Christ Blessing the Children
Lucas Cranach the Elder
1535-40
Oil and tempera on beechwood, 84 x 122 cm
Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt
Posted on 08/17/2018 9:54:42 PM PDT by Salvation
KEYWORDS: catholic; mt19; ordinarytime; prayer;
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From: Ezekiel 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32
Individual responsibility
[5] If a man is righteous and does what is lawful and right — [6] if he does not eat
upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not
defile his neighbour’s wife or approach a woman in her time of impurity, [7] does
not oppress any one, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery,
gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, [8] does not
lend at interest or take any increase, withholds his hand from iniquity, executes
true justice between man and man, [9] walks in my statutes, and is careful to
observe my ordinances — he is righteous, he shall surely live, says the Lord God.
[10] “If he begets a son who is a robber a shedder of blood, […] [13] shall he then
live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominable things; he shall surely
die: his blood shall be upon himself.
[30] “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,
says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be
your ruin. [31] Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have com-
mitted against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you
die, O house of Israel? [32] For I have no pleasure in the death of any one, says
the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
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Commentary:
18:1-32. Here Ezekiel uses the father-son relationship as a key to this ongoing
explanation of the catastrophe of the fall of Jerusalem and the exile. In the pre-
vious chapters he showed that the Lord did not give up on his special love for Is-
rael; punish her he will, because she deserves it, but the broken Covenant will
be re-established. Now he repeats a lesson that the exiles must learn: the Lord
is not being very cruel or unjust towards them; nor is he whenever he allows peo-
ple to suffer.
Traditional teaching put more emphasis on solidarity and unity among the people
— in terms of both space (all its parts formed one Israel) and time (all generations
made up the same people). Thus, it defined the Lord as just and merciful when
he rewarded or punished successive generations for the things their forebears did
(cf. Ex 34:6-7 and note). But Ezekiel breaks new ground by asserting the princi-
ple of individual retribution/responsibility: the exiles have been punished for their
own sins, not those of their forebears. This explanation for suffering is a very
considerable advance, but the focus is still a narrow one.
The book of Job, too, tackles the question of the suffering of the blameless, and
the answer it gives does not go far enough. Not until the New Testament will the
full picture emerge in the light of Jesus’ death on the cross. Christ suffers for the
sins of men, he dies in order to redeem us, and he shows that suffering of every
sort, even the suffering of the innocent, has a redemptive value: “When we consi-
der once more the central mysteries of our faith, we are surprised to see how
very human gestures are used to express the deepest truths: the love of God the
Father who gives up his Son, and the Son’s love which calmly leads him to Cal-
vary. God does not approach us in power and authority. No, he ‘takes the form
of a servant, being born in the likeness of man’. Jesus is never distant or aloof,
although sometimes in his preaching he seems very sad, because he is hurt by
the evil men do. However, if we watch him closely, we will note immediately that
his anger comes from love. It is a further invitation for us to leave infidelity and
sin behind. “’Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” says the Lord God,
“and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?’” These words explain
Christ’s whole life. They allow us to understand why he has come to us with a
heart made of flesh, a heart like ours. This is a convincing proof of his love and
a constant witness to the mystery of divine charity” (St J. Escrivá, Christ Is
Passing By, 162).
18:1-20. To counter the spiteful adage about the sour grapes and the teeth on
edge (cf. Jer 31:29), Ezekiel offers a practical case involving three generations —
a righteous father (vv. 5-9) who has a violent son (vv. 10-13), who in turn has a
son who is righteous (vv. 14-20). The moral in each case is the same: “The soul
that sins shall die” (v. 20; cf. v. 9); “the righteousness of the righteous shall be
upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself” (v. 20; cf.
9). Any possible confusion about personal or communal guilt for sin is addressed
by the Catechism in the following way: “God’s threat to inflict his punishment un-
to the third and fourth generation should be understood not as proof that children
will suffer for the sins of their parents, but that the need for penance and expia-
tion is fundamental [...l. Therefore, there is no contradiction between this threat
and the words of the prophet: the soul that sins shall die (Ezek 18:4). St Grego-
ry, whose teaching follows in the line of what all the Fathers taught, tells us:
‘Every man who sins as his father did shares in his father’s guilt. But the man
who has no part in his father’s iniquity bears none of his fault. The evil son of the
evil father will pay not only for his own sins, but for those of his father as well, be-
cause he added his own sins to his father’s sins against the Lord; it is just, in
the eyes of a strict judge, that he who followed in the footsteps of his evil father
should pay for the sins of his father in this life” (Roman Catechism, 3, 2, 31-32).
The sins listed here (idolatry, adultery, uncleanness, oppression, greed: vv. 6-8;
11-13; 15-17) are meant to include all the Lord’s commandments, especially
those written in what is known as the “Deuteronomic code” (Deut 12:1 26:15)
and the “law of holiness” (Lev 17:1-26:46). In Ezekiel’s time people were familiar
with the Decalogue and with standard lists of virtues (cf. Ps 15:2-4; Is 33:15-16;
Jer 22:3-5; Mic 6:8) and sins (cf. 22:6-12). The New Testament, too, uses simi-
lar lists (cf. 1 Cor 5:11; Eph 5:5) as a memory aid in moral instruction. So, one
can see that Ezekiel was familiar with teaching methods that were in use in the
temple. Following this tradition, the Church has always argued that the most ef-
fective means be used in catechetical teaching: “so that the faithful, according
to their talents, ability and state in life, can learn Catholic doctrine most effec-
tively and put it into practice” (Code of Canon Law, 779).
18:21-32. These verses reply to a question that may arise from the doctrine of
personal retribution: If the sinner must live with the consequences of his sins,
what is the purpose of repentance? Ezekiel takes the question very much to
heart, and his reply includes one of the most beautiful summaries of divine mer-
cy: “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked …, and not rather that he
should turn from his way and live?” (v. 23; cf. 33:11). It is true that the explana-
tion of divine justice and punishment develops over a long period until the New
Testament is reached; even so, from the very beginning of divine Revelation,
there is never any doubt but that God is always ready to forgive. Over the cen-
turies, Christian spirituality has written beautiful pages filled to overflowing with
heartfelt trust in God’s mercy. As an example, we will quote a prayer by a Chris-
tian writer of the Armenian Church: “You are the Lord of Mercy. Have mercy on
me, a sinner, who beseeches you with sighs and tears. [...] O kind and merciful
Lord! You are patient with sinners, for you have said: if a wicked man turns away
from all his sins which he has committed … none of the transgressions which
he has committed shall he remembered against him (Ezek 18:21-22). Look, see
how I have come before you and fallen at your feet: your guilty servant pleads for
your mercy. Do not recall my sins, nor spurn me because of my wickedness.
[…] You are the Lord of goodness and mercy: you forgive all sin” (John Manda-
kuni, Oratio, 2-3).
Of course, God’s forgiveness is closely interwoven with personal conversion.
Therefore, it is not surprising to find these verses of Ezekiel being quoted in con-
nexion with the need for the sacrament of penance: “at all times, the practice of
penance in order to obtain grace and attain righteousness was necessary for all
those who fell into mortal sin, even those who sought to he washed clean by the
waters of baptism, so that, when sinfulness had been purged and set to rights,
they would detest any offence against God through their hatred of sin and the
sorrow of their souls. Thus says the Prophet: Repent and turn from all your trans-
gression, lest iniquity be your ruin (Ezek 18:30)” (Council of Trent, Session 14,
1). There is also a need for genuine contrition: “Contrition, which is the most im-
portant element of penance, is a sorrow of the soul, a hatred of all the sins that
have been committed, and a desire not to sin again in the future. This sense of
contrition has always been a fundamental condition of forgiveness; the man who
falls into sin after his baptism can only receive pardon if he is contrite, trusts in
the mercy of God, and fulfills all the other conditions that are binding in this sa-
crament. This Council declares that contrition encompasses not only the end
of sin and the beginning of new life, but the reparation of the old, sinful life, as it
was written: Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have commit-
ted against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! (Ezek 18:31)”
(Council of Trent, Session 14, 4).
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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 19:13-15
Jesus Blesses the Children
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Commentary:
13-14. Once again (see Matthew 18:1-6) Jesus shows His special love for child-
ren, by drawing them close and blessing them. The Church, also, shows special
concern for children by urging the need for Baptism:”That this law extends not
only to adults but also to infants and children, and that the Church has received
this from Apostolic tradition, is confirmed by the unanimous teaching and autho-
rity of the Fathers.
“Besides, it is not to be supposed that Christ the Lord would have withheld the
Sacrament of grace of Baptism from children, of whom He said: ‘Let the little
children come to Me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the Kingdom
of Heaven’, whom also He embraced, upon whom He imposed hands, to whom
He gave His blessing” (”St. Pius V Catechism”, II, 2, 32).
*********************************************************************************************
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.
Liturgical Colour: Green.
| First reading |
|---|
| Ezekiel 18:1-10,13,30-32 © |
| You, not your children, will suffer for your sins: so repent, and live |
|---|
| Responsorial Psalm |
|---|
| Psalm 50(51):12-15,18-19 © |
| Gospel Acclamation | cf.Col3:16a,17 |
|---|
| Or: | Mt11:25 |
|---|
| Gospel |
|---|
| Matthew 19:13-15 © |
| Do not stop the little children coming to me |
|---|
| Matthew | |||
| English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
| Matthew 19 |
|||
| 13. | Then were little children presented to him, that he should impose hands upon them and pray. And the disciples rebuked them. | Tunc oblati sunt ei parvuli, ut manus eis imponeret, et oraret. Discipuli autem increpabant eos. | τοτε προσηνεχθη αυτω παιδια ινα τας χειρας επιθη αυτοις και προσευξηται οι δε μαθηται επετιμησαν αυτοις |
| 14. | But Jesus said to them: Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me: for the kingdom of heaven is for such. | Jesus vero ait eis : Sinite parvulos, et nolite eos prohibere ad me venire : talium est enim regnum cælorum. | ο δε ιησους ειπεν αφετε τα παιδια και μη κωλυετε αυτα ελθειν προς με των γαρ τοιουτων εστιν η βασιλεια των ουρανων |
| 15. | And when he had imposed hands upon them, he departed from thence. | Et cum imposuisset eis manus, abiit inde. | και επιθεις αυτοις τας χειρας επορευθη εκειθεν |
Pray for Pope Francis.
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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, 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.
6. 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 ]
St. Michael the Archangel
~ 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
+
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
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Sacred Heart Of Jesus |
Immaculate Heart of Mary |
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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. 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 |
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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
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
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