Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 09-11-12

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 09-11-12 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

September 11, 2012

Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 1 Cor 6:1-11

Brothers and sisters:
How can any one of you with a case against another
dare to bring it to the unjust for judgment
instead of to the holy ones?
Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world?
If the world is to be judged by you,
are you unqualified for the lowest law courts?
Do you not know that we will judge angels?
Then why not everyday matters?
If, therefore, you have courts for everyday matters,
do you seat as judges people of no standing in the Church?
I say this to shame you.
Can it be that there is not one among you wise enough
to be able to settle a case between brothers?
But rather brother goes to court against brother,
and that before unbelievers?

Now indeed then it is, in any case,
a failure on your part that you have lawsuits against one another.
Why not rather put up with injustice?
Why not rather let yourselves be cheated?
Instead, you inflict injustice and cheat, and this to brothers.
Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the Kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived;
neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers
nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves
nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers
will inherit the Kingdom of God.
That is what some of you used to be;
but now you have had yourselves washed, you were sanctified,
you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
and in the Spirit of our God.

 

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

Responsorial Psalm

R. (see 4) The Lord takes delight in his people.
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.
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.
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.

 

Gospel Lk 6:12-19

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.
A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.
Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him
because power came forth from him and healed them all.

[markomalley]

Sep 11, Midday Prayer for Tuesday of the 23rd week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:
Ordinary: 659
All from the Psalter: Tuesday, Week III, 1029 (Midday)

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 623
All from the Psalter: Tuesday, Week III, 993 (Midday)

Midday Prayer for Tuesday using Current Psalmody

God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy,
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
Be there at our labors, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.

Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hand swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
Be there at our homing, and give us we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.

“Lord of All Hopefulness”; Words: Jan Struther (20thC); Music: Slane Irish ballad melody
Lord of All Hopefulness by Saint Clement’s Choir is available from Amazon.com

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Law finds its fulfillment in love.

Psalm 119
XIII (Mem)

Lord, how I love your law!
It is ever in my mind.
Your command makes me wiser than my foes;
for it is mine for ever.

I have more insight than all who teach me
for I ponder your will.
I have more understanding than the old
for I keep your precepts.

I turn my feet from evil paths
to obey your word.
I have not turned away from your decrees;
you yourself have taught me.

Your promise is sweeter to my taste
than honey in the mouth.
I gain understanding from your precepts;
I hate the ways of falsehood.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Make us so love your law, Father, as to ponder it continually in our hearts. May it bear fruit in works acceptable to you.

Ant. Law finds its fulfillment in love.

Ant. 2 Lord, remember your people, whom you chose from the beginning.

Psalm 74
Lament for the destruction of the Temple
Do not fear those who can only kill the body (Matthew 10:28).

I

Why, O God, have you cast us off for ever?
Why blaze with anger against the sheep of your pasture?
Remember your people whom you chose long ago,
the tribe you redeemed to be your own possession,
the mountains of Zion where you made your dwelling.

Turn your steps to these places that are utterly ruined!
The enemy has laid waste to the whole of the sanctuary.
Your foes have made uproar in your house of prayer:
they have set up their emblems, their foreign emblems,
high above the entrance to the sanctuary.

Their axes have battered the wood of its doors.
They have struck together with hatchet and pickaxe.
O God, they have set your sanctuary on fire:
they have razed and profaned the place where you dwell.

They said in their hearts: “Let us utterly crush them:
let us burn every shrine of God in the land.”
There is no sign from God, nor have we a prophet,
we have no one to tell us how long it will last.

How long, O God, is the enemy to scoff ?
Is the foe to insult your name for ever?
Why, O Lord, do you hold back your hand?
Why do you keep your right hand hidden?
Yet God is our king from time past,
the giver of help through all the land.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Lord, remember your people, whom you chose from the beginning.

Ant. 3 Rise up, Lord; defend your cause.

II

It was you who divided the sea by your might,
who shattered the heads of the monsters in the sea.

It was you who crushed Leviathan’s heads
and gave him as food to the untamed beasts.
It was you who opened springs and torrents;
it was you who dried up ever-flowing rivers.

Yours is the day and yours is the night.
It was you who appointed the light and the sun:
it was you who fixed the bounds of the earth:
you who made both summer and winter.

Remember this, Lord, and see the enemy scoffing;
a senseless people insults your name.
Do not give Israel, your dove, to the hawk
nor forget the life of your poor ones for ever.

Remember your covenant; every cave in the land
is a place where violence makes its home.
Do not let the oppressed return disappointed;
let the poor and the needy bless your name.

Arise, O God, and defend your cause!
Remember how the senseless revile you all the day.
Do not forget the clamor of your foes,
the daily increasing uproar of your foes.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Lord, our faithful God, you permitted the temple of the old covenant to be destroyed and your people to be persecuted by unbelievers. Do not forget the new covenant sealed with the blood of your Son. Make the Church your spiritual house and make us living stones built upon Christ so that a full and true temple may be founded at last.

Ant. Rise up, Lord; defend your cause.

