Posted on 07/08/2008 10:15:25 PM PDT by Salvation
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Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week
in Ordinary Time
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Reading 1
Hos 10:1-3, 7-8, 12
Israel is a luxuriant vine
whose fruit matches its growth.
The more abundant his fruit,
the more altars he built;
The more productive his land,
the more sacred pillars he set up.
Their heart is false,
now they pay for their guilt;
God shall break down their altars
and destroy their sacred pillars.
If they would say,
We have no king
Since they do not fear the LORD,
what can the king do for them?
The king of Samaria shall disappear,
like foam upon the waters.
The high places of Aven shall be destroyed,
the sin of Israel;
thorns and thistles shall overgrow their altars.
Then they shall cry out to the mountains, Cover us!
and to the hills, Fall upon us!
Sow for yourselves justice,
reap the fruit of piety;
break up for yourselves a new field,
for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain down justice upon you.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (4b) Seek always the face of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
R. Seek always the face of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. Seek always the face of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Seek always the face of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Mt 10:1-7
Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew,
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot
who betrayed Jesus.
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Alleluia Ping List.
Please hold me in your prayers tomorrow at the hour of Mercy, 3:00 pn because I will be having outpatient heart surgery, atrial flutter ablation. More info here -- www.fluttertreatment.com I am also posting two days tonight, because I don't know if the doctor will keep me overnight in the hospital since my surgery is scheduled so late in the day. I'll catch up the threads later.
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Chaplet of the Most Precious Blood
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
FORMER PENTECOSTAL RELATES MIRACLE THAT OCCURRED WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
St.Gaspar:Founder of the Society of the Precious Blood[AKA The Hammer of Freemasons]
From: Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12
Israels idolatry
[7] Samarias king shall perish,
like a chip on the face of the waters.
[8] The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel,
shall be destroyed.
Thorn and thistle shall grow up
on their altars;
and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us,
and to the hills, Fall upon us.
Israel reproached for its pride
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Commentary:
10:1-15. Verses 1-2 summarize the underlying point in the passage: the weal-
thier Israel becomes, the more corrupt she is. The verbs to increase (v. 1) and
to bear guilt (v. 2) are in direct contrast to one another. The We have no king
(v. 3) and the kings being like a chip on the face of the waters (v. 7) refer to the
instability of the monarchy in the Northern kingdom: the period between 747
(when Jeroboam II died) to 721 (when Samaria fell to the Assyrians) saw a suc-
cession of six kings, who were puppets of Assyria or were assassinated by
usurpers. Hosea is quite right when he says they had no king to rule them. The
results of this anarchy are mentioned in vv. 4-8 — lots of empty talk, contracts
with no substance to them, unjust legal decisions; and the result of it all will he
that Assyria will destroy Israels altars, the monarchy will perish, and the people
will despair. Verses 9-10 probably hark back to the war when all the tribes turned
on the tribe of Benjamin to avenge the crime committed at Gibe-ah (cf. Judg 19:
1-20:48). Hosea must have regarded that crime and the war it led to (in which the
tribe of Benjamin was almost wiped out) as an archetype of the infamy and cruelty
that became so prevalent in later years. Verse 8 is quoted by our Lord when He
meets the women of Jerusalem on his way to Calvary (cf. Lk 23:20), and also in
Revelation 6:16, in the scene where the sixth seal is opened. The whole passage
is a reminder that material progress can also have negative consequences: Holy
Scripture teaches the human family what the experience of the ages confirms —
that while human progress is a great advantage to man, it brings with it a strong
temptation. For when the order of values is jumbled. and bad is mixed with the
good, individuals and groups pay heed solely to their own interests, and not to
those of others (Vatican II, Gaudium et spes, 37).
The second stanza comprises a parable (vv.11-13) which recalls the first days of
Israel, the years in the wilderness, as being a golden age the stanza continues
(vv. 13-15) with a passage that reveals how disappointed God feels; there are
references here to recent events — the siege of Beth-arbel by Shalman, a Moabite
king (v. 14) and unlawful cults at Bethel (v. 15; note w). The underlying theme is
that of the whole book: the people put their trust in their own resources (cf. v. 13),
neglecting to seek the Lord (cf. v. 12).
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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 10:1-7
The Calling and First Mission of the Apostles
[5] These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, “Go nowhere among the Gen-
tiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, [6] but go rather to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel. [7] And preach as you go, saying, `The Kingdom of Heaven
is at hand.’”
