Posted on 06/07/2011 7:39:30 PM PDT by Salvation
June 8, 2011
Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Gospel
Reading 1
Acts 20:28-38
At Miletus, Paul spoke to the presbyters of the Church of Ephesus:
Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock
of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers,
in which you tend the Church of God
that he acquired with his own Blood.
I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you,
and they will not spare the flock.
And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth
to draw the disciples away after them.
So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day,
I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears.
And now I commend you to God
and to that gracious word of his that can build you up
and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated.
I have never wanted anyones silver or gold or clothing.
You know well that these very hands
have served my needs and my companions.
In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort
we must help the weak,
and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said,
It is more blessed to give than to receive.
When he had finished speaking
he knelt down and prayed with them all.
They were all weeping loudly
as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him,
for they were deeply distressed that he had said
that they would never see his face again.
Then they escorted him to the ship.
R. (33a) Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Show forth, O God, your power,
the power, O God, with which you took our part;
For your temple in Jerusalem
let the kings bring you gifts.
R. Sing to God, O Kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God,
chant praise to the Lord
who rides on the heights of the ancient heavens.
Behold, his voice resounds, the voice of power:
Confess the power of God!
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Over Israel is his majesty;
his power is in the skies.
Awesome in his sanctuary is God, the God of Israel;
he gives power and strength to his people.
R. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying:
Holy Father, keep them in your name
that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one.
When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me,
and I guarded them, and none of them was lost
except the son of destruction,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you.
I speak this in the world
so that they may share my joy completely.
I gave them your word, and the world hated them,
because they do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world
but that you keep them from the Evil One.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth.
Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
so I sent them into the world.
And I consecrate myself for them,
so that they also may be consecrated in truth.
Feast Day: | June 8 |
Born: | 456 at Salency, Picardy, France |
Died: | 8 June 545 at Noyon, France |
Major Shrine: | Abbey of Saint-Médard, Soissons, France |
Patron of: | the weather; invoked against toothache |
We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:
"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"
Psalm 109:8
"Let his days be few; and let another take his place of leadership."
PLEASE JOIN US -
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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 and the Sacred Heart of Jesus: Do not be afraid to be pious
Only for Love: The Sacred Heart and the Priesthood [Catholic Caucus]
Catholic Word of the Day: LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART, 10-19-09
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Devotion to the Sacred Heart Today
The Biblical Foundation of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus [Ecumenical]
Heart to Heart (Sacred Heart of Jesus Devotion) [St. Margaret Mary Alacoque]
(June) The Month of the Sacred Heart {Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus [St. Margaret Mary Alacoque]
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
Catholic Devotions: Sacred Heart of Jesus
Pope Urges Jesuits to Spread Sacred Heart Devotion
Homilies preached by Father Altier on the Feast of the Sacred Heart
Catholic Meditation and Devotion: The Sacred Heart of Jesus
Daily Recomendation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus powerful prayer!
The Sacred Heart and the Eucharist
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
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
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
God Will Act and Will Reign
About Devotion To The Sacred Heart:The Story Of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
Rediscover Feast of Sacred Heart, John Paul II Tells Youth
"Behold this Heart which has loved men so much, and yet men do not want to love Me in return. Through you My divine Heart wishes to spread its love everywhere on earth." - Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary
Our Lord also made 12 promises to St. Margaret Mary for those that are devoted to His Sacred Heart.
June 2011
Pope Benedict XVI's Intentions
General Intention: That priests, united to the Heart of Christ, may always be true witnesses of the caring and merciful love of God.
Missionary Intention: That the Holy Spirit may bring forth from our communities numerous missionary vocations, willing to fully consecrate themselves to spreading the Kingdom of God.
From: Acts 20:28-38
Speech of Farewell to the Elders of Ephesus (Continuation)
[36] And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all. [37]
And they all wept and embraced Paul and kissed him, [38] sorrowing most of all
because of the word he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And
they brought him to the ship.
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Commentary:
28. Using a metaphor often found in the New Testament to describe the people of
God (Ps 100:3; Is 40:11; Jer 13:17), Paul describes the Church as a flock and its
guardians or bishops (”episcopos”) as shepherds. “The Church is a sheepfold, the
sole and necessary gateway to which is Christ (Jn 10:1-10). It is also a flock, of
which God foretold that he would himself be the shepherd (cf. Is 40:11; Ex 34:11f),
and whose sheep, although watched over by human shepherds, are nevertheless
at all times led and brought to pasture by Christ himself, the Good Shepherd and
prince of shepherds (cf. Jn 10:11; l Pet 5:4), who gave his life for his sheep (cf. Jn
10:11-16)” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 6).