READING Deuteronomy 15:7-8

If one of your kinsmen in any community is in need in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor close your hand to him in his need. Instead, you shall open your hand to him and freely lend him enough to meet his need.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

You have given the poor their heart’s desire.
– You comfort them and bend down to hear their prayer.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Lord God,
you made known to Peter
your desire to bring all nations to salvation.
Let all our work give you praise
and carry out your loving plan.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.

[markomalley]

Sep 11, Evening Prayer for Tuesday of the 23rd week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:
Ordinary: 668
All from the Psalter: Tuesday, Week III, 1034

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 694
All from the Psalter: Tuesday, Week III, 882

Evening Prayer for Tuesday in Ordinary Time

God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down;
fix in us thy humble dwelling;
all thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit
into every troubled breast!
Let us all in thee inherit;
let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver,
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.

Finish, then, thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee;
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.

“Love divine all loves excelling”; Words: Charles Wesley, 1747. Music: John Zundel, 1870
Love divine all loves excelling by Steven Anderson is available from Amazon.com.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 The Lord surrounds his people with his strength.

Psalm 125
The Lord, guardian of his people
Peace to God’s true Israel (Galatians 6:16).

Those who put their trust in the Lord
are like Mount Zion, that cannot be shaken,
that stands for ever.

Jerusalem! The mountains surround her,
so the Lord surrounds his people
both now and for ever.

For the scepter of the wicked shall not rest
over the land of the just
for fear that the hands of the just
should turn to evil.

Do good, Lord, to those who are good,
to the upright of heart;

but the crooked and those who do evil,
drive them away!
On Israel, peace!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Surround your people, Lord, within the safety of your Church, which you preserve on its rock foundation. Do not let us stretch out our hands to evil deeds, nor be destroyed by the insidious snares of the enemy, but bring us to share the lot of the saints in light.

Ant. The Lord surrounds his people with his strength.

Ant. 2 Unless you acquire the heart of a child, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Psalm 131
Childlike trust in God
Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart (Matthew 11:29).

O Lord, my heart is not proud
nor haughty my eyes.
I have not gone after things too great
nor marvels beyond me.

Truly I have set my soul
in silence and peace.
As a child has rest in its mother’s arms,
even so is my soul.

O Israel, hope in the Lord
both now and for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Lord Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, you declared that whoever receives a little child in your name receives you, and you promised your kingdom to those who are like children. Never let pride reign in our hearts, but may the Father’s compassion reward and embrace all who willingly bear your gentle yoke.

Ant. Unless you acquire the heart of a child, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Ant. 3 Lord, you have made us a kingdom and priests for God our Father.

Canticle — Revelation 4:11; 5:9, 10, 12
Redemption hymn

O Lord our God, you are worthy
to receive glory and honor and power.

For you have created all things;
by your will they came to be and were made.

Worthy are you, O Lord,
to receive the scroll and break open its seals.

For you were slain;
with your blood you purchased for God
men of every race and tongue,
of every people and nation.

You made of them a kingdom,
and priests to serve our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches,
wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and praise.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Lord, you have made us a kingdom and priests for God our Father.

READING Romans 12:9-12

Your love must be sincere. Detest what is evil, cling to what is good. Love one another with the affection of brothers. Anticipate each other in showing respect. Do not grow slack but be fervent in spirit; he whom you serve is the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient under trial, persevere in prayer.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

RESPONSORY

Through all eternity, O Lord, your promise stands unshaken.
– Through all eternity, O Lord, your promise stands unshaken.

Your faithfulness will never fail;
– your promise stands unshaken.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– Through all eternity, O Lord, your promise stands unshaken.

CANTICLE OF MARY

Ant. My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

INTERCESSIONS

God establishes his people in hope. Let us cry out to him with joy:
– You are the hope of your people, Lord.

We thank you, Lord,
because in Christ you have given us all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
– You are the hope of your people, Lord.

O God, in your hands are the hearts of the powerful; bestow your wisdom upon government leaders,
may they draw from the fountain of your counsel and please you in thought and deed.
– You are the hope of your people, Lord.

The talents of artists reflect your splendor,
may their work give the world hope and joy.
– You are the hope of your people, Lord.

You do not allow us to be tested beyond our ability,
strengthen the weak and raise up the fallen.
– You are the hope of your people, Lord.

Through your Son you promised to raise men up on the Last Day,
do not forget those who have died.
– You are the hope of your people, Lord.

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 who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Concluding Prayer

Lord,
may our evening prayer rise up to you,
and your blessing come down upon us.
May your help and salvation be ours
now and through all eternity.
We ask 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.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.

[markomalley]

Sep 11, Night Prayer for Tuesday of the 23rd week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours:
Vol I, Page 1178
Vol II, Page 1635
Vol III, Page 1278
Vol IV, Page 1242

Christian Prayer:
Page 1044

Night Prayer for Tuesday

God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

Examination of conscience:

We are called to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men, in our hearts and in our minds, in our actions and inactions. To do so, it is vital that we examine our conscience daily and to ask for God’s mercy as we fall short and to ask for His strength to do better.

Lord Jesus,
you have shown us the way to the Father:
Lord, have mercy.
– Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus,
you have given us the consolation of the truth:
Christ, have mercy.
– Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus,
you are the good shepherd,
leading us into everlasting life:
Lord, have mercy.
– Lord, have mercy.