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Commentary:
1-4. Jesus calls His twelve Apostles after recommending to them to pray to the
Lord to send laborers into His harvest (cf. Matthew 9:38). Christians’ apostolic
action should always, then, be preceded and accompanied by a life of constant
prayer: apostolate is a divine affair, not a merely human one. Our Lord starts His
Church by calling twelve men to be, as it were, twelve patriarchs of the new peo-
ple of God, the Church. This new people is established not by physical but by
spiritual generation. The names of those Apostles are specifically mentioned
here. They were not scholarly, powerful or important people: they were average,
ordinary people who responded faithfully to the grace of their calling—all of them,
that is, except Judas Iscariot. Even before His death and resurrection Jesus con-
fers on them the power to cast out unclean spirits and cure illnesses—as an
earnest of and as training for the saving mission which He will entrust to them.
The Church reveres these first Christians in a very special way and is proud to
carry on their supernatural mission, and to be faithful to the witness they bore to
the teaching of Christ. The true Church is absent unless there is uninterrupted
apostolic succession and identification with the spirit which the Apostles made
their own.
“Apostle”: this word means “sent”; Jesus sent them out to preach His Kingdom
and pass on His teaching.
The Second Vatican Council, in line with Vatican I, “confesses” and “declares”
that the Church has a hierarchical structure: “The Lord Jesus, having prayed at
length to the Father, called to Himself those whom He willed and appointed
twelve to be with Him, whom He might send to preach the Kingdom of God (cf.
Mark 3:13-19: Matthew 10:1-10). These Apostles (cf. Luke 6:13) He constituted
in the form of a college or permanent assembly, at the head of which He placed
Peter, chosen from among them (cf. John 21:15-17). He sent them first of all to
the children of Israel and then to all peoples (cf. Romans 1:16), so that, sharing
in His power, they might make all peoples His disciples and sanctify and govern
them (cf. Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:45-48; John 20:21-23) and thus
spread the Church and, administering it under the guidance of the Lord, shepherd
it all days until the end of the world (cf. Matthew 28:28)” (”Lumen Gentium”, 19).
1. In this chapter St. Matthew describes how Jesus, with a view to the spreading
of the Kingdom of God which He inaugurates, decides to establish a Church,
which He does by giving special powers and training to these twelve men who are
its seed.
5-15. After revealing His intention to found the Church by choosing the Twelve
(verses 1-4), in the present passage He shows that He intends to start training
these first Apostles. In other words, from early on in His public ministry He be-
gan to lay the foundations of His Church.
Everyone needs doctrinal and apostolic training to follow his Christian calling.
The Church has a duty to teach, and the faithful have a parallel duty to make
that teaching their own. Therefore, every Christian should avail of the facilities
for training which the Church offers him—which will vary according to each per-
son’s circumstances.
5-6. In His plan of salvation God gave certain promises (to Abraham and the pa-
triarchs), a Covenant and a Law (the Law of Moses), and sent the prophets. The
Messiah would be born into this chosen people, which explains why the Messiah
and the Kingdom of God were to be preached to the house of Israel before being
preached to the Gentiles. Therefore, in their early apprenticeship, Jesus restricts
the Apostles’ area of activity to the Jews, without this taking from the world-wide
scope of the Church’s mission. As we will see, much later on He charges them
to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19); “Go into all the world
and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:16). The Apostles also,
in the early days of the spread of the Church, usually sought out the Jewish com-
munity in any new city they entered, and preached first to them (cf. Acts 13:46).
*********************************************************************************************
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.
Are you referring to something on the Daily Readings thread?
