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Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 02-23-14, Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 02-23-14 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 02/22/2014 9:12:32 PM PST by Salvation

February 23, 2014

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

 

Reading 1 Lv 19:1-2, 17-18

The LORD said to Moses,
“Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them:
Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.

“You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart.
Though you may have to reprove your fellow citizen,
do not incur sin because of him.
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against any of your people.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am the LORD.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13

R/ (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R/ The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R/ The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R/ The Lord is kind and merciful.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.
R/ The Lord is kind and merciful.

reading 2 1 Cor 3:16-23

Brothers and sisters:
Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person;
for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

Let no one deceive himself.
If any one among you considers himself wise in this age,
let him become a fool, so as to become wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God,
for it is written:
God catches the wise in their own ruses,
and again:
The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
that they are vain.


So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you,
Paul or Apollos or Cephas,
or the world or life or death,
or the present or the future:
all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God.

Gospel Mt 5:38-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand over your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

“You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”



TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; ordinarytime; saints
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1 posted on 02/22/2014 9:12:32 PM PST by Salvation
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To: All

From: Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18

Moral and Religious Duties


[1] And the LORD said to Moses, [2] “Say to all the congregation of the people
of Israel, You shall be holy; for I the LORD your God am holy.

[11] “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. [12] And you
shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am
the LORD.

[13] “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired ser-
vant shall not remain with you all night until the morning. [14] You shall not curse
the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I
am the LORD.

[15] “You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or
defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbour. [16] You
shall not go up and down as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not
stand forth against your neighbour: I am the LORD.

[17] “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason with your
neighbor, lest you bear sin because of him. [18] You shall not take vengeance or
bear any grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your
neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

19:1-37. The holiness asked of the Israelites is much more than merely ritual ho-
liness. As in 20:26, the exhortation made to them is based on the highest possi-
ble reason—the fact that the Lord is holy. The injunction to honor parents, as also
the obligation to keep the sabbath and the prohibition on idolatry, are command-
ments of the Decalogue already spelt out in Exodus 20:3-4, 12; 21:15, 17. The
rules about peace offerings were covered in Leviticus 7:11-15, and the rules to
protect the weaker members of society are repeated on a number of occasions
(cf. 23:22; Deut 24:19.22).

Verse 2 (”You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy”: cf. also 20:26) and
v. 18 (”you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” :cf. also 19:33-34)
sum up the entire ethic of Leviticus and indeed of the whole Law of God. Jesus
himself says this, as reported in Matthew 22:34-40 (parallel texts in Mk 12:28-31
and Luke 10:25-28): “When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Saddu-
cees, they came together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to
test him. ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ And he said to
him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul,
and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second
is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments
depend all the law and the prophets’ “ (Mt 22:34-40).

19:1-8. Our Lord refers to the criteria about perjury in his Sermon on the Mount,
in which he rejects the prevalent abuse of swearing by holy things such as hea-
ven, earth or the holy city for no good reason (cf. Mt 5:33-37). Jesus’ teaching on
this point is that all one need do is simply tell the truth, without any oath to back
up one’s words. St James reminds Christians of that same teaching (cf. Jas 5:
12). The blind and the deaf (v. 14) are to be respected out of fear of the Lord: any
harm done them he regards as done to himself. Fraternal correction is a practice
which Jesus will put on a higher plane (cf. Mt 18:15f). He does the same for love
of neighbor. For one thing, one’s neighbor is not just members of the Jewish peo-
ple or sojourners in Judea: for Christ everyone we meet is our neighbor, irrespec-
tive of his religion or race. And it is not just a matter of loving others as oneself,
but of loving them as Christ loved us (cf. Jn 15:12).

19:13. The social teaching of the Church, which is part of moral theology and is
based on Revelation and on reason enlightened by faith, is summed up on the
subject of the just wage by the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “A just wage
is the legitimate fruit of work. To refuse or withhold it can be a grave injustice (cf
Lev 19:13; Deut 24:14-15; Jas 5:4), In determining fair pay both the needs and
the contributions of each person must be taken into account. ‘Remuneration for
work should guarantee man the opportunity to provide a dignified livelihood for
himself and his family on the material, social, cultural and spiritual level, taking
into account the role and the productivity of each, the state of the business, and
the common good’ (”Gaudium Et Spes”, 67). Agreement between the parties is
not sufficient to justify morally the amount to be received in wages” (no. 2434).