In the early days of the Church the terms “priest” and “bishop” had not yet be-
come defined: they both refer to sacred ministers who have received the sacra-
ment of priestly Order.
The last part of the verse refers to Christ’s sacrifice: through his redeeming action,
the Church has become God’s special property. The price of Redemption was the
blood of Christ. Paul VI says that Christ, the Lamb of God, took to “himself the
sins of the world, and he died for us, nailed to the Cross, saving us by his redee-
ming blood” (”Creed of the People of God”, 12).
The Council of Trent speaks of this when it presents the Redemption as an act
of “his beloved Only-begotten, our Lord Jesus Christ, who...merited justification
for us by his most holy Passion on the wood of the Cross and made satisfaction
for us to God the Father” (”De Iustificatione”, 7).
30. Errors derive not only from outsiders: they are also the product of members of
the Church who abuse their position as brethren and even as pastors, leading the
people astray by taking advantage of their good will. “It is of this that John writes,
‘They went out from us, but they were not of us’ [1 Jn 2:19]” (St Bede, “Super Act
Expositio, ad loc”.).
31. “Here he shows that he actually taught them and did not proclaim the tea-
ching once only, just to ease his conscience” (Chrysostom, “Hom. on Acts”, 44).
Paul did not avoid the pastoral work which fell to him; he set an example of what
a bishop should be. “Those who rule the community must perform worthily the
tasks of government. [...] There is a danger that some who concern themselves
with others and guide them towards eternal life may ruin themselves without rea-
lizing it. Those who are in charge must work harder than others, must be humbler
than those under them, must in their own lives give an example of service, and
must regard their subjects as a deposit which God has given them in trust” (St
Gregory of Nyssa, “De Instituto Christiano”).
32. “It is not right for Christians to give such importance to human action that
they think all the laurels depend on their efforts: their expectation of reward
should be subject to the will of God” (”ibid”.).
33-35. “The teachings of the Apostle of the Gentiles [...] have key importance for
the morality and spirituality of human work. They are an important complement
to the great though discreet gospel of work that we find in the life and parables
of Christ, in what Jesus ‘did and taught’ “ (John Paul II, “Laborem Exercens”,
26).
This saying of our Lord (v. 35) is not recorded in the Gospels.
36. For Christians every situation is suitable for prayer: “The Christian prays every-
where”, Clement of Alexandria writes, “and in every situation, whether it be when
taking a walk or in the company of friends, or while he is resting, or at the start of
some spiritual work. And when he reflects in the interior of his soul and invokes
the Father with unspeakable groanings” (”Stromata”, VII, 7).
37. They kiss Paul to show their affection for him and how moved they are. This is
not the liturgical “kiss of peace”. In the East kisses are a common expression of
friendship and good manners like handshaking in the West.
*********************************************************************************************
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.
From: John 17:11b-19
The Priestly Prayer of Jesus (Continuation)
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Commentary:
11-19. Jesus now asks the Father to give his disciples four things—unity, perse-
verance, joy and holiness. By praying him to keep them in his name (v. 11) he
is asking for their perseverance in the teaching he has given them (cf. v. 6) and
in communion with him. An immediate consequence of this perseverance is uni-
ty: “that they may be one, even as we are one”; this unity which he asks for his
disciples is a reflection of the unity of the three divine Persons.
He also prays that none of them should be lost, that the Father should guard
and protect them, just as he himself protected them while he was still with them.
Thirdly, as a result of their union with God and perseverance they will share in the
joy of Christ (v. 13): in this life, the more we know God and the more closely we
are joined to him, the happier will we be; in eternal life our joy will be complete,
because our knowledge and love of God will have reached its climax.
Finally, he prays for those who, though living in the world, are not of the world,
that they may be truly holy and carry out the mission he has entrusted to them,
just as he did the work his Father gave him to do.
12. “That the scripture might be fulfilled”: this is an allusion to what he said to
the Apostles a little earlier (Jn 13:18) by directly quoting Scripture: “He who ate
my bread has lifted his heel against me” (Ps 41:10). Jesus makes these referen-
ces to Judas’ treachery in order to strengthen the Apostles’ faith by showing that
he knew everything in advance and that the Scriptures had already foretold what
would happen.