| First reading | Hosea 10:1 - 12 © |
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| Israel was a luxuriant vine yielding plenty of fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; the richer his land became, the richer he made the sacred stones. Their heart is a divided heart; very well, they must pay for it: the Lord is going to break their altars down and destroy their sacred stones. Then they will say, We have no king because we have not feared the Lord. But what can a king do for us? Samaria has had her day. Her king is like a straw drifting on the water. The idolatrous high places shall be destroyed that sin of Israel; thorn and thistle will grow on their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, Cover us! and to the hills, Fall on us! Sow integrity for yourselves, reap a harvest of kindness, break up your fallow ground: it is time to go seeking the Lord until he comes to rain salvation on you. |
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| Psalm or canticle: Psalm 104 |
| Gospel | Matthew 10:1 - 7 © |
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| Jesus summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows: Do not turn your steps to pagan territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. |
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| Wednesday, July 9, 2008 Weekday |
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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. |
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.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 38 (39) |
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| A prayer in sickness |
| I said, I will watch my ways, I will try not to sin in my speech. I will set a guard on my mouth, for as long as my enemies are standing against me. I stayed quiet and dumb, spoke neither evil nor good, but my pain was renewed. My heart grew hot within me, and fire blazed in my thoughts. Then I spoke out loud: Lord, make me know my end. Let me know the number of my days, so that I know how short my life is to be. All the length of my days is a handsbreadth or two, the expanse of my life is as nothing before you. For in your sight all men are nothingness: man passes away, like a shadow. Nothingness, although he is busy: he builds up treasure, but who will collect it? 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. |
| Psalm 38 (39) |
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| What, now, can I look forward to, Lord? My hope is in you. Rescue me from all my sins, do not make me a thing for fools to laugh at. I have sworn to be dumb, I will not open my mouth: for it is at your hands that I am suffering. Aim your blows away from me, for I am crushed by the weight of your hand. You rebuke and chastise us for our sins. Like the moth you consume all we desire for all men are nothingness. Listen, Lord, to my prayer: turn your ear to my cries. Do not be deaf to my weeping, for I come as a stranger before you, a wanderer like my fathers before me. Turn away from me, give me respite, before I leave this world, before I am no more. 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. |
| Psalm 51 (52) |
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| Against calumny |
| Why do you take pride in your malice, you expert in evil-doing? All day long you plan your traps, your tongue is sharp as a razor you master of deceit! You have chosen malice over kindness; you speak lies rather than the truth; your tongue is in love with every deceit. For all this, in the end God will destroy you. He will tear you out and expel you from your dwelling, uproot you from the land of the living. The upright will see and be struck with awe: they will deride the evil-doer. Here is the man who did not make God his refuge, but put his hope in the abundance of his riches and in the power of his stratagems. But I flourish like an olive in the palace of God. I hope in the kindness of God, for ever, and through all ages. I shall praise you for all time for what you have done. I shall put my hope in your name and in its goodness in the sight of your chosen ones. 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. |
| Reading | 2 Samuel 24:1 - 25 © |
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| The anger of the Lord once again blazed out against the Israelites and he incited David against them. Go, he said take a census of Israel and Judah. The king said to Joab and to the senior army officers who were with him, Now go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and take a census of the people; I wish to know the size of the population. Joab said to the king, May the Lord your God multiply the people a hundred times while my lord the king still has eyes to see it, but why should my lord the king be so set on this? But the king enforced his order on Joab and the senior officers, and Joab and the senior officers went from the kings presence to take a census of the people of Israel. But afterwards Davids heart misgave him for having taken a census of the people. I have committed a grave sin David said to the Lord. But now, the Lord, I beg you to forgive your servant for this fault. I have been very foolish. But when David got up next morning, the following message had come from the Lord to the prophet Gad, Davids seer, Go and say to David, the Lord says this: I offer you three things; choose one of them for me to do to you. So Gad went to David and told him. Are three years of famine to come on you in your country he said or will you flee for three months before your pursuing enemy, or would you rather have three days pestilence in your country? Now think, and decide how I am to answer him who sends me. David said to Gad, This is a hard choice. But let us rather fall into the power of the Lord, since his mercy is great, and not into the power of men. So David chose pestilence. It was the time of the wheat harvest. The Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning till the time appointed and plague ravaged the people, and from Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of them died. The angel stretched out his hand towards Jerusalem to destroy it, but the Lord thought better of this evil, and he said to the angel who was destroying the people, Enough! Now withdraw your hand. The angel of the Lord was beside the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. When David saw the angel who was ravaging the people, he spoke to the Lord. It was I who sinned; he said I who did this wicked thing. But these, this flock, what have they done? Let your hand lie heavy on me then, and on my family. Gad went to David that day and said, Go up and erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David paid fifty shekels in silver for the threshing-floor and oxen. David built an altar to the Lord there and offered holocausts and communion sacrifices. Then the Lord took pity on the country and the plague was turned away from Israel. |
