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From: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

The Wisdom of the Cross (Continuation)

[26] For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to
worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; [27]
but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what
is weak in the world to shame the strong. [28] God chose what is low and des-
pised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,
[29] so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. [30] He is the
source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteous-
ness and sanctification and redemption; [31] therefore, as it is written, “Let him
who boasts, boast of the Lord.”

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

26-29. As in the case of the Apostles—”You did not choose me, but I chose you’.
(Jn 15:16)—it is the Lord who chooses, who gives each Christian his vocation. St
Paul emphasizes that the initiative lies with God by saying three times that it
was God who chose those Corinthians to be Christians, and he did not base his
choice on human criteria. Human wisdom, power, nobility, these were not what
brought them to the faith—nor the inspirations which God later gives. “God is no
respecter of persons (cf. 2 Chron 19:7; Rom 2:1; Eph 6:9; Col 3:25; etc.)”, St. J.
Escriva reminds us. “When he invites a soul to live a life fully in accordance with
the faith, he does not set store by merits of fortune, nobility, blood or learning.
God’s call precedes all merits [...]. Vocation comes first. God loves us before we
even know how to go toward him, and he places in us the love with which we can
respond to his call” (”Christ Is Passing By”, 33).

Thus, God chooses whomever he wants to, and these first Christians — uneduca-
ted, unimportant, even despised people, in the world’s eyes—will be what he uses
to spread his Church and convert the wise, the strong and the “important”: this
disproportion between resources and results will make it quite clear that God is
responsible for the increase.

However, this does not mean that none of the first Christians was educated or in-
fluential, humanly speaking. The Acts of the Apostles, for example, tell us about
early converts who were out of the ordinary—a minister of the court of the Kan-
dake of Ethiopia; a centurion, Cornelius; Apollos; Dionysius the Areopagite; etc.
“It would appear that worldly excellence is not godly unless God uses it for his
honor. And therefore, although at the beginning they were indeed few, later God
chose many humanly outstanding people for the ministry of preaching. Hence
the gloss which says, ‘If the fisherman had not faithfully led the way, the orator
would not have humbly followed’” (St Thomas Aquinas, “Commentary on 1 Cor,
ad loc.”).

27. St Paul’s words remind us that supernatural resources are the thing an apos-
tle must rely on. It is true that human resources are necessary, and God counts
on them (cf. 1 Cor 3:5-10); but the task God has commended to Christians ex-
ceeds their abilities and can be carried out only with his help. The Second Vati-
can Council reminded priests of this verse when stressing the need for humility;
and what it says can be useful to all Christians: “The divine task for the fulfillment
of which they have been set apart by the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 13:2) transcends all
human strength and human wisdom; for ‘God chose what is weak in the world to
shame the strong’ (1 Cor 1:27). Therefore the true minister of Christ is conscious
of his own weakness and labors in humility. He tries to discover what is well-
pleasing to God (cf. Eph 5:10) and, bound as it were in the Spirit (cf. Acts 20:22),
he is guided in all things by the will of him who wishes all men to be saved. He is
able to discover and carry out that will in the course of his daily routine by humbly
placing himself at the service of all those who are entrusted to his care by God in
the office that has been committed to him and the variety of events that make up
his life” (”Presbyterorum Ordinis”, 15).

30-31. God’s call makes a person a member of Christ Jesus, through Baptism;
and if a Christian is docile to grace he or she will gradually become so like Christ
as to be able to say with St Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives
in me” (Gal 2:20). This “being in Christ Jesus” enables a person to share in the
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption which Jesus is for the
Christian.

Jesus Christ indeed is the “wisdom” of God (cf. Col 1:15f; Heb 1:2f), and knowing
him is true wisdom, the highest form of wisdom. He is for us our “righteousness”,
because through the merits obtained by his incarnation, death and resurrection
he has made us truly righteous (= just, holy) in God’s sight He is also the source
of all holiness, which consists in fact in identification with Christ. Through him,
who has become “redemption” for us, we have been redeemed from the slavery of
sin. “How well the Apostle orders his ideas: Good has made us wise by rescuing
us from error; and then he has made us just and holy by giving us his spirit”
(Chrysostom, “Hom. on 1 Cor, 5, ad loc.”).