HYMN

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want;
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil;
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the
Lord forever.

Psalm 23 by Melinda Kirigin-Voss
“Psalm 23? performed by Melinda Kirigin-Voss is available from Amazon.com

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Do not hide your face from me; in you I put my trust.

Psalm 143
Prayer in distress
Only by faith in Jesus Christ is a man made holy in God’s sight. No observance of the law can achieve this (Galatians 2:16).

Lord, listen to my prayer:
turn your ear to my appeal.
You are faithful, you are just; give answer.
Do not call your servant to judgment
for no one is just in your sight.

The enemy pursues my soul;
he has crushed my life to the ground;
he has made me dwell in darkness
like the dead, long forgotten.
Therefore my spirit fails;
my heart is numb within me.

I remember the days that are past:
I ponder all your works.
I muse on what your hand has wrought
and to you I stretch out my hands.
Like a parched land my soul thirsts for you.

Lord, make haste and answer;
for my spirit fails within me.
Do not hide your face
lest I become like those in the grave.

In the morning let me know your love
for I put my trust in you.
Make me know the way I should walk:
to you I lift up my soul.

Rescue me, Lord, from my enemies;
I have fled to you for refuge.
Teach me to do your will
for you, O Lord, are my God.
Let your good spirit guide me
in ways that are level and smooth.

For your name’s sake, Lord, save my life;
in your justice save my soul from distress.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Do not hide your face from me; in you I put my trust.

READING 1 Peter 5:8-9a

Stay sober and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, solid in your faith.

RESPONSORY

Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

You have redeemed us, Lord God of truth.
– I commend my spirit.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

CANTICLE OF SIMEON

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

Luke 2:29-32
Christ is the light of the nations and the glory of Israel

Lord, now you let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:

my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:

a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

Concluding Prayer

Lord,
fill this night with your radiance.
May we sleep in peace and rise with joy
to welcome the light of a new day in your name.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

BLESSING

May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death.
– Amen.

Antiphon or song in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary

[Salvation]

Information: Sts. Protus and Hyacinth

Feast Day:	September 11
Born:	3rd century AD
Died:	mid 3rd century AD, Rome
Major Shrine:	San Giovanni dei Fiorentini, as well as the chapel of the Propaganda College. Both in Rome.

[Salvation]

Interactive Saints for Kids

Blessed Louis of Thuringia

 
Feast Day: September 11
Born: (around) 1180 / Died: 1227

Louis was a German prince who married St. Elizabeth of Hungary when he was twenty-one and she was just fourteen. Their parents had arranged the marriage, as this was the custom.

But they both loved God, and he gave them great love for each other so that they were very happy together. Their joy increased when God gave them their three children. The youngest was Blessed Gertrude.

Louis helped his wife in her many works of charity for the poor. He also joined her in prayer each day. The people often saw their handsome prince and his lovely wife helping the poor.

Once Elizabeth brought a leper into their castle and looked after him in their bed. For a moment, when Louis saw that, he was angry. Then, suddenly, instead of the leper, he saw our crucified Lord lying there. This was proof of how much Jesus loved Elizabeth's charity. Then Louis built a big hospital for lepers.

One long, bitter cold winter, Louis was called away from his land to deal with some trouble. When he returned, Elizabeth was overjoyed. But the next year when Louis left on a Crusade to free the Holy Land from the Muslims he caught malaria on his way there, and soon was dying.

Because he had always been close to Jesus, the brave ruler was not frightened to die. He received the Last Sacraments and died peacefully in 1227.

[Salvation]

 

Catholic

Almanac:

Tuesday, September 11
Liturgical Color: Green
The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola was published in Rome on this day in 1548. Written by the devout saint for retreats, the exercises are still used by many to increase their personal piety and discern their vocation.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: September 11, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

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

ACTIVITIES

• Religion in the Home for Elementary School: September
• Religion in the Home for Preschool: September

PRAYERS

• September Devotion: Our Lady of Sorrows
• Collect from the Feast of Sts. Protus and Hyacinth

Ordinary Time: September 11th

Tuesday of the Twenty-Third Week of Ordinary Time

Old Calendar: Sts. Protus and Hyacinth, martyrs

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

---

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

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

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

Things to Do:

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

[annalex]

