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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 08-22-19, M, The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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| 08-22-19
| Revised New American Bible
Posted on 08/21/2019 10:15:44 PM PDT by Salvation
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To: All
Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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 Luminous Mysteries or Mysteries of Light (Thursdays) see Rosarium Virginis Mariae
1. Jesus' Baptism in the Jordan (II Corinthians 5:21, Matthew 3:17 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Gratitude for the gift of Faith]
2. Jesus' self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana (John 2:1- 12) [Spiritual fruit - Fidelity]
3. Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with His call to conversion (Mark 1:15, Mark 2:3-13; Luke 7:47- 48, John 20:22-23) [Spiritual fruit - Desire for Holiness]
4. Jesus' Transfiguration (Luke 9:35 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Spiritual Courage]
5. Jesus' institution of the Eucharist, as the sacramental expression of the Paschal Mystery. (Luke 24:13-35 and parallels, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25) [Spiritual fruit - Love of our Eucharistic Lord]
21
posted on
08/22/2019 7:36:16 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
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
+
22
posted on
08/22/2019 7:36:46 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
August Devotion -- The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.
This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.
On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.
INVOCATIONS
O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.
Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.
ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.
Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."
Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.
Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII
IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
The Holy Heart of Mary Is, After the Heart of Jesus, the Most Exalted Throne of Divine Love
Let us recollect that God has given us the feast of the most pure Heart of the Blessed Virgin so that we may render on that day all the respect, honor and praise that we possibly can. To enkindle this spirit within us let us consider our motivating obligations.
The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.
This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?
How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?
— St. John Eudes
Today: Immaculate Heart of Mary [DEVOTIONAL]
The Immaculate Heart of Mary [Devotional] Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Saturdays and the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Brown Scapular (Catholic Caucus)
The History of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Homilies preached by Father Robert Altier on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Marian Associations Unite to Celebrate Immaculate Heart
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, AUGUST 22ND
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
23
posted on
08/22/2019 7:38:46 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
Pope’s Intention for August
Families, Schools of Human Growth
That families, through their life of prayer and love, become ever more clearly "schools of true human growth."
24
posted on
08/22/2019 7:39:24 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
Nothing appeases an enraged elephant so much as the sight of a little lamb. –St. Francis de Sales
25
posted on
08/22/2019 7:41:11 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
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). |
26
posted on
08/22/2019 7:41:44 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: Salvation
That families, through their life of prayer and love, become ever more clearly "schools of true human growth."That's a strange secular intention for a catholic pope, especially one who promotes Holy Communion for adulterers.
27
posted on
08/22/2019 7:42:52 PM PDT
by
ebb tide
(We have a rogue curia in Rome)
To: All
28
posted on
08/22/2019 9:34:53 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
Catholic Culture
Ordinary Time: August 22nd
Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
MASS READINGS
August 22, 2019 (Readings on USCCB website)
COLLECT PRAYER
O God, who made the Mother of your Son to be our Mother and our Queen, graciously grant that, sustained by her intercession, we may attain in the heavenly Kingdom the glory promised to your children. 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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Old Calendar: Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Sts. Timothy, Hippolytus & Symphorian, martyrs
The faithful, under the guidance of an unerring Catholic instinct, have ever recognized the queenly dignity of the Mother of "The King of kings and Lord of lords": the Fathers, the Doctors of the Church, Popes, down through the centuries, have given authoritative expression to this truth and the crowning testimony to this common belief is to be found clearly expressed in the wonders of art and in the profound teaching of the liturgy. In their turn theologians have shown the fitting nature of this title of Queen as applied to the Mother of God, since she was so closely associated with the redemptive work of her Son and is the Mediatrix of all graces. Pius XII, by his encyclical letter of October 11, 1954, granted the unanimous desire of the faithful and their pastors and instituted the feast of the Queenship of Mary, giving sanction thus to a devotion that was already paid by the faithful throughout the world to the sovereign Mother of heaven and earth.
According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary which is celebrated in the Ordinary Rite on the Saturday following the Second Sunday after Pentecost.
It is also the commemoration of Sts. Timothy, Hippolytus and Symphorian. St. Timothy is a Roman martyr put to death in 303 or 306 during the last persecution. His body lies at St. Paul's-Outside-the-Walls, near that of the great Apostle. The history of St. Hippolytus, martyred at Ostia, near Rome, remains extremely obscure; it is probably in error that he is called bishop of Porto. St. Symphorian was a martyr of Autun, put to death while still a young man in the second or third century. He is one of the great saints of Gaul and several churches were built in his honor. His Acts appear to be genuine.
Queenship of Mary
With the certainty of faith we know that Jesus Christ is king in the full, literal, and absolute sense of the word; for He is true God and man. This does not, however, prevent Mary from sharing His royal prerogatives, though in a limited and analogous manner; for she was the Mother of Christ, and Christ is God; and she shared in the work of the divine Redeemer, in His struggles against enemies and in the triumph He won over them all. From this union with Christ the King she assuredly obtains so eminent a status that she stands high above all created things; and upon this same union with Christ is based that royal privilege enabling her to distribute the treasures of the kingdom of the divine Redeemer. And lastly, this same union with Christ is the fountain of the inexhaustible efficacy of her motherly intercession in the presence of the Son and of the Father.
