Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 06-30-15, OM, The First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 06-30-15 | Revised New American Bible

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June 30, 2015 Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Gn 19:15-29

As dawn was breaking, the angels urged Lot on, saying, “On your way! Take with you your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of Sodom.”

When he hesitated, the men, by the LORD’s mercy, seized his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters and led them to safety outside the city. As soon as they had been brought outside, he was told: “Flee for your life! Don’t look back or stop anywhere on the Plain. Get off to the hills at once, or you will be swept away.”

“Oh, no, my lord!” Lot replied, “You have already thought enough of your servant to do me the great kindness of intervening to save my life. But I cannot flee to the hills to keep the disaster from overtaking me, and so I shall die.

Look, this town ahead is near enough to escape to. It’s only a small place. Let me flee there–it’s a small place, is it not?– that my life may be saved.” “Well, then,” he replied, “I will also grant you the favor you now ask. I will not overthrow the town you speak of. Hurry, escape there! I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” That is why the town is called Zoar.

The sun was just rising over the earth as Lot arrived in Zoar; at the same time the LORD rained down sulphurous fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah from the LORD out of heaven.

He overthrew those cities and the whole Plain, together with the inhabitants of the cities and the produce of the soil. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she was turned into a pillar of salt.

Early the next morning Abraham went to the place where he had stood in the LORD’s presence. As he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and the whole region of the Plain, he saw dense smoke over the land rising like fumes from a furnace.

Thus it came to pass: when God destroyed the Cities of the Plain, he was mindful of Abraham by sending Lot away from the upheaval by which God overthrew the cities where Lot had been living.

Responsorial Psalm PS 26:2-3, 9-10, 11-12

R. (3a) O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.

Search me, O LORD, and try me; test my soul and my heart. For your mercy is before my eyes, and I walk in your truth.

R. O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.

Gather not my soul with those of sinners, nor with men of blood my life. On their hands are crimes, and their right hands are full of bribes.

R. O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.

But I walk in integrity; redeem me, and have mercy on me. My foot stands on level ground; in the assemblies I will bless the LORD.

R. O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.

Alleluia Ps 130:5

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I trust in the LORD; my soul trusts in his word.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 8:23-27

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.

The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

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For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

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From: Genesis 19:15-29

The Flight of Lot and His Family

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[15] When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Arise, take your wife
and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment
of the city.” [16] But he lingered; so the men seized him and his wife and his two
daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him forth
and set him outside the city. [17] And when they had brought them forth, they
said, “Flee for your life; do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley; flee to
the hills, lest you be consumed.” [18] And Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords;
[19] behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me
great kindness in saving my life; but I cannot flee to the hills, lest the disaster
overtake me, and I die. [20] Behold, yonder city is near enough to flee to, and it
is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be
saved!” [21] He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not
overthrow the city of which you have spoken. [22] Make haste, escape there; for
I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called
Zoar.

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

---

[23] The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.

[24] Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the
Lord out of heaven; [25] and he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all
the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. [26] But Lot’s wife be-
hind him looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. [27] And Abraham went
early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord; [28] and
he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the val-
ley, and beheld, and lo, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a fur-
nace.

[29] So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remem-
bered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he over-
threw the cities in which Lot dwelt.

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Commentary:

19:24 The ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah probably lie under the waters of the
Dead Sea, to the south. The biblical account interprets the disappearance of
these cities as being the result of some terrible cataclysm, which God sent as
a punishment for the sins of their inhabitants.

Throughout the Bible one meets many references to the dramatic destruction of
these two cities and the land round about (now desolate) as an instance of the ri-
gor of divine punishment (cf. Deut 29:22; Is 13-19; Jer 49:18; etc.) from which Is-
rael is preserved in spite of its sins, thanks to the faithfulness of a small remnant
(cf. Is 1:9) and from which righteous men are also preserved (cf. Wis 10:6-7). Our
Lord Jesus Christ compares the punishment inflicted on Sodom and Gomorrah to
that which will come on the day of Judgment and which will be even greater (cf.
Mt 10:15; 11:23-24), and he invites us to bear that cataclysm in mind, so as al-
ways to be on the watch (cf. Lk 17:28-30).

