February 22, 2015

First Sunday of Lent

Reading 1 Gn 9:8-15

God said to Noah and to his sons with him:
"See, I am now establishing my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
and with every living creature that was with you:
all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals
that were with you and came out of the ark.
I will establish my covenant with you,
that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed
by the waters of a flood;
there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth."
God added:
"This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come,
of the covenant between me and you
and every living creature with you:
I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign
of the covenant between me and the earth.
When I bring clouds over the earth,
and the bow appears in the clouds,
I will recall the covenant I have made
between me and you and all living beings,
so that the waters shall never again become a flood
to destroy all mortal beings."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9.

R. (cf. 10) Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Good and upright is the LORD,
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and he teaches the humble his way.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.

Reading 2 1 Pt 3:18-22

Beloved:
Christ suffered for sins once,
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
that he might lead you to God.
Put to death in the flesh,
he was brought to life in the Spirit.
In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison,
who had once been disobedient
while God patiently waited in the days of Noah
during the building of the ark,
in which a few persons, eight in all,
were saved through water.
This prefigured baptism, which saves you now.
It is not a removal of dirt from the body
but an appeal to God for a clear conscience,
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who has gone into heaven
and is at the right hand of God,
with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

Gospel Mk 1:12-15

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert,
and he remained in the desert for forty days,
tempted by Satan.
He was among wild beasts,
and the angels ministered to him.

After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
"This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel."

From: Genesis 9:8-15

God’s Covenant with Noah (Continuation)

[8] Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, [9] “Behold, I establish my
covenant with you and. your descendants after you, [10] and with every living
creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with
you, as many as came out of the ark. [11] I establish my covenant with you, that
never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall
there be a flood to destroy the earth.” [12] And God said, “This is the sign of the
covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with
you, for all future generations: I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of
the covenant between me and the earth. [14] When I bring clouds over the earth
and the bow is seen in the clouds, [15] I will remember my covenant which is be-
tween me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never
again become a flood to destroy all flesh.”

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

9:8-17. To show that he was pleased by Noah’s sacrifice, God promised that he
would never again flood the earth (cf. 8:20-22); now he renews that promise in the
context of a covenant that covers all creation and which is ratified by a sign—the
rainbow.

This marks the start of a series of covenants which God will freely establish
with men. The first covenant (with Noah) takes in all creation, now purified and
renewed by the flood. Later there will be the covenant with Abraham, which will
affect only himself and his descendants (cf. chap. 17). Finally, under Moses, he
will establish the covenant of Sinai (cf. Ex 19), also confined to the people of Is-
rael. But because man proved unable to keep these successive covenants, God
promised, through the prophets, to establish a new covenant in the messianic
age: “I will put my law within them and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will
be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jer 31:33). This promise found its
fulfillment in Christ, as he himself said when he instituted the eucharistic sa-
crifice of his body. and blood: “This cup which is poured out for you is the new
covenant in my blood” (Lk 22:20).

The Fathers and ecclesiastical writers saw this rainbow as the first proclamation
of this new covenant. Rupert of Deutz, for example, writes: “In it God established
a covenant with men through his son Jesus Christ; by the death (of Christ) on the
cross God reconciled us to himself, cleansing us of our sins in his blood, and he
gave us through (Christ) the Holy Spirit of his love, instituting the baptism of water
and the Holy Spirit by which we are reborn. Therefore, that rainbow which appears
in the clouds is a sign of the Son of God. [...] It is the sign that God will never a-
gain destroy all flesh by the waters of the flood; the Son of God himself, who was
taken out of sight by a cloud, and who is lifted up beyond the clouds, above all
the heavens, is forever a sign which reminds God the Father; he is an eternal me-
morial of our peace: now that he in his flesh has destroyed the old enmity, friend-
ship between God and men is secure: men are no longer servants but friends and
children of God” (”Commentarium in Genesim”, 4,36).

