Reading 1
Sir 44:1, 9-13

Now will I praise those godly men,
our ancestors, each in his own time.
But of others there is no memory,
for when they ceased, they ceased.
And they are as though they had not lived,
they and their children after them.
Yet these also were godly men
whose virtues have not been forgotten;
Their wealth remains in their families,
their heritage with their descendants;
Through God’s covenant with them their family endures,
their posterity, for their sake.

And for all time their progeny will endure,
their glory will never be blotted out.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.

R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
Mk 11:11-26

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple area.
He looked around at everything and, since it was already late,
went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry.
Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf,
he went over to see if he could find anything on it.
When he reached it he found nothing but leaves;
it was not the time for figs.
And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!”
And his disciples heard it.

They came to Jerusalem,
and on entering the temple area
he began to drive out those selling and buying there.
He overturned the tables of the money changers
and the seats of those who were selling doves.
He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area.
Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written:

My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples?
But you have made it a den of thieves.”

The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it
and were seeking a way to put him to death,
yet they feared him
because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching.
When evening came, they went out of the city.

Early in the morning, as they were walking along,
they saw the fig tree withered to its roots.
Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look!
The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”

Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God.
Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’
and does not doubt in his heart
but believes that what he says will happen,
it shall be done for him.
Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer,
believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.
When you stand to pray,
forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance,
so that your heavenly Father may in turn
forgive you your transgressions.”

The Word Among Us

Friday, June 01, 2007

Meditation
Mark 11:11-26

All that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it. (Mark 11:24)

There are a lot of good reasons to wonder why Jesus cursed the fig tree in today’s reading. But this passage is more about Jesus’ authority than the fig tree’s lack of fruitfulness. It’s really about how we can bear fruit for him—by believing instead of doubting, and by trusting in the power of prayer instead of thinking we have to go it alone.

Over and over again, Jesus tells his disciples to pray for their needs. He tells them that nothing will be impossible for them, and that if they have even a tiny “mustard seed” of faith, whatever they ask for will be done for them (Matthew 17:20; 21:22). He also reminds them that if they, being sinners, know how to provide for their children, how much more will their heavenly Father provide for them (Luke 11:11-13).

Jesus has given us exactly the same rights and privileges that he gave his first disciples. And yet we still find ourselves asking upon occasion, “I have prayed and prayed about this situation; why is God turning a deaf ear?” We may never understand why God seems to delay answering us at times. There will be situations in which he will ask us to trust in his wisdom and timing, believing that he really will work all things for our good (Romans 8:28).

Brothers and sisters, no matter what happens, God wants us to trust him. He wants to assure us that if we have given our lives to him, we can go before him and ask boldly and confidently for whatever we need, and he will hear us (Hebrews 4:16). So let’s take him at his word, and pray to him with every ounce of faith we can muster! He will answer us, and our hearts will rejoice.

“Father, I want to join with everyone reading this magazine today, knowing that whenever two or more are gathered in your name, you are with them. May your blessings fall on all of us today. May we all begin to look for—and expect—great things from your hand!”

Sirach 44:1,9-13; Psalm 149:1-6,9

One Bread, One Body

<< Friday, June 1, 2007 >>

St. Justin

Sirach 44:1, 9-13

Psalm 149

Mark 11:11-26

View Readings

THE FRUIT-BEARING FRUIT OF HOLINESS

"He went over to see if He could find anything on it." —Mark 11:13

Jesus "inspected everything" in the Temple precincts (Mk 11:11). He was inspecting the spiritual fruit of the Temple worship. We know this from the fact that between visits to the Temple, Jesus inspected a fig tree and cursed it for not bearing fruit (Mk 11:14). Because it is of extreme importance to bear fruit by leading people to Jesus and by receiving the fruit of holiness (see Gal 5:22-23), Jesus is a strict "Fruit Inspector." Usually, we must bear fruit no matter what the season, or we will be cursed, dead, and withered to our roots (Mk 11:20). Sometimes, however, the Lord will give us a little more time to bear fruit (Lk 13:7-9) before we are cut down or cut off to be thrown into the fire (Jn 15:6).

To bear fruit, we must simply live in Jesus and He in us (Jn 15:5). Then the Holy Spirit will produce in us the fruit of holiness (Gal 5:22-23). As a result, holy people lift up Jesus and thereby produce the fruit of evangelization as Jesus draws all people to Himself (Jn 12:32). As these holy evangelizers die more deeply to themselves, they produce even more abundant fruit (Jn 12:24).

Give Jesus joy as He inspects your holy harvest of souls.

Prayer: Father, I will sow the tears of repentance and reap in joy (see Ps 126:5).

Promise: "These also were godly men whose virtues have not been forgotten; their wealth remains in their families, their heritage with their descendants." —Sir 44:10-11

Praise: St. Justin was a pagan philosopher who converted to Christianity. Hungry for truth, he defended the faith before the Roman Emperor and Senate and accepted martyrdom as a sacrifice to He Who is Truth.

