'If men but knew Thee, O my God!'

St. Ignatius of Loyola

The Angelus

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

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

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

Hail Mary . . .

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

Hail Mary . . .

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

Let us pray:

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

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 9
42.	...	...	...επετιμησεν δε ο ιησους τω πνευματι τω ακαθαρτω και ιασατο τον παιδα και απεδωκεν αυτον τω πατρι αυτου
43.	And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and cured the boy, and restored him to his father.	Et increpavit Jesus spiritum immundum, et sanavit puerum, et reddidit illum patri ejus.	εξεπλησσοντο δε παντες επι τη μεγαλειοτητι του θεου παντων δε θαυμαζοντων επι πασιν οις εποιησεν ο ιησους ειπεν προς τους μαθητας αυτου
44.	And all were astonished at the mighty power of God. But while all wondered at all the things he did, he said to his disciples: Lay you up in your hearts these words, for it shall come to pass, that the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.	Stupebant autem omnes in magnitudine Dei : omnibusque mirantibus in omnibus quæ faciebat, dixit ad discipulos suos : Ponite vos in cordibus vestris sermones istos : Filius enim hominis futurum est ut tradatur in manus hominum.	θεσθε υμεις εις τα ωτα υμων τους λογους τουτους ο γαρ υιος του ανθρωπου μελλει παραδιδοσθαι εις χειρας ανθρωπων
45.	But they understood not this word; and it was hid from them, so that they perceived it not. And they were afraid to ask him concerning this word.	At illi ignorabant verbum istud, et erat velatum ante eos ut non sentirent illud : et timebant eum interrogare de hoc verbo.	οι δε ηγνοουν το ρημα τουτο και ην παρακεκαλυμμενον απ αυτων ινα μη αισθωνται αυτο και εφοβουντο ερωτησαι αυτον περι του ρηματος τουτου

(*) The Greek passage begins with second half of verse 42; "εξεπλησσοντο δε παντες επι τη μεγαλειοτητι του θεου" begins verse 44 in the translations.

43b. - But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples,
44. Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
45. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.

CYRIL; Every thing that Jesus did claimed admiration from all men for a peculiar and divine light reflected upon each; of His works, according to the Psalms, honor and majesty will you lay upon him. Although all indeed man marveled at those things which He did, He however addresses what follows, not to all, but to His disciples; as it is said, But while they wondered every one, &c. He had shown His glory on the mount to His disciples, and after this delivered a man from an evil spirit, but it was necessary for Him to undergo His passion for our salvation. Now His disciples might have been perplexed, saying, "Have we then been deceived in that we thought him to be God?"

That they might know then what was to happen to Him, He bids them lay up in their minds as a certain deposit the mystery of His passion, saying, Let these sayings sink down in your hearts. By the word your, He distinguishes them from others. For the multitude were not to know that He was about to suffer, but were rather to be assured that the dead would rise again, destroying death, lest they should be offended.

TIT. BOST. While all thus were wondering at the miracles, He foretell His passion. For miracles do not save, but the cross conveys the benefit. Hence he adds, For the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.

ORIGEN; But it is not clearly expressed by whom He is to be delivered, for one says, that He is to be delivered up by Judas, another by the devil; but Paul says, that God the Father delivered Him up for us all; but Judas, as he delivered Him up for money, did it traitorously, the Father for His mercies' sake.

THEOPHYL. Now our Lord in condescension to their infirmities and governing them with a kind of economy, did not permit them to understand what was said of the cross; as it follows, But they understood not.

THEOPHYL; This ignorance of the disciples proceeds not so much from slowness of understanding as from affection, for since they were yet carnal and ignorant of the mystery of the cross, they could not believe that He whom they thought to be really God would suffer death. And because they were often accustomed to hear Him speak by figure, they thought that He meant figuratively something else, by what He said of His betrayal.

CYRIL; Now some one perhaps will say, How were the disciples ignorant of the mystery of the cross, seeing that it was touched upon in several places by the shadows of the Law? But as Paul relates, Even to this day, when Moses is read, the vale is upon their hearts. It becomes then those who approach Christ, to say, Open you my eyes, that I may behold, the wonderful things out of your law.

THEOPHYL. Mark also the reverence of the disciples in what follows, And, they feared to ask him of that saying. For fear is the first step to reverence.