In view of the complete gratuitousness of God’s choice (vv. 25-28) and the im-
mense benefits it brings with it, the conclusion is obvious: “’Deo omni, gloria. All
glory to God.’ It is an emphatic conclusion of our nothingness. He, Jesus, is every-
thing. We, without him, are worth nothing: nothing. Our vainglory would be just
that: vain glory; it would be sacrilegious robbery. There should be no room for
that ‘I’ anywhere” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 780).

*********************************************************************************************
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: Matthew 25:14-30

The Parable of the Talents

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [14] “For it will be as when a man going on a jour-
ney called his servants and entrusted to them his property; [15] to one he gave
five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then
he went away. [16] He who had received the five talents went at once and traded
with them; and he made five talents more. [17] So also, he who had the two ta-
lents made two talents more. [18] But he who had received the one talent went
and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.

[19] Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled ac-
counts with them. [20] And he who received the five talents came forward, brin-
ging five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I
have made five talents more.’ [21] His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and
faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter
into the joy of your master.’ [22] And he also who had the two talents came for-
ward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two ta-
lents more.’ [23] His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant;
you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of
your master.’ [24] He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying,
‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathe-
ring where you did not winnow; [25] so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent
in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ [26] But his master answered him,
‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed,
and gather where I have not winnowed? [27] Then you ought to have invested my
money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my
own with interest. [28] So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the
ten talents. [29] For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have
abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. [30]
And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and
gnash their teeth.’”

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

14-30. A talent was not any kind of coin but a measure of value worth about fifty
kilos (one hundred pounds) of silver.

In this parable the main message is the need to respond to grace by making a
genuine effort right through one’s life. All the gifts of nature and grace which God
has given us should yield a profit. It does not matter how many gifts we have re-
ceived; what matters is our generosity in putting them to good use.

A person’s Christian calling should not lie hidden and barren: it should be out-
going, apostolic and self-sacrificial. “Don’t lose your effectiveness; instead, tram-
ple on your selfishness. You think your life is for yourself? Your life is for God,
for the good of all men, though your love for our Lord. Your buried talent, dig it
up again! Make it yield” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 47).

An ordinary Christian cannot fail to notice that Jesus chose to outline his tea-
ching on response to grace by using the simile of men at work. Here we have a
reminder that the Christian normally lives out his vocation in the context of ordi-
nary, everyday affairs. “There is just one life, made of flesh and spirit. And it is
this life which has to become, in both soul and body, holy and filled with God.
We discover the invisible God in the most visible and material things. There is
no other way. Either we learn to find our Lord in ordinary, everyday life, or else
we shall never find Him” (St. J. Escriva, “Conversations”, 114).

*********************************************************************************************
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.

***Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD***

We used to be one of those nations. Funny, things were a lot more civilized then also.

True, but later on the Psalm says:
“who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.”

Readings at Mass

First reading

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 ©

Take yourselves for instance, brothers, at the time when you were called: how many of you were wise in the ordinary sense of the word, how many were influential people, or came from noble families? No, it was to shame the wise that God chose what is foolish by human reckoning, and to shame what is strong that he chose what is weak by human reckoning; those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones that God has chosen – those who are nothing at all to show up those who are everything. The human race has nothing to boast about to God, but you, God has made members of Christ Jesus and by God’s doing he has become our wisdom, and our virtue, and our holiness, and our freedom. As scripture says: if anyone wants to boast, let him boast about the Lord.

Psalm

Psalm 32:12-13,18-21 ©

Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

They are happy, whose God is the Lord,

the people he has chosen as his own.

From the heavens the Lord looks forth,

he sees all the children of men.

Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

The Lord looks on those who revere him,

on those who hope in his love,

to rescue their souls from death,

to keep them alive in famine.

Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

Our soul is waiting for the Lord.

The Lord is our help and our shield.

In him do our hearts find joy.

We trust in his holy name.

Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

Gospel Acclamation

Ph2:15-16

Alleluia, alleluia!

You will shine in the world like bright stars

because you are offering it the word of life.

Alleluia!

Or	Jn13:34

Alleluia, alleluia!

I give you a new commandment:

love one another just as I have loved you,

says the Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 25:14-30 ©

Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of Heaven is like a man on his way abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one; each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out.

‘The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

‘Now a long time after, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made.”

