Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 07-06-14, Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 07-06-14 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

July 6, 2014

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1 Zec 9:9-10

Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,
shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you;
a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.
He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem;
the warrior’s bow shall be banished,
and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14

R/ (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R/ I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R/ I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R/ I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R/  Alleluia.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R/ I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R/ Alleluia.

reading 2 Rom 8:9, 11-13

Brothers and sisters:
You are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.

Gospel Mt 11:25-30

At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

[Salvation]

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Zechariah 9:9-10

The arrival of the Messiah

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[9] Rejoice greatly. O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on an ass,
on a colt the foal of an ass.
[10] I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle how shall he cut off,
and he shall command peace to the nations;
his dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

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Commentary:

9:1-14:21. The prophecies concerning the new circumstances of Jerusalem
and Judah in chapters 7-8 give way now to two long oracles describing how that
definitive time will he established by the Messiah (chaps. 9-10), and how the king-
dom of God will come about (chaps. 12-14). Worked in among these themes are
short prophetical pieces which are apparently anonymous, for there is no mention
of Zechariah in them and no dates are given. The two oracles start in the same
way: “An oracle. The word of the Lord ...”(9:1; 12:1), a formula which is also used
at the start of the book of Malachi (Mal 1:1). Because this construction is found
on only these three occasions in the Old Testament, the three pieces are thought
to come from some third source and to have found their way into the biblical text
here — two into the book of Zechariah and one into that of Malachi.

9:1-11:17. This first oracle includes two prophetical proclamations — one about
the advent of the Messiah king (9:1-10:12), and the other about the rejection of
the good shepherd who tries to lead the people along the paths of faithfulness
and unity (11:1-17). The first one starts with a prophetical description of the vic-
torious progress of the Lord as he makes his way down to Jerusalem from the
north (9:1-8); then the city is invited to rejoice at the arrival of its king (9:9-10);
and finally the restoration of Israel is proclaimed (9:11-17).

9:9-10. The prophet now speaks directly to Jerusalem (“daughter of Zion”) and
her citizens (“daughter of Jerusalem”) as representatives of the entire chosen
people. An invitation to rejoice and celebrate is often found in the Old Testament
in connexion with the arrival of the messianic era (cf. Is 12:6; 54:1; Zeph 3:14);
here it is issued because Jerusalem’s king is arriving. Although the text does
not say so explicitly, it is implied that he is the descendant of David; there is
an echo here of 2 Samuel 7:12-16 and Isaiah 7:14. This king is distinguished
by what he is and what he does. The word “triumphant” translates the Hebrew
saddiq, which means “just”: he does the will of God perfectly; and the term “vic-
torious” means that he enjoys divine protection and salvation. The Septuagint
and the Vulgate, however, read it as meaning that he was the saviour. He is
also “humble”, that is, he is not boastful in the presence of either God or men.
He is peaceable — as can be seen from the fact that he rides not on a horse like
kings of the time but on an ass, like the princes of ancient times (cf. Gen 49:11;
Judg 5:10; 10:4; 12:14). He will cause the weapons of war to disappear from
Samaria and Judah (cf. Is 2:4, 7; Mic 5:9), who will form a single, united people;
and he will also establish peace among the nations (v. 10). This king has features
similar to those of the “servant of the Lord” of whom Isaiah spoke (cf. Is 53:11)
and to those of the lowly people whom God found acceptable (cf. Zeph 2:3; 3:12).
Our Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled this prophecy when he entered Jerusalem before
the Passover and was acclaimed by the crowd as the Messiah, the Son of David
(cf. Mt 21:1-5; Jn 12:14). “The ‘King of glory’ (Ps 24:7-10) enters his City ‘riding
on an ass’ (Zech 9:9). Jesus conquers the Daughter of Zion, a figure of his
Church, neither by ruse nor by violence, but by the humility that bears witness
to the truth (cf. Jn 18:37)” (”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 559). In an alle-
gorical reading, Clement of Alexandria takes the young ass of v. 9 to stand for
people who are not subject to evil: “It was not enough to say a ‘colt’; the sacred
writer added, ‘the foal of an ass’, to emphasize the youth of the humanity of
Christ, his eternal youth. The divine groom tends to us and trains us, the youn-
gest, smallest colts (”Paedagogus”, 1, 15, 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

[Salvation]

From: Romans 8:9, 11-13

Life in the Spirit

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[9] But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God really
dwells in you. Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong
to him.

[11] “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who
raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through
his Spirit who dwells in you.” [12] So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the
flesh, to live according to the flesh—[13] for if you live according to the flesh you
will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.

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Commentary:

1-13. After original sin man is pulled in two different directions: either he seeks
God above all things and contends, with God’s grace, against the inclinations
of his own concupiscence; or else he lets himself be overwhelmed by the disor-
dered passions of the flesh. The former lifestyle is “life in the Spirit”, the latter,
life “according to the flesh”. “There are only two possible ways of living on this
earth: either we live a supernatural life, or we live an animal life” ([St] J. Escriva,
“Friends of God”, 200).

Sanctifying grace is the source of life “according to the Spirit”. It is not a matter
of simply being in the state of grace or of performing a number of regular pious
practices. Life according to the Spirit—spiritual or supernatural life—means a
living-according-to-God which influences everything a Christian does: he is cons-
tantly trying to bring his thoughts, yearnings, desires and actions into line with
what God is asking of him; in everything he does he tries to follow the inspira-
tions of the Holy Spirit.