Catena Aurea Luke 9

Christ Taken Prisoner

Duccio di Buoninsegna

1308-11
Tempera on wood, 51 x 76 cm
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Siena

Information: St. Pacific of San Severino

Feast Day: September 24

Born: 1 March 1653 at San Severino

Died: 24 September 1721 at San Severino

Canonized: 26 May 1839 by Pope Gregory IX

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Pacifus

Feast Day: September 24
Born: 1653 :: Died: 1721

Charles Anthony was born in Italy and when he was just five years old his loving parents died. He was then sent to live with his uncle.

This uncle was a mean man who was always angry. He treated Charles worse than a servant. Yet the boy took this hard treatment quietly and patiently.

When he was seventeen, Charles entered a monastery so he could study to be a priest. He chose the name Pacificus, which means "peaceful."

St. Pacificus had a sad childhood and could have let himself become an angry person. Instead, he prayed to Jesus for a forgiving, patient heart.

His hard times were turned into moments of growing in his love for God and people. Because he had suffered, he could sympathize with the hurts of others and help them to find God in their lives.

After he became a priest, he was made a teacher, but his great desire was to become a preacher. How happy he was when his superior sent him on a preaching mission to many little towns and villages.

St. Pacificus was very popular with people in the country because his talks were simple and gentle. Besides that, he had the marvelous gift of reading consciences.

At confession one day he reminded a man that he had been unkind to his mother. He had also kept impure thoughts in his mind. What Father Pacificus said was true. The man was very sorry for his sins. Everywhere the priest went to preach and hear confessions, he did much good.

But six years after he started preaching, Pacificus had to give it up because he became blind, deaf and crippled. He spent his time praying and doing penance in his monastery and helping others in any way he could.

God was always very close to him. He gave him the gift of prophecy. St. Pacificus foretold the great victory of the Christian armies over the Turks at Belgrade.

He also said to a bishop, "Your Excellency-heaven! Heaven! And I will follow you soon!" About two weeks later, the bishop died. Not long after, just as he had said, St. Pacificus died, too in the year 1721. Many miracles took place at his grave.

Each of us has been blessed by God in different ways. How am I called to share my gifts with others?

Saturday

September 24, 2016

To Look at the Sacred Host

“When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host, you understand how much Jesus loves you now.” — St. Teresa of Kolkata

Year of Mercy Calendar for Today: “Give to a parish food drive.”

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Saturday, September 24

Liturgical Color: Green

Today the Church honors Mary
under her title of Our Lady of
Ransom, commemorating the
founding of the Order of Our
Lady of Mercy in 1218. This
order worked to raise money to
free Christians held captive by
the Moors.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: September 24th

Saturday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

September 24, 2016 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, who founded all the commands of your sacred Law upon love of you and of our neighbor, grant that, by keeping your precepts, we may merit to attain eternal life. 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.

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September 24: Feast of Our Lady of Ransom | Fr. Paul Haffner

Old Calendar: Our Lady of Ransom ; Other Titles: Our Lady of Mercy

This is my prayer to you, my prayer for your favor. In your great love, answer me, O God, with your help that never fails: rescue me from sinking in the mud; save me from my foes.

The Blessed Virgin appeared in 1218 in separate visions to St. Peter Nolasco, St. Raymond of Penafort and James, king of Aragon, asking them to found a religious order dedicated to freeing Christian captives from the barbarous Saracens or Moors, who at the time held a great part of Spain. On August 10, 1218, King James established the royal, military and religious Order of our Lady of Ransom (first known as the Order of St. Eulalia, now known as the Mercedarian Order), with the members granted the privilege of wearing his own arms on their breast. Most of the members were knights, and while the clerics recited the divine office in the commanderies, they guarded the coasts and delivered prisoners. This pious work spread everywhere and produced heroes of charity who collected alms for the ransom of Christians, and often gave themselves up in exchange for Christian prisoners. This feast, kept only by the Order, was extended to the whole Church by Innocent XII in the 17th century.

Our Lady of Ransom
Would you risk your life to free someone from a concentration camp? Would you take the place of a prisoner? Would you sacrifice comforts and even necessities to save a slave? Would you pray and do penance for the freedom of Christian captives?

These things were done by the followers of Christ from the earliest days, but especially during the Middle ages. At that time the enemies of Christ's Church had conquered a great part of Christian territory and had carried off into slavery many thousands of Christians. Hit and miss, though heroic, efforts to free these unfortunates had been made here and there.