As happened at the time of the flood from which Noah was saved (cf. Gen 6:8-12),
God “by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes condemned them to
extinction and made of them an example to those who were to be ungodly; and if
he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the licentiousness of the wicked
(for by what that righteous man saw and heard as he lived among them, he was
vexed in his righteous soul day after day with their lawless deeds), then the Lord
knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under pu-
nishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust
of defiling passion and despise authority” (2 Pet 2:6-10).

19:26. The story of Lot’s wife is a warning not to turn back once one has set out
on one’s way. Our Lord reminds us about it, applying it to the fact that we cannot
foresee the day of Judgment (cf. Lk 17:32). Christian tradition has applied it to
the need to persevere in one’s good resolutions. Here is what one ancient writer
says: “Lot’s wife, who was turned into a pillar of salt, is an example to the simple,
that they should not look back with sick curiosity when they are advancing to a
holy resolution” (Quodvultdeus, “De Promissionibus”, 1). And, applying the same
image to the Christian vocation, St. Josemaria Escrivá exhorts: “You have seen
very clearly that you are a child of God. Even if you were never again to see it —
it won’t happen! — you should continue along your way forever, out of a sense of
faithfulness, without ever looking back” (”The Forge”, 420).

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

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From: Matthew 8:23-27

The Calming of the Storm

---

[23] And when He (Jesus) got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. [24]
And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being
swamped by the waves; but He was asleep. [25] And they went and woke Him,
saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” [26] And He said to them, “Why are
you afraid, O men of little faith?” Then He rose and rebuked the winds and the
sea; and there was a great calm. [27] And the men marvelled, saying, “What
sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey Him?”

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Commentary:

23-27. This remarkable miracle left a deep impression on Jesus’ disciples, as
can be seen from the fact that the first three evangelists all report it. Christian
Tradition has applied this miracle in various ways to the life of the Church and
the experience of the individual soul. From earliest times Christian art and lite-
rature have seen the boat as representing the Church, which also has to make
its way around hazards which threaten to capsize it. Indeed, very early on,
Christians were persecuted in various ways by Jews of their time, and were
misunderstood by the public opinion of a pagan society—which also began to
persecute them. Jesus’ sleeping through the storm has been applied to the fact
that sometimes God seems not to come to the Church’s rescue during persecu-
tion. Following the example of the Apostles in the boat, Christians should seek
Jesus’ help, borrowing their words, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing”. Then,
when it seems we can bear it no longer, Jesus shows His power: “He rose and
rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm”—but first rebuking
us for being men of little faith. Quite often Gospel accounts are meant to serve
as examples to us: they epitomize the future history of the Church and of the
individual Christian soul.

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

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Jerusalem Bible post – change the date Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman &Todd

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Readings at Mass

First reading

Genesis 19:15-29 ©

The angels urged Lot, ‘Come, take your wife and these two daughters of yours, or you will be overwhelmed in the punishment of the town.’ And as he hesitated, the men took him by the hand, and his wife and his two daughters, because of the pity the Lord felt for him. They led him out and left him outside the town.

  As they were leading him out he said, ‘Run for your life. Neither look behind you nor stop anywhere on the plain. Make for the hills if you would not be overwhelmed.’ ‘No, I beg you, my lord,’ Lot said to them ‘your servant has won your favour and you have shown great kindness to me in saving my life. But I could not reach the hills before this calamity overtook me, and death with it. The town over there is near enough to flee to, and is a little one. Let me make for that – is it not little? – and my life will be saved.’ He answered, ‘I grant you this favour too, and will not destroy the town you speak of. Hurry, escape to it, for I can do nothing until you reach it.’ That is why the town is named Zoar.
  As the sun rose over the land and Lot entered Zoar, the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord. He overthrew these towns and the whole plain, with all the inhabitants of the towns, and everything that grew there. But the wife of Lot looked back, and was turned into a pillar of salt.

  Rising early in the morning Abraham went to the place where he had stood before the Lord, and looking towards Sodom and Gomorrah, and across all the plain, he saw the smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.

  Thus it was that when God destroyed the towns of the plain, he kept Abraham in mind and rescued Lot out of disaster when he overwhelmed the towns where Lot lived.

Psalm
Psalm 25:2-3,9-12 ©

Your love, O Lord, is before my eyes.

