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From: Hebrews 4:12-16

Through Faith We Can Attain God’s “Rest” (Continuation)

[12] For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning
the thoughts and intentions of the heart. [13] And before him no creature is hid-
den, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Our Confidence is Based on Christ’s Priesthood

[14] Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. [15] For we have not a
high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in
every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning. [16] Let us then
with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and
find grace to help in time of need.

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

12-13. The “word of God”, which the text speaks about, probably refers to Reve-
lation taken as a whole, particularly Sacred Scripture; but it may also refer to
the “Logos” or Word, the second person of the Holy Trinity. The “word” of God is
presented as an expression of God’s power: it is that active word (Genesis 1:3ff;
Psalm 33:9) which creates everything out of nothing. In the Wisdom books we
find this word personified (Sirach 42:15; 43:26; Wisdom 9:1; 18:15; Psalm 148:
1-5). But this living and active word of God is also to be seen in the New Testa-
ment(Galatians 3:8, 22) and in its full and perfect form in Christ himself (John 1:
1; Revelation 9:13).

God’s word is also very much at work in Revelation: “In the sacred books the Fa-
ther who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks to them. And
such is the force and power of the Word of God that it serves the Church as her
support and vigor, and the children of the Church as strength for their faith, food
for the soul, and a pure and lasting fount of spiritual life” (Vatican II, “Dei Ver-
bum”, 21).

God’s word is consoling and life-giving, but it also inspires fear in those who try
to ignore it. “The word of his truth is hotter and brighter than the sun, and pierces
the very depths of hearts and minds” (St Justin, “Dialogue with Trypho”, 121, 2).
The depths of a person’s heart, his deepest thoughts, attitudes and intentions, lie
open to God’s all-seeing eye. “What a person does or thinks is expressed in his
actions, but one can never be sure of what motivates his actions. That, however,
is never hidden from God” (St Thomas, “Commentary on Heb.” 4, 2).

The last judgment, which is a hidden backdrop to these words of the sacred text,
calls us to present conversion. “The Apostle of God wrote this not only for his
[immediate] readers but also for us. It behooves us therefore always to keep that
divine judgment before our minds, and to be full of fear and trembling and to keep
God’s commandments faithfully and be ever hopeful of that rest promised us
which we shall attain in Christ” (Theodoret of Cyrus, “Interpretatio Ep. ad Hae-
breos, ad loc.”).

14-16. The text now reverts to its main theme (cf. 2:17), that is, the priesthood
of Christ. It highlights the dignity of the new high priest, who has passed through
the heavens; and His mercy, too, for He sympathizes with our weaknesses. We
have, therefore, every reason to approach Him with confidence. “The believers
were at that time in a storm of temptation; that is why the Apostle is consoling
them, saying that our High Priest not only knows, as God, the weaknesses of
our nature: as man, He has also experienced the sufferings that affect us, al-
though He was free from sin. Since He knows our weaknesses so well, He can
give us the help we need, and when He comes to judge us, He will take that
weakness into account in His sentence” (”Interpretatio Ep. Ad Haebreos, ad
loc.”).

We should respond to the Lord’s goodness by staying true to our profession of
faith. The confession or profession of faith referred to here is not simply an exter-
nal declaration: external confession is necessary but there must also be commit-
ment and a spirit of fidelity. A Christian needs to live up to all the demands of his
calling; he should be single-minded and free from doubts.

15. “If we should some time find ourselves sorely tempted by our enemies, it will
greatly help us to remember that we have on our side a high priest who is most
compassionate, for He chose to experience all kinds of temptation” (”St. Pius V
Catechism”, IV, 15, 14). In order to understand and help a sinner to get over his
falls and cope with temptation, one does not oneself need to have experience of
being tempted; in fact, only one who does not sin knows the full force of tempta-
tion, because the sinner gives in prior to resisting to the end. Christ never yielded
to temptation. He therefore experienced much more than we do (because we are
often defeated by temptation) the full rigor and violence of those temptations
which He chose to undergo as man at particular points in His life. Our Lord, then,
allowed Himself to be tempted, in order to set us an example and prevent us from
ever losing confidence in our ability to resist temptation with the help of grace (cf.
notes on Matthew 4:1-11 and paragraph).