The Church decided to organize the work of ransoming slaves. In 1198 St. John of Matha and St. Felix of Valois founded the Trinitarians. From then until 1787 they redeemed 900,000 captives. The Order of Our Lady of Ransom, called the Mercedarians, and founded by St. Peter Nolasco, ransomed 490,736 slaves between the years 1218 and 1632. St. Vincent de Paul, a slave himself, led his priests to save 1200 Christian captives in the short period between 1642 and 1660 at the staggering cost of 1,200,000 pounds of silver. An even greater achievement was the conversion of thousands in captivity, and steeling them against the sufferings of a cruel martyrdom for the faith.

All this has been admitted by a modern, competent Protestant historian, Bonet-Maury. He records that no expedition sent into the Barbary States by the powers of Europe or America equalled "the moral effect produced by the ministry of consolation, peace and abnegation, going even to the sacrifice of liberty and life, which was exercised by the humble sons of St. John of Matha, St. Peter Nolasco, and St. Vincent de Paul."

Our Blessed Mother herself appeared in a vision to St. Peter Nolasco, and requested him to found a religious order devoted to the rescue of captives. This was in 1218. Previous to that, since 1192, certain noblemen of Barcelona, Spain, had organized to care for the sick in hospitals and to rescue Christians from the Moors. St. Peter Nolasco, St. Raymond of Pennafort, and King James formed the new Order of Our Lady of Mercy. The group included religious priests who prayed and gathered the means, while the lay monks or knights went into the very camps of the Moors to buy back Christians, and, if necessary, take their very places. We have mentioned the magnitude of their success, a success that was won through the heavenly assistance of the Mother of Mercy, Our Lady of Ransom.

Excerpted from the Feasts of Our Lady by Fr. Arthur Tonne

Patrons: Barcelona, Spain; people named Clemency, Mercedes, Mercedez, Merced or Mercy.

Things to Do:

Learn more about the spirituality, saints and history of the Order of Mercedarians who take a vow to risk their lives to save Christians who find themselves in extreme danger of losing their faith in the new types of captivity.
We cannot take the places of those enslaved in their own land. We cannot buy freedom for those doing slave labor in the world. But we can and must beseech Our Lady of Ransom to show her powerful concern toward these suffering millions. We can beg her to help them find their way home. We can pray for her powerful intercession that slavery of all kinds may disappear from the earth. There is also a slavery of sin, from which she is eager to deliver us and our loved ones and all the world. Put yourself in the position of these displaced unfortunates. Imagine yourself exiled to a strange land, with strange customs, a strange language, and a merciless master. Picture yourself without a home, without friends, and often without your family. Above all let your heavenly representative and advocate, Our Lady of Ransom, know that you are interested, you are concerned, you are begging her help for these unfortunates. Best of all, attend Mass and receive Holy Communion and pray with the Church on this ever-timely feast.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 9:43-45

Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Pay attention. (Luke 9:44)

Most of us look at the nighttime sky and see a bunch of stars and maybe a constellation or two, but an astronomer sees so much more. It’s not because he has sharper eyes, but because he has learned how to pay attention to the position of the stars, the swirls of the galaxies, the minutest of details.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus urges his disciples to pay attention as well while he explains what is going to happen to him—that he will be arrested and crucified.

Even today, Jesus is still asking us to pay attention. But how? Here are a couple of things we can do.

Be quiet. Mother Teresa used to say that it is easier to hear the Lord speak in silence. There is something about quiet places that helps us slow down and focus. This may mean getting up a few minutes earlier to be with the Lord. It may mean taking a walk outside and enjoying the quietness of nature. Look around at the beauty of creation, and ask the Lord what is on his heart.

Be still. Quiet physical spaces are important, but let’s face it—it’s not always possible. Even so, we can practice stilling our thoughts and turning to the Lord throughout the day. For example, try mentally pausing for a moment every time you get a drink of water today. Try to sense God’s presence. He may fill you with peace or bring a Scripture verse to mind. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t always hear something. It’s about practicing and learning, not about getting it right the first time.

Part of being quiet and still may mean simplifying your life a bit or learning how to put the other aspects of your life in proper perspective. Simplicity and focus are the keys to developing the sharp eyes of an astronomer. They are what will help us see more than “just a bunch of stars” and instead,the endless constellations of grace that Jesus has for us.