Examine me, Lord, and try me;
  O test my heart and my mind,
for your love is before my eyes
  and I walk according to your truth.

Your love, O Lord, is before my eyes.

Do not sweep me away with sinners,
  nor my life with bloodthirsty men
in whose hands are evil plots,
  whose right hands are filled with gold.

Your love, O Lord, is before my eyes.

As for me, I walk the path of perfection.
  Redeem me and show me your mercy.
My foot stands on level ground:
  I will bless the Lord in the assembly.

Your love, O Lord, is before my eyes.

Gospel Acclamation
Ps147:12,15

Alleluia, alleluia!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
He sends out his word to the earth.
Alleluia!

129:05:00
Alleluia, alleluia!

My soul is waiting for the Lord,
I count on his word.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 8:23-27 ©
Jesus got into the boat followed by his disciples. Without warning a storm broke over the lake, so violent that the waves were breaking right over the boat. But he was asleep. So they went to him and woke him saying, ‘Save us, Lord, we are going down!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?’ And with that he stood up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and all was calm again. The men were astounded and said, ‘Whatever kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him.’

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Perpetual Novena for the Nation (Ecumenical)

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7 Powerful Ways to Pray for Christians Suffering in the Middle East

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Say a Rosary to end the wars.

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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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Celebrating the Year of Consecrated Life
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A consecrated virgin captures her life in a blog [Catholic Caucus]

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Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

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.

6. 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]

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St. Michael the Archangel

~ 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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Conversion of Obama 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.

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Monthy Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

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June 2015
Pope’s Intentions

Universal: Immigrants and refugees — That immigrants and refugees may find welcome and respect in the countries to which they come.

Evangelization: Vocations — That the personal encounter with Jesus may arouse in many young people the desire to offer their own lives in priesthood or consecrated life.

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Tuesday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (313-350), Bishop of Jerusalem, Doctor of the Church

Baptismal catecheses, no.10

“What sort of man is this?”

If any one wishes to show piety towards God, let him worship the Son, since otherwise the Father does not accept his service. The Father spoke with a loud voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The Father was well pleased in the Son; unless you, too, are well pleased in him, you do not have life... With the knowledge that God is One, know that there is also an Only-begotten Son of God; believe in “One Lord Jesus Christ” (Creed). We say “One” because he alone is Son even if he bears several names...

He is called Christ [that is to say, Anointed One], not as having been anointed by men’s hands, but as having been anointed from all eternity by the Father to his High-Priesthood on behalf of men... He is called “Son of man”, not as having had his generation from earth, as all of us do, but as coming upon the clouds to judge both the living and the dead. He is called Lord, not improperly as those who are so called among men, but rather because lordship is his by nature from all eternity. He is most fittingly called Jesus [that is to say, “the Lord saves”] because he saves by healing. He is called Son, not because a form of adoption has elevated him to this title, but because he was thus begotten by nature.

There are many other titles of our Saviour... But Christ comes in various forms to each one for his profit . For to those who have need of gladness he comes as “vine”; and to those who want to enter he stands as a “door”; and to those who need to offer up their prayers he stands as “High Priest” and “Mediator”. Again, to those who have sins, he becomes a “lamb”, that He may be sacrificed on their behalf. He is made “all things to all men”, while remaining what he is in his own nature.

http://dailygospel.org/main.php?language=AM&module=commentary&localdate=20150630

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“It was through envy and jealousy that the greatest and most upright pillars of the Church were persecuted and struggled unto death.... First of all, Peter, who because of unreasonable jealousy suffered not merely once or twice but many times, and, having thus given his witness, went to the place of glory that he deserved. It was through jealousy and conflict that Paul showed the way to the prize for perseverance. He was put in chains seven times, sent into exile, and stoned; a herald both in the east and the west, he achieved a noble fame by his faith....” “Around these men with their holy lives there are gathered a great throng of the elect, who, though victims of jealousy, gave us the finest example of endurance in the midst of many indignities and tortures. Through jealousy women were tormented, like Dirce or the daughters of Danaus, suffering terrible and unholy acts of violence. But they courageously finished the course of faith and despite their bodily weakness won a noble prize.”

Pope Clement, third successor of St. Peter