Friday of the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716), preacher, founder of religious communities
The secret of Mary I, 3-4

Called to holiness

O soul, living image of God, redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, God’s will for you is that in this life you become holy as he is holy and in the life to come that you become glorious as he is.

Acquring the holiness of God is your assured vocation and it is to this that all your thoughts, words and deeds, your sufferings and all the movements of your life should tend. Otherwise you resist God by not doing that for which he has created you and now keeps you in being.

Oh! what a wonderful work: dust changed to light, filth to purity, sin to sanctity, the creature into the Creator and man into God! Oh what wonderful work! I say it again, yet it is a work that is difficult in itself and impossible to nature alone. There is only God who, by a grace, and an overflowing and extraordinary grace, is able to bring it to its end. And the creation of the whole universe is not so great a masterpiece as this one…

O soul, what will you do? What means will you choose to rise up to the God who is calling you? The ways to holiness are known to all, are set out in the Gospel, are explained by masters of the spiritual life, practiced by the saints and necessary to all those who wish to be saved and come to perfection. Such are: humility of heart, continual prayer, mortification in everything, abandonment to divine Providence, conformity to the will of God.

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'If the salvation of one soul is of such importance that we should endanger our temporal life in order to procure it, how could we abandon so great a number through fear of incurring some expense?'

St. Vincent de Paul

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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).

23 posted on 06/22/2018 4:58:23 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

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Information: St. Paulinus of Nola

Feast Day: June 22

Born: 354 AD, Bordeaux, France

Died: June 22, 431, Nola, near Naples, Campagna, Italy

26 posted on 06/22/2018 8:37:11 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Information: St. John Fisher

Feast Day: June 22

Born: 1469, Beverley, Yorkshire, England

Died: 22 June 1535, Tower Hill, London, England

Canonized: 19 May 1935, Rome by Pope Pius XI

27 posted on 06/22/2018 8:39:16 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Information: St. Thomas More

Feast Day: June 22

Born: 1478 at London, England

Died: 6 July 1535, London, England

Canonized: 1935, Rome by Pope Pius XI

Patron of: Adopted children,civil servants, court clerks, difficult marriages, large families, lawyers, politicians and statesmen, stepparents, widowers

28 posted on 06/22/2018 8:42:19 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Paulinus of Nola

Feast Day: June 22

St. Paulinus was born in Bordeaux, France. His father was a governor and a wealthy landowner. Paulinus received a good education and became a famous lawyer and poet. He traveled in France, Spain and Italy, wherever work or pleasure took him. In 381, at the age of twenty-eight, he became the governor of Campania, Italy.

When he was thirty-six, Paulinus and his Spanish wife, Theresia were baptized and became Catholics. They had one child, a son who died when he was just a few weeks old. The couple then decided to devote their lives to God and gave away their wealth and property to the poor. They kept only what they needed to live on.

Paulinus and Theresia agreed that they wanted to live simply and decided not to live as a married couple any more. They prayed, made sacrifices and lived holy lives to show their love for Jesus. Paulinus and his wife were greatly admired by the Christian community.

They were very pleased when Paulinus became a priest in 394. Then he and Theresia started a small community of monks in Nola, Italy. They decided to remain in Nola near the shire of one of his favorite saints, St. Felix of Nola. There they opened a hospital for poor people and travelers, too.

St. Felix a priest and bishop who had died in 260 had been a great defender of his people during the cruel torture of Christians by Emperor Decius. Bishop Felix had been known for his prayerfulness, his love for the people, and his poor lifestyle.

Almost hundred years later, Paulinus prayed to him and wrote about him. Then in 409, Paulinus was chosen to be bishop of Nola. The people were so happy. He was a wise, gentle bishop, just as St. Felix had been. He was praised by many great saints who lived at that time, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Martin of Tours and others.

Although some of his wonderful writings have been lost, thirty-two poems and fifty-one letters remain. St. Paulinus was bishop of Nola, living in his own home until his death in 431.

