Saturday of the Second week of Lent

Commentary of the day
Saint John-Paul II, Pope from 1978 to 2005
Apostolic Exhortation « Reconciliatio et paenitentia », § 5-6 (trans ©Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

"A man had two sons"

This prodigal son is man every human being: bewitched by the temptation to separate himself from his Father in order to lead his own independent existence; disappointed by the emptiness of the mirage which had fascinated him; alone, dishonored, exploited when he tries to build a world all for himself sorely tried, even in the depths of his own misery, by the desire to return to communion with his Father. Like the father in the parable, God looks out for the return of his child, embraces him when he arrives and orders the banquet of the new meeting with which the reconciliation is celebrated...

But the parable also brings into the picture the elder brother, who refuses to take his place at the banquet. He rebukes his younger brother for his dissolute wanderings, and he rebukes his father for the welcome given to the prodigal son while he himself, a temperate and hard-working person, faithful to father and home, has never been allowed-he says to have a celebration with his friends. This is a sign that he does not understand the father's goodness. To the extent that this brother, too sure of himself and his own good qualities, jealous and haughty, full of bitterness and anger, is not converted and is not reconciled with his father and brother, the banquet is not yet fully the celebration of a reunion and rediscovery. Man every human being-is also this elder brother. Selfishness makes him jealous, hardens his heart, blinds him and shuts him off from other people and from God...

The parable of the prodigal son is above all the story of the inexpressible love of a Father... But when the parable evokes, in the figure of the elder son, the selfishness which divides the brothers, it also becomes the story of the human family... It portrays the situation of the human family, divided by forms of selfishness. It throws light on the difficulty involved in satisfying the desire and longing for one reconciled and united family. It therefore reminds us of the need for a profound transformation of hearts through the rediscovery of the Father's mercy and through victory over misunderstanding and over hostility among brothers and sisters.

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 Perpetua and Saint Felicity, Martyrs

Saint Perpetua &
Saint Felicity, Martyrs
Memorial
March 7th

Mary and Child with Saints Perpetua and Felicity (Sacra Conversazione)
circa 1520, tempera on wood, National Museum in Warsaw

***

Saint Perpetua, a young mother of Carthaginian nobility, and Saint Felicity, a slave girl, were Christians. Because of their Christian faith they were thrown to wild beasts; but, having remained unharmed, they were put to death by the sword. They were martyred during the persecution of Septimus Severus.

Collect:
O God, at the urging of whose love
the Matryrs Saints Perpetua and Felicity
defied their persecutors and overcame the torment of death,
grant, we ask, by their prayers, that we may ever grow in your love,
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: Romans 8:31b-39
What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also give us all things with Him? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies; who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, "For Thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:34-39
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's foes will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Perpetua and St. Felicity

Feast Day: March 07
Died: 203

Perpetua and Felicity lived in Carthage, North Africa. It was the time of the terrible torture of Christians by Emperor Septimus Severus at the beginning of the third century.

Twenty-two-year-old Perpetua was the daughter of a rich pagan (did not believe in God) nobleman. While growing up, she had been given everything she had ever wanted. But then she converted and became a Christian. She realized that she loved Jesus and her Christian faith more than anything the world could offer. For this she found herself a prisoner on the way to execution (to be killed).

Perpetua's father did everything possible to persuade his daughter to give up her Christian faith. He tried to convince her of the importance of saving her life. But she would not give in, even though she knew that she would have to leave behind her husband and baby.

Felicity, Perpetua's maid, who had earlier been a slave, also became a Christian. She and Perpetua were great friends. They shared their belief in and love for Jesus. Felicity, too, was willing to sacrifice her life for Jesus and for her faith. For this she also found herself a prisoner on the way to execution.

Felicity was also a young wife and while she was in prison she gave birth to a child. Her little baby was adopted by a good Christian woman. Felicity was happy because now she could die a martyr (to die for Jesus and her faith).

Hand in hand, Perpetua and Felicity bravely faced martyrdom together. They marched from their cells into the amphitheater, as if into heaven, with cheerful looks and graceful bearing. If they trembled it was for joy and not for fear.

The people, demanded that the martyrs be led to the middle of the amphitheater where they could see them die. Without being asked they went where the people wanted them to go; but first they kissed one another, to complete their witness with the customary kiss of peace. Then they were charged and attacked by wild animals and later beheaded.

Bravest and happiest martyrs! They died in the year 203.

