November 15, 2014

Saturday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 3 Jn 5-8

Beloved, you are faithful in all you do for the brothers and sisters,
especially for strangers;
they have testified to your love before the Church.
Please help them in a way worthy of God to continue their journey.
For they have set out for the sake of the Name
and are accepting nothing from the pagans.
Therefore, we ought to support such persons,
so that we may be co-workers in the truth.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel Lk 18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a parable
about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
He said, “There was a judge in a certain town
who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,
‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’
For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought,
‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,
because this widow keeps bothering me
I shall deliver a just decision for her
lest she finally come and strike me.’”
The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night?
Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

From: 3 John 5-8

Praise for Gaius

[3] For I greatly rejoiced when some of the brethren arrived and testified to the
truth of your life, as indeed you do follow the truth. [4] No greater joy can I have
than this, to hear that my children follow the truth.

[5] Beloved, it is a loyal thing you do when you render any service to the brethren,
especially to strangers, [6] who have testified to your love before the church. You
will do well to send them on their journey as befits God’s service. [7] For they
have set out for his sake and have accepted nothing from the heathen. [8] So we
ought to support such men, that we may be fellow workers in the truth.

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

With great simplicity St John says why his paternal heart feels so happy — be-
cause Gaius, as his charity shows (vv. 5-8), is such a good-living man (vv. 3-4).

He uses a typically Semitic turn of phrase to describe Gaius’ upright life: ‘you fol-
low the truth.” In the Old Testament the Patriarchs are praised for “walking with
God” (cf., e.g. Gen 5:22, 24; 6:9). This image of the wayfarer took on great impor-
tance after the Exodus: the people of Israel by divine will made their way as pil-
grims to the Promised Land and in the course of that journey the great event of
the Covenant took place (cf. Ex 19:24). “Walking with God” means the same as
“fulfilling what the Covenant requires”, that is, the commandments (cf. 2 Jn 4).
With the coming of Christ, who said of himself, “I am the way, and the truth, and
the life” (Jn 14:6), it has become quite clear that walking in the truth means being
totally attached to the person of Christ: “live in him” (Col 2:6), “walk in the light”
(1 Jn 1:7), “follow the truth” (2 Jn 4), all mean the same sort of thing — living in
communion with Christ, being a genuine Christian in everything one thinks and
does.

Gaius’ charity expressed itself in welcoming and helping the preachers sent by
John (in the early times of the Church itinerant missionaries helped to keep alive
the faith and promote solidarity among the scattered churches). They had set
out “for his sake”, that is, Christ’s (v. 7; cf. Acts 5:41; Phil 2:9-10; Jas 2:7). By
helping (even materially), Christians become “fellow workers in the truth” (v. 8)
and merit the reward promised by our Lord: “He who receives you receives me,
and he who receives me receives him who sent me”(Mt 10:40).

“Fellow workers in the truth”: the Second Vatican Council applies these words
to lay people when explaining how their apostolate and the ministry proper to
pastors complement each other. And it goes on: “Lay people have countless op-
portunities for exercising the apostolate of evangelization and sanctification. The
very witness of a Christian life, and good works done in a supernatural spirit, are
effective in drawing men to the faith and to God; and that is what the Lord has
said: ‘Let your light shine so brightly before men, that they may see your good
works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.’ (Mt 5:16).

“This witness of life, however, is not the sole element in the apostolate; the true
apostle is on the lookout for opportunities to announce Christ by word, either to
unbelievers to draw them towards the faith, or to the faithful to instruct them,
strengthen them and incite them to a more fervent life” (”Apostolicam Actuosi-
tatem”, 6).

*********************************************************************************************
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: Luke 18:1-8

Persevering Prayer. Parable of the Unjust Judge

[1] And He (Jesus) told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to
pray and not lose heart. [2] He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who
neither feared God nor regarded man; [3] and there was a widow in that city who
kept coming to him saying, ‘Vindicate me against my adversary.’ [4] For a while
he refused; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor regard
man, [5] yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear
me out by her continual coming.’” [6] And the Lord said, “hear what the unrigh-
teous judge says. [7] And will not God vindicate His elect, who cry to Him day
and night? Will He delay long over them? [8] I tell you, He will vindicate them
speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

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

1-8. The parable of the unjust judge is a very eloquent lesson about the effective-
ness of persevering, confident prayer. It also forms a conclusion to Jesus’ tea-
ching about watchfulness, contained in the previous verses (17:23-26). Compa-
ring God with a person like this makes the point even clearer: if even an unjust
judge ends up giving justice to the man who keeps on pleading his case, how
much more will God, who is infinitely just, and who is our Father, listen to the
persevering prayer of His children. God, in other words, gives justice to His elect
if they persist in seeking His help.

1. “They ought always to pray and not lose heart.” Why must we pray?
“1. We must pray first and foremost because we are believers.
“Prayer is in fact the recognition of our limitation and our dependence: we
come from God, we belong to God and we return to God! We cannot, therefore,
but abandon ourselves to Him, our Creator and Lord, with full and complete con-
fidence [...].
“Prayer, therefore, is first of all an act of intelligence, a feeling of humility and
gratitude, an attitude of trust and abandonment to Him who gave us life out of
love.
“Prayer is a mysterious but real dialogue with God, a dialogue of confidence
and love.
“2. We, however, are Christians, and therefore we must pray as Christians.
“For the Christian, in fact, prayer acquires a particular characteristic, which
completely changes its innermost nature and innermost value. The Christian
is a disciple of Jesus; he is one who really believes that Jesus is the Word In-
carnate, the Son of God who came among us on this earth.
“As a man, the life of Jesus was a continual prayer, a continual act of worship
and love of the Father and since the maximum expression of prayer is sacrifice,
the summit of Jesus’ prayer is the Sacrifice of the Cross, anticipated by the
Eucharist at the Last Supper and handed down by means of the Holy Mass
throughout the centuries.
“Therefore, the Christian knows that his prayer is that of Jesus; every prayer of
his starts from Jesus; it is He who prays in us, with us, for us. All those who
believe in God, pray; but the Christian prays in Jesus Christ: Christ is our pra-
yer!
“3. Finally, we must pray because we are frail and guilty.
“It must be humbly and realistically recognized that we are poor creatures, con-
fused in ideas, tempted by evil, frail and weak, in continual need of inner strength
and consolation. Prayer gives the strength for great ideas, to maintain faith, cha-
rity, purity and generosity. Prayer gives the courage to emerge from indifference
and guilt, if unfortunately one has yielded to temptation and weakness. Prayer
gives light to see and consider the events of one’s own life and of history in the
salvific perspective of God and eternity. Therefore, do not stop praying! Let not
a day pass without your having prayed a little! Prayer is a duty, but it is also a
great joy, because it is a dialogue with God through Jesus Christ! Every Sunday,
Holy Mass: if it is possible for you, sometimes during the week. Every day, mor-
ning and evening prayers, and at the most suitable moments!” (Bl. John Paul II,
Audience with Young People, 14 March 1979).

8. Jesus combines His teaching about perseverance in prayer with a serious war-
ning about the need to remain firm in the faith: faith and prayer go hand in hand.
St. Augustine comments, “In order to pray, let us believe; and for our faith not to
weaken, let us pray. Faith causes prayer to grow, and when prayer grows our
faith is strengthened” (”Sermon”, 115).

Our Lord has promised His Church that it will remain true to its mission until the
end of time (cf. Matthew 28:20); the Church, therefore, cannot go off the path of
the true faith. But not everyone will remain faithful: some will turn their backs on
the faith of their own accord. This is the mystery which St. Paul describes as the
rebellion” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) and which Jesus Christ announces on other oc-
casions (cf. Matthew 24:12-13). In this way our Lord warns us, to help us stay
watchful and persevere in the faith and in prayer even though people around us
fall away.

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

Readings at Mass

First reading

3 John 1:5-8 ©

My friend, you have done faithful work in looking after these brothers, even though they were complete strangers to you. They are a proof to the whole Church of your charity and it would be a very good thing if you could help them on their journey in a way that God would approve. It was entirely for the sake of the name that they set out, without depending on the pagans for anything; it is our duty to welcome men of this sort and contribute our share to their work for the truth.

Psalm

Psalm 111:1-6 ©

Happy the man who takes delight in the commands of the Lord.

Happy the man who fears the Lord,

who takes delight in all his commands.

His sons will be powerful on earth;

the children of the upright are blessed.

Happy the man who takes delight in the commands of the Lord.

Riches and wealth are in his house;

his justice stands firm for ever.

He is a light in the darkness for the upright:

he is generous, merciful and just.

Happy the man who takes delight in the commands of the Lord.

The good man takes pity and lends,

he conducts his affairs with honour.

The just man will never waver:

he will be remembered for ever.

Happy the man who takes delight in the commands of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Jm1:21

Alleluia, alleluia!

Accept and submit to the word

which has been planted in you

and can save your souls.

Alleluia!

Or	cf.2Th2:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Through the Good News God called us

to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 18:1-8 ©

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. ‘There was a judge in a certain town’ he said ‘who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. In the same town there was a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, “I want justice from you against my enemy!” For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, “Maybe I have neither fear of God nor respect for man, but since she keeps pestering me I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.”’

And the Lord said ‘You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’

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.

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 Joyful Mysteries
(Mondays and Saturdays)
1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]

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.

Saturday of the Thirty-second week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint John Cassian (around 360-435), founder of monasteries
Conferences, no.9, 1&3 ; SC 34 (trans. ©Boniface Ramsey OP, 1997)

"The necessity... to pray always without becoming weary"

The end of every monk and the perfection of his heart direct him to constant and uninterrupted perseverance in prayer. As much as human frailty allows, it strives after an unchanging and continual tranquillity of mind and perpetual purity. On its account we tirelessly pursue and ceaselessly apply ourselves to every bodily labor as well as to contrition of spirit…

Therefore, so that prayer may be made with the fervor and purity that it deserves, the following things should be observed in every respect. First, anxiety about fleshly matters should be completely cut off. Then, not only the concern for, but in fact even the memory of affairs and business should be refused all entry whatsoever; detraction, idle speech, talkativeness, and buffoonery should also be done away with; the disturbance of anger, in particular, and of sadness should be entirely torn out; and the harmful shoot of fleshly lust and of avarice should be uprooted… And thus, when… there has taken place a cleansing purgation such as we have spoken of, which is perfected in the purity of simplicity and innocence, the unshakable foundations of deep humility should be laid, which can support a tower that will penetrate the heavens. Then the spiritual structure of the virtues must be raised above it, and the mind must be restrained from all dangerous wandering and straying, so that thus it might gradually begin to be elevated to the contemplation of God and to spiritual vision.

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.

Saint Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Saint Albert the Great,
Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Optional Memorial
November 15th

Tommaso da Modena
Saint Albert the Great
1352 -- Fresco
Chapter House, San Niccoló, Treviso

(1206-1280) Saint Albert was born in Germany and studied in Padua and Paris before entering the Order of Preachers where he was a doctor of theology. St. Thomas Aquinas numbered among his pupils. A man of great learning and a generous mind, St. Albert was at the forefront of the reception of Aristoltle into the Christian West. As bishop he worked to establish peace among peoples and cities.

Collect:
O God, who made the Bishop Saint Albert great
by his joining of human wisdom to divine faith,
grant, we pray, that we may so adhere to the truths he taught,
that though progress in learning
we may come to a deeper knowledge and love of you.
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: Sirach 15:1-6
The man who fears the Lord will do this, and he who holds to the law will obtain wisdom.
She will come to meet him like a mother, and like the wife of his youth she will welcome him.
She will feed him with the bread of understanding, and give him the water of wisdom to drink.
He will lean on her and will not fall, and he will rely on her and will not be put to shame.
She will exalt him above his neighbors, and will open his mouth in the midst of the assembly.
He will find gladness and a crown of rejoicing, and will acquire an everlasting name.

Gospel: Matthew 13:47-52
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous, and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. "Have you understood all this?" They said to Him, "Yes." And He said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

Saint Albert the Great: BENEDICT XVI,GENERAL AUDIENCE,Saint Peter's Square,Wednesday, 24 March 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In our catechesis on the Christian culture of the Middle Ages, we now turn to Saint Albert, better known as Albertus Magnus, Albert the Great. A universal genius whose interests ranged from the natural sciences to philosophy and theology, Albert entered the Dominicans and, after studies in Paris, taught in Cologne. Elected provincial of the Teutonic province, he served as bishop of Regensburg for four years and then returned to teaching and writing. He played an important part in the Council of Lyons, and he worked to clarify and defend the teaching of Saint Thomas Aquinas, his most brilliant student. Albert was canonized and declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI, and Pope Pius XII named him the patron of the natural sciences. Saint Albert shows us that faith is not opposed to reason, and that the created world can be seen as a “book” written by God and capable of being “read” in its own way by the various sciences. His study of Aristotle also brought out the difference between the sciences of philosophy and theology, while insisting that both cooperate in enabling us to discover our vocation to truth and happiness, a vocation which finds its fulfilment in eternal life.

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