Posted on 04/29/2016 10:17:48 PM PDT by Salvation
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From: Acts 16:1-10
Timothy joins Paul
A Tour of the Churches of Asia Minor
[6] And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been for-
bidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. [7] And when they had come
opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not
allow them; [8] so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. [9] And a vision
appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing beseeching him
and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” [10] And when he had seen
the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God
had called us to preach the gospel to them.
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Commentary:
1-3. At Lystra, a city which he evangelized during his first journey (cf. 14:6),
Paul meets a young Christian, Timothy, of whom he had received good reports.
His Jewish mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois were Christians, and Timo-
thy had received the faith from them.
Paul’s apostolic plans for Timothy, and the fact that, despite being Jewish
through his mother, he had not been circumcised, lead him to circumcise him:
everyone in the city knew he was a Jew and those who practised the Mosaic
Law might easily have regarded him as an apostate from Judaism, in which
case he would be unlikely to be an effective preacher of the Gospel to the Jews.
“He took Timothy,” St. Ephraem comments, “and circumcised him. Paul did not
do this without deliberation: he always acted prudently; but given that Timothy
was being trained to preach the Gospel to Jews everywhere, and to avoid their
not giving him a good hearing because he was not circumcised, he decided to
circumcise him. In doing this he was not aiming to show that circumcision was
necessary—he had been the one most instrumental in eliminating it—but to avoid
putting the Gospel at risk” (”Armenian Commentary, ad loc.”).
In the case of Titus, St. Paul did not have him circumcised (cf. Galatians 2:3-5);
which showed that he did not consider circumcision a matter of principle; it is
simply for reasons of pastoral prudence and common sense that he has Timothy
circumcised. Titus was the son of Gentile parents; to have circumcised him — at
a point when Paul was fighting the Judaizers — would have meant Paul giving up
his principles. However, the circumcision of Timothy, which takes place later, is
in itself something that has no relevance from the Christian point of view (cf.
Galatians 5:6, 15).
Timothy became one of Paul’s most faithful disciples, a most valuable associate
in his missionary work (cf. 17:14ff; 18:5; 19:22; 20:4; 1 Thessalonians 3:2; Ro-
mans 16:21) and the recipient of two of the Apostle’s letters.
4. The text suggests that all Christians accepted the decisions of the Council of
Jerusalem in a spirit of obedience and joy. They saw them as being handed down
by the Church through the Apostles and as providing a satisfactory solution to a
delicate problem. The disciples accept these commandments with internal and
external assent: by putting them into practice they showed their docility. Every-
thing which a lawful council lays down merits and demands acceptance by Chris-
tians, because it reflects, as the Council of Trent teaches, “the true and saving
doctrine which Christ taught, the Apostles then handed on, and the Catholic
Church, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, ever maintains; therefore, no one
should subsequently dare to believe, preach or teach anything different” (”De Ius-
tificatione”, Preface).
Bl. John Paul II called on Christians to adhere sincerely to conciliar directives when
he exhorted them in Mexico City to keep to the letter and the spirit of Vatican II:
“Take in your hands the documents of the Council. Study them with loving atten-
tion, in a spirit of prayer, to discover what the Spirit wished to say about the
Church” (”Homily in Mexico Cathedral”, 26 January 1979).
6. In Galatia Paul had the illness which he refers to in Galatians 4:13: “You
know that it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the Gospel to you
at first ...”: his apostolic zeal makes him turn his illness, which prevented him
from moving on, to good purpose.
7. We are not told how the Holy Spirit prevented Paul from going to Bithynia. It
would have been through an interior voice or through some person sent by God.
Some Greek codices and a few translations say simply “Spirit” instead of “Spi-
rit of Jesus”, but really the two mean the same: cf. Philippians 1:19; Romans 8:
9; 1 Peter 1:11.
9. This vision probably took place in a dream: Acts tells us of a number of ins-
tances where God made His will known in that way (cf. 9:10, 12; 10:3, 17; 18:9;
22:17). Paul and his companions were convinced he had received a message
from God.
The vision is quite right to describe the preaching of the Gospel as help for Mace-
donia: it is the greatest help, the greatest benefit, a person or a country could be
given, an immense grace from God and a great act of charity on the part of the
preacher, preparing his listeners, as he does, for the wonderful gift of faith.
10. The conviction that Paul and his companions have about what they must do
is the way every Christian, called as he is at Baptism, should feel about his vo-
cation to imitate Christ and therefore be apostolic.
