Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 01-23-19, OM, St. Vincent, Deacon/Martr, St. Marianne Cope

Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, met Abraham as he returned from his defeat of the kings and blessed him. And Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything. His name first means righteous king, and he was also "king of Salem," that is, king of peace. Without father, mother, or ancestry, without beginning of days or end of life, thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up after the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become so, not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. For it is testified:

Responsorial Psalm Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool."

The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion: "Rule in the midst of your enemies."

"Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor; before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."

The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent: "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."

Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people.

Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, "Come up here before us." Then he said to the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

From: Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17

Jesus Christ Is a Priest After the Order of Melchizedek

[1] For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abra-
ham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him; [2] and to him
Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his
name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of
peace. [3] He is without father or mother or genealogy, and has neither beginning
of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest for
ever.

[15] This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness
of Melchizedek, [16] who has become a priest, not according to a legal require-
ment concerning bodily descent but by the power of an indestructible life. [17]
For it is witnessed of him, “Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchize-
dek.”

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Commentary:

1-3. Melchizedek has special characteristics which make him a “figure” or “type”
of Christ. The connections between Christ and Melchizedek are expounded in
accordance with the rules of rabbinical bible commentary, this is particularly ob-
vious in the use of the phrase “without father or mother or genealogy” to refer to
the eternity of Melchizedek. It is not surprising that the writer brings in the figure
of Melchizedek, for the mysterious mention of this personage in Genesis 14:18-
20 and in Psalm 110:4 had for some time intrigued Jewish commentators. For
example, Philo of Alexandria sees Melchizedek as a symbol for human reason
enlightened by divine wisdom (cf. “De Legum Allegoria”, 3, 79-82). Also, apocry-
phal literature identified Melchizedek with other biblical figures—for example, with
Shem, Noah’s first-born son, or with the son of Nir, Noah’s brother. Certainly the
epistle is in line with Jewish tradition on one important point: Melchizedek be-
longs to a priesthood established by God in pre-Mosaic times.

The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (A.D. 37-100) refers to Melchizedek as a
“prince of Canaan”, who founded and was high priest of Jerusalem. The name
Melchizedek, meaning “my king is righteous” or “King of Righteousness”, was
a Canaanite name (cf. Josh 10:13). “Salem” is probably an abbreviation of Jeru-
salem (cf. Ps 76:2); and Elioh, that is, God Most High, may also have been the
name of one of the divinities worshipped by the inhabitants of Palestine before
the Jewish conquest. Genesis tells us that, in spite of living in a Canaanite and
polytheistic environment, Melchizedek was a priest of the true God. Despite not
being a member of the chosen people, he had knowledge of the Supreme God.
Psalm 110 adds a further revelation to that contained in Genesis: the promised
Messiah, a descendant of David, will not only be a king (which they already
knew) but also a priest; and he will not be a priest of Aaron: by a new disposi-
tion of God he will be a priest according to the order, or as the Hebrew text
says, “after the manner of Melchizedek”.

The Epistle to the Hebrews views the Genesis episode through the prism of
Psalm 110: Melchizedek is above all a representative of a new priesthood insti-
tuted by God independently of the Mosaic Law. That is why it gives so much
importance to the words of Genesis: Melchizedek is “king of righteousness”, ac-
cording to one popular etymology, and he is also “king of Salem”, that is, “king
of peace” according to another which changes the second vowel of the Hebrew
word shalom, which means “peace”. Thus, in Melchizedek the two foremost
characteristics of the messianic kingdom meet—righteousness and peace (cf.
Ps 85:10; 89:14; 97:2; Is 9:5-7; 2:4; 45:8; Lk 2:14). Moreover, since Genesis
says nothing about Melchizedek’s background (he did not belong to the chosen
people), the sacred writer, following a common rabbinical rule of interpretation
(what is not in Scripture—in the Torah—has no existence in the real world”), sees
Scripture’s silence on this point as symbolic: Melchizedek, since his genealogy
is unknown, is a figure or “type” of Christ, who is eternal.

“Resembling the Son of God”: it is not Christ who resembles Melchizedek but
Melchizedek who is like Christ indeed, who has been made to resemble Christ.
Christ is the perfection of priesthood. Melchizedek was created and made like
Christ so that we by reflecting on him might learn something about the Son of
God.