Reflection: Let us pray today for mothers who are separated from their families and children, especially through injustice and violence.

The Parable of the Two Sons

Today's Reading: Matthew 21:23-32

23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" 24 Jesus answered them, "I also will ask you a question; and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, From heaven,' he will say to us, Why then did you not believe him?' 26 But if we say, From men,' we are afraid of the multitude; for all hold that John was a prophet." 27 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

28 "What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29 And he answered, I will not'; but afterward he repented and went. 30 And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, I go, sir,' but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.

Today's Commentary:

Matthew 21:28-32 -- The parable of the Two Sons explains the preceding question about John the Baptist's authority (21:25). The sons (21:28) represent two groups of people: the first are sinners who repent at the preaching of John (21:32); the second are Israel's leaders, who refuse the Baptist's message, even when tax collectors and harlots (21:32) respond to him (Lk 7:29-30). By following John's way of righteousness (21:32), the former sinners do the will of the father (21:31).

Day 18

Lent Day 18 – Divine Light and the Liturgy

by Fr. Robert Barron

Yesterday we talked about the divine light as it appears through holy men and women. But is it possible for us ordinary people to see this light? I suggest that we do so every time we enter into the drama and beauty of the liturgy.

As Jesus appears in full glory, Peter, James, and John fall down in holy fear. This speaks of the attitude of worship, the stance that all of us assume every time we approach the altar of God.

See also how the story paints an icon of the liturgy, both earthly and heavenly. At the center of it stands Jesus, the light of the world, the source of life. On either side of him stand Moses (the Law) and Elijah (the prophet). In the course of the liturgy, we read from the Old Testament, described in Jesus’ time in the shorthand of “the Law and the Prophets.”

They also stand for the communion of saints, those who have been drawn into the heavenly life and who commune with Jesus. They are present at the liturgy, and we invoke them just before the Eucharistic prayer: “with the angels and the saints.”

There is also a “bright cloud” and from the cloud a voice declaring “this is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased, listen to him.” The bright cloud signifies the Holy Spirit, and the voice is that of God the Father. This is a Trinitarian theophany—as at the Baptism—and this theophany runs right through the liturgy from beginning to end.

After the vision, Peter, James, and John return to their day-to-day lives, coming back down the mountain. So, after we have glimpsed the light, we are told “Go, the Mass is ended.”

Catholic Spiritual Direction.com

Prayer Overcomes All

March 7, 2015 by Dan Burke

The inestimable virtue of prayer is able to obtain all good, and remove all hurtful things. St Peter of Alcantara Ecstasy by Art Giclee

If thou wilt patiently endure adversity, be a man of prayer.

If thou wilt overcome tribulation and temptations, be a man of prayer.

If thou wilt trample upon thy perverse inclinations, be a man of prayer.

If thou wilt know the deceits of Satan, and avoid them, be a man of prayer.

If thou wilt live joyfully in the work of God, and trace the way of labor and affliction, be a man of prayer.

If thou wilt exercise thyself in a spiritual course, and not walk according to the desires of the flesh, be a man of prayer.

If thou wilt put to flight thy vain and trifling fancies, be a man of prayer.

If thou wilt feast thy soul with holy thoughts, good desires, fervour, and devotion, be a man of prayer.

If thou wilt establish thy heart with a manly spirit, and constant purpose in the service of God, be a man of prayer.

To conclude, if thou wilt root out vice, and be endued with virtues, be a man of prayer. In it is received the unction of the Holy Ghost, which teacheth all things. Also, if thou wilt climb up to the top of contemplation, and enjoy the sweet embracings of thy beloved spouse, be a man of prayer. For by the exercise of prayer, we come to that contemplation and taste of heavenly things. Thou seest of what great power and virtue prayer is. For the confirmation of all which, omitting the testimony of holy Scriptures, let this be an evident proof unto thee, that by daily experience, we hear and see illiterate and simple persons to have attained the aforesaid and greater things by the virtue of prayer.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for:March 07, 2015
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, at the urging of whose love the Martyrs Saints Perpetua and Felicity defied their persecutors and overcame the torment of earth, grant, we ask, by their prayers, that we may ever grow in your love. 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.