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| Reading | From the ancient document entitled "The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" |
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| The Eucharist | |
| Celebrate the Eucharist as follows: Say over the cup: we give you thanks, Father, for the holy vine of David, your servant, which you made known to us through Jesus your servant. To you be glory for ever. Over the broken bread say: we give you thanks, Father, for the life and the knowledge which you have revealed to us through Jesus your servant. To you be glory for ever. As this broken bread scattered on the mountains was gathered and became one, so too, may your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom. For glory and power are yours through Jesus Christ for ever. Do not let anyone eat or drink of your eucharist except those who have been baptised in the name of the Lord. For the statement of the Lord applies here also: Do not give to dogs what is holy. When you finish the meal, offer thanks in this manner: We thank you, holy Father, for your name which you enshrined in our hearts. We thank you for the knowledge and faith and immortality which you revealed to us through your servant Jesus. To you be glory for ever. Almighty ruler, you created all things for the sake of your name; you gave men food and drink to enjoy so that they might give you thanks. Now you have favoured us through Jesus your servant with spiritual food and drink as well as with eternal life. Above all we thank you because you are mighty. To you be glory for ever. Remember, Lord, your Church and deliver her from all evil. Perfect her in your love; and, once she has been sanctified, gather her together from the four winds into the kingdom which you have prepared for her. For power and glory are yours for ever. May grace come and this world pass away! Hosanna to the God of David. If anyone is holy, let him come. If anyone is not, let him repent. Maranatha. Amen. On the Lords day, when you have been gathered together, break bread and celebrate the Eucharist. But first confess your sins so that your offering may be pure. If anyone has a quarrel with his neighbour, that person should not join you until he has been reconciled. Your sacrifice must not be defiled. In this regard, the Lord has said: In every place and time offer me a pure sacrifice. I am a great king, says the Lord, and my name is great among the nations. |
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| Concluding Prayer |
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| O God, the world had fallen flat in the dust but your Sons humility stood it upright once more. Fill your faithful people with a holy joy: take those whom you have torn away from slavery to sin and make them rejoice eternally. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. |

Collect: All-powerful, ever-living God, turn our weakness into strength. As you gave your martyrs Augustine Zhao Rong and his companions the courage to suffer death for Christ, give us the courage to live in faithful witness to you. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Optional Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong, priest and companions, Chinese martyrs
Saint Augustine Zhao Rong was a Chinese diocesan priest who was martyred with his 119 companions in 1815. Among their number was an eighteen year old boy, Chi Zhuzi, who cried out to those who had just cut off his right arm and were preparing to flay him alive: "Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian." This optional memorial is new to the USA liturgical calendar and will be inscribed on July 9.
The 120 martyrs in this group died between 1648 and 1930. Most of them (eighty-seven) were born in China and were children, parents, catechists or laborers, ranging from nine years of age to seventy-two. This group includes four Chinese diocesan priests.
The thirty-three foreign-born martyrs were mostly priests or women religious, especially from the Order of Preachers, the Paris Foreign Mission Society, the Friars Minor, Jesuits, Salesians and Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.
Augustine Zhao Rong was a Chinese soldier who accompanied Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse (Paris Foreign Mission Society) to his martyrdom in Beijing. Augustine was baptized and not long after was ordained as a diocesan priest. He was martyred in 1815.
Beatified in groups at various times, these 120 martyrs were canonized in Rome on October 1, 2000.
Saint of the Day, Leonard Foley, O.F.M.
Things to Do:
St. Augustine Zhao Rong,
Priest and martyr & his companions, martyrs
Optional Memorial
July 9th

from the Vatican Website
Saint Augustine Zhao Rong was a Chinese diocesan priest who was martyred with his 119 companions in 1815. Among their number was an eighteen-year-old boy, Chi Zhuzi, who cried out to those who had just cut off his right arm and were preparing to flay him alive: "Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian."
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003Collect:
from the Common of Martryrs or PastorsFirst Reading: 1 John 5:1-5
Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and every one who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Gospel Reading: John 12:24-26
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him.
I pray that Jesus will heal you.
My prayers and thoughts are with you.
| Mt 10:1-7 | ||
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| # | Douay-Rheims | Vulgate |
| 1 | And having called his twelve disciples together, he gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of diseases, and all manner of infirmities. | et convocatis duodecim discipulis suis dedit illis potestatem spirituum inmundorum ut eicerent eos et curarent omnem languorem et omnem infirmitatem |
| 2 | And the names of the twelve Apostles are these: The first, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, | duodecim autem apostolorum nomina sunt haec primus Simon qui dicitur Petrus et Andreas frater eius |
| 3 | James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the publican, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, | Iacobus Zebedaei et Iohannes frater eius Philippus et Bartholomeus Thomas et Mattheus publicanus et Iacobus Alphei et Thaddeus |
| 4 | Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. | Simon Cananeus et Iudas Scariotes qui et tradidit eum |
| 5 | These twelve Jesus sent: commanding them, saying: Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the city of the Samaritans enter ye not. | hos duodecim misit Iesus praecipiens eis et dicens in viam gentium ne abieritis et in civitates Samaritanorum ne intraveritis |
| 6 | But go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. | sed potius ite ad oves quae perierunt domus Israhel |
| 7 | And going, preach, saying: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. | euntes autem praedicate dicentes quia adpropinquavit regnum caelorum |

Hello, everyone,
I just got home and the surgery went well. More tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers.