*********************************************************************************************
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: 1 Peter 3:18-22

Christ’s Suffering and Glorification

[18] For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous,
that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in
the spirit; [19] in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, [20] who
formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, during
the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through
water. [21] Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal
of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ, [22] who has gone into heaven and is at the right
hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

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

18-22. This passage may include parts of a Creed used in early Christian baptis-
mal instruction. It very clearly expresses the essence of faith in Jesus Christ, as
preached from the beginning by the Apostles (cf. Acts 2:14-36; 1 Cor 15:1ff) and
as articulated in the Apostles’ Creed: “He was crucified, died and was buried. He
descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended
into Heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.”

Jesus Christ, who suffers for the sins of mankind—”the righteous for the unrigh-
teous”—and then is glorified, gives meaning to the sufferings of Christians. “Oh,
how great thanks am I bound to return to You for having shown me and all the
faithful the right and good way to Your everlasting Kingdom! For Your life is our
life; and by holy patience we walk on to You, who are our crown. If You had not
gone before and taught us, who would care to follow? Alas, how many would
have stayed afar off and a great way behind if they had not had before their eyes
your wonderful example!” (”Imitation of Christ”, 3, 18).

18. “Christ has died for sins once for all”: our Lord’s sacrifice is unrepeatable (cf.
Heb 9:12-28; 10-10) and superabundantly sufficiently to obtain the remission of
all sins. The fruits of the Cross are applied to man, in a special way, by means
of the sacraments, particularly by taking part in the Mass, the unbloody renewal
of the sacrifice of Calvary.

“Being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit”: there is disagree-
ment among commentators as to what “flesh” and “spirit” mean here. Some iden-
tify them with our concepts of body and soul—”dead as regards the body, alive as
regards the soul”. Others see them as equivalent to the humanity-divinity of our
Lord: “dead as far as His human nature is concerned, alive (continuous to live)
as far as His divinity is concerned”. Finally, having regard to the meaning these
terms have in the Old Testament, the phrase may refer to the earthly consolation
of our Lord compared with the glorious condition He had after His resurrection; in
which case it would be an early form of words used to convey the idea that Jesus
Christ, on dying, left His mortal condition behind for ever in order to move into His
glorious, immortal state through His Resurrection (cf. 1 Cor 15:35-49).

19-20. “In which”, that is, in the spirit. The ambiguity of the original text (referred
to in the previous note) continues, so it is possible to understand the “in which”
in the three ways outlined. Some take it as meaning that Christ went to preach
to the spirits in prison “with his soul”, separated from his body; for some he went
“in his glorious condition”, which is not incompatible with the resurrection in the
strict sense happening afterwards.

In any event, these verses are one of the clear references in the New Testament
to our Lord descending into hell (cf. also Mt 12:38-41; Acts 2:24-36; Rom 10:6-7;
Eph 4:8-9; Rev 1:18). After dying on the cross, Jesus Christ went to bring his
message of salvation “to the spirits in prison”: many Fathers and commentators
are inclined to the view that this is a reference to the just of the Old Testament
who, not being able to enter heaven until the Redemption took place, were kept
in the bosom of Abraham, which is also called the “limbo” of the just (cf. “St
Pius V Catechism”, I, 6, 1-6).

The reference to the contemporaries of Noah is probably explained by the fact
that, for the Jews of the time, those people (along with the people of Sodom and
Gomorrah: cf. Mt 24:36-39; Lk 17:26-30) were the classic inveterate sinners. By
bringing in this reference St Peter is teaching that the Redemption embraces all
men: even the contemporaries of Noah, if they repented, could have attained sal-
vation through the merits of Christ.

21-22. The waters of the Flood are a figure of Baptism: in the same way as Noah
and his family were saved by being in the Ark, now men are saved through Bap-
tism, which makes them members of Christ’s Church.

“As an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ”: the obvious meaning of this is that the Christian asks for perseverance in
the good way of life he entered into at Baptism. However, the Greek word trans-
lated as “appeal”, a rarely used one, contains the idea of “commitment”. It is
possible that this may be a reference to a part of the baptismal rite—for example,
the profession of faith the neophyte made, and his promise to stay true to it. Or
it may refer to a permanent effect of Baptism whereby the Christian is given a
share in “the resurrection of Christ”: it would not be surprising if St Peter were
referring to what later came to be known as the baptismal “character”. In fact,
the context suggests something permanent and indelible: just as Noah’s salva-
tion was a lasting one and there was never again a flood, so too the condition
of the Christian is something permanent; now that he has risen Jesus can never
die again (cf. Rom 6:3) and neither can the baptized return to their former sinful
condition.