19:15. “Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to
give their due to God and neighbor. Justice toward God is called the ‘virtue of
religion’. Justice toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to
establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard
to persons and to the common good. The just man, often mentioned in the Sac-
red Scriptures, is distinguished by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of
his conduct toward his neighbor. ‘You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to
the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor’ (Lev 19:15)”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1807).

*********************************************************************************************
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.


2 posted on 02/22/2014 9:14:46 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: nickcarraway; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; ArrogantBustard; Catholicguy; RobbyS; marshmallow; ...
Alleluia Ping

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3 posted on 02/22/2014 9:15:26 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

From: 1 Corinthians 3:16-23

Apostolic Ministry (Continuation)


[16] Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in
you? [17] If any one destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s tem-
ple is holy, and that temple you are.

[18] Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you thinks that he is wise in
this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. [19] For the wisdom
of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craf-
tiness,” [20] and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”

[21] So let no one boast of men. For all things are yours, [22] whether Paul or
Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future, all
are yours; [23] and you are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

16-17. These words apply to the individual Christian, and to the Church as a
whole (cf. note on 1 Corinthians 3:9). The simile of the Church as God’s temple,
frequently used by St. Paul (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 6:16), shows
that the Holy Trinity dwells in the soul in grace. As Leo XIII reminds us, by means
of grace God dwells in the just soul as in a temple, in a special and intimate man-
ner” (”Divinum Illud Munus” 10). Although this indwelling is attributed to the Holy
Spirit (cf. John 14:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19), it really comes about through the pre-
sence of the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity, because all actions of God
which terminate outside God Himself (activities “ad extra”) are to be seen as ac-
tions of the one, unique divine nature.

This sublime mystery which we could never have suspected, was revealed by Je-
sus Christ Himself: “The Spirit of truth [...] dwells with you, and will be in you [...].
If a man loves me, he will keep My word and My Father will love him, and We will
come to him, and make Our home with him” (John 14:17-23). Although this is a
matter which we never plumb in this life, some light is thrown on it if we remem-
ber that “the Divine Persons are said to inhabit as much as they are present to
intellectual creatures in a way that transcends human comprehension, and are
known and loved (cf. “Summa Theologiae”, I, q. 43, a. 3) by them, yet in a way
that is unique, purely supernatural, and in the deepest sanctuary of the soul”
(Pius XII, “Mystici Corporis, Dz-Sch”, 35).

Reflection on this wonderful fact will help us to realize how extremely important
it is to live in the grace of God, and to have a horror of mortal sin, which “des-
troys God’s temple,” depriving the soul of God’s grace and friendship.

Moreover, through this indwelling a human being begins to receiving an inkling
of what the Beatific Vision — Heaven — will be like, for “this admirable union [of
indwelling] differs only by virtue of man’s [present] condition and state from union
whereby God fills the blessed [in Heaven]” (”Divinum Illud Munus”, 11).

The presence of the Trinity in the soul in grace invites the Christian to try to have
a more personal and direct relationship with God, whom we can seek at every mo-
ment in the depths of our souls: “Get to know the Holy Spirit, the Great Stranger,
on whom depends your sanctification. Don’t forget that you are God’s temple. The
Advocate is in the center of your soul: listen to Him and be docile to His inspira-
tions” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 57).

18-20. As an application of his teaching about true wisdom, St Paul shows Chris-
tians that the worst kind of foolishness is that of thinking one is wise when one in
fact is not. He uses two biblical quotations (Job 5:13; Ps 94:11 ) as a gloss to
prove that an exclusively human approach is always doomed to failure.

Christians, therefore, are wiser the more they identify their desires with the plan
God has for each; that is, the more supernatural their outlook on life is: “We
must learn to acquire the divine measure of things, never losing our supernatural
outlook, and realizing that Jesus makes use also of our weaknesses to reveal his
glory. So, whenever your conscience feels the stirrings of self-love, of weariness,
of discouragement, or the weight of your passions, you must react immediately
and listen to the Master, without letting the sad truth about our lives frighten us,
because as long as we live our personal failings will always be with us” (St. J.
Escriva, “Friends of God”, 194).

