Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 09-04-14

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 5
1.	AND it came to pass, that when the multitudes pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Genesareth,	Factum est autem, cum turbæ irruerunt in eum ut audirent verbum Dei, et ipse stabat secus stagnum Genesareth.	εγενετο δε εν τω τον οχλον επικεισθαι αυτω του ακουειν τον λογον του θεου και αυτος ην εστως παρα την λιμνην γεννησαρετ
2.	And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.	Et vidit duas naves stantes secus stagnum : piscatores autem descenderant, et lavabant retia.	και ειδεν δυο πλοια εστωτα παρα την λιμνην οι δε αλιεις αποβαντες απ αυτων απεπλυναν τα δικτυα
3.	And going into one of the ships that was Simon's, he desired him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting he taught the multitudes out of the ship.	Ascendens autem in unam navim, quæ erat Simonis, rogavit eum a terra reducere pusillum. Et sedens docebat de navicula turbas.	εμβας δε εις εν των πλοιων ο ην του σιμωνος ηρωτησεν αυτον απο της γης επαναγαγειν ολιγον και καθισας εδιδασκεν εκ του πλοιου τους οχλους
4.	Now when he had ceased to speak, he said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.	Ut cessavit autem loqui, dixit ad Simonem : Duc in altum, et laxate retia vestra in capturam.	ως δε επαυσατο λαλων ειπεν προς τον σιμωνα επαναγαγε εις το βαθος και χαλασατε τα δικτυα υμων εις αγραν
5.	And Simon answering said to him: Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing: but at thy word I will let down the net.	Et respondens Simon, dixit illi : Præceptor, per totam noctem laborantes nihil cepimus : in verbo autem tuo laxabo rete.	και αποκριθεις ο σιμων ειπεν αυτω επιστατα δι ολης της νυκτος κοπιασαντες ουδεν ελαβομεν επι δε τω ρηματι σου χαλασω το δικτυον
6.	And when they had done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net broke.	Et cum hoc fecissent, concluserunt piscium multitudinem copiosam : rumpebatur autem rete eorum.	και τουτο ποιησαντες συνεκλεισαν πληθος ιχθυων πολυ διερρηγνυτο δε το δικτυον αυτων
7.	And they beckoned to their partners that were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were almost sinking.	Et annuerunt sociis, qui erant in alia navi, ut venirent, et adjuvarent eos. Et venerunt, et impleverunt ambas naviculas, ita ut pene mergerentur.	και κατενευσαν τοις μετοχοις τοις εν τω ετερω πλοιω του ελθοντας συλλαβεσθαι αυτοις και ηλθον και επλησαν αμφοτερα τα πλοια ωστε βυθιζεσθαι αυτα
8.	Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.	Quod cum vidisset Simon Petrus, procidit ad genua Jesu, dicens : Exi a me, quia homo peccator sum, Domine.	ιδων δε σιμων πετρος προσεπεσεν τοις γονασιν ιησου λεγων εξελθε απ εμου οτι ανηρ αμαρτωλος ειμι κυριε
9.	For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken.	Stupor enim circumdederat eum, et omnes qui cum illo erant, in captura piscium, quam ceperant :	θαμβος γαρ περιεσχεν αυτον και παντας τους συν αυτω επι τη αγρα των ιχθυων η συνελαβον
10.	And so were also James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. And Jesus saith to Simon: Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men.	similiter autem Jacobum et Joannem, filios Zebedæi, qui erunt socii Simonis. Et ait ad Simonem Jesus : Noli timere : ex hoc jam homines eris capiens.	ομοιως δε και ιακωβον και ιωαννην υιους ζεβεδαιου οι ησαν κοινωνοι τω σιμωνι και ειπεν προς τον σιμωνα ο ιησους μη φοβου απο του νυν ανθρωπους εση ζωγρων
11.	And having brought their ships to land, leaving all things, they followed him.	Et subductis ad terram navibus, relictis omnibus, secuti sunt eum.	και καταγαγοντες τα πλοια επι την γην αφεντες απαντα ηκολουθησαν αυτω

1. And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
2. And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
3. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

AMBROSE; When the Lord had performed many and various kinds of cures, the multitude began to heed neither time nor place in their desire to be healed. The evening came, they followed; a lake is before them, they still press on; as it is said, And it came to pass, as the people pressed upon him.

