Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 07-10-09

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 07-10-09 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Genesis 46:1-7,28-30

What family has not experienced the loss of a child, whether through death or emotional estrangement?

Even though Jacob was reunited with his son, Joseph, it was after years of heartache, believing that he was killed by a wild beast. Undoubtedly, not a day went by when he did not think of his lost son. Imagine the pain that Jacob must have carried with him every day. In this respect, his story is the story of so many of us. It also has an ending that we all hope to experience.

If you are among those who have lost a child through death, know that God is very close to you. Even during your darkest moments of grief and sadness, your heavenly Father is there. He may be standing by you silently. He may be holding you in his arms. Or he may be encouraging and consoling you through another person. But he is there. He knows your pain, regardless of how many years have passed, and he is committed to helping you and consoling you.

If you have experienced the loss of a child through emotional distance, division, or other kinds of dysfunction, never give up. Keep praying for your child. Whatever the degree of estrangement or distance, you can trust that your Father is at work in both your hearts. You may not know how it will happen, but God really does want to bring you “down to Egypt” so that you can be reunited. So keep praying, keep hoping, and keep looking for opportunities for reunion. ?No matter what your situation, always believe that God is with you. Remember, he “lost” his only Son to death as well, so that we could be saved. Imagine what it cost him to see his beloved Son ridiculed, beaten, abandoned by his friends, and ultimately crucified. He knows what it is like to grieve, so let him help you. Believe, too, that there is a resurrection, when every tear will be wiped away and every family will be reunited. May the Lord bring us all together as one in him!

“Father, we lift up to you every ‘lost’ child and every grieving parent. Whether we are separated through death or some other reason, we pray for your peace. Bring every child to a safe haven and reunite them with all who are yearning to be joined to them.”

Psalm 37:3-4,18-19,27-28,39-40; Matthew 10:16-23

[Salvation]

Vultus Christi

This might be a good idea to duplicate! (However, I doubt that we all have a relic of St. John Mary Vianney! LOL!)

Year of the Priesthood Triduum in Tulsa

By

Father Mark

 on July 10, 2009 2:31 PM |

For the Year of the Priesthood

SOLEMN DIOCESAN TRIDUUM IN HONOR OF

SAINT JOHN MARY VIANNEY, PATRON OF PRIESTS

Our priests, deacons, religious, and lay faithful are invited to assemble on three consecutive evenings to pray for the priests of our diocese and of the whole Church.

Where: Holy Family Cathedral, Tulsa
When: 6:30 each evening
Sunday, August 2
Monday, August 3
Tuesday, August 4

The Triduum will end on the feast of Saint John Mary Vianney.

Preacher: Father Mark Daniel Kirby, O.S.B.

Prayers for priests
Supplication and Litany to Saint John Mary Vianney
Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament
Veneration of the Relic of Saint John Mary Vianney

[Salvation]

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 114 (116A)

Thanksgiving

Lord, free my soul from death and keep my feet from stumbling.

I rejoiced when the Lord listened

  to the voice of my pleading;

I rejoiced for he turned his ear to me,

  as I called to him day after day.

The ropes of death were around me,

  the agonies of the underworld were upon me.

I came upon trouble and anguish,

  and I called on the name of the Lord:

  “Lord, free my soul.”

The Lord is kind and just,

  our God takes pity on us.

The Lord guards the weak;

  I am cast down, but he will save me.

Turn, my soul, to your rest,

  for the Lord is kind to you.

He has torn my soul away from death,

  my eyes from tears,

  my feet from falling.

I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

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.

Lord, free my soul from death and keep my feet from stumbling.

---

Psalm 120 (121)

The guardian of the people

My help will come from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

I shall lift my eyes to the hills:

  where is my help to come from?

My help will come from the Lord,

  who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip:

  he will not doze, your guardian.

Behold, he will not doze or sleep,

  the guardian of Israel.

The Lord is your guardian, the Lord is your shade;

  he is at your right hand.

By day the sun will not strike you;

  nor the moon by night.

The Lord will guard you from all harm;

  the Lord will guard your life.

The Lord will guard your coming and your going

  both now and 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.

My help will come from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

---

Canticle	Apocalypse 15
A hymn of adoration
Just and true are your ways, King of all ages.
Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God Almighty;   just and true are your ways, King of all nations! Who, Lord, will not revere and glorify your name?   For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship in your presence,   for your judgements have been seen by all. 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.
Just and true are your ways, King of all ages.

---

Short reading

1 Corinthians 2:7-10 ©

The hidden wisdom of God which we teach in our mysteries is the wisdom that God predestined to be for our glory before the ages began. It is a wisdom that none of the masters of this age have ever known, or they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory; we teach what scripture calls: the things that no eye has seen and no ear has heard, things beyond the mind of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him. These are the very things that God has revealed to us through the Spirit.

