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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 06-18-08
USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 06-18-08 | New American Bible

Posted on 06/17/2008 9:53:55 PM PDT by Salvation

June 18, 2008

                                Wednesday of the Eleventh Week
                                in Ordinary Time

 
 
 
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Gospel

Reading 1
2 Kgs 2:1, 6-14

When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind,
he and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here;
the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.”
“As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you,” Elisha replied.
And so the two went on together.
Fifty of the guild prophets followed and
when the two stopped at the Jordan,
they stood facing them at a distance.
Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up
and struck the water, which divided,
and both crossed over on dry ground.

When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha,
“Ask for whatever I may do for you, before I am taken from you.”
Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.”
“You have asked something that is not easy,” Elijah replied.
“Still, if you see me taken up from you,
your wish will be granted; otherwise not.”
As they walked on conversing,
a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them,
and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
When Elisha saw it happen he cried out,
“My father! my father! Israel’s chariots and drivers!”
But when he could no longer see him,
Elisha gripped his own garment and tore it in two.

Then he picked up Elijah’s mantle that had fallen from him,
and went back and stood at the bank of the Jordan.
Wielding the mantle that had fallen from Elijah,
Elisha struck the water in his turn and said,
“Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?”
When Elisha struck the water it divided and he crossed over.

Responsorial Psalm
31:20, 21, 24

R. (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
How great is the goodness, O LORD,
which you have in store for those who fear you,
And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the children of men.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men;
You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!
The LORD keeps those who are constant, but more than requites those who act proudly.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Gospel
Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”





TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; catholiclist; ordinarytime
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For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

1 posted on 06/17/2008 9:53:56 PM PDT by Salvation
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To: nickcarraway; sandyeggo; Lady In Blue; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; Catholicguy; RobbyS; ...
Alleluia Ping!

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Alleluia Ping List.

2 posted on 06/17/2008 9:55:32 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
I am the way, the truth and the life - Words of Jesus Christ our Lord, Our Savior,  the Son of God.

June Devotion: The Sacred Heart

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of June is set apart for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. "From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion." These words of Pope Pius XI refer to the Sacred Heart Devotion, which in its present form dates from the revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.

The devotion consists in the divine worship of the human heart of Christ, which is united to His divinity and which is a symbol of His love for us. The aim of the devotion is to make our Lord king over our hearts by prompting them to return love to Him (especially through an act of consecration by which we offer to the Heart of Jesus both ourselves and all that belongs to us) and to make reparation for our ingratitude to God.

INVOCATION

O Heart of love, I put all my trust in Thee; for I fear all things from my own weakness, but I hope for all things from Thy goodness.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART

Devotion to the Sacred Heart was the characteristic note of the piety of Saint Gertrude the Great (1256-1302), Benedictine nun and renowned mystic. She was, in fact, the first great exponent of devotion to the Sacred Heart. In our efforts to honor the Heart of Jesus we have this prayer as a model for our own:
Hail! O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and quickening source of eternal life, infinite treasure of the Divinity, and burning furnace of divine love. Thou art my refuge and my sanctuary, 0 my amiable Savior. Consume my heart with that burning fire with which Thine is ever inflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Thy love, and let my heart be so united with Thine, that our wills may be one, and mine in all things be conformed to Thine. May Thy divine will be equally the standard and rule of all my desires and of all my actions. Amen.
Saint Gertrude

FOR THE CHURCH

O most holy Heart of Jesus, shower Thy blessings in abundant measure upon Thy holy Church, upon the Supreme Pontiff and upon all the clergy; to the just grant perseverance; convert sinners; enlighten unbelievers; bless our relations, friends and benefactors; assist the dying; deliver the holy souls in purgatory; and extend over all hearts the sweet empire of Thy love. Amen.

A PRAYER OF TRUST

O God, who didst in wondrous manner reveal to the virgin, Margaret Mary, the unsearchable riches of Thy Heart, grant that loving Thee, after her example, in all things and above all things, we may in Thy Heart find our abiding home.
Roman Missal

ACT OF LOVE

Reveal Thy Sacred Heart to me, O Jesus, and show me Its attractions. Unite me to It for ever. Grant that all my aspirations and all the beats of my heart, which cease not even while I sleep, may be a testimonial to Thee of my love for Thee and may say to Thee: Yes, Lord, I am all Thine;
pledge of my allegiance to Thee rests ever in my heart will never cease to be there. Do Thou accept the slight amount of good that I do and be graciously pleased to repair all m] wrong-doing; so that I may be able to bless Thee in time and in eternity. Amen.
Cardinal Merry del Val

MEMORARE TO THE SACRED HEART
Remember, O most sweet Jesus, that no one who has had recourse to Thy Sacred Heart, implored its help, or sought it mercy was ever abandoned. Encouraged with confidence, O tenderest of hearts, we present ourselves before Thee, crushes beneath the weight of our sins. In our misery, O Sacred Hear. of Jesus, despise not our simple prayers, but mercifully grant our requests.

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

(June) The Month of the Sacred Heart {Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]

The Heart of the World (On the Sacred Heart of Jesus) (Catholic Caucus)

The Sacred Heart Is The Holy Eucharist(Catholic Caucus)

The Origin of the Sacred Heart Badge

Importance of Devotion to the Sacred Heart

An Awesome Homily on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Father Edmond Kline

Catholic Prayer and Devotion: June the Month of the Sacred Heart

Pope Urges Jesuits to Spread Sacred Heart Devotion

The Sacred Heart and the Eucharist

Homilies preached by Father Altier on the Feast of the Sacred Heart

Daily Recomendation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus powerful prayer!

Catholic Meditation and Devotion: The Sacred Heart of Jesus

Catholic Devotions: Sacred Heart of Jesus

June Devotion: The Sacred Heart

Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Love of the Sacred Heart

On the Sacred Heart - "We Adore God's Love of Humanity"

HAURIETIS AQUAS (On Devotion To The Sacred Heart) - Encyclical by Pope Pius XII

Sacred Heart a Feast of God's Love, Says John Paul II

The Sacred Heart of Jesus: Symbol of Combativity and the Restoration of Christendom

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus-The Early Church, Middle Ages up to St. Margaret Mary

See this Heart

About Devotion To The Sacred Heart:The Story Of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

Rediscover Feast of Sacred Heart, John Paul II Tells Youth


3 posted on 06/17/2008 9:56:58 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
JUNE 2008
General:
That Christians may cultivate a deep and personal friendship with Christ so they are able to communicate the strength of His love to those they encounter

Mission:
That the International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec, Canada, may lead to ever deeper understanding of the Eucharist, the heart of the Church and source of evangelization.

4 posted on 06/17/2008 9:57:42 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All

From: 2 Kings 2:1, 6-14

Elijah is taken up into the sky


[1] Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind,
Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.

[6] Then Elijah said to him, “Tarry here, I pray you; for the Lord has sent me to
the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not
leave you.” So the two of them went on. [7] Fifty men of the sons of the prophets
also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by
the Jordan. [8] Then Elijah took his mantle, and rolled it up, and struck the water,
and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them
could go over on dry ground.

[9] When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you,
before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “I pray you, let me inherit a double
share of your spirit.” [10] And he said, “You have asked for a hard thing; yet, if
you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if you do not
see me, it shall not be so.” [11] And as they still went on and talked, behold, a
chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up
by a whirlwind into heaven. [12[ And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my
father! the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more. Then
he took hold of his own clothes and rent them in two pieces.

Elisha, Elijah’s successor


[13] And he took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back
and stood on the bank of the Jordan. [14] Then he took the mantle of Elijah that
had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God
of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to one side
and to the other; and Elisha went over.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

2:1-13:25. Having concluded the section dealing with kings in the time of Elijah
(cf. 1 Kings 17:1-2 Kings 1:18), the biblical narrative now focuses on Elisha. First
it tells how he succeeded Elijah (chap. 2) and then it goes on to cover his won-
derworking and prophetical activity, up to his death (chap. 13). The account of
his death, which occurred at the beginning of the eighth century BC, brings to a
close a period of the history of Israel spanning the careers of two great prophets,
Elijah and Elisha.