‘His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”

‘Next the man with the two talents came forward. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”

‘Last came forward the man who had the one talent. “Sir,” said he “I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back.” But his master answered him, “You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have recovered my capital with interest. So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the five talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away. As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”’

Perpetual Novena for the Nation (Ecumenical)

Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)

7 Powerful Ways to Pray for Christians Suffering in the Middle East

Jesus, High Priest

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.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

Pray the Rosary

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

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 Joyful Mysteries
(Mondays and Saturdays)
1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]

~ PRAYER ~

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+

A Prayer for our Free Nation Under God
God Save Our Country web site (prayer warriors)
Prayer Chain Request for the United States of America
Pray for Nancy Pelosi
Prayer and fasting will help defeat health care reform (Freeper Prayer Thread)
Prayer Campaign Started to Convert Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians to Pro-Life
[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries
Non-stop Rosary vigil to defeat ObamaCare

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:

"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"

PLEASE JOIN US -

Evening Prayer
Someone has said that if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.
Did you know that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. Please forward this to your praying friends.

August Devotion -- The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.

This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.

On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.

INVOCATIONS

O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.

Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."

Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.

Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII

IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Sacred Heart Of Jesus

Sacred Heart Of Jesus image

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculate Heart of Mary image

Blessed be the Most Loving Heart and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother, in eternity and forever. Amen.

....Only the Heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way ----From the Catechism. P:1439

From the depth of my nothingness, I prostrate myself before Thee, O Most Sacred, Divine and Adorable Heart of Jesus, to pay Thee all the homage of love, praise and adoration in my power.
Amen. - - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and his Heart which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins. Christian prayer loves to follow the way of the cross in the Savior's steps.-- >From the Catechism. P: 2669

The Salutation to the Heart of Jesus and Mary

An Offering of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Novena Prayer to Sacred Heart of Jesus

Prayer to the Wounded Heart of Jesus

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

Meditation & Novena Prayer on the Sacred Heart

Beads to the Sacred Heart

Novena Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Daily Offering to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Exaltation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

The Holy Heart of Mary Is, After the Heart of Jesus, the Most Exalted Throne of Divine Love
Let us recollect that God has given us the feast of the most pure Heart of the Blessed Virgin so that we may render on that day all the respect, honor and praise that we possibly can. To enkindle this spirit within us let us consider our motivating obligations.

The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.

This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?

How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?

— St. John Eudes

On the Critics of Pope Francis’ Consecration to the Immaculate Heart (Catholic Caucus)
Pope consecrates world to immaculate heart of Mary
Pope at Mass: Learning from Mary to keep the Word of God
Today: Immaculate Heart of Mary [DEVOTIONAL]

The Immaculate Heart of Mary [Devotional] Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Saturdays and the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Brown Scapular (Catholic Caucus)
The History of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Homilies preached by Father Robert Altier on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Marian Associations Unite to Celebrate Immaculate Heart
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, AUGUST 22ND
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

August 2014
Pope's Intentions
Universal: That refugees, forced by violence to abandon their homes, may find a generous welcome and the protection of their rights.
For Evangelization: That Christians in Oceania may joyfully announce the faith to all the people of that region.

Daily Gospel Commentary

Saturday of the Twenty-first week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Vatican Council II
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church in the modern world “ Gaudium et spes ”, § 33-34 (copyright Libreria Vaticana editrice)

"You gave me five talents. See, I have made five more."

Through his labors and his native endowments man has ceaselessly striven to better his life… In the face of these immense efforts which already preoccupy the whole human race, men agitate numerous questions among themselves. What is the meaning and value of this feverish activity? How are all these things to be put to use?...

To believers, this point is settled: considered in itself, this human activity accords with God's will. For man, created to God's image, received a mandate to subject to himself the earth and all it contains (Gn 1,27-28), and to govern the world with justice and holiness; a mandate to relate himself and the totality of things to Him who was to be acknowledged as the Lord and Creator of all. Thus, by the subjection of all things to man, the name of God would be wonderful in all the earth. This mandate concerns the whole of everyday activity as well…

For the greater man's power becomes, the farther his individual and community responsibility extends. Hence it is clear that men are not deterred by the Christian message from building up the world, or impelled to neglect the welfare of their fellows, but that they are rather more stringently bound to do these very things. Human activity, to be sure, takes its significance from its relationship to man. Just as it proceeds from man, so it is ordered toward man. For when a man works he not only alters things and society, he develops himself as well… A man is more precious for what he is than for what he has. Similarly, all that men do to obtain greater justice, wider brotherhood, a more humane disposition of social relationships has greater worth than technical advances.

“The man of impure speech is a person whose lips are but an opening and a supply pipe which hell uses to vomit its impurities upon the earth.”

-- Saint John Vianney

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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.