Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 9-23-03, Optional, Memorial, St Pio of Pietrelciana

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 9-23-03 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

September 23, 2003
Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Psalm: Tuesday 41 Reading I Responsorial Psalm Gospel

Reading I
Ezr 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20

King Darius issued an order to the officials
of West-of-Euphrates:
"Let the governor and the elders of the Jews
continue the work on that house of God;
they are to rebuild it on its former site.
I also issue this decree
concerning your dealing with these elders of the Jews
in the rebuilding of that house of God:
From the royal revenue, the taxes of West-of-Euphrates,
let these men be repaid for their expenses, in full and without delay.
I, Darius, have issued this decree;
let it be carefully executed."

The elders of the Jews continued to make progress in the building,
supported by the message of the prophets,
Haggai and Zechariah, son of Iddo.
They finished the building according to the command
of the God of Israel
and the decrees of Cyrus and Darius
and of Artaxerxes, king of Persia.
They completed this house on the third day of the month Adar,
in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
The children of Israel–priests, Levites,
and the other returned exiles–
celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.
For the dedication of this house of God,
they offered one hundred bulls,
two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs,
together with twelve he-goats as a sin-offering for all Israel,
in keeping with the number of the tribes of Israel.
Finally, they set up the priests in their classes
and the Levites in their divisions
for the service of God in Jerusalem,
as is prescribed in the book of Moses.

The exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
The Levites, every one of whom had purified himself for the occasion,
sacrificed the Passover for the rest of the exiles,
for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5

R (1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Gospel
Lk 8:19-21

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you."
He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it."

[Salvation]

For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments and discussion.

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Alleluia Ping!

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Thought for the Day

Be firm in your resolutions; stay in the ship in which I placed you and let the storm come. Long live Jesus. You will not perish. Walk the way of the Lord in simplicity; do not torment your spirit. Say the truth, always the truth.

 -- Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

[Salvation]

"I give you all my blessing, not only to you who are present, but also to those who are dear to you, to your families who are dear to you, but especially this blessing descends copiously to those in need, that is, the suffering.

" The blessing of Almighty God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, descend on you and remain with you forever. Amen."

St. Pio

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St. Pio

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Padre Pio search

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FEAST OF THE DAY

Saint Pio da Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) was born on May 25, 1887 at the
city of Pietrelcina and was baptized Francesco De Nunzio. During his
youth, Francesco discerned that he was called to the religious life. In
January, 1903, at the age of sixteen, Francesco entered the
noviatiate of the Capuchin Friars at Morcone and on the 22nd, he
took the Franciscan habit and the name Brother Pio. At the end of
his novitiate year, Pio took simple vows; he took his solemn vows
four years later on January 27, 1907.

Soon after he professed solemn vows Brother Pio began his
theological studies for the priesthood. He was ordained in August
1910 at Benevento. Due to poor health, Father Pio was not able to
apply the zeal he wanted to his ministry of priesthood and was spent
almost six years with his family to improve his health. In September
1916, Padre Pio left his family and went to the friary of San Giovanni
Rotondo, where he remained to his death.

Padre Pio soon gained a wide reputation for his holiness and many
priests, religious, and faithful began to seek him out for his spiritual
direction. Padre Pio gave direction to anyone who came to him for
more than fifty years. Although Padre Pio spent his life in the
monastery, he remained aware of problems in the world. In 1956 he
established house for relief of the suffering to help the downtrodden
of society. In the friary, Padre Pio worked to follow the Franciscan
rule closely. He practiced habitual mortification to gain the virtue of
temperance and let this virtue spill over into his life and his dealings
with those around him. Pio also worked to perfect his obedience to
the Franciscan Rule and his superiors even when the commands
given to him were tedious and burdensome.

Pio's holiness was evident to all that met him and he is known to
have received the Stigmata. Whenever anyone would approach him
with admiration for his holiness he would reply by saying, "I only want
to be a poor friar who prays". Padre Pio was rarely graced with
vigorous health, but he lived to the age of 81. Pio died on September
23, 1968 at the age of 81. Pope John Paul II beatified Padre Pio on
May 2 1999 and canonized him on June 16, 2002.


QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Look what fame he had, what a worldwide following gathered
around him! But why? Perhaps because he was a philosopher?
Because he was wise? Because he had resources at his disposal?
Because he said Mass humbly, heard confessions from dawn to
dusk and was-it is not easy to say it-one who bore the wounds of our
Lord. He was a man of prayer and suffering". Pope Paul VI (21 Feb.
1971) commenting on the life of Padre Pio


TODAY IN HISTORY

704 Death of St. Adamnan
1968 Death of Padre Pio


TODAY'S TIDBIT

One of the remarkable things about Padre Pio was that he received
the Stigmata. This is the suffering of any of the five wounds that
Christ received during his Passion and Crucifixion. Padre Pio wore
gloves to hide the fact that he had the Stigmata on his hands.


INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for the conversion of all who do not believe in God.

[Salvation]

St. Pio, pray for us!