---

Canticle	Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
Remember, Lord, your mercies, as you promised to our ancestors.
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.
Remember, Lord, your mercies, as you promised to our ancestors.

---

Prayers and Intercessions

?

Let us bless Christ the Lord, whose compassion wipes away the tears of those who weep. In loving supplication let us call on him: – Lord, take pity on your people. Christ and Lord, consoler of the lowly,   take notice of the tears of the poor. – Lord, take pity on your people. Compassionate God, hear the sighs of the dying:   send your angel to comfort them. – Lord, take pity on your people. May all exiles receive your loving care, and return to their earthly homes;   and may they one day gain admittance to their eternal home in heaven. – Lord, take pity on your people. May those sunk in the misery of sin be conquered by your love,   and reconciled to you and your Church. – Lord, take pity on your people. Give salvation to our deceased brethren,   and give them a full share in the blessings of your redemption. – Lord, take pity on your people.

---

Our Father, who art in Heaven,

  hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

  thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

  and forgive us our trespasses

  as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

  but deliver us from evil.

---

O God, the horror of the Cross mysteriously reveals your inexhaustible wisdom.

  Grant that we may contemplate your Son’s glorious Passion

  and always believe and glory in his Cross.

He 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

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Family Feud
Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

July 10, 2009 Father Edward McIlmail, LC

Matthew 10:16-23

Jesus said to his Apostles: "Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

Introductory Prayer: Lord, you are the one constant in my life. You are my beginning and my end. I love you as my savior. I trust you as my closest companion. I hope in you as the one who will welcome me into eternal joy.

Petition: Grant me, Lord, a deeper union with you as the only one who will never fail me.

1. World Wary A key paradox of Jesus was that he loved us so much that he underwent the horrors of crucifixion to redeem us and give us a chance at salvation. Yet, he also knows our weaknesses. He knows how fickle the human heart can be. "Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well" (John 2:24-25). Likewise, Christ warns us not to put too much faith in other people. Like us, everyone else has weaknesses. Our faith in them should be relative and realistic. It shouldn´t be on the same level as our faith in Christ. Do I put "too much" faith in others? Do I realize that expecting too much from them leaves me open to needless anguish?

2. In-house Problems Christ is the rock against which the waves of humanity crash. His demands cut to the heart of each of us, and require a personal response. How each person responds is a mystery. Some will say yes, some will say no. The division within each person can echo in divisions within families. Little wonder that kin can be our fiercest foes. Christ´s own show of steadfastness assures us that he remains more loyal than even family members. Can I accept that following Christ can cause friction with my loved ones? Can I offer up my trials for their salvation?

3. Lonely Hearts Christ never promised his followers an easy life. If he had, there would be no shortage of disciples. He knows what really makes us mature in love: sacrifice. Sacrifice purifies us, ennobles us. Love without sacrifice is a fairy tale. To love means to share in another´s pain. "When men and women demand to be autonomous and totally self-sufficient," said Pope Benedict XVI in a speech February 9, 2008, "they run the risk of being closed in a self-reliance that … reduces them to an oppressive solitude." Similarly, if we close ourselves to God´s pleasure, we stay stuck in our littleness. Can I accept suffering for Christ as a way to break out of the cocoon of my comfort?

Conversation with Christ: Jesus, it´s not easy being your follower. Opposition can arise on all sides, even from within the family. Help me bear all this well, for love of you. Grant me the serenity to persevere in the faith. I offer my sacrifices for the salvation of those who oppose my following you.

Resolution: I will pray or make a sacrifice for a family member who is away from the faith.

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

God Helps Those Who Help Themselves!

July 10th, 2009 by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Gn 46:1-7,28-30 / Mt 10:16-23

Today’s gospel contains one of the most notoriously misused passages in all the Bible, and the chief culprits are the clergy. Jesus said, “Don’t worry about what you are going to say or how you will say it. When the hour comes it will be given to you.” It doesn’t take too much imagination to guess how that’s been used by preachers!

God has blessed every one of us with a broad array of talents and abilities, but many of us have accomplished less than we might have hoped for. There are lots of reasons, but one particular reason does stand out among religious people, and that is the inclination to say our prayers and then leave matters up to God. Think, for example, about the man who prayed for patience for 60 years and is surprised that he never got it. The same man wouldn’t think of starting a new enterprise without a business plan. Yet the fact that across those 60 years he never once had a concrete plan for growing toward patience. Praying without using our brains is mere wishing and not praying at all.

God wants to be our partner as we grow toward wholeness, but He doesn’t provide curb service. We have to meet Him half way, and we do that by using to the fullest the tools He’s given us. Then He will indeed give what is needed and fill in what is lacking.

