Posted on 02/11/2019 11:23:53 PM PST by Salvation
St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
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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, |
Feast Day: February 12
Tuesday, February 12
Liturgical Color: Green
February is dedicated to the Holy Family. In 2001,
Pope John Paul II said the future of humanity
passes through the family. The Holy Family’s
mutual understanding and respect is a model
for all families to follow.
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2019-02-12
Ordinary Time: February 12th
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Ordinary Time
MASS READINGS
February 12, 2019 (Readings on USCCB website)
COLLECT PRAYER
Keep your family safe, O Lord, with unfailing care, that, relying solely on the hope of heavenly grace, they may be defended always by your protection. 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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Ordinary Time, Pre-Lent: Table Blessing 1
February Devotion: The Holy Family
Prayer to the Holy Family
Novena to the Holy Family
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Old Calendar: St. Eulalia
According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of Seven Founders of the Servite Order. Their feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on February 17th. Historically today is the feast of St. Eulalia the most celebrated virgin martyr of Spain. She was a native of Merida, thirteen years of age, and was burnt at the stake in her native city under Diocletian.
St. Eulalia
Prudentius has celebrated the triumph of this holy virgin who was a native of Merida, then the capital city of Lusitania in Spain now a declining town in Estremadura, the archiepiscopal dignity having been translated to Compostella. Eulalia, descended from one of the best families in Spain, was educated in the Christian religion, and in sentiments of perfect piety, from her infancy distinguished herself by an admirable sweetness of temper, modesty, and devotion, showed a great love of the holy state of virginity, and by her seriousness and her contempt of dress, ornaments diversions, and worldly company, gave early proofs of her sincere desire to lead on earth a heavenly life. Her heart was raised above the world before she was thought capable of knowing it, so that its amusements, which usually fill the minds of young persons, had no charms for her, and every day of her life made an addition to her virtues.
She was but twelve years old when the bloody edicts of Dioclesian were issued, by which it was ordered that all persons, without exception of age, sex, or profession, should be compelled to offer sacrifice to the gods of the empire. Eulalia, young as she was, took the publication of this order for the signal of battle; but her mother, observing her impatient ardor for martyrdom, carried her into the country. The saint found means to make her escape by night, and after much fatigue arrived at Merida before break of day. As soon as the court sat, the same morning, she presented herself before the cruel judge, whose name was Dacianus, and reproached him with impiety in attempting to destroy souls, by compelling them to renounce the only true God. The governor commanded her to be seized, and first employing caresses, represented to her the advantages which her birth, youth and fortune gave her in the world, and the grief which her disobedience would bring to her parents. Then he had recourse to threats, and caused the most dreadful instruments of torture to be placed before her eyes, saying to her, “All this you shall escape if you will but touch a little salt and frankincense with the tip of your finger.” Provoked at these seducing flatteries, she threw down the idol, trampled upon the cake which was laid for the sacrifice, and, as Prudentius relates, spat at the judge; an action only to be excused by her youth and inattention under the influence of a warm zeal, and fear of the snares which were laid for her. At the judge’s order two executioners began to tear her tender sides with iron hooks, so as to leave the very bones bare. In the mean time she called the strokes so many trophies of Christ. Next, lighted torches were applied to her breasts and sides: under which torment, instead of groans, nothing was heard from her mouth but thanksgivings. The fire at length catching her hair, surrounded her head and face, and the saint was stifled by the smoke and flame. Prudentius tells us, that a white dove seemed to come out of her mouth, and to wing its way upward when the holy martyr expired: at which prodigy the executioners were so much terrified that they fled and left the body. A great snow that fell covered it and the whole forum where it lay; which circumstance shows that the holy martyr suffered in winter. The treasure of her relics was carefully entombed by the Christians near the place of her martyrdom: afterwards a stately church was erected on the spot, and the relics were covered by the altar which was raised over them, before Prudentius wrote his hymn on the holy martyr in the fourth century He assures us that “pilgrims came to venerate her bones; and that she, near the throne of God, beholds them, and, being made propitious by hymns, protects her clients. Her relics are kept with great veneration at Oviedo, do, where she is honored as patroness. The Roman Martyrology mentions her name on the 10th of December.