29 posted on 06/22/2018 8:44:10 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Friday, June 22

Liturgical Color: Green

Today is the optional memorial of St. Paulinus,
bishop. He was a very wealthy 4th century lawyer
who converted to the faith after the death of his
infant son. He and his wife gave their money to
the poor, dedicating their lives to helping others.

30 posted on 06/22/2018 8:48:43 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Ordinary Time: June 22nd

Optional Memorial of St. Paulinus of Nola, bishop and confessor; Optional Memorial of Sts. John Fisher, bishop and martyr and Thomas More, martyr

MASS READINGS

June 22, 2018 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God who the Bishop Saint Paulinus of Nola outstanding for love of poverty and for pastoral care, graciously grant that, as we celebrate his merits, we may imitate the example of his charity. 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.

O God, who in martyrdom have brought true faith to its highest expression, graciously grant that, strengthened through the intercession of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More, we may confirm by the witness of our life the faith we profess with our lips. 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.

Collect for Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
O God, strength of those who hope in you, graciously hear our pleas, and, since without you mortal frailty can do nothing, grant us always the help of your grace, that in following your commands we may please you by our resolve and our deeds.

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Old Calendar: St John Fisher; St. Paulinus; St. Alban

St. Thomas More was born in London, England and was Chancellor of King Henry VIII. As a family man and a public servant, his life was a rare synthesis of human sensitivity and Christian wisdom.

St. John Fisher studied Theology in Cambridge (England) and became Bishop of Rochester. His friend, Thomas More, wrote of him, 'I reckon in this realm no one man, in wisdom, learning and long approved virtue together, meet to be matched and compared with him.' He and his friend St. Thomas More gave up their lives in testimony to the unity of the Church and to the indissolubility of Marriage.

St. Paulinus was born of a patrician Roman family at Bordeaux. He was successively prefect, senator and consul. His wife, wishing to consecrate herself to God, gave up rank and riches; he followed her example and went to live an austere hermit's life at Nola in Italy. There he became a priest and then bishop of the city, and gave his people not only an example of virtue but also wise guidance during the ravages and calamities of the Gothic invasion. He died in 431, aged 78, and was buried at Nola near the tomb of St. Felix.

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Alban who was venerated as the proto-martyr of Britain. He was a citizen of Verulam and was converted by a persecuted priest whom he sheltered in his house. He was executed on Holmhurst Hill. On that spot King Offa erected the Benedictine abbey of St. Alban's by which name Verulam has since been known.

Collect for Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
O God, strength of those who hope in you, graciously hear our pleas, and, since without you mortal frailty can do nothing, grant us always the help of your grace, that in following your commands we may please you by our resolve and our deeds.

St. Thomas More
His belief that no lay ruler has jurisdiction over the church of Christ cost Thomas More his life.

Beheaded on Tower Hill, London, July 6, 1535, he steadfastly refused to approve Henry VIII's divorce and remarriage and establishment of the Church of England.

Described as "a man for all seasons," More was a literary scholar, eminent lawyer, gentleman, father of four children and chancellor of England. An intensely spiritual man, he would not support the king's divorce from Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn. Nor would he acknowledge Henry as supreme head of the church in England, breaking with Rome and denying the pope as head.

More was committed to the Tower of London to await trial for treason: not swearing to the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy. Upon conviction, More declared he had all the councils of Christendom and not just the council of one realm to support him in the decision of his conscience.

Four hundred years later, in 1935, Thomas More was canonized a saint of God. Few saints are more relevant to our time. In fact, in 2000, Pope John Paul II named him patron of political leaders. The supreme diplomat and counselor, Thomas More did not compromise his own moral values in order to please the king, knowing that true allegiance to authority is not blind acceptance of everything that authority wants. Henry himself realized this and tried desperately to win his chancellor to his side because he knew More was a man whose approval counted, a man whose personal integrity no one questioned. But when Thomas resigned as chancellor, unable to approve the two matters that meant most to Henry, the king felt he had to get rid of Thomas.

Excerpted from Saint of the Day, Leonard Foley, O.F.M.

Patron: Declared in 2000 by St. John Paul II patron of statesmen and politicians; Adopted children; diocese of Arlington, Virginia; civil servants; court clerks; difficult marriages; large families; lawyers; diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee Florida; politicos; step-parents; widowers.

