Reading 1 Prv 3:27-34

Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim
when it is in your power to do it for him.
Say not to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
tomorrow I will give,” when you can give at once.

Plot no evil against your neighbor,
against one who lives at peace with you.
Quarrel not with a man without cause,
with one who has done you no harm.

Envy not the lawless man
and choose none of his ways:
To the LORD the perverse one is an abomination,
but with the upright is his friendship.

The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,
but the dwelling of the just he blesses;
When dealing with the arrogant, he is stern,
but to the humble he shows kindness.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5

R. (1) The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.
He who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
R. The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
By whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R. The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
shall never be disturbed.
R. The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.

Alleluia Mt 5:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let your light shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 8:16-18

Jesus said to the crowd:
“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel
or sets it under a bed;
rather, he places it on a lampstand
so that those who enter may see the light.
For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible,
and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.
Take care, then, how you hear.
To anyone who has, more will be given,
and from the one who has not,
even what he seems to have will be taken away.”

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.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 8
16.	Now no man lighting a candle covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it upon a candlestick, that they who come in may see the light.	Nemo autem lucernam accendens, operit eam vase, aut subtus lectum ponit : sed supra candelabrum ponit, ut intrantes videant lumen.	ουδεις δε λυχνον αψας καλυπτει αυτον σκευει η υποκατω κλινης τιθησιν αλλ επι λυχνιας επιτιθησιν ινα οι εισπορευομενοι βλεπωσιν το φως
17.	For there is not any thing secret that shall not be made manifest, nor hidden, that shall not be known and come abroad.	Non est enim occultum, quod non manifestetur : nec absconditum, quod non cognoscatur, et in palam veniat.	ου γαρ εστιν κρυπτον ο ου φανερον γενησεται ουδε αποκρυφον ο ου γνωσθησεται και εις φανερον ελθη
18.	Take heed therefore how you hear. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given: and whosoever hath not, that also which he thinketh he hath, shall be taken away from him.	Videte ergo quomodo audiatis ? Qui enim habet, dabitur illi : et quicumque non habet, etiam quod putat se habere, auferetur ab illo.	βλεπετε ουν πως ακουετε ος γαρ εαν εχη δοθησεται αυτω και ος εαν μη εχη και ο δοκει εχειν αρθησεται απ αυτου

16. No man, when he has lighted a candle, covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed; but sets it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.
17. For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.
18. Take heed therefore how you hear: for whosoever has, to him shall be given; and whosoever has not, form him shall be taken even that which he seems to have.

THEOPHYL; Having before said to His Apostles, To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to others in parables; He now shows that by them at length must the same mystery be revealed also to others, saying, No man when he has lighted a candle covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed.

EUSEB. As if He said, As a lantern is lighted that it should give light, not that it should be covered under a bushel or a bed, so also the secrets of the kingdom of heaven when uttered in parables, although hid from those who are strangers to the faith, will not however to all men appear obscure. Hence he adds, For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest, neither any thing hid that shall not be known, and come abroad. As if He said, Though many things are spoken in parables, that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand, because of their unbelief, yet the whole matter shall be revealed.

AUG. Or else in these words He typically sets forth the boldness of preaching, that no one should, through fear of fleshly ills, conceal the light of knowledge For under the names of vessel and bed, he represents the flesh, but of that of lantern, the word, which whosoever keeps hid through fear of the troubles of the flesh, sets the flesh itself before the manifestation of the truth, and by it he as it were covers the word, who fears to preach it. But he places a candle upon a candlestick who so submits his body to the service of God, that the preaching of the truth stands highest in his estimation, the service of the body lowest.

ORIGEN; But he who would adapt his lantern to the more perfect disciples of Christ, must persuade us by those things which were spoken of John, for he was a burning and a shining light. It becomes not him then who lights the light of reason in his soul to hide it under a bed where men sleep, nor under any vessel, for he who does this provides not for those who enter the house for whom the candle is prepared, but they must set it upon a candlestick, that is, the whole Church.

CHRYS. By these words he leads them to diligence of life, teaching them to be strong as exposed to the view of all men, and fighting in the world as on a stage. As if he said, Think not that we dwell in a small part of the world, for you will be known of all men, since it cannot be that so great virtue should lie hid.