21-23. One consequence of the defective wisdom which St Paul spoke about in
the preceding verses is the Corinthians’ desire to seize on one particular teacher.
They have forgotten that all ministers are there to serve the faithful (v. 5). In fact,
the Apostle tells them, it is not only the teachers that are theirs: “all things are
yours.” This clearly emphasizes the great dignity involved in being a Christian:
by being an adoptive son of God, a brother of Jesus Christ, the Christian has a
share in Christ’s lordship over the universe (cf. 1 Cor 15:24-28), and is the mas-
ter of all creation (cf. 2 Cor 6:10), through which he should move with a certain
proprietorial feeling, called as he is to live in the freedom of the glory of the sons
of God (cf. Rom 8:21), a freedom which God has won for him (cf. Gal 4:31). Hu-
man factions and dissensions of the type that have arisen among the Corinthians
show that they have forgotten all this and therefore their sense of vocation has be-
come impoverished. The Christian belongs to Christ alone: he has only one mas-
ter, Christ. “Mine are the heavens and mine is the earth”, St John of the Cross ex-
plains; “mine are the people, the righteous are mine and the Mother of God, and
all things are mine; and God himself is mine and for me, for Christ is mine and all
for me. What, then, do you ask for and seek, my soul? All this is yours, and it is
all for you. Do not despise yourself, do not despise the crumbs that fall from your
Father’s table” (”A Prayer of the Soul Enkindled by Love”).

The Apostle’s words also remind us of the love and respect that man should have
for created things, which God has entrusted to him (cf. Vatican II, “Gaudium Et
Spes”, 37). “The world is not evil,” St. J. Escriva reminds us “for it has come from
God’s hands; it is his creation; Yahweh looked upon it and saw that it was good
(cf. Gen 1:7ff). We ourselves, mankind, make it evil and ugly with our sins and in-
fidelities [...] our age needs to give back to matter and to the most trivial occurren-
ces and situations their noble and original meaning. It needs to restore them to
the service of the Kingdom of God, to spiritualize them, turning them into a means
and an opportunity for a continuous meeting with Jesus Christ [...]. It is understan-
dable that the Apostle should write: ‘all things are yours, you are Christ’s and
Christ is God’s (1 Cor 3:22-23). We have here an ascending movement which the
Holy Spirit, infused in our hearts, wants to call forth from this world, upwards from
the earth to the glory of the Lord” (”Conversations”, 114-115).

*********************************************************************************************
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.


4 posted on 02/22/2014 9:16:01 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

From: Matthew 5:38-48

Jesus and His Teaching, the Fulfillment of the Law (Continuation)


(Jesus said to His disciples,) [38] “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for
an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ [39] But I say to you, Do not resist one who is
evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also;
[40] and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak
as well; [41] and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
[42] Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow
from you.”

[43] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate
your enemy.’ [44] But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you. [45] So that you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven;
for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the
just and on the unjust. [46] For if you love those who love you, what reward
have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? [47] And if you salute
only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the
Gentiles do the same? [48] You, therefore, must be perfect, as your Heavenly
Father is perfect.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

38-42. Among the Semites, from whom the Israelites stemmed, the law of ven-
geance ruled. It led to interminable strife, and countless crimes. In the early
centuries of the chosen people, the law of retaliation was recognized as an ethi-
cal advance, socially and legally: no punishment could exceed the crime, and
any punitive retaliation was outlawed. In this way, the honor of the clans and
families was satisfied, and endless feuds avoided.

As far as New Testament morality is concerned, Jesus establishes a definitive
advance: a sense of forgiveness and absence of pride play an essential role.
Every legal framework for combating evil in the world, every reasonable defense
of personal rights, should be based on this morality. The three last verses refer
to mutual charity among the children of the Kingdom, a charity which presup-
poses and deeply imbues justice.

43. The first part of this verse — “You shall love your neighbor” — is to be found in
Leviticus 19:18. The second part — “hate your enemy” —is not to be found in the
Law of Moses. However, Jesus’ words refer to a widespread rabbinical interpre-
tation which understood “neighbors” as meaning “Israelites”. Our Lord corrects
this misinterpretation of the Law: for Him everyone is our neighbor (cf. the parable
of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37).

43-47. This passage sums up the teaching which precedes it. Our Lord goes so
far as to say that a Christian has no personal enemies. His only enemy is evil as
such — sin — but not the sinner. Jesus Himself puts this into practice with those
who crucified Him, and He continues to act in the same way towards sinners
who rebel against Him and despise Him. Consequently, the saints have always
followed His example — like St. Stephen, the first martyr, who prayed for those
who were putting him to death. This is the apex of Christian perfection — to love,
and pray for, even those who persecute us and calumniate us. It is the distin-
guishing mark of the children of God.

46. “Tax collectors”: the Roman empire had no officials of its own for the collec-
tion of taxes: in each country it used local people for this purpose. These were
free to engage agents (hence we find reference to “chief tax collectors”: cf. Luke
19:2). The global amount of tax for each region was specified by the Roman au-
thorities; the tax collectors levied more than this amount, keeping the surplus
for themselves: this led them to act rather arbitrarily, which was why the people
hated them. In the case of the Jews, insult was added to injury by the fact that
the chosen people were being exploited by Gentiles.

48. Verse 48 is, in a sense, a summary of the teaching in this entire chapter, in-
cluding the Beatitudes. Strictly speaking, it is quite impossible for a created be-
ing to be as perfect as God. What our Lord means here is that God’s own perfec-
tion should be the model which every faithful Christian tries to follow, even though
he realizes that there is an infinite distance between himself and his Creator.
However, this does not reduce the force of this commandment; it sheds more
light on it. It is a difficult commandment to live up to, but along with this we must
take account of the enormous help grace gives us to go so far as to tend towards
divine perfection. Certainly, perfection which we should imitate does not refer to
the power and wisdom of God, which are totally beyond our scope; here the con-
text seems to refer primarily to love and mercy. Along the same lines, St. Luke
quotes these words of our Lord: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful”
(Luke 6:36; cf. note on Luke 6:20-49).

Clearly, the “universal call to holiness” is not a recommendation but a command-
ment of Jesus Christ.

“Your duty is to sanctify yourself. Yes, even you. Who thinks that this task is on-
ly for priests and religious? To everyone, without exception, our Lord said: ‘Be ye
perfect, as My Heavenly Father is perfect’” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 291). This
teaching is sanctioned by chapter 5 of Vatican II’s Constitution “Lumen Gentium”,
where it says (40): “The Lord Jesus, divine teacher and model of all perfection,
preached holiness of life (of which He is the author and maker) to each and every
one of His disciples without distinction:’You, therefore, must be perfect, as your
Heavenly Father is perfect’ [...]. It is therefore quite clear that all Christians in any
state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection
of love, and by this holiness a more human manner of life is fostered also in earth-
ly society.”

*********************************************************************************************
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.


5 posted on 02/22/2014 9:16:51 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass


First reading

Leviticus 19:1-2,17-18 ©

The Lord spoke to Moses; he said: ‘Speak to the whole community of the sons of Israel and say to them:

  ‘“Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.

  ‘“You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself. You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.”’


Psalm

Psalm 102:1-4,8,10,12-13 ©

The Lord is compassion and love.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord

  all my being, bless his holy name.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord

  and never forget all his blessings.

The Lord is compassion and love.

It is he who forgives all your guilt,

  who heals every one of your ills,

who redeems your life from the grave,

  who crowns you with love and compassion.

The Lord is compassion and love.

The Lord is compassion and love,

  slow to anger and rich in mercy.

He does not treat us according to our sins

  nor repay us according to our faults.

The Lord is compassion and love.

As far as the east is from the west

  so far does he remove our sins.

As a father has compassion on his sons,

  the Lord has pity on those who fear him.

The Lord is compassion and love.


Second reading

1 Corinthians 3:16-23 ©

Didn’t you realise that you were God’s temple and that the Spirit of God was living among you? If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy him, because the temple of God is sacred; and you are that temple.

  Make no mistake about it: if any one of you thinks of himself as wise, in the ordinary sense of the word, then he must learn to be a fool before he really can be wise. Why? Because the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As scripture says: The Lord knows wise men’s thoughts: he knows how useless they are; or again: God is not convinced by the arguments of the wise. So there is nothing to boast about in anything human: Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life and death, the present and the future, are all your servants; but you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.


Gospel Acclamation

Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we shall come to him.

Alleluia!

Or

1Jn2:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

Whenever anyone obeys what Christ has said,

God’s love comes to perfection in him.

Alleluia!


Gospel

Matthew 5:38-48 ©

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well; if a man takes you to law and would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to anyone who asks, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away.

  ‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’


6 posted on 02/22/2014 9:20:36 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Perpetual Novena for the Nation (Ecumenical)
7 posted on 02/22/2014 9:21:42 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)
8 posted on 02/22/2014 9:22:07 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

 
Jesus, High Priest
 

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem.  He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

9 posted on 02/23/2014 7:02:18 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

Pray the Rosary

1.  Sign of the Cross:  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

2.  The Apostles Creed:  I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3.  The Lord's Prayer:  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. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary:  HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be:  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.

Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer.  Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

 

The Mysteries of the Rosary

By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.


The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]


10 posted on 02/23/2014 7:02:56 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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~ PRAYER ~

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
 Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we  humbly pray,
 and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
 by the power of God,
 Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
 Amen
+

11 posted on 02/23/2014 7:03:42 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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A Prayer for our Free Nation Under God
God Save Our Country web site (prayer warriors)
Prayer Chain Request for the United States of America
Pray for Nancy Pelosi
Prayer and fasting will help defeat health care reform (Freeper Prayer Thread)
Prayer Campaign Started to Convert Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians to Pro-Life
[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries
Non-stop Rosary vigil to defeat ObamaCare

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:

"Pray for Obama.  Psalm 109:8"

   

PLEASE JOIN US -

Evening Prayer
Someone has said that if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.
Did you know that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?  


There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.    Please forward this to your praying friends.


12 posted on 02/23/2014 7:04:11 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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February Devotion: The Holy Family

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of February has been primarily asociated with the Holy Family, probably due to the feast of Our Lord's presentation at the temple, celebrated on February 2. At the very outset of Christ's work on earth, God showed the world a family in which, as Pope Leo XIII teaches, "all men might behold a perfect model of domestic life, and of all virtue and holiness." The harmony, unity, and holiness which characterized this holy Family make it the model for all Christian families.

INVOCATION
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph most kind, Bless us now and in death's agony.

FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE HOLY FAMILY
Grant unto us, Lord Jesus, ever to follow the example of Thy holy Family, that in the hour of our death Thy glorious Virgin Mother together with blessed Joseph may come to meet us and we may be worthily received by Thee into everlasting dwellings: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Roman Missal

CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY FAMILY
O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, who having come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou defend us, guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace, and concord in Christian love: in order that, by conforming ourselves to the divine pattern of Thy family, we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness.

Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by thy kindly intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings.

O Saint Joseph, most holy guardian of Jesus and Mary, assist us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal necessities; that so we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and thee, for all eternity.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be, three times.

IN HONOR OF THE HOLY FAMILY
O God, heavenly Father, it was part of Thine eternal decree that Thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, should form a holy family with Mary, His blessed mother, and His foster father, Saint Joseph. In Nazareth home life was sanctified, and a perfect example was given to every Christian family. Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may fully comprehend and faithfully imitate the virtues of the Holy Family so that we may be united with them one day in their heavenly glory. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Holy Family Chaplet

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with me in my last hour.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul
in peace with you.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Amen.

Say 3 Our Father's, 3 Hail Mary's, and 3 Glory be's.

The Holy Family Icon by Nicholas Markell

PRAYER TO
THE HOLY FAMILY
=====================================================================================

GOD our Heavenly Father, You call all peoples to be united as one family in worshipping You as the one and true God. You willed that Your Son become man, giving Him a virgin mother and a foster father to form the Holy Family of Nazareth.

WE pray: may the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, image and model of every human family unit walk in the spirit of Nazareth and grow in the understanding of its particular mission in society and the Church. May our families be living cells of love, faithfulness and unity, thus reflecting God's covenant with humanity and Christ's redeeming love for His Church.

JESUS, Mary and Joseph protect our families from all evil; keep us, who are away from home, one in love with our dear ones.

The Holy Family


 
"The Holy Family with the infant St. John the Baptist ( the Doni tondo )" by Michelangelo c.1506, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence
Parent's Prayer

Jesus, Son of God, Son of Man, and Son of Mary, I thank you for the gift of life you have entrusted to my care. Help me be a parent both tender and wise, both loving and forgiving.

Mary, Holy Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and our Motherly Queen of Heaven, nourish our family with your heavenly grace. Help us to remain faithful to The Most Holy Trinity, in all our sorrows and joys.

Joseph, Earthly father to our Lord God, guardian and spouse of Mary, keep our family safe from harm. Help us in all times of discouragement or anxiety.

Holy Family of Nazareth, help our family to walk in your footsteps. May we be peace-loving and peace-giving.
Amen.
 

Imitating the Holy Family: Four Traits that Make It Possible
[Catholic Caucus] On the Holy Family [Angelus]
Biblical Teachings on Marriage and Family. A Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
Recovering God’s Plan for Marriage and Family: A Sermon on the Feast of the Holy Family

“Why were you looking for me?" (On the Feast of The Holy Family)
U.S. Postal Service Issues Holy Family Forever Stamp
On Prayer in the Life of the Holy Family
The Holy Family - held together by Love through all their problems [Ecumenical]
Feast of the Holy Family: The Christian Family is a Domestic Church
Chesterton on "The Human Family and the Holy Family"
Joseph, Mary and Jesus: A Model Family
ADVICE TO PARENTS by Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
The Holy Family
St. Joseph as Head of the Holy Family (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)

Feast of the Holy Family
Feast of the Holy Family (Dom Guéranger OSB)
The Feast of the Holy Family
The Holy Family vs. The Holy Innocents: A Christmas season reflection [Catholic Caucus]
Vatican creche to place Holy Family in Joseph's carpentry workshop
The Redemption and Protection of the Family [Feast of the Holy Family]
Study Backs Tradition of Loreto House - Stones in Altar Match Those in Nazareth, It Says
Unraveling Jesus' mystery years in Egypt
Gaudi’s Church of the Holy Family to be ready for worship in 2008
Imitating the Holy Family; Four Traits that Make It Possible
Lots of Graphics: Post your favorite image of the St. Mary and Child, the Holy Family...

13 posted on 02/23/2014 7:04:56 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
February 2014 Year A

Pope's Intentions:

Universal: That the Church and society may respect the wisdom and experience of older people.

For Evangelization: That priests, religious, and lay people may work together with generosity for evangelization.

14 posted on 02/23/2014 7:05:39 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Daily Gospel Commentary

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

Commentary of the day
Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), Founder of the Friars Minor
Admonitions, 9-10 (trans. ©Classics of Western Spirituality)

"But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil"

The Lord says: “Love your enemies.” That person truly loves his enemy who is not upset at any injury which is done to himself, but out of love of God is disturbed at the sin of the other's soul. And let him show his love for the other by his deeds.
Many people, when they sin or receive an injury, often blame the Enemy or some neighbor. But this is not right, for each one has the real enemy in his own power; that is, the body through which he sins. Therefore blessed is that servant who, having such an enemy in his power, will always hold him captive and wisely guard himself against him, because as long as he does this, no other enemy, seen or unseen, will be able to harm him.


15 posted on 02/23/2014 7:08:16 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Sunday, February 23, 2014
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading:
Psalm:
Second Reading:
Gospel:
Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18
Psalm 103:1-4, 8, 10, 12-13
1 Corinthians 3:16-23
Matthew 5:38-48

Poor human reason, when it trusts in itself, substitutes the strangest absurdities for the highest divine concepts.

-- St. John Chrysostom


16 posted on 02/23/2014 7:09:22 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Just A Minute Just A Minute (Listen)
Some of EWTN's most popular hosts and guests in a collection of one minute inspirational messages. A different message each time you click.

17 posted on 02/23/2014 7:11:42 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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The Angelus 

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: 
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. 

Hail Mary . . . 

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. 

Hail Mary . . . 


Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray: 

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen. 


18 posted on 02/23/2014 7:12:29 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr

Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr
Memorial
February 23rd

St. Polycarpus, engraving by Michael Burghers, ca 1685

St. Polycarp was converted to Christianity by St. John the Evangelist. He was later ordained Bishop of Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey). He was about eighty-six when the Roman proconsul urged him to renounce Christ and save his life. St. Polycarp said, "For eighty-six years I have served him and he has never wronged me. How can I reounce the King who has saved me?"

Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003

Collect:
God of all creation,
who were pleased to give the Bishop Saint Polycarp
a place in the company of the Martyrs,
grant, through his intercession,
that, sharing with him in the chalice of Christ,
we may rise through the Holy Spirit to eternal life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: Revelation 2:8-11
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death."

Gospel Reading: John 15:18-21
"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all this they will do to you on My account, because they do not know Him who sent Me.


Related links on the New Advent website:

Saint Polycarp

- Epistle to the Philippians
- The Martyrdom of Polycarp

19 posted on 02/23/2014 7:31:21 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Two Fathers [Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna]
ST POLYCARP, BISHOP OF SMYRNA, MARTYR—7?-166
St Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, Martyr[Disciple of St John,the Evangelist]
20 posted on 02/23/2014 8:05:39 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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