CHRYS. For they clung to Him with love and admiration, and longed to keep Him with them. For who would depart while He performed such miracles? who would not be content to see only His face, and the mouth that uttered such things? Nor as performing miracles only was He an object of admiration, but His whole appearance was overflowing with grace. Therefore when He speaks, they listen to Him in silence, interrupting not the chain of His discourse; for it is said, that they might hear the word of God, &c. It follows, And he stood near the lake of Gennesaret.

THEOPHYL; The lake of Gennesaret is said to be the same as the sea of Galilee or the sea of Tiberias; but it is called the sea of Galilee from the adjacent province, the sea of Tiberias from a neighboring city. Gennesaret, however, is the name given it from the nature of the lake itself, (which is thought from its crossing waves to raise a breeze upon itself,) being the Greek expression for "making a breeze to itself." For the water is not steady like that of a lake, but constantly agitated by the breezes blowing over it. It is sweet to the taste, and wholesome to drink. In the Hebrew tongue, any extent of water, whether it be sweet or salt, is called a sea.

THEOPHYL. But the Lord seeks to avoid glory the more it followed Him, and therefore separating Himself from the multitude, He entered into a ship, as it is said, And he saw two ships standing near the lake: but the Fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

CHRYS. This was a sign of leisure, but according to Matthew He finds them mending their nets. For so great was their poverty, that they patched up their old nets, not being able to buy new ones. But our Lord was very desirous to collect the multitudes, that none might remain behind, but they might all behold Him face to face; He therefore enters into a ship, as it is said, And he entered into a ship, which was Simon's, and prayed him.

THEOPHYL. Behold the gentleness of Christ; He asks Peter; and the willingness of Peter, who was obedient in all things.

CHRYS. After having performed many miracles, He again commences His teaching, and being on the sea, He fishes for those who were on the shore. Hence it follows, And he sat down and taught the people out of the ship.

GREG. NAZ. Condescending to all, in order that He might draw forth a fish from the deep, i.e. man swimming in Or the ever changing scenes and bitter storms of this life.

THEOPHYL; Now mystically, the two ships represent circumcision and uncircumcision. The Lord sees these, because in each people He knows who are His, and by seeing, i.e. by a merciful visitation, He brings them nearer the tranquillity of the life to come. The fishermen are the doctors of the Church, because by the net of faith they catch us, and bring us as it were ashore to the land of the living. But these nets are at one time spread out for catching fish, at another washed and folded up. For every time is not fitted for teaching, but at one time the teacher must speak with the tongue, and at another time we must discipline ourselves. The ship of Simon is the primitive Church, of which St. Paul says, He that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of circumcision. The ship is well called one, for in the multitude of believers there was one heart and one soul.

AUG. From which ship He taught the multitude, for by the authority of the Church He teaches the Gentiles. But the Lord entering the ship, and asking Peter to put off a little from the land, signifies that we must be moderate in our words to the multitude, that they may be neither taught earthly things, nor from earthly things rush into the depths of the sacraments. Or, the Gospel must first be preached to the neighboring countries of the Gentiles, that (as He afterwards says, Launch out into the deep) He might command it to be preached afterwards to the more distant nations.

4. Now when he had left speaking, he said to Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5. And Simon answering said to him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at your word I will let down the net.
6. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net broke.
7. And they beckoned to their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

CYRIL; Having sufficiently taught the people, He returns again to His mighty works, and by the employment of fishing fishes for His disciples. Hence it follows, When he had left off speaking, he said to Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

CHRYS. For in His condescension to men, He called the wise men by a star, the fishermen by their art of fishing.

THEOPHYL. Peter did not refuse to comply, as it follows, And Simon answering said to him, Master, we have toiled all night and have taken nothing. He did not go on to say, "I will not hearken to you, nor expose myself to additional labor," but rather adds, Nevertheless, at your word I will let down the net. But our Lord, since he had taught the people out of the ship, left not the master of the ship without reward, but conferred on him a double kindness, giving him first a multitude of fishes, and next making him His disciple:

as it follows, And when they had done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes. They took so many fishes that they could not pull them out, but sought the assistance of their companions;

as it follows, But their net broke, and they beckoned to their partners who were in the other ship to come, &c. Peter summons them by a sign, being unable to speak from astonishment at the draught of fishes. We next hear of their assistance, And they came and filled both the ships.

