as is contained in the doxologies: God, the Lord of Israel, is the only
one who has power over all creation: no Baal, no Canaanite god, has any such
power. The point is also made that the punishment sent by God is aimed at
bringing about the peoples conversion. When they saw all these awful things
happen, the Israelites should have had a change of heart. But they did not:
Israels sin is that of pride and self-sufficiency; therefore, it is time to get ready
for judgment and punishment (v. 12; cf. 3:1).
*********************************************************************************************
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: Matthew 8:23-27
The Calming of the Storm
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
23-27. This remarkable miracle left a deep impression on Jesus’ disciples, as
can be seen from the fact that the first three evangelists all report it. Christian
Tradition has applied this miracle in various ways to the life of the Church and
the experience of the individual soul. From earliest times Christian art and lite-
rature have seen the boat as representing the Church, which also has to make
its way around hazards which threaten to capsize it. Indeed, very early on,
Christians were persecuted in various ways by Jews of their time, and were
misunderstood by the public opinion of a pagan society—which also began to
persecute them. Jesus’ sleeping through the storm has been applied to the fact
that sometimes God seems not to come to the Church’s rescue during persecu-
tion. Following the example of the Apostles in the boat, Christians should seek
Jesus’ help, borrowing their words, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing”. Then,
when it seems we can bear it no longer, Jesus shows His power: “He rose and
rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm”—but first rebuking
us for being men of little faith. Quite often Gospel accounts are meant to serve
as examples to us: they epitomize the future history of the Church and of the
individual Christian soul.
*********************************************************************************************
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 |
Amos 3:1-8,4:11-12 © |
Listen, sons of Israel, to this oracle the Lord speaks against you, against the whole family I brought out of the land of Egypt:
You alone, of all the families of earth, have I acknowledged,
therefore it is for all your sins that I mean to punish you.
Do two men take the road together
if they have not planned to do so?
Does the lion roar in the jungle
if no prey has been found?
Does the young lion growl in his lair
if he has captured nothing?
Does the bird fall to the ground
if no trap has been set?
Does the snare spring up from the ground
if nothing has been caught?
Does the trumpet sound in the city
without the populace becoming alarmed?
Does misfortune come to a city
if the Lord has not sent it?
No more does the Lord do anything
without revealing his plans to his servants the prophets.
The lion roars: who can help feeling afraid?
The Lord speaks: who can refuse to prophesy?
I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
and you were like a brand snatched from the blaze;
and yet you never came back to me.
It is the Lord who speaks.
This therefore, Israel, is what I plan to do to you,
and because I am going to do this to you,
Israel, prepare to meet your God!
Psalm |
Psalm 5:5-8 © |
Lead me, O Lord, in your justice.
You are no God who loves evil;
no sinner is your guest.
The boastful shall not stand their ground
before your face.
Lead me, O Lord, in your justice.
You hate all who do evil;
you destroy all who lie.
The deceitful and bloodthirsty man
the Lord detests.
Lead me, O Lord, in your justice.
But I through the greatness of your love
have access to your house.
I bow down before your holy temple,
filled with awe.
Lead me, O Lord, in your justice.
Gospel Acclamation |
Ps147:12,15 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
He sends out his word to the earth.
Alleluia!
Or |
Ps129:5 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
My soul is waiting for the Lord,
I count on his word.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 8:23-27 © |
Jesus got into the boat followed by his disciples. Without warning a storm broke over the lake, so violent that the waves were breaking right over the boat. But he was asleep. So they went to him and woke him saying, ‘Save us, Lord, we are going down!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?’ And with that he stood up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and all was calm again. The men were astounded and said, ‘Whatever kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him.’
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: 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.
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
+
From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:
"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"
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A Prayer for PriestsO my God, help those priests who are faithful to remain faithful; to those who are falling, stretch forth Your Divine Hand that they may grasp it as their support. In the great ocean of Your mercy, lift those poor unfortunate ones who have fallen, that being engulfed therein they may receive the grace to return to Your Great Loving Heart. Amen. Precious Blood of Jesus, protect them!
The Most Precious Blood of Jesus
July is traditionally associated with the Precious Blood of Our Lord. It may be customary to celebrate the votive Mass of the Precious Blood on July 1.
The extraordinary importance of the saving Blood of Christ has ensured a central place for its memorial in the celebration of this cultic mystery: at the centre of the Eucharistic assembly, in which the Church raises up to God in thanksgiving "the cup of blessing" (1 Cor 10, 16; cf Ps 115-116, 13) and offers it to the faithful as a "real communion with the Blood of Christ" (1 Cor 10, 16); and throughout the Liturgical Year. The Church celebrates the saving Blood of Christ not only on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, but also on many other occasions, such that the cultic remembrance of the Blood of our redemption (cf 1 Pt 1, 18) pervades the entire Liturgical Year. Hence, at Vespers during Christmastide, the Church, addressing Christ, sings: "Nos quoque, qui sancto tuo redempti sumus sanguine, ob diem natalis tui hymnum novum concinimus." In the Paschal Triduum, the redemptive significance and efficacy of the Blood of Christ is continuously recalled in adoration. During the adoration of the Cross on Good Friday the Church sings the hymn: "Mite corpus perforatur, sanguis unde profluit; terra, pontus, astra, mundus quo lavanturflumine", and again on Easter Sunday, "Cuius corpus sanctissimum in ara crucis torridum, sed et cruorem roesum gustando, Deo vivimus (194).