MAXIM. Or perhaps the Lord calls Himself a light shining to all who inhabit the house, that is, the world, since He is by nature God, but by the dispensation made flesh. And so like the light of the lamp He abides in the vessel of the flesh by means of the soul as the light in the vessel of the lamp by means of the flame. But by the candlestick he describes the Church over which the divine word shines, illuminating the house as it were by the rays of truth. But under the similitude of a vessel or bed he referred to the observance of the law, under which the word will not be contained.

THEOPHYL; But the Lord ceases not to teach us to hearken to His word, that we may be able both to constantly, meditate on it in our own minds, and to bring it forth for the instruction of others. Hence it follows, Take heed therefore how you hear; for whosoever has, to him shall be given. As if he says, Give heed with all your mind to the word which you hear, for to him who has a love of the word, shall be given also the sense of understanding what he loves; but whoso has no love of hearing the word, though he deems himself skillful either from natural genius, or the exercise of learning, will have no delight in the sweetness of wisdom; for oftentimes the slothful man is gifted with capacities, that if he neglect them he may be the more justly punished for his negligence, since that which he can obtain without labor he disdains to know, and sometimes the studious man is oppressed with slowness of apprehension, in order that the more he labors in his inquiries, the greater may be the recompense of his reward.

Catena Aurea Luke 8

Saint Januarius, Bishop and Martyr

Saint Januarius,
Bishop and Martyr
September 19th

photo San Gennaro in Naples,
copyright owned by Julia Janßen, used here with her permission

St. Januarius, bishop of Beneventum, the principle patron saint of Naples, was believed to have been martyred by beheading in 305, at Campania, during the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian.

Though there is no reliable history of his life or martyrdom, and no contemporary accounts remain, he is revered as a martyr, and in about 733, the Venerable Bede wrote of Januarius in his Martyrlogium. According to the earliest accounts, Januarius was martyred with his deacon, Festus, and his lector, Desiderius, and several other Christians. The much later document, “Acta Januarius”, gives a detailed account of the martyrdom at the order of Timotheus, president of Campania. The body of Januarius was ultimately re-buried in the Naples cathedral, San Gennaro, in 1497.

St. Januarius (San Gennaro), is most famous for the liquefaction of his blood contained within a glass vial, first officially recorded in 1389. This liquefaction has occurred repeatedly for over 700 years; and even after many scientific studies of the phenomenon conducted throughout the past century, it defies natural explanation. The ceremonial exposition of the miraculous vial of blood continues to this day in the Naples cathedral — on September 19, the feast of St. Januarius, December 16, to celebrate his patronage of both the city and the archdiocesse of Naples, and on the Saturday before the first Sunday of May, to commemorate the reunification of his relics in the special Cappella di San Gennaro in the cathedra.

Collect:
O God, who grant us to venerate
the memory of the Martyr Saint Januarius,
give us, we pray, the joy of his company
in blessed happiness for all eternity.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: Hebrews 10:32-36
But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on the prisoners, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that you may do the will of God and receive what is promised.

Gospel Reading: John 12: 24-26
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him.

Related link: “Acts of Januarius” on Fordham University web site: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/januarius.asp

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Januarius

Feast Day: September 19
Born: (around) 240 :: Died: 305

Januarius was born in Naples in Italy. He was the bishop of Benevento when Emperor Diocletian began to harass and trouble the Christians. The people of Naples have a special love for and devotion to Bishop Januarius. He is popularly called "San Gennaro."

One day San Gennaro was told that some Christian deacons had been put in prison for their faith. The bishop who was a gentle and compassionate man, truly cared about his people and went to the prison to visit them.

The jailer reported him to the governor who sent soldiers to find San Gennaro. The bishop was arrested along with a deacon and a lector and was put along with the other prisoners.

San Gennaro and the six other Christians were beheaded and martyred for their faith. Their deaths took place near Naples in 305 and the people of Naples consider San Gennaro as their patron saint.

The people of Naples remember San Gennaro for another special reason: his martyr's blood was preserved many hundred years ago in a vile. The blood has become dark and dry. But at certain times of the year, the blood turns to liquid. It becomes red, sometimes bright red and at times, it even bubbles.