AUG. John seems indeed to speak of a similar miracle, but this is very different from the one he mentions. That took place after our Lord's resurrection at the lake of Tiberias, and not only the time, but the miracle itself is very different. For in the latter the nets being let down on the right side took one hundred and fifty-three fishes, and these of large size, which it was necessary for the Evangelist to mention, because though so large the nets were not broken, and this would seem to have reference to the event which Luke relates, when from the multitude of the fishes the nets were broken.

AMBROSE; Now in a mystery, the ship of Peter, according to Matthew, is beaten about by the waves, according to Luke, is filled with fishes, in order that you might understand the Church at first wavering, at last abounding. The ship is not shaken which holds Peter; that is which holds Judas. In each was Peter; but he who trusts in his own merits is disquieted by another's. Let us beware then of a traitor, lest through one we should many of us be tossed about. Trouble is found there where faith is weak, safety here where love is perfect. Lastly, though to others it is commanded, Let down your nets, to Peter alone it is said, Launch out into the deep, i.e. into deep researches. What is so deep, as the knowledge of the Son of God! But what are the nets of the Apostles which are ordered to be let down, but the interweaving of words and certain folds, as it were, of speech, and intricacies of argument, which never let those escape whom they have once caught. And rightly are nets the Apostolical instruments for fishing, which kill not the fish that are caught, but keep them safe, and bring up those that are tossing about in the waves from the depths below to the regions above. But he says, Master, we have toiled the whole night and have caught nothing; for this is not the work of human eloquence but the gift of divine calling. But they who had before caught nothing, at the word of the Lord enclosed a great multitude of fishes.

CYRIL; Now this was a figure of the future. For they will not labor in vain who let down the net of evangelical doctrine, but will gather together the shoals of the Gentiles.

AUG. Now the circumstance of the nets breaking, and the ships being filled with the multitude of fishes that they began to sink, signifies that there will be in the Church so great a multitude of carnal men, that unity will be broken up, and it will be split into heresies and schisms.

THEOPHYL; The net is broken, but the fish escape not, for the Lord preserves His own amid the violence of persecutors.

AMBROSE; But the other ship is Judea, out of which James and John are chosen. These then came from the synagogue to the ship of Peter in the Church, that they might fill both ships. For at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, whether Jew or Greek.

THEOPHYL; Or the other ship is the Church of the Gentiles, which itself also (one ship being not sufficient) is filled with chosen fishes. For the Lord knows who are His, and with Him the number of His elect is sure. And when He finds not in Judea so many believers as He knows are destined to eternal life, He seeks as it were another ship to receive His fishes, and fills the hearts of the Gentiles also with the grace of faith. And well when the net brake did they call to their assistance the ship of their companions, since the traitor Judas, Simon Magus, Ananias and Sapphira, and many of the disciples, went back. And then Barnabas and Paul were separated for the Apostleship of the Gentiles.

AMBROSE; We may understand also by the other ship another Church, since from one Church several are derived.

CYRIL; But Peter beckons to his companions to help them. For many follow the labors of the Apostles, and first those who brought out the writings of the Gospels, next to whom are the other heads and shepherds of the Gospel, and those skilled in the teaching of the truth.

THEOPHYL; But the filling of these ships goes on until the end of the world. But the fact that the ships, when filled, begin to sink, i.e. become weighed low down in the water; (for they are not sunk, but are in great danger,) the Apostle explains when he says, In the last days perilous times shall come; men shall be lovers of their own selves, &c. For the sinking of the ships is when men, by vicious habits, fall back into that world from which they have been elected by faith.

8. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
9. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
10. And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not; from henceforth you shall catch men.
11. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

THEOPHYL; Peter was astonished at the divine gift, and the more he feared, the less did he now presume; as it is said, When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

CYRIL; For calling back to his consciousness the crimes he had committed, he is alarmed and trembles, and as being unclean, he believes it impossible he can receive Him who is clean, for he had learnt from the law to distinguish between what is defiled and holy.