“All Christians”, Bl. John Paul teaches, “incorporated into Christ and His Church
by baptism, are consecrated to God. They are called to profess the faith which
they have received. By the Sacrament of Confirmation, they are further endowed
by the Holy Spirit with special strength to be witnesses of Christ and shares in
His mission of salvation. Every lay Christian is therefore an extraordinary work
of God’s grace and is called to the heights of holiness. Sometimes, lay men and
women do not seem to appreciate the full dignity and the vocation that is theirs
as lay people. No, there is no such thing as an ‘ordinary layman’, for all of you
have been called to conversion through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
As God’s holy people you are called to fulfill your role in the evangelization of the
world. Yes, the laity are ‘a chosen race, a holy priesthood’, also called to be ‘the
salt of the earth’ and ‘the light of the world’. It is their specific vocation and mis-
sion to express the Gospel in their lives and thereby to insert the Gospel as a
leaven into the reality of the world in which they live and work” (”Homily in Lime-
rick”, 1 October 1979).
Now the narrative moves into the first person plural (16:10-17; 20:5-8; 13-15; 21:
1-18; 27:1-28, 16). The author includes himself among St. Paul’s companions,
as an eyewitness of what he reports. Luke must have joined the missionaries at
Troas and then stayed behind in Philippi.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: John 15:18-21
A Hostile World
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
18-19. Jesus states that there can be no compromise between Him and the world,
the kingdom of sin: anyone who lives in sin abhors the light (cf. John 3:19-20).
This is why Christ is persecuted, and why the Apostles will be in their turn. “The
hostility of the perverse sounds like praise for our life”, St. Gregory says, “because
it shows that we have at least some rectitude if we are an annoyance to those who
do not love God; no one can be pleasing to God and to God’s enemies at the same
time. He who seeks to please those who oppose God is no friend of God; and he
who submits himself to the truth will fight against those who strive against truth”
(”In Ezechielem Homiliae”, 9).
*********************************************************************************************
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.
Liturgical Colour: White.
First reading | Acts 16:1-10 © |
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Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 99:1-3,5 © |
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Gospel Acclamation |
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Or | Col3:1 |
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Gospel | John 15:18-21 © |
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Pray for Pope Francis.
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.
Sharing God's Mercy with Our Children
Mercy Heals Fear to Trust
Jubilee of Mercy, But With the Confessionals Empty
If You Don't Know the Bad News, the Good News is No News -- A Meditation on the Coming Year of Mercy
Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis According to which an Indulgence is Granted...[Catholic Caucus]
POPE FRANCIS FOR YEAR OF MERCY GRANTS THAT SSPX PRIESTS CAN VALIDLY ABSOLVE!
MISERICORDIAE VULTUS: BULL OF INDICTION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCY
Pope: Church Must Be 'Oasis of Mercy,' Not Severe Fortress
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.
6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
The Joyful Mysteries
(Mondays and Saturdays)
1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility] 2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]
St. Michael the Archangel
~ 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
+
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.
If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first
Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life (Jn 12:25)... They contain a truth which todays world often scorns and rejects, making love of self the supreme criterion of life. But the witnesses to the faith, who also this evening speak to us by their example, did not consider their own advantage, their own well-being, their own survival as greater values than fidelity to the Gospel. Despite all their weakness, they vigorously resisted evil. In their fragility there shone forth the power of faith and of the Lords grace.
The precious heritage which these courageous witnesses have passed down to us is a patrimony shared by all the Churches and Ecclesial Communities... The ecumenism of the martyrs and the witnesses to the faith is the most convincing of all; to the Christians of the twenty-first century it shows the path to unity. It is the heritage of the Cross lived in the light of Easter: a heritage which enriches and sustains Christians as they go forward into the new millennium...
In the century and the millennium just begun may the memory of these brothers and sisters of ours remain always vivid. Indeed, may it grow still stronger! Let it be passed on from generation to generation, so that from it there may blossom a profound Christian renewal! Let it be guarded as a treasure of consummate value for the Christians of the new millennium, and let it become the leaven for bringing all Christs disciples into full communion! ... I pray to the Lord that the cloud of witnesses which surrounds us (He 12:1) will help all of us who believe to express with no less courage our own love for Christ, for him who is ever alive in his Church: as he was yesterday, and is today, and will be tomorrow and for ever!
St. Francis de Sales
Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia. / For He whom you did merit to bear, alleluia. |
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