“There is no man”, St. Jerome comments, “who can resist all tests except He
who, made in our likeness, has experienced everything but sin” (”Comm. In Ioan-
nam”, II, 46). Christ’s sinlessness, often affirmed in Sacred Scripture (Romans 8:
3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; John 8:46; 1 Peter 1:19; 2:21-24), follows logically from His
being God and from His human integrity and holiness. At the same time Christ’s
weakness, which He chose to experience out of love for us, is a kind of invitation
from God to pray for strength to resist sin. “Let us adore Christ who emptied Him-
self to assume the condition of a slave. He was tempted in every way that we are,
but did not sin. Let us turn in prayer to Him, saying, ‘You took on our human
weakness. Be the eyes of the blind, the strength of the weak, the friend of the
lonely’” (”Liturgy of the Hours”, Christmas Day, Evening Prayer I).

16. The “throne” is the symbol of Christ’s authority; He is King of the living and
the dead. But here it speaks of a “throne of grace”: through the salvation worked
by Christ, the compassionate Priest and Intercessor, God’s throne has become
a judgment seat from which mercy flows. Christ has initiated for mankind a time
of forgiveness and sanctification in which He does not yet manifest His position
as Sovereign Judge. Christ’s priesthood did not cease to operate with His death;
it continues in Heaven, where He forever pleads on our behalf, and therefore we
should have confident recourse to Him.

“What security should be ours in considering the mercy of the Lord! ‘He has but
to cry for redress, and I, the Ever-Merciful, will listen to him’ (Exodus 22:27). It is
an invitation, a promise that He will not fail to fulfill. ‘Let us then with confidence
draw near to the throne of grace, and we may receive mercy and find grace to
help in time of need’. The enemies of our sanctification will be rendered power-
less if the mercy of God goes before us. And if through our own fault and human
weakness we should fall, the Lord comes to our aid and raises us up” (St. J. Es-
criva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 7).

*********************************************************************************************
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: Mark 2:13-17

The Calling of Matthew

[13] He (Jesus) went out again beside the sea; and all the crowd gathered about
Him, and He taught them. [14] And as He passed on, He saw Levi the son of
Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me.” And he rose
and followed Him.

[15] And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were
sitting with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many who followed Him. [16]
And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that He was eating with sinners
and tax collectors, said to His disciples, “Why does He eat with tax collectors
and sinners?” [17] And when Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are
well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the
righteous, but sinners.”

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

14. St. Mark and St. Luke (5:27-32) both call him “Levi”; the First Gospel, on the
other hand, calls him “Matthew” (Matthew 9:9-13); but they are all referring to the
same person. All three accounts describe the same event. Later on, St Mark and
St Luke, when giving the list of Apostles (Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16), include
Matthew, not Levi. The Fathers identify Matthew with Levi. Besides it was quite
common for Jews to have two names: Jacob-Israel, Simon-Peter, Saul-Paul, Jo-
seph-Caiaphas, John-Mark... Frequently, the name and surname were connected
with some significant change in the life and mission of the person concerned.
Did Jesus’ saving intervention in this Apostle’s life lead to a change of name?
The Gospel does not tell us.

Levi-Matthew, as a publican or tax collector (Matthew 9:9-13), was sitting at the
‘tax office’, a special place where one went to pay tribute. Publicans were tax
collectors appointed by the Romans. It was, therefore, an occupation hated and
despised by the people; but it was also a much-coveted position because it was
an easy way to become prosperous. Matthew leaves everything behind when Je-
sus calls him. He immediately responds to his vocation, because Jesus gives
him the grace to accept his calling.

Jesus is the basis of our confidence in being able to change, provided we co-
operate with His grace, no matter how unworthy our previous conduct may have
been. And He is also the source of the confidence we need in order to be apos-
tolic—helping others to be converted and seek holiness of life. Because He is
the Son of God He is able to raise up children of God even from stones (cf.
Matthew 3:9). Cf. note on Matthew 9:9.

17. The scribes and Pharisees reproach the disciples, and Jesus replies with
a popular proverb: ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those
who are sick.’ He is the doctor of souls, come to cure sinners of their spiritual
ailments.