Theoderet of Cyrus develops on this idea: “Christ the Lord possesses all these
qualifications really and by nature. He is ‘without mother’, for God as Father a-
lone begot him. He is ‘without father’, for he was conceived by mother alone, that
is, the Virgin. He is ‘without genealogy’, as God, for he who was begotten by the
unbegotten Father has no need of genealogy. ‘He has not beginning of days’, for
his is an eternal generation. ‘He has no end of life’, for he possesses an immortal
nature. For all those reasons Christ himself is not compared to Melchizedek but
Melchizedek to Christ” (”Interpretatio Ep. Ad Haebreos, ad loc.”). St Ephraem
put this very nicely: “Thus, Melchizedek’s priesthood continues for ever —not in
Melchizedek himself but in the Lord of Melchizedek” (”Com. in Epist. Ad Hae-
breos, ad loc.”).

3. A priest of the true God, of the Most High God, yet not a member of the cho-
sen people, Melchizedek is an example of how God sows the seeds of saving
truth beyond limitations of geography, epoch or nation. “The priesthood of Christ,
of which priests have been really made sharers, is necessarily directed to all peo-
ple and all times, and is not confined by any bounds of blood, race, or age, as
was already typified in a mysterious way by the figure of Melchizedek. Priests,
therefore, should recall that the solicitude of all the churches ought to be their
intimate concern” (Vatican II, “Presbyterorum Ordinis”, 10).

At the same time the sacred text, by saying that Melchizedek was “without fa-
ther or mother”, gives grounds for thinking that also in the case of the consecra-
tion of Christ’s priests they, in order to fulfill their mission, should be ready to
leave their family behind — which is what often in fact happens. “The character
and life of the man called to be a minister in the worship of the one true God
bear the marks of a halo and a destiny to be ‘set apart’. This puts him in some
way outside and above the common history of other men—”sine patre, sine ma-
tre, sine genealogia”, as St Paul says of the mysterious prophetic Melchizedek”
(A. del Portillo, “On Priesthood”, p. 44).

Addressing Christians, particularly those consecrated to the service of God, St
John of Avila writes: “Forget your people (Ps 45:10) and be like another Melchi-
zedek, whom we are told had no father or mother or genealogy. In this way [...]
example is given to the servants of God who must be so forgetful of their family
and relations that they are like Melchizedek in this world, as far as their heart is
concerned—having nothing that ties their heart and slows them up on their way
to God” (”Audi, Filia”, 98).

15-19. The superiority of Christ’s priesthood is now demonstrated by reference to
the inferiority of the Old Law, in line with the inferiority of its priesthood. The Law
is defined as “a legal requirement concerning bodily descent” as opposed to
something spiritual (cf. 1 Cor 2:13-15; Gal 6:1; Eph 1:3; Col 1:8; 2 Cor 3:6-8); it
is “weak” as opposed to effective; “useless” as opposed to being able to do what
it is designed for. From this two things follow: the Law made nothing perfect (cf.
note on 7:11); and its function was that of “introducing” us to a better law — that
of Christ, a law that is full of hope, and hope enables us to draw near to God (cf.
Rom 3:21; Gal 3:24; 1 Tim 1:8).

The epistle’s verdict on the Law of Moses may seem somewhat harsh, but it fits
in exactly with the gratuitous nature of glorification: “The Law”, Theodoret com-
ments, “has come to an end, as the Apostle says, and its place is taken by
hope of better things. The Law has ended, however, not because it was bad, as
some heretics foolishly say, but because it was weak and was not perfectly use-
ful. But we must understand that it is the [now] superfluous parts of the Law that
are described as weak or useless—circumcision, the sabbath precept, and simil-
ar things. For, the New Testament insistently commands observance of the ‘Thou
shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery’ and the other commandments. In
place of the old precepts we have now received hope of future good things, a hope
that makes us God’s own household” (”Interpretatio Ep. Ad Haebreos, ad loc.”).
St Thomas Aquinas points out that the commandments were and are useful. The
Old Testament was not in itself bad, but it is unsuited to the new times; there is
no reason why the new priesthood should continue the ways of the old (cf. Ps 40:
6f). That was why the Old Law was abrogated—because it was weak and served
no purpose: “We say something is weak when it fails to produce its [designed]
effect; and the effect proper to the Law and the priesthood is justification [...].
This the Law was unable to do, because it did not bring man to beatitude, which
is his end. However, in its time it was useful, in that it prepared men for faith”
(”Commentary On Heb.”, 7, 3).

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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: Mark 3:1-6

The Curing of the Man with a Withered Hand

[1] Again He (Jesus) entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a
withered hand. [2] And they watched Him, to see whether He would heal him
on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. [3] And He said to the man
who had the withered hand, “Come here.” [4] And He said to them, “Is it lawful
on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were
silent. [5] And He looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of
heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his
hand was restored. [6] The Pharisees went out, and immediately held counsel
with the Herodians against Him, how to destroy Him.