Elisha’s activity is different from Elijah’s in many ways: firstly, Elisha’s miracles
are designed to resolve difficulties of his contemporaries, whereas Elijah’s were
performed to demonstrate the sovereignty of the one God; secondly, Elisha is
much more involved than his predecessor in political affairs and is much closer to
the kings, too; finally, Elisha has more contact with the groups of prophets than
Elijah had. Elisha is, then, a prophet much closer to the people, showing them
the love God has for them.

2:1-25. Elisha becomes the heir of his master’s spirit when he sees Elijah being
taken up to heaven (vv. 9-12). The signs which Elisha goes on to work win him
recognition as Elijah’s successor – first, from the other prophets, once they are
convinced that Elijah is indeed no longer in this world (vv. 13-18), and then from
all the people, who witness extraordinary prodigies worked by Elisha (vv. 19-25).

2:1-12. This passage deals with one of the most mysterious, and also the most
popular, episodes in the Old Testament – Elijah being taken up to heaven by a
whirlwind. God wants to show the special destiny reserved for Elijah on account
of his fidelity, a destiny similar to Enoch’s for having walked with God (cf. Gen
5:21-24).

In recounting this ancient tradition about Elijah, the sacred writer highlights as-
pects of Elijah’s connexion with groups of prophets and particularly with Elisha,
whom he had already designated as his successor (cf. 1 Kings 19:19-21).

Elisha’s request for a double share of Elijah’s spirit is reminiscent of the double
portion of the paternal estate due to the first-born in Israel (cf. Deut 21:17). The
condition that Elijah lays down shows that divine gifts can be passed on only to
those able to receive them (cf. vv. 10-12).

The function of the chariot and horses of fire is to separate the two prophets
when Elijah is being swept up. The book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), in its time,
will interpret them as a sign that God has brought him up into heaven (cf. Sir
48:8-9). Chariots of fire are also a symbol of God’s presence and of his glory, as
in Psalm 68:17, for example. The fact that Elijah had not died is the reason why
he is assigned a role in the future, at the messianic restoration of the twelve tries
(cf. Sir 48:10) and before the coming of the “day of the Lord” (Mal 4:5). The figure
of Elijah is also to be found in the New Testament where he is identified with John
the Baptist, Christ’s precursor (cf. Mt 11:14, 17:10-12), in the sense that the Bap-
tist is inspired by the same spirit as inspired Elijah.

The last wonder worked by Elijah, over the waters of the Jordan (cf. v. 8), again
likens him to Moses (cf. Ex 14:16-21 and notes on 1 Kings 19:1-18). Even the
place where Elijah is taken up into heaven is not far from where Moses died (cf.
Deut 34:4-6) before the people entered the promised land. These similarities be-
tween Moses and Elijah suggest certain parallels: Moses represents the Law
which God gave Israel through his mediation; Elijah represents the prophetical
spirit which God manifested through the prophet’s life and through his being
taken up into heaven. So, it is not surprising that when our Lord chose to reveal
his glory to the disciples by his transformation on Mount Tabor, he should have
chosen to appear alongside Moses and Elijah, because the Law and the Pro-
phets find their fulfilment in Christ (cf. Mt 17:3 and par.).

2:13-18. The mantle symbolizes the authority of its owner and, in this case, the
fact that he possesses the prophetical spirit (cf. 1 Kings 19:19-21). Elisha uses
it to repeat the prodigy previously worked by Elijah; but now he does so to cross
towards the land of Israel, as the people once did on the orders of Joshua (cf.
Josh 3:14-17).

On witnessing the prodigy worked by Elisha, the prophets acknowledge him as
Elijah’s true heir (v. 15); but they want to make sure that it was not to some
other place on earth that Elijah was taken, as popular thinking had it (cf. 1 Kings
18:12).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.


5 posted on 06/17/2008 10:02:30 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All

From: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

An Upright Intention in Almsgiving, Prayer and Fasting


(Jesus said to His disciples,) [1] “Beware of practising your piety before men in
order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who
is in Heaven.

[2] “Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites
do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men.
Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. [3] But when you give alms, do not
let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, [4] so that your alms may
be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

[5] “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to
stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be
seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. [6] But when you pray,
go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and
your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

[16] “And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure
their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have
their reward. [17] But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, [18]
that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret;
and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1-18. “Piety”, here, means good works (cf. note on Matthew 5:6). Our Lord is
indicating the kind of spirit in which we should do acts of personal piety. Alms-
giving, fasting and prayer were the basic forms taken by personal piety among
the chosen people—which is why Jesus refers to these three subjects. With
complete authority He teaches that true piety must be practised with an upright
intention, in the presence of God and without any ostentation. Piety practised
in this way implies exercising our faith in God who sees us—and also in the safe
knowledge that He will reward those who are sincerely devout.

5-6. Following the teaching of Jesus, the Church has always taught us to pray
even when we were infants. By saying “you” (singular) our Lord is stating quite
unequivocally the need for personal prayer—relating as child to Father, alone with
God.

Public prayer, for which Christ’s faithful assemble together, is something neces-
sary and holy; but it should never displace obedience to this clear commandment
of our Lord: “When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to
your Father”.

The Second Vatican Council reminds us of the teaching and practice of the
Church in its liturgy, which is “the summit toward which the activity of the Church
is directed; it is also the fount from which all her power flows [...]. The spiritual
life, however, is not limited solely to participation in the liturgy. The Christian is
indeed called to pray with others, but he must also enter into his bedroom to
pray to his Father in secret; furthermore, according to the teaching of the Apostle,
he must pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)” (”Sacrosanctum Concilium”,
10 and 12).

A soul who really puts his Christian faith into practice realizes that he needs fre-
quently to get away and pray alone to his Father, God. Jesus, who gives us this
teaching about prayer, practised it during His own life on earth: the holy Gospel
reports that He often went apart to pray on His own: “At times He spent the whole
night in an intimate conversation with His Father. The Apostles were filled with
love when they saw Christ pray” ([Blessed] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”,
119; cf. Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; etc.). The Apostles followed the
Master’s example, and so we see Peter going up to the rooftop of the house to
pray in private, and receiving a revelation (cf. Acts 10:9-16). “Our life of prayer
should also be based on some moments that are dedicated exclusively to our
conversation with God, moments of silent dialogue” (”ibid”, 119).

16-18. Starting from the traditional practice of fasting, our Lord tells us the spirit
in which we should exercise mortification of our senses: we should do so without
ostentation, avoiding praise, discreetly; that way Jesus’ words will not apply to us:
“they have their reward”; it would have been a very bad deal. “The world admires
only spectacular sacrifice, because it does not realize the value of sacrifice that
is hidden and silent” ([Blessed] J. Escriva, “The Way”, 185).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.


6 posted on 06/17/2008 10:03:13 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd

Mass Readings

First reading 2 Kings 2:1 - 14 ©
This is what happened when the Lord took Elijah up to heaven in the whirlwind: Elijah and Elisha set out from Gilgal, Elijah said, ‘Elisha, please stay here, the Lord is only sending me to the Jordan.’ But he replied, ‘As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you!’ And they went on together.
Fifty of the brotherhood of prophets followed them, halting some distance away as the two of them stood beside the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water; and the water divided to left and right, and the two of them crossed over dry-shod. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Make your request. What can I do for you before I am taken from you?’ Elisha answered, ‘Let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’ ‘Your request is a difficult one’ Elijah said. ‘If you see me while I am being taken from you, it shall be as you ask; if not, it will not be so.’ Now as they walked on, talking as they went, a chariot of fire appeared and horses of fire, coming between the two of them; and Elijah went up to heaven in the whirlwind. Elisha saw it, and shouted, ‘My father! My father! Chariot of Israel and its chargers!’ Then he lost sight of him, and taking hold of his clothes he tore them in half. He picked up the cloak of Elijah which had fallen, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
He took the cloak of Elijah and struck the water. ‘Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ he cried. He struck the water, and it divided to right and left, and Elisha crossed over.
Psalm or canticle: Psalm 30
Gospel Matthew 6:1 - 18 ©
Jesus said, ‘Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
‘And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
‘When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’

7 posted on 06/17/2008 10:07:18 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Weekday
First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:

2 Kings 2:1, 6-14
Psalm 31:20-21, 24
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Take good care for the aged, for in them you are caring for Christ Himself.