Verse 22, possibly taken from a baptismal hymn, is a very concise account of
the glorification of Christ. After descending into hell, he arose and ascended into
heaven, where he is seated “at the right hand of God”: this phrase, already com-
mon in early Christian catechesis (cf., e.g., Mt 22:41-46; Mk 16:19; Acts 2:33)
means that our Lord, who is equal to the Father in his divinity, also, as man,
occupies at his side the place of honor over all other created beings. This uni-
versal lordship of Christ is further emphasized by the statement that all heavenly
beings are subject to him (cf. Phil 2:10; Eph 1:21); three degrees of angels are
mentioned, that is, all the angels, because the number three symbolizes totality.

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

From: Mark 1:12-15

The Tempting of Jesus

[12] The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. [13] And he was
in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts;
and the angels ministered to him.

Jesus Begins to Preach and Calls His First Disciples

[14] Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel
of God, [15] and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;
repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

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

13. St Matthew (4: 1-11) and St Luke (4: 1-13) relate the temptations of Jesus
in more detail. By submitting to temptation, Jesus wanted to show us that we
should not be afraid of temptations: on the contrary, they give us an opportunity
to progress in the interior life.

“Yet the Lord sometimes permits that souls, which are dear to him, should be
tempted with some violence, in order that they may better understand their own
weakness, and the necessity of grace to prevent them from falling [...]; God per-
mits us to be tempted, that we may be more detached from the things of earth,
and conceive a more ardent desire to behold him in heaven [...]; God also per-
mits us to be tempted, in order to increase our merits. [...] When it is disturbed
by temptation, and sees itself in danger of committing sin, the soul has recourse
to the Lord and to his divine Mother; it renews its determination to die rather than
offend God; it humbles itself and takes refuge in the arms of divine mercy. By
this means, as is proved by experience, it acquires more strength and is united
more closely to God” (St Alphonsus Mary de Liguori, “The Love of our Lord Jesus
Christ Reduced to Practice”, chap. 17).

Besides, as in our Lord’s own case, we will always have God’s help to overcome
temptation: “Jesus has stood up to the test. And it was a real test [...]. The devil,
with twisted intention, quoted the Old Testament: ‘God will send his angels to pro-
tect the just man wherever he goes’ (Ps 91:11). But Jesus refuses to tempt his
Father; he restores true meaning to this passage from the Bible. And, as a reward
for his fidelity, when the time comes, ministers of God the Father appear and wait
upon him [...]. We have to fill ourselves with courage, for the grace of God will not
fail us. God will be at our side and will send his angels to be our traveling compa-
nions, our prudent advisers along the way, our cooperators in all that we take on”
(St J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 63).

14-15. “The gospel of God”: this expression is found in St Paul (Rom 1:1; 2 Cor
11:7; etc.) where it means the same as “the gospel of Jesus Christ” (2 Thess 1:
8; etc.), thereby implying the divinity of Jesus Christ. The imminence of the King-
dom requires a genuine conversion of man to God (Mt 4:17; Mk 6:12; etc.). The
prophets had already spoken of the need for conversion and for Israel to abandon
its evil ways (Jer 3:22; Is 30:15; Os 14:2; etc.).

Both John the Baptist and Jesus and his Apostles insist on the need for conver-
sion, the need to change one’s attitude and conduct as a prerequisite for receiving
the Kingdom of God. Bl. John Paul II underlines the importance of conversion for
entry into the Kingdom of God: “Therefore, the Church professes and proclaims
conversion. Conversion to God always consists in discovering his mercy, that is,
in discovering that love which is patient and kind (cf. 1 Cor 13:4) as only the Cre-
ator and Father can be; the love to which the ‘God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ’ (2 Cor 1:3) is faithful to the uttermost consequences in the history of his
covenant with man: even to the Cross and to the death and resurrection of the
Son. Conversion to God is always the fruit of the ‘rediscovery’ of this Father, who
is rich in mercy.

