'My divine spouse has made me desire a humble and hidden life. Jesus has often told me that I will not die until I have sacrificed all to Him. And to convince me, He has often told me that when it is over, at the hour of death, He alone, Jesus crucified, will console me. I will carry only Him, my faithful friend, with me to my grave. It is madness to attach myself to anything other than Him.'

St. Bernadette Soubirous

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

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

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

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3686845/posts

Saint of the Day — Saint Cyprian

Information: Sts. Protus and Hyacinth

Feast Day: September 11

Born: 3rd century AD

Died: mid 3rd century AD, Rome

Major Shrine: San Giovanni dei Fiorentini, as well as the chapel of the Propaganda College. Both in Rome.

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Tuesday, September 11

Liturgical Color: Green

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola
was published in Rome on this day in 1548.
Written by the devout saint for retreats, the
exercises are still used by many to increase
their personal piety and discern their
vocation.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: September 11th

Tuesday of the Twenty-Third Week of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

September 11, 2018 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, by whom we are redeemed and receive adoption, look graciously upon your beloved sons and daughters, that those who believe in Christ may receive true freedom and an everlasting inheritance. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Old Calendar: Sts. Protus and Hyacinth, martyrs; St. Paphutius (Hist)

According to tradition Sts. Protus and Hyacinth were Romans by birth, brothers and servants in the house of St. Basilla. They were burned alive around 257, during the persecution of Valerian and Gallian. St. Hyacinth is unique among Roman martyrs in that his epitaph and grave in the cemetery of Basilla on the Old Salarian Way were found intact in modern time (1845); in it were the charred bones of the martyr, who had been put to death by fire. Part of the empty tomb of St. Protus was also found. According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is their feast.

Sts. Protus and Hyacinth
The story of most martyrs of the first three centuries is so obscured by legend that it is difficult for us to cull out the historical kernel; this is true of today's saints. Tradition tells us that the brothers Protus and Hyacinth were chamberlains to the holy virgin Eugenia (listed as a martyr on December 25 in the Roman Martyrology) and were baptized along with their patron by Bishop Helenus. They devoted themselves zealously to the study of Sacred Scripture and lived for a time with the hermits in Egypt, illustrious for humility and holiness of life. At a later date they accompanied Eugenia to Rome and were arrested by Emperor Gallienus (260-268) for their profession of the Christian faith. In no manner could they be persuaded to deny the faith or worship the gods. Accordingly, after an inhuman scourging, they were beheaded on September 11.

Veneration of the two martyrs in the Church of Rome dates to venerable antiquity. Ancient registers contain their names, Pope Damasus praises them in verse at the end of the age of martyrs. The cemetery of Basilla marked the site of their graves; relics of St. Hyacinth were discovered there in 1845 and now are honored in the chapel of the Propaganda.

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

Things to Do:

The unshakable fortitude of the martyrs throughout the Christian ages should serve as a stimulating reproach to us when we are tempted to lose patience under the most ordinary trials. Offer your Mass or Rosary for the grace of final perseverance.

St. Paphnutius
The holy confessor Paphnutius was an Egyptian, and after having spent several years in the desert, under the direction of the great St. Antony, was made bishop in Upper Thebais. He was one of those confessors who, under the tyrant Maximin Daia, lost their right eye, and were afterward sent to work in the mines. Peace being restored to the Church, Paphnutius returned to his flock. The Arian heresy being broached in Egypt, he was one of the most zealous in defending the Catholic faith, and for his eminent sanctity and the glorious title of confessor (or one who had confessed the Faith before the persecutors and under torments) was highly considered in the great Council of Nice. Constantine the Great, during the celebration of that synod, sometimes conferred privately with him in his palace, and never dismissed him without kissing respectfully the place which had once held the eye he had lost for the Faith.