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 6
12.	And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and he passed the whole night in the prayer of God.	Factum est autem in illis diebus, exiit in montem orare, et erat pernoctans in oratione Dei.	εγενετο δε εν ταις ημεραις ταυταις εξηλθεν εις το ορος προσευξασθαι και ην διανυκτερευων εν τη προσευχη του θεου
13.	And when day was come, he called unto him his disciples; and he chose twelve of them (whom also he named apostles):	Et cum dies factus esset, vocavit discipulos suos : et elegit duodecim ex ipsis (quos et apostolos nominavit) :	και οτε εγενετο ημερα προσεφωνησεν τους μαθητας αυτου και εκλεξαμενος απ αυτων δωδεκα ους και αποστολους ωνομασεν
14.	Simon, whom he surnamed Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,	Simonem, quem cognominavit Petrum, et Andream fratrem ejus, Jacobum, et Joannem, Philippum, et Bartholomæum,	σιμωνα ον και ωνομασεν πετρον και ανδρεαν τον αδελφον αυτου ιακωβον και ιωαννην φιλιππον και βαρθολομαιον
15.	Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon who is called Zelotes,	Matthæum, et Thomam, Jacobum Alphæi, et Simonem, qui vocatur Zelotes,	ματθαιον και θωμαν ιακωβον τον του αλφαιου και σιμωνα τον καλουμενον ζηλωτην
16.	And Jude, the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who was the traitor.	et Judam Jacobi, et Judam Iscariotem, qui fuit proditor.	ιουδαν ιακωβου και ιουδαν ισκαριωτην ος και εγενετο προδοτης
17.	And coming down with them, he stood in a plain place, and the company of his disciples, and a very great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast both of Tyre and Sidon,	Et descendens cum illis, stetit in loco campestri, et turba discipulorum ejus, et multitudo copiosa plebis ab omni Judæa, et Jerusalem, et maritima, et Tyri, et Sidonis,	και καταβας μετ αυτων εστη επι τοπου πεδινου και οχλος μαθητων αυτου και πληθος πολυ του λαου απο πασης της ιουδαιας και ιερουσαλημ και της παραλιου τυρου και σιδωνος οι ηλθον ακουσαι αυτου και ιαθηναι απο των νοσων αυτων
18.	Who were come to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases. And they that were troubled with unclean spirits, were cured.	qui venerant ut audirent eum, et sanarentur a languoribus suis. Et qui vexabantur a spiritibus immundis, curabantur.	και οι οχλουμενοι υπο πνευματων ακαθαρτων και εθεραπευοντο
19.	And all the multitude sought to touch him, for virtue went out from him, and healed all.	Et omnis turba quærebat eum tangere : quia virtus de illo exibat, et sanabat omnes.	και πας ο οχλος εζητει απτεσθαι αυτου οτι δυναμις παρ αυτου εξηρχετο και ιατο παντας

(*) "οι ηλθον ακουσαι αυτου και ιαθηναι απο των νοσων αυτων" begins verse 18 in the translations.

[annalex]

12. And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
13. And when it was day, he called to him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
14. Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
15. Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
16. And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

GLOSS. When adversaries rose up against the miracles and teaching of Christ, He chose Apostles as defenders and witnesses of the truth, and prefaces their election with prayer; as it is said, And it came to pass, &c.

AMBROSE; Let not your ears be open to deceit, that you should think that the Son of God prays from want of strength, that He may obtain what He could not perform; for being Himself the Author of power, the Master of obedience, He leads us by His own example to the precepts of virtue.

CYRIL; Let us examine then in the actions which Jesus did, how He teaches us to be instant in prayer to God, going apart by ourselves, and in secret, no one seeing us; putting aside also our worldly cares, that the mind may be raised up to the height of divine contemplation and this we have marked in the fact, act, that Jesus went into a mountain apart to pray.

AMBROSE; Every where also He prays alone, for human wishes comprehend not the wisdom of God; and no one can be a partaker of the secrets of Christ. But not every one who prays ascends a mountain, he only who prays advancing from earthly things to higher, who is not anxious for the riches or honors of the world. All whose minds are raised above the world ascend the mountain. In the Gospel therefore you will find, that the disciples alone ascend the mountain with the Lord. But you, O Christian, have now the character given, the form prescribed which you should imitate; as it follows, And he continued all night in prayer to God. For what ought you to do for your salvation, when Christ continues all night in prayer for you?

CHRYS. Rise then you also at night time. The soul is then purer, the very darkness and great silence are in themselves enough to lead us to sorrow for our sins. But if you look upon the heaven itself studded with stars as with unnumbered eyes, if you think that they who wanton and do unjustly in day time are then nothing different from the dead, you will loathe all human undertakings. All these things serve to raise the mind. Vain-glory then disquiets not, no tumult of passion has the mastery; fire does not so destroy the rust of iron as nightly prayer the blight of sin. He whom the heat of the sun has fevered by day is refreshed by tile dew; nightly tears are better than any dew, and are proof against desire and fear. But if a man is not cherished by the dew we speak of, he withers in the day. Wherefore although you pray not much at night, pray once with watching, and it is enough; show that the night belongs not only to the body, but to the soul.

AMBROSE; But what does it become you to do when you would commence any work of piety, when Christ, about to send out His disciples, first prayed? for it follows, And when it was day, he called his disciples, &c. whom truly He destined to be the means of spreading the salvation of man through the world. Turn your eyes also to the heavenly council. Not the wise men, not the rich, not the noble, but He chose to send out fishermen and publicans, that they might not seem to turn men to their grace by riches or by the influence of power and rank, and that the force of truth, not the graces of oratory, might prevail.

CYRIL; But mark the great carefulness of the. Evangelist. He not only says that the holy Apostles were chosen, but he enumerates them by name, that no one should dare to insert any others in the catalogue; Simon, whom he also called Peter, and Andrew his brother.

THEOPHYL; He not only surnamed Peter first, but long before this, when he was brought by Andrew, it is said, You shall be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, a stone. But Luke, wishing to mention the names of the disciples, since it was necessary to call him Peter, wished shortly to imply that this was not his name before, but the Lord had given it to him.