Our Lord calls everyone, His redemptive mission extends to everyone; He af-
firms this on other occasions, using parables such as that of the marriage feast
(Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 14:16-24). How, then, can we explain the restriction
He seems to place here by saying that He has not come to call the righteous?
It is not really a restriction. Jesus uses the opportunity to reproach the scribes
and Pharisees for their pride: they consider themselves just, and their reliance
on their apparent virtue prevents them from hearing the call to conversion; they
think they can be saved by their own efforts (cf. John 9:41). This explains the
proverb Jesus quotes; certainly His preaching makes it quite clear that ‘no one
is good but God alone’ (Mark 10:18) and that everyone must have recourse to
the mercy and forgiveness of God in order to be saved. In other words, man-
kind is not divided into two—the just and the unjust. We are all sinners, as St.
Paul confirms: ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23).
Precisely because of this, Christ came to call all of us; He justifies those who
respond to His call.

Our Lord’s words should also move us to pray humbly and confidently for peo-
ple who seem to want to continue living in sin. As St. Teresa beseeched God:
“Ah, how hard a thing am I asking of Thee, my true God! I ask Thee to love one
who loves Thee not, to open to one who has not called upon Thee, to give health
to one who prefers to be sick and who even goes about in search of sickness.
Thou sayest, my Lord, that Thou comest to seek sinners; these, Lord, are the
true sinners. Look not upon our blindness, my God, but upon all the blood that
was shed for us by Thy Son. Let Thy mercy shine out amid such tremendous
wickedness. Behold, Lord, we are the works of Thy hands” (”Exclamations of
the Soul to God”, n. 8).

The Fathers of the Church see this calling by Jesus as an invitation to repen-
tance and penance. St. John Chrysostom (”Hom. on St. Matthew”, 30:3), for
example, explains the phrase by putting these words in Jesus’ mouth: “I am
not come that they should continue sinners but that they should change and
become better.”

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

Readings at Mass

First reading

Hebrews 4:12-16 ©

The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely: it can slip through the place where the soul is divided from the spirit, or joints from the marrow; it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing can hide from him; everything is uncovered and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves.

Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.

Psalm

Psalm 18:8-10,15 ©

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The law of the Lord is perfect,

it revives the soul.

The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,

it gives wisdom to the simple.

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The precepts of the Lord are right,

they gladden the heart.

The command of the Lord is clear,

it gives light to the eyes.

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The fear of the Lord is holy,

abiding for ever.

The decrees of the Lord are truth

and all of them just.

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

May the spoken words of my mouth,

the thoughts of my heart,

win favour in your sight, O Lord,

my rescuer, my rock!

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps118:36,29

Alleluia, alleluia!

Bend my heart to your will, O Lord,

and teach me your law.

Alleluia!

Or	Lk4:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,

to proclaim liberty to captives.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 2:13-17 ©

Jesus went out to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.

When Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’

Readings at Mass

First reading

Hebrews 4:12-16 ©

The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely: it can slip through the place where the soul is divided from the spirit, or joints from the marrow; it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing can hide from him; everything is uncovered and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves.

Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.

Psalm

Psalm 18:8-10,15 ©

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The law of the Lord is perfect,

it revives the soul.

The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,

it gives wisdom to the simple.

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The precepts of the Lord are right,

they gladden the heart.

The command of the Lord is clear,

it gives light to the eyes.

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The fear of the Lord is holy,

abiding for ever.

The decrees of the Lord are truth

and all of them just.

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

May the spoken words of my mouth,

the thoughts of my heart,

win favour in your sight, O Lord,

my rescuer, my rock!

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps118:36,29

Alleluia, alleluia!

Bend my heart to your will, O Lord,

and teach me your law.

Alleluia!

Or	Lk4:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,

to proclaim liberty to captives.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 2:13-17 ©

Jesus went out to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.

When Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’

Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)

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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.

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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 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 ]

~ 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
+

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[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries
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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.

Feast of
the Holy Name of Jesus

Luke 2:21 "...Et vocatum est Nomen eius IESUS"
("And His Name was called JESUS")

Psalm 90:14 "Because he hoped in me I will deliver him:
I will protect him because he hath known My Name."

Zacharias 10:12 "I will strengthen them in the Lord,
and they shall walk in His Name, saith the Lord."

Apocalypse 3:8 "I know thy works. Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut: because thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied My Name."

Apocalypse 15:4 "Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and magnify Thy Name?..."

Blessed be the most holy Name of Jesus without end!

January Devotion: The Holy Name of Jesus

The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. This feast is also celebrated on January 3. Here is an explanation of the devotion.