GREG. NYSS. When Christ commanded to let down the nets, the multitude of the fishes taken was just as great as the Lord of the sea and land willed. For the voice of the Word is the voice of power, at whose bidding at the beginning of the world light and the other creatures came forth. At these things Peter wonders, for he was astonished, and all that were with him, &c.

AUG. He does not mention Andrew by name, who however is thought to have been in that ship, according to the accounts of Matthew and Mark. It follows, And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not.

AMBROSE; Say you also, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord, that God may answer, Fear not. Confess your sin, and the Lord will pardon you. See how good the Lord is, who gives so much to men, that they have the power of making alive. As it follows, From henceforth you shall catch men.

THEOPHYL; This especially belongs to Peter himself, for the Lord explains to him what this taking of fish means; that in fact as now he takes fishes by the net, so hereafter he will catch men by words. And the whole order of this event shows what is daily going on in the Church, of which Peter is the type.

CHRYS. But mark their faith and obedience. For though they were eagerly engaged in the employment of fishing, yet when they heard the command of Jesus, they delayed not, but forsook all and followed Him. Such is the obedience which Christ demands of us; we must not forego it, even though some great necessity urges us. Hence it follows, And having brought their ships to land.

AUG. Matthew and Mark here briefly state the matter, and how it was done. Luke explains it more at large. There seems however to be this difference, that he makes our Lord to have said to Peter only, From henceforth you shall catch men, whereas they related it as having been spoken to both the others. But surely it might have been said at first to Peter, when he marveled at the immense draught of fishes, as Luke suggests, and afterwards to both, as the other two have related it. Or we must understand the event to have taken place as Luke relates, and that the others were not then called by the Lord, but only it was foretold to Peter that he should catch men, not that he should no more be employed in fishing; and hence there is room for supposing that they returned to their fishing, so that afterwards that might happen which Matthew and Mark speak of. For then the ships were not brought to land, as if with the intention of returning, but they followed Him as calling or commanding them to come. But if according to John, Peter and Andrew followed Him close by Jordan, how do the other Evangelists say that He found them fishing in Galilee, and called them to the discipleship? Except we understand that they did not see the Lord near Jordan so as to join Him inseparably, but knew only who He was, and marveling at Him returned to their own.

AMBROSE; But mystically, those whom Peter takes by his word, he claims not as his own booty or his own gift. Depart, he says, from me, O Lord. Fear not then also to ascribe what is your own to the Lord, for what was His He has given to us.

AUG. Or, Peter speaks in the character of A the Church full of carnal men, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man. As if the Church, crowded with carnal men, and almost sunk by their vices, throws off from it, as it were, the rule in spiritual things, wherein the character of Christ chiefly shines forth. For not with the tongue do men tell the good servants of God that they should depart from them, but with the utterance of their deeds and actions they persuade them to go away, that they may not be governed by the good. And yet all the more anxiously do they hasten to pay honors to them, just as Peter testified his respect by falling at the feet of our Lord, but his conduct in saying, Depart from me.

THEOPHYL; But the Lord allays the fears of carnal men, that no one trembling at the consciousness of his guilt, or astonished at the innocence of others, might be afraid to undertake the journey of holiness.

AUG. But the Lord did not depart from them, showing thereby that good and spiritual men, when they ere troubled by the wickedness of the many, ought not to wish to abandon their ecclesiastical duties, that they might live as it were a more secure and tranquil life. But the bringing their ships to land, and forsaking all to follow Jesus, may represent the end of time, when those who have clung to Christ shall altogether depart from the storms of this world.

Catena Aurea Luke 5

Calling of Peter and Andrew

Duccio di Buoninsegna

1308-11
Tempera on wood, 43,5 x 46 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Thursday, September 4

Liturgical Color: Green

Pope St. Boniface I died on this day in
422 A.D. As pope, he battled against
Pelagianism, a heresy that denied
Original Sin and Christian Grace. He
enlisted the help of St. Augustine to
suppress the heresy.

Day 266 - What does the Church say about democracy? // What is the Church's stance on capitalism or the free-market economy?

What does the Church say about democracy?