However, Judas went astray through his own fault and not because God arranged
things that way; his treachery had been taking shape little by little, through his
petty infidelities, and despite our Lord helping him to repent and get back on the
right road (cf. note on Jn 13:21-32); Judas did not respond to this grace and was
responsible for his own downfall. God, who sees the future, predicted the treache-
ry of Judas in the Scripture; Christ, being God, knew that Judas would betray him
and it is with immense sorrow that he now tells the Apostles.
14-16. In Sacred Scripture “world” has a number of meanings. First, it means the
whole of creation (Gen 1:1ff) and, within creation, mankind, which God loves most
tenderly (Prov 8:31). This is the meaning intended here when our Lord says, “I do
not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep
them from the evil one” (v. 15). “I have taught this constantly using words from holy
Scripture. The world is not evil, because it has come from God’s hands, because
it is his creation, because Yahweh looked upon it and saw that it was good (cf.
Gen 1:7ff). We ourselves, mankind, make it evil and ugly with our sins and infideli-
ties. Have no doubt: any kind of evasion from the honest realities of daily life is for
you, men and women of the world, something opposed to the will of God” (St. J.
Escriva, “Conversations”, 114).
In the second place, “world” refers to the things of this world, which do not last
and which can be at odds with the things of the spirit (cf. Mt 16:26).
Finally, because evil men have been enslaved by sin and by the devil, “the ruler
of the world” (Jn 12:31; 16:11), the “world” sometimes means God’s enemy, some-
thing opposed to Christ and his followers (Jn 1:10). In this sense the “world” is evil,
and therefore Jesus is not of the world, nor are his disciples (v. 16). It is also this
pejorative meaning which is used by traditional teaching which describes the world,
the flesh and the devil as enemies of the soul against which one has to be forever
vigilant. “The world, the flesh and the devil are a band of adventurers who take ad-
vantage of the weakness of that savage you bear within you, and want you to hand
over to them, in exchange for the glittering tinsel of a pleasure —which is worth no-
thing — the pure gold and the pearls and the diamonds and rubies drenched in the
life-blood of your God-Redeemer, which are the price and the treasure of your eter-
nity” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 708).
17-19. Jesus prays for the holiness of his disciples. God alone is the Holy One;
in his holiness people and things share. “Sanctifying” has to do with consecra-
ting and dedicating something to God, excluding it from being used for profane
purposes; thus God says to Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew
you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to
the nations” (Jer 1:5). If something is to be consecrated to God it must be per-
fect, that is, holy. Hence, a consecrated person needs to have moral sanctity,
needs to be practising the moral virtues. Our Lord here asks for both things for
his disciples, because they need them if they are to fulfill their supernatural mis-
sion in the world.
“For their sake I consecrate myself”: these words mean that Jesus Christ, who
has been burdened with the sins of men, consecrates himself to the Father
through his sacrifice on the Cross. By this are all Christians sanctified: “So Je-
sus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his
own blood” (Heb 13:12). So, after Christ’s death, men have been made sons of
God by Baptism, sharers in the divine nature and enabled to attain the holiness
to which they have been called (cf. Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 40).
*********************************************************************************************
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.
First reading | Acts 20:28-38 © |
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Psalm | Psalm 67:29-30,33-36 |
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Gospel | John 17:11-19 © |
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Prayers offered up as the parishes begin their summer carnivals, for the safety of all concerned.
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This prayer, which dates from the twelfth century, is substituted for the Angelus during Easter Season.
In Latin |
In English |
Regina coeli, laetare, alleluia: Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia. Resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.
V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, Alleluia, R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.
Oremus: Deus qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus, ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen. |
Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia: For He whom you merited to bear, alleluia, Has risen as He said, alleluia. Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. R. Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.
Let us pray: O God, who by the Resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, granted joy to the whole world: grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may lay hold of the joys of eternal life. Through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen. |
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If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.