Excerpted from Butler’s Lives of the Saints
Patron: Merida, Spain; Oviedo, Spain, runaways; torture victims; widows
Symbols: Maiden with a cross, stake, and dove; naked maiden lying in the snow
Meditation: Mark 7:1-13
5th Week in Ordinary Time
Honor your father and your mother. (Mark 7:10)
Have you ever bitten into a cream-filled donut only to find that there is no filling? It’s a pretty disappointing experience, isn’t it? That donut looked so good, but it was actually hollow.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus was trying to help some Pharisees recognize something lacking in their approach to following the Law of Moses. Their traditions and purification rituals looked very nice, but they were hollow. Like that elusive cream filling, something was missing that should have been at the heart of their observances—love.
Now, of all the examples that Jesus could have picked to highlight this hypocrisy, he chose the way some people used legal loopholes to get out of taking care of their aging parents. Once again, Jesus placed the spotlight on family life—that’s how precious it is to him.
Family is central to God’s plan for us. God himself is a communion of Persons. He made a covenant, not only with Abraham, but with all of his descendants as well. Even Jesus was born into a human family! These Pharisees may have been pursuing purity, but by disregarding the value of family love, they missed their goal by a long shot.
We may not be neglecting our parents, but it’s still easy to lose sight of how important our families are. We get busy and work long hours, which makes it difficult to share family meals. Or we might be overcommitted with school or church activities, so we don’t have much time at home together. Or maybe our parents live in another city, and it’s difficult to keep in touch.
God knows the challenges that we face. He doesn’t want us to quit our jobs or not be involved at church. But he does want us to find ways, in the midst of all the other things vying for our attention, to protect and nurture our family relationships.
Take a few moments right now to pray for your family. Tell God how much you love them and treasure them. Ask him to help you find ways to strengthen the bonds within your home. God knows that things can get in the way, and that’s okay. Just bringing your family to mind and praying for them is a great first step!
“Lord, help me to treasure my family relationships.”
Genesis 1:20–2:4
Psalm 8:4-9
http://wau.org/meditations/current/
Saint Pio of Pietralcina "Padre Pio" (1887-1968)
Capuchin T. 74; CE, 39-40
"This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me"
Prayer is a heart to heart with God... Prayer that has been carried out well touches God's heart and prompts him to answer us. When we pray, let it be our whole being that turns towards God: our thoughts, our heart... The Lord will be moved to incline towards us and come to our help...
Pray and hope. Do not get upset; worrying doesn't help. God is merciful and will hear your prayer. Prayer is our best weapon; it is the key that opens God's heart. You need to speak to Jesus less with your lips than with your heart.
Daily Marriage Tip for February 12, 2019
Strong marriages exemplify the virtues of love, fidelity, and perseverance. How have couples and families been examples of these virtues?
February 12, 2019 – True Worship
12 Feb 2019
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Ordinary Time
Mark 7:1-13
Now when the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. [For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles (and beds).] So, the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.’ You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother shall die.’ Yet you say, ‘If a person says to father or mother, “Any support you might have had from me is qorban”‘ (meaning, dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.”
Introductory Prayer: Lord, thank you for your Gospel and for all the truth it teaches me. Thank you for warning me of attitudes and dispositions that could become temptations for me. I love you for your goodness and mercy, and I entrust myself into your loving hands.
Petition: Lord, help me to serve you sincerely, in truth and in love.
“This people honors me only with lip service, while their hearts are far from me.” Jesus calls his disciples to authenticity. Too often so-called disciples give the impression of following him, while at the same time accepting sensual loves and lusts in their heart. Although the Pharisees display the outward trappings of holiness, the way they treat Jesus and others betrays their true character. Jesus would call them “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 15:27): clean and bright on the outside, but full of dead men’s bones within. Self-righteousness would be their downfall. Such dispositions may lend the proud man certain short-term security, but it will always be illusory since it is not rooted in the truth. Is there any way in which I also pay tribute to God with my lips but say something else in my heart, or behave contrariwise in my actions?