RECIPES

o Skewered Beef Roman Style

ACTIVITIES

o Story of the Martyrdom of Sts. Felicity and Perpetua

PRAYERS

o Prayer for the Second Week of Lent

o Lent Table Blessing 2

o Prayer Before a Crucifix

Optional Memorial of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, martyrs

Old Calendar: St. Thomas Aquinas, confessor and doctor ; Other Titles: St. Felicitas

The account of the martyrdom of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity forms one of the finest pages of the history of the first centuries of the Church. It shows us clearly the wonderful sentiments of these two women when they heard that they had been condemned to the wild beasts. Knowing their own weakness but relying on the strength of Christ, who was fighting with them, they went to their martyrdom as to a triumphant celebration, to which they were invited by Christ. They were exposed to the fury of wild beasts in the amphitheater at Carthage, A.D. 203, and finally killed by the sword. Their names are still mentioned together in the Roman Canon of the Mass.

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas which is now celebrated in the Ordinary Form on January 28.

Stational Church

Sts. Perpetua and Felicity
Vibia Perpetua, a well-to-do young woman and mother, and Felicitas, a slave who gave birth to a child three days before suffering a martyr's death, were catechumens. Against such prospective converts the persecution of Septimius Severus was particularly severe. These two holy women suffered death on the seventh of March in Carthage. The Breviary relates the following touching episode:

Now the day had arrived when they were to be thrown to the wild beasts. Felicitas began to be sorrowful because she feared she would have to wait longer than her companions. For eight months she had been pregnant and therefore, according to Roman law, could not be executed before the birth of the child. But the prayers of her fellow sufferers hastened her time and she gave birth to a baby girl.

While she was suffering from the pains of childbirth, one of the guards called out to her, "If you are suffering so much now, what will you do when you are thrown to the wild beasts?" "Now I suffer," she answered, "but there Another will be in me, who will suffer for me, because I will suffer for Him." When she was in travail she had sorrow, but when she was set before the wild beasts she rejoiced" (Martyrology).

Finally, on the seventh of March, these heroic women were led into the amphitheatre and severely scourged. Then they were tossed about by an exceptionally wild cow, gored, and thrown to the ground.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Perpetua — Cattle, death of children, martyrs. Felicity — Death of children; martyrs; sterility; to have male children; widows.

Symbols: Perpetua — Wild cow; spiked ladder guarded by a dragon. Felicity — Seven swords; cauldron of oil and sword; sword with seven heads; eight palms.

Things to Do:

The story of the sufferings of today's saints is preserved for us in authentic "Acts of the Martyrs" that were composed partly by the saints themselves, and partly by eyewitnesses (perhaps Tertullian). The account may be classed with the most beautiful portions of ancient Christian literature that have come down to us. Read from this account here.

The Station is in the church of Sts. Peter and Marcellinus, two celebrated martyrs of Rome under the persecution of Diocletian. Their relics were brought to the church in 1256, and the church was restored the same year on order from Pope Alexander IV.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Saints Perpetua and Felicity, Martyrs

He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)

This parable has had many different titles through the years. Of course, there’s “The Prodigal Son,” but it has also been called “The Lost Son,” “Two Sons,” and even “The Running Father.” But perhaps Jesus’ listeners would have called it “The Foolish Father.” The way that the father handled his wayward son was completely against the logic or tradition of first-century Judaism.

First, by asking for his inheritance while his father was living, the youngest son was implying that he wished his father were dead. The father should have been furious at the request, but he divided up the inheritance instead.

Second, when the father gave his son his share of the inheritance—cattle, crop, and whatever other goods it consisted of—the son sold it, took the money, and ran with it. This was not just an insult but a financial blow to his father. Even if the father were to divide his estate before his death, his sons would not have been allowed to sell anything until after he had passed away. The father still needed to live, after all!

The fact that the father ran to greet this son would also have been shocking to Jesus’ listeners. It was considered undignified for a mature man to be chasing after his son like that. As patriarchal as Jewish society was, children always came to their fathers, not the other way around! So it would have been scandalous for the father to humiliate himself before this ungrateful son.

Finally, when the father killed the fatted calf and threw a big party, he was indirectly using the eldest son’s inheritance. There was nothing else left to use. No wonder the older boy was angry!

Jesus used the father’s outlandish behavior to highlight the depth of God’s mercy. It’s almost illogical the way our heavenly Father forgives us over and over again. It’s scandalous the way he lavishes us with undeserved treasures. But this is our God, and his love for us is real!

Today, try to imagine God racing toward you, his robes hiked up and his face filled with anticipation. Doesn’t it make you want to run to him?