Introduction |
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Hymn |
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Psalm 88 (89) The Lord's kindness to the house of David |
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Psalm 88 (89) |
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Psalm 88 (89) |
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Reading | 1 John 5:1-12 © |
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Responsory |
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Reading | From the dogmatic constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council |
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The mission of the Holy Spirit in the church |
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Responsory |
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"Hidden God, devoutly I adore Thee, truly present beneath these veils: all my heart subdues itself before Thee, since all before Thee faints and fails." (cf. Adoro Te Devote)
1. "Verbum caro factum est" (John 1, 14). The Incarnation of the Word, the ineffable mystery of the merciful love of God, who so loved man that He became "flesh" for his salvation, is, in a way, prolonged and extended through the ages, and will be until the end of time, by the Eucharist, the Sacrament by means of which the Incarnate Word became Himself our "food". God was not content with giving us His only Son once for all, willing Him to take flesh in the womb of the Virgin flesh like ours, so that He might suffer and die for us on the Cross but He wished Him to remain with us forever, perpetuating His real presence and His sacrifice in the Eucharist. Aided by the Gospel narrative we can reconstruct and relive in our heart the sweet mysteries of the life of Jesus. Had we nothing but the Gospel, however, we would have only nostalgic memories; Jesus would no longer be with us, but only in heaven at the right hand of the Father, having definitively left earth on the day of His Ascension. With what regret we would think of the thirty-three years of our Saviour's earthly life passed centuries ago! Oh, how different the reality! The Eucharist makes the presence of Jesus with us a permanent one. In the consecrated Host we find the same Jesus whom Mary brought into the world, whom the shepherds found wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger; whom Mary and Joseph nurtured and watched over as He grew before their eyes; the Jesus who called the Apostles to follow Him, who captivated and taught the multitudes, who performed the most startling miracles; who said He was the "light" and "life" of the world, who forgave Magdalen and raised Lazarus from the dead; who for love us sweat blood, received the kiss of a traitor, was made one enormous wound, and died on the Cross; that same Jesus who rose again and appeared to the Apostles and in whose wounds Thomas put his finger; who ascended into heaven, who now is seated in glory at the right hand of His Father, and who, in union with the Father, sends us the Holy Spirit. O Jesus, You are always with us, "yesterday and today and the same forever!" (Hebrews 13, 8). Always the same in eternity by the immutability of Your divine Person; always the same in time, by the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
2. Jesus is present in the Eucharist with all His divinity and all His humanity. Although His humanity is present "per modum substantiae", that is, in substance and not in corporeal extension, it is whole and entire in the consecrated Host body and soul, and this latter with its faculties of intellect and will. Therefore our Eucharistic Lord knows and loves us as God and as Man. He is not a passive object for our adoration but He is living; He sees us, listens to us, answers our prayers with His graces. Thus we may have, with the gentle Master of the Gospel, living, concrete relations which, although imperceptible to our senses, are similar to those which His contemporaries had with Him. It is true that in the Eucharist not only His divinity but even His humanity is hidden; however, faith supplies for the senses, it substitutes for what we do not see or touch; "sola fides sufficit" says St Thomas, faith alone is sufficient (Pange Lingua). As Jesus, disguised as a traveller, once taught the disciples of Emmaus, and inflamed their hearts, so too, Jesus hidden under the Eucharistic veil illumines our souls, inflames them with His love and inclines them ever more effectively toward sanctity.
Jesus is there, in the consecrated Host, true God and true Man; as He became incarnate for us, so for us too, has He hidden Himself under the Sacred Species. There He waits for us, longs for us, is always ready to welcome and listen to us. And we need Him so much! God, pure Spirit, is present everywhere, it is true; and in His Unity and Trinity, He even deigns to dwell within our souls, vivified by grace. Nevertheless, we always have need of contact with Jesus, the Word made Flesh, God made Man, our Mediator, our Saviour, our Brother, and we find Him present in the Eucharist. Here on earth we are never closer to Him than when we are in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.
"O Lord, wealth of the poor, how admirably You can sustain souls, revealing Your great riches to them gradually and not permitting them to see them all at once. When I see Your great Majesty hidden in so small a thing as the Host, I cannot but marvel at Your great wisdom.
"O my God, if You did not conceal Your grandeur, who would dare to come to You so often, to unite with your ineffable Majesty a soul so stained and miserable? Be forever blessed, O Lord! May the angels and all creatures praise You for having deigned to adapt Your mysteries to our weakness, so that we might enjoy Your treasures without being frightened by Your infinite power. Otherwise, poor, weak creatures like ourselves would never dare to approach You.
"How would I, a poor sinner, who have so often offended You, dare to approach You, O Lord, if I beheld You in all Your Majesty? Under the appearances of bread, however, it is easy to approach You, for if a king disguises himself, it seems as if we do not have to talk to him with so much circumspection and ceremony. If You were not hidden, O Lord, who would dare to approach You with such coldness, so unworthily, and with so many imperfections?
"Besides, I cannot doubt at all about Your real presence in the Eucharist. You have given me such a lively faith that, when I hear others say they wish they had been living when You were on earth, I laugh to myself, for I know that I possess You as truly in the Blessed Sacrament as people did then, and I wonder what more anyone could possibly want." (St Teresa of Jesus, Life, 38 cf Way of Perfection, 34).
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