EUSEB. The two next are James and John, as it follows, James and John, both indeed sons of Zebedee, who were also fishermen. After them he mentions Philip and Bartholomew. John says Philip was of Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. Bartholomew was a simple man, devoid of all worldly knowledge and guile. But Matthew was called from those who used to collect taxes; concerning whom he adds Matthew and Thomas.

THEOPHYL; Matthew places himself after his fellow-disciple Thomas, from humility, whereas by the other Evangelists he is put before him. It follows, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who is called Zelotes.

GLOSS. Because in truth he was of Cana in Galilee, which is interpreted zeal; and this is added to distinguish him from Simon Peter. It follows, Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

AUG. With respect to the name of Judas the brother of James, Luke seems to differ from Matthew, who calls him Thaddaeus. But what prevented a man from being called by two or three names? Judas the traitor is chosen, not unwittingly but knowingly, for Christ had indeed taken to Himself the weakness of man, and therefore refused not even this share of human infirmity. He was willing to be betrayed by His own Apostle, that you when betrayed by your friend may bear calmly your mistaken judgment, your kindness thrown away.

THEOPHYL; But in a mystical sense the mountain on which our Lord chose His disciples represents the loftiness of justice in which they were to be instructed, and which they were to preach to others; so also the law was given on a mountain.

CYRIL; But if we may learn the interpretation of the Apostles' names, know that Peter means, "loosening or knowing;" Andrew "glorious power," or "answering;" James, "apostle of grief;" John, "the grace of the Lord;" Matthew, "given;" Philip, "large mouth," or the "orifice of a torch;" Bartholomew, "the son of him who lets down water;" Thomas, "deep or twill;" James the son of Alphaeus, "supplanter of the step of life;" Judas, "confession;" Simon, "obedience."

17. And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judea, and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases,
18. And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.
19. And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

CYRIL; When the ordination of the Apostles was accomplished, and great numbers were collected together from the country of Judea, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, (who were idolaters,) he gave the Apostles their commission to be the teachers of the whole world, that they might recall the Jews from the bondage of the law, but the worshipers of devils from their Gentile errors to the knowledge of the truth. Hence it is said, And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and a great multitude from Judea, and the sea coast, &c.

THEOPHYL; By the sea coast he does not refer to the neighboring sea of Galilee, because this would not be accounted wonderful, but it is so called from the great sea, and therein also Tyre and Sidon may be comprehended, of which it follows, Both of Tyre and Sidon. And these states being Gentile, are purposely named here, to indicate how great was the fame and power of the Savior which had brought even the citizens of the coast to receive His healing and teaching. Hence it follows, Which came to hear him.

THEOPHYL. That is, for the cure of their souls; and that they might be healed of their diseases, that is, for the cure of their bodies.

CYRIL; But after that the High Priest had made publicly known His choice of Apostles, He did many and great miracles, that the Jews and Gentiles who had assembled might know that these were ere invested by Christ with the dignity of the Apostleship, and that He Himself was not as another man, but rather was God, as being the Incarnate Word. Hence it follows , And, the whole multitude sought to touch him, for there went virtue out of him. For Christ did not receive virtue from others, but since He was as by nature God oaf, sending out His own virtue upon the sick, He healed them all.

AMBROSE; But observe all things carefully, how He both ascends with His Apostles and descends to the multitude; for how could the multitude see Christ but in a lowly place. It follows him not to the lofty places, it ascends not the heights. Lastly, when He descends, He finds the sick, for in the high places there can be no sick.

THEOPHYL; You will scarcely find any where that the multitudes follow our Lord to the higher places, or that a sick person is healed on a mountain; but having quenched the fever of lust and lit the torch of knowledge each man approaches by degrees to the height of the virtues. But the multitudes which were able to touch the Lord are healed by the virtue of that touch, as formerly the leper is cleansed when our Lord touched him. The touch of the Savior then is the work of salvation, whom to touch is to believe on Him, to be touched is to be healed by His precious gifts.

Catena Aurea Luke 6

[annalex]

Christ and the Twelve Apostles

c. 1100
Tempera on wood, 130 x 150 cm
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona

[annalex]

Sts Simone and Jude Thaddeus

Workshop of Simone Martini

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: 1 Corinthians 6:1-11

23rd Week in Ordinary Time

“Do you not know?” (1 Corinthians 6:3)

After confronting the Corinthians on immoral practices, Paul took dead aim at the lawsuits that were spring­ing up between believers. Evidently, they were finding it hard to resolve their disputes as brothers and sisters in Christ and were resorting instead to the Roman legal system. So Paul asked three times “Do you not know … ?” to remind them of what life is supposed to be like when it is marked by the presence of the Holy Spirit!

What about you? Do you not know that the gospel is “the power of God for … salvation” (Romans 1:16)? Do you not know that you were “washed … sanctified … and justified in the name of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 6:11)? Do you not know that you really can “put away” your “old self” and “put on the new self,” created to be like God (Ephesians 4:22,24)? Of course you do! You just need to keep these central truths of the gospel in the forefront of your mind. Then you’ll find God’s presence and his power filling your heart.

