Posted on 01/21/2019 10:19:20 PM PST by Salvation
St. Michael the Archangel
~ PRAYER ~
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
Luke 2:21 "...Et vocatum est Nomen eius IESUS"
("And His Name was called JESUS")
Psalm 90:14 "Because he hoped in me I will deliver him:
I will protect him because he hath known My Name."
Zacharias 10:12 "I will strengthen them in the Lord,
and they shall walk in His Name, saith the Lord."
Apocalypse 3:8 "I know thy works. Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut: because thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied My Name."
Apocalypse 15:4 "Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and magnify Thy Name?..."
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 Most Holy Name
The Power of Jesus’ Name
What does IHS stand for? The meaning of the Holy Name of Jesus [Catholic Caucus]
Litany Of The Holy Name of Jesus
Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
Jesus, The Name above all Names
Devotion to the Holy Name (of Jesus) [Catholic Caucus]
Lessons In Iconography : The Chi Rho - Christ
St. Francis de Sales on the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Excerpt from a Sermon) (Catholic Caucus)
St. Francis de Sales on the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
St. Bernard on the Most Holy Name of Jesus [Ecumenical]
Saving the day in His Holy Name: St. Genevieve gets a reprieve [Catholic Caucus]
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
St. Philip Neri
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28) "Blessed are you among women, |
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3722118/posts
Saint of the Day — Saint Vincent Zaragossa
Feast Day: January 22
Born: 1798 in Rome, Italy
Died: 1850
Canonized: 1963 by Pope John XXIII
Tuesday, January 22
Liturgical Color: Green
Pope Benedict XV died on this day in
1922. He reigned as pope during World
War I. Although he was an excellent
diplomat, all sides in the conflict refused
his help. Several of his peace plans were
rejected, possibly extending the war.
http://www.catholicculture.org/
Ordinary Time:
January 22nd
Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
MASS READINGS
January 22, 2019 (Readings on USCCB website)
COLLECT PRAYER
God our Creator, we give thanks to you, who alone have the power to impart the breath of life as you form each of us in our mother’s womb; grant, we pray, that we, whom you have made stewards of creation, may remain faithful to this sacred trust and constant in safeguarding the dignity of every human life. 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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Recipes (1)
Pollo Chilindrón
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Activities (1)
A Day of Penance and Prayer
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Prayers (3)
Novena for Church Unity
Prayer to End Abortion
Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity
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Library (1)
The Catholic Duty to Be Pro-life | Austin B. Vaughan
» Enjoy our Liturgical Seasons series of e-books!
Old Calendar: Saints Vincent and Anastasius, martyrs
January 22 is the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and the day established by the Church of penance for abortion, has been formally named as the “Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.” On this day (or January 23rd when January 22nd falls on a Sunday) your parish, school or religious formation program may celebrate the Mass for Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life. This Mass, found in our newly-translated Missal, may now be used on occasions to celebrate the dignity of human life.
The relevant change reads: “The liturgical celebrations for this day may be the Mass “For Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life? (no. 48/1 of the Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions), celebrated with white vestments, or the Mass “For the Preservation of Peace and Justice? (no. 30 of the Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions), celebrated with violet vestments.”
In addition to this special Mass on this day, perhaps your parish, school or religious formation program could encourage traditional forms of penance, host pro-life and chastity speakers, lead informative projects that will directly build up the culture of life, show a pro-life film, raise funds for local crisis pregnancy centers or offer additional prayer services.
According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of Sts. Vincent and Anastasius. During the early years of the fourth century, Vincent, a young deacon, was inhumanly tortured by Dacian, Roman governor of Valencia in Spain. Vincent rejoiced in his sufferings until he drew his last breath. More than three hundred years later, Anastasius the Persian, a convert from the priestly caste of Magi, endured a similar martyrdom in distant Assyria. Through all the Christian sacrifices to that of Calvary for the salvation of every man born into the world.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The Love of Life
Love is not merely a feeling, but is rather the desire for the best possible good for those whom we love. Through our natural intelligence and through Divine Revelation we become aware of the value of this most basic of all gifts which is life. Mere reason leads us to comprehend that it is better to be alive than never have had been in existence. The knowledge of the value of life that comes through revelation leads us to understand better this gift and to appreciate it: as a result, we worship and love more and more the Giver of this gift. This love is what moves us to protect the life of the unborn or any who might be unjustly treated. We are also led to protect women that might feel tempted or forced to commit abortion, as we know the devastating consequences that abortion will have in their lives. Last but not least we have to love, even if most of them seem to be utterly unlovable, the many perpetrators of abortion: medical personnel, and pro-abortion activists and politicians. We have to do everything that we can to convince them of their errors so that they repent and change their ways, both for their own benefit and for the benefit of society.
