From: Isaiah 6:1-8

The Lord calls Isaiah

[1] In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high
and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. [2] Above him stood the seraphim;
each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his
feet, and with two he flew. [3] And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”

[4] And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called,
and the house was filled with smoke. [5] And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost;
for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean
lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

[6] Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which
he had taken with tongs from the altar. [7] And he touched my mouth, and said:
“Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgi-
ven.” [8] And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who
will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

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Commentary:

6:1-13. As an introduction to what is called the “Book of Immanuel” (7:1-12:6)
we get this account of how the Lord called Isaiah to be a prophet, sending him
to his people at the time of the Syrian-Ephraimite coalition to explain to them
what is going on and how they should act.

The account begins with a theophany (vv. 1-4), which is one of the key points
in this book’s message. God manifests himself seated in the manner of eastern
kings, surrounded by his angelic court (the “seraphim”), who extol the holiness
of the Lord: he clearly is Lord of all. In this vision, God is depicted as the thrice
holy (v. 3), the highest form of superlative available in Hebrew. Being holy im-
plies standing apart — standing above everything else. God stands far above all
other beings and he is their creator. In Hebrew “holy” includes the idea of “sa-
cred”. It means that God has none of the limitations and imperfections that
created beings have.

The holiness and majesty of God fill Isaiah with a sense of his own uncleaness
and that of his people (v. 5). Typically, visions of God in biblical history induce
feelings of fear in the seer; we even see this in the angel’s announcement to
Mary (cf. Lk 1:30): “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God.”
“Faced with God’s fascinating and mysterious presence, man discovers his
own insignificance. Before the burning bush, Moses takes off his sandals and
veils his face (cf. Ex 3:5-6) in the presence of God’s holiness. Before the glory
of the thrice-holy God, Isaiah cries out: ‘Woe is me! I am lost; for I am a man of
unclean lips’ (Is 6:5). Before the divine signs wrought by Jesus, Peter exclaims:
‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord’ (Lk 5:8). But because God is ho-
ly, he can forgive the man who realizes that he is a sinner before him: ‘I will not
execute my fierce anger . . . for I am God and not man, the Holy One in your
midst (Hos 11:9)’” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 208).

Isaiah is cleansed and consoled as soon as he humbly acknowledges his un-
worthiness and insignificance before God (vv. 6-7). His instinctive sense of fear
is immediately replaced by a generous and trusting response on the prophet’s
part: he is ready to do what God wants (v. 8). “In their ‘one to one’ encounters
with God the prophets draw light and strength for their mission. Their prayer is
not flight from this unfaithful world, but rather attentiveness to the Word of God.
At times their prayer is an argument or a complaint, but it is always an interces-
sion that awaits and prepares for the intervention of the Saviour God, the Lord of
history (cf. Amos 7:2, 5; Is 6:5, 8, 11; Jer 1:6; 15:15-18; 20:7-18)” (Catechism
of the Catholic Church, 2584).

Finally, the Lord entrusts him with his mission. The message he is to deliver is
hard-hitting and full of paradoxes (vv. 9-10). The task given him is not, as one
might at first think, to render the people incapable of hearing and understanding
the word of God that could move their hearts. It is, rather, to tell them that if
they fail to listen to the word of God, their hearts will be blinded: they will not be
able to see things right and, because of that, the sinner will feel no need to take
stock of his position and be converted. The Synoptic Gospels interpret Jesus’
preaching as a fulfilment of what is said here in vv. 9-10 (Mt 13:13-15; Mk 4:11-
12). The Gospel of St John sees these same words as anticipating what will
happen to those who reject Jesus’ message: “Therefore they could not believe.
For Isaiah again said, ‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest
they should see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and turn for me to
heal them.’ Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke of him” (Jn 12:
27-41). And St Paul also uses vv. 9-10 to reproach the Jews of Rome for rejec-
ting the Good News of salvation in Christ which he is proclaiming to them (cf.
Acts 28:23-28).