The Church supports democracy, because of all political systems it offers the best conditions for achieving equality before the law and safeguarding human rights. In order to do that, however, democracy must be more than mere majority rule. True democracy is possible only in a State ruled by law that recognizes the fundamental God given rights of all and defends them, if necessary, even against the will of the majority.

History teaches that even democracy offers no absolute protection from violations of human dignity and human rights. It always runs the risk of becoming a tyranny of the majority over a minority. Democracy depends on preconditions that it cannot guarantee in and of itself. That is why Christians in particular must make sure that the values indispensable to a democracy are not undermined.

What is the Church's stance on capitalism or the free-market economy?

Any form of capitalism that is not embedded in an established system of law runs the risk of detaching itself from the common good and becoming a mere means for individuals to make profits. The Church rejects that decisively. On the other hand, she supports a free-market system which is at the service of man, prevents monopolies, and ensures that all are supplied with employment and vitally necessary goods.

Catholic social teaching evaluates all societal arrangements according to whether they serve the common good (common good), which means: to the extent that they enable "men, families, and associations more adequately and readily [to] attain their own perfection" (Second Vatican Council, GS). This is also true of commerce, which in the first place should be at the service of man. (YOUCAT questions 441-442)

Dig Deeper: CCC section (2426) and other references here.

Part 3: Life in Christ (1691 - 2557)

Section 2: The Ten Commandments (2052 - 2557)

Chapter 2: You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself (2196 - 2557)

Article 7: The Seventh Commandment (2401 - 2463)

Jesus said to his disciples: "Love one another even as I have loved you."¹ ⇡

You shall not steal.¹⁸⁶ ⇡

IV. ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ⇡

1928
(all)

2426

The development of economic activity and growth in production are meant to provide for the needs of human beings. Economic life is not meant solely to multiply goods produced and increase profit or power; it is ordered first of all to the service of persons, of the whole man, and of the entire human community. Economic activity, conducted according to its own proper methods, is to be exercised within the limits of the moral order, in keeping with social justice so as to correspond to God's plan for man.²⁰⁹

1.

Jn 13:34.

186.

Ex 20:15; Deut 5:19; Mt 19:18.

209.

Cf. GS 64.

Daily Readings for:September 04, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: God of might, giver of every good gift, put into our hearts the love of your name, so that, by deepening our sense of reverence, and, by your watchful care, keep safe what you have nurtured. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o Rose Petal Pound Cake

o Rosy Punch

ACTIVITIES

o Elementary Parent Pedagogy: Singing and Music

PRAYERS

o Collect for Commenoration of St. Rose of Viterbo

LIBRARY

o The Role of Prudence in Fighting the Culture of Death | Donald DeMarco PhD

· Ordinary Time: September 4th

· Thursday of the Twenty-Second Week of Ordinary Time

Old Calendar: Saint Rosalia, virgin (Hist); St. Rose of Viterbo, virgin (Hist)

Saint Rosalia, born in 1130 at Palermo in Sicily, was the daughter of a noble family descended from Charlemagne. While still very young she despised worldly vanities. When her remarkable beauty caused her to be sought in marriage by several lords of Sicily, the Blessed Virgin appeared to her and advised her to leave the world. She obeyed, taking with her only a crucifix and her instruments of penance; and guided by Angels, she made her first dwelling in a nearby grotto, which the snows of winter concealed. Then, when she began to be the object of searches instigated all over Sicily by her desolate family, she was advised by Angels to move to a low cave on Mount Pellegrino, three miles from Palermo. There, during sixteen years’ time, she completed the sacrifice of her heart to God by austere penance and manual labor, sanctified by assiduous prayer and the constant union of her soul with God. She died in 1160. — Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints

St. Rosalia's feast is included in the Roman Martyrology.

Historically it is also the feast of St. Rose of Viterbo, a member of the Third Order of St. Francis.

St. Rosalia
St. Rosalia is the patroness of Palermo, and the citizens of that place annually celebrate two feasts in her honour. One of these was raised to the rank of a holy day of obligation by Pius XI in 1927. It is celebrated by a procession of unequalled magnificence, heralded by cannon fire. The saint's shrine, atop a gigantic carriage filled with musicians, is drawn through the town by forty mules, accompanied by prayers, hymns, and acclamations. The top of the carriage is level with the roofs of the houses; fireworks are set off everywhere; the musicians blow ceaselessly on their trumpets; and for the five days during which this celebration lasts, enthusiasm mounts to an increasingly high pitch.

