August 17, 2014

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thus says the LORD:
Observe what is right, do what is just;
for my salvation is about to come,
my justice, about to be revealed.

The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
ministering to him,
loving the name of the LORD,
and becoming his servants—
all who keep the sabbath free from profanation
and hold to my covenant,
them I will bring to my holy mountain
and make joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be acceptable on my altar,
for my house shall be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

R/ (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R/ O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R/ O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R/ O God, let all the nations praise you!

Reading 2 Rom 11:13-15, 29-32

Brothers and sisters:
I am speaking to you Gentiles.
Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles,
I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous
and thus save some of them.
For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world,
what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
Just as you once disobeyed God
but have now received mercy because of their disobedience,
so they have now disobeyed in order that,
by virtue of the mercy shown to you,
they too may now receive mercy.
For God delivered all to disobedience,
that he might have mercy upon all.

Gospel Mt 15:21-28

At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,
“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her.
Jesus’ disciples came and asked him,
“Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”
He said in reply,
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”
He said in reply,
“It is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”
She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps
that fall from the table of their masters.”
Then Jesus said to her in reply,
“O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish.”
And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.

From: Isaiah 56:1, 6-7

Worship Open to All

[1] Thus says the Lord: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my sal-
vation will come.

[6] ”And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to
love the name of the Lord,and to be his servants, every one who keeps the sab-
bath, and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant — [7] these I will bring
to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt
offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be
called a house of prayer for all peoples.

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Commentary:

56:1-66:24. These chapters make up the third part of the book of Isaiah, some-
times called “Third Isaiah”. It consists of prophetic visions and oracles about the
new Zion and the nations of the earth. The variety of style and content here
makes it difficult to identify any clear structure: the sacred writer seems to have
drawn these oracles together, apparently content that they are all to do with the
End and all refer to the whole world and not just to Israel. But he has carefully
positioned chapter 61 in the middle, making it the high-point of these chapters.
Also, 56:1-8 and 66:18-24, which stress the universality of justice and worship,
are very appropriately positioned at start and finish. To make this part easier to
read, we have divided it into three sections in this edition. The first (56:1-59:21)
is a series of oracles that show salvation being extended to all mankind, even
though the sins of the people of God will cause delays. In the second
(60:1-64:11), the salvation that the Lord will provide is proclaimed to all the na-
tions from Jerusalem. And the third section (65:1-66:24) has as its theme the
judgment of God, handed down to each according to his or her merits, be it
punishment for sin, or salvation.

Historically, the oracles have to do with the years following the return from exile
after Cyrus issued his decree of repatriation (539 BC). It was for Judah a time for
“beginning again”. God sent messages of hope to raise the Jews’ spirits during
their years in exile and on their return, when they were confronted by a scene
of devastation. They cannot fail to see that, from now on, peace and salvation
are linked with a return to God, conversion, the practice of righteousness, and
holiness.

This means that the horizon of divine salvation extends to include the whole
world, extending beyond the narrow limits of Jewish nationalism. When the pro-
phetic texts speak of Zion, they see it as the center of a new view of mankind,
as a source of light for all nations. The new Jerusalem stands for a new order,
as it will in the Revelation to John. Although all the energies of repatriates are
focused on the rebuilding of the temple (60:7-13), the message here is that the
ultimate goal is not material reconstruction, for the throne of God is to be found
in heaven, and the earth is only his footstool (66:1-2). Hope in a glorious future
is not measured in terms of external institutions—in the monarchy (which does
not exist), or in any other human authority, or in force of arms. Even divine wor-
ship, and the rules and regulations to do with fasting and sacrifices, will be
cleansed of the old formalism (58:1-14). God will act directly to save his people
(62:2-12). The new horizon opened up by “Third Isaiah” has its parallel in Haggai
and Zechariah, and, above all, it prepares the way for the still-distant eschatolo-
gical vision found in the Revelation to John.