Without doubt, then, does our holy Virgin possess a dignity that far transcends all other creatures. In the eyes of her Son she takes precedence over everyone else. In order to help us understand the preeminence that the Mother of God enjoys over all creation, it would help to remember that from the first moment of her conception the holy Virgin was filled with such a plenitude of grace as to surpass the graces enhancing all the saints. Recall what our predecessor Pius IX, of blessed memory, wrote in his Bull Ineflabilis Deus: "More than all the angels and all the saints has God ineffable freely endowed Mary with the fullness of the heavenly gifts that abound in the divine treasury; and she, preserving herself ever immaculately clean from the slightest taint of sin, attained a fullness of innocence and holiness so great as to be unthinkable apart from God Himself, a fullness that no one other than God will ever possess."
Spurred on by piety and faith, may we glory in being subject to the rule of the Virgin Mother of God; she bears the royal sceptre in her hand, while her heart is ever aflame with motherlove.
Excerpted from Ad Caeli Reginam, Pius XII
Things to Do:
Sts. Timothy, Hippolytus & Symphorian
During the pontificate of Pope Melchiades (311-314), Timothy of Antioch came to Rome and preached the Gospel. The prefect of the city, Tarquin, placed him under arrest and after a period of imprisonment ordered that he be scourged three times because he refused to sacrifice to the gods. After further excruciating torments Timothy was beheaded. At Ostia, the bishop, St. Hippolytus, was a man of exceptional culture. Because he was an outstanding witness to the faith, he was bound hand and foot by Emperor Alexander and cast into a deep pit filled with water; thereby he obtained the crown. Not far away Christians buried his body. At Autun the youthful Symphorian was brought to judgment under Emperor Aurelian (270-275). His mother urged perseverance: "My son, think of eternal life. Raise your glance to heaven and behold your eternal King! Your life will not be taken from you, but transformed into a better one!"
Excerpted from the Roman Martyrology
Things to Do:
29
posted on
08/22/2019 9:42:38 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
The Word Among Us
Meditation: Judges 11:29-39
The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial)
Whoever comes out of . . . my house to meet me . . . I shall offer him up as a burnt offering. (Judges 11:31)
What a horrifying story! Jephthah makes a vow that, if he is victorious, he will sacrifice the first person who greets him when he returns home from battle. And who comes running out of the house to celebrate the victory? His only child! That hasty vow ended up costing him the life of his daughter.
Now, just because this story is in the Bible, that doesn’t mean God approved of Jephthah’s actions. Child sacrifice, although practiced in ancient times, was never accepted by God.
Jephthah’s story is a chilling example of the chaotic nature of this time in Israel’s history. Moses and Joshua were gone, and the tribes of Israel struggled to remain faithful to the God who had brought them to the Promised Land. Without a leader, the people “did what was right in their own eyes” (Judges 17:6; see 21:25). The culture that surrounded them chipped away at their tradition and their moral compass. In the end, they tolerated many practices of the surrounding pagan nations, including child sacrifice.
Jephthah’s tale should shake us up. The fact that he was one of the leaders God raised up for his people was not enough to gloss over this horrible sin. Yes, his military victories for Israel confirm that he was blessed by God. But he made and, even worse, carried out a vow that was abhorrent to God. Obviously, there’s a difference between being raised up by God and staying raised up.
There’s no way around it: we have to fight to stay faithful to the Lord. You know that you have been touched by God. But you need to keep moving forward in your faith. That’s why it’s so important to do things like pray every day and seek out the sacraments. That’s also why it’s important to seek the support of a brother or sister who loves you and knows you well enough to speak God’s word to you. Jephthah appears to have had no close friends or counselors. Such a good friend might have saved him and his daughter.
God has given us so many ways to be sure we stay close to him and not go our own way like Jephthah. Let’s take hold of them!
“Father, help me follow you with all my heart.”
Psalm 40:5, 7-10
Matthew 22:1-14
30
posted on
08/22/2019 9:47:24 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: Salvation
Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us PartDaily Marriage Tip for August 22, 2019:
Today is the feast day of the Queenship of Mary! Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, intercede on behalf of us and our families.
31
posted on
08/22/2019 9:51:06 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: Salvation
Regnum Christi
August 22, 2019 – Wearing the Right Clothes
Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Father José LaBoy, LC
Matthew 22: 1-14
Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again, he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so, the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you because you have created me to be with you. I hope in you because you always give me what I need to be with you. I love you because you continue to invite me, despite my reticence and sinfulness.
Petition: Lord, grant me the grace to value heaven and to live in such a way that I can get there.