So check your “business plan” first and assure yourself that you’ve used everything that God put in your tool box. Then pray. You’ll be amazed at how God helps those who help themselves.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

<< Friday, July 10, 2009 >>

Saint of the Day

Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30
View Readings

Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40

Matthew 10:16-23

MARTYR

"You will be brought to trial before rulers and kings, to give witness before them and before the Gentiles on My account." —Matthew 10:18

 

Jesus is the Truth (Jn 14:6), the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth. He does not conceal from us the more difficult realities of following Him. He bluntly states we are sent out "like sheep among wolves" (Mt 10:16). The government will bring us to trial; the religious leaders will flog us; even our families will turn us over to the police because of our Christian witness (Mt 10: 17, 18, 21). We "will be hated by all" on account of Jesus (Mt 10:22).

We are followers of Jesus, not because we don't know any better, but because we love Him. Naturally, we don't want to suffer or be rejected. Nonetheless, our love for Jesus is stronger than our love of self or our fear of pain. We want to be with our Lord, even at the foot of the cross. We prefer to die with Jesus rather than live without Him. We love Him "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health."

Even death will never separate us from Him, for love is stronger than death (Rm 8:35, 38-39; Sg 8:6). Jesus, the Bridegroom, I love You; I live for You.

 

Prayer: Jesus, if it be Your will, may I die a martyr's death for love of You.

Promise: "As soon as he saw him, he flung himself on his neck and wept a long time in his arms." —Gn 46:29

Praise: As he grew older, poorer, and sicker, Andrew's faith grew stronger and deeper.

[Salvation]

Compline -- Night Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer)

Introduction
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.

---

This is an excellent moment for an examination of conscience. In a communal celebration of Compline, one of the penitential acts given in the Missal may be recited.

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Hymn

Christ, thou who art the light and day, Who chasest nightly shades away, Thyself the Light of Light confessed, And promiser of radiance blest: O holy Lord, we pray to thee, Throughout the night our guardian be; In thee vouchsafe us to repose, All peaceful till the night shall close. O let our eyes due slumber take, Our hearts to thee forever wake: And let thy right hand from above Shield us who turn to thee in love. O strong defender, hear our prayers, Repel our foes and break their snares, And govern thou thy servants here, Those ransomed with thy life-blood dear. Almighty Father, this accord Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who with the Holy Ghost and thee Doth reign through all eternity.

---

Psalm 87 (88)
The prayer of one gravely ill

I cry out to you, Lord, by day and by night.

Lord God, my saviour,

  I have cried out to you by day and by night.

Let my prayer come before you:

  turn your ear to my request.

For my soul is full of evils,

  my life has come close to its end.

I am counted with those who go down to the pit:

  I am left without help.

I am one of the dead,

  like the murdered who sleep in their tombs,

who lie there forgotten,

  cut off from your care.

You have thrust me down into the pit,

  to the gloom and the shadow of death.

Your anger weighs heavy upon me;

  you have drowned me under your waves.

You have taken my friends away from me:

  you have made me hateful in their sight,

  I am shut in, I may not go out.

My eyes are weak from my sufferings.

I have called to you, Lord, all the day;

  I have stretched out my hands to you.

Is it for the dead that you perform your wonders?

  Will the ghosts rise up and proclaim you?

In the tomb, will they tell of your kindness?

  Will they tell of your faithfulness in the place of the lost?

Will your wonders be known in the darkness,

  or your righteousness in the land of oblivion?

And so I have called out to you, Lord,

  and in the morning my prayer will come before you.

With what purpose, Lord, do you reject my soul?

  Why do you hide your face from me?

I am poor; from my youth I have been dying;

  I have borne the terrors you sent, I am lost in confusion.

Your anger has overrun me, your terrors have broken me:

  they have flowed round me like water,

  they have besieged me all the day long.

You have taken my friends and those close to me:

  all I have left is shadows.

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.

I cry out to you, Lord, by day and by night.

---

Reading	(Jeremiah 14:9)
You, Lord, are in our midst, and we are called by your name; therefore do not abandon us, Lord, our God.

---

Short Responsory
Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. – Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness. – Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. – Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

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Canticle

Nunc Dimittis

Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace. Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace.   You have fulfilled your promise. My own eyes have seen your salvation,   which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples. A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness;   the glory of your people 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. Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

---

Let us pray.

Lord, let us be so united with your only Son that we become worthy to rise with him into new life, who lives and reigns for ever and ever, Amen.

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May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.

A M E N

	Salve Regina
Hail to you, O Queen, mother of loving kindness,   our life, our happiness, our hope. Hear us cry out to you,   children of Eve in our exile. Hear as we sigh, with groaning and weeping   in this life, this valley of tears. Come then, our Advocate, turn towards us   the gaze of your kind and loving eyes. And show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb,   when at last our exile here is ended.

[MissDairyGoodnessVT]

Thank you for this wonderful post. Currently i’ve been saying a 9 day novena to St. Therese of Lisieux for a legal matter . I called my sister and asked her to join me in saying the novena so that this situation be covered in prayer (along with doing all the right things legally to make this thing run) and your posted words ring true. Thank You St. Therese!