The saint of Palermo thus honoured, seems to have delivered her country from the plague in 1625 and, since then, to have brought about innumerable cures. Her legend states that she was born around 1130 at the court of Roger II, king of Sicily, of a father called Sinibald, who was descended from Charlemagne. As her beauty constituted a danger to her soul, the Virgin appeared to her to urge her to leave the world. Rosalia was just fourteen. She took her crucifix, her discipline, and a few books and left her father's castle by night. Two angels, one armed like a knight, the other disguised as a pilgrim, were waiting to escort her to the summit of Mount Quisquita. There they left her at the entrance of a grotto hidden among the trees, buried under the snow. The young girl remained hidden there several months, after which the angels came to warn her that she was sought by her parents and had better flee elsewhere. They led her to the top of Mount Pellegrino. There, it is said, Rosalia, devoting herself to penances and miraculously nourished by the Host, passed the last sixteen years of her life. She died at the age of thirty; her body, long sought in vain, was found in the 17th century encased in a sheath of rock crystal; and it is the recovery of this relic which is commemorated by the procession mentioned above.

— Excerpted from Lives of the Saints, Omer Englebert

Patron: Isola delle Femine; Palermo; Sicily.

Symbols: A young girl with a wreath of roses; receiving the wreath from the Blessed Virgin and Christ Child as angels bring roses and with a skull near her; with a distaff, book, and palm; holding a double Greek cross, distaff and book or palm; or writing her name on the wall of the cave.

Things to Do:

Visit this website to read more about the Feast of St. Rosalia.

St. Rose of Viterbo
Saint Rose was born in the spring of 1235 at Viterbo, capital of the patrimony of Saint Peter. In those days the emperor Frederick II was oppressing the Church, and many were faithless to the Holy See. But this infant at once seemed filled with grace; she never cried; with tottering steps she sought Jesus in His tabernacle; she knelt before sacred images and listened to sermons and pious conversation, retaining all she heard, and this when she was scarcely three years old. One coarse habit covered her flesh; fasts and disciplines were her delight.

At the age of seven she wished to enter a monastery of nuns; but God had other designs for her, and she resolved to create a solitude in her father’s house, where she would forever spend all her days. Her mortifications there seem incredible to our time of laxity; she gave herself the discipline three times a day until she fainted from fatigue and loss of blood, and she scarcely ate at all. To those who urged her to mitigate her austerities, she explained so perfectly that happiness consists in suffering for God, that no one could doubt this was so for her.

Nonetheless she fell ill and nearly died of consumption. She was close to the final agony when suddenly she beheld the Mother of God, and said to those attending her: “All of you here, why do you not greet the Queen of the world? Do you not see Mary, the August Mother of my God, coming forward? Let us go to meet Her, and prostrate ourselves before Her majesty!” Everyone turned toward the door and knelt down, and the Mother of God spoke to Rose, telling her she must enter the Third Order of Saint Francis, then go out to “reprove, convince, exhort and bring back the erring to the paths of salvation. If your endeavors bring upon you sarcasm and mockery, persecution and labor, you must bear them patiently... Those who assist you will be enriched with all the graces of the Lord.”

To defend the Church’s rights was already Rose’s burning wish. When hardly ten years old, she arose after her reception into the Franciscan habit, went down to the public square at Viterbo, called upon the inhabitants to be faithful to the Sovereign Pontiff, and vehemently denounced all his opponents. She returned to her house only to redouble her flagellations and macerations; she saw her Saviour on the Cross and nothing could arrest her ardor thereafter. So great was the power of her word and of the miracles which accompanied it, that at the end of several months the Imperial party, after threatening her in vain to stop her preaching, in fear and anger drove her from the city.

Saint Rose and her parents moved to Soriano, a fortified city, where she continued to do as she had been told by the Mother of God. Then Rose went on by herself to Vitorchiano, where she had understood there was need for her, and continued to win souls by her aspect as much as by her words. She went barefoot and wore a poor tunic at all times, until after some eighteen months, when the emperor had died, she and her parents returned to Viterbo. Innocent IV was brought back in triumph to Rome and the cause of God was won.

