Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 07-01-15, OM, Bl. Junipero Serra, Priest

Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Isaac grew, and on the day of the child’s weaning Abraham held a great feast.

Sarah noticed the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham playing with her son Isaac; so she demanded of Abraham: “Drive out that slave and her son! No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance with my son Isaac!”

Abraham was greatly distressed, especially on account of his son Ishmael. But God said to Abraham: “Do not be distressed about the boy or about your slave woman. Heed the demands of Sarah, no matter what she is asking of you; for it is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name.

As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a great nation of him also, since he too is your offspring.”

Early the next morning Abraham got some bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. Then, placing the child on her back, he sent her away. As she roamed aimlessly in the wilderness of Beer-sheba, the water in the skin was used up. So she put the child down under a shrub, and then went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away; for she said to herself, “Let me not watch to see the child die.”

As she sat opposite Ishmael, he began to cry. God heard the boy’s cry, and God’s messenger called to Hagar from heaven: “What is the matter, Hagar? Don’t be afraid; God has heard the boy’s cry in this plight of his.

Arise, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand; for I will make of him a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water, and then let the boy drink.

When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Fear the LORD, you his holy ones, for nought is lacking to those who fear him. The great grow poor and hungry; but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing.

Come, children, hear me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Which of you desires life, and takes delight in prosperous days?

The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him. They were so savage that no one could travel by that road. They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”

Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding. The demons pleaded with him, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.” And he said to them, “Go then!”

They came out and entered the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea where they drowned.

The swineherds ran away, and when they came to the town they reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs.

Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.

From: Genesis 21:5, 8-20

[5] Abraham was an hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

Hagar and Ismael are sent away

[8] And the child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on
the day that Isaac was weaned. [9] But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyp-
tian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. [10] So she
said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this
slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” [11] And the thing was very
displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. [12] But God said to Abraham,
“Be not displeased because of the lad and because of your slave woman; what-
ever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your des-
cendants be named. [13] And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman
also, because he is your offspring.” [14] So Abraham rose early in the morning,
and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoul-
der, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered
in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

[15] When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the
bushes. [16] Then she went, and sat down over against him a good way off,
about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, “Let me not look upon the death
of the child.” And as she sat over against him, the child lifted up his voice and
wept. [17] And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to
Hagar from heaven, and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not; for
God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. [18] Arise, lift up the lad, and
hold him fast with your hand; for I will make him a great nation.” [19] Then God
opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the skin
with water, and gave the lad a drink. [20] And God was with the lad, and he
grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow.

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Commentary:

1-7. The promise recounted in 15:18 and 17:19-21 now begins to be fulfilled.
The patriarch’s age serves to show the special intervention by God in the birth
of Isaac; as does the etymological explanation of the child’s name, “she began
to laugh”, which is now interpreted as “God has made laughter for me”, that is,
has made me happy (cf. 18:15). And Abraham’s obedience is very clear: he
strictly fulfils the commandment of circumcision.

This is perhaps the most joyful moment in the patriarch’s life: up to now it has
been very much marked by trials and tribulations. With the birth of Isaac Abra-
ham’s trust in God grows, as can be seen now by his prompt obedience to his
Law. The Lord is strengthening the patriarch for the final test which he will make
him undergo later. This event in Abraham’s life helps us to see that in moments
of darkness in the course of our life we need to put our trust in God: “The time
has come to cry to him, Remember, Lord, the promises you made, filling me
with hope; they console me in my nothingness and fill my life with strength (Ps
119: 49-50). Our Lord wants us to rely on him for everything; it is now glaringly
evident to us that without him we can do nothing (cf. Jn 15:5), whereas with him
we can do all things (cf. Phil 4:13). We confirm our decision to walk always in
his presence (cf. Ps 119:168)” (Bl. J. Escriva, Friends of God, 305).

8-21. This second expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael from the house of Abraham
completes the story given in chapter 16. We now see the reason for it, given
that expulsion went against the established law. Sarah’s attitude was a decisive
factor in ensuring that Isaac alone would be Abraham’s heir. Acting against the
succession laws of the time, Sarah seconds God’s plan to have Abraham’s true
descendent come through Isaac, the son according to the promise, and not
through Ishmael, his son according to nature alone. In this way the role of wo-
man is highlighted, particularly the role of mother, in the fulfillment of the divine
designs. For St Paul, Hagar and Sarah and the circumstances surrounding them
are a type of the two Covenants (cf. Gal 4:21-31) – the first, that of Mount Sinai,
represented by the slave-girl Hagar who gives birth according to the flesh; the
second, referring to the new Covenant in Christ, represented by Sarah, the free
wife, who gives birth according to the promise. Writing to the Christians of Ga-
latia, and in the light of this typology, St Paul exclaims: “So, brethren, we are
not children of the slave but of the free woman” (Gal 4:31).