Life according to the flesh, on the other hand, has its source in the triple concu-
piscence which is a consequence of original sin—”all that is in the world the lust
of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1 Jn 2:16). In this pre-
sent life it is not possible to kill concupiscence at its root: it is forever producing
new growths. The Christian is freed from original sin through Baptism (chap. 6);
the coming of Christ has set aside the ritualistic precepts of the Mosaic Law
(chap. 7); but his life in Jesus Christ is threatened by concupiscence even after
Baptism, which places him under the Law of the Spirit. “We need to submit to
the spirit, to wholeheartedly commit ourselves and strive to keep the flesh in its
place. By so doing our flesh will become spiritual again. Otherwise, if we give in
to the easy life, this will lower our soul to the level of the flesh and make it car-
nal again” (St John Chrysostom, “Hom. on Rom”, 13).

10-11. Once he is justified the Christian lives in the grace of God and confidently
hopes in his future resurrection; Christ Himself lives in him (cf. Galatians 2:20;
1 Corinthians 15:20-23). However, he is not spared the experience of death, a
consequence of Original Sin (cf. Romans 5:12; 6:23). Along with suffering, con-
cupiscence and other limitations, death is still a factor after Baptism; it is some-
thing which motivates us to struggle and makes us to be like Christ. Almost all
commentators interpret the expression “your bodies are dead because of sin” as
referring to the fact that, due to sin, the human body is destined to die. So sure
is this prospect of death that the Apostle sees the body as “already dead”.

St. John Chrysostom makes an acute observation: if Christ is living in the Chris-
tian, then the divine Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, is also present in him.
If this divine Spirit is absent, then indeed death reigns supreme, and with it the
wrath of God, rejection of His laws, separation from Christ, and expulsion of our
Guest. And he adds: “But when one has the Spirit within, what can be lacking?
With the Spirit one belongs to Christ, one possesses Him, one vies for honor
with the angels. With the Spirit, the flesh is crucified, one tastes the delight of
an immortal life, one has a pledge of future resurrection and advances rapidly on
the path of virtue. This is what Paul calls putting the flesh to death” (”Hom. on
Rom.”, 13).

*********************************************************************************************
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: Matthew 11:25-30

Jesus Thanks His Father

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[25] At that time Jesus declared, “I thank Thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth,
that Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed
them to babes; [26] yea, Father, for such was Thy gracious will. [27] All things
have been delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the
Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the
Son chooses to reveal Him. [28] Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. [29] Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I
am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For My
yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

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Commentary:

25-26. The wise and understanding of this world, that is, those who rely on their
own judgment, cannot accept the revelation which Christ has brought us. Super-
natural outlook is always connected with humility. A humble person, who gives
himself little importance, sees; a person who is full of self-esteem fails to per-
ceive supernatural things.

27. Here Jesus formally reveals His divinity. Our knowledge of a person shows
our intimacy with Him, according to the principle given by St. Paul: “For what
person knows a man’s thoughts except the spirit of the man which is in him?”
(1 Corinthians 2:11). The Son knows the Father by the same knowledge as that
by which the Father knows the Son. This identity of knowledge implies oneness
of nature; that is to say, Jesus is God just as the Father is God.

28-30. Our Lord calls everyone to come to Him. We all find things difficult in one
way or another. The history of souls bears out the truth of these words of Jesus.
Only the Gospel can fully satisfy the thirst for truth and justice which sincere peo-
ple feel. Only our Lord, our Master—and those to whom He passes on His power
— can soothe the sinner by telling him, “Your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:2). In
this connection Pope Paul VI teaches: “Jesus says now and always, ‘Come to
Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ His attitude to-
wards us is one of invitation, knowledge and compassion; indeed, it is one of of-
fering, promise, friendship, goodness, remedy of our ailments; He is our comfor-
ter; indeed, our nourishment, our bread, giving us energy and life” (”Homily on
Corpus Christi”, 13 June 1974).

“Come to Me”: the Master is addressing the crowds who are following Him, “ha-
rassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). The Phari-
sees weighed them down with an endless series of petty regulations (cf. Acts
15:10), yet they brought no peace to their souls. Jesus tells these people, and
us, about the kind of burden He imposes: “Any other burden oppresses and cru-
shes you, but Christ’s actually takes weight off you. Any other burden weighs
down, but Christ’s gives you wings. If you take a bird’s wings away, you might
seem to be taking weight off it, but the more weight you take off, the more you
tie it down to the earth. There it is on the ground, and you wanted to relieve it
of a weight; give it back the weight of its wings and you will see how it flies” (St.
Augustine, “Sermon” 126).

“All you who go about tormented, afflicted and burdened with the burden of your
cares and desires, go forth from them, come to Me and I will refresh you and
you shall find for your souls the rest which your desires take from you” (St. John
of the Cross, “Ascent of Mount Carmel”, Book 1, Chapter 7, 4).

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

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First reading

Zechariah 9:9-10 ©

The Lord says this:

Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion!

Shout with gladness, daughter of Jerusalem!

See now, your king comes to you;

he is victorious, he is triumphant,

humble and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

He will banish chariots from Ephraim

and horses from Jerusalem;

the bow of war will be banished.

He will proclaim peace for the nations.

His empire shall stretch from sea to sea,

from the River to the ends of the earth.

---

Psalm

Psalm 144:1-2,8-11,13-14 ©

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

or

Alleluia!

I will give you glory, O God my king,

  I will bless your name for ever.

I will bless you day after day

  and praise your name for ever.

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

or

Alleluia!

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,

  slow to anger, abounding in love.

How good is the Lord to all,

  compassionate to all his creatures.