A number of young girls came to her for instruction at Viterbo, and she taught them the principles of modest prudence and faithful love of God. Rose fell ill again and recognized that her end was approaching; she prepared, rejoicing, in solitude for her glorious destiny, and died in her eighteenth year. Not long afterward, she appeared in glory to Alexander IV, and bade him to translate her intact body. He found it fragrant and beautiful, as if still in life. For more than 700 years it has remained supple and unchanged, save for its color, darkened after a fire in the chapel where it reposed.

Excerpted from Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin (Bloud et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 10; Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on Butler’s Lives of the Saints and other sources by John Gilmary Shea (Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894)

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Read more about St. Rose here and here. >

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 5:1-11

22nd Week in Ordinary Time

Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch. (Luke 5:4 )

If you’ve ever seen a motorboat on a lake, you know that it is rarely sitting still. Usually it is powering over the water at high speed or moving adeptly to give a water skier a good ride.

When you’re driving a motorboat, your goal is usually to cover a lot of space. When it comes to receiving revelation from God, however, your goal is the exact opposite. Jesus doesn’t want you to skim the surface quickly; he wants you to drop anchor. There is no rush to get to the other side of the lake. Just sit quietly, ready to receive whatever he wants to give you.

When Jesus told Peter to lower his net into the deep water, Peter had to make a decision. Would he give up and go home? Or would he go back out and wait some more? Because he followed Jesus’ words, he was able to pull in a tremendous catch. But he received an even greater blessing: he saw that Jesus was no ordinary man. He saw a holy man whose word had power. He saw a man worth following, someone who could make him fruitful spiritually and not just materially. Peter cast his net into the deep waters of God’s love, and he was rewarded far beyond his expectations.

How can you cast your net into deep water? There are times when Jesus will ask you to stay with him a little longer so that he can give you a taste of his love, his power, or his truth. He may ask you to take a second, third, or fourth look at a Scripture passage from Sunday Mass. Rather than rushing off, stop and linger. You may end up spending a whole week on one single verse! But that’s okay. Just imitate Peter, sitting quietly in his boat, waiting for a miracle.

Cast your net deeper because your Savior has a glorious catch waiting for you. Just push past the objections and do it. Knowing Jesus, hearing his voice, receiving his life—these are the blessings that await everyone who puts out into deep water!

“Thank you, Lord, for inviting me to linger in your presence. Help me to cast my net deep so that I don’t miss a single gift you have for me.”

1 Corinthians 3:18-23; Psalm 24:1-6

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for September 4, 2014:

(Reader’s Tip) My husband and I will occasionally surprise each other with coffee, candy or flowers. It’s a nice way to show we’re thinking of each other.

Regnum Christi

The Great Navigator

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September 4, 2014. Thursday of Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 5:1-11

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets." When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, as we begin this meditation, I feel you have stepped into my boat. I put out a short distance from shore, away from all my daily concerns, to listen to you alone. It is just you and I, and I sense that you are going to ask something of me. I am truly humbled and grateful that you would spend so much personal time with me.

Petition: Christ, help me to understand and embrace your call to holiness for me.

1. Teacher: Jesus taught by the lake. We know that he taught in many other places too: in the Temple, in synagogues, on mountains, among children. Today he had a great crowd around him by the lake. For these people, the lake was everything: water, food, transportation, an object of beauty and contemplation. Yet beneath its usually still and deep blue surface, there was a whole other world unknown to them. How appropriate that next to it, Christ, who could probe its depths, uncovered for them the many mysteries of faith and the divine plan! He can help us understand so many things that are a part of our daily lives, yet in many ways remain unfamiliar or unintelligible to us.

2. Leader: It is one thing to get the curious crowds to give you a moment of their attention, but quite another to motivate people to give you their dedication and their life. Christ knew that to get someone to commit, directing an interesting story to the general public would not be enough. Personal attention was in order. Christ stepped into Peter’s boat and asked him for a favor, a simple task: “Put out a short distance from the shore.” Christ’s first tasks are usually not that hard for us to execute: simply material compliance and a little generosity. But if we let him ride with us long enough, he will eventually ask us for something that demands faith and may go against our reason or personal comfort. We want Christ to win us over for good, but how can he do so if we don’t let him take us for a ride “out into the deep?”