The people’s hardness of heart will merit severe punishment; cities and houses
will he laid waste, but all will not be lost: a holy seed will remain and from it the
tree will grow back again (v. 11-13). These verses carry a message for people
in all ages. Isaiah approaches God in all humility, showing him every reverence,
and at the same time he puts his trust in God. For his part, the Lord cleanses
his chosen ones and sends them out to help in his work of salvation. Origen,
who commented on this passage a number of times, points out: “May burning
coals he brought from the altar of heaven to burn my lips. If the burning coals
of the Lord touch my lips, they will he purified; and when they are purified and
cleansed of all sin, […] my mouth will he opened to the Word of God and I will
not utter another impure word [...]. The seraphim who was sent to purify the pro-
phet’s lips did not purify the lips of the people […]; therefore, they continued to
live in sin, and now they deny the Lord Jesus Christ and curse him from their
unclean mouths. For my part, I pray that the seraphim will come to cleanse my
lips (Homiliae in Isaiam, 1, 4). All we need is the same humble docility that Isai-
ah had: “Having received the grace God, he did not want it to be a gift granted to
him to no avail, without being put to work in everything that needed to be done.
Seeing the seraphim and the Lord of hosts seated on high, on his throne of glo-
ry, he said: ‘Woe is me ...’. By speaking thus and making himself ‘unworthy’,
he received the help of God because He took in account his humility” (ibid., 6:2).
And St John Chrysostom, commenting on Isaiah’s response to God, says that
the prophet shows readiness to carry out his mission to the people because
“since the saints are friends of God, they, too, love all men dearly” (”In Isaiam,”
6, 5).

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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 10:24-33

Jesus’ Instructions to the Apostles (Continuation)

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [24] “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a ser-
vant above his master; [25] it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and
the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more will they malign those of his household.

[26] “So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or
hidden that will not be known. [27] What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light;
and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops. [28] And do not fear
those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear Him who can destroy
both soul and body in hell. [29] Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not
one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s will. [30] But even the
hairs of your head are all numbered. [31] Fear not, therefore; you are of more va-
lue than many sparrows. [32] So every one who acknowledges Me before men,
I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven; [33] but whoever de-
nies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father who is in heaven.”

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Commentary:

24-25. Jesus uses these two proverbs to hint at the future that awaits His dis-
ciples: their greatest glory will consist in imitating the Master, being identified
with Him, even if this means being despised and persecuted as He was before
them: His example is what guides a Christian; as He Himself said, “I am the
Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6).

Beelzebul (cf. Luke 11:15) was the name of the idol of the ancient Philistine city
of Ekron. The Jews later used the word to describe the devil or the prince of de-
vils (cf. Matthew 12:24), and their hatred of Jesus led them to the extreme of ap-
plying it to Him.

To equip them for the persecution and misunderstanding which Christians will
suffer (John 15:18), Jesus encourages them by promising to stay close to them.
Towards the end of His life He will call them His friends (John 15:15) and little
children (John 13:33).

26-27. Jesus tells His disciples not to be afraid of calumny and detraction. A
day will come when everyone will come to know the whole truth about everyone
else, their real intentions, the true dispositions of their souls. In the meantime,
those who belong to God may be misrepresented by those who resort to lies,
out of malice or passion. These are the hidden things which will be made known.

Christ also tells the Apostles to speak out clearly. Jesus’ divine teaching me-
thod led Him to speak to the crowds in parables so that they came to discover
His true personality by easy stages. After the coming of the Holy Spirit (cf.
Acts 1:8), the Apostles would have to preach from the rooftops about what
Jesus had taught them.

We too have to make Christ’s doctrine known in its entirety, without any ambi-
guity, without being influenced by false prudence or fear of the consequences.

28. Using this and other Gospel texts (Matthew 5:22, 29; 18:9; Mark 9:43, 45,
47; Luke 12:5), the Church teaches that hell exists; there those who die in mor-
tal sin suffer eternal punishment (cf. “St. Pius V Catechism”, I, 6, 3), in a man-
ner not known to us in this life (cf. St. Teresa of Avila, “Life”, Chapter 32). See
notes on Luke 16:19-31.

Therefore, our Lord warns His disciples against false fear. We should not fear
those who can only kill the body. Only God can cast body and soul into hell.
Therefore God is the only one we should fear and respect; He is our Prince and
Supreme Judge—not men. The martyrs have obeyed this precept of the Lord in
the fullest way, well aware that eternal life is worth much more than earthly life.

29-31. An “as” (translated here as “penny”) was a small coin of very little value.
Christ uses it to illustrate how much God loves His creatures. As St. Jerome
says (”Comm. in Matth.”, 10:29-31): “If little birds, which are of such little value,
still come under the providence and care of God, how is it that you, who, given
the nature of your soul, are immortal, can fear that you are not looked after care-
fully by Him whom you respect as your Father?” Jesus again teaches us about
the fatherly providence of God, which He spoke about at length in the Sermon
on the Mount (cf. Matthew 6:19-34).