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

or

Alleluia!

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,

  and your friends shall repeat their blessing.

They shall speak of the glory of your reign

  and declare your might, O God.

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

or

Alleluia!

The Lord is faithful in all his words

  and loving in all his deeds.

The Lord supports all who fall

  and raises all who are bowed down.

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

or

Alleluia!

---

Second reading

Romans 8:9,11-13 ©

Your interests are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made his home in you. In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ you would not belong to him, and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.

  So then, my brothers, there is no necessity for us to obey our unspiritual selves or to live unspiritual lives. If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live.

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Gospel Acclamation

Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father,

Lord of heaven and earth,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel

Matthew 11:25-30 ©

Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

  ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

[Salvation]

Perpetual Novena for the Nation (Ecumenical)

[ReaganÜberAlles]

Unping me please

[Salvation]

Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)

[Salvation]

 

Jesus, High Priest

 

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

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

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

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

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

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

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

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

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

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

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

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

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

[Salvation]

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

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

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

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

 

The Mysteries of the Rosary

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

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

[Salvation]

~ PRAYER ~

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

[Salvation]

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

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:

"Pray for Obama.  Psalm 109:8"

   

PLEASE JOIN US -

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

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

[Salvation]

Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ

 

 

July Devotion: The Precious Blood

July Devotion: The Precious Blood 

Like the Sacred Wounds of Jesus, His Precious Blood deserves special honor because of its close relation to the Sacred Passion. That honor was given to it from the beginning by the Apostles who praised its redeeming power. (Rom. 5:9 "we are justified by His blood"; Heb. 13:12 "and so Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people by His blood, suffered outside the gate"; 1 John 1:7 "and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.") 

The Church has always held devotion to the Precious Blood in high esteem. We continue to recognize and publicly acknowledge the profound indebtedness of the whole human race to Christ, Priest and Victim. 

Standing at the foot of the cross, we see Jesus' head, hands, feet, and side pouring out streams of precious blood. It is precious because it: 

•      Redeems us and atones for our sins. Through His precious blood we are reconciled to God, made one with Him. Death ceases to be death and heaven's gates are opened to us.  

•      Cleanses us from all sin.  

•      Preserves us and keeps us safe from the grasp of evil.  When the Father sees us washed in the Blood of the Lamb we are spared.  

•      Comforts us. It is the constant reminder that Jesus - true God and true man suffered and died to save us and to open heaven to us because He loves us.  

•      Sanctifies us.  The same blood that justifies by taking away sin, continues to work within us.  Its action gives us the grace to continue on the path toward the Kingdom of God.  It assists us in achieving our new nature, leading us onward in subduing sin and in following the commands of God.  

Jesus shed His precious blood seven times during His life on earth.  They events were: 

•      Jesus shed His Blood in the Circumcision  

•      Jesus shed His Blood whilst praying in the Garden of Olives  

•      Jesus shed His Blood in the scourging  

•      Jesus shed His Blood in the crowning with thorns  

•      Jesus shed His Blood while carrying His cross  

•      Jesus shed His Blood in the crucifixion  

•      Jesus shed His Blood and water when His side was pierced 

 

The Power of the Precious Blood 

"I adore You, O Precious Blood of Jesus, flower of creation, fruit of virginity, ineffable instrument of the Holy Spirit, and I rejoice at the thought that You came from the drop of virginal blood on which eternal Love impressed its movement; You were assumed by the Word and deified in His person. I am overcome with emotion when I think of Your passing from the Blessed Virgin's heart into the heart of the Word, and, being vivified by the breath of the Divinity, becoming adorable because You became the Blood of God." (St. Albert the Great)

 

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At their recent meeting, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had continuous Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for "healing and peace."   They encouraged parishes and communities to have ongoing Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  In these dark months of woundedness, pain and violence we need to turn to the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist, for healing, peace, and light.  

"What power we have in the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist!  He is there to protect us, to be our refuge and our redemption.  (In Exodus 12, God told Moses to have His chosen people mark their door posts with the blood of an unblemished lamb, during the first Passover. Those who did this were spared when the Angel of the death passed by). This is why Archbishop Sheen said that we must call down the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  For, he warned, when we stop calling down the Blood of the Lamb, we start calling down the blood of each other."  (From our book Bread of Life)      

"And the Lamb on the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water" (Rev 7:17). 

"In the tumultuous events of our time, it is important to look to the Eucharist: it must be at the heart of the life of priests and consecrated people; the light and strength of spouses in putting into practice their commitment to fidelity, chastity and the apostolate; the ideal in education and in training children, adolescents and young people; the comfort and support of those who are troubled, of the sick and all who are weeping in the Gethsemane of life."  (Pope John Paul II)  

Precious Blood of Jesus, save us! 

"The only time our Lord asked the Apostles for anything was the night when He went into His agony.  But as often in the history of the church since that time, evil was awake, but the disciples were asleep.  That is why there came out of His anguished and lonely Heart a sigh: 'Could you not watch one hour with Me?'" (Mt 26:40).  Not for an hour of activity did he plead, but for an hour of friendship (Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen).  

 

St. Maria Goretti,  Patroness of Youth & Children of Mary, Feast-July 6 St. Maria of Italy (1890-1902), couldn't wait to make her First Communion.  She wanted to receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist so that she could become more beautiful and pure like Him; she wanted Him to live in her, close to her heart.  After she received Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for the first time, she stayed in Church for a long time after Mass to talk to Him. Maria's family lived with and worked for a farmer. His son Alessandro kept trying to make Maria sin against purity.  One day, when everyone else was working, Alessandro grabbed Maria and tried to make her sin.  Maria kept crying out for him to stop, and each time she did, he stabbed her. Courageously,   Maria resisted him and was stabbed fourteen times. St. Maria died the next day.  