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Commentary:

5. The evangelists refer a number of times to the way Jesus looks at people (e.g.
at the young man: Mark 10:21; at St. Peter: Luke 22:61, etc). This is the only
time we are told He showed indignation—provoked by the hypocrisy shown in
verse 2.

6. The Pharisees were the spiritual leaders of Judaism; the Herodians were those
who supported the regime of Herod, benefiting politically and financially thereby.
The two were completely opposed to one another and avoided each other’s com-
pany, yet they combined forces against Jesus. The Pharisees wanted to see the
last of Him because they considered Him a dangerous innovator. The most re-
cent occasion may have been when He pardoned sins (Mark 2:1ff) and interpre-
ted with full authority the law of the Sabbath (Mark 3:2); they also want to get rid
of Him because they consider that He lowered their own prestige in the eyes of
the people by the way He cured the man with the withered hand. The Herodians,
for their part, despised the supernatural and eschatological tone of Christ’s mes-
sage, since they looked forward to a purely political and temporal Messiah.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading
Hebrews 7:1-3,15-17 ©
You are a priest of the order of Melchizedek, for ever
You remember that Melchizedek, king of Salem, a priest of God Most High, went to meet Abraham who was on his way back after defeating the kings, and blessed him; and also that it was to him that Abraham gave a tenth of all that he had. By the interpretation of his name, he is, first, ‘king of righteousness’ and also king of Salem, that is, ‘king of peace’; he has no father, mother or ancestry, and his life has no beginning or ending; he is like the Son of God. He remains a priest for ever.
This becomes even more clearly evident when there appears a second Melchizedek, who is a priest not by virtue of a law about physical descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it was about him that the prophecy was made: You are a priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for ever.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 109(110):1-4 ©
You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.
The Lord’s revelation to my Master:
‘Sit on my right:
your foes I will put beneath your feet.’
You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.
The Lord will wield from Zion
your sceptre of power:
rule in the midst of all your foes.
You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.
A prince from the day of your birth
on the holy mountains;
from the womb before the dawn I begot you.
You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.
The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change.
‘You are a priest for ever,
a priest like Melchizedek of old.’
You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.

Gospel Acclamation
Heb4:12
Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of God is something alive and active:
it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.
Alleluia!
Or:
cf.Mt4:23
Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom
and cured all kinds of sickness among the people.
Alleluia!

Gospel
Mark 3:1-6 ©
Is it against the law on the sabbath day to save life?
Jesus went into a synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand. And they were watching him to see if he would cure him on the sabbath day, hoping for something to use against him. He said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Stand up out in the middle!’ Then he said to them, ‘Is it against the law on the sabbath day to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to kill?’ But they said nothing. Then, grieved to find them so obstinate, he looked angrily round at them, and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out and his hand was better. The Pharisees went out and at once began to plot with the Herodians against him, discussing how to destroy him.

Saint Marianne Cope

They were talking about her this morning on EWTN Radio's "Sonrise Morning Show"

Saint Marianne Cope’s Story

Though leprosy scared off most people in 19th-century Hawaii, that disease sparked great generosity in the woman who came to be known as Mother Marianne of Molokai. Her courage helped tremendously to improve the lives of its victims in Hawaii, a territory annexed to the United States during her lifetime (1898).

Mother Marianne’s generosity and courage were celebrated at her May 14, 2005, beatification in Rome. She was a woman who spoke “the language of truth and love” to the world, said Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes. Cardinal Martins, who presided at the beatification Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, called her life “a wonderful work of divine grace.” Speaking of her special love for persons suffering from leprosy, he said, “She saw in them the suffering face of Jesus. Like the Good Samaritan, she became their mother.”

On January 23, 1838, a daughter was born to Peter and Barbara Cope of Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany. The girl was named after her mother. Two years later the Cope family emigrated to the United States and settled in Utica, New York. Young Barbara worked in a factory until August 1862, when she went to the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis in Syracuse, New York. After profession in November of the next year, she began teaching at Assumption parish school.

Marianne held the post of superior in several places and was twice the novice mistress of her congregation. A natural leader, three different times she was superior of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, where she learned much that would be useful during her years in Hawaii.

Elected provincial in 1877, Mother Marianne was unanimously re-elected in 1881. Two years later the Hawaiian government was searching for someone to run the Kakaako Receiving Station for people suspected of having leprosy. More than 50 religious communities in the United States and Canada were asked. When the request was put to the Syracuse sisters, 35 of them volunteered immediately. On October 22, 1883, Mother Marianne and six other sisters left for Hawaii where they took charge of the Kakaako Receiving Station outside Honolulu; on the island of Maui they also opened a hospital and a school for girls.

In 1888, Mother Marianne and two sisters went to Molokai to open a home for “unprotected women and girls” there. The Hawaiian government was quite hesitant to send women for this difficult assignment; they need not have worried about Mother Marianne! On Molokai she took charge of the home that Saint Damien de Veuster had established for men and boys. Mother Marianne changed life on Molokai by introducing cleanliness, pride, and fun to the colony. Bright scarves and pretty dresses for the women were part of her approach.

Awarded the Royal Order of Kapiolani by the Hawaiian government and celebrated in a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, Mother Marianne continued her work faithfully. Her sisters have attracted vocations among the Hawaiian people and still work on Molokai.

Mother Marianne died on August 9, 1918 and was beatified in 2005 and canonized seven years later.

A Poem by Robert Louis Stevenson - Mother Marianne Cope

Reverend Sister Marianne
Matron of the Bishop Home, Kalaupapa

To see the infinite pity of this place,
The mangled limb, the devastated face,
The innocent sufferers smiling at the rod,
A fool were tempted to deny his God.

He sees, and shrinks; but if he look again,
Lo, beauty springing from the breast of pain!—
He marks the sisters on the painful shores,
And even a fool is silent and adores.

Robert Louis Stevenson
Kalawao, May 22, 1889

Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 3
1.	AND he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand.	Et introivit iterum in synagogam : et erat ibi homo habens manum aridam.	και εισηλθεν παλιν εις την συναγωγην και ην εκει ανθρωπος εξηραμμενην εχων την χειρα
2.	And they watched him whether he would heal on the sabbath days; that they might accuse him.	Et observabant eum, si sabbatis curaret, ut accusarent illum.	και παρετηρουν αυτον ει τοις σαββασιν θεραπευσει αυτον ινα κατηγορησωσιν αυτου
3.	And he said to the man who had the withered hand: Stand up in the midst.	Et ait homini habenti manum aridam : Surge in medium.	και λεγει τω ανθρωπω τω εξηραμμενην εχοντι την χειρα εγειραι εις το μεσον
4.	And he saith to them: Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy? But they held their peace.	Et dicit eis : Licet sabbatis benefacere, an male ? animam salvam facere, an perdere ? At illi tacebant.	και λεγει αυτοις εξεστιν τοις σαββασιν αγαθοποιησαι η κακοποιησαι ψυχην σωσαι η αποκτειναι οι δε εσιωπων
5.	And looking round about on them with anger, being grieved for the blindness of their hearts, he saith to the man: Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth: and his hand was restored unto him.	Et circumspiciens eos cum ira, contristatus super cæcitate cordis eorum, dicit homini : Extende manum tuam. Et extendit, et restituta est manus illi.	και περιβλεψαμενος αυτους μετ οργης συλλυπουμενος επι τη πωρωσει της καρδιας αυτων λεγει τω ανθρωπω εκτεινον την χειρα σου και εξετεινεν και αποκατεσταθη η χειρ αυτου υγιης ως η αλλη
6.	And the Pharisees going out, immediately made a consultation with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.	Exeuntes autem pharisæi, statim cum Herodianis consilium faciebant adversus eum quomodo eum perderent.	και εξελθοντες οι φαρισαιοι ευθεως μετα των ηρωδιανων συμβουλιον εποιουν κατ αυτου οπως αυτον απολεσωσιν

1. And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3. And he said to the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4. And he said to them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man, Stretch forth your hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

THEOPHYL. After confounding the Jews, who had blamed His disciples, for pulling the ears of corn on the sabbath day, by the example of David, the Lord now further bringing them to the truth, works a miracle on the sabbath; showing that, if it is a pious deed to work miracles on the sabbath for the health of men, it is not wrong to do on the sabbath things necessary for the body: he says therefore, And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath-day; that they might accuse him.

BEDE; For, since He had defended the breaking of the sabbath, which they objected to His disciples, by an approved example, now they wish, by watching Him, to calumniate Himself, that they might accuse Him of a transgression, if He cured on the sabbath, of cruelty or of folly, if He refused. It goes on: And he said to the man which had the withered hand, Stand in the midst.

PSEUD-CHRYS. He placed him in the midst, that they might be frightened at the sight, and on seeing him compassionate him, and lay aside their malice.

BEDE; And anticipating the calumny of the Jews, which they had prepared for Him, He accused them of violating the precepts of the law, by a wrong interpretation. Wherefore there follows: And he said to them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath-day, or to do evil? And this He asks, because they thought that on the sabbath they were to rest even from good works, whilst the law commands to abstain from bad, saying, You shall do no servile work therein; that is, sin: for Whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin. What He first says, to do good on the sabbath-day or to do evil, is the same as what He afterwards adds, to save a life or to lose it; that is, to cure a man or not. Not that God, Who is in the highest degree good, can be the author of perdition to us, but that His not saving is in the language of Scripture to destroy.

But if it be asked, wherefore the Lord, being about to cure time body, asked about the saving of the soul, let him understand either that in the common way of Scripture the soul is put for the man; as it is said, All the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob; or because He did those miracles for time saving of a soul, or because the healing itself of the hand signified the saving of the soul.

AUG. But someone may wonder how Matthew could have said, that they themselves asked the Lord, if it was lawful to heal on the sabbath-day; when Mark rather relates it that they were asked by our Lord, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath-day, or to do evil? Therefore we must understand that they first asked the Lord, if it was lawful to heal on the sabbath-day, then that understanding their thoughts, and that they were seeking an opportunity to accuse Him, He placed in the middle him whom He was about to cure, and put those questions, which Mark and Luke relate. We must then suppose, that when they were silent, He propounded the parable of the sheep, and concluded, that it was lawful to do good on time sabbath-day. It goes on: But they were silent.

PSEUD-CHRYS. For they knew that He would certainly cure him. It goes on: And looking round about upon them with anger. His looking round upon them in anger, and being saddened at the blindness of their hearts, is fitting for His humanity, which He deigned to take upon Himself for us. He connects the working of the miracle with a word, which proves that the man is cured by His voice alone. It follows therefore, And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. Answering by all these things for His disciples, and at time same time showing that His life is above the law.

BEDE; But mystically, the man with a withered hand shows the human race, dried up as to its fruitfulness in good works, but now cured by the mercy of the Lord; the hand of man, which in our first parent had been dried up when He plucked the fruit of the forbidden tree, through time grace of the Redeemer, Who stretched His guiltless hands on the tree of the cross, has been restored to health by the juices of good works. Well too was it in the synagogue that the hand was withered; for where the gift of knowledge is greater there also the danger of inexcusable guilt is greater.

PSEUDO-JEROME; Or else it means the avaricious, which, being able to give had rather receive, and love robbery rather than making gifts. And they are commanded to stretch forth their hands, that is, let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hand the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needs.

THEOPHYL. Or, he has his right hand withered, whom does not the works which belong to the right side; for from the time that our hand is employed in forbidden deeds, from that time it is withered to the working of good. But it will be restored whenever it stands firm in virtue; wherefore Christ said, Arise, that is, from sin, and stand in the midst; that thus it may stretch itself forth neither too little or too much.

6. And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

BEDE; The Pharisees, thinking it a crime that at the word of the Lord the hand which was diseased was restored to a sound state, agreed to make a pretext of the words spoken by our Savior; wherefore it is said, And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. As if every one amongst them did not greater things on the sabbath day, carrying food, reaching forth a cup, and whatever else is necessary for meals. Neither could He, Who said and it was done, be convicted of toiling on the sabbath day.

THEOPHYL. But the soldiers of Herod the king are called Herodians, because a certain new heresy had sprung up, which asserted that Herod was the Christ. For the prophecy of Jacob intimated, that when the princes of Judah failed, then Christ should come; because therefore in the time of Herod none of the Jewish princes remained, and he, an alien, was the sole ruler, some thought that he was the Christ, and set on foot this heresy. These, therefore, were with the Pharisees trying to kill Christ.

BEDE; Or else he calls Herodiamus the servants of Herod the Tetrarch, who on account of the hatred which their Lord had for Joimum, pursued with treachery and hate the Savior also, Whom John preached it goes on, But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea; He fled from their treachery, because the hour of His passion had not yet come, and no place away from Jerusalem was proper for His Passion. By which also he gave an example to His disciples, when they suffer persecution in one city, to thee to another.

Catena Aurea Mark 3

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.

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 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 Spirit (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]

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Saint Marianne Cope

Saint Marianne Cope’s Story

A Poem by Robert Louis Stevenson - Mother Marianne Cope

Reverend Sister Marianne Matron of the Bishop Home, Kalaupapa

Reverend Sister Marianne
Matron of the Bishop Home, Kalaupapa