“Thank you, Lord, for your endless mercy to me. Show me how to run home to you and receive your inheritance!”

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20
Psalm 103:1-4, 9-12

ERegnum Christi

The Prodigal Father

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

March 7, 2015. Saturday of the Second Week of Lent

Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So to them he addressed this parable. Then he said, "A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ´Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.´ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ´How many of my father´s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers."´ So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ´Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.´ But his father ordered his servants, ´Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.´ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ´Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.´ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ´Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.´ He said to him, ´My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.´"

Introductory Prayer: Lord, though I cannot see you with my eyes, I believe you are present to me now, in my innermost being, and that you know me far better than I know myself. I also know that you love me much more than I love my own self. Thank you for loving and watching over me, though I don’t deserve your love. In return, I offer you my sorrow for my sins and my hope to love you more each day.

Petition: Jesus, guide me to a complete rejection of sin in my life.

1. Love: The Double-Edged Sword - Place yourself in the father´s shoes. He loves his sons, sacrifices himself for them, and has tremendous hope and fatherly pride in them. He intensely wants them to be happy and seeks what´s best for them. Above all, he wants them to respond to his love for them with the same generosity, the same intensity of self-giving. There is nothing more painful for a lover than unanswered, ignored or scorned love. Imagine how much God loves us: he sends his only begotten Son into the world, to become man––with all the limitations and suffering this entails––to die on a cross, in our place, because of our sins.

2. Forgetting to Count Your Blessings: The minute the son begins to think about himself and turn his attention away from the father´s love is the minute he begins to have problems that will lead to spiritual and material bankruptcy. Asking for his inheritance was tantamount to wishing his father´s death, since an inheritance is bestowed only after the death of one’s parents. How many times have I asked God to die by choosing my own will over his? Self-centeredness leads to ingratitude: forgetting that I have received everything from God through no merit of my own and that it will all return to him. Self-centeredness also leads to trying to find happiness anywhere except the one place it truly is found: God.

3. A Rude Awakening: Anytime we turn away from the love and grace of God and turn to sin, we lose our senses and leave God for a “distant country.” God´s will is our home, even if on the surface it may seem unpleasant. Sin blinds the intellect and weakens the will. Its every moment is a point of departure. But—every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. We can turn back to God right now. He is with us right here, right now, pouring out his grace. He ardently longs for us to respond to him, just as the father in the parable must have longed for the return of his son. I can stand up. I can return to my Father. I can bury my past in Christ. I can go to him for forgiveness.

Conversation with Christ: Heavenly Father, I clearly see the many times I have said “No” to you and chosen myself. I give thanks for having such a patient and forgiving father as you. I am sorry for my lack of love for you. Now I reject sin once more and turn back to you, confident of your mercy and forgiveness.

Resolution: I will say a heartfelt act of contrition, relishing God´s love and mercy for me.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 31, Issue 2

<< Saturday, March 7, 2015 >>

Sts. Perpetua & Felicity

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20
View Readings

Psalm 103:1-4, 9-12

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Similar Reflections

THE DEATH OF THE PARTY

"For years now I have slaved for you. I never disobeyed one of your orders, yet you never gave me so much as a kid goat." —Luke 15:29

Have you been praying for years but haven't received as much as a kid goat? Do you feel like a slave since for you Mass is primarily a Sunday obligation? Do you find yourself judging other Christians? Are you turned off by those charismatics who are always praising the Lord?

If your answer to some of these questions is "Yes," then you may be the older brother in the parable usually called "The Parable of the Prodigal Son." Many Christians, like the older brother, compare themselves with other Christians. We are tempted to fall into religious sibling rivalry and jealousy. Unforgiveness breeds in this atmosphere, and where unforgiveness is, there can be no blessing, no joy, and no peace (Mt 5:24; Sir 28:3-4).

Unforgiveness breeds a burdensome, joyless, Sunday-obligation aberration of Christianity. Of course, it's not bad to do things out of a sense of duty, but Christianity is much more. Christianity is an exciting, painful, fulfilling way of living based on a deep, total relationship with the forgiving Father, the Bridegroom Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Our Father speaks to us at this moment: "You are with Me always, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice!" (Lk 15:31-32)

Prayer: Father, show me that unforgiveness is the cause of a sad, boring life.

Promise: "You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins." —Mi 7:19

Praise: St. Felicity refused to deny Jesus to preserve her life, even for the safety of her newborn infant.

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