- How Dare You Not Accept! God invites us to accept freely the gift of union with him to which he calls us. But, lo and behold, we can use our freedom badly and not accept the only thing that can truly make us happy. This occurs when we forget about God, no longer giving him the adoration and love he deserves as our Creator and Father, putting ourselves in first place, and becoming the sole criteria for our decisions and actions. This passage helps us to remember what type of freedom we have. We do not have absolute freedom. We can’t choose what our end should be. Only God is our end. Our freedom is limited and consists in being free to choose the means that most efficaciously help us to reach that end
- An Undeserved Invitation: Our possibility of getting to heaven is truly a gift from God. He invites us even though we are sinners, even though we don’t take his Son’s death and resurrection seriously, even though we continue to fall in spite of having all the grace and strength we need to overcome temptation. St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, states how hard it is for a man to give his life for another person (see Romans 4:7). Maybe he would do it for a very good person. Christ didn’t give his life for good persons; he gave it for sinners. We should be moved to respond to this amazing manifestation of love for us: Total adherence to God is the only worthy response.
- Dressing for the Occasion: God is good, but he is not naïve. He won’t let us in to full communion with him if we do not value it properly. The robe mentioned in the Gospel passage is an image of the soul. The soul that has been purified and is prepared to enter into heaven wears a wedding robe. The soul that is full of selfishness and sin is improperly dressed. It is not a matter of God not having mercy on us. It’s a matter of the use of our freedom. When we encounter something that has value and know that it will make us better, we have to appropriate that value through conscious effort. We must live up to it. We can’t be indifferent or superficial regarding heaven. We shouldn’t regard it as just something possible; it should be an existential need.
Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, so many times I give more importance to my own satisfaction than to centering my attention and efforts on achieving true communion with you. Help me to value your invitation to reach heaven through a truly Christian life that prefers virtue to sin, disinterested love to selfishness, humility to pride.
Resolution: Today I will try to work on a virtue that I need to respond to God’s love for me.
32
posted on
08/22/2019 11:06:39 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
Homily of the DayAugust 22, 2019Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Mary is the first disciple. In St. Ignatius’ “Call of the Kingdom,” Jesus asks his would-be followers to follow him in suffering, and so follow him in glory. This is precisely what Mary did in her life. Her status as a woman in Jewish society was low, but she allowed the Spirit to lead her, beginning at the Annunciation, and her whole life unfolded as a series of unfathomable events.
She gives birth in a stable, becomes a refugee when Herod goes after her infant son, is puzzled at Simeon’s words in the temple and Jesus’ own words after he is found there; she journeys with her son despite not understanding everything, and she ends up at the foot of the cross. This is not about having trials in life. It is a lifetime of trials; yet Mary remained steadfast in the hope that God’s promise to her would be fulfilled.
So when Jesus is raised from the dead, is it any wonder that he appears to his mother so that she can also share in his glory, she who has shared so much of his suffering? This is the meaning of Mary’s queenship. She is our model of discipleship and hope.
If we follow Jesus in his life, death, and resurrection; if we allow the Spirit to work in us; then we shall have a share in the glory that God has reserved for those who love him.
33
posted on
08/22/2019 11:07:51 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
One Bread, One Body
One Bread, One Body
Language: English | Español
All Issues > Volume 35, Issue 5
| << Thursday, August 22, 2019 >> |
Queenship of Mary
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Judges 11:29-39
View Readings |
Psalm 40:5, 7-10 |
Matthew 22:1-14
Similar Reflections |
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ONE HELL OF A DECISION
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| "Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the night to wail and grind his teeth." —Matthew 22:13 |
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We can hear the word "hell" used frequently in the workplace, on TV and radio, in all types of popular music, at the ball games — everywhere, it seems, except in church, the one place where we most need to be repeatedly taught and warned about the reality of hell, the "state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1033). Not enough people in our society have a healthy fear of ending up in hell. Fewer still seem to have the fear of the Lord, the Judge of all (see Jas 5:9). If we ignore the reality that we could freely choose eternity in hell over an eternity with Jesus, we ignore the serious effects of sin. This denies the need to be saved from our sins. Thus, we make ourselves a god. We kick God off the judge's bench and sit there ourselves. We judge that we're doing OK, and that our sins are not serious (or they aren't even sins in our eyes). We judge that we'll go to heaven, because we're not in danger of going to hell. We're safe from danger, so we don't need a Savior. The original sin happened because man succumbed to the temptation to be like God and judge for himself what was good and bad (Gn 3:5). Repent of taking the place of God and judging yourself. Even St. Paul did not dare to judge himself (1 Cor 4:3). Like the tax collector, throw yourself on the mercy of God and pray, "O God, be merciful to me, a sinner" (Lk 18:13). Don't delay even a moment. Repent now! Confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior (Rm 10:9). Reject sin, Satan, and hell. |
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| Prayer: Father, may everyone who reads this page lead thousands of people to accept Jesus as Lord, Savior, and God. |
| Promise: "Ears open to obedience You gave me." —Ps 40:7 |
| Praise: Mary became queen-mother, crushing the head of Satan. Mary, Queen of heaven, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. |
|
34
posted on
08/22/2019 11:11:09 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
To: All
35
posted on
08/22/2019 11:13:02 PM PDT
by
Salvation
("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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