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has associated entire months to special devotions. The devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus has been traditionally associated with the month of January, due to its celebration on January 3. The name Jesus was given to the Holy Child at God's command (Luke 1:31). The Holy Name is all-powerful because of the Person who bears it; we honor it because of the command of Christ, that we should pray in His Name and because it reminds us of all the blessings we receive through our Holy Redeemer. Hence St. Paul was able to write to the Philippians: ". . . at the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" (Phil. 2:10). By means of this devotion we also make amends for improper use of the Holy Name.

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

Prayer/Hymn in Honor of the Most Holy Name of Jesus - Iesu, Dulcis Memoria

Iesu, Dulcis Memoria is a celebrated 12th century hymn attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), Doctor Mellifluus. The entire hymn has some 42 to 53 stanzas depending upon the manuscript. Parts of this hymn were used for the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, which was formerly celebrated on the Sunday between the Circumcision and Epiphany, or failing such a Sunday, on January 2. The part below was used at Vespers. In the liturgical revisions of Vatican II, the feast was deleted, though a votive Mass to the Holy Name of Jesus had been retained for devotional use. With the release of the revised Roman Missal in March 2002, the feast was restored as an optional memorial on January 3.

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.

No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus' name,
The Savior of mankind.

O hope of every contrite heart!
0 joy of all the meek!
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!

But what to those who find? Ah! this
Nor tongue nor pen can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.

Jesus! our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shalt be;
In Thee be all our glory now,
And through eternity. Amen.

---Roman Breviary

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

O Divine Jesus, Thou hast promised that anything we ask of the Eternal Father in Thy name shall be granted.

O Eternal Father. In the name of Jesus, for the love of Jesus, in fulfillment of this promise, and because Jesus has said it, grant us our petitions for the sake of Jesus, Thy Divine Son. 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

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Phil:2:10-11

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The Holy Name of Jesus
Holy Name of Jesus [San Bernadino of Siena] Ecumenical
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name [of Jesus]
The Name of Jesus: Its Power in Our Lives
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus
The Holy Name of Jesus

Philippians 2
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

January 2015

Pope's Intentions

Universal: Peace -- That those from diverse religious traditions and all people of good will may work together for peace.

Evangelization: Consecrated life -- That in this year dedicated to consecrated life, religious men and women may rediscover the joy of following Christ and strive to serve the poor with zeal.

Daily Gospel Commentary

Saturday of the First week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint Ambrose (c.340-397), Bishop of Milan and Doctor of the Church
Commentary on Saint Luke's Gospel, 5, 23.27 (SC 45, p.191f. rev.)

"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do"

The apostle Paul said: “Take off the old self with its practices and put on the new self” (Col 3,9-10)... This was the work Christ accomplished when he called Levi; he refashioned him into a new man. Similarly, it is as a new person that the former publican prepares a banquet for Christ since Christ takes pleasure in him and he himself merits to have a share in happiness with Christ... He followed him now, happy, lighthearted and overflowing with joy.

“I have the aspect of a publican no more,” he said, “I don't carry around the old Levi any longer; I put off Levi when I put on Christ. I flee from my earlier life; my Lord Jesus, you alone, who heal my wounds, I desire to follow. Who shall separate me from the love of God within you? tribulation? anguish? hunger? (Rom 8,35). I am bound to you by faith as by nails, I am held fast by the worthy bonds of love. All your commandments will be like a cautery that I will apply firmly to my wound; the remedy stings but it takes away the ulcerous infection. Lord Jesus, with your powerful sword cut away the corruption of my sins: come quickly, lance my hidden and varied passions. Purge away all infection in the new bath.

“Listen to me, you people who are fixed to the earth, you whose thoughts are intoxicated by your sins. I, Levi, was also wounded by similar passions. But I found a doctor who dwells in heaven and pours out his remedies on earth. He alone can cure my wounds since he himself has none. He alone can remove the heart's pain and the soul's lethargy, for he knows everything that lies hidden.”

1. "Love is the most necessary of all virtues. Love in the person who preaches the word of God is like fire in a musket. If a person were to throw a bullet with his hands, he would hardly make a dent in anything; but if the person takes the same bullet and ignites some gunpowder behind it, it can kill. It is much the same with the word of God. If it is spoken by someone who is filled with the fire of charity- the fire of love of God and neighbor- it will work wonders."

-St. Anthony Mary Claret

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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.