“Authentic knowledge of the God of mercy, the God of tender love, is a constant
and inexhaustible source of conversion, not only as a momentary interior act but
also as a permanent attitude, as a state of mind. Those who come to know God
in this way, who ‘see’ him in this way, can live only in a state of being continually
converted to him. They live, therefore, “in statu conversionis” and it is this state
of conversion which marks out the most profound element of the pilgrimage of
every man and woman on earth “in statu viatoris” (Bl. John Paul II, “Dives In Mi-
sericordia”, 13).

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

Readings at Mass

First reading

Genesis 9:8-15 ©

God spoke to Noah and his sons, ‘See, I establish my Covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; also with every living creature to be found with you, birds, cattle and every wild beast with you: everything that came out of the ark, everything that lives on the earth. I establish my Covenant with you: no thing of flesh shall be swept away again by the waters of the flood. There shall be no flood to destroy the earth again.’

God said, ‘Here is the sign of the Covenant I make between myself and you and every living creature with you for all generations: I set my bow in the clouds and it shall be a sign of the Covenant between me and the earth. When I gather the clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, I will recall the Covenant between myself and you and every living creature of every kind. And so the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all things of flesh.’

Psalm

Psalm 24:4-6,7-9 ©

Your ways, Lord, are faithfulness and love for those who keep your covenant.

Lord, make me know your ways.

Lord, teach me your paths.

Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:

for you are God my saviour.

Your ways, Lord, are faithfulness and love for those who keep your covenant.

Remember your mercy, Lord,

and the love you have shown from of old.

In your love remember me.

because of your goodness, O Lord.

Your ways, Lord, are faithfulness and love for those who keep your covenant.

The Lord is good and upright.

He shows the path to those who stray,

He guides the humble in the right path,

He teaches his way to the poor.

Your ways, Lord, are faithfulness and love for those who keep your covenant.

Second reading

1 Peter 3:18-22 ©

Christ himself, innocent though he was, had died once for sins, died for the guilty, to lead us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life, and, in the spirit, he went to preach to the spirits in prison. Now it was long ago, when Noah was still building that ark which saved only a small group of eight people ‘by water’, and when God was still waiting patiently, that these spirits refused to believe. That water is a type of the baptism which saves you now, and which is not the washing off of physical dirt but a pledge made to God from a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has entered heaven and is at God’s right hand, now that he has made the angels and Dominations and Powers his subjects.

Gospel Acclamation

Mt4:4

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Man does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Gospel

Mark 1:12-15 ©

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness and he remained there for forty days, and was tempted by Satan. He was with the wild beasts, and the angels looked after him.

After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. ‘The time has come’ he said ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.’

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.

During Lent we may say the Sorrowful Mysteries everyday.

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: II 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 Sorrowful Mysteries
(Tuesdays and Fridays)
1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God's will be done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in our heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient bearing of trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]

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.

February Devotion: The Holy Family

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Holy Family Chaplet

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

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

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

The Holy Family Icon by Nicholas Markell

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

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

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

Parent's Prayer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daily Gospel Commentary

First Sunday of Lent - Year B

Commentary of the day
Saint Gregory Nazianzen (330-390), Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Sermon XL, 10

Temptation after baptism

If, after baptism, you are attacked by the persecutor, tempter of the light, you will have substance for victory. It is certain he will attack you since he even set himself against the Word of my God, deceived by the human appearance that concealed from him his uncreated light. Don’t be daunted by the combat. Oppose him with the water of baptism, oppose him with the Holy Spirit in whom all the fiery darts thrown by the Wicked One are quenched…

If he uncovers the neediness that overwhelms you – and he did not fail to do so to Jesus -, if he brings to mind the fact that you are hungry, don’t pretend you are unaware of his suggestions. Teach him what he does not know; set the Word of life against him, the true Bread from heaven which gives life to the world.