Things to Do:

A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt is a wonderful play that captures much of St. Thomas More's vitality. There is a 1966 movie by the same title that stars Paul Scofield as St. Thomas. If you haven't watched the movie or read the play yet, put it on your priority list.
Read more on the life of St. Thomas More. For youth, Saint Thomas More of London by Elizabeth Ince, a reprint of the wonderful Vision Books series. For adults, the newer book The King's Good Servant but God's First : The Life and Writings of Saint Thomas More by James Monti which explores the life and writings of St. Thomas More. Also Scepter Publishers has a biography Thomas More: A Portrait of Courage by Gerard B. Wegemer.
For some writings by St. Thomas More, see The Sadness of Christ (Yale University Press Translation) and Four Last Things: The Supplication of Souls: A Dialogue on Conscience.
If you or your children are considering a career as a lawyer you might find Dr. Charles Rice's article helpful.

St. John Fisher
John Fisher is usually associated with Erasmus, Thomas More and other Renaissance humanists. His life, therefore, did not have the external simplicity found in the lives of some saints. Rather, he was a man of learning, associated with the intellectuals and political leaders of his day. He was interested in the contemporary culture and eventually became chancellor at Cambridge. He had been made a bishop at thirty-five, and one of his interests was raising the standard of preaching in England. Fisher himself was an accomplished preacher and writer. His sermons on the penitential psalms were reprinted seven times before his death. With the coming of Lutheranism, he was drawn into controversy. His eight books against heresy gave him a leading position among European theologians.

In 1521 he was asked to study the problem of Henry VIII's marriage. He incurred Henry's anger by defending the validity of the king's marriage with Catherine and later by rejecting Henry's claim to be the supreme head of the Church of England.

In an attempt to be rid of him, Henry first had him accused of not reporting all the "revelations" of the nun of Kent, Elizabeth Barton. John was summoned, in feeble health, to take the oath to the new Act of Succession. He and Thomas More refused because the Act presumed the legality of Henry's divorce and his claim to be head of the English church. They were sent to the Tower of London, where Fisher remained fourteen months without trial. They were finally sentenced to life imprisonment and loss of goods.

When the two were called to further interrogations, they remained silent. Fisher was tricked, on the supposition he was speaking privately as a priest, and declared again that the king was not supreme head. The king, further angered that the pope had made John Fisher a cardinal, had him brought to trial on the charge of high treason. He was condemned and executed, his body left to lie all day on the scaffold and his head hung on London Bridge. More was executed two weeks later.

Excerpted from Saint of the Day, Leonard Foley, O.F.M.

Patron: Those persecuted for the Faith.

Symbols: Palm

Things to Do:

Read more about St. John Fisher.
Exposition of the Seven Penitential Psalms is available from Amazon.

St. Paulinus
In 353 Pontius Meropius Anicius Paulinus was born of a prominent Bordeaux family. He received his education in the school of the rhetorician Ausonius. At an early age he attained the dignity of senator and then of consul. As governor of Campania, he chose Nola as his seat. Here he was converted to the faith by St. Felix of Nola. He resigned his position and returned to Gaul, where St. Martin of Tours restored his eyesight.

Despite personal remonstrances, Paulinus was ordained a priest in Spain, and from there he returned to do honor at the grave of his sainted spiritual father. In 409 he became bishop of Tours. Paulinus was an author and poet; he corresponded with the great saints and scholars of his time, Ambrose and Augustine. During the Vandal invasion he used every possible means to feed the poor. When a poor widow asked for money to ransom her son, he gave himself into slavery. With God's aid he returned to his flock and died at the age of seventy-eight in 431. His last words were: "I will prepare a lamp for My anointed" (Ps. 131). His particular virtue was love toward the poor.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

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The Word Among Us

Meditation: Matthew 6:19-23

Saints John Fisher, Bishop, and Thomas More, Martyrs (Optional Memorial)

The lamp of the body is the eye. (Matthew 6:22)

Have you ever watched an ice cream commercial and said to yourself, “I could go for a cone right now!” Maybe you have a lot of self-control, and you think, “Well, that really isn’t a good idea.” But you may also find yourself drifting into the frozen section of the grocery store next time you shop. That little inspiration came into your mind, became part of your thoughts, grew into a kind of craving, and then affected your actions.