Losing sight of the gospel not only waters down our experience of God’s presence, it also opens the door to other problems. Paul had to remind the Corinthians that they belonged to Christ not just so that they would have a more positive outlook but so that they would begin treating one another with respect. Paul knew that if they drew on the power of the Spirit they would find it so much easier to resolve their disputes peace­fully and lovingly.

This episode from the Corinthian church tells us how much we need the Holy Spirit. When we ask him to help keep us clear on the “Do-you­not-know” truths of Christianity, our lives change. We develop a heav­enly perspective that keeps us joyful despite our trouble. We naturally seek to be generous in our relation­ships. We are more able to let go of grudges and to forgive as Jesus has forgiven.

The gospel brings fullness of life, not just more of the same old life. So lift up your heart to the Lord and ask him to give you an even deeper reve­lation of all that is yours in Christ.

“Thank you, Father, for revealing the gospel of power, of transformation, and of freedom. Empower me, Lord, to live in the fullness of this gospel.”

Psalm 149:1-6, 9; Luke 6:12-19

[Salvation]

 

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for September 11, 2012:

“Even if we are not called to sell all that we have (Luke 18:22), we probably are called to not buy everything that it is possible to buy.” (Susan Vogt) What do you expect to spend money on today? Some items are essential but is there one purchase that you can skip?

[Salvation]

Vultus Christi

In the Crucible of Love

By

Father Mark

 on September 11, 2012 6:08 AM |

 

Stability Amidst Life's Chances and Changes

One of the most encouraging things about the lifelong journey of Mectilde de Bar is that she was often obliged to leave one place for another, to begin afresh, and to adapt to new circumstances. Again and again she experienced change, keeping always her heart fixed where true joys are found: in the adorable Sacrament of the Altar, as in the heavenly sanctuary not made by hands. For me, Mother Mectilde is the model of what the Church asks in the Collect of the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost:

Deus, qui fidelium mentes unius efficis voluntatis, da populis tuis id amare quod praecipis, id desiderare quod promittis: ut inter mundanas varietates ibi nostra fixa sint corda, ubi vera sunt gaudia.

O God, who makest the minds of the faithful to be of one will, grant to Thy people to love that which Thou commandest and desire that which Thou dost promise; that so, among the changing things of this world, our hearts may be set where true joys are to be found.

Trust and Perseverance

In times of social upheaval and unrest, as in times of upheaval and unrest in the Church, such as I lived through in the 1960s and 70s, the ideal of monastic stability is often shattered against the jagged rocks of reality. Happily, God calls a man, not to an ideal, but to utter trust in Him and to humble perseverance in the face of things as they are -- imperfect, gritty, and disappointing -- even if this means beginning afresh over and over again. For me, Catherine Mectilde de Bar is a model of just this. God can and does, in fact, use such paradoxical and disconcerting circumstances as a crucible in which he hammers out something something new, something purified, something conceived in the infinite love and wisdom of His Heart.

The Humble and Costly Yes

There are those, who judging the twists and turns of another's life, through the lens of their own experience and prejudices, see only discontinuity where God sees, rather, the continuity of a humble and costly "yes," repeated again and again, to the unfolding of His plan. For the one engaged in such a circuitous and unconventional journey, there will be the subtle but cruel humiliations of the raised eyebrow, the sceptical glance, the condescending smirk, and the whispered (or not so whispered) inference. Religious types can be pitiless when it comes to such things.

Naysayers and Friends

By God's providence, Mother Mectilde was surrounded, not only by critics and naysayers, but also by supportive and faithful friends who believed in her vocation and made sacrifices in order for her work, Our Lord's work, to prosper. Thus, when it became clear that, because of the lack of space at the house in the rue du Bac, the little community had to relocate once again, this time to a rented house belonging to Madame de Rochefort in the rue Férou, close to the church of Saint-Sulpice. There, on 12 March 1654, the Father Prior of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Dom Roussel, who, by this time had nuanced his opinion of Mother Mectilde's community, established the monastic enclosure.

Memorable Day

On the same day, the mother of Louis XIV, Anne of Austria herself, arrived at the new monastery with an imposing retinue of courtiers. She directed Dom Roussel to afix the cross to the wall above the door of the house, and established it officially as a royal foundation. Dom Roussel blessed the bell, the oratory, and the regular places. During a Solemn Mass, a Carmelite of Les Billettes, one Père Léon, preacher to the Queen, delivered the sermon. At the end of Holy Mass, the Blessed Sacrament was exposed in the monstrance.

The Amende Honorable

That afternoon, la musique du Roi, Louis XIV"s own musicians, presented their homage to Jesus Christ, the Eucharistic King enthroned upon the altar. Then, before Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Anne of Austria advanced to the middle of the choir, knelt in adoration, and with a cord about her neck and a burning taper in her hand, read the Amende Honorable, or act of reparation, composed by Mother Mectilde. As the Queen gave utterance to Mother Mectilde's prayer, it was the voice of France that reached the ears of God, making reparation for the countless offenses, sacrileges, and outrages perpetrated against the Sacred Host.