“The worship they offer me is worthless.” True worship begins with humility, when the soul recognizes that it possesses no good in and of itself, but that all of its goodness comes from God. The Pharisees offered no real worship to God since, in effect, they worshipped only themselves by relying more on their talents and goodness than on the goodness that comes from God. It is not insignificant that when Jesus describes a Pharisee’s prayer in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, he says “The Pharisee prayed this prayer to himself” (Luke 18:11). How can I make sure that my prayer is truly devoted, meaning that I am addressing Our Lord with the words of my heart?
“You make God’s word null and void.” The Pharisees used the talents and gifts God had given them not for God’s glory, but for their own personal gain, whether that gain consisted of praise and admiration or personal comfort and ease. True worship of God, truly placing God above all else, involves using the things God created as means to reaching him. As number 226 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “It means making good use of created things: faith in God, the only One, leads us to use everything that is not God only insofar as it brings us closer to him, and to detach ourselves from it insofar as it turns us away from him:
My Lord and my God, take from me everything that distances me from you.
My Lord and my God, give me everything that brings me closer to you.
My Lord and my God, detach me from myself to give my all to you.”
Conversation with Christ: Lord, thank you for my life and all the good things you have given me. Help me to realize that you have created everything and that all I have is from you. May I use all I have to serve others and as a means to come closer to you, the source of all good.
Resolution: I will examine my conscience to see if I am using any of my gifts and talents to glorify or serve only myself. If so, I’ll strive to put these same gifts at the service of God.
https://www.regnumchristi.org/en/daily-meditation/
https://catholicexchange.com/207852-2
February 12, 2019
In the first reading we are told that everything God created was good. How truly powerful is God and how generous is he to us!
As with the Pharisees and lawyers of the Law in today’s Gospel reading, many honor him only with lip-service. Many have made religion the following of human regulations and traditions, which enable them to void God’s key commandments of loving our fellows.
In many cultures there are many traditions which go against God’s commandment by giving importance to useless things.. As Christians we should speak out against such practices and traditions. Christians should reject superstitious beliefs, erroneous customs, discriminatory attitudes towards women and disadvantaged groups, adoration of idols and religious fanaticism. Even in our Catholic religion we should reject erroneous beliefs, practices and priorities.
Christ stresses that God’s ways are much simpler and are based on his commandment of love of God and neighbor. Let us love God and neighbor and reject meaningless practices and traditions.
https://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp?lang=en&d=2/12/2019
One Bread, One Body
Language: English | Español
All Issues > Volume 35, Issue 2
<< Tuesday, February 12, 2019 >>
Genesis 1:20—2:4
View Readings Psalm 8:4-9 Mark 7:1-13
Similar Reflections
MOVING TWICE
“This people pays Me lip service but their heart is far from Me. Empty is the reverence they do Me.” —Mark 7:6-7
Are you a person after God’s own heart who will carry out His every wish? (see Acts 13:22) Have you given your heart to the Lord? Is your heart beating as one with the Lord’s heart? Is your heart close to or far from the Lord?
It is difficult to know our hearts (see Jer 17:9). However, the Lord has given us a way to judge the position of our hearts. Jesus said: “Wherever your treasure lies, there your heart will be” (Lk 12:34). If your treasure is in the bank, an IRA, or a money market account, then your hearts may not be near “our Father Who art in heaven.” But if you “sell what you have and give alms” (Lk 12:33), you may be re-investing your treasures in heaven. This can transfer your heart to heaven. Then your heart will be near the Lord, your reverence will not be empty, and you will not be self-serving but God-serving (see Mk 7:6). Therefore, move your heart by moving your money and possessions to the Lord.
Prayer: Father, may I not put my heart in the wrong place.
Promise: “God created man in His image; in the divine image He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them, saying: ‘Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.’ “ —Gn 1:27-28
Praise: Mark regularly gives to both his parish and the missions.
On Beneded Knee We Pray for an End to Abortion.
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