The special case containing the vile of blood is honored publicly about 3 times a year:

on the first Saturday of May,
on September 19 (the feast of San Gennaro), within the octave (or eight days after the feast),
and at times on December 16.
The liquified blood has been seen and honored since the thirteenth century.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: September 19th

Optional Memorial of St. Januarius, bishop & martyr

MASS READINGS

September 19, 2016 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, who grant us to venerate the memory of the Martyr Saint Januarius, give us, we pray, the joy of his company in blessed happiness for all eternity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

show

Recipes (1)

Pizzette di San Gennaro

show

Activities (2)

show

Prayers (3)

show

Library (3)

Old Calendar: St. Januarius and his Companions; Our Lady of La Salette ; Other Titles: St. Gennaro

Little is known about St. Januarius. He was Bishop of Benevento in Campania. He died near Naples, about the year 305, martyred under the persecution of Emperor Diocletian. Around the year 400 the relics of St. Januarius were moved to Naples, which honors Januarius as a patron saint. He supposedly protected Naples from a threatened eruption of the volcano Mt. Vesuvius. The "miracle of Januarius" has world-wide fame. At least three times a year—on his feast day, December 16 and the first Sunday of May—the sealed vial with congealed blood of the saint liquifies, froths and bubbles up. This miraculous event has occurred every year, with rare exceptions. Popular tradition holds that the liquefaction is a sign that the year will be preserved from disasters. (In 1939, the beginning of World War II, the blood did not bubble up.)

St. Januarius
Together with his deacons Socius and Festus, and his lector Desiderius, Januarius, bishop of Beneventum, was subjected to most atrocious torturing during the Diocletian persecution (about 304). Nevertheless, with God's aid they were preserved unmaimed. The wild animals let loose upon them would not attack. Beheaded at Puteoli, their bodies were reverently interred in the neighboring cities. Eventually the remains of St. Januarius became the prized possession of the city of Naples.

"Even to the present time the blood of the saint that is preserved in a glass vial will become fluid shortly after it is brought close to the head of the saint; then it bubbles up in a remarkable manner, as if it had just been shed" (Breviary). Cardinal Schuster makes this statement in his Liber Sacramentorum (vol. 8, p. 233): "The author has seen the marvel of the blood liquefaction at closest range and can give witness to the fact. Taking into consideration all the scientific investigations that have been made, he would say that a natural explanation of the phenomena does not seem possible."

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: patron of Naples, Italy; blood banks; volcanic eruptions.

Symbols: heated oven; two red vials on Bible; bishop's mitre (headdress); palm frond (symbol of martrydom); crown (of martyrdom).

Things to Do:

Find out more about this "miracle of Januarius", including pictures.
Have an Italian dinner.
If you live close to New York city you can participate in The Feast of San Gennaro celebrated in lower Manhattan.
Read more about St. Januarius at EWTN.

Our Lady of La Salette
On September 19, 1846, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Maximin Giraud and Melanie Calvat on the mountain of La Salette, France. After thorough investigation the Catholic Church gave approval to the message and secret of La Salette as written by Melanie. The account was published in Lecce on November 15, 1879 with the imprimatur of Bishop Zola of Lecce. Mary's message was much the same as at Fatima, "If my people do not wish to submit themselves, I am forced to let go of the hand of my Son. It is so heavy and weighs me down so much I can no longer keep hold of it." She lamented with tears those who do not keep Sunday holy and who take the name of the Lord in vain. She indicated that if men did not stop offending Our Lord the potato crop would fail. She gave Maximin his secret which he never revealed. She then turned to Melanie and gave her a secret which Melanie revealed 30 years later only to the Holy Father, who gave orders that it was never to be revealed.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Proverbs 3:27-34

Saint Januarius, Bishop and Martyr

With the upright is his friendship. (Proverbs 3:32)

Three children gaze at a painting of a ship on the water when they are suddenly sucked into the scene! For the rest of C. S. Lewis’ book The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the children are no longer standing on the outside gazing at the painting; they’re caught up in the action.

Sometimes, it might feel as if we are simply gazing at descriptions of how to live a godly life. We may wonder, “How could I possibly become as holy as Paul or Mary or Peter? Their lives look so perfect.” Part of the answer lies in the Book of Proverbs. A collection of sayings from a variety of sources from the ancient Near East, the book’s composition spans from the eleventh to the seventh centuries BC. It teaches us in very practical ways how we can live in an upright manner and find friendship with God.

So what does it look like when someone lives out the picture painted in Proverbs? Look at Jesus! More than anyone else, he brings this book to life. First, we hear countless echoes of its wisdom in his teachings. For example, when he says, “Whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst” (John 6:35), he is recalling a passage in Proverbs, where wisdom personified encourages us: “Come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed” (Proverbs 9:5).