The scene of Hagar in the wilderness is itself an example of the mercy of God
for, as St John Chrysostom teaches, “whenever God wishes, even if we are ut-
terly alone, even if we are in desperate trouble, even if we have no hope of survi-
val, we need no other assistance, since God’s grace is all we require. You see,
if we win favour from him, no one will get the better of us, but rather we will pre-
vail against anyone” (Homiliae in Genesim, 46, 2).

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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: Matthew 8:28-34

The Demoniacs of Gadara

[28] And when He (Jesus) came to the other side, to the country of the Gada-
renes, two demoniacs met Him coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one
could pass that way. [29] And behold, they cried out, “What have You to do
with us, O Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
[30] Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from them. [31]
And the demons begged Him, “If You cast us out, send us away into the herd
of swine.” [32] And He said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the
swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea,
and perished in the waters. [33] The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they
told everything, and what had happened to the demoniacs. [34] And behold, all
the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they begged Him to
leave their neighborhood.

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Commentary:

28. Most Gospel codices and the New Vulgate say “Gadarenes”; but the Vul-
gate and parallel texts in Mark and Luke have “Gerasenes”. Both names are
possible; the two main towns in the area were Gerasa and Gadara. The event
reported here could have happened close to both towns (limits were not very
well defined), though the swine running down into the lake or sea of Galilee
makes Gadara somewhat more likely. “Gergesenes” was a suggestion put for-
ward by Origen.

28-34. In this episode Jesus once more shows His power over the devil. That it
occurred in Gentile territory (Gerasa and Gadara were in the Decapolis, east of
Jordan) is borne out by the fact that Jews were forbidden to raise swine, which
the Law of Moses declared to be unclean. This and other instances of expul-
sion of demons narrated in the Gospel are referred to in the Acts of the Apos-
tles, when St. Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: “He went about
doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38). It
was a sign that the Kingdom of God had begun (cf. Matthew 12:28).

The attitude of local people towards this miracle reminds us that meeting God
and living a Christian life require us to subordinate personal plans to God’s de-
signs. If we have a selfish or materialistic outlook we fail to appreciate the va-
lue of divine things and push God out of our lives, begging Him to go away, as
these people did.

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 21:5,8-20
©
Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham gave a great banquet on the day Isaac was weaned. Now Sarah watched the son that Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. ‘Drive away that slave-girl and her son,’ she said to Abraham; ‘this slave-girl’s son is not to share the inheritance with my son Isaac.’ This greatly distressed Abraham because of his son, but God said to him, ‘Do not distress yourself on account of the boy and your slave-girl. Grant Sarah all she asks of you, for it is through Isaac that your name will be carried on. But the slave-girl’s son I will also make into a nation, for he is your child too.’ Rising early next morning Abraham took some bread and a skin of water and, giving them to Hagar, he put the child on her shoulder and sent her away.

She wandered off into the wilderness of Beersheba. When the skin of water was finished she abandoned the child under a bush. Then she went and sat down at a distance, about a bowshot away, saying to herself, ‘I cannot see the child die.’ So she sat at a distance; and the child wailed and wept.
But God heard the boy wailing, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven. ‘What is wrong, Hagar?’ he asked. ‘Do not be afraid, for God has heard the boy’s cry where he lies. Come, pick up the boy and hold him safe, for I will make him into a great nation.’ Then God opened Hagar’s eyes and she saw a well, so she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

God was with the boy. He grew up and made his home in the wilderness, and he became a bowman.

Psalm
Psalm 33:7-8,10-13 ©

The poor man called; the Lord heard him.

This poor man called, the Lord heard him
and rescued him from all his distress.
The angel of the Lord is encamped
around those who revere him, to rescue them.

The poor man called; the Lord heard him.

Revere the Lord, you his saints.
They lack nothing, those who revere him.
Strong lions suffer want and go hungry
but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.

The poor man called; the Lord heard him.

Come, children, and hear me
that I may teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is he who longs for life
and many days, to enjoy his prosperity?

The poor man called; the Lord heard him.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn14:6
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;
No one can come to the Father except through me.

Alleluia!

Or
James1:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

By his own choice the Father made us his children
by the message of the truth,
so that we should be a sort of first-fruits
of all that he created.

Alleluia!

Gospel
Matthew 8:28-34 ©

When Jesus reached the country of the Gadarenes on the other side, two demoniacs came towards him out of the tombs – creatures so fierce that no one could pass that way. They stood there shouting, ‘What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the time?’ Now some distance away there was a large herd of pigs feeding, and the devils pleaded with Jesus, ‘If you cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.’ And he said to them, ‘Go then’, and they came out and made for the pigs; and at that the whole herd charged down the cliff into the lake and perished in the water. The swineherds ran off and made for the town, where they told the whole story, including what had happened to the demoniacs. At this the whole town set out to meet Jesus; and as soon as they saw him they implored him to leave the neighbourhood.

Jesus, High Priest

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry. Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

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 Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

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