St. Paphnutius remained always in a close union with St. Athanasius, and accompanied him to the Council of Tyre, in 335, where they found much the greater part of that assembly to be professed Arians. Seeing Maximus, Bishop of Jerusalem, among them, Paphnutius took him by the hand, led him out, and told him he could not see that any who bore the same marks as he in defence of the Faith should be seduced and imposed upon by persons who were resolved to oppress the most strenuous assertor of its fundamental article. We have no particular account of the death of St. Paphnutius, but his name stands in the Roman Martyrology on the 11th of September.

Excerpted from Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

Things to Do:

Read The Hermits by Charles Kingsley in which the introduction relates a story told by St. Paphuntius. It contains a miniature sketch, not only of the social state of Egypt, but of the whole Roman Empire, and of the causes which led to the famous monastic movement in the beginning of the fifth century after Christ.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 6:12-19

23rd Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. (Luke 6:12)

Wouldn’t you love to retreat to a quiet place and spend hours in prayerful adoration of the Lord—even if it meant staying up all night? But we know how hard it can be to stay awake: our eyelids might begin to droop, our minds might begin to wander, and our bed might start looking softer and softer.

Don’t feel too bad. Even the apostles had a hard time staying awake with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

But don’t give up either. God is the One who gave you the desire to pray. So when you find yourself struggling with sleepiness or distractions in prayer, remember one thing: your effort in itself is pleasing to God. Every time you decide to turn to God, every effort you make to come into his presence, makes him happy, regardless of the outcome.

In his book Time for God, Fr. Jacques Philippe develops this idea. He says that if you try hard but are still unable to pray well, you should not be sad. He explains that if “we are incapable of praying well, or producing any good sentiments or beautiful reflections, that should not make us sad. We should offer our poverty to the action of God. Then we will be making a prayer much more valuable than the kind that would leave us feeling self-satisfied.”

If you don’t feel satisfied with your prayer, you can be confident that God is supporting you in your struggle. When you are aware of your weakness and your need, you are much more open to receiving the grace that God wants to give you.

Consider these stories: Pope Francis has admitted to falling asleep in prayer on occasion. St. Jane de Chantal has said, “Neither should we be troubled when we sleep at prayer, provided we resist it. Let us . . . keep ourselves before God as a statue to receive all he sends.” And St. Therese of Lisieux, who would also fall asleep in prayer, assures us that like all parents, God loves his children best when they are asleep.

So don’t give up; you’re in good company!

“Lord, thank you for accepting even my meager efforts in prayer. Lord, help me to stay awake with you.”

1 Corinthians 6:1-11
Psalm 149:1-6, 9

Daily Gospel Commentary

Saint Ambrose (c.340-397)
Bishop of Milan and Doctor of the Church
On the gospel of Saint Luke, 5,41 (SC 45)

“Jesus departed to the mountain to pray”

“At that time Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.” Not all those who pray climb the mountain…, but those who pray well, who rise up above the goods of earth to higher goods, climb onto the summit of watchfulness and love from on high. Those who worry about worldly riches or honours do not climb the mountain; no one who covets another’s lands climbs the mountain. Those who seek God go up it and those who go up beg the Lord’s aid for their journey. All great and noble souls climb the mountain for it is not to the first comer alone that the prophet says: “Go up onto a high mountain, you who announce glad tidings to Sion. Cry out at the top of your voice, you who bring good news to Jerusalem,” (Is 40:9). Not by physical exploits but by high-minded actions will you scale this mountain. Follow Christ…; search the Gospel: you will find that only his disciples climbed up the mountain with the Lord.

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for September 11, 2018:

Does your spouse need to hear words of love or apology from you? Don’t put it off – do it today.

Regnum Christi

September 11, 2018 – Prayer and Action

Tuesday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

Father Patrick Butler, LC

Luke 6: 12-19

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.

Introductory Prayer: God the Father, thank you for the gift of creation, including my own life. God the Son, thank you for redeeming me at the price of your own Body and Blood. God the Holy Spirit, thank you for being the sweet guest of my soul, enlightening my mind, strengthening my spirit and kindling the fire of your love in my heart.

Petition: Call me to you, Lord Jesus, and remind me of my personal mission.