Home right now. More tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers.
So happy to hear you are back. I hope you’re doing well, and my prayers continue with you.
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.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 76 (77) |
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| Remembering the works of the Lord |
| I cried out loud to the Lord, cried out to God, and he turned to me. In my time of trouble I sought for God, my hands stretched out all night long, tireless in supplication. My soul will not be consoled: I think of God, and I sigh; I meditate, and my spirit fails. You have kept me awake, my eyes open; in my distress, I did not speak. I pondered on the days of old, thought through the immemorial years. In the night I meditated in my heart. I was troubled, and I asked my soul: Will God reject you for ever, will he never again take you into his favour? Has his kindness ended for ever, his word come to an end for all generations? Will God forget to show mercy, will he lock up his mercies in his anger? And I said, I am wounded indeed, that the Most High has changed. I will remember the works of the Lord. I will remember your wonders, from the beginning. I will ponder on all you have done, think deeply through all your great deeds. O God, your ways are holy: what god is as great as our God? You are God, you work wonders, you made known your strength to your people. By your own action you redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and of Joseph. The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and writhed, stirred up even to their depths. The clouds poured down water, the clouds sounded their voice, your arrows shot forth. Your voice thundered in the whirlwind, your lightnings lit up the world, the earth trembled and shook. Your way led through the sea, your paths through the great waters, your steps left no trace behind them. You led your people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron. 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. |
| Canticle | 1 Samuel 2 |
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| The song of Hannah, mother of Samuel | |
| My heart rejoices in the Lord, my strength is raised up in the name of my God. I cry out in triumph over my enemies as I rejoice in your deliverance. No-one is like the Lord, for he is holy; no-one is like our God, for he is strong. Do not pile boasting upon boasting: keep proud words far from your mouth, for the Lord is the God of all knowledge and the judge of all actions. The bow of the mighty is broken, and the weak are clothed in strength. Those who fed well must hire themselves out, for bread; but the hungry are hungry no longer. The barren woman has given birth to many; but she who had many sons is left desolate. The Lord brings death and brings life; he leads down to the underworld and rescues from it. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he lays low and raises up. He lifts the needy from the dust and the poor from the dunghill to sit among princes to sit on the throne of glory. To the Lord belong the poles of the earth; from them he has suspended the world. He will keep safe the feet of his chosen, but the impious will be silent in the darkness for it is not by his own strength that a man becomes strong. The Lord grinds down his enemies: he will thunder on them from the heavens. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth, give dominion to his king, and raise up the standard of his anointed one. 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. |
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| Psalm 96 (97) |
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| The glory of God in his judgements |
| The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice, let the many islands be glad. Clouds and dark mist surround him, his throne is founded on law and justice. Fire precedes him, burning up his enemies all around. His lightnings light up the globe; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains flow like wax at the sight of the Lord, at the sight of the Lord the earth dissolves. The heavens proclaim his justice and all peoples see his glory. Let them be dismayed, who worship carved things, who take pride in the images they make. All his angels, worship him. Sion heard and was glad, the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of your judgements, O Lord. For you are the Lord, the Most High over all the earth, far above all other gods. You who love the Lord, hate evil! The Lord protects the lives of his consecrated ones: he will free them from the hands of sinners. A light has arisen for the just, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice, you just, in the Lord and proclaim his holiness. 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. |
| Short reading | Romans 8:35 - 37 © |
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| Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us. | |
| Canticle | Benedictus |
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| The Messiah and his forerunner | |
| Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear freed from the hands of our enemies in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. 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. |
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| 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 that trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. |
| Lord, send your light to shine in our hearts. May we always follow the path of your commandments and never stray from it. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. |
| May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life. |
| A M E N |
| By Name July 9, 2008 |
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Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
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Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Matthew 10:1-7 Introductory Prayer: You´ve done so much for me, Lord. Now I want to take this opportunity to spend time with you and listen to you. I know that you are always near, sustaining me. Let me be attentive to your voice and your inspirations to love those around me. Petition: Lord, give me the courage to carry out whatever you ask of me. 1. Deputized 2. Fail-proof? 3. Where Charity Begins Conversation with Christ: Lord, you know that family members can be the most trying people. After all, even your own relatives thought you were out of your mind (cf. Mark 3:21). What I need to remember is that other people probably find me difficult to get along with, too. All of us know one another´s faults very well. Help me to see and encourage the good points in others. Let me be your apostle of love at home. Resolution: I will do a special act of kindness for a family member. |