All human beings are created in the image and likeness of God. Using a traditional scholastic term, we can state that He is the exemplary cause of every human being, in other words, He is the model on which all human beings are created. He looked upon himself and wished that other beings would share in His own happiness. So if we reflect upon ourselves, we can begin to understand our participation in the greatness of our Creator. This participation on His greatness leads us to comprehend that He has brought us out of nothing with a purpose, because knowing His intelligence and His loving nature it is clear that all His actions are always guided by a magnificent purpose. The first intention for which He has created us is that we should enjoy for an eternity His loving company in Heaven. All human persons are called to this eternal and loving company, no one is excluded, save those who, through their own actions, exclude themselves.
This manner of creation brings us to understand the unique essential dignity of every human being. A dignity that is not lost for any deprivation of the many external perfections that we might expect to find in a human person. A person might be born with a disability, or may suffer disability through injury or disease, but these deprivations do not affect his basic dignity. A Christian also has the hope that one day when the doors of Paradise will be opened for those children, all their human imperfections will be healed and they will enjoy forever the beatific vision that we all long for.
We are also created to be collaborators in the salvation of the World. The Lord normally does not intervene directly in the world; He does it through our free collaboration in his plans of salvation. He gives to us the saving truths through Holy Scripture, our natural reason and the mediation of the Church and we have to manifest them in our daily lives. If we love those truths we should be impelled to share them with all whom the Lord places in front of us. So when we speak with love and conviction of those truths we cannot be accused of carrying out an exaggerated rhetoric when we defend human life from its biological beginning until natural death. Nobody in his right mind can call it “vitriolic rhetoric” when we denounce that millions upon millions of unborn babies have been killed in the womb in the U.S. and in the rest of the world. It is literally a question of life and death, for the victim, for the mother of the baby and for the perpetrator of abortion, assisted suicide or euthanasia. The victim will have his earthly life terminated; the mother will suffer greatly for her actions, and the perpetrator and the mother will live under the shadow of the unhappiness of having rejected the loving truths of their Creator and certainly they will place their eternal salvation in jeopardy. Our main solidarity has to be always with the victim of the crime, because if the conscience of the nation is not moved by this growing injustice, we know that a growing number will be victimized in the future. Our solidarity is also with the mothers of those babies because often they have been misled or forced into committing this terrible action.
Last but not least we wish and pray that all abortionists will understand the terrible consequences of their actions and be converted.
Excerpted from Spirit & Life, Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro-Carámbula, Interim President, Human Life International
St. Anastasius
The Martyrology relates: At Bethsaloen in Assyria, St. Anastasius, a Persian monk, who after suffering much at Caesarea in Palestine from imprisonment, stripes, and fetters, had to bear many afflictions from Chosroes, king of Persia, who caused him to be beheaded. He had sent before him to martyrdom seventy of his companions, who were drowned in a river. His head was brought to Rome, at Aquæ Salviæ, together with his revered image, by the sight of which demons are expelled, and diseases cured, as is attested by the Acts of the second Council of Nicea. The saint was venerated highly in Rome.Things to Do:
Read more about St. Anastasius at St. Anastasios the Persian and about St. Anastasius and St. Vincent here
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
BIBLICAL REFLECTIONS AND PRAYERS FOR THE EIGHT DAYS: Justice and Only Justice You Shall Pursue
Day Five: To bring good news to the poor (Luke 4: 18)
God our Father, forgive our lust for power and free us from the temptation to oppress others. By your Holy Spirit of communion, help us to live in solidarity with our neighbour, and so share together with your Son Jesus in fulfilling your promise of freedom from poverty and oppression. We pray in his name. Amen.
Vatican Resources
Meditation: Mark 2:23-28
View NAB Reading at USCCB.org
2nd Week in Ordinary Time
The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. (Mark 2:27)
When children are young, it seems as if their lives are hemmed in by rules: look both ways before crossing the street. Share your toys. Wash your hands after you use the bathroom. Parents know that rules like these will help their children grow into maturity. The rules are there to protect them as they learn to make right decisions. As their children mature, parents will offer reasons and explanations for these rules. Then, finally, comes the time when children are able to make their own decisions based on the good habits they formed in childhood.