56:1-59:21. The new section looks forward to a salvation that is open to everyone
who practises righteousness (56:1-12). However, the first announcement of this
is put on hold, as it were, due to the sins of the people of God; these delay the
manifestation of God’s salvific power, for he refuses to hearken to the prayers of
the ungodly (57:1-21). Therefore, first and foremost, the prophet issues a call to
conversion (58: 1-14), while promising that the Lord, who is faithful to his Cove-
nant, will reward people according to their actions: he will punish those who are
faithless and redeem those who return to him (59:1-21).

56:1-8. In the restored Jerusalem, the temple will begin to open its doors to all
peoples. What we were told at the start of the book (cf. 2:2-5) would happen “in
the latter days” is beginning to happen: the temple of the Lord will be a house of
prayer for those who previously could not enter it; it will be open to all peoples.
The old rulings (Lev 22:25; Deut 23:2-9) did not permit eunuchs or foreigners to
take part in the assembly of Israel (a similar approach is found in Ezra 9:1-12
and Nehemiah 9:1-2); but this oracle displays a much more open and universa-
list attitude (cf. V/is 3:14):there is no objection to eunuchs and foreigners provi-
ded that they observe the sabbath and the Covenant (cf. vv. 2, 4,6). Blood ties
are no longer the criteria for membership of the community of the people of God:
now it suffices that a person keep to the moral teaching laid down in the old Co-
venant, and worship the true God.

The mission of the temple, rebuilt by the exiles after their return with its open in-
vitation to all without exception to come and worship God as part of his people,
will reach its fullness in the redemption wrought by Christ Jesus. When he clean-
ses the temple (Mt 21:12-13 and par.), appealing to the words of v. 6 (along with
Jeremiah 7:11; cf. note on same), this prophecy will be fulfilled.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Romans 11:13-15, 29-32

The New Chosen People

[13] Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to
the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry [14] in order to make my fellow Jews jealous,
and thus save some of them. [15] For if their rejection means the reconciliation
of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

The Conversion of the Jews (Continuation)

[29] For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. [30] Just as you were once
disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,
[31] so they have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you
they may also receive mercy. [32] For God has consigned all men to disobe-
dience, that he may have mercy upon all.

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Commentary:

25-32. We all yearn for the fulfillment of these words—threatening yet consoling —
which Christ addressed to the scribes and Pharisees: “For I tell you, you will not
see me again, until you say ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”’
(Mt 23:39). “Together with the prophets and the Apostle, the Church awaits the
day, known to God alone, when all peoples will call on God with one voice and
‘serve him with one accord’ (Zeph 3:9)” (Vatican II, “Nostra Aetate”, 4). The con-
version of the Jews is a secret — a mystery, the text says (v. 25) — hidden in the
future, which will come about when the Incarnation of the Word achieves its
ultimate purpose.

This conversion will follow on that of the Gentiles, which will be as it were a pre-
lude to it. Jesus has foretold that “Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gen-
tiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Lk 21:24; cf. note on same),
which in some way suggests that the Jews will be converted at the end of time.

However, when the Church in its preaching touches on the main signs of the end
of the world, it only refers to the proclamation of the Gospel throughout the world,
to apostasy and to the Antichrist, but it has nothing to say about the conversion
of the Jews (cf. “St Pius V Catechism”, I, 8, 7). What the Church does do, and
what we should do, is to pray the Lord to listen to its prayers “that the people
you first made your own may arrive at the fullness of redemption” (”Roman Mis-
sal”, Good Friday Liturgy, Prayer of the Faithful).

“The same thing is happening, St Paul explains, now that the Gospel is being
preached. The people of Israel in general are not accepting it and are not beco-
ming part of the Church; only a small number of Jews have believed, and these
are the “remnant.’ of Israel, chosen by God so that in them the promises might
be kept. The conversion of Paul himself is an example and an earnest of this
return of the people of Israel to their God, in line with the invitation that Hosea
addressed to them: “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stum-
bled because of your iniquity” (Hos 14:2).

Throughout the history of the Church lapses of this type have occurred, with
a consequent breakdown in morality. Whenever this happens, those Christians
who stay true to the faith may, like Elijah, feel inclined to despair; but they should
react with a realistic and vigilant optimism and not indulge in useless lamentation.
In the presence of God, they should reflect on the fact that God actually wants to
use them and their holy lives to turn the situation around: “A secret, an open se-
cret: these world crises are sanctity crises. God wants a handful of men ‘of his
own’ in every human activity. And then...’”pax Christi in regno Christi”—the peace
of Christ in the kingdom of Christ” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 301).

29. God never goes back on anything he promises; therefore he continues to call
the Jews to enter the chosen people. He does not take account of their disobe-
dience or their sins: he will love them with an everlasting love, as he promised the
patriarchs and in line with the merits accruing to them for their fidelity (cf. Rom 9:
4-5). It is this very immutability of God’s love that makes it possible for “all Israel”
(v. 26) to be saved. God’s calling, which is eternal, cannot cease; but we for our
part can reject his call. The immutability of God’s plan is reassuring to us: it
means that even if we abandon him at any point, we can always return to our
earlier fidelity: he is still there, waiting for us.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Matthew 15:21-28

The Canaanite Woman

[21] And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and
Sidon. [22] And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and
cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely pos-
sessed by a demon.” [23] But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples
came and begged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.” [24]
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” [25] But
she came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, help me.” [26] And He answered,
“It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” [27] She said,
“Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
[28] Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you
as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

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Commentary:

21-22. Tyre and Sidon were Phoenician cities on the Mediterranean coast, in
present-day Lebanon. They were never part of Galilee but they were near its
north-eastern border. In Jesus’ time they were outside the territory of Herod Anti-
pas. Jesus withdrew to this area to escape persecution from Herod and from the
Jewish authorities and to concentrate on training His Apostles.

Most of the inhabitants of the district of Tyre and Sidon were pagans. St. Mat-
thew calls this woman a “Canaanite”; according to Genesis (10:15), this district
was one of the first to be settled by the Canaanites; St. Mark describes the wo-
man as a “Syrophoenician” (Mark 7:26). Both Gospels point out that she is a
pagan, which means that her faith in our Lord is more remarkable; the same
applies in the case of the centurion (Matthew 8:5-13).

The Canaanite woman’s prayer is quite perfect: she recognizes Jesus as the
Messiah (the Son of David)—which contrasts with the unbelief of the Jews; she
expresses her need in clear, simple words; she persists, undismayed by obsta-
cles; and she expresses her request in all humility: “Have mercy on me.” Our
prayer should have the same qualities of faith, trust, perseverance and humility.

24. What Jesus says here does not take from the universal reference of His tea-
ching (cf. Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16). Our Lord came to bring His Gos-
pel to the whole world, but He Himself addressed only the Jews; later on He will
charge His Apostles to preach the Gospel to pagans. St. Paul, in his missionary
journeys, also adopted the policy of preaching in the first instance to the Jews
(Acts 13:46).

25-28. This dialogue between Jesus and the woman is especially beautiful. By
appearing to be harsh He so strengthens the woman’s faith that she deserves
exceptional praise: “Great is your faith!” Our own conversation with Christ should
be like that: “Persevere in prayer. Persevere, even when your efforts seem barren.
Prayer is always fruitful” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 101).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Readings at Mass

First reading

Isaiah 56:1,6-7 ©

Thus says the Lord: Have a care for justice, act with integrity, for soon my salvation will come and my integrity be manifest.

Foreigners who have attached themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love his name and be his servants – all who observe the sabbath, not profaning it, and cling to my covenant – these I will bring to my holy mountain. I will make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their holocausts and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.

Psalm

Psalm 66:2-3,5-6,8 ©

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

O God, be gracious and bless us

and let your face shed its light upon us.

So will your ways be known upon earth

and all nations learn your saving help.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and exult

for you rule the world with justice.

With fairness you rule the peoples,

you guide the nations on earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

May God still give us his blessing

till the ends of the earth revere him.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Second reading

Romans 11:13-15,29-32 ©

Let me tell you pagans this: I have been sent to the pagans as their apostle, and I am proud of being sent, but the purpose of it is to make my own people envious of you, and in this way save some of them. Since their rejection meant the reconciliation of the world, do you know what their admission will mean? Nothing less than a resurrection from the dead! God never takes back his gifts or revokes his choice.

Just as you changed from being disobedient to God, and now enjoy mercy because of their disobedience, so those who are disobedient now – and only because of the mercy shown to you – will also enjoy mercy eventually. God has imprisoned all men in their own disobedience only to show mercy to all mankind.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn10:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,

says the Lord,

I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia!

Or	cf.Mt4:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom

and cured all kinds of sickness among the people.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 15:21-28 ©

Jesus left Gennesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, ‘Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.’ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples went and pleaded with him. ‘Give her what she wants,’ they said ‘because she is shouting after us.’ He said in reply, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. ‘Lord,’ she said ‘help me.’ He replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ She retorted, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’ And from that moment her daughter was well again.

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]

August Devotion -- The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.

This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.

On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.

INVOCATIONS

O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.

Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."

Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.

Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII

IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. 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

Sacred Heart Of Jesus

Sacred Heart Of Jesus image

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculate Heart of Mary image

Blessed be the Most Loving Heart and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother, in eternity and forever. Amen.

....Only the Heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way ----From the Catechism. P:1439

From the depth of my nothingness, I prostrate myself before Thee, O Most Sacred, Divine and Adorable Heart of Jesus, to pay Thee all the homage of love, praise and adoration in my power.
Amen. - - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and his Heart which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins. Christian prayer loves to follow the way of the cross in the Savior's steps.-- >From the Catechism. P: 2669

The Salutation to the Heart of Jesus and Mary

An Offering of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Novena Prayer to Sacred Heart of Jesus

Prayer to the Wounded Heart of Jesus

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

Meditation & Novena Prayer on the Sacred Heart

Beads to the Sacred Heart

Novena Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Daily Offering to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Exaltation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

The Holy Heart of Mary Is, After the Heart of Jesus, the Most Exalted Throne of Divine Love
Let us recollect that God has given us the feast of the most pure Heart of the Blessed Virgin so that we may render on that day all the respect, honor and praise that we possibly can. To enkindle this spirit within us let us consider our motivating obligations.

The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.

This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?

How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?

— St. John Eudes

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Daily Gospel Commentary

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

Commentary of the day
William of Saint-Thierry (c.1085-1148), Benedictine, then a Cistercian monk
Meditations, no.2 (©Cistercian Fathers series)

"Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!"

Sometimes I feel you passing by, you do not stop for me but go straight on, leaving me crying after you like the Canaanite woman... Should I draw near again, when this occurs? Yes, surely, Lord. For the whelps that are chased with blows from their master's house return immediately and, hanging watchfully about the place, receive their daily bread. I come again when I am driven out; shut out, I howl; and beaten, I implore. A dog cannot live without a man's companionship, nor can my soul without the Lord her God.

Open to me, therefore, Lord, that I may come to you and be enlightened by you. You dwell in your heavens, but you have made darkness your secret place, even the dark waters amid the clouds of the air. And, as the Prophet says, "You have set a cloud before you, so that our prayer may not pass through,"(Lam 3,44). But, as for me, I have rotted on earth, my heart thick and earthy... Your heavenly stars do not shine for me; the sun is darkened and the moon gives no light. In psalms and hymns and spiritual songs I hear your mighty acts proclaimed; out of your Gospels your words and deeds shine forth at me, and the example of your servants… your promises in Scripture, the promises your Truth has made, obtrude themselves without cease upon my sight and battering my deafness with their din... But long persistence in bad ways, along with very great insensibility of mind, has hardened me. I have learned to sleep with the sunshine full on my face, and have grown used to it. I have become accustomed to not seeing what takes place before my eyes...

How long, O Lord, how long? How long will you defer to rend the heavens and come down? (Ps 13[12],1; Is 64,1)... How long will you delay... so to shatter my dullness that I may be no longer what I am... and so be turned, at least at eventide, and hunger like a dog that runs about your city? - the city of which a portion sojourns still on earth but the greater part rejoices already in heaven - so that maybe I may find some who will receive my fainting soul into their habitation?

Zenit.org

Daily Homily: O Woman, Great Is Your Faith

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Rome, August 16, 2014 (Zenit.org) Fr. Jason Mitchell LC | 338 hits

Isaiah 56:1, 6-7

Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8
Romans 11:13-15, 29-32
Matthew 15:21-28

The prophet Isaiah foresees the day when Gentile foreigners will join themselves to the Lord, when they will love the name of the Lord and keep the Sabbath. On that day, they will observe the covenant and worship on God's holy mountain and rejoice in God's house of prayer.

This universal dimension was part of the promise made to Abraham: "by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves" (Genesis 12:3); "by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves" (Genesis 22:18). The kingdom of David had the mission of fulfilling this covenant promise to Abraham and bringing blessing to all the nations of the world. "The liturgy of the Temple is the means by which the children of Abraham are to bestow God's blessings upon the families of the world" (S. Hahn, "Liturgy and Empire", Letter and Spirit 5 (2009), 42).

Israel was supposed to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6). However, history shows that they failed in this, falling into idolatry and sin. The nations of Israel and Judah were exiled and sent out and into the nations by God. When Jesus, the Son of David, comes, his mission is first to gather the lost sheep of the house of Israel. At the same time, he will gather all men and all nations to himself when he is lifted up.

In this way we understand Jesus response to the Canaanite woman, who addresses him as "Son of David". Through his initial silence and challenging responses, Jesus is able to bring her to profound faith in him. The woman speaks to Jesus three times, each time calling him "Lord". First, she asks for pity and mercy for herself and for her daughter. Second, she asks for help. Third, she tells Jesus that she is content even with what is left-over from his table.

Last week, Jesus called his disciples "men of little faith", this week he calls the Gentile woman a "woman of great faith". Because of her faith and perseverance, she receives mercy and help and her daughter is healed.

In the Acts of the Apostles, we see that the mission to the Gentiles starts on the day of Pentecost. Jesus had given his disciples the great commission on the day of his Ascension: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20). But they were also told to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, who would empower them to preach the Gospel and work mighty signs among the people.

Paul is the vessel chosen by God to bring the Gospel of the Kingdom to the Gentiles. He is rightly the Apostle to the Gentiles. Paul writes that all have sinned, both Jews and Gentiles. The Jews disobeyed the Law given through Moses; the Gentiles disobeyed the natural law given to all men. Those who have disobeyed, can still receive God's mercy. Just as the Canaanite woman and her daughter received mercy, healing and salvation, through persistent prayer and Jesus' power, we too receive mercy, healing and salvation from Jesus Christ. We only have to ask for it.

Arlington Catholic Herald

GOSPEL COMMENTARY MT 15: 21-28

O woman, great is your faith

FR. JACK PETERSON, YA

Jesus expects a great deal from His disciples. It is one reason that He is so attractive to me. He loves us and respects us enough to expect great faith from us. Jesus wants us to be either hot or cold, not lukewarm, otherwise He will spew us out. He expects our faith to be able to move mountains. When Peter only managed to walk a short distance on the Sea of Galilee before he began to sink, Jesus chastised him, “O, ye of little faith!”

The great challenge in today’s Gospel is directed to a Canaanite woman, a Gentile, a religious outsider. Our Lord is uncharacteristically tough with this woman who approaches Him with humility and a heartfelt request: “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”

Jesus is usually rather receptive of those who come to Him revealing a humble spirit and a real trust in His power to do something for the sick. He usually sees, appreciates and rewards such faith with the forgiveness of sins and a miraculous healing. Not so with this Canaanite woman, at least at the start of this encounter.

In fact, Jesus rebukes this woman three times. First, He ignores her completely and does not respond to her. Then, after the disciples suggest to send her away, Jesus retorts to her that He was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. She is unfazed by this second rebuke and His reference to the fact that she is a Gentile. So, she begs again for assistance, “Lord, help me.” The Lord comes back with His final rebuke: “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She responds again with deep faith, only asking for a morsel, “Please Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Her faith and her perseverance are remarkable.

This time the Lord praises her strong faith and bestows His healing grace upon her daughter: “O woman, great is your faith. Let it be done for you as you wish.” Jesus offers this complement to few people in the Gospels. He was truly pleased with her trust in Him.

We learn from this woman and her encounter with Jesus that our Lord desires our faith in Him to be real and deep. He is not at all content with faith that is shallow, fickle or unable to endure trials.

Furthermore, we learn that Jesus is not afraid to test our faith. Christian faith is like gold that needs to be purified. Gold becomes precious when it is refined numerous times in fire. In His great wisdom, God knows when to test our faith so as to purify and strengthen it and when to pour out His mercy and life-giving grace. As a loving parent who desires that we be united with Him in faith and love for all eternity, God our Father is the Master of determining what we need and when we need it.

A modern day example of today’s Gospel is found in the life of Saint John Paul II. His profound faith in God was forged in the midst of extreme human suffering from his earliest years. He lost his mother, Emilia, at the tender age of 8, his older brother and only living sibling, Edmund, at the age of 12, and his father, Karol, at the age of 20. On top of losing his family, he had to navigate the cruel occupation of the Germans during World War II and the oppressive weight of communist Russian rule that quickly followed. Out of the remains of such pain and torment rose a man of amazing faith in Christ whose life deeply impacted over a billion Catholics and countless other men and women of good will around the world.

Jesus expects a great deal from His disciples. He loves and respects us enough to expect great faith from us. He never abandons us, but always remains by our side. I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.

Fr. Peterson is assistant chaplain at Marymount University in Arlington and director of the Youth Apostles Institute in McLean.

The Work of God

Year A - 20th Sunday in ordinary time

Woman, you have great faith

Matthew 15:21-28

21 Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon.
22 Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon."
23 But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us."
24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me."
26 He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."
27 She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."
28 Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly.
(NRSV)

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

I reward faith, therefore have faith in me. I came to my own people and they rejected me, with the exception of the humble, who recognized the value of the gift from God. Only those open to the Holy Spirit accepted me as the son of David, the Messiah who was empowered to save the people of God.

All my miracles were granted to those who had faith; I wanted to impress upon everyone the importance of believing in me the Son of the Living God. It is only by accepting me that you can accept the Heavenly Father, it is only by believing in me and having faith in me, that even now you can expect the power of God to manifest in your life through a miracle.

Miracles are not as popular now as in my time, because there is no faith. To pray for a miracle is the perfect prayer, but it must come from a heart full of faith, otherwise the petition remains a prayer and is not answered as a miracle.

Many people during the profession of my healing ministry were attracted to me by my miracles, not by their faith; they were curious people in search of the supernatural. However there was also a large number of people who were genuine, they accepted the dignity of my presence among them, they firmly believed in the power of God at my disposal and they merited all the miracles that I performed.

It is in my power to grant any petition I like, but I desire to cultivate faith in human hearts. A prayer to me is most attractive when it comes from a humble and contrite heart. If I were to grant miracles for every petition, men would become very proud and would sin thinking that they had the power to control God’s power.

The true saint prays very humbly for a miracle, echoing my prayer in Gethsemane, “Father, not my will, but yours be done”. The man of faith puts all his trust in the Lord, not in his human effort, and he is prepared to give all the credit to God for every good thing that he receives.

The one who desires a miracle must first acknowledge that he is not worthy to be in my presence, and that he does not even deserve to be heard. Yet, by confessing his sinfulness, his unworthiness, and by acknowledging my holiness, he calls on my compassion for his good desires and may be fortunate to receive.

Do not underestimate the great power of God that is at your disposal if you have faith. Pray for your faith to increase. Believe that I can grant you any good desire of your heart, pray in accordance to my will and wait patiently for my answer.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

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