Quiet. Stillness. Simplicity. Try putting these into practice. Jesus wants to teach you how to see him and detect the ways he is working. The more you practice paying attention, the more you will be able to discover what he is doing and saying.

“Lord, help me to focus on you today.”

Ecclesiastes 11:9–12:8
Psalm 90:3-6, 12-14, 17

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for September 24, 2016:

Does your yes mean yes and your no, no? In addition to being an honorable approach to decisions, clarity can save a lot of headaches in marital communication.

Regnum Christi

September 24, 2016 – The Gift of Faith

24 Sep 2016

Saturday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 9:43b-45

While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, you are the author of life and the giver of all that is good. You are the Prince of Peace and my mainstay. You are my healer and the cure itself. I need you, and I need to give you. I love you and commit myself to you entirely, knowing you could never let me down or deceive me. Thank you for giving me your very self.

Petition: Lord Jesus, strengthen my weak faith and guide me along your paths.

1. Blind Faith in Science: There are so many every day, day-to-day things that we take for granted. We have a certain “blind faith” in them: the electricity in our room, the engineering feat of the skyscraper we work in, etc. It just comes naturally to us. We don’t put much thought into them. We trust that they will continue to work. Unfortunately, when our “faith” crosses the line of empirical knowledge – like electricity and engineering – into the realm of the spiritual, we can find obstacles to our believing.

2. Supernatural Faith: Understanding of what Our Lord states about his passion and death in today’s Scriptures can only be obtained through a “supernatural faith.” This faith is a gift we must seek from God in all humility, so that it will shed light on the whole of our lives. It will bring a knowledge greater than just a purely human one. Trusting in Jesus, let us ask him for this faith.

3. Afraid to Ask: The disciples in today’s Gospel passage were afraid to question Jesus. Questioning something we do not understand is not necessarily bad; it is quite normal and reveals a childlike attitude. Christ always has an answer to our questions – an intelligible answer – even though our mind may not fully grasp its breadth. In fact, Christ does not want us to accept his teaching and values in a passive way. He wants us to accept freely, not so much because we understand fully, but rather because we trust and love the God who reveals himself to us.

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, it is so easy for me to look at life from a purely human standpoint. Grant me the eyes of faith to see all things from your viewpoint. May my faith enlighten my path all the days of my life.

Resolution: In my prayer today I will beg, in all humility, for the gift of faith in Jesus Christ.

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 32, Issue 5

<< Saturday, September 24, 2016 >>

Ecclesiastes 11:9—12:8
View Readings

Psalm 90:3-6, 12-14, 17

Luke 9:43-45
Similar Reflections

DESTROYING DEATH (1 Cor 15:26)

"You make an end of them in their sleep." —Psalm 90:5

The author of Ecclesiastes, living centuries before the revelation of Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life (Jn 11:25), is naturally pessimistic about life. For example, he goes on and on about growing old. Then he speaks of death in six ways. Death is like going home, a snapped cord, a broken bowl, a shattered pitcher, a pulley fallen into a well, and dust returning to earth (Eccl 12:5-7). It isn't enough for him to say that we will die. He seems obligated to belabor the point.

Death, for the author of Ecclesiastes, almost ruins life. Death has a deadly sting; it is victorious over life (cf 1 Cor 15:55). Because of the overshadowing influence of death, we are tempted to trivialize life by eating and drinking, for tomorrow we die (1 Cor 15:32; Wis 2:5-6ff). Living for pleasure makes us slaves — slaves of sin through fear of death our whole lives long (Heb 2:15). Because of death, we are tempted to give "allegiance to the present age and to the prince of the air, that spirit who is even now at work among the rebellious. All of us were once of their company; we lived at the level of the flesh, following every whim and fancy, and so by nature deserved God's wrath like the rest" (Eph 2:2-3). Death can turn our lives into living deaths (see 1 Jn 3:14).

The only way to de-fang death is to believe in and live totally for Jesus, "the Resurrection and the Life" (Jn 11:25). Jesus alone holds "the keys of death and the nether world" (Rv 1:18). In Jesus, "death is swallowed up in victory" (1 Cor 15:54). Praise Jesus forever!

Prayer: Father, may my dying day be the happiest day of my life.

Promise: "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart." —Ps 90:12

Praise: "Thanks be to God Who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 15:57).

The link for #6 should be: Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd