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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 01-03-09, Opt. Mem. Most Holy Name of Jesus
USCCB.org/New American Bible ^
| 01-03-09
| New American Bible
Posted on 01/02/2009 9:39:04 PM PST by Salvation
January 3, 2009
1 Jn 2:29–3:6
If you consider that God is righteous,
you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness
is begotten by him.
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.
Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness,
for sin is lawlessness.
You know that he was revealed to take away sins,
and in him there is no sin.
No one who remains in him sins;
no one who sins has seen him or known him.
Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Jn 1:29-34
John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”
John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
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1
posted on
01/02/2009 9:39:07 PM PST
by
Salvation
To: nickcarraway; Lady In Blue; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; Catholicguy; RobbyS; markomalley; ...
Alleluia Ping!
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2
posted on
01/02/2009 9:40:34 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
3
posted on
01/02/2009 9:41:37 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
4
posted on
01/02/2009 9:42:23 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
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. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. >From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. 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.
Last 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 ]
5
posted on
01/02/2009 9:44:14 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
~ 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,
Thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits
who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
6
posted on
01/02/2009 9:45:16 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Blessed be the most holy Name of Jesus without end!
January Devotion: The Holy Name of Jesus
The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. This feast is also celebrated on January 3. Here is an explanation of the devotion.
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has associated entire months to special devotions. The devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus has been traditionally associated with the month of January, due to its celebration on January 3. The name Jesus was given to the Holy Child at God's command (Luke 1:31). The Holy Name is all-powerful because of the Person who bears it; we honor it because of the command of Christ, that we should pray in His Name and because it reminds us of all the blessings we receive through our Holy Redeemer. Hence St. Paul was able to write to the Philippians: ". . . at the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" (Phil. 2:10). By means of this devotion we also make amends for improper use of the Holy Name.
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
Prayer/Hymn in Honor of the Most Holy Name of Jesus - Iesu, Dulcis Memoria
Iesu, Dulcis Memoria is a celebrated 12th century hymn attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), Doctor Mellifluus. The entire hymn has some 42 to 53 stanzas depending upon the manuscript. Parts of this hymn were used for the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, which was formerly celebrated on the Sunday between the Circumcision and Epiphany, or failing such a Sunday, on January 2. The part below was used at Vespers. In the liturgical revisions of Vatican II, the feast was deleted, though a votive Mass to the Holy Name of Jesus had been retained for devotional use. With the release of the revised Roman Missal in March 2002, the feast was restored as an optional memorial on January 3.
Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.
No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus' name,
The Savior of mankind.
O hope of every contrite heart!
0 joy of all the meek!
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!
But what to those who find? Ah! this
Nor tongue nor pen can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.
Jesus! our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shalt be;
In Thee be all our glory now,
And through eternity. Amen.
---Roman Breviary
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
O Divine Jesus, Thou hast promised that anything we ask of the Eternal Father in Thy name shall be granted.
O Eternal Father. In the name of Jesus, for the love of Jesus, in fulfillment of this promise, and because Jesus has said it, grant us our petitions for the sake of Jesus, Thy Divine Son. 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
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Phil:2:10-11
The Holy Name of Jesus
Holy Name of Jesus [San Bernadino of Siena] Ecumenical
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name [of Jesus]
The Name of Jesus: Its Power in Our Lives
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus
The Holy Name of Jesus
7
posted on
01/02/2009 9:46:38 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
January 2009
General: That the family may become more and more a place of training in charity, personal growth and transmission of the faith.
Mission: That the different Christian confessions, aware of the need for a new evangelisation in this period of profound transformations, may be committed to announcing the Good News and moving towards the full unity of all Christians in order to offer a more credible testimony of the Gospel.
8
posted on
01/02/2009 9:47:47 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
From: 1 John 2:29-3:6
Not Listening to Heretics (Continuation)
[29] If you know that he is righteous, thou may be sure that every one who
does right is born of him.
We are Children of God
[1] See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of
God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did
not know him. [2] Beloved we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear
what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for
we shall see him as he is.
A Child of God Does Not Sin
[3] And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
[4] Every one who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
[5] You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
[6] No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or
known him.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
1-24. This entire chapter shows how moved the Apostle is when he contem-
plates the marvelous gift of divine filiation. The Holy Spirit, who is the author of
all Sacred Scripture, has desired John to pass on to us this unique revelation:
we are children of God (v. 1).
It is not easy to divide the chapter into sections, because the style is very cyclic
and colloquial and includes many repetitions and further thoughts which make
for great vividness and freshness. However, we can distinguish an opening pro-
clamation of the central message (vv. 1-2) and emphasis on two requirements
of divine filiation —rejection of sin in any shape or form (vv. 3-10), and brotherly
love lived to the full (vv. 11-24).
1. “We should be called children of God”: the original Hebrew expression, which
reads “we are called...”, is also used by our Lord in the Beatitudes (cf. Mt 5:9):
“to be called” means the same as “to be called by God”; and in the language
of the Bible, when God gives someone a name he is not simply conferring a
title but is causing the thing that the name indicates (cf., e.g., Gen 17:5), for
the word of God is efficacious, it does what it says it will do. Hence St John’s
adding: “and so we are”.
Therefore, it is not just a matter of a metaphorical title, or a legal fiction, or adop-
tion human-style: divine filiation is an essential feature of a Christian’s life, a mar-
velous fact whereby God gratuitously gives men a strictly supernatural dignity, an
intimacy with God whereby they are “domestici Dei”, “members of the household
of God” (Eph 219). This explains the tone of amazement and joy with which St
John passes on this revelation.
This sense of divine filiation is one of the central points in the spirituality of Opus
Dei. Its founder wrote: “We do not exist in order to pursue just any happiness.
We have been called to penetrate the intimacy of God’s own life, to know and
love God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and to love also—in
that same love of the one God in three divine Persons—the angels and all men.
“This is the great boldness of the Christian faith—to proclaim the value and digni-
ty of human nature and to affirm that we have been created to obtain the dignity
of children of God, through the grace that raises us up to a supernatural level. An
incredible boldness it would be, were it not founded on the promise of salvation
given us by God the Father, confirmed by the blood of Christ, and reaffirmed and
made possible by the constant action of the Holy Spirit” (”Christ Is Passing By”,
133).
“The world does not know us, (because) it did not know him”: these words are
reminiscent of our Lord’s at the Last Supper: “the hour is coming when whoever
kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do this because
they have not known the Father, nor me” (Jn 16:2-3). Divine filiation brings with
it communion and a mysterious identification between Christ and the Christian.
2. The indescribable gift of divine filiation, which the world does not know (v. 1),
is not fully experienced by Christians, because the seeds of divine life which it
contains will only reach their full growth in eternal life, when we see him “as he
is”, “face to face” (1 Cor 13:12); “this is eternal life, that they know thee the only
true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent” (Jn 17:3). In that direct sight
of God as he is, and of all things in God, the life of grace and divine filiation
achieve their full growth. Man is not naturally able to see God face to face; he
needs to be enlightened by a special light, which is given the technical theo-
logical name of “lumen gloriae”, light of glory. This does not allow him to “take
in” all God (no created thing could do that), but it does allow him to look at God
directly.
Commenting on this verse, the “St Pius V Catechism” explains that “beatitude
consists of two things—that we shall behold God such as he is in his own nature
and substance; and that we ourselves shall become, as it were, gods. For those
who enjoy God while they retain their own nature, assume a certain admirable
and almost divine form, so as to seem gods rather than men” (I, 13, 7).
“When he appears”: two interpretations are possible, given that in Greek the
verb has no subject: “when (what we shall be) is revealed we shall be as he is”;
or, as the New Vulgate translates it, “when he (Christ) is revealed we will be like
him (Christ)”. The second interpretation is the more likely.
3. “Purifies himself”: Christian hope, which is grounded on Christ, is something
active and it moves the Christian to “purify himself”. This verb is evocative of the
ritual purifications required of priests in the Old Testament prior to engaging in
divine service (cf. Ex 19:10; Num 8:21; Acts 21:24); here and in other places in
the New Testament, it means interior purification from sins, that is, righteous-
ness, holiness (1 Pet 1:22; Jas 4:8). Our model is Jesus Christ, “as he is pure”;
he is the One who has never had sin, the Righteous One (1 Jn 2:29; 3:7); a
Christian has no other model of holiness, as Jesus himself said: “Learn from
me” (Mt 11:29; cf. Jn 14:6). “We have to learn from him, from Jesus, who is
our only model. If you want to go forward without stumbling or wandering off
the path, then all you have to do is walk the road he walked placing your feet
in his footprints and entering into his humble and patient Heart, there to drink
from the wellsprings of his commandments and of his love. In a word, you must
identify yourself with Jesus Christ and try to become really and truly another
Christ among your fellow men” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 128).
4-5. “Sin is lawlessness”: although this is not strictly speaking a definition, it
does convey a basic idea: every sin is more than a transgression of a precept
of the moral law; it is above all, an offense against God, the author of that law,
a despising and a rejection of his will.
To understand the scope of this assertion, one needs to start from the fact that
man has been created by God and is ever-dependent on him. So, every sin in-
volves a pretentious desire to be like God (cf. Gen 3:5), to build one’s life without
reference to, or even in opposition to, God. Everyone who sins severs his alle-
giance to God and takes the devil’s side. In this the mystery and “lawlessness”
of sin consists. “This expression,” Pope John Paul II explains, “which echoes
what St Paul writes concerning the mystery of evil (cf. 2 Thess 2:7), helps us to
grasp the obscure and intangible element hidden in sin. Clearly, sin is a product
of man’s freedom. But deep within its human reality there are factors at work
which place it beyond the merely human, in the border-area where man’s con-
science, will and sensitivity are in contact with the dark forces which, according
to St Paul, are active in the world almost to the point of ruling it (cf. Rom 7:7-24;
Eph 2:2; 6:12)” (”Reconciliatio et Paenitentiae”, 14).
Moreover, now that Christ has brought about our Redemption, every sin implies
an offense to our Redeemer; it means crucifying again the Son of God (cf. Heb
6:6). So, St John reminds us about the main purpose of the Incarnation: “he ap-
peared to take away sins” (v. 5). There is an echo here of the words the Apostle
heard the Baptist say: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of
the world!” (Jn 1:29).
Thus, as we profess in the Creed at Mass, “for us men and for our salvation he
(the Word) came down from heaven”. Being true God and therefore completely
exempt from sin (v. 5), he took on our human nature, to burden himself with our
sins and nail them to the Cross. Therefore, the Christian, ransomed from the po-
wer of the devil by the precious blood of Christ, and intimately united
to him by the life of grace, has broken with sin once for all.
*********************************************************************************************
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.
9
posted on
01/02/2009 9:50:51 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
From: John 1:29-34
The Witness of John (Continuation)
[29] The next day he (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! [30] This is He
of whom I said, `After me comes a man who ranks before me, for He was before
me.’ [31] I myself did not know Him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that
He might be revealed to Israel.” [32] And John bore witness, “I saw the Spirit de-
scend as a dove from Heaven, and it remained on Him. [33] I myself did not know
Him; but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, `He on whom you see
the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ [34]
And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
29. For the first time in the Gospel Christ is called the “Lamb of God”. Isaiah had
compared the sufferings of the Servant of Yahweh, the Messiah, with the sacrifice
of a lamb (cf. Isaiah 53:7); and the blood of the paschal lamb smeared on the door
of houses had served to protect the firstborn of the Israelites in Egypt (cf. Exodus
12:6-7): all this was a promise and prefiguring of the true Lamb, Christ, the victim
in the sacrifice of Calvary on behalf of all mankind. This is why St. Paul will say
that “Christ, our Paschal Lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). The ex-
pression “Lamb of God” also suggests the spotless innocence of the Redeemer
(cf. 1 Peter 1:18-20; 1 John 3:5).
The sacred text says “the sin of the world”, in the singular, to make it absolutely
clear that every kind of sin is taken away: Christ came to free us from Original
Sin, which in Adam affected all men, and from all personal sins.
The Book of Revelation reveals to us that Jesus is victorious and glorious in Hea-
ven as the slain lamb (cf. Revelation 5:6-14), surrounded by saints, martyrs and
virgins (Revelation 7:9, 14; 14:1-5), who render Him the praise and glory due Him
as God (Revelation 7:10).
Since Holy Communion is a sharing in the sacrifice of Christ, priests say these
words of the Baptist before administering it, to encourage the faithful to be grate-
ful to our Lord for giving Himself up to death to save us and for giving Himself to
us as nourishment for our souls.
30-31. John the Baptist here asserts Jesus’ superiority by saying that He exis-
ted before him, even though He was born after him. Thereby he shows us the
divinity of Christ, who was generated by the Father from all eternity and born of
the Virgin Mary in time. It is as if the Baptist were saying: “Although I was born
before Him, He is not limited by the ties of His birth; for although He is born of
His mother in time, He was generated by His Father outside of time” (St. Gre-
gory the Great, “In Evangelia Homiliae”, VII).
By saying what he says in verse 31, the Precursor does not mean to deny his
personal knowledge of Jesus (cf. Luke 1:36 and Matthew 3:14), but to make it
plain that God revealed to him the moment when he should publicly proclaim
Jesus as Messiah and Son of God, and that he also understood that his own
mission as precursor had no other purpose than to bear witness to Jesus Christ.
32-34. To emphasize the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Evangelist includes here
the Precursor’s testimony regarding Jesus’ Baptism (cf. the other Gospels,
which describe in more detail what happened on this occasion: Matthew 3:13-
17 and paragraph). It is one of the key points in our Lord’s life, in which the
mystery of the Blessed Trinity is revealed (cf. note on Matthew 3:16).
The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, of whom it is said in Genesis 1:2 that
He was moving over the face of the waters. Through this sign of the dove, the
Isaiah prophecies (11:2-5: 42:1-2) are fulfilled which say that the Messiah will
be full of the power of the Holy Spirit. The Baptist points to the great difference
between the baptism he confers and Christ’s Baptism; in John 3, Jesus will
speak about this new Baptism in water and in the Spirit (cf. Acts 1:5; Titus
3:5).
“The Son of God”: it should be pointed out that in the original text this expres-
sion carries the definite article, which means that John the Baptist confesses
before his listeners the supernatural and transcendent character of Christ’s
messiahship — very far removed from the politico-religious notion which Jewish
leaders had forged.
*********************************************************************************************
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.
10
posted on
01/02/2009 9:52:29 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd
Mass Readings
| First reading |
1 John 2:29-3:6 © |
You know that God is righteous –
then you must recognise that everyone whose life is righteous
has been begotten by him.
Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
by letting us be called God’s children;
and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him,
therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God
but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;
all we know is, that when it is revealed
we shall be like him
because we shall see him as he really is.
Surely everyone who entertains this hope
must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.
Anyone who sins at all
breaks the law,
because to sin is to break the law.
Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin,
and that in him there is no sin;
anyone who lives in God does not sin,
and anyone who sins
has never seen him or known him. |
| Psalm or canticle: Psalm 97:1,3-6 |
| Gospel |
John 1:29-34 © |
| Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.’ John also declared, ‘I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit.” Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’ |
11
posted on
01/02/2009 9:55:33 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Saturday, January 3, 2009
The Holy Name of Jesus (Memorial) |
First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:
|
Philippians 2:5-11
Psalm 113:1-8
Matthew 1:18-23
It is impossible for a person who prays regularly to remain in serious sin; because the two are incompatible, one or the other will have to be given up. -- St. Teresa of Avila |
|
12
posted on
01/02/2009 9:58:12 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: Salvation
May this be a year filled with blessings for those who trust in the Lord.
13
posted on
01/02/2009 10:28:54 PM PST
by
Ciexyz
To: All
|
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.
|
14
posted on
01/02/2009 10:39:28 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Office of Readings and Invitatory Psalm
Office of Readings
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.
O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
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. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 104 (105) |
| The Lord is faithful to his promises |
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name; proclaim his works among the peoples.
Sing and make music to him and reflect on all the wonders he has performed.
Glory in his holy name, let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Seek the Lord in his power, always seek his face.
Remember the wonders he performed, his miracles and the judgements he has uttered.
Seed of Abraham, his servants, children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
The Lord himself is our God, his rule extends over the whole earth.
He has always remembered his covenant, that he made to last a thousand generations,
the agreement he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.
He made it a decree for Jacob, an eternal covenant for Israel, saying
“I will give you Canaan and measure it out as your inheritance.”
Although they were few in number, a handful of wanderers,
although they were travelling from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another,
he let no harm come to them, he rebuked kings in their defence:
“do not touch my anointed ones, do no harm to my prophets.”
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. |
| Psalm 104 (105) |
The Lord called down famine upon the land, he ground away every stick of bread.
He had sent a man to them, Joseph, and he was sold as a slave.
They confined his feet in fetters and put a ring around his neck –
until the Lord’s word came, the Lord spoke and justified him.
The king sent for him and released him – the ruler of the peoples set him free.
He set him to rule over his house, made him lord of all his possessions,
so that he could make the princes as wise as himself and teach wisdom to the elders.
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. |
| Psalm 104 (105) |
And so Israel passed into Egypt and Jacob lived in the country of Ham.
The Lord made his people grow enormously and strengthened them against their enemies.
Then he turned the hearts of men against his chosen people, so that they hated them and made plots against them.
He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
He made them prophesy the signs and prodigies he would work in the land of Ham.
He sent shadows and darkness, but they would not listen to his words.
He turned their rivers into blood, killing all the fish.
Frogs ate up the earth, even in the secret gardens of the palaces.
He summoned flies and insects throughout the land.
He sent stones of hail and fire to devastate their land.
He struck their vines and their fig-trees, broke down the trees of their country.
He spoke, and locusts came, and worms without number:
they ate all the grain of the land, consumed all of the fruit.
He struck down the first-born of their land, the flower of all their strength.
He led his people out with silver and gold; not a single one of them stumbled.
Egypt rejoiced to see them go, to see the last of the people they feared.
He sent a cloud to protect them, and fire to light up their nights.
He led out his people in exultation, his chosen ones in gladness.
He gave them the territory of the nations, the fruits of the labours of the peoples.
All this he did so that they would keep his decrees and follow his laws.
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. |
| Reading |
Colossians 3:5-16 © |
You must kill everything in you that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god; all this is the sort of behaviour that makes God angry. And it is the way in which you used to live when you were surrounded by people doing the same thing, but now you, of all people, must give all these things up: getting angry, being bad-tempered, spitefulness, abusive language and dirty talk; and never tell each other lies. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator; and in that image there is no room for distinction between Greek and Jew, between the circumcised or the uncircumcised, or between barbarian and Scythian, slave and free man. There is only Christ: he is everything and he is in everything.
You are God’s chosen race, his saints; he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful.
Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God. |
| Reading |
St Augustine's tractates on St John |
| The twin commandments of love |
The Lord himself came, the Teacher of love, full of love, shortening the word upon the earth, as it was foretold that he would do. He showed that from the two precepts of love depend the whole of the Law and the prophets.
What are these two commandments? Join me, my brethren, in recollecting them. They ought to be thoroughly familiar to you and not just come into your mind when we recite them: they ought never to be blotted out from your hearts. Always and everywhere, bear in mind that you must love God and your neighbour, love God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind; and love your neighbour as you would love yourself.
We must always ponder these words, meditate them, hold them in our minds, practise them and bring them to fruition. As far as teaching is concerned, the love of God comes first; but as far as doing is concerned, the love of our neighbour comes first. Whoever sets out to teach you these two commandments of love must not commend your neighbour to you first, and then God, but God first and then your neighbour. You, on the other hand, do not yet see God, but loving your neighbour will bring you that sight. By loving your neighbour you purify your eyes so that they are ready to see God, as John clearly says: If you do not love your brother, whom you see, how can you love God, whom you do not see?
You are told “Love God”. If you say to me “Show me whom I should love”, what can I say except what John says? No man has ever seen God. But you must not think yourself wholly unsuited to seeing God: God is love, says John, and whoever dwells in love dwells in God. So love whoever is nearest to you and look inside you to see where that love is coming from: thus, as far as you are capable, you will see God.
So start to love your neighbout. Share your bread with the hungry, bring the homeless pauper into your house. Clothe the naked, and do not despise the servants of your kin.
What will you get from doing all this? Your light will break forth like the dawn. Your light is your God, your dawn, because he will come to you to end the night of this world — he who, himself, neither rises nor sets but is eternal.
By loving your neighbour, by having care for your neighbour, you are travelling on a journey. Where are you journeying, except to the Lord God, whom we must love with all our heart and all our soul and all our mind? We have not yet reached the Lord, but our neighbour is with us already. So support your neighbour, who is travelling with you, so that you may reach him with whom you long to dwell. |
| Concluding Prayer |
O God, your Son, born of the Virgin, received a manhood without human failings.
Grant that we who put on the newness of Jesus Christ
may shed the stains of our old state of being.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen. |
15
posted on
01/03/2009 9:11:14 AM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: Salvation
Most Holy Name of Jesus
The Most Holy Name of Jesus
Optional Memorial
January 3rd
Christ, Man of Sorrows - school of Jan Mostaert (post-1510) oil on panel
Copyright © National Gallery, London. Used with permission
From apostolic times, the Church has professed that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil 2:10-11). Through the particular efforts of St. Bernardine of Siena, devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus was promoted through the inscription of the monogram of the Holy Name (IHS) and the addition of the name of Jesus to the Hail Mary. Pope Sixtus V first granted an indulgence for the uttering of the phrase used so often by the present Holy Father, John Paul II and included among the pious invocations of the current Enchiridion Indulgentiarum: "Praised be Jesus Christ!"
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
Collect:
Lord, may we honor the Holy Name of Jesus
enjoy His friendship in this life
and be filled with eternal joy in His Kingdom,
where He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
First Reading: Philippians 2:1-11
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Gospel Reading: Luke 2:21-24
And at the end of eight days, when He was circumcised, He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."
16
posted on
01/03/2009 9:18:06 AM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Catholic Culture
Collect: All-powerful and ever-living God, you give us a new vision of your glory in the coming of Christ your Son. He was born of the Virgin Mary and came to share our life. May we come to share His eternal life in the glory of your kingdom, where He lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
« January 03, 2009 »
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- RECIPES
- ACTIVITIES
- PRAYERS
Today the Church celebrates the optional memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite this feast is celebrated on January 2. In the liturgical revisions of Vatican II, the feast was removed, though a votive Mass to the Holy Name of Jesus had been retained for devotional use. With the release of the revised Roman Missal in March 2002, the feast was restored as an optional memorial in the Ordinary Form on January 3.
The Church reveals to us the wonders of the Incarnate Word by singing the glories of His name. The name of Jesus means Savior; it had been shown in a dream to Joseph together with its meaning and to Our Lady at the annunciation by the Archangel Gabriel.
Devotion to the Holy Name is deeply rooted in the Sacred Scriptures, especially in the Acts of the Apostles. It was promoted in a special manner by St. Bernard, St. Bernardine of Siena, St. John Capistrano and by the Franciscan Order. It was extended to the whole Church in 1727 during the pontificate of Innocent XIII. The month of January has traditionally been dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus.
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus which is kept on the First Sunday in the year; but if this Sunday falls on January 1, 6, or 7, the feast is kept on January 2.
The Tenth Day of Christmas
Holy Name of Jesus
This feast marks no progress in the development of the Church year. It merely embellishes the occasion just observed when the Child received the Name Jesus as had been foretold by the angel. The feast is meant to impress on us Christians the dignity of the Holy Name. It is a relatively new feast, stemming out of devotional piety. Nevertheless, it is not difficult to find in it some liturgical or ancient Christian dogma. What did a name signify originally? The name should express the nature of a thing. Thus Adam in paradise gave the animals names in accordance with their being. Among the Jews God's name expressed His essence, Yahweh, i.e., I (alone) am who am (and cause all else to be). The Jews had the highest respect for the name of God, a reverence that finds continuation in the Our Father: "Hallowed be Thy Name."
Persons who played prominent roles in the history of salvation often received their names from God Himself. Adam — man of the earth; Eve — mother of all the living; Abraham — father of many nations; Peter — the rock. The Savior's precursor was given the name God assigned him. According to divine precedent, then, the name of the Redeemer should not be accidental, of human choosing, but given by God Himself. For His name should express His mission. We read in Sacred Scripture how the angel Gabriel revealed that name to Mary: "You shall call His name Jesus." And to St. Joseph the angel not merely revealed the name but explained its meaning: "You shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins." The Messiah should not only be the savior, but should be called Savior. With Jesus, therefore, the name actually tells the purpose of His existence. This is why we must esteem His name as sacred. Whenever we pronounce it, we ought to bow our heads; for the very name reminds us of the greatest favor we have ever received, salvation. —The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Things to Do:
17
posted on
01/03/2009 1:24:26 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
  January 3, Most Holy Name of Jesus The name of Jesus is a name of gladness, a name of hope and a name of love. A name of gladness, because if the remembrance of past transgressions afflicts us, this name comforts us, reminding us that the Son of God became man for this purpose, to make himself our Savior.
A name of hope, because he that prays to the Eternal Father in the name of Jesus may hope for every grace he asks for: If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it you. A name of love. For the name of Jesus brings to our remembrance all the sufferings which Jesus has endured for us in his life and at his death. — Excerpted from St. Alphonsus de Liguori, The Incarnation Birth and Infancy of Jesus Christ |
 |
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18
posted on
01/03/2009 1:47:10 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
19
posted on
01/03/2009 7:33:03 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
The Word Among Us
Meditation: John 1:29-34
Behold the Lamb of God… . I saw the Spirit come like a dove down from the sky. (John 1:32)
What do you think? Did John actually see a lamb? A dove? A man with an amazing sense of integrity, holiness, and dignity about him? How many of us would be deeply grateful to have the spiritual awareness of Jesus that John described—even if we didn’t have the excitement of seeing visions and getting instantaneous revelations!
Whatever it was that John actually saw, we can be clear that the Holy Spirit allowed him to perceive Jesus’ holiness and deep connection with the Father. Whether or not he saw a real dove is not as important as recognizing what it was that moved John to testify so boldly about Jesus. He had spent his life preparing himself and his fellow Jews for the coming of God’s Messiah and the age of salvation. So when Jesus came to him, his heart was ready.
Just as John was able to perceive the wonder of Jesus, we too can “see” the Lord in a powerful way as we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit. During this day of Sabbath blessing, we have an extraordinary opportunity to sense Jesus’ holiness, love, and grace: in the Scripture readings at Mass, in the brothers and sisters who join us to celebrate the Lord’s passion, and most powerfully in the body and blood of Christ offered to us in the Eucharist. As we gather to worship the Lord and receive him as the source of all life, we can encounter a God who will never abandon us, a God whose heart is filled with grace and power to meet all of our needs.
John the Baptist saw Jesus in a new way, and his joy was complete (John 3:29). The same can happen in us today at Mass as we ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes. Then, as we see Jesus in this new and life-giving way, we will be compelled to bring this vision into our world every day. Like John, we too will cry out, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away our sins!”
“Holy Spirit, open my eyes to see Jesus today. Come, Lord, and reveal your presence to me.”
1 John 2:29–3:6; Psalm 98:1,3-6
20
posted on
01/03/2009 7:41:30 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
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