The Painting

Philippe de Champaigne (1602-1674) immortalized the solemn scene in the painting reproduced above. Looking at it from left to right, we see two gentleman courtiers, finely dressed. The one whose face is in shadow is whispering a comment to the other, while he points to the altar. His companion is listening to him, but appears more recollected and moved. His head is bowed; his face bears an expression of sweetness and compunction. I wonder how this moment affected his life thereafter. Kneeling in front of the gentlemen are two ladies in waiting; they too appear awed by what is taking place. They have to take their cue from the Queen. There are six Benedictines, each one with the cord that symbolizes identification with the Suffering Servant about her neck, and a burning candle, the symbol of readiness and love, in her hand.

Anne of Austria

Anne of Austria has removed her crown and placed it on the cushion at her feet, leaving her bareheaded. She too wears the cord about her neck, and carries the burning candle, a sign of her self-offering in adoration and in reparation. For all her royal finery, her face reveals an inward simplicity of soul. One senses that she is a good woman.

Face to Face

Mother Mectilde is the figure next to the Queen. In Mother Mectilde's features, there is gentle majesty. Her whole being appears drawn to the altar, to the monstrance, to the Eucharistic Face of the Son of God. Of all the faces depicted in the painting, that of Mother Mectilde is, I think, the most expressive. The little nun crouching next to the altar represents l'anéantissement, en-nothingment, profound humility in the presence of the Divine Majesty.

Our principal application in prayer must be to hold ourselves before the greatness and supreme majesty of God in the Most Holy Sacrament, with the most profound respect, with total confidence and abandonment, with submission, accepting simply all the dispositions of Divine Providence, each one according to her degree of grace, either by making acts [of prayer] or in some other way. (M. Mectilde du Saint-Sacrement)

To be continued.

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Prayer and Action

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Tuesday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

Father Patrick Butler, LC

Listen to podcast version here.

Luke 6: 12-19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Salvation]

The Call of Apostles

• Homily of the Day
• September 11th, 2012
• Food For Thought

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 by Food for Thought

FirstReading: 1 Cor 6:1-11
Psalm: Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a And 9b
Gospel: Lk 6:12-19

We know a lot about the apostles Peter and John, much less about the others and only infamy about Judas Iscariot. And yet, they all shared in the honor of having been selected by Jesus. We need not be envious of these apostles. At baptism, Christ himself, speaking through the priest who baptized us, called each of us by name. Perhaps we share an apostolic name, but whatever our name, it became ours and served to identify us.

There is something very personal about being called by name, and when we are recognized and singled out in this manner by a person of prominence, we are thrilled. The use of one’s personal name shows recognition, often affection and respect. We should have a proper sense of our dignity through baptism, and we must recognize that dignity in others. People of dignity do not stoop to actions below them and understand how to treat others with respect. That is why St.
Paul was disappointed that the Corinthians descended so low as to hail one another into court over squabbles and disagreements. Some people might say that St. Paul was idealistic and naive about the hard realities of life, but that is only because they do not have his sense of the dignity possessed by anyone who is called by Christ.

We are a group of people called and selected by Christ as surely as were the apostles. We should never think that anyone of us is insignificant in God’s plan. We are part of the history which Christ
himself shapes. And he wants each one of us to be a part of that history as living witnesses to faith. As we worship God today, let us pray for the grace to live and act in accord with the Christian
dignity which is ours as people specially consecrated and dedicated tothe love and service of God and people.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Tuesday, September 11, 2012 >>

1 Corinthians 6:1-11
View Readings

Psalm 149:1-6, 9

Luke 6:12-19

CONFLICTING REPORTS

"Those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured; indeed, the whole crowd was trying to touch Him because power went out from Him which cured all." —Luke 6:18-19

 

Luke has just finished recounting five conflicts the religious leaders had with Jesus. They got upset with Jesus over the observance of the sabbath, fasting, the company He kept, and claiming authority to forgive sins. At the end of round five, the religious leaders "became frenzied and began asking one another what could be done to Jesus" (Lk 6:11).

Natural responses to a barrage of complaints and accusations include disturbance, fear, resentment, and withdrawal. Instead, Jesus responded by "spending the night in communion with God" (Lk 6:12), selecting the twelve apostles (Lk 6:13), and healing the sick (Lk 6:19).

Let's pray for the grace to respond to a barrage of conflicts in the same way Jesus did: by not being perturbed but remaining calm so that we "will be able to pray" (1 Pt 4:7). When we're going through the agony in the garden, we must take a long time to pray. We should also select others to support us in prayer, even if this exposes us to further rejection. Finally, we should place our own hurts in God's hands and, although wounded, reach out to heal others.

 

Prayer: Jesus, give me the grace to make a supernatural response to conflicts.

Promise: "You have been washed, consecrated, justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."—1 Cor 6:11

Praise: Anna was listening to a Catholic radio program when the car she was driving was totalled in a high-speed accident. She was spared serious injury, to the amazement of the tow truck and ambulance drivers.

[Salvation]

[Salvation]

Archdiocese of Washington

The Christian community, the Church, should be self-correcting.