Compline -- Night Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

This is an excellent moment for an examination of conscience. In a communal celebration of Compline, one of the penitential acts given in the Missal may be recited.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 87 (88)
The prayer of one gravely ill
I cry out to you, Lord, by day and by night.
Lord God, my saviour, I have cried out to you by day and by night. Let my prayer come before you: turn your ear to my request. For my soul is full of evils, my life has come close to its end. I am counted with those who go down to the pit: I am left without help. I am one of the dead, like the murdered who sleep in their tombs, who lie there forgotten, cut off from your care. You have thrust me down into the pit, to the gloom and the shadow of death. Your anger weighs heavy upon me; you have drowned me under your waves. You have taken my friends away from me: you have made me hateful in their sight, I am shut in, I may not go out. My eyes are weak from my sufferings. I have called to you, Lord, all the day; I have stretched out my hands to you. Is it for the dead that you perform your wonders? Will the ghosts rise up and proclaim you? In the tomb, will they tell of your kindness? Will they tell of your faithfulness in the place of the lost? Will your wonders be known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of oblivion? And so I have called out to you, Lord, and in the morning my prayer will come before you. With what purpose, Lord, do you reject my soul? Why do you hide your face from me? I am poor; from my youth I have been dying; I have borne the terrors you sent, I am lost in confusion. Your anger has overrun me, your terrors have broken me: they have flowed round me like water, they have besieged me all the day long. You have taken my friends and those close to me: all I have left is shadows. 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.
I cry out to you, Lord, by day and by night.

Reading	(Jeremiah 14:9)
You, Lord, are in our midst, and we are called by your name; therefore do not abandon us, Lord, our God.

Short Responsory	?
Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

Canticle	Nunc Dimittis
Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.
Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace. You have fulfilled your promise. My own eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples. A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness; the glory of your people Israel. 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.
Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

Prayer
Let us pray. Lord, let us be so united with your only Son that we become worthy to rise with him into new life, who lives and reigns for ever and ever, Amen.

May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.

A M E N

An antiphon to Our Lady should be recited here.

Mk 11:11-26
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
11	And he entered into Jerusalem, into the temple: and having viewed all things round about, when now the eventide was come, he went out to Bethania with the twelve.	et introivit Hierosolyma in templum et circumspectis omnibus cum iam vespera esset hora exivit in Bethania cum duodecim
12	And the next day when they came out from Bethania, he was hungry.	et alia die cum exirent a Bethania esuriit
13	And when he had seen afar off a fig tree having leaves, he came, if perhaps he might find any thing on it. And when he was come to it, he found nothing but leaves. For it was not the time for figs.	cumque vidisset a longe ficum habentem folia venit si quid forte inveniret in ea et cum venisset ad eam nihil invenit praeter folia non enim erat tempus ficorum
14	And answering he said to it: May no man hereafter eat fruit of thee any more for ever! And his disciples heard it.	et respondens dixit ei iam non amplius in aeternum quisquam fructum ex te manducet et audiebant discipuli eius
15	And they came to Jerusalem. And when he was entered into the temple, he began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple: and over threw the tables of the moneychangers and the chairs of them that sold doves.	et veniunt Hierosolymam et cum introisset templum coepit eicere vendentes et ementes in templo et mensas nummulariorum et cathedras vendentium columbas evertit
16	And he suffered not that any man should carry a vessel through the temple.	et non sinebat ut quisquam vas transferret per templum
17	And he taught, saying to them: Is it not written: My house shall be called the house of prayer to all nations, but you have made it a den of thieves.	et docebat dicens eis non scriptum est quia domus mea domus orationis vocabitur omnibus gentibus vos autem fecistis eam speluncam latronum
18	Which when the chief priests and the scribes had heard, they sought how they might destroy him. For they feared him, because the whole multitude was in admiration at his doctrine.	quo audito principes sacerdotum et scribae quaerebant quomodo eum perderent timebant enim eum quoniam universa turba admirabatur super doctrina eius
19	And when evening was come, he went forth out of the city.	et cum vespera facta esset egrediebatur de civitate
20	And when they passed by in the morning they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.	et cum mane transirent viderunt ficum aridam factam a radicibus
21	And Peter remembering, said to him: Rabbi, behold the fig tree which thou didst curse is withered away.	et recordatus Petrus dicit ei rabbi ecce ficus cui maledixisti aruit
22	And Jesus answering, saith to them: Have the faith of God.	et respondens Iesus ait illis habete fidem Dei
23	Amen I say to you that whosoever shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed and be cast into the sea, and shall not stagger in his heart, but be believe that whatsoever he saith shall be done; it shall be done unto him.	amen dico vobis quicumque dixerit huic monti tollere et mittere in mare et non haesitaverit in corde suo sed crediderit quia quodcumque dixerit fiat fiet ei
24	Therefore I say unto you, all things, whatsoever you ask when ye pray, believe that you shall receive: and they shall come unto you.	propterea dico vobis omnia quaecumque orantes petitis credite quia accipietis et veniet vobis
25	And when you shall stand to pray, forgive, if you have aught against any man: that your Father also, who is in heaven, may forgive you your sins.	et cum stabitis ad orandum dimittite si quid habetis adversus aliquem ut et Pater vester qui in caelis est dimittat vobis peccata vestra
26	But if you will not forgive, neither will your father that is in heaven forgive you your sins.	quod si vos non dimiseritis nec Pater vester qui in caelis est dimittet vobis peccata vestra

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