-- Bl. Jeanne Jugan


8 posted on 06/17/2008 10:12:08 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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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. 


9 posted on 06/17/2008 10:13:02 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Salvation
I love The Angelus.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

10 posted on 06/17/2008 10:19:07 PM PDT by La Enchiladita (Typical gringa)
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To: La Enchiladita

Thanks for the beautiful painting.


11 posted on 06/18/2008 9:41:45 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Office of Readings and Invitatory Psalm

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
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. Alleluia.


A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 88 (89)
The Lord's kindness to the house of David
I will sing for ever of the kindnesses of the Lord:
 to generation upon generation
 my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said
 “My kindness shall be established for ever”;
 your faithfulness will be established in the heavens.

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one.
 I have sworn to David my servant:
To all eternity I will set your descendants firm;
 I shall build your house to last for all generations”.

The heavens will proclaim your wonders, O Lord,
 the assembly of your holy ones will proclaim your faithfulness.
For who in the sky can be compared to the Lord?
 Who could resemble the Lord among all the sons of God?
God is to be feared in the council of his holy ones,
 great and terrible above all who surround him.

Lord God of hosts, who is like you?
 Yours is the power, and faithfulness surrounds you.
You subdue the pride of the sea:
 when its waves rise high, you calm them.
You have trampled Rahab underfoot, like a wounded man;
 through the strength of your arm you have scattered your enemies.

Yours are the heavens and yours is the earth,
 you set firm the globe and all it contains.
You made the north and the south,
 Tabor and Hermon will rejoice in your name.
Your arm it is that has the power,
 your hand is strong, your right hand held high.
Your throne is founded on justice and right,
 kindness and faithfulness are your attendants.

Happy the people that knows the cry of praise!
 They will walk in the light of your presence, Lord,
 and rejoice in your name all the day –
for you are the splendour of their strength,
 and by your good will our standard is held high.
For our shields belong to the Lord,
 and our king to the Holy One of Israel.

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.

Psalm 88 (89)
In a vision you spoke to your holy ones.
 You said, “I have given strength to a warrior,
 I have raised a chosen one from the people.
I have found David my servant,
 I have anointed him with my holy oil.
For my hand will always give him support,
 my right arm will give him strength.

The enemy shall make no headway against him,
 the son of iniquity shall have no power over him.
I will crush his foes in his sight
 and strike down those who hate him.
My faithfulness and kindness shall be with him
 and his strength will be triumphant through my name.
I shall extend his power over the sea,
 and his right hand over the rivers.

He will call upon me: ‘you are my father,
 my God and my safe refuge’.
And I shall make him my first-born,
 supreme over all the kings of the earth.
My kindness to him will continue for ever,
 my covenant with him will remain firm.
For all ages I shall establish his descendants,
 and for all the days of heaven his throne will stand”.

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.

Psalm 88 (89)
“But if his children abandon my law
 and walk no more in the paths of my decrees;
if they profane my judgements
 and do not keep to my commandments,
I will punish their transgressions with a rod,
 I will punish their wickedness with a beating.

Even so, I will not turn my kindness away from him,
 nor will I be untrue to my word.
I will not profane my covenant,
 I will not go against the word I have spoken.
I have sworn in my sanctuary, once and for all:
 I will not lie to David.
His seed shall remain for ever,
 his throne firm as the sun in my sight,
just as the moon stays firm for ever,
 a faithful witness in the sky”.

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.

Reading Judges 6:33 - 7:22 ©
Then all Midian and Amalek and the sons of the East joined forces, crossed the Jordan and encamped in the plain of Jezreel. And the spirit of the Lord came on Gideon; he sounded the horn and Abiezer rallied behind him. He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and Manasseh too rallied behind him; he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, and they too marched out to meet him.
Gideon said to God, ‘If you really mean to deliver Israel by my hand, as you have declared, see now, I spread out a fleece on the threshing-floor; if there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is left dry, then I shall know that you will deliver Israel by my hand, as you have declared.’ And so it happened. Gideon rose the next morning, squeezed the fleece and wrung enough dew out of the fleece to fill a drinking cup. Then Gideon spoke to God again, ‘Do not be angry with me if I speak once again. Let me make trial with the fleece just once more. Let the fleece alone be dry, and let there be dew on the ground all round it.’ And God did so that night. The fleece alone stayed dry, and there was dew on the ground all round it.
Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) got up very early, as did all the people with him; he pitched camp at En-harod; the camp of Midian was north of his, under the Hill of Moreh in the valley. Then the Lord said to Gideon, ‘There are too many people with you for me to put Midian into their power; Israel might claim the credit for themselves at my expense: they might say, “My own hand has rescued me.” Therefore, make this proclamation now to the people: “Let anyone who is frightened or fearful go home!”’ Gideon put them to the test. Twenty-two thousand men went home, and ten thousand were left.
The Lord said to Gideon, ‘There are still too many people. Take them down to the waterside and I will sift them there. If I say of a man: He is to go with you, that man is to go with you. And if I say of a man: He is not to go with you, that man is not to go.’ So Gideon took the people down to the waterside, and the Lord said to him, ‘All those who lap the water with their tongues, as a dog laps, place these on one side. And all those who kneel down to drink, place these on the other side.’ The number of those who lapped with their tongues was three hundred; all the rest of the people had knelt to drink. Then the Lord said to Gideon, ‘With the three hundred who lapped the water I will rescue you and put Midian into your power. Let all the others go back, every man to his own home.’ Gideon made the people give him what pitchers and horns they had, then sent away all the Israelites, each to his own tent, keeping only the three hundred with him. The camp of Midian was below his own in the valley.
Gideon then divided his three hundred men into three companies. To each man he gave a horn and an empty pitcher, with a torch inside each pitcher. He said to them, ‘Watch me, and do as I do. When I reach the edge of the camp, whatever I do, you do too. When I sound the horn, I and those with me, then you too must sound your horns all round the camp and shout, “For the Lord and for Gideon!”’
Gideon and his hundred companions reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when the new sentries had just been posted; they sounded their horns and smashed the pitchers in their hands. The three companies sounded their horns and smashed their pitchers; with their left hands they grasped the torches, with their right hands the horns ready to blow; and they shouted, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’ And they stood still, spaced out all round the camp. Then the whole camp woke and the Midianites fled, shouting. While the three hundred kept sounding their horns, the Lord made every man in the camp turn his sword against his comrade. They all fled as far as Beth-shittah towards Zarethan, as far as the bank of Abel-meholah opposite Tabbath.

Reading St Cyprian's treatise on the Lord's Prayer
Thy kingdom come
The prayer continues: Thy kingdom come. We ask that the kingdom of God may appear to us, just as we ask that his name may be sanctified in us. For when does God not reign, or when does his kingdom begin, for it always has been and never ceases to be? We are praying that our kingdom, which has been promised to us by God, may come, the kingdom that was acquired by the blood and passion of Christ; and that we who started off as his subjects in this world may hereafter reign with Christ when he reigns, as he himself promised when he said: Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take up the kingdom which has been prepared for you from the beginning of the world.
But it may be, dearest brethren, that Christ himself is the kingdom of God, for whose coming we daily ask. For since he himself is our resurrection, since in him we rise again, so also the kingdom of God may be understood to be himself, since it is in him that we shall reign. We do well to ask for the coming of the kingdom of God – that is, the heavenly kingdom – for there is also an earthly kingdom, and he who has already renounced this world is greater than any of its honours or powers.
We add: Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. This is not that God should do what he wills, but so that we may be able to do what God wills. For who could resist God in such a way as to prevent him doing what he wills? But since the devil hinders us from obeying, by thought and by deed, God’s will in all things, we pray and ask that God’s will may be done in us. For this to happen, we need God’s good will – that is, his help and protection, since no-one is strong in and of himself but is kept safe by the grace and mercy of God. Moreover, the Lord, showing the weakness of the humanity which he bore, said Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, and showing his disciples an example, that they should do not their own will but God’s, he went on to say nevertheless, let it not be my will, but yours.
But it is the will of God that Christ both did and taught. Humility in dealings with others; steadfastness in faith; modesty in words; justice in deeds; mercifulness in works; discipline in morals. To be unable to do a wrong, and to be able to bear a wrong when it is done; to keep peace with the brethren; to love God with all one’s heart; to love God because he is a Father but fear him because he is God; to prefer nothing whatever to Christ because he preferred nothing to us; to adhere inseparably to his love; to stand faithfully and bravely by his cross; when there is any conflict over his name and honour, to exhibit in discourse that steadfastness in which we proclaim him; in torture, to show that confidence in which we unite; in death, that patience in which we are crowned – this is what it means to want to be co-heirs with Christ, this is what it means to do what God commands, this is what it is to fulfil the will of the Father.

Concluding Prayer
O God, you are the strength of those who hope in you: in your kindness, attend to our prayers.
 Weak and mortal, we can achieve nothing without you: always give us your support,
 so that we carry out your commandments, pleasing you in both intention and action.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
 who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
 God for ever and ever.
Amen.

12 posted on 06/18/2008 9:43:42 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Catholic Culture

Daily Readings (on USCCB site):
» June 18, 2008
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Collect: Almighty God, our hope and our strength, without you we falter. Help us to follow Christ and to live according to your will. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Month Year Season
« June 18, 2008 »

Wednesday of the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Ephrem, deacon, confessor and doctor

 

The virtues of gratitude, confidence and love, stimulated and motivated by the Holy Eucharist, are especially necessary in the modern world. Today gratitude has become a forgotten virtue; confidence in God has been replaced by arrogant self-reliance; love for God and for mankind has been driven from the hearts of many by a spirit of pagan selfishness.

Catholics must strive to revive these virtues and shall have the special help of Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist. If we cultivate a deep and persevering devotion to Him who dwells among us under the humble appearances of bread and wine, particularly if we receive Holy Communion frequently and fervently, we cannot but make progress in the spirit of gratitude, in unwavering confidence in God's assistance, and in ardent love both for God and for our fellowmen.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Ephrem. His feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on June 9.


No Man Can Serve Two Masters
Two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self, even to the contempt of God; the heavenly by the love of God, even to the contempt of self. The former, in a word, glories in itself, the latter in the Lord. For the one seeks glory from men; but the greatest glory of the other is God, the witness of conscience. The one lifts up its head in its own glory; the other says to its God, You are my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. [Ps. 3, 4] In the one, the princes and the nations it subdues are ruled by the love of ruling; in the other, the princes and the subjects serve one another in love, the latter obeying, while the former take thought for all. The one delights in its own strength, represented in the persons of its rulers; the other says to its God, I will love you, O Lord, my strength. [Ps. 17, 1] And therefore the wise men of the one city, living according to man, have sought for profit to their own bodies or souls, or both, and those who have known God glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened; professing themselves to be wise—that is, glorying in their own wisdom, and being possessed by pride—they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. For they were either leaders or followers of the people in adoring images, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. [Rom. 1, 21-25] But in the other city there is no human wisdom, but only godliness, which offers due worship to the true God, and looks for its reward in the society of the saints, of holy angels as well as holy men, that God may be all in all. [1 Cor. 15, 28] — St. Augustine


13 posted on 06/18/2008 9:48:16 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
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. Alleluia.


A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 85 (86)
A poor man's prayer in time of trouble
Turn your ear to me, Lord, and hear me,
 for I am poor and destitute.
Keep my life safe, for I am faithful;
 O God, save your servant, who trusts in you.

Take pity upon me, O Lord,
 for I call to you all the day long.
Make your servant’s heart glad,
 for to you, O Lord, I have raised it.
For you, Lord, are gentle and mild:
 you are kind to all those who call on you.

Let your ears hear my prayer, O Lord!
 Turn to the voice of my pleading!
In my time of trouble I call on you,
 for you, O Lord, will hear me.

No other god is like you, O Lord,
 and nothing compares with your works.
All people – all nations you made –
 will come and worship before you;
 they will give glory to your name.
For you are great, you work wonders:
 you alone are God.

O Lord, teach me your paths,
 and I will come to your truth.
Make my heart simple and guileless,
 so that it honours your name.
I will proclaim you, Lord my God,
 and give you praise with all my heart.
I will give glory to your name for ever,
 for your great kindness is upon me:
 you have rescued me from the deepest depths.

O God, the proud rise against me,
 in the meetings of the powerful they seek my life:
 they do not keep you in their sight.
And you, Lord, are a God of compassion,
 full of mercies, patient and true.
Look upon me, have mercy upon me,
 give your strength and protection to your servant
 your servant, the child of your handmaid.

Give me a sign of your goodness,
 let my enemies see it and be confounded;
because you, O Lord, have helped me and given me comfort.

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.

Canticle Isaiah 33
The Lord will give just judgement
Hear what I have done, you who are far off,
 and you who are near, learn of my strength.
In Sion, the sinners are afraid;
 the hypocrites tremble.
Which of you could live with a devouring fire?
Which of you will abide in everlasting burning?

He who walks in justice, he who speaks fairly –
he who rejects the spoils of robbery –
he who throws back a bribe –
he who blocks his ears against murderous counsels –
he who shuts his eyes against evil sights –
this is he who will dwell on high, secure in a fortress of rocks.
Bread is given to him; his supply of water is secure.

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.

Psalm 97 (98)
The Lord has brought salvation
Sing a new song to the Lord,
 for he has worked wonders.

His right hand, his holy arm,
 have brought him victory.
The Lord has shown his saving power,
 and before all nations he has shown his justice.
He has remembered to show his kindness
 and his faithfulness to the house of Israel.
The farthest ends of the earth
 have seen the saving power of our God.

Rejoice in God, all the earth.
 Break forth in triumph and song!
Sing to the Lord on the lyre,
 with the lyre and with music.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn,
 sound jubilation to the Lord, our king.

Let the sea resound in its fulness,
 all the earth and all its inhabitants.
The rivers will clap their hands,
 and the mountains will exult at the presence of the Lord,
 for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge all the world in justice,
 and the peoples with fairness.

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.

Short reading Job 1:21 - 2:10 ©
Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked I shall return. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken back. Blessed be the name of the Lord! we take happiness from God’s hand, must we not take sorrow too?

Canticle Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.
He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David,
as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages:
to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers,
to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,
that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies –
in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,
to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven.
Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us
to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death;
to lead our feet in the path of peace.

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.

Prayers and Intercessions ?
Christ feeds and cares for the Church, for which he gave his very self. And so we pray:
Lord, look after your Church.
Blessed are you, shepherd of your Church, because today you give us light and life:
make us truly grateful for such wonderful gifts.
Look kindly on the flock you have gathered in your name:
let no-one perish from the flock your Father has given you.
Lead your Church along the path of your commandments:
may the Holy Spirit keep her faithful to you.
By the feast of bread and the Word, give life to your Church:
nourish her and give her the strength to follow you with joy.
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 that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
 but deliver us from evil.

Lord, in your kindness fill our deepest being with your holy light,
 so that we may be steadfast in our devotion to you:
 for your wisdom created us and your providence guides us.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
 who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
 God for ever and ever.
Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.
A M E N

14 posted on 06/18/2008 10:15:28 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Vultus Christi

June 18, 2008

Pro Affligentibus Nos

mocking-1.jpg

Commanded from the Heart

“I say to you, Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5:44). “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Lk 6:28). These are not suggestions; they are not pious recommendations. They are clear precepts of Christ: commandments conceived in His merciful Heart and addressed to each of us without exception.

The Prayer From the Cross

It is no coincidence that this Gospel passage should be given us in this month of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. One cannot receive the Forgiving Heart of Jesus in the Eucharist and persist in refusing anyone forgiveness. One cannot approach the Pierced Heart of Jesus and not be drawn into His prayer to the Father from the Cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34).

Obedience

The prevalent culture of options and of personal choices has all but rendered us impermeable to the commandments of Our Lord. We prefer to think of them as suggestions or as “talking points.” Contemporary sensibilities in the world and, alas, even in the Church, resent the objective precept, the non-negotiable commandment, the mandate coming from above. A combination of the effects of original sin and actual sins of pride has conditioned us to want to discuss everything, to debate everything, to argue the value of any law coming from above us or outside of us. Our Lord presents us with just such a commandment. It is not a suggestion. It is not open to discussion. It is not the subject of debate. It is a divine commandment. In obeying it, we obey God. In neglecting to obey it, we neglect to obey God.

Blessings and Prayer

Insofar as we consider ourselves disciples of Christ, we are bound to bless those who curse us, to pray for those who speak evil against us. We are commanded to do good to those who hate us. This good that we are commanded to do is, first of all and above all, prayer.

The Prayer of Christ

There is no greater force for good than prayer. There is no better way to do good to those who hate us than by asking the light of the Face of Christ to envelop them and penetrate them. There is nothing more beneficial to those who afflict us than confident recourse to the pierced Heart of Jesus. There is no more powerful blessing of those who curse us than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered on their behalf. For those speak evil against us there is no prayer more powerful than the prayer of Christ the High Priest who, in every Mass, stands before His Father, pleading and interceding for those who approach God through Him.

To Damage, Crush, Break, Ruin, or Vex

Mother Church, with her ancient experience of human nature, provides us with the means of obeying this commandment of our Lord. The Roman Missal contains a Mass specifically for this purpose. It is entitled Pro Affligentibus Nos, “For Those Who Afflict Us.” The title of the Mass speaks volumes. Opening my Latin dictionary to the entry for affligo, I see that it means to throw down, to afflict, damage, crush, break, ruin; humble, weaken, or vex. If you have ever felt thrown down, if you have ever felt afflicted, damaged, crushed, broken, ruined, humbled, weakened, or vexed, you need to enter wholeheartedly into the Mass Pro Affligentibus Nos.

The Power of Prayer

There is a mysterious power in praying for those who have hurt us, in interceding wholeheartedly
— for those who have spoken ill of us,
— for those who have damaged our reputations,
— for those who have incited others to think less of us,
— for those who have hurt us emotionally, physically, or spiritually,
— for those who have been abusive toward us,
— for those who have cursed us,
— for those have broken our hearts, betrayed us, or rejected us.

Our Lord commands us to pray for them, not only for their sakes, but also for our own. Our own spiritual liberation, our own inner healing from resentment, hatred, and lingering bitterness is contingent upon our persevering obedience to the commandments of Christ in the Gospel.

The Root of So Much Suffering

Prayer for those who afflict us has, at times, immediate and astonishing results. Persons suffering from physical complaints — chronic illnesses, pains, and weaknesses — have been completely healed after praying sincerely for those with whom they are at enmity. Persons suffering from emotional illnesses — depression, chronic jealousy, addictive patterns of behaviour, and irrational fears — have been liberated from these after obeying Our Lord’s commandment to pray for those at the root of their suffering.

Conquerors Through the Sacred Heart

Prayer for those who afflict us sets in motion concentric circles of reconciliation and healing. In praying for those who have hurt you, place no limits on the munificence of God. Ask boldly. Beg God to overwhelm them with His choicest blessings, to make them profoundly and truly happy in this world and in the next. This kind of prayer, made in obedience to the commandment of the Lord, radiates an invisible but supremely efficacious love: the very charity of God “poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which He has given us” (Rom 5:5). “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom 8:37)., conquerors, that is, through the Sacred Heart.


15 posted on 06/18/2008 4:17:35 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

What Does It Mean to Be Great?

June 18th, 2008 by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D. ·Print · ShareThis

2 Kgs 2:1,6-14  / Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

The perennial question asked of small children, and older ones as well, is “what do you want to be when you grow up?”  After a while kids develop stock answers for that, and college age folks learn how to fake it too as they’re trying to figure out the answer and simultaneously hating to hear the question.

What are you going to be when you grow up?” is a threatening question for far too many people over 25. And that’s because we have deep inside us a God-given sense that we’re supposed to be special and we’re supposed to do something special. That was the profound desire of the new prophet Elisha as he bade farewell to his mentor Elijah. That intuition and desire is right on the mark.  The problem is with our definition of “something special.”

Jesus has shown us the way out of this cul-de-sac. Real greatness, He showed us, doesn’t come from commanding and controlling but from serving — just the way He did. He changed countless lives, and changed the world, not by pushing folks around but by caring for them, and in the end, dying for them.

That’s real greatness, and it’s a greatness that can be ours.


16 posted on 06/18/2008 4:26:58 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
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. Alleluia.


A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 125 (126)
Gladness and hope in the Lord
When the Lord gave Sion back her captives, we became like dreamers.
Our mouths were filled with gladness and our voices cried in exultation.
Among the Gentiles they were saying,
 “By his deeds the Lord has shown himself great”.
The Lord’s deeds showed forth his greatness,
 and filled us with rejoicing.

Give us back our captives, O Lord,
 as you renew the dry streams in the desolate South.
Those who sow in tears will rejoice at the harvest.

They wept as they went, went with seed for the sowing;
but with joy they will come, come bearing the sheaves.

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.

Psalm 126 (127)
Without the Lord, we labour in vain
If the Lord does not build the house,
 its builders labour in vain.
If the Lord does not watch over a city,
 its workmen guard it in vain.

It is vain for you to rise before the dawn
 and go late to your rest,
 eating the bread of toil –
 to those he loves, the Lord gives sleep.

The Lord bestows sons as an heirloom,
 the fruit of the womb as a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior –
 so are the sons of one’s youth.
Happy the man who fills his quiver thus:
 when he disputes with his enemies at the gate,
 he will not be the loser.

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.

Canticle (Colossians 1)
Christ, firstborn of all creatures and firstborn from the dead
Let us give thanks to God the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the light that is the saints’ inheritance.
He has rescued us from the power of the shadows and brought us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation,
for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
thrones and dominations, principalities and powers.

All things were created through him and for him: he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the Church. He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, and so he is pre-eminent above all.
For it was the Father’s will that the fullness of God should dwell in him, and that through him all things should be reconciled to himself.
Through the blood of the Cross he brought peace to all things, both on Earth and in the heavens.

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.

Short reading Ephesians 3:20 - 21 ©
Glory be to him whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine; glory be to him from generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.

Canticle Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
 and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.
For he has shown me such favour –
 me, his lowly handmaiden.
Now all generations will call me blessed,
 because the mighty one has done great things for me.
His name is holy,
 his mercy lasts for generation after generation
 for those who revere him.

He has put forth his strength:
 he has scattered the proud and conceited,
 torn princes from their thrones;
 but lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
 the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
 he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,
 to Abraham and his children for ever.

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.

Prayers and Intercessions ?
God sent his Son as an example for our lives and as our Saviour. Humbly we pray to him:
Lord, may your people sing your praises.
We give you thanks because you have chosen us to be the first-fruits of your salvation;
you have called us to be a new people to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May all who profess your holy name be at one in the truth of your teaching,
and on fire with the flame of your love.
You are the creator of all things; your Son chose to work with his hands, among men and with men.
Remember the workers who earn their bread by the sweat of their brow.
Remember also those who devote themselves to the service of their brethren:
may neither failure nor the failings of others distract them from their chosen task.
Grant your mercy to our deceased brethren:
do not hand them over to the power of the devil.
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 that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
 but deliver us from evil.

In your kindness, Lord, let the cries of your Church come to your ears.
 May your people receive pardon for their sins.
 Fill them with devotion to you, and by your protection keep them safe.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
 who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
 God for ever and ever.
Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.
A M E N

17 posted on 06/18/2008 4:31:27 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Salvation
Mt 6:1-6,16-18
# Douay-Rheims Vulgate
1 Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven. adtendite ne iustitiam vestram faciatis coram hominibus ut videamini ab eis alioquin mercedem non habebitis apud Patrem vestrum qui in caelis est
2 Therefore when thou dost an alms-deed, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honoured by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. cum ergo facies elemosynam noli tuba canere ante te sicut hypocritae faciunt in synagogis et in vicis ut honorificentur ab hominibus amen dico vobis receperunt mercedem suam
3 But when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth. te autem faciente elemosynam nesciat sinistra tua quid faciat dextera tua
4 That thy alms may be in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee. ut sit elemosyna tua in abscondito et Pater tuus qui videt in abscondito reddet tibi
5 And when ye pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, that love to stand and pray in the synagogues and corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men: Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. et cum oratis non eritis sicut hypocritae qui amant in synagogis et in angulis platearum stantes orare ut videantur ab hominibus amen dico vobis receperunt mercedem suam
6 But thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret, and thy father who seeth in secret will repay thee. tu autem cum orabis intra in cubiculum tuum et cluso ostio tuo ora Patrem tuum in abscondito et Pater tuus qui videt in abscondito reddet tibi
...
16 And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. cum autem ieiunatis nolite fieri sicut hypocritae tristes demoliuntur enim facies suas ut pareant hominibus ieiunantes amen dico vobis quia receperunt mercedem suam
17 But thou, when thou fastest anoint thy head, and wash thy face; tu autem cum ieiunas ungue caput tuum et faciem tuam lava
18 That thou appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will repay thee. ne videaris hominibus ieiunans sed Patri tuo qui est in abscondito et Pater tuus qui videt in abscondito reddet tibi

18 posted on 06/18/2008 5:05:25 PM PDT by annalex (http://www.catecheticsonline.com/CatenaAurea.php)
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To: annalex
1. Take heed that you do not your alms before men, to be seen of them; otherwise you have no reward of your Father which is in Heaven.

GLOSS. Christ having now fulfilled the Law in respect of commandments, begins to fulfill it in respect of promises, that we may do God's commandments for heavenly wages, not for the earthly which the Law held out. All earthly things are reduced to two main heads, viz. human glory, and abundance of earthly goods, both of which seem to be promised in the Law. Concerning the first is that spoken in Deuteronomy, The Lord shall make thee higher than all the nations who dwell on the face of the earth (Deut 28:1). And in the same place it is added of earthly wealth, The Lord shall make thee abound in all good things. Therefore the Lord now forbids these two things, glory and wealth, to the attention of believers.

CHRYS.Yet be it known that the desire of fame is near a kin to virtue.

PSEUDO-CHRYS For when anything truly glorious is done, there ostentation has its readiest occasion; so the Lord first shuts out all intention of seeking glory, as He knows that this is of all fleshly vices the most dangerous to man. The servants of the devil are tormented by all kinds of vices; but it is the desire of empty glory that torments the servants of the Lord more than the servants of the devil.

AUG. How great strength the love of human glory has, none feels, but he who has proclaimed war against it. For though it is easy for any not to wish for praise when it is denied him, it is difficult not to be pleased with it when it is offered.

CHRYS. Observe how He has begun as it were describing some beast hard to be discerned, and ready to steal upon him who is not greatly on his guard against it; it enters in secretly, and carries off insensibly all those things that are within.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. And therefore He enjoins this to be more carefully avoided, Take heed that you do not your righteousness before men. It is our heart we must watch, for it is an invisible serpent that we have to guard against, which secretly enters in and seduces; but if the heart be pure into which the enemy has succeeded in entering in, the righteous man soon feels that he is prompted by a strange spirit; but if his heart were full of wickedness, he does not readily perceive the suggestion of the devil, and therefore He first taught us, Be not angry, Lust not, for that he who is under the yoke of these evils cannot attend to his own heart. But how can it be that we should not do our alms before men. Or if this may be, how can they be so done that we should not know of it. For if a poor man come before us in the presence of anyone, how shall we be able to give him alms in secret? If we lead him aside, it must be seen that he shall give him. Observe then that He said not simply, Do not before men, but added, to be seen of them. He then who does righteousness not from this motive, even if he does it before the eyes of men, is not to be thought to be herein condemned; for he who does any thing for God's sake sees nothing in his heart but God, for whose sake he does it, as a workman has always before his eyes him who has entrusted him with the work to do.

GREG. If then we seek the fame of giving, we make even our public deeds to be hidden in His sight; for if herein we seek our own glory, then they are already cast out of His sight, even though there be many by whom they are yet unknown. It belongs only to the thoroughly perfect, to suffer their deeds to be seen, and to receive the praise of doing them in such sort that they are lifted up with no secret exultation; whereas they that are weak, because they cannot attain to this perfect contempt of their own fame, must needs hide those good deeds that they do.

AUG. In saying only, That you be seen of men, without any addition, He seems to have forbidden that we should make that the end of our actions. For the Apostle who declared, If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ (Gal 1:10); says in another place, I please all men in all things (1 Cor 10:33). This he did not that he might please men, but God, to the love of whom he desires to turn the hearts of men by pleasing them. As we should not think that he spoke absurdly, who should say, In this my pains in seeking a ship, it is not the ship I seek, but my country.

ID.He says this, that you be seen by men, because there are some who so do their righteousness before men that themselves may not be seen, but that the works themselves may be seen, and their Father who is in Heaven may be glorified; for they reckon not their own righteousness, but His, in the faith of Whom they live.

ID.That He adds, Otherwise you shall not have your reward before your Father who is in heaven, signifies no more than that we ought to take heed that we seek not praise of men in reward of our works.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. What shall you receive from God, who have given God nothing? What is done for God's sake is given to God, and received by Him; but what is done because of men is cast to the winds. But what wisdom is it, to bestow our goods, to reap empty words, and to have despised the reward of God? Nay, you deceive the very man for whose good word you look; for he thinks you do it for God's sake, otherwise he would rather reproach than commend you. Yet we must think him only to have done his work because of men, who does it with his whole will and intention governed by the thought of them. But if an idle thought, seeking to be seen of men, mount up in any one's heart, but is resisted by the understanding spirit, he is not thereupon to be condemned of man-pleasing; for that the thought came to him was the passion of the flesh, what he chose was the judgment of his soul.

2. Therefore when you do your alms, do not sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the Synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say to you, They have their reward.
3. But when you do alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4. That your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in Secret Himself shall reward you openly.

AUG. Above the Lord had spoken of righteousness in general. He now pursues it through its different parts.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. He opposes three chief virtues - alms, prayer, and fasting - to three evil things against which the Lord undertook the war of temptation. For He fought for us in the wilderness against gluttony, against covetousness on the mount, against false glory on the temple. It is alms that scatter abroad against covetousness which heaps up, fasting against gluttony which is its contrary, prayer against false glory, seeing that all other evil things come out of evil, this alone comes out of good; and therefore it is not overthrown but rather nourished of good, and has no remedy that may avail against it but prayer only.

AMBROSIASTER; The sum of all Christian discipline is comprehended in mercy and piety, for which reason He begins with almsgiving.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. The trumpet stands for every act or word that tends to a display of our works; for instance, to do alms if we know that some other person is looking on, or at the request of another, or to a person of such condition that he may make us return; and unless in such cases not to do them. Yea, even if in some secret place they are done with intent to be thought praiseworthy, then is the trumpet sounded.

AUG. Thus what He says, Do not sound a trumpet before yourself, refers to what He had said above, Take heed that you do not your righteousness before men.

JEROME; He who sounds a trumpet before himself when he does alms is a hypocrite. Whence he adds, as the hypocrites do.

ISID. The name 'hypocrite' is derived from the appearance of those who in the shows are disguised in masks, variously colored according to the character they represent, sometimes male, sometimes female, to impose on the spectators while they act in the games.

AUG. As then the hypocrites (a word meaning 'one who feigns'), as impersonating the characters of other men, act parts which are not naturally their own; for he who impersonates Agamemnon, is not really Agamemnon, but feigns to be so; so likewise in the Churches, whoever in his whole conduct desires to seem what he is not, is a hypocrite; he feigns himself righteous and is not really so, seeing his only motive is praise of men.

GLOSS. In the words, in the streets and villages, he marks the public places which they selected; and in those, that they may receive honor of men, he marks their motive.

GREG. It should be known, that there are some who wear the dress of sanctity, and are not able to work out the merit of perfection, yet who must in no wise be numbered among the hypocrites, because it is one thing to sin from weakness, another from crafty affectation.

AUG. And such sinners receive from God the Searcher of hearts none other reward than punishment of their deceitfulness; Verily I say to you, they have their reward.

JEROME; A reward not of God, but of themselves, for they receive praise of men for the sake of which it was that they practiced their virtues.

AUG. This refers to what He had said above, otherwise you shall have no reward of your Father which is in heaven; and He goes on to show them that they should not do their alms as the hypocrites, but teaches them how they should do them.

CHRYS. Let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing, is said as an extreme expression, as much as to say, If it were possible, that you should not know yourself, and that your very hands should he hidden from your sight, that is what you should most strive after.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. The Apostles in the book of the Constitutions interpret thus: The right hand is the Christian people which is at Christ's right hand; the left hand is all the people who are on His left hand. He means then, that when a Christian does alms, the unbeliever should not see it.

AUG. But according to this interpretation, it will be no fault to have a respect to pleasing the faithful; and yet we are forbidden to propose as the end of any good work the pleasing of any kind of men. Yet if you would have men to imitate your actions which may be pleasing to them, they must be done before unbelievers as well as believers. If again, according to another interpretation, we take the left hand to mean our enemy, and that our enemy should not know when we do our alms, why did the Lord Himself mercifully heal men when the Jews were standing round Him? And how too must we deal with our enemy himself according to that precept, If your enemy hunger, feed him (Prov. 25:21). A third interpretation is ridiculous; that the left hand signifies the wife, and that because women are wont to be more close in the matter of expense out of the family purse, therefore the charities of the husband should be secret from the wife, for the avoiding of domestic strife. But this command is addressed to women as well as to men, what then is the left hand, from which women are bid to conceal their alms? Is the husband also the left hand of the wife? And when it is commanded such that they enrich each other with good works, it is clear that they ought not to hide their good deeds; nor is a theft to be committed to do God service. But if in any case something must needs be done covertly, from respect to the weakness of the other, though it is not unlawful, yet that we cannot suppose the wife to be intended by the left hand here is clear from the purport of the whole paragraph; no, not even such a one as he might well call left. But that which is blamed in hypocrites, namely, that they seek praise of men, this you are forbidden to do; the left hand therefore seems to signify the delight in men's praise; the right hand denotes the purpose of fulfilling the divine commands. Whenever then a desire to gain honor from men mingles itself with the conscience of him that does alms, it is then the left hand knowing what the right hand, the right conscience, does, Let not the left hand know, therefore, what the right hand is doing, means, let not the desire of men's praise mingle with your conscience. But our Lord does yet more strongly forbid the left hand alone to work in us, than its mingling in the works of the right hand. The intent with which He said all this is shown in that He adds, that your alms may be in secret; that is, in that your good conscience only, which human eye cannot see, nor words discover, though many things are said falsely of many. But your good conscience itself is enough for you towards deserving your reward, if you look for your reward from Him who alone can see your conscience. This is that He adds, And your Father who sees shall reward you. Many Latin copies have, openly.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. For it is impossible that God should leave in obscurity any good work of man; but He makes it manifest in this world, and glorifies it in the next world, because it is the glory of God, as likewise the Devil manifests evil, in which is shown the strength of his great wickedness. But God properly makes public every good deed only in that world the goods of which are not common to the righteous and the wicked; therefore to whomever God shall there show favor, it will be manifest that it was as reward of his righteousness. But the reward of virtue is not manifested in this world, in which both bad and good are alike in their fortunes.

AUG. But in the Greek copies, which are earlier, we have not the word, openly.

CHRYS.If therefore you desire spectators of your good deeds, behold you have not merely Angels and Archangels, but the God of the universe.

5. And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say to you, They have their reward.
6. But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. Solomon says, Before prayer, prepare your soul (Sir 18:23). This he does who comes to prayer doing alms; for good works stir up the faith of the heart, and give the soul confidence in prayer to God. Alms then are a preparation for prayer, and therefore the Lord after speaking of alms proceeds accordingly to instruct us concerning prayer.

AUG. He does not now bid us pray, but instructs us how we should pray as above He did not command us to do alms but showed the manner of doing them.

PSEUDO-CHRYS.Prayer is as it were a spiritual tribute which the soul offers of its own bowels. Wherefore the more glorious it is, the more watchfully ought we to guard that it is not made vile by being done to be seen of men.

CHRYS. He calls them hypocrites, because feigning that they are praying to God, they are looking round to men; and, He adds, they love to pray in the synagogues.

PSEUDO-CHRYS But I suppose that it is not the place here that the Lord refers to, but the motive of him that prays; for it is praiseworthy to pray in the congregation of the faithful, as it is said, In your churches bless God (Ps 63:26). Whoever then so prays as to be seen of men does not look to God but to man, and so far as his purpose is concerned he prays in the synagogue. But he, whose mind in prayer is wholly fixed on God, though he pray in the synagogue, yet seems to pray with himself in secret. In the corners of the streets, namely, that they may seem to be praying retiredly and thus earn a twofold praise: that they pray, and that they pray in retirement.

GLOSS. Or, the corners of the streets, are the places where one way crosses another, and makes four cross-ways.

PSEUDO-CHRYS.He forbids us to pray in an assembly with the intent of being seen of that assembly, as He adds, that they may be seen of men. He that prays therefore should do nothing singular that might attract notice; as crying out, striking his breast, or reaching forth his hands.

AUG. Not that the mere being seen of men is an impiety, but the doing this, in order to be seen of men.

CHRYS.It is a good thing to be drawn away from the thought of empty glory, but especially in prayer. For our thoughts are apt to stray of themselves; if then we address ourselves to prayer with this disease upon us, how shall we understand those things that are said by us?

AUG. The privity of other men is to be so far shunned by us, as it leads us to do anything with this mind that we look for the fruit of their applause.

PSEUDO-CHRYS.Verily I say to you, they have received their reward, for every man where he sows, there he reaps, therefore they who pray because of men, not because of God, receive praise of men, not of God.

CHRYS. He says, have received, because God was ready to give them that reward which comes from Himself, but they prefer rather that which comes from men. He then goes on to teach how we should pray.

JEROME; This if taken in its plain sense teaches the hearer to shun all desire of vain honor in praying.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. That none should be there present save he only who is praying, for a witness impedes rather than forwards prayer.

CYPRIAN; The Lord has bid us in His instructions to pray secretly in remote and withdrawn places, as best suited to faith, that we may be assured that God who is present everywhere hears and sees all, and in the fullness of His Majesty penetrates even hidden places.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. We may also understand by the door of the chamber, the mouth of the body; so that we should not pray to God with loudness of tone, but with silent heart, for three reasons. First, because God is not to be gained by vehement crying, but by a right conscience, seeing He is a hearer of the heart; secondly, because none but myself and God should be privy to your secret prayers; thirdly, because if you pray aloud, you hinder any other from praying near you.

CASSIAN. Also we should observe close silence in our prayers, that our enemies, who are ever most watchful to ensnare us at that time, may not know the purport of our petition.

AUG. Or, by our chambers are to be understood our hearts of which it is spoken in the fourth Psalm: What things you utter in your hearts, and wherewith you are pricked in your chambers (Ps 4:4). The door is the bodily senses; without are all worldly things, which enter into our thoughts through the senses, and that crowd of vain imaginings which beset us in prayer.

CYPRIAN. What insensibility is it to be snatched wandering off by light and profane imaginings, when you are presenting your entreaty to the Lord as if there were anything else you ought rather to consider than that your converse is with God! How can you claim of God to attend to you, when you do not attend to yourself? This is altogether to make no provision against the enemy; this is when praying to God, to offend God's Magesty by the neglectfulness of your prayer.

AUG. The door then must be shut, that as we must resist the bodily sense, that we may address our Father in such spiritual prayer as is made in the inmost spirit where we pray to Him truly in secret.

REMIG. Let it be enough for you that He alone know your petitions, who knows the secrets of all hearts; for He Who sees all things, the same shall listen to you.

CHRYS.He said not 'shall freely give you,' but, shall reward you; thus He constitutes Himself your debtor.

16. Moreover when you fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to fast. Verily I say to you, they have their reward.

PSEUD-CHRYS. Forasmuch as that prayer which is offered in a humble spirit and contrite heart, shows a mind already strong and disciplined; whereas he who is sunk in self-indulgence cannot have a humble spirit and contrite heart; it is plain that without fasting prayer must be faint and feeble; therefore, when any would pray for any need in which they might be, they joined fasting with prayer, because it is an aid thereof. Accordingly the Lord, after His doctrine respecting prayer, adds doctrine concerning fasting, saying, When you fast, be not you as the hypocrites, of sad countenance. The Lord knew that vanity may spring from every good thing, and therefore bids us root out the bramble of vain-gloriousness which springs in the good soil, that it choke out the fruit of fasting. For though it cannot be that fasting should not be discovered in any one, yet is it better that fasting should show you, than that you should show your fasting. But it is impossible that any in fasting should be gay, therefore He said not, Be not sad, but Be not made sad; for they who discover themselves by any false displays of their affliction, they are not sad, but make themselves; but he who is naturally sad in consequence of continued fasting, does not make himself sad, but is so.

JEROME; The word exterminare, so often used in the ecclesiastical Scriptures through a blunder of the translators, has a quite different meaning from that in which it is commonly understood. It is properly said of exiles who are sent beyond the boundary of their country. Instead of this word, it would seem better to use the word demoliri, 'to destroy,' in translating the Greek. The hypocrite destroys his face, in order that he may feign sorrow, and with a heart full of joy wears sorrow in his countenance.

GREG. For by the pale countenance, the trembling limbs, and the bursting sighs, and by all so great toil and trouble, nothing is in the mind but the esteem of men.

LEO; But that fasting is not pure, that comes not of reasons of continence, but of the arts of deceit.

PSEUD-CHRYS. If then he who fasts, and makes himself of sad countenance, is a hypocrite, how much more wicked is he who does not fast, yet assumes a fictitious paleness of face as a token of fasting.

AUG. On this paragraph it is to be specially noted, that not only in outward splendor and pomp, but even in the dress of sorrow and mourning, is their room for display, and that the more dangerous, inasmuch as it deceives under the name of God's services. For he who by inordinate pains taken with his person, or his apparel, or by the glitter of his other equipage, is distinguished, is easily proved by these very circumstances to be a follower of the pomps of this world, and no mean is deceived by any semblance of a feigned sanctity in him. But when any time in the profession of Christianity draws men's eyes upon Him by unwonted beggary and slovenliness in dress, if this be voluntary and not compulsory, then by his other conduct may be seen whether he does this to be seen of men, or from contempt of the refinements of dress.

REMIG. The reward of the hypocrites' fast is shown, when it is added, That they may seem to men to fast; verily I say to you, They have their reward; that is, that reward for which they looked.

17. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face;
18. That you appear not to men to fast, but to your Father which is in secret: and your Father, which sees in secret, shall reward you openly.

GLOSS. The Lord having taught us what we ought not to do, now proceeds to teach us what we ought to do, saying, When you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face.

AUG. A question is here wont to be raised; for none surely would literally enjoin, that, as we wash our faces from daily habit, so we should have our deeds anointed when we fast; a thing which all allow to be most disgraceful.

PSEUD-CHRYS. Also if He bade us not to be of sad countenance that we might not seem to men to fast, yet if anointing of the head and washing of the face are always observed in fasting, they will become tokens of fasting.

JEROME; But He speaks in accordance with the manners of the province of Palestine, where it is the custom on festival days to anoint the head. What He enjoins then is, that when we are fasting we should wear the appearance of joy and gladness.

PSEUD-CHRYS. Therefore the simple interpretation of this is, that is added as an hyperbolical explanation of the command; as though He had said, Yea, so far should you be from any display of your fasting, that if it might be (which yet it may not be) so done, you should even do such things as are tokens of luxury and feasting.

CHRYS. In alms-giving indeed, He did not say simply, 'Do not your alms before men,' but added,' to be seen of them.' But in fasting and prayer He added nothing of this sort; because alms cannot be so done as to be altogether hid, fasting and prayer can be so done. The contempt of men's praise is no small fruit, for thereby we are freed from the heavy slavery of human opinion, and become properly workers of virtue, loving it for itself and not for others. For as we esteem it an affront if we are loved not for ourselves but for others' sake, so ought we not to follow virtue on the account of these men, nor to obey God for men's sake but for His own. Therefore it follows here, But to your Father which sees in secret.

GLOSS. That is, to your heavenly Father, who is unseen, or who dwells in the heart through faith. He fasts to God who afflicts himself for the love of God, and bestows on others what he denies himself.

REMIG. For it is enough for you that He who sees your conscience should be your rewarder.

PSEUD-CHRYS. Spiritually interpreted - the face may be understood to mean the mental conscience. And as in the eyes of man a fair face has grace, so in the eyes of God a pure conscience has favor. This face the hypocrites, fasting on man's account, disfigure, seeking thereby to cheat both God and man; for the conscience of the sinner is always wounded. If then you have cast out all wickedness from your heart, you have washed your conscience, and fast well.

LEO; Fasting ought to be fulfilled not in abstinence of food only, but much more in cutting off vices . For when we submit ourselves to that discipline in order to withdraw that which is the nurse of carnal desires, there is no sort of good conscience more to be sought than that we should keep ourselves sober from unjust will, and abstinent from dishonorable action. This is an act of religion from which the sick are not excluded, seeing integrity of heart may be found in an infirm body.

PSEUD-CHRYS. Spiritually again, your head denotes Christ. Give the thirsty drink and feed the hungry, and therein you have anointed your head, that is, Christ, who cries out in the Gospel, In that you have done this to one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it to me.

GREG. For God approves that fasting, which before His eyes opens the hands of alms. This then that you deny yourself, bestow on another, that wherein your flesh is afflicted, that of your needy neighbor may be refreshed.

AUG. Or; by the head we rightly understand the reason, because it is preeminent in the soul, and rules the other members of the man. Now anointing the head has some reference to rejoicing. Let him therefore joy within himself because of his fasting, who in fasting turns himself from doing the will of the world, that he may be subject to Christ.

GLOSS. Behold how everything in the New Testament is not to be taken literally. It were ridiculous to be smeared with of when fasting; but it is behoveful for the mind to be anointed with the spirit of His love, in whose sufferings we ought to partake by afflicting ourselves.

PSEUD-CHRYS. And truly we ought to wash our face, but to anoint, and not to wash, our head. For as long as we are in the body, our conscience is foul with sin. But Christ who is our head has done no sin.

Catena Aurea Matthew 6
19 posted on 06/18/2008 5:06:03 PM PDT by annalex (http://www.catecheticsonline.com/CatenaAurea.php)
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To: annalex


Scenes from the Life of Saint John the Baptist

Master of the Life of Saint John the Baptist

1330-40
Tempera on panel, 49 x 41 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington

20 posted on 06/18/2008 5:06:31 PM PDT by annalex (http://www.catecheticsonline.com/CatenaAurea.php)
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