"Look at Maria Goretti....  Like her, be capable of defending your purity of heart and body.  Be committed to the struggle against evil and sin.  Always esteem and love, purity and virginity." (Pope John Paul II, 1990)      

 

A Prayer for Priests 

O 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 Eucharist is the fruit of our Lords Passion. Jesus gave up His Body on the cross so that He may give you His Body in the Holy Eucharist. Jesus poured out His very last drop of Blood on the cross so that He may fill you with His Divine Love each time that you receive Him in Holy Communion and visit Him in Eucharistic Adoration! 

"The Eucharist, in the Mass and outside of the Mass, is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and is therefore deserving of the worship that is given to the living God, and to Him alone" (Pope John Paul II, September 29, 1979, Phoenix Park, Ireland) 

"The bread and wine, fruit of human hands, transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit into the body and blood of Christ, become a pledge of the 'new heaven and new earth,' announced by the Church in her daily mission." "In Christ, whom we adore present in the mystery of the Eucharist, the father uttered his final word with regard to humanity and human history." "To live the Eucharist, it is necessary, as well, to spend much time in adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament, something which I myself experience every day drawing from it strength, consolation and assistance."  "How could the Church fulfill her vocation without cultivating a constant relationship with the Eucharist, without nourishing herself with this food which sanctifies, without founding her missionary activity on this indispensable support?" "To evangelize the world there is need of apostles who are 'experts' in the celebration, adoration and contemplation of the Eucharist" (Pope John Paul II, World Mission Message 2004).

 

The Power of the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist  

 

"The Precious Blood belongs in an especial manner to men. Much more, therefore, does God invite them to come to its heavenly baths, and receive therein, not only the cleansing of their souls, but the power of a new and amazing life. Every doctrine in theology is a call to the Precious Blood.  Every ceremony in the Church tells of it . . . .  Every supernatural act is a growth of it. Everything that is holy on earth is either a leaf, bud, blossom or fruit of the Blood of Jesus. To its fountains God calls the sinner, that he may be lightened of his burdens. There is no remission of him in anything else.  Only there is his lost sonship to be found. The saints are no less called by God to these invigorating streams. It is out of the Precious Blood that men draw martyrdoms, vocations, celebacies, austerities, heroic charities, and all the magnificent graces of high sanctity.  The secret nourishment of prayer is from those fountains" (Father Faber, The Precious Blood).  

 

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

"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you"  (Jn 6:53).  

[Salvation]

July 2014

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.

[Salvation]

Daily Gospel Commentary

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

Commentary of the day
Saint Gregory of Nyssa (c.335-395), monk and Bishop
Catechetical Discourse 23-26 ; SC 453

"Although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike"

The fact that the all-powerful God has been able to humble himself even to the humility of the human condition constitutes a greater proof than the impact and supernatural character of miracles. Indeed, when divine power effects something of great sublimity this is, after a fashion, in conformity with and appropriate to God’s nature… On the other hand, that God descended even to our lowliness is, in a certain way, the expression of an overwhelming power that is not in the least restrained by what is contrary to its nature…

Neither the expanse of the heavens, the brightness of the stars, the governing of the universe, nor the harmony of created things reveal the splendid power of God so much as his indulgence, which leads him to lower himself to the weakness of our nature… God’s goodness, wisdom, justice and power are revealed in his plans on our behalf: goodness in his will to “save that which was lost” (Lk 19,10); wisdom and justice in his manner of saving us; power in the fact that Christ became “in the likeness of men” (Phil 2,7-8) and made himself conformable to the humility of our nature.

[Salvation]

Zenit.org

'Little Ones' Are Not the Simple-Minded; They Are the Humble-Wise

Lectio Divina: 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Paris, July 06, 2014 (Zenit.org) Monsignor Francesco Follo |

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A - July 6, 2014

Roman Rite
Zec 9:9-10; Rm 8,9.11-13; Mt 11,25-30

1) The gentle and humble[1] of heart.
           After the journey of Lent and the Passion (the Way of the Cross) and Easter (the Way of Light), after the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity (Communion of Love and Light) and of the Body of Christ (the gift of His life for us), the Liturgy takes us back to "ordinary time." The Liturgy offers us the Word of God so as to continue the journey began in January, inviting us to follow Jesus and to listen to what he has to say in today’s life.
     Christ’s words in today’s readings are truly comforting: "Come to me, tired and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls "(Mt 11, 29-30). To the humility of the incarnate Son of God we must respond with the humility of our faith. It is the humility to recognize that to live we need the merciful goodness of a God, who forgives every day. We become like Christ, the only One perfect to the greatest extent, possible, when we, imitating Him who is meek ​​and humble in heart, become like Him people of mercy.
     We must not, then, forget the words of the prophet Zechariah, ”Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the warrior’s bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth."(Zec 9:9-10 - first reading of today's Mass). These are words that frame those of Jesus in today’s reading as well as those of the beatitude when He says, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth" (Mt 5:5). If we keep this beatitude joined to the invitation: "Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart" (Mt 11, 29), we infer that the beatitudes are not only a good ethics program that the master designs for his followers, but are also the self-portrait of Jesus.  He is the true poor, the meek, the pure of heart and the persecuted for justice. He is the real king of peace that restores his subjects and protects them with the scepter of the Cross, scepter of powerful gentleness.
     In fact, the higher test of the kingly meekness of Christ is his passion. No wrath, no threat: "Outraged did not revile, and suffering did not threaten" (1 Peter 2: 23). This side of the person of Christ was so stamped in the memory of his disciples that Paul, wanting to beg the Corinthians for something dear and sacred, writes to them: "I beseech you for the kindness and gentleness of Christ" (2 Cor 10 , 1). But Jesus did much more than give us an example of heroic meekness and patience.  He made meekness the sign of true greatness. This will no longer mean to raise oneself lonely above the crowd, but to serve and uplift others. On the Cross, Saint Augustine says, he reveals that the real victory does not consist in making victims, but in being a victim, " Winner because victim (Victor quia victima)" (Confessions, 10, 43).