Like rules for a young child, the sabbath guidelines that Jesus talks about in today’s Gospel were meant to help God’s people make a habit of choosing God’s ways. They were meant to instill the practice of prayer and rest into the rhythm of life. Obeying the Law in itself wasn’t the goal. Staying close to God was the goal—loving him and giving him time and space in their lives.
This is just as true for us as it was for ancient Israel. God did not create us to slavishly observe sabbath law. He created the Sabbath to help us grow into mature believers who live to worship him and follow his law of love.
At their best, human laws are meant to help us think as God thinks. But not all human laws do that. That’s why it is so vital that we pray for just laws that will protect the vulnerable—especially unborn children. We know that society needs to protect these little ones, but it rarely does. Laws are supposed to support us in doing what’s right. So it’s important that the laws of our society reinforce that purpose. And when they don’t, it’s important that we pray and work for changes in the law that will help our society grow in justice and compassion.
Let’s pray today that our officials will enact just laws that protect the vulnerable. Let’s pray that each one of us grows in our ability to care for the innocent and defenseless. Let’s do what we can to safeguard the least among us.
“Jesus, thank you that you want us to grow to mature Christian love. Help me learn to live according to your law of love.”
Hebrews 6:10-20
Psalm 111:1-2, 4-5, 9-10
Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407)
priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church
Homilies on Saint Matthew's gospel, no. 39
"That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath"
From the first, the law of the Sabbath conferred many and great benefits; for instance, it made the Jews gentle and humane towards those of their own household, ; it taught them God the Creator's providence and wisdom... When God gave the law for the Sabbath he said... that he would have them refrain from evil works only when he said: “You must do no work, except for what is necessary for life” (Ex 12:16 LXX). And in the temple, too, everything continued with more diligence than ever. Thus even by means of the very shadow he was secretly opening the full light of truth (cf. Col 2:17).
Did Christ then do away with so highly profitable a thing? Far from it; he greatly enhanced it. For it was unnecessary... that we should learn from it that God made all things or that we should be made kind by it who are called to imitate God's own love. For he says: “Be merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful”(Lk 6:36). It was no longer necessary to fix a day of festival for those who are commanded to keep a feast all their life long. For: “Let us keep the feast,” Saint Paul writes, “not with old leaven, neither with leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1Cor 5:8)... So now, why is any sabbath required for christians who are always keeping the feast and whose conversation is in heaven? Yes, my brethren, let us celebrate that continual, heavenly sabbath.
Daily Marriage Tip for January 22, 2019:
The family is the “sanctuary of life,” said St. John Paul II. As we mourn today for all lives lost to abortion, pray for mothers and fathers to accept courageously the children in their womb and give them the gift of life.
http://www.regnumchristi.org/en/daily-meditation/
January 22, 2019 – Mankind in Dire Need
22 Jan 2019
Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Father Walter Schu, LC
Mark 2:23-28
As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. At this the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry? How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?” Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”
Introductory Prayer: Lord, the most important moment of my day has arrived. I am alone with you for a heart-to-heart talk. Who am I that you should want to spend this time with me; that you should want to pour yourself out to me? What a joy, what an honor, what a glory to be the follower of a king like you!
Petition: Lord, help me to pray for and serve those who persecute me and to win them over to the Gospel through love, just like you did.
“Unlawful on the Sabbath”: How dire was mankind’s need for a Savior! The Jews were God’s chosen people; they had received God’s own revelation in the Old Testament. The Pharisees were the religious leaders of the Jewish people. Yet they buried God’s law so deeply beneath layers of man-made precepts that hungry men were not allowed to pick grain in order to eat on the Sabbath. The law had become an end in itself and had taken precedence over persons in need. How could mankind ever be led safely along the true path to salvation without becoming hopelessly entangled in the thickets of false rituals and arbitrary precepts? The Son of God, the Eternal Word of the Father, humbled himself to become the Son of Man in order to bring us the fullness of truth. But Christ did much more than bring us the fullness of God’s revelation. He gave us the strength, through his own life of grace within us, to live out that truth in our lives. Am I sufficiently tapped into that source of grace in my life?