This is what Jesus is talking about in today’s Gospel reading. What we take in through our eyes shapes the focus of our hearts and our actions.

Think for a minute about how many images you absorb during the day: television, magazines, billboards, the Internet, and social media. While many are enjoyable or harmless, some are downright offensive. If a fifteen-second commercial can make you want ice cream, how much more can a longer movie depicting extreme violence or impure situations influence our thoughts?

These images don’t have to dominate our minds. We can learn to guard our eyes by deciding what we will watch and what we’ll avoid. In those cases where it’s just unavoidable, we can learn how to catch the images before they become a part of our thought process. Blocking unhealthy images and focusing on wholesome and uplifting ones can help us keep our thoughts pure and full of light.

You might be surprised at how a simple awareness of what images you allow or don’t allow will give you more peace and a sense of steadiness in your heart.

Today, think about the many images that you see in a given day. Then, just for fun, get a piece of paper and a red and a green marker. All morning, pay attention to what you are seeing. If it is an image you should filter out, make a red mark. If it is a good image, make a green mark. Then, during lunch, take stock. Are there too many red marks? What can you do about it? How can you make your eyes as clear as possible? By fixing them on Jesus as often as you can remember to.

“Lord, help me to guard my eyes and turn my heart to you.”

2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20
Psalm 132:11-14, 17-18

33 posted on 06/22/2018 8:56:36 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

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

Daily Marriage Tip for June 22, 2018:

If a child (or spouse!) has a problem and wants your input, but you are caught off guard, try saying “Tell me more about that” or “What do you think you should do?” Responses like this can give you time to think and respond well.

34 posted on 06/22/2018 8:59:13 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Regnum Christi

June 22, 2018 – What is My Deepest Desire?

Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Father Walter Schu, LC

Matthew 6: 19-23

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you. I believe that you love me, that you are close by my side, and that you will be walking with me throughout this day. I trust in you, Lord. I trust you more than I trust myself, because you are infinitely good and all powerful. I love you, Jesus. I love you because you died on the cross for me, to save me.

Petition: Lord, help me to discover where you are most calling me to store up treasures in heaven.

1. Temporal or Eternal Treasures: Who does not long to discover a hidden treasure? The human heart was made for the happiness and security treasure promises, for the joy it brings. But one fundamental problem presents itself: to what kind of treasure should we entrust our heart, our inmost being, our very self? Christ alerts us to the false treasures which tug at our heart each day — earthly treasures of fine clothes, or possessions, or wealth. Each of these treasures can and will be taken from us. At the moment we most need help, the time of our passing to eternity, material belongings will betray us. As the realistic Spanish proverb puts it: “There are no pockets in a shroud.”

2. The Deep Longings of the Heart: Christ offers us the one treasure worthy of the human heart, the one treasure that will not betray us, the only one that can accompany us through the grave and across the threshold to eternal life. What is that treasure? It is the person of Christ himself and all of the good actions we do for his sake. Living for Christ alone, loving him above all else, giving up our lives, our very selves for him, constitutes the only treasure rich enough to satisfy the human heart — the only one capable of fulfilling our deepest aspirations. Only this treasure will remain for all eternity, immersing us in a joy that is ever beginning, ever new. “For where your treasure is, there also your heart will be.”

3. “The Lamp of the Body”: Christ’s teaching about the eye as the lamp of the body might at first glance seem obscure, unrelated to his previous exhortation to store up treasures in heaven. But a second look reveals an inner link. Exegetes have viewed the eye as the intentions which lie behind our actions. Christ exhorts us to childlike simplicity in all that we do and even in the way we view events and others. If we see Christ in others, if we are able to perceive the Father’s providential hand behind everything that happens to us in life, if all we do is done out of love for Christ, then truly our whole body will be flooded with light.

Conversation with Christ: Thank you, Lord, for the clear message of your Gospel. Thank you for showing me how to live my life with eternity ever in view. Thank you for being the one treasure that alone can satisfy the longings of my heart.

Resolution: I will do everything this day out of love for Christ and to help establish his Kingdom, renewing my conscious efforts to store up treasures in heaven.

35 posted on 06/22/2018 9:02:10 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Homily of the Day

June 22, 2018

Today’s Gospel reading is among the collection of teachings of Jesus in the ermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew.

Jesus tells us not to store up treasures on earth, treasures which may not last because “moth and rust [may] destroy it” or “thieves can steal it.” Instead store up treasure in heaven, with and before God. Jesus spoke a lot about having trust in the care and providence of God our Father: “”Do not worry and say: What are we going to eat? What are we going to drink? Or what shall we wear? .. your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Set your hearts first on the kingdom of God and justice of God and all these things will also be given to you.” (Mt 6: 31 – 33)

In another occasion Jesus spoke against greed and building up great possessions on earth, like the rich man who planned to build bigger barns for his great harvests: “But God said to him: ‘You fool! This very night your life will be taken from you; tell me who shall get all you have put aside?’ This is the lot of the one who stores up riches instead of amassing for God.” (Lk 12: 20- 21)

When Jesus speaks of our “eye,” he was speaking about our conscience which directs our choices and actions. If our consciences are sound, so will our actions be. But if our consciences are erroneous, we will be led astray into wrongdoing. With God’s grace and due guidance, may we have correct consciences to lead us in our lives.

36 posted on 06/22/2018 9:03:10 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espa�ol

All Issues > Volume 34, Issue 4

<< Friday, June 22, 2018 >>

St. Paulinus of Nola
St. John Fisher
St. Thomas More

2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20
View Readings

Psalm 132:11-14, 17-18

Matthew 6:19-23
Similar Reflections

HOW TO DEFEAT THE TYRANT

"When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she began to kill off the whole royal family." �2 Kings 11:1

Athaliah, the queen mother, massacred the rest of the royal family so she could take over the kingdom of Judah. Seven years later, she was dethroned and killed. This victory of justice was achieved by God's grace through four people or groups of people:

Jehosheba risked her life to rescue a baby, her nephew, Joash, the rightful king (2 Kgs 11:2).
Others risked their lives daily for seven years by secretly caring for Joash (2 Kgs 11:3-4).
Jehoiada, the priest, risked his life by leading a coup d'etat (2 Kgs 11:4).
The captains of the temple guard risked their lives by swearing to support Jehoiada in the coup (2 Kgs 11:4).

The evil reign of Athaliah was stopped by one courageous woman, many acts of courage for seven years, priestly leadership, and the captains' faithfulness in the commitment to Jehoiada. We conquer evil by God's grace expressed in courage, leadership, and faithfulness.

That's what we need to stop the Athaliahs in our time. We can stop the worst evils if we're willing to lay down our lives and make sacrifices.

Look at Jesus crucified and victorious. Act to stop evil.

Prayer: Father, may I realize that my primary enemy is Satan (Eph 6:12). May I fight accordingly (see 2 Cor 10:4).

Promise: "Remember, where your treasure is, there your heart is also." —Mt 6:21

Praise: Both St. Paulinus and his wife entered religious life when their son died.

37 posted on 06/22/2018 9:05:23 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Parents' Prayer

Jesus Christ, Son of God, Son of Man, and Son of Mary, I thank you for the gift of life you have entrusted to my care. Help me be a parent both tender and wise, both loving and forgiving.

Mary, Holy Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Christ, and our Motherly Queen of Heaven, nourish our family with your heavenly grace. Help us to remain faithful to The Most Holy Trinity, in all our sorrows and joys.

Joseph, Earthly father to our Lord God, guardian and spouse of Mary, keep our family safe from harm. Help us in all times of discouragement or anxiety.

Holy Family of Nazareth, help our family to walk in your footsteps. May we be peace-loving and peace-giving. Amen.

38 posted on 06/22/2018 9:06:27 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

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