Catholic Word of the Day: LITANY OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD, 09-25-12
ST. GASPAR: Founder of the Society of the Precious Blood
Mass in the Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (London, 9/18)
Devotion to the Drops of Blood Lost by our Lord Jesus Christ on His Way to Calvary (Prayer/Devotion)
Chaplet of the Most Precious Blood
Catholic Word of the Day: PRECIOUS BLOOD, 12-03-11
The Traditional Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Catholic Caucus)
Devotion to the Precious Blood
DOCTRINE OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,And More on the Precious Blood
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
NOTHING IS MORE POTENT AGAINST EVIL THAN PLEADING THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
Pope's Intentions
Universal: That sports may always be occasions of human fraternity and growth.
For Evangelization: That the Holy Spirit may support the work of the laity who proclaim the Gospel in the poorest countries.
Tuesday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the day
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Sermon 63 ; PL 38, 424
"There was great calm"
Christ's sleep is the symbol of a mystery. The ship's passengers represent souls traversing the life of this world on the wood of the cross. In addition, the ship is the symbol of the Church. Indeed, truly... the heart of each member of the faithful is a ship sailing across the sea: it cannot sink provided the spirit engages in good thoughts.
Has someone insulted you? It is the wind beating against you. Have you become angry? It is the swell mounting. Does temptation arise? It is the wind blowing. Is your soul troubled? It is the waves rising up... Wake up Christ and let him speak to you. “Who, then, is this that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Who is he? “His is the sea for he has made it”; “all things were made by him” (Ps 95[94],5; Jn 1,3). So imitate the winds and the sea: obey your Creator. The sea shows itself to be docile to Christ’s voice and do you remain deaf? The sea obeys, the winds drop, and do you continue to blow? What are we trying to say by this? Speaking, getting upset, plotting revenge: isn’t this continuing to blow and not wanting to give way before Christ’s word? When your heart is stirred up don’t allow yourself to be swamped by the waves.
If, nevertheless, the wind blows us over – for we are only human – and if it stirs up the bad feelings in our hearts, let us not despair. Let us wake up Christ so as to continue our journey on a peaceful sea.
-- Saint Thomas of Villanova
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. |
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. |
Blessed Junipero Serra, Priest
[In the diocese of the United States]
Optional Memorial
July 1st
Portrait discovered in a Zacatecas, Mexico second-hand store in 1954 by Harry Downie.
History:
Blessed Junipero Serra was born at Petra, Island of Majorca, November 24, 1713; he died at Monterey, California, August 28, 1784.
On September 14, 1730, he entered the Franciscan Order. For his proficiency in studies he was appointed lector of philosophy before his ordination to the priesthood. Later he received the degree of Doctor of Theology from the Lullian University at Palma, where he also occupied the Duns Scotus chair of philosophy until he joined the missionary college of San Fernando, Mexico (1749). While traveling on foot from Vera Cruz to the capital, he injured his leg in such a way that he suffered from it throughout his life, though he continued to make his journeys on foot whenever possible. At his own request he was assigned to the Sierra Gorda Indian Missions. He served there for nine years, part of the time as superior, learned the language of the Pame Indians, and translated the Catechism into their language. Recalled to Mexico, he became famous as a most fervent and effective preacher of missions. His zeal frequently led him to employ extraordinary means in order to move the people to penance. He would pound his breast with a stone while in the pulpit, scourge himself, or apply a lighted torch to his bare chest. He was appointed superior of a band of fifteen Franciscans for the Indian Missions of Lower California. Early in 1769 he accompanied Portolá's land expedition to Upper California. On the way he established the Mission San Fernando de Velicatá, Lower California. He arrived at San Diego on July 1, and on July 16 founded the first of the twenty-one California missions, which accomplished the conversions of all the natives on the coast as far as Sonoma in the north.
In 1778 he received the faculty to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation. After he had exercised his privilege for a year, Governor Neve directed him to suspend administering the sacrament until he could present the papal Brief. For nearly two years Father Serra refrained, and then Viceroy Majorga gave instructions to the effect that Father Serra was within his rights. During the remaining three years of his life he once more visited the missions from San Diego to San Francisco, six hundred miles, in order to confirm all who had been baptized. He suffered intensely from his crippled leg and from his chest, yet he would use no remedies. He confirmed 5309 persons, who, with but few exceptions, were Indians converted during the fourteen years from 1770. Besides extraordinary fortitude, his most conspicuous virtues were insatiable zeal, love of mortification, self-denial, and absolute confidence in God. His executive abilities has been especially noted by non-Catholic writers. A bronze statute of heroic size represents him as the apostolic preacher in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. In 1884 the Legislature of California passed a concurrent resolution making August 29 of that year, the centennial of Father Serra's burial, a legal holiday.
He was beatified September 25, 1988 by Pope John Paul II.(Principal source - Catholic Encyclopedia - 1913 edition)
Collect:
O God, who by your ineffable mercy
have been pleased through the labors
of your Priest Blessed Junipero Serra
to count many American peoples within your Church
grant by his intercession
that we may so join our hearts to you in love,
as to carry always and everywhere before all people
the image of your Only Begotten Son.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.Readings: From the Common of Pastors: for Missionaries or Holy Men and Women: for religious
Feast Day: July 1
Born: 24 November 1713 at Petra, Spanish Majorca
Died: 28 August 1784
Beatified: 25 September 1988 by Pope John Paul II
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