If he sets before you the stumbling block of vanity – he used it against Christ when he caused him to go up to the parapet of the Temple and said: “Throw yourself down” so as to make him manifest his divinity – take care you don’t fall because you wished to raise yourself up…

If he tempts you with ambition by showing you in an instant all the kingdoms of the earth under his power and if he demands your worship, despise him: he’s nothing but a false brother. Confident in the divine seal, say to him: “I, too, am in God’s image; unlike you, I have not yet been thrown down from the height of my glory because of my pride! I am clothed with Christ; through my baptism I have become another Christ; it’s for you to worship me!” I am certain he will depart, overcome and shamed by these words. Coming from someone who is enlightened by Christ, they will be felt by him as though they came from Christ himself, the supreme light. These are the advantages conveyed by the water of baptism to those who acknowledge its power.

Arlington Catholic Herald

GOSPEL COMMENTARY MK 1:12-15

Stop and think

Fr. Paul Scalia

It is one of the most basic commands in the Gospel: Repent. Metanoeite in Greek. It is the first command of Christ (cf. Mk 1:15) and likewise of His vicar (cf. Acts 2:38). So fundamental is this command to Christianity that the word metanoia has become somewhat familiar. And yet for all its importance and familiarity, there has been no shortage of controversy over its meaning. Most still render it — accurately — as “repent.” But since as far back as Tertullian in the 3rd century, others have contended that the word actually gets at something much deeper, more profound: an interior conversion, a complete change of mind and heart.

Thus, one translation focuses on external behavior and the other on interior renewal. So, which is it? Not only does this seem to be one of those happy (and rare) occasions when both are right, but it is also an opportunity to see the relation of the two. That is, how action and thought are connected; how change of behavior and change of mind must go together.

First, “repent.” This conveys a basic Gospel requirement: that we stop doing what we ought not and begin doing what we ought. Of course, this may seem superficial or legalistic. On its own it becomes a moral scolding: "Stop it." And the Gospel requires much more of us than mere external reform. But neither should we think it unimportant to cease and desist.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen once observed, “If you do not behave as you believe, you will end by believing as you behave.” We know that bad thoughts lead to bad actions. But his line brings out how actions influence thoughts. Most intellectual problems, in fact, proceed from moral problems. We typically do not think up a bad philosophy that leads us to bad behavior. It is, rather, the reverse. We do what we feel like and then construct a way of thinking to justify our bad behavior. As such, the reason many of us refuse to change our hearts is that we do not want to change our behavior. It has grown too pleasurable, comfortable or at least familiar.

By analogy, there may be hundreds of reasons that a man becomes an alcoholic. Please God, some day he will address them in recovery. But before he gets to that point, one thing is for certain: He must stop drinking. As long as that behavior continues, he cannot see the underlying problems. So also we need to change our prideful way of thinking. But before we can get to that point, we must do one simple (not easy) thing: Stop sinning. Repent.

If we end there, then we reduce the Gospel to mere moralizing. We must go further, to the deeper meaning of metanoeite: the call for a change of heart and mind, indeed, an entire rethinking of reality. Without this, external repentance neither counts for much nor lasts very long. Sin aggravates in us a warped view of reality. It prompts us to see all things through the prism of our pride, with us at the center and God at the margins. Everything is distorted, misshaped and out of proportion.

Metanoeite is the command to change our thinking entirely. This primordial Gospel imperative requires us to set aside our vain, covetous, rapacious view of reality and to put on the mind of Christ (cf. Rom 12:2; Phil 2:5). We are to leave behind not only sinful behavior but also the corrosive thoughts it has produced. Most of all, it means to conform our thinking to God's: to see all creation, every person, all our relationships and our very selves as they are, not as we would have them be. Repentance means seeing things from His perspective — the only true one.

Coming as it does on the first Sunday of Lent, the command sets the tone for the season. Lent is a time of correcting our vision. Our acts of repentance should not remain external actions that fall away once Easter comes. They should, rather, produce an interior renewal of mind that brings about a greater likeness to Christ at His Resurrection.

Fr. Scalia is Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde’s delegate for clergy.

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