A Place and a Time for Prayer: Frequently the Gospel tells me that Jesus prayed to his Father. What was his prayer like? First, he sought out a place that is appropriate for praying. Secondly, he dedicated a significant amount of time to prayer. I can see him climbing a mountain in order to spend an entire night in prayer. I can certainly learn from my Lord’s example. Imitating him, my prayer life can be enriched.

A Special Calling: Perhaps Jesus’ prayer is a bit longer than usual on this occasion. When there is an important decision to be made, he consults his Father to know his will. He does not improvise when calling twelve of his followers to be his apostles, his “sent ones,” his representatives. When Jesus calls me to do a special mission for his Kingdom, he also ensures that it accords with the eternal plan of the Father.

A Channel for God’s Grace: Having spent the night in prayer, Jesus has prepared himself to give generously of himself the following day. United to his Father, the source of all good, his actions channel this goodness towards those who are enslaved to evil spirits or in need of divine healing. Of course, Jesus is God, and he has that power in himself by his own right. However, he wants to give me an example of how to be a branch united to the vine, in order to produce fruit that will last.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I do not know how to pray as I ought. Teach me how to pray: to prepare a place and to set aside some time exclusively for prayer. So often I act without praying, relying only on my own ingenuity and intelligence. Make me see that I need your wisdom. Help me to ensure, through prayer, that my actions are conformed to your will.

Resolution: I will strive to offer at least one spontaneous prayer to God today, amid the activities of my daily life.

Homily of the Day

September 11, 2018

In the first reading Paul praises God for converting so many from their evil ways through faith in the Lord Jesus and by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

In the Gospel reading, after a night of prayer, Jesus names the twelve apostles, ordinary men he has called and chosen to be his close companions and co-workers and who would, after his life on earth, lead his Church. They were ordinary people: a few fishermen and their friends, a tax collector, devout Israelites. Two would betray him, one before simple maid-servants, the other betray him to his death before Jewish religious leaders for thirty pieces of silver. Except for one, all would abandon him at his trial and death.

Yet somehow they remained his faithful followers. And with the power of the Holy Spirit set the world on fire. All, except for one, died martyrs’ deaths in witness to their love for Christ.

Converted from our evil ways and tendencies by God’s loving mercy, may we be faithful and loving followers of Christ. May the Church always have faithful and trustworthy successors of the Apostles as leaders of the Church.

One Bread, One Body

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1 Corinthians 6:1-11
View Readings

Psalm 149:1-6, 9

Luke 6:12-19
Similar Reflections

CHOSEN TO PRAY THE MARATHON?

"Then He went out to the mountain to pray, spending the night in communion with God." �Luke 6:12

In imitation of Christ, we are sometimes called to spend several hours in prayerful communion with God (Lk 6:12). This may be a vigil, a day or night of recollection, or a retreat. After we spend these special, extended times with the Lord, He sometimes raises up leaders for His Church (see Lk 6:13ff). Then He may cure those "troubled with unclean spirits" and all those suffering from diseases (Lk 6:18-19). When the Lord calls us to extended times of prayer, we have reason to rejoice, for the grace to pray for an extended time is often followed by many other graces, as the Lord chooses leaders, drives out demons, heals the sick, etc.

Is the Lord calling you to pray for long periods of time? We may receive this calling only infrequently. Therefore, when we have been called to spend the day or night in prayer, we should thank the Lord for the privilege of having this grace. We should accept it enthusiastically with joyful anticipation of many other graces for the whole body of Christ and ourselves.

Pray. Pray more. Pray for days and nights when the Lord calls.

Prayer: Father, send the Holy Spirit to teach us to pray for extended times.

Promise: "Do not deceive yourselves: no fornicators, idolaters, or adulterers, no sodomites, thieves, misers, or drunkards, no slanderers or robbers will inherit God's kingdom." —1 Cor 6:9-10

Praise: An all-night prayer vigil changed Carolyn's life. Now she lives her life gladly following the will of God.

All of those expecting the Catholic Church to change with the times - Remember this