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Tuesday, September 23, 2003 Meditation Ezra 6:7-8,12,14-20 The prophet Jeremiah foretold that Jerusalem and its Temple would be destroyed, but that after a time of exile, some people would return and see the city’s glory restored (Jeremiah 24:4-7). Ezra, the priest and scribe, was fully conscious of this prophetic word. So was everyone whose name he noted in his registry of families who accompanied him on the trek from Babylon to Jerusalem: ordinary people, along with priests, singers, gatekeepers, and servants who would work in the restored Temple (Ezra 2). Ezra’s mission was twofold: to restore God’s house and to rebuild a community that would be faithful to God’s laws. However, Ezra and his followers met with stiff opposition. Some residents of Jerusalem, including many who had intermarried with pagan neighbors and abandoned their Jewish traditions, did not look kindly on Ezra’s reforms (Ezra 4). Ezra met this resistance with prayer, fasting, and persistent preaching of God’s word. Miraculously, he also gained the support of the Persian Empire. Finally, through patience and hard work, the Temple was rebuilt, and the people recommitted themselves to the ways of God. The key to Ezra’s success was his unwavering faith and his hope in God’s promises. He believed that the message of restoration that the prophets had spoken would be fulfilled in his day, and this hope gave him courage and determination to hold fast in the face of resistance. Like Ezra, we too can place our hope in God and be confident that he will fulfill every promise he has made. “Christian hope takes up and fulfills the hope of the chosen people which has its origin and model in the hope of Abraham” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1819). Our hope is a “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19). It is our protective armor in the struggle of salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:8). It enables us to experience joy in the Lord, even in the midst of trials (Romans 12:12). Hope assures us that, in every circumstance, we can count on God’s grace to help us persevere in faith and obtain the joy of heaven. “Lord Jesus, only in you is my hope secure and my joy full.”

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

<< Tuesday, September 23, 2003 >>

Ezra 6:7-8, 12, 14-20

Psalm 122

Luke 8:19-21

View Readings

DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM

“Let the governor and the elders of the Jews continue to work on that house of God; they are to rebuild it on its former site.” —Ezra 6:7

The Israelites rebuilt the Temple with the support of government taxes and the prophetic messages of Haggai and Zechariah. That is an unusual combination. Governments and prophets don’t usually mix. But the Lord can do anything and use anyone at any time for His glory. The Israelites never dreamed a Persian king would be used to rebuild the Temple (Ezr 6:7). We never dreamed the Lord would transform Eastern Europe and Russia as He has. The Lord continues to manifest His sovereign power by doing things we have never seen, heard, or even thought of (1 Cor 2:9).

He is Lord. He is not dismayed or helpless before the sin, rebellion, and confusion of our times. He can do all things. His victory is already won on Calvary. He has risen from the dead and is forever seated at the right hand of His Father’s throne. He is “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rv 19:16). “Nothing is impossible” for Him (Lk 1:37).

Therefore, pray for the impossible. Expect the inconceivable. Believe in the miraculous. He is Lord. He is risen from the dead and He is Lord. Alleluia!

Prayer: Father, leave me speechless before Your glory.

Promise: “My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and act upon it.” —Lk 8:21

Praise: Mary keeps reaching out to her brothers and sisters who are now away from the sacraments.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

I should have mentioned, all is right in the world, San Gennaro's blood did liquify on 19 September.

[Salvation]

From: Luke 8:19-21

The True Kinsmen of Jesus

---

[19] Then His (Jesus') mother and His brethren came to Him, but they
could not reach Him for the crowd. [20] And He was told, "Your mother
and your brethren are standing outside, desiring to see You." [21] But
He said to them, "My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word
of God and do it."

---

Commentary:

19-21. These words of our Lord show us that fulfillment of the Will of
God is more important than kinship and that, therefore, our Lady is
more united to her Son by virtue of her perfect fulfillment of what God
asked of her, than by the Holy Spirit's using her to make Christ's body
(cf. notes on Matthew 12:48-50 and Mark 3:31-35).

[Notes on Matthew 12:48-50 states:

48-50. Jesus obviously loved His Mother and St. Joseph. He uses this
episode to teach us that in His Kingdom human ties do not take
precedence. In Luke 8:19 the same teaching is to be found. Jesus
regards the person who does the will of His Heavenly Father as a member
of His own family. Therefore, even though it means going against
natural family feelings, a person should do just that when needs be in
order to perform the mission the Father has entrusted to him (cf. Luke
2:49).

We can say that Jesus loved Mary more because of the bonds between them
created by grace than because He was her son by natural generation:
Mary's divine motherhood is the source of all our Lady's other
prerogatives; but this very motherhood is, in its turn, the first and
greatest of the graces with which Mary was endowed.]

[Notes on Mark 3:31-35 states:

31-35. In Aramaic, the language used by the Jews, the word "brethren"
is a broad term indicating kinship: nephews, first cousins, and
relatives in general are called `brethren' (for further explanation cf.
note on Mark 6:1-3). "Jesus did not say this to disown His mother, but
to show that she is worthy of honor not only account of having given
birth to Jesus, but also because she has all the virtues" (Theoplylact,
"Enarratio In Evangelium Marci, in loc.").

Therefore, the Church reminds us that the Blessed Virgin "in the course
of her Son's preaching received the words whereby, in extolling a
kingdom beyond the concerns and ties of flesh and blood, He declared
blessed those who heard and kept the word of God as she was faithfully
doing" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 58).

Our Lord, then, is also telling us that if we follow Him we will share
His life more intimately than if were a member of His family. St.
Thomas explains this by saying that Christ "had an eternal generation
and a generation in time, and gave preference to the former. Those who
do the will of the Father reach Him by Heavenly generation [...].
Everyone who does the will of the Father, that is to say, who obeys
Him, is a brother or sister of Christ, because he is like Him who
fulfilled the will of His Father. But he who not only obeys but
converts others, begets Christ in them, and thus becomes like the
Mother of Christ" ("Commentary on St. Matthew", 12, 49-50.)

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

Thanks for the update on St. Januarius!

[fatima]

Salvation,St Padre Pio Bump.