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

In the first reading from the Mass of Tuesday of the 23rd week (yesterday), St. Paul raises concerns that among the Corinthians there seems to have a tendency to not be able to solve problems within their community, rather they have recourse to civil courts among the Gentiles. St. Paul writes

How can anyone of you with the case against another dare to bring it to the unjust for judgment instead of to the only ones?….Can it be that there is not one among you wise enough to be able to settle the case between brothers? (1 Cor 6:1,6)

Now we who live in a very modern, interconnected, and litigious culture, may wonder how we could ever apply such a reading the daily life. So many of our legal, financial, and even social issues most often be resolved in legal settings, to have binding and lasting force. Even selling a car requires legal actions such as title work.

Prescinding from a purely legal application of Paul’s exhortation, what seems most clear is that he is teaching that the Christian community, the Church, should be self-correcting, and self-correcting in a way that the respects subsidiarity. Thus when things get so bad, that one is turning to secular government to solve family issues, and disputes between Christians, there’s been a failure at lower and proper levels properly resolve problems.

Usually it indicates a lack of fraternal correction. Paul speaks elsewhere of this in the 5th chapter of the letter to the Galatians:

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal 6:1)

Thus fraternal correction should be integral to community life within the church, at every level.

Jesus also speaks of fraternal correction, in a way that respects subsidiarity:

If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matt 18:15-17)

There are many other texts in the Scriptures which deal with the question of fraternal correction, and I have written more on them here Fraternal Correction, an Act of Charity

Essential – For the sake of this blog, there’s no need to repeat all of the scriptures, but only to note the fraternal correction is an essential part of Church life. It takes a little proof to demonstrate that this aspect of Church life suffers many deficiencies in our current time.

But note this, the Church begins at the level of the family. Thus, respecting subsidiarity, the first place in which correction should take place is the family. Parents should correct children and teach them the ways of the Lord clearly and without ambiguity. Siblings should also hold one another accountable as they grow older. Wider family networks should insist upon, and encourage good, proper, decent, and godly behavior.

Broken! Yet, too often, this system of teaching and correction is broken at every level. Before we critique the struggle of the higher levels of the Church to bring correction, we ought honestly admit that our family system, the domestic church, is in great crisis when it comes to proper teaching and correction, accountability, and expectations.

In our zeal to lament the breakdown of discipline and correction in higher levels, such as schools and churches, including church schools, too often we fail to acknowledge that the problems of those levels, indicate significant failure at the lower level of the family that feeds those institutions. Too often, children to come to school and manifest problems from the earliest years with discipline, self-control, attention span, and many deleterious behaviors which cause disruption. Many (not all), children are spoiled, and have not been schooled in proper discipline.

At the adult level in families too there are many behaviors which Catholics rightly expect their clergy to denounce, but many of those same Catholics are unwilling to confront fellow family members or issue any corrections of their own. Clergy are rightly expected to give moral exhortation and teaching, but if these things are not insisted upon, and to some degree enforced at the family level, the insistence of the priest has far less effect.

Nevertheless, clergy can and do have every obligation to speak teach and insist on correct doctrine, and the proper moral behavior that befits a Christian. Catechists and other leaders such as deacons also have obligations in this regard. Ideally, they are reinforcing what is taught effectively at the family level.

When things reach the level of the bishops we are often dealing with a failure at multiple levels. In the case, for example, of the public dissenter inappropriately receiving holy Communion, it may be necessary for the bishop to issue reminders. But one should also ask, does the public dissenter not have a pastor? Has that pastor warned the dissenter not only of the need to stay away from communion, but in some cases, (as in those who vote to fund abortion) to warn them of the strong likelihood that if they die unrepentant they will probably go to hell?  Further, does the public dissenter have a family, who raised them? Who taught them the faith, are there no other Catholic siblings that ever warned them or call them back from their confusion and dissension? How has this public dissenter, or public sinner gotten so far off track? Did anyone try to call them back along the way? Did anyone speak to refute their errors?

Hence, while it is clear that the bishops must at times privately (mostly), and in rare cases, publicly correct sinners and dissenters, it should also be clear that to some degree there has been a breakdown in discipline at lower levels where subsidiarity demands there should be primary correction.

It will be admitted that even with all proper levels of family and parish are up and running, there are still some who are stubborn and resist correction.

Hence all of us, at every level: parents, siblings, teachers, pastors, parishes, priests and bishops, must collectively search our souls and accept that fraternal correction is in need of greater emphasis, at every level. All of us must have the courage, to correct one another in humility and love.

St. Paul reminds us that the Christian community should be self-correcting.

One of the great embarrassments and tragedies of our current time is that this aspect of communal life in the Church is often in such disrepair that, as Paul laments, civil authorities often have to step in and resolve what we cannot. Not only does this offend against proper subsidiarity, but it is a disgrace.

But to be clear, is a shared disgrace, and laying blame and only one level or another, fails to realize that this is a collective problem for which we all have some responsibility.

The Word of God is clear, the Christian community, the Church, should be self-correcting. We should not need secular authorities to force us to set our house in order. Fraternal correction, according to St. Thomas, is an act of charity,  and every Catholic, at every level can afford to recover a clearer notion, and a greater sense of urgency, about this fundamental task of the Christian community, The Church.