2) Humble of heart.
     In a world where everyone says that we should always come forward, the Gospel invites us to step back. "Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and here you will find rest for your souls" (Mt 11, 29). "Gentle and humble" are two terms that Jesus applies to himself. And rightly so, because they indicate his attitude toward God and toward men, an attitude of confidence, obedience, and docility toward God and an attitude of welcoming, patience, discretion, availability, forgiveness and even service toward men. Even the addition “of heart” is not without importance: it indicates that the availability of Jesus – to the Father and to the brothers and sisters - is rooted deeply in his heart and involves his entire Being.
     It’s true that for man humility, as well as poverty, seems a condition for having a relationship with God, moreover it is the essential condition to live it. But, as St. Francis of Assisi had sensed, it is equally true that humility is a characteristic of God.
     When a human being kneels before God, the Lord of heaven, that is not humility, it's just realism. When God bends over the sick and the sinner, when he bows down to wash the feet of man, this is divine humility. By becoming incarnate, the Son of God does not deny his infinite dignity but manifests it in a sublime way, delicate and full of love. God bows down to give himself totally to man and to save him. He becomes "nothing" so that man can be everything.
     This did not happen only once, more than two thousand years ago. It takes place every time he makes himself present in the Mass under the species of bread and wine to donate himself, to be eaten. Mass finds its completion in the Eucharistic Communion in which He totally gives himself so to disappear for each of us and for all of us.
     God is humility because He is love, teaches St. Francis of Assisi, who knew God in a sublime way because he had experience of Him and because in the Church he meditated the Holy Scriptures. In fact, already in the Old Testament God says that "He (God) delights himself in being with the children of men." Let’s think of the joy of the Father in being in the heart of Jesus. Let’s also think of the joy of Jesus for the fact that God has been pleased to conceal his greatness to the big ones so as to reveal it to the little and the forgotten ones, to the point of becoming guarantor of our poor fragile human life and suffer its fate. St. Paul refers to this mystery when he says: " Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness and found human in appearance…Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name*that is above every name” (Phil. 2, 6-9). Here is the humility of God: his Condescension in what is nothing before him and that is made possible only because he is the Almighty. Here is the humility of Jesus Christ: "Even he, the Son of God, is lowered to receive the love of the Father" (Pope Francis, homily of June 27, 2014).
     In short, the Christian love, the love that the life of Jesus brings and that, according to St. John, is God himself, rests on humility.

3) Humility, foundation of spiritual life.
     Let’s finish by mentioning the fact that humility is the foundation of spiritual life in particular for the consecrated Virgins.
     Spiritual life always involves the feeling of being nothing in front of God, a nothing that does not exclude the fact that the creature exists. It excludes, however, every feeling of opposition, every feeling of otherness, every feeling that gives a man the consciousness of being something independent from Him and not in Him and for Him. The creature for all that she is, is from God and in God.
      Therefore with the recognition of God as the Lord, a certain annihilation of our inner self is implied. In the infinite light of God, man disappears like the sun that as soon as it is high above the horizon, eclipses the stars.
     God reveals himself to us through creation, but his most perfect revelation is Jesus Christ. And Christ for Saint Francis of Assisi is humility. He cannot recover from the astonishment caused by his contemplation of the Christian mystery as a mystery of supreme humility: the humility of Christ in His birth, in His Passion and in the Eucharist.
     The consecrated Virgins together with the Virgin Mary, model of discipleship and consecration, grow with special affection and devotion the humble filial confidence, the intercessory prayer and the contemplation of the mysteries of her Son Jesus. They testify in the Church that the fidelity of the Christian has his role in the faithfulness of God, who manifests the humility of his heart. Jesus didn’t come to conquer men as the kings and the powerful of this world, but came to offer love with meekness and humility.
     These women let themselves to be enveloped by the humble faithfulness and gentleness of Christ, the revelation of the Father's mercy. Their vocation is to serve God in the world with humble courage and with all the strength of their heart.

--

                                                             Spiritual reading
                                                           St. Francis of Assisi
                                     Letter to the General Chapter and to all the Friars

In lieu of the patristic reading  this time I’m  proposing one of the most beautiful texts of the Franciscan writings;

“Consider your dignity, brothers, priests, and be holy because He Himself is holy. And as    the Lord God has honored you above all through this mystery, even so do you also love and reverence and honor Him above all. It is a great misery and a deplorable weakness when you have Him thus present to care for anything else in the whole world. Let the entire man be seized with fear; let the whole world tremble; let heaven exult when Christ, the Son of the Living God, is on the altar in the hands of the priest. O admirable height and stupendous condescension!

O humble sublimity! O sublime humility! That the Lord of the universe, God and the Son of God, so humbles Himself that for our salvation He hides Himself under a morsel of bread. Consider, brothers, the humility of God and "pour out your hearts before Him, and be ye humbled that ye may be exalted by Him.  Do not therefore keep back anything for yourselves that He may receive you entirely who gives Himself up entirely to you.”

--

[1] To find out who are the gentle and humble that Jesus called blessed, it is useful to briefly review the various terms with which the word humble (praeis) is rendered in modern translations. The Italian has two terms mite and mansueto. The latter is also the term used in the Spanish translations, los mansos, the meek. In French the word is translated as doux, those who possess the virtue of gentleness. (There is not a specific term in French to say meekness, in the "Dictionnaire de spiritualité" this virtue is under the word douceur, sweetness).
In German there are different translations. Luther translated the term as Sanftmuetigen, mild and meek. In the ecumenical translation of the Bible, Bibel Einheits, the meek are those who do not act violently - die keine Gewalt anwenden- therefore the non-violent. Some authors emphasize the objective and sociological dimension and translate praeis with Machtlosen, the helpless, the powerless. The English usually translate praeis with gentle, introducing the gradient of kindness and courtesy.
Each of these translations highlights a true but partial component of the beatitude. We must keep them together and not isolate any to get an idea of the richness of the original term of the Gospel. Two constant associations in the Bible and in ancient Christian exhortation, help to grasp the "full meaning" of gentleness, one links gentleness to humility, the other gentleness to patience. The first association highlights the interior dispositions from which gentleness flows, the other the attitudes that we must have towards others: gentleness and kindness. These are the same traits that the Apostle emphasizes speaking of charity: "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury  (1 Cor 13: 4-5)T

(July 06, 2014) © Innovative Media Inc.

[Salvation]

Arlington Catholic Herald

GOSPEL COMMENTARY MT 11: 25-30

Transparent liars

Fr. Jerry Pokorsky

 

The effects of original sin abound. Walking to the church one Sunday, I came across a mother with an unruly baby in her arms near one of the exits. Her two-year-old son was also standing at her side. On my shoulder I had placed a lightweight tree branch that had fallen, intending to toss it behind the church. I jokingly asked the two-year-old, “Did you break this branch?” The child’s response was immediate and exculpatory: “No, (pointing to his baby brother) Jason did it.” The lie (or perhaps merely a stated conclusion of faulty childish logic) was transparent and very amusing. I was amused. Mom wasn’t. Parents know that cute kids, without parental vigilance and gentle correction, quickly become not-so-cute in habitual misbehavior. My chuckles for the moment would need to be suppressed.

The customary interpretation of Christ’s teaching, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3), is that we must become “childlike but not childish.” Christ seems to be referring to a child’s lack of adults’ crusty cynicism and negativity, the openness to goodness and truth, the ability to accept the almost unbelievable extent of God’s mercy, generosity and love Jesus is telling of. So it’s a convenient and reasonably satisfying distinction, but upon reflection it may be helpful to reconsider. In Sunday’s Gospel, Christ similarly teaches, “for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones.” What is it about being “childlike” and perhaps even a bit “childish” that prepares us to receive and live a life of faith and goodness?

Little children are capable of lying easily and blatantly or wildly misunderstanding the world around them. They might deny snitching cookies, for example, even when the cookie crumbs grace their tiny lips. This transparency of children may be one key to understanding these words of Christ. Unlike many adults, little children are usually not good liars. When they lie, they likely know they are lying (provided, of course, they know that what they’re saying is false). We know they are lying. And it’s a good guess they know we know they are lying.

One day in the parish school, I asked the children preparing for first penance if they knew, before they learned the Ten Commandments, that disobeying mom and dad, lying, cheating and throwing temper tantrums were wrong. They all agreed, affirming the teaching of St. Paul — and St. Thomas Aquinas — that the Commandments are written on our hearts as the “natural moral law.” So if we already know what’s wrong, why must we learn the Ten Commandments? A thoughtful child answered correctly: “To remind us.”

The seeds of bad habits and narcissism (and other psychological disorders, some of which may be rooted in habitual sin) have not yet come to full bloom in a child. This is why healthy and straightforward Christian formation at a very young age not only is relatively easy to sustain by churchgoing Catholic families, but is so necessary for character development. The dandelion sprouts of venial sin have not yet sunk deep, making it possible to root out the weeds of sin before they blossom into hardness of heart (to press a metaphor). Hence, in our parish (and in many parishes), the priests hear the confessions of the school children monthly during the school year, helping to direct them to a life of virtue.

A child usually has a simple view of morality. After hearing a heartfelt confession of sin, I often encourage the child by suggesting he knows something that many adults do not know, or refuse to know: the difference between right and wrong. For as we get older, we tend to convince ourselves that the norms of right and wrong blur and become much more complicated in a “complex and technological” world. This may be true with respect to the great questions of war and peace and economics. But it is not true with respect to the everyday rules of morality that form the foundation of our character, both personally and culturally. We never grow out of the need to abide by the Ten Commandments.

If little children at times transparently attempt to deceive their elders, they do not seem to deceive themselves and are responsive to prudent correction. But grown-ups frequently cultivate the delicate crafts of self-deception and denying personal responsibility for evil. Indeed, as we grow older and become more settled in our habits, we need increasing measures of God’s grace to recognize our sins, anesthetized away as we make them by adult rationalizations and self-justifications. This is why a priest greets the penitent with an invocation, “May the Lord who has enlightened every heart help you to know your sins and trust in His mercy.”

In our day, as in every age, we need to be reminded of how readily God’s wisdom is received by children. God’s law is not complicated, nor is it difficult to grasp or understand, if we open our hearts with childlike simplicity. Even sinning with a childlike simplicity without self-deception has its merits, provided we respond as children, accept correction and repent. A child has a sense of freedom and security within a loving family. By becoming childlike, even childish, in the presence of Christ, a path to happiness opens as true children of God.

Nevertheless, lest we become too sentimental with childish things, we might all agree the face of a child can say it all — especially the mouth part of the face.

Fr. Pokorsky is pastor of St. Michael Church in Annandale.

[Salvation]

The Work of God

Year A  -  14th Sunday in ordinary time

I am gentle and humble of Heart

Matthew 11:25-30

25 At that time Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants;
26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (NRSV)

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

My wisdom is not to be wasted in the minds of the proud. It is a very delicate, yet powerful gift that I give to the humble, yes to the little ones of my kingdom.

Who can be little but the wise man that follows the words of John the Baptist,“ I must decrease so that the Lord may increase.” And how can you decrease unless you empty yourself of your self-love and your egoism?

I am here to teach you my child. What really matters is not what you think of yourself, but what I think of you.

Your self-opinion is full of pride and arrogance, because you always think of yourself as being better than others. In the spiritual life, no one must claim credit for anything at all. If you really give yourself to me, it will not be you yourself acting and working in my kingdom, it will be I myself acting through you and directing your life and your work for the Glory of God. Therefore you will be deprived of your credit since all credit must be given to the one guiding you. However this is the part that humbles you and makes you little, when you can give all the power, the honor and the glory to the Lord your God and when you deprive yourself of honor and material rewards here, to start making your treasure in heaven.

In order to know me, you must know yourself first. You must understand that you are a sinner and depend totally on my mercy and grace. You must descend into your nothingness in order to perceive the heights of my being. You must see very clearly your own darkness in order to be able to see my light. You must become a nothing so that I can make you something, because when you think you are something I think of you as a nothing.

The spiritual life is like when you are climbing a ladder, the higher you are, the more dangerous will be your fall, and unless you remain humble and let me help you to ascend, you will always remain down.

Come to me accepting that you are heavily burdened, this way I can help you and give you rest. Do not be over confident about your self; choose to work for your salvation with fear and trembling as Saint Paul advises you.

Salvation is not something that you can accomplish by yourself; it is my work for you. So come humbly before me your Lord and Savior, let me work in your life, let me take you by the hand and guide you, let me be your company, until you find your self in my eternal presence.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

[Salvation]

Archdiocese of Washington

Stop Yoking Around: A Homily for the 14th Sunday of the Year

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

We who live the West live in a time and place where almost every burden of manual labor has been eliminated. Not only that, but creature comforts abound in almost endless number and variety. Everything from air conditioning to hair conditioning, from fast food to 4G internet, from indoor plumbing to outdoor grilling, from instant computer downloads to instant coffee machines. You don’t even have to write a letter anymore; just press send and it’s there. Yet despite all this, it would seem we modern Westerners still keenly experience life’s burdens, for recourse to psychotherapy and psychotropic drugs is widespread.

It is increasingly clear that serenity is an inside job. Merely improving the outside and amassing creature comforts is not enough. A large fluffy pillow may cushion the body (until we get bored with it), but apparently not the soul.

Today, Jesus wants to work on the inside just a bit and presents us a teaching on being increasingly freed of our burdens. He doesn’t promise a trouble-free life, but if we will let Him go to work, we can grow in freedom and serenity. Jesus gives a threefold teaching on how we can experience greater serenity and freedom from our burdens. We do this by filiation, imitation, and simplification.

I. Filiation – The Gospel today opens with these words: At that time Jesus exclaimed:  “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father.  No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Note how Jesus contrasts the “wise and learned” with the “little ones.” And in so doing Jesus commends to us a childlike simplicity before our heavenly Father, our Abba, our “Daddy-God.” This is the experience of divine filiation, of being a child of God, of being one of God’s “little ones.” The wise, learned, and clever often miss what God is trying to do and say, and because of this, they are anxious and stressful.

It is possible for a person to study a great deal, but if he doesn’t pray (if he doesn’t go before God like a little child), he isn’t going to get very far. The Greek word translated here as “revealed” is  ἀπεκάλυψας (apekalupsas) which more literally means “to unveil.” And only God can take away the veil, and He only does so for the humble and simple. Thus Jesus commends to our understanding the need for childlike simplicity and prayerful humility.

Half of our problems in life and 80% of the cause of our burdensome stress is that we think too much and pray too little. We have big brains and small hearts; and so we struggle to understand God instead of trusting him. Though our reason is our crowning glory, we must never forget how to be a little child in the presence of God our Father. No matter how much we think we know, it really isn’t very much. Jesus’ first teaching is filiation, embracing a childlike simplicity before our Daddy-God.

What does it mean to be childlike? Consider how humble little children are. They are always asking why and are unashamed to admit that they do not know. Children are also filled with wonder and awe; they are fascinated by the littlest as well as the biggest things. Children know they depend on their parents and instinctively run to them at any sign of trouble, or when they have been hurt. They trust their parents. Not only that, but they ask for everything; they are always seeking, asking, and knocking.

And thus Jesus teaches us that the first step to lessening our burdens is to have a childlike simplicity with the Father wherein we are humble before Him, acknowledge our need for Him, and recognize our dependence on Him for everything. He teaches us to have a simplicity that is humble enough to admit we don’t know much and want to learn from Him, a wonder and awe in all that God has done, and an instinct to run to God in every danger, or when we are hurt and in trouble.  Above all, Jesus teaches us by this image to grow each day in our trust of Abba, and to have the confidence to ask Him for everything we need. The Book of James says, You have not because you ask not (4:2). An old spiritual says, I love the Lord; he heard my cry; and pitied every groan. Long as I live and troubles rise; I’ll hasten to his throne.

Yes, run! Run with childlike simplicity and trust.

So here is the first teaching of Jesus on letting go of our burdens: grow in childlike simplicity and trust before God our loving Father and Abba.

II. Imitation - The text says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest … for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. Jesus commends to us two characteristics of Himself that, if we embrace them, will give us rest and relief from our burdens. He says He is meek and humble of heart. Let’s look at both.

What does it mean to be meek? The Greek word is πραΰς (praus) and there is some debate as to how it is best interpreted. Simply looking at it as a Greek word, we can see that Aristotle defined “praotes” (meekness) as the mean, or middle ground, between too much anger and not enough anger. Hence the meek are those who have authority over their anger.

However, many biblical scholars think that Jesus uses this word most often as a synonym for being “poor in spirit.” And what does it mean to be poor in spirit? It means to be humble and dependent on God. By extension it means that our treasure is not here. We are poor to this world, and our treasure is with God and the things awaiting us in heaven. And here is a source of serenity for us, for when we become poor to this world, when we become less obsessed with success, power, and possessions, many of our anxieties go away. To the poor in spirit, the wealth of this world is as nothing. You can’t steal from a man who has nothing. A poor man is less anxious because he has less to lose and less at stake. He is free from this world’s obsessions and from the fears and burdens they generate. And so Jesus calls us to accept His example and the growing experience in us of being poor in spirit.

Jesus also says that He is humble of heart. The Greek word here is ταπεινός (tapeinos) meaning lowly or humble and referring to one who depends on the Lord rather than himself. We have already discussed this at length above. But simply note here that the Lord Jesus is inviting us to learn this from Him and to receive it as a gift. The Lord can do this for us. And if we will learn it from Him and receive it, so many of our burdens and anxieties will be lifted.

Here then is the second teaching, which Jesus offers us so that we will see life’s burdens lessened. He teaches us to learn from Him and receive from Him the gifts to be poor in spirit and humble of heart. The serenity that comes from embracing these grows with each day, for this world no longer has its shackles on us. It cannot intimidate us, for its wealth and power do not entice us, and we do not fear their loss. We learn to trust that God will see us through and provide us with what we need.

III. Simplification – The text says, Take my yoke upon you … For my yoke is easy, and my burden light. The most important word in this sentence is “my.” Jesus says, MY yoke is easy, MY burden is light.

What is a yoke? Essentially “yoke” is used here as a euphemism for the cross. A yoke is a wooden truss that makes it easier to carry a heavy load by distributing the weight along a wider part of the body or by causing the weight to be shared by two or more people or animals. In the picture at left, the woman is able to carry the heavy water more easily with the weight across her shoulders rather than in the narrow section of her hands. This eases the load by involving the whole body more evenly. Yokes are also used to join two animals and help them work together in pulling a load.

What is Jesus saying? First, He is saying that He has a yoke for us. That is, He has a cross for us. Notice that  Jesus is NOT saying that there is no yoke or cross or burden in following Him. There is a cross that He allows, for a reason and for a season.

Easy? But Jesus says the cross HE has for us is “easy.” Now the Greek word χρηστὸς (chrestos) is better translated “well fitting,” “suitable,” or even “useful.” In effect, the Lord is saying that the yoke He has for us is suited to us, is well fitting, and has been carefully chosen so as to be useful for us. God knows we need some crosses in order to grow. He knows what those crosses are, what we can bear, and what we are ready for. Yes, His yoke for us is well fitting.

But note again that little word, “my.” The cross or yoke Jesus has for us is well suited and useful for us. The problem comes when we start adding to that weight with things of our own doing. We put wood upon our own shoulders that God never put there and never intended for us. We make decisions without asking God. We undertake projects, launch careers, accept promotions, even enter marriages without ever discerning if God wants this for us. And sure enough, before long our life is complicated and burdensome and we feel pulled in eight directions. But this is not the “my yoke” of Jesus; this is largely the yoke of our own making. Of course it is not easy or well fitting; Jesus didn’t make it.

Don’t blame God; simplify. Be very careful before accepting commitments and making big decisions. Ask God. It may be good, but not for you. It may help others, but destroy you. Seek the Lord’s will. If necessary, seek advice from a spiritually mature person. Consider your state in life; consider the tradeoffs. Balance the call to be generous with the call to proper stewardship of your time, talent, and treasure. Have proper priorities. It is amazing how many people put their career before their vocation. They take promotions, accept special assignments, and think more of money and advancement than their spouse and children. Sure enough, the burdens increase and the load gets heavy when we don’t ask God or even consider how a proposed course of action might affect the most precious and important things in our lives.

Stop “yoking around.” Jesus’ final advice, then, is “Take MY yoke … only my yoke. Forsake all others. Simplify.” So stop yoking around. Take only His yoke. If you do, your burdens will be lighter.  Jesus says, “Come and learn from me. I will not put heavy burdens on you. I will set your heart on fire with love. And then, whatever I do have for you, will be a pleasure for you to do. Because, what makes the difference is love.” Love lightens every load.

Image Credits:

Above right From Goodsalt.com Used with Permission.

Picture of Yoke from Seneca Creek Joinery

 

 

This video says we do need a yoke; God is preparing us to cross over to glory.