Seeking to Win over Enemies: If we were in Christ’s place, what would have been our reaction to the Pharisees? Perhaps we would have yielded to their imposing presence. Maybe we would have summoned up our courage and dismissed their intransigence without even deigning to reply. Christ reveals both his fearlessness and his goodness of heart by seeking to win them over. He quotes the Scriptures that they believe in and cites 1 Samuel 21:1-6. David and his men, fleeing from Saul, eat the holy bread of the Presence: twelve loaves placed each morning on the table in the sanctuary, as homage to the Lord from the twelve tribes of Israel. When they were withdrawn to make room for fresh ones, these loaves were reserved for the Levitical priests. Christ seeks to reveal to the Pharisees, in a way they can accept, that they have gone astray from true religion, in which love of God and neighbor takes precedence over following rules. Christ sums up the nature of true religion and points out the Pharisees’ error in one sublime sentence: “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” Do I perceive the burden Christ has given me as light? That is what he intends and promises. If I do not, why not?
Lord of the Sabbath: Christ does not stop with revealing the nature and purpose of true religion. He makes a bold proclamation, one which must have stunned the Pharisees, and perhaps even widened the eyes of his own disciples: “The Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” Christ declares in no uncertain terms that his authority is equal to that of God himself, who instituted the Sabbath at the dawn of man’s creation. Christ wants from the Pharisees nothing less than an act of faith in his own divine person. His heart longs to save them. Christ yearns to bring to salvation everyone he encounters, including his enemies. Does my own zeal for souls bring me to reflect something of Christ’s courage and love when I am faced with opposition? Do I desire and seek what is good for everyone regardless of their attitude towards me?
Conversation with Christ: Thank you, Lord, for becoming a man to save us in our dire need for you. Thank you for loving even your enemies and seeking to win them over to your new life. Help me to love more like you did. Help me to realize the value of a single soul.
Resolution: I will pray and make sacrifices for someone who is persecuting me or the Church. Forgetting about myself, I will look for ways to bring them to experience the love of Christ.
https://catholicexchange.com/207637-2
January 22, 2019
The Gospel reading reminds us that to be Christian is not a matter of obeying rules and regulations. Christianity is not just a religion in the traditional sense of the word but a way of life, a way of conversion.
A Christian can never say that he has arrived, that he is already perfect. If we are truthful to ourselves, we will always realize that we are still aiming for what St. Paul says, “I do not believe I have already reached my goal, nor do I consider myself perfect, but I press on till I conquer Christ Jesus, as I have been conquered by him.” (Phil 3:12)
All the saints say the same thing: that they are far from the holiness of God. This attitude makes us vigilant always and not proud or presumptuous. God loves a humble heart, a heart that continues to love him. We must never tire of doing what is good and bringing others to the knowledge and love of God.
The Christian is a missionary at heart, meaning that each Christian is an instrument for bringing others to the knowledge of God. The Christian is always going towards others, always in motion, in a “holy tension,” bringing and sharing the Good News of salvation to others.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
One Bread, One Body
Language: English | Español
All Issues > Volume 35, Issue 1
<< Tuesday, January 22, 2019 >>
Hebrews 6:10-20
View Readings
Psalm 111:1-2, 4-5, 9-10
Mark 2:23-28
Similar Reflections
NEVER LOSING BY NEVER LOSING HOPE
“Like a sure and firm anchor, that hope extends beyond the veil.” —Hebrews 6:19
In the Christian life, the old saying is true: “All’s well that ends well.” Some people are like the good thief who probably lived a terribly sinful life but repented moments before his death (Lk 23:42-43). Others may be like Judas Iscariot, who spent every day with Jesus for three years, but in the end betrayed Christ and committed suicide.
Will each of us persevere in our faith? “Our desire is that each of you show the same zeal to the end” (Heb 6:11). We persevere because we hope. “In hope we were saved” (Rm 8:24). The Lord gives us hope by His promise and His oath (Heb 6:13, 16). “By two things that are unchangeable, in which He could not lie, we who have taken refuge in Him might be strongly encouraged to seize the hope which is placed before us” (Heb 6:18). Not only does faith come through hearing God’s Word (see Rm 10:17) but also hope comes by believing God’s Word. Believing God’s promise and oath, we hold on to hope and refuse to let go until we are home in heaven with our Lord forever. We persevere because we “hope so.” “Seize the hope” (Heb 6:18).
Prayer: Father, fulfill my hopes by pouring out Your love in my heart through the Holy Spirit (Rm 5:5).
Promise: “I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart in the company and assembly of the just.” —Ps 111:1
Praise: Believing in the Bible and the Church’s teaching saved Theresa from succumbing to despair.
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