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Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 10-11-15, Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
USCCB.org'RNAB ^ | 10-11-15 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 10/10/2015 9:11:23 PM PDT by Salvation

October 11, 2015

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time


Reading 1 Wis 7:7-11

I prayed, and prudence was given me;
I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
I preferred her to scepter and throne,
and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,
nor did I liken any priceless gem to her;
because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand,
and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.
Beyond health and comeliness I loved her,
and I chose to have her rather than the light,
because the splendor of her never yields to sleep.
Yet all good things together came to me in her company,
and countless riches at her hands.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17

R. (14) Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Make us glad, for the days when you afflicted us,
for the years when we saw evil.
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Let your work be seen by your servants
and your glory by their children;
and may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

Reading 2 Heb 4:12-13

Brothers and sisters:
Indeed the word of God is living and effective,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow,
and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
No creature is concealed from him,
but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him
to whom we must render an account.

Alleluia Mt 5:3

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 10:17-30

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother
."
He replied and said to him,
"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
"You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
At that statement his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
"How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the kingdom of God!"
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,
"Then who can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said,
"For human beings it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God."
Peter began to say to him,
"We have given up everything and followed you."
Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."

Or Mk 10:17-27

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother
."
He replied and said to him,
"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
"You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
At that statement his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
"How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the kingdom of God!"
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,
"Then who can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said,
"For human beings it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God."



TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; mk10; ordinarytime; prayer; saints
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1 posted on 10/10/2015 9:11:23 PM PDT by Salvation
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3 posted on 10/10/2015 9:15:35 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

From: Wisdom 7:7-11

Solomon opts for wisdom


[7] Therefore I prayed, and understanding was given me;
I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
[8] I preferred her to scepters and thrones,
and I accounted wealth as nothing in comparison with her.
[9] Neither did I liken to her any priceless gem,
because all gold is but a little sand in her sight,
and silver will be accounted as clay before her.
[10] I loved her more than health and beauty,
and I chose to have her rather than light,
because her radiance never ceases.
[11] All good things came to me along with her,
and in her hands uncounted wealth.

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

7:7-21. In Old Testament tradition, Solomon was seen as the epitome of the
wise man; but he was not born wise. As he says, he prayed and pleaded for it
(v. 7; cf. later chap. 8 and also 1 Kings 3:5ff; 5:9ff). And he put wisdom first —
before sceptres and thrones, precious stones, gold and silver, health and beauty;
even before the light of the sun (vv. 8-10). Because it was wisdom that he asked
for and not other things, God added them on top of his gift of wisdom (v. 11 ).
These verses and v. 14 will remind Christian readers of what our Lord says in the
sermon on the mount when he exhorts us to seek first the Kingdom of God and
his righteousness, and the rest will be added on (cf. Mt 6:25-33).

A familiar theme in wisdom writings is the superiority of spiritual things over ma-
terial things. In this passage ten comparisons make just that point: wisdom is
better than everything, even bodily health (cf. Sir 30:14-16). There is a strict pa-
rallelism in the passage, sometimes alternating “she” (wisdom) with the other
terms of comparison (”wealth”, “priceless gem”, “all gold” and “silver”). It is very
likely that there is an echo here of the views of the Stoics, who said that happi-
ness was the only virtue, above everything else, so therefore the wise man
should he ‘’imperturbable” (stoical), indifferent towards everything, good or evil.
But what this passage really has to do with is the notion, seen in earlier Jewish
wisdom writing, that neither gold nor any thing else for that matter can compare
with wisdom (cf. Job 28:15-19; Prov 3:14; 4-7); or that she is sweeter than honey,
more precious than any pearl or gem (cf. Ps 19:10; 119:72, 127; Prov 3:14-15;
8:11, 19; 16:16).

Having wisdom means, in the first place, letting oneself be guided by God and
being conscious that he holds man’s life in his hands. But wisdom also includes
understanding the world around us — the sort of “encyclopedic wisdom” held in
such high esteem in the ancient world and in the Bible (cf. 1 Kings 5:13-14). This
is because the visible world constitutes an harmonious whole, devised by divine
Wisdom, which provides man with instruction in everything from practical skills to
cosmology and the “elements”, “stoicheia” (v. 17), a term taken from Greek phi-
losophy and which was in common use in educated circles in the Hellenic world.
Still, “what is distinctive in the biblical text is the conviction that there is a pro-
found and indissoluble unity between the knowledge of reason and the knowledge
of faith. The world and all that happens within it, including history and the fate of
peoples, are realities to he observed, analyzed and assessed with all the resour-
ces of reason, but without faith ever being foreign to the process. Faith intervenes
not to abolish reason’s autonomy nor to reduce its scope for action, but solely to
bring the human being to understand that in these events it is the God of Israel
who acts” (Bl. John Paul II, “Fides et ratio”, 16).

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


4 posted on 10/10/2015 9:16:34 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

From: Hebrews 4:12-13

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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


5 posted on 10/10/2015 9:17:11 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

From: Mark 10:17-30

The Rich Young Man


[17] And as He (Jesus) was setting out on His journey, a man ran up and knelt
before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
[18] And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but God
alone. [19] You know the commandments: ‘Do not kill, Do not commit adultery,
Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and
mother.’” [20] And he said to Him, “Teacher, all these I have observed from my
youth.” [21] And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, “You lack
one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have trea-
sure in Heaven; and come, follow Me.” [22] At that saying his countenance fell,
and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

Poverty and Renunciation


[23] And Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for
those who have riches to enter the Kingdom of God!” [24] And the disciples were
amazed at His words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is for
those who trust in riches to enter the Kingdom of God!” [25] It is easier for a ca-
mel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom
of God.” [26] And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to Him, “Then who
can be saved?” [27] Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible,
but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

[28] Peter began to say to Him (Jesus), “Lo, we have left everything and followed
You.” [29] Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house
or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for My sake and for
the Gospel, [30] who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and
brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and
in the age to come eternal life.

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

17-18. As Matthew 19:16 makes clear, the young man approaches Jesus as an
acknowledged teacher of the spiritual life, in the hope that He will guide him to-
wards eternal life. It is not that Christ rejects the praise He is offered: He wants
to show the depth of the young man’s words: He is good, not because He is a
good man but because He is God, who is Goodness Itself. So, the young man
has spoken the truth, but he has not gone far enough. Hence the enigmatic na-
ture of Jesus’ reply and its profundity. The young man’s approach is upright but
too human; Jesus tries to get him to see things from an entirely supernatural
point of view. If this man is to really attain eternal life he must see in Christ not
just a good master but the divine Savior, the only Master, the only one who, be-
cause He is God, is Goodness Itself. Cf. note on Mt. 19:16-22. 19. Our Lord
has not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). The command-
ments are the very core of the Law and keeping them is necessary for attaining
eternal life. Christ brings these commandments to fulfillment in a double sense.
First, because He helps us discover their full implications for our lives. The light
of Revelation makes it easy for us to grasp the correct meaning of the precepts
of the Decalogue—something that human reason, on its own, can only achieve
with difficulty. Second, His grace gives us strength to counter our evil inclina-
tions, which stem from Original Sin. The commandments, therefore, still apply
in the Christian life: they are like signposts indicating the way that leads to
Heaven.

21-22. Our Lord knows that this young man has a generous heart. This is why
He treats him so affectionately and invites him to greater intimacy with God. But
He explains that this means renunciation—leaving his wealth behind so as to give
his heart whole and entire to Jesus. God calls everyone to holiness, but holiness
is reached by many different routes. It is up to every individual to take the neces-
sary steps to discover which route God wants him to follow. The Lord sows the
seed of vocation in everyone’s soul, to show him the way to go to reach the goal
of holiness, which is common to all.

In other words, if a person does not put obstacles in the way, if he responds ge-
nerously to God, he feels a desire to be better, to give himself more generously.
As fruit of this desire he seeks to know God’s will; he prays to God to help him,
and asks people to advise him. In responding to this sincere search, God uses
a great variety of instruments. Later, when a person thinks he sees the way God
wants him to follow, he may still not take the decision to go that way: he is afraid
of the renunciation it involves: at this point he should pray and deny himself if the
light—God’s invitation—is to win out against human calculation. For, although God
is calling, man is always free, and therefore, he can respond generously or be a
coward, like the young man we are told about in this passage. Failure to respond
generously to one’s vocation always produces sadness.

21. “In its precise eloquence”, Bl. John Paul II points out, commenting on this
passage, “this deeply penetrating event expresses a great lesson in a few words:
it touches upon substantial problems and basic questions that have in no way
lost their relevance. Everywhere young people are asking important questions —
questions on the meaning of life, on the right way to live, on the scale of values:
‘What must I do...?’ ‘What must I do to share in everlasting life?’...To each of you
I say therefore: heed the call of Christ when you hear him saying to you: ‘Follow
Me!’ Walk in My path! Stand by My side! Remain in My love! There is a choice
to be made: a choice for Christ and His way of life, and His commandment of
love.

“The message of love that Christ brought is always important, always relevant. It
is not difficult to see how today’s world, despite its beauty and grandeur, despite
the conquests of science and technology, despite the refined and abundant ma-
terial goods that it offers, is yearning for more truth, for more love, for more joy.
And all of this is found in Christ and in His way of life.... Faced with problems and
disappointments, many people will try to escape from their responsibility: escape
in selfishness, escape in sexual pleasure, escape in drugs, escape in violence,
escape in indifference and cynical attitudes. But today, I propose to you the op-
tion of love, which is the opposite of escape. If you really accept that love from
Christ, it will lead you to God. Perhaps in the priesthood or religious life; perhaps
in some special service to your brothers and sisters: especially to the needy, the
poor, the lonely, the abandoned, those whose rights have been trampled upon, or
those whose basic needs have not been provided for. Whatever you make of your
life, let it be something that reflects the love of Christ” (”Homily on Boston Com-
mon”).

22. “The sadness of the young man makes us reflect. We could be tempted to
think that many possessions, many of the goods of this world, can bring happi-
ness. We see instead in the case of the young man in the Gospel that his many
possessions had become an obstacle to accepting the call of Jesus to follow
Him. He was not ready to say “yes” to Jesus and “no” to self, to say “yes” to
love and “no” to escape. Real love is demanding. I would fail in my mission if I
did not clearly tell you so. For it was Jesus—Jesus Himself—who said: ‘You are
My friends if you do what I command you’ (John 15:14). Love demands effort and
a personal commitment to the will of God. It means discipline and sacrifice, but
it also means joy and human fulfillment.

“Dear young people: do not be afraid of honest effort and work; do not be afraid
of the truth. With Christ’s help, and through prayer, you can answer His call, re-
sisting temptations and fads, and every form of mass manipulation. Open your
hearts to the Christ of the Gospels—to His love and His truth and His joy. Do not
go away sad!...

“Follow Christ! You who are single or who are preparing for marriage. Follow
Christ! You who are young or old. Follow Christ! You who are sick or aging; who
are suffering or in pain. You who feel the need for healing, the need for love, the
need for a friend—follow Christ!

“To all of you I extend—in the name of Christ—the call, the invitation, the plea:
‘Come and follow Me’” (Bl. John Paul II, “Homily on Boston Common”).

23-27. The reaction of the rich young man gives our Lord another opportunity to
say something about the way to use material things. In themselves they are good:
they are resources God has made available to people for their development in so-
ciety. But excessive attachment to things is what makes them an occasion of sin.
The sin lies in “trusting” in them, as if they solve all life’s problems, and turning
one’s back on God. St. Paul calls covetousness idolatry (Colossians 3:5). Christ
excludes from the Kingdom of God anyone who becomes so attached to riches
that his life is centered around them. Or, more accurately, that person excludes
himself.

Possessions can seduce both those who already have them and those who are
bent on acquiring them. Therefore, there are—paradoxically—poor people who are
really rich, and rich people who are really poor. Since absolutely everyone has
an inclination to be attached to material things, the disciples see salvation as an
impossible goal: “Then who can be saved?” No one, if we rely on human re-
sources. But God’s grace makes everything possible. Cf. note on Matthew 6:11.

Also, not putting our trust in riches means that everyone who does have wealth
should use it to help the needy. This “demands great generosity, much sacrifice
and unceasing effort on the part of the rich man. Let each one examine his con-
science, a conscience that conveys a new message for our times. Is he prepared
to support out of his own pocket works and undertakings organized in favor of the
most destitute? Is he ready to pay higher taxes so that the public authorities can
intensify their efforts in favor of development?” (Paul VI, “Populorum Progressio”,
47).

28-30. Jesus Christ requires every Christian to practise the virtue of poverty: He
also requires us to practise real and effective austerity in the possession and use
of material things. But of those who have received a specific call to apostolate—as
in the case, here, of the Twelve—He requires absolute detachment from property,
time, family, etc. so that they can be fully available, imitating Jesus Himself who,
despite being Lord of the universe, became so poor that He had nowhere to lay
His head (cf. Matthew 8:20). Giving up all these things for the sake of the King-
dom of Heaven also relieves us of the burden they involve: like a soldier shedding
some encumbrance before going into action, to be able to move with more agility.
This gives one a certain lordship over all things: no longer the slave of things, one
experiences that feeling St. Paul referred to: “As having nothing, and yet posses-
sing everything” (2 Corinthians 6:10). A Christian who sheds his selfishness in
this way has acquired charity and, having charity, he has everything