We also see the Book of Proverbs embodied in Jesus’ actions. “Do not say, ‘As they did to me, so will I do to them; I will repay them according to their deeds’” (Proverbs 24:29). This sounds a lot like Jesus’ words on the cross: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Today, choose a few verses from Proverbs: How do they apply to your circumstances? Then ask Jesus for the grace to put them into action.

If you do this every day, you’ll become wiser. You’ll be imitating Jesus and the apostles as you make the Book of Proverbs part of your life. Don’t just gaze on this storehouse of wisdom as a distant ideal. Open your heart to it, and be a witness to it for others.

“Father, thank you for all the ways you reveal yourself to me. Open my eyes today!”

Psalm 15:2-5
Luke 8:16-18

Regnum Christi

September 19, 2016 – A Just Settlement

19 Sep 2016

Monday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 8: 16-18

Jesus said to the crowd: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lamp stand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord, you dwell in brightness, truth and love. Nothing makes sense without your love. Without you, Lord, insipidity invades people, things and events. I believe that you are my refuge and the source of my happiness now and forever. I am convinced that your promises will be fulfilled sooner or later; this is why I prefer a single day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.

Petition: Lord, enlighten my mind and heart to follow your path that leads to the endless day.

1. Torch Bearers: There are advantages to carrying a torch in the dark. This common knowledge informed our Lord’s address and helped him propose it to his listeners. At night, a torchbearer sheds light so that all who are with him can walk confidently, without stumbling along a dark path. Time is not wasted stepping insecurely and hesitantly; rather, the whole group walks purposefully and goes quickly where it needs and wants to be. When a group has a torchbearer, all in it are relieved, including the torchbearer himself. This is the value of my faith to a highly secularized society. Do I nurture an appreciation for the gift of faith that I have received from God? Am I afraid to allow its light to shine?

2. Wisdom at its Best: Jesus affirms, “For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.” When I am not praised and recognized by others, I might feel sad or forgotten. This is when I need to shine a lot of light to get out of that black hole. Do my good works seem to go unperceived? The Lord himself will expose them on the judgment day. The more they are hidden from others now, the more merits I will gain before God. All secrets will be cracked open in the future. My duty is not to crack them open now, but to keep them hidden and to be a torchbearer for the journey to that place of eternal reward.

3. A Rewarded Success: “To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.” Here Jesus plumbs deeper into what we have already reflected on. “To anyone who has” obviously refers to the torchbearer who has successfully led his band of friends. He will be entrusted with more responsibility, or simply respected by the others. “…And from the one who has not”: The torchbearer who can’t keep his flame alive will be ousted. He will be taken away. Do I staunchly live the fire of the faith, or do I hesitate in witnessing to his love?

Conversation with Christ: Lord, help me to be a wise torchbearer. Do not allow laziness and presumption to distract me from the basic task of keeping my lamp filled with oil at all times. Lord, give me a robust faith!

Resolution: In my conversations today, I will bear witness to the light by avoiding all slanderous talk, and I will elevate the topics of conversation by talking about things that could inspire others to praise God.

Homily of the Day

September 19, 2016

“O God, grant us, we pray, to venerate the memory of the Martyr Saint Januarius. Give us the joy of his company in blessed happiness for all eternity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.” (Opening Prayer at Mass in honor of St. Januarius)

The miracle of Januarius has world-wide fame. At least three times a year, on 19 Septembet, his feast day, December 16 and the first Sunday of May, the sealed vial with congealed blood of the saint liquefies, froths and bubbles up. This miraculous event occurs every year, with rare exceptions. Popular devotion and tradition hold that the liquefaction is a sign that the year will be preserved from disasters.

“Now take care how well you listen” is the injunction of scripture… pausing in silence to reflect, we listen with our heart. Speak Lord, Your child awaits!

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September 19, 2016

Monday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Prv 3:27-34

Responsorial Psalm Ps 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5

Alleluia Mt 5:16

Gospel Lk 8:16-18

St. Januarius

Ordinary Time: September 19th

Optional Memorial of St. Januarius, bishop & martyr

MASS READINGS

COLLECT PRAYER

Recipes (1)

Activities (2)

Prayers (3)

Library (3)

Meditation: Proverbs 3:27-34

September 19, 2016 – A Just Settlement

Monday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 8: 16-18