3. Motivator: Do I get surprised when Christ does something marvelous in my life? Does astonishment seize me? Maybe I’m not surprised. Maybe I am thinking what is good or successful in me originates from myself. Proud is the person who thinks so. Proud, too, is the person who recognizes the hand of God and nevertheless responds, “Leave me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Christ just performed a miracle through the obedience of a sinful man; why can’t he do it again? Why do I respond, “Leave me, Lord,” unless I’m not ready to obey? When I call my partners to come over and check it out, do I do so to allow this experience of Christ to touch others? Or do I do so to help them see how greatly endowed I am? If I am to become a fisher of men like Peter, I, too, must purify myself from these all-too-human reactions. Don’t worry, my pettiness doesn’t faze Christ. Listen to him: “Do not be afraid. You will become…”

Conversation with Christ: So many souls are hustling through this world without knowing where they are going and without enjoying your friendship as I do. I do not know if you want to reach many or few of them through me, but I think they are many. My heart is ready, O Lord. Fill me with apostolic zeal.

Resolution: I will work on being a good and positive motivator today.

Homily of the Day

September 4, 2014

Have you experienced Jesus knocking at your door? What was your response? Did you ignore the knocking and acted like a deaf person? Did you open the door and wholeheartedly welcomed Jesus into your heart?

As a member of a Catholic charismatic community, our group would send missionaries to other countries to spread the Word of God. We were asked last year to serve in Africa as volunteer missionaries. The agreement was that we pay for our own plane fares but our hosts will provide for our lodging and meals. We said YES right away not even thinking how much was the airfare to Africa. When we learned that the airfare was very expensive and we had to go there two to three times a year, we said to God: “Lord, we said YES to you and it’s not our problem anymore where we will get the funds for our airfares. I completely trust you that you will provide the funds.”

Our God is indeed a great God, for during our prayer time, as if on cue to “cast the net at the other side of the boat … from now on, you shall be fishers of men”, we were led into selling a property that we had owned. “Start storing your treasurers in heaven. Your earthly possessions mean nothing to me. You use “my money” to “catch” my people in Africa.”

Following Jesus is not easy. There will be times in our lives that Jesus will ask us to go the extra mile for Him. Will we still continue to ignore him or say YES to Jesus right away by recognizing his voice and trusting his lead?

One Bread, One Body

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1 Corinthians 3:18-23
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Psalm 24:1-6

Luke 5:1-11
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I'M FOREVER GRATEFUL

"I am a sinful man." —Luke 5:8

One of the greatest events in our lives is when we realize our sinfulness, when we fall "at the knees of Jesus saying, 'Leave me, Lord. I am a sinful man' " (Lk 5:8). When we experience the fear of the Lord and get in touch with reality, we realize the incompatibility of our sin with God's holiness. So we cry out: "Leave me, Lord!" However, if the Lord leaves us, we will never be freed from sin and will be separated from Him forever. Therefore, Jesus must stay so we can be empowered to leave our sins.

Yet how can the all-holy God be in the presence of sin? "For our sakes God made Him Who did not know sin, to be sin, so that in Him we might become the very holiness of God" (2 Cor 5:21). When the all-holy God chose not to leave us in our sinfulness, our sin convulsed in His all-holy presence, and we crucified Him. However, sin crucified itself in crucifying Jesus. "God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin Offering, thereby condemning sin in the flesh" (Rm 8:3). "Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near through the blood of Christ" (Eph 2:13). "Now Christ has achieved reconciliation for you in His mortal body by dying, so as to present you to God holy, free of reproach and blame" (Col 1:22). Thank You, Jesus crucified!

Prayer: Father, thank You for loving me so much that You gave Your Son for my salvation (see Jn 3:16).

Promise: "Let no one delude himself. If any one of you thinks he is wise in a worldly way, he had better become a fool. In that way he will really be wise." —1 Cor 3:18

Praise: Warren burst into tears of gratitude when praying before a crucifix. That very same day, he shared his conversion testimony for the first time with two other men.