32-33. Here Jesus tells us that public confession of our faith in Him—whatever
the consequences—is an indispensable condition for eternal salvation. After the
Judgment, Christ will welcome those who have given testimony of their faith and
condemn those whom fear caused to be ashamed of Him (cf. Matthew 7:23; 25:
41; Revelation 21:8). The Church honors as “confessors” those Saints who have
not undergone physical martyrdom but whose lives bore witness to the Catholic
faith. Although every Christian should be ready to die for his faith, most Christians
are called to be confessors of the faith.

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

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

First reading	Isaiah 6:1-8 ©

Isaiah's lips cleansed with a burning coal

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord of Hosts seated on a high throne; his train filled the sanctuary; above him stood seraphs, each one with six wings: two to cover its face, two to cover its feet, and two for flying.

And they cried out to one another in this way,

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts.

His glory fills the whole earth.’

The foundations of the threshold shook with the voice of the one who cried out, and the Temple was filled with smoke. I said:

‘What a wretched state I am in! I am lost,

for I am a man of unclean lips

and I live among a people of unclean lips,

and my eyes have looked at the King, the Lord of Hosts.’

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding in his hand a live coal which he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. With this he touched my mouth and said:

‘See now, this has touched your lips,

your sin is taken away,

your iniquity is purged.’

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:

‘Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?’

I answered, ‘Here I am, send me.’

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 92(93):1-2,5 ©

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed;

the Lord has robed himself with might,

he has girded himself with power.

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

The world you made firm, not to be moved;

your throne has stood firm from of old.

From all eternity, O Lord, you are.

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

Truly your decrees are to be trusted.

Holiness is fitting to your house,

O Lord, until the end of time.

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

Gospel Acclamation	1Jn2:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

Whenever anyone obeys what Christ has said,

God’s love comes to perfection in him.

Alleluia!

Or:	1P4:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

It is a blessing for you

when they insult you for bearing the name of Christ,

for the Spirit of God rests on you.

Alleluia!

Gospel
Matthew 10:24-33 ©

Everything now hidden will be made clear

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘The disciple is not superior to his teacher, nor the slave to his master. It is enough for the disciple that he should grow to be like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, what will they not say of his household?

‘Do not be afraid of them therefore. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.

‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.

‘So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.’

Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 10
24.	The disciple is not above the master, nor the servant above his lord.	Non est discipulus super magistrum, nec servus super dominum suum :	ουκ εστιν μαθητης υπερ τον διδασκαλον ουδε δουλος υπερ τον κυριον αυτου
25.	It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the goodman of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household?	sufficit discipulo ut sit sicut magister ejus, et servo, sicut dominus ejus. Si patremfamilias Beelzebub vocaverunt, quanto magis domesticos ejus ?	αρκετον τω μαθητη ινα γενηται ως ο διδασκαλος αυτου και ο δουλος ως ο κυριος αυτου ει τον οικοδεσποτην βεελζεβουλ εκαλεσαν ποσω μαλλον τους οικειακους αυτου
26.	Therefore fear them not. For nothing is covered that shall not be revealed: nor hid, that shall not be known.	Ne ergo timueritis eos. Nihil enim est opertum, quod non revelabitur : et occultum, quod non scietur.	μη ουν φοβηθητε αυτους ουδεν γαρ εστιν κεκαλυμμενον ο ουκ αποκαλυφθησεται και κρυπτον ο ου γνωσθησεται
27.	That which I tell you in the dark, speak ye in the light: and that which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the housetops.	Quod dico vobis in tenebris, dicite in lumine : et quod in aure auditis, prædicate super tecta.	ο λεγω υμιν εν τη σκοτια ειπατε εν τω φωτι και ο εις το ους ακουετε κηρυξατε επι των δωματων
28.	And fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell.	Et nolite timere eos qui occidunt corpus, animam autem non possunt occidere : sed potius timete eum, qui potest et animam et corpus perdere in gehennam.	και μη φοβεισθε απο των αποκτενοντων το σωμα την δε ψυχην μη δυναμενων αποκτειναι φοβηθητε δε μαλλον τον δυναμενον και [την] ψυχην και [το] σωμα απολεσαι εν γεεννη
29.	Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father.	Nonne duo passeres asse veneunt ? et unus ex illis non cadet super terram sine Patre vestro.	ουχι δυο στρουθια ασσαριου πωλειται και εν εξ αυτων ου πεσειται επι την γην ανευ του πατρος υμων
30.	But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.	Vestri autem capilli capitis omnes numerati sunt.	υμων δε και αι τριχες της κεφαλης πασαι ηριθμημεναι εισιν
31.	Fear not therefore: better are you than many sparrows.	Nolite ergo timere : multis passeribus meliores estis vos.	μη ουν φοβηθητε πολλων στρουθιων διαφερετε υμεις
32.	Every one therefore that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven.	Omnis ergo qui confitebitur me coram hominibus, confitebor et ego eum coram Patre meo, qui in cælis est.	πας ουν οστις ομολογησει εν εμοι εμπροσθεν των ανθρωπων ομολογησω καγω εν αυτω εμπροσθεν του πατρος μου του εν ουρανοις
33.	But he that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.	Qui autem negaverit me coram hominibus, negabo et ego eum coram Patre meo, qui in cælis est.	οστις δ αν αρνησηται με εμπροσθεν των ανθρωπων αρνησομαι αυτον καγω εμπροσθεν του πατρος μου του εν ουρανοις

24. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
25. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?

CHRYS. Because it should come to pass that His disciples among their other persecutions should suffer loss of character, which to many is the most grievous of all calamities, He consoles them from His own example, and those things that were spoken of Him; a comfort to which no other can be compared.

HILARY; For the Lord, the Light eternal, the Captain of the faithful, the Parent of immortality, set before His disciples this solace of the sufferings that should come upon them, that we should embrace it as our glory when we are made like to our Lord in suffering; whence He says, The disciple is not above his master, nor the slave above his lord.

CHRYS. Understand, so long as he is a disciple or servant, be is not above his master or lord by the nature of honor. And do not here object to me such cases as rarely happen, but receive this according to the common course of things.

REMIG. He calls Himself master and lord; by disciple and servant He denotes His Apostles.

GLOSS. As much as to say, Be not indignant that you suffer things, which I also suffer, because I am your lord, who do what I will, and your master, who teach you what I know to be profitable for you.

REMIG. And because this sentence seemed not to agree with the foregoing words, He shows what they mean by adding, If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more they of his household?

CHRYS. He said not here 'slaves,' but those of his household, to show how dear they were to Him; as elsewhere He said, I will not call you slaves, but my friends.

REMIG. As much as to say, You therefore will not seek worldly honors and human glory, while you see me pursuing the redemption of mankind through mocking and contumely.

CHRYS. And He says not only, If they have reviled the master of the house, but expresses the very words of railing, for they had called Him Beelzebub.

JEROME; Beelzebub is the idol of Accaron who is called in the book of Kings, the God of flies; 'Bel' signifying idol; 'zebub,' a fly. The Prince of the demons He calls by the name of the foulest of idols, which is so called because of the uncleanness of the fly, which destroys the sweetness of ointment.

26. Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not he known.
27. What I tell you in darkness, that speak you in light: and what you hear in the ear, that preach you upon the housetops.
28. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

REMIG. To the foregoing consolation He adds another no less, saying, Fear you not them, namely, the persecutors. And why they were not to fear, He adds, For there is nothing hid which shall not be revealed, nothing secret which shall not be known.

JEROME; How is it then that in the present world, the sins of so many are unknown? It is of the time to come that this is said; the time when God shall judge the hidden things of men, shall enlighten the hidden places of darkness, and shall make manifest the secrets of hearts. The sense is, Fear not the cruelty of the persecutor, or the rage of the blasphemer, for there shall come a day of judgment in which your virtue and their wickedness will be made known.

HILARY; Therefore neither threatening, nor evil speaking, nor power of their enemies should move them, seeing the judgment-day will disclose how empty, how nought all these were.

CHRYS. Otherwise; It might seem that what is here said should be applied generally; but it is by no means intended as a general maxim, but is spoken solely with reference to what had gone before with this meaning; If you are grieved when men revile you, think that in a little time you will be delivered from this evil. They call you indeed impostors, sorcerers, seducers, but have a little patience, and all men shall call you the saviors of the world, when in the course of things you shall be found to have been their benefactors, for men will not judge by their words but by the truth of things.

REMIG. Some indeed think that these words convey a promise from our Lord to His disciples, that through them all hidden mysteries should be revealed, which lay beneath the veil of the letter of the Law; whence the Apostle speaks, When they have turned to Christ, then the veil shall be taken away. So the sense would be, Ought you to fear your persecutors, when you are thought worthy that by you the hidden mysteries of the Law and the Prophets should be made manifest?

CHRYS. Then having delivered them from all fear, and set them above all calumny, He follows this up appropriately with commanding that their preaching should be free and unreserved; What I say to you in darkness, that speak you in the light; what you hear in the ear, that preach you upon the housetops.

JEROME; We do not read that the Lord was wont to discourse to them by might, or to deliver his doctrine in the dark; but He said this because all His discourse is dark to the carnal, and His word night to the unbelieving. What had been spoken by Him they were to deliver again with the confidence of faith and confession.

REMIG. The meaning therefore is, What I say to you in darkness, that is, among the unbelieving Jews, that speak you in the light, that is, preach it to the believing; what you hear in the ear, that is, what I say to you secretly, that preach you upon the housetops, that is, openly before all men. It is a common phrase, To speak in one's ear, that is, to speak to him privately.

RABAN. And what He says, Preach you upon the housetops, is spoken after the manner of the province of Palestine, where they use to sit upon the roofs of the houses, which are not pointed but flat. That then may be said to be preached upon the housetops which is spoken in the hearing of all men.

GLOSS. Otherwise; What I say to you while you are yet held under carnal fear, that or speak you in the confidence of truth, after you shall be enlightened by the Holy Spirit; what you have only heard, that preach by doing the same, being raised above your bodies, which are the dwellings of your souls.

JEROME; Otherwise; What you hear in mystery, that teach in plainness of speech; what I have taught you in a corner of Judea, that proclaim boldly in all quarters of the world.

CHRYS. As He said, He that believes in me, the works that I do he shall do also, and greater things than these shall he do; so here He shows that life works all things through them more than through Himself; as though He had said, I have made a beginning, but what is beyond, that I will to complete through your means. So that this is not a command but a prediction, showing them that they shall overcome all things.

HILARY; Therefore they ought to inculcate constantly the knowledge of God, and the profound secret of evangelic doctrine, to be revealed by the light of preaching; having no fear of those who have power only over the body, but cannot reach the soul; Fear not those that kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.

CHRYS. Observe how He sets them above all others, encouraging them to set at nought cares, reproaches, perils, yes even the most terrible of all things, death itself, in comparison of the fear of God. But rather fear him, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

JEROME; This word is not found in the Old Scriptures, but it is first used by the Savior. Let us inquire then into its origin. We read in more than one place that the idol Baal was near Jerusalem, at the foot of Mount Moriah, by which the brook Siloe flows. This valley and a small level plain was watered and woody, a delightful spot, and a grove in it was consecrated to the idol. To so great folly and madness had the people of Israel come, that, forsaking the neighborhood of the Temple, they offered their sacrifices there, and concealing an austere ritual under a voluptuous life, they burned their sons in honor of a demon. This place was called Gehennom, that is, The valley of the children of Hinnom. These things are fully described in Kings and Chronicles, and the Prophet Jeremiah. God threatens that He will fill the place with the carcasses of the dead, that it be no more called Tophet and Baal, but Polyandrion, i.e. The tomb of the dead. Hence the torments and eternal pains with which sinners shall be punished are signified by this word.

AUG. This cannot be before the soul is so joined to the body, that nothing may sever them. Yet it is rightly called the death of the soul, because it does not live of God; and the death of the body, because though man does not cease to feel, yet because this his feeling has neither pleasure, nor health, but is a pain and a punishment, it is better named death than life.

CHRYS. Note also, that He does not hold out to them deliverance from death, but encourages them to despise it; which is a much greater thing than to be rescued from death; also this discourse aids in fixing in their minds the doctrine of immortality.

29. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31. Fear you not therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows.

CHRYS. Having set aside fear of death, that the Apostles should not think that if they were put to death they were deserted by God, He passes to discourse of God's providence, saying, Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, and one of them does not fall to the ground with out your Father?

JEROME; If these little creations fall not without God's superintendence and providence, and if things made to perish, perish not without God's will, you who are immortal ought not to fear that you live without His providence.

HILARY; Figuratively; That which is sold is our soul and body, and that to which it is sold, is sin. They then who sell two sparrows for a farthing, are they who sell themselves for the smallest sin, born for flight, and for reaching heaven with spiritual wings. Caught by the bait of present pleasures, and sold to the enjoyment of the world, they barter away their whole selves in such a market. It is of the will of God that one of them rather soar aloft; but the law proceeding according to God's appointment decrees that one of them should fall. In like manner as, if they soared aloft they would become one spiritual body; so, when sold under sin, the soul gathers earthly matter from the pollution of vice, and there is made of them one body which is committed to earth.

JEROME; That He says, The hairs of your head are all numbered, shows the boundless providence of God towards man, and a care unspeakable that nothing of ours is hid from God.

HILARY; For when any thing is numbered it is carefully watched over.

CHRYS. Not that God reckons our hairs, but to show His diligent knowledge, and great carefulness over us.

JEROME. Those who deny the resurrection of the flesh ridicule the sense of the Church on this place, as if we affirmed that every hair that has ever been cut off by the razor rises again, when the Savior says, Every hair of your head - not is saved, but - is numbered. Where there is number, knowledge of that number is implied, but not preservation of the same hairs.

AUG. Though we may fairly inquire concerning our hair, whether all that has ever been shorn from us will return; for who would not dread such disfigurement. When it is once understood that nothing of our body shall be lost, so as that the form and perfectness of all the parts should be preserved, we at the same time understand that all that would have disfigured our body is to be united or taken up by the whole mass, not affixed to particular parts so as to destroy the frame of the limbs; just as a vessel made of clay, and again reduced to clay, is once more reformed into a vessel, it needs not that that portion of clay which had formed the handle should again form it, or that which had composed the bottom, should again go to the bottom, so long as the whole was remolded into the whole, the whole clay into the whole vessel, no part being lost. Wherefore if the hair so often shorn away would be a deformity if restored to the place it had been taken from, it will not be restored to that place, but all the materials of the old body will be revived in the new, whatever place they may occupy so as to preserve the mutual fitness of parts. Though what is said in Luke, Not a hair of your head shall fall to the ground, may be taken of the number, not the length of the hairs, as here also it is said, The hairs of your head are all numbered.

HILARY; For it is an unworthy task to number things that are to perish. Therefore that we should know that nothing of us should perish, we are told that our very hairs are numbered. No accident then that can befall our bodies is to be feared; thus He adds, Fear not, you are better than many sparrows.

JEROME; This expresses still more clearly the sense as it was above explained, that they should not fear those who can kill the body, for if the least animal falls not without God's knowledge, how much less a man who is dignified with the Apostolic rank?

HILARY; Or this, you are better than many sparrows, teaches that the elect faithful are better than the multitude of the unbelieving, for the one fall to earth, the other fly to heaven.

REMIG. Figuratively; Christ is the head, the Apostles the hairs, who are well said to be numbered, because the names of the saints are written in heaven.

32. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

CHRYS. The Lord having banished that fear which haunted the minds of His disciples, adds further comfort in what follows, not only casting out fear, but by hope of greater rewards encouraging them to a free proclamation of the truth, saying, Every man who shall confess me before men, I also will confess him before my Father which is in heaven. And it is not properly shall confess me, but as it is in the Greek, shall confess in me, showing that it is not by your own strength but by grace from above, that you confess Him whom you do confess.

HILARY; This He says in conclusion, because it beboves them after being confirmed by such teaching, to have a confident freedom in confessing God.

REMIG. Here is to be understood that confession of which the Apostle speaks, With the heart men believe into justification, with the mouth confession is made to salvation. That none therefore might suppose that he could be saved without confession of the mouth, He says not only, He that shall confess me, but adds, before men; and again, He that shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

HILARY; This teaches us, that in what measure we have borne witness to Him upon earth, in the same shall we have Him to bear witness to us in heaven before the face of God the Father.

CHRYS. Here observe that the punishment is manifold more than the evil done, and the reward more than the good done. As much as to say, your deed was more abundant in confessing or denying Me here; so shall My deed to you-ward be more abundant in confessing or denying you there. Wherefore if you have done any good thing, and have not received retribution, be not troubled, for a manifold reward awaits you in the time to come. And if you have done any evil, and have not paid the punishment thereof, do not think that you have escaped, for punishment will overtake you, unless you are changed and become better.

RABAN. It should be known that not even Pagans can deny the existence of God, but the infidels may deny that the Son as well as the Father is God. The Son confesses men before the Father, because by the Son we have access to the Father, and because the Son said, Come, you blessed of my Father.

REMIG. And thus He will deny the man that has denied Him, in that he shall not have access to the Father through Him, and shall be banished from seeing either the Son or the Father in their divine nature.

CHRYS. He not only requires faith which is of the mind, but confession which is by the mouth, that He may exalt us higher, and raise us to a more open utterance, and a larger measure of love. For this is spoken not to the Apostles only, but to all; He gives strength not to them only, but to their disciples. And he that observes this precept will not only teach with free utterance, but will easily convince all; for the observance of this command drew many to the Apostles.

RABAN. Or, He confesses Jesus who by that faith that works by love, obediently fulfills His commands; he denies Him who is disobedient.

Catena Aurea Matthew 10

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 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 ]

Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ

July Devotion: The Precious Blood

July Devotion: The Precious Blood

Like the Sacred Wounds of Jesus, His Precious Blood deserves special honor because of its close relation to the Sacred Passion. That honor was given to it from the beginning by the Apostles who praised its redeeming power. (Rom. 5:9 "we are justified by His blood"; Heb. 13:12 "and so Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people by His blood, suffered outside the gate"; 1 John 1:7 "and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.")

The Church has always held devotion to the Precious Blood in high esteem. We continue to recognize and publicly acknowledge the profound indebtedness of the whole human race to Christ, Priest and Victim.

Standing at the foot of the cross, we see Jesus' head, hands, feet, and side pouring out streams of precious blood. It is precious because it:

• Redeems us and atones for our sins. Through His precious blood we are reconciled to God, made one with Him. Death ceases to be death and heaven's gates are opened to us.

• Cleanses us from all sin.

• Preserves us and keeps us safe from the grasp of evil. When the Father sees us washed in the Blood of the Lamb we are spared.

• Comforts us. It is the constant reminder that Jesus - true God and true man suffered and died to save us and to open heaven to us because He loves us.

• Sanctifies us. The same blood that justifies by taking away sin, continues to work within us. Its action gives us the grace to continue on the path toward the Kingdom of God. It assists us in achieving our new nature, leading us onward in subduing sin and in following the commands of God.

Jesus shed His precious blood seven times during His life on earth. They events were:

• Jesus shed His Blood in the Circumcision

• Jesus shed His Blood whilst praying in the Garden of Olives

• Jesus shed His Blood in the scourging

• Jesus shed His Blood in the crowning with thorns

• Jesus shed His Blood while carrying His cross

• Jesus shed His Blood in the crucifixion

• Jesus shed His Blood and water when His side was pierced

The Power of the Precious Blood

"I adore You, O Precious Blood of Jesus, flower of creation, fruit of virginity, ineffable instrument of the Holy Spirit, and I rejoice at the thought that You came from the drop of virginal blood on which eternal Love impressed its movement; You were assumed by the Word and deified in His person. I am overcome with emotion when I think of Your passing from the Blessed Virgin's heart into the heart of the Word, and, being vivified by the breath of the Divinity, becoming adorable because You became the Blood of God." (St. Albert the Great)

At their recent meeting, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had continuous Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for "healing and peace." They encouraged parishes and communities to have ongoing Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In these dark months of woundedness, pain and violence we need to turn to the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist, for healing, peace, and light.

"What power we have in the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist! He is there to protect us, to be our refuge and our redemption. (In Exodus 12, God told Moses to have His chosen people mark their door posts with the blood of an unblemished lamb, during the first Passover. Those who did this were spared when the Angel of the death passed by). This is why Archbishop Sheen said that we must call down the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. For, he warned, when we stop calling down the Blood of the Lamb, we start calling down the blood of each other." (From our book Bread of Life)

"And the Lamb on the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water" (Rev 7:17).

"In the tumultuous events of our time, it is important to look to the Eucharist: it must be at the heart of the life of priests and consecrated people; the light and strength of spouses in putting into practice their commitment to fidelity, chastity and the apostolate; the ideal in education and in training children, adolescents and young people; the comfort and support of those who are troubled, of the sick and all who are weeping in the Gethsemane of life." (Pope John Paul II)

Precious Blood of Jesus, save us!

"The only time our Lord asked the Apostles for anything was the night when He went into His agony. But as often in the history of the church since that time, evil was awake, but the disciples were asleep. That is why there came out of His anguished and lonely Heart a sigh: 'Could you not watch one hour with Me?'" (Mt 26:40). Not for an hour of activity did he plead, but for an hour of friendship (Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen).

St. Maria Goretti, Patroness of Youth & Children of Mary, Feast-July 6 St. Maria of Italy (1890-1902), couldn't wait to make her First Communion. She wanted to receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist so that she could become more beautiful and pure like Him; she wanted Him to live in her, close to her heart. After she received Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for the first time, she stayed in Church for a long time after Mass to talk to Him. Maria's family lived with and worked for a farmer. His son Alessandro kept trying to make Maria sin against purity. One day, when everyone else was working, Alessandro grabbed Maria and tried to make her sin. Maria kept crying out for him to stop, and each time she did, he stabbed her. Courageously, Maria resisted him and was stabbed fourteen times. St. Maria died the next day.

"Look at Maria Goretti.... Like her, be capable of defending your purity of heart and body. Be committed to the struggle against evil and sin. Always esteem and love, purity and virginity." (Pope John Paul II, 1990)

A Prayer for Priests

O my God, help those priests who are faithful to remain faithful; to those who are falling, stretch forth Your Divine Hand that they may grasp it as their support. In the great ocean of Your mercy, lift those poor unfortunate ones who have fallen, that being engulfed therein they may receive the grace to return to Your Great Loving Heart. Amen. Precious Blood of Jesus, protect them!

The Eucharist is the fruit of our Lords Passion. Jesus gave up His Body on the cross so that He may give you His Body in the Holy Eucharist. Jesus poured out His very last drop of Blood on the cross so that He may fill you with His Divine Love each time that you receive Him in Holy Communion and visit Him in Eucharistic Adoration!

"The Eucharist, in the Mass and outside of the Mass, is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and is therefore deserving of the worship that is given to the living God, and to Him alone" (Pope John Paul II, September 29, 1979, Phoenix Park, Ireland)

"The bread and wine, fruit of human hands, transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit into the body and blood of Christ, become a pledge of the 'new heaven and new earth,' announced by the Church in her daily mission." "In Christ, whom we adore present in the mystery of the Eucharist, the father uttered his final word with regard to humanity and human history." "To live the Eucharist, it is necessary, as well, to spend much time in adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament, something which I myself experience every day drawing from it strength, consolation and assistance." "How could the Church fulfill her vocation without cultivating a constant relationship with the Eucharist, without nourishing herself with this food which sanctifies, without founding her missionary activity on this indispensable support?" "To evangelize the world there is need of apostles who are 'experts' in the celebration, adoration and contemplation of the Eucharist" (Pope John Paul II, World Mission Message 2004).

The Power of the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist

"The Precious Blood belongs in an especial manner to men. Much more, therefore, does God invite them to come to its heavenly baths, and receive therein, not only the cleansing of their souls, but the power of a new and amazing life. Every doctrine in theology is a call to the Precious Blood. Every ceremony in the Church tells of it . . . . Every supernatural act is a growth of it. Everything that is holy on earth is either a leaf, bud, blossom or fruit of the Blood of Jesus. To its fountains God calls the sinner, that he may be lightened of his burdens. There is no remission of him in anything else. Only there is his lost sonship to be found. The saints are no less called by God to these invigorating streams. It is out of the Precious Blood that men draw martyrdoms, vocations, celebacies, austerities, heroic charities, and all the magnificent graces of high sanctity. The secret nourishment of prayer is from those fountains" (Father Faber, The Precious Blood).

The Most Precious Blood of Jesus
July is traditionally associated with the Precious Blood of Our Lord. It may be customary to celebrate the votive Mass of the Precious Blood on July 1.

The extraordinary importance of the saving Blood of Christ has ensured a central place for its memorial in the celebration of this cultic mystery: at the centre of the Eucharistic assembly, in which the Church raises up to God in thanksgiving "the cup of blessing" (1 Cor 10, 16; cf Ps 115-116, 13) and offers it to the faithful as a "real communion with the Blood of Christ" (1 Cor 10, 16); and throughout the Liturgical Year. The Church celebrates the saving Blood of Christ not only on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, but also on many other occasions, such that the cultic remembrance of the Blood of our redemption (cf 1 Pt 1, 18) pervades the entire Liturgical Year. Hence, at Vespers during Christmastide, the Church, addressing Christ, sings: "Nos quoque, qui sancto tuo redempti sumus sanguine, ob diem natalis tui hymnum novum concinimus." In the Paschal Triduum, the redemptive significance and efficacy of the Blood of Christ is continuously recalled in adoration. During the adoration of the Cross on Good Friday the Church sings the hymn: "Mite corpus perforatur, sanguis unde profluit; terra, pontus, astra, mundus quo lavanturflumine", and again on Easter Sunday, "Cuius corpus sanctissimum in ara crucis torridum, sed et cruorem roesum gustando, Deo vivimus (194).

Catholic Word of the Day: LITANY OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD, 09-25-12
ST. GASPAR: Founder of the Society of the Precious Blood
Mass in the Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (London, 9/18)

Devotion to the Drops of Blood Lost by our Lord Jesus Christ on His Way to Calvary (Prayer/Devotion)
Chaplet of the Most Precious Blood
Catholic Word of the Day: PRECIOUS BLOOD, 12-03-11
The Traditional Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Catholic Caucus)
Devotion to the Precious Blood
DOCTRINE OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,And More on the Precious Blood
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
NOTHING IS MORE POTENT AGAINST EVIL THAN PLEADING THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you" (Jn 6:53).

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July 14, 2018

Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, virgin

Reading 1 Is 6:1-8

Responsorial Psalm pS 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5

Alleluia 1 Pt 4:14

Gospel Mt 10:24-33

Readings at Mass

July, 2018

The Holy Father's Prayer Intention

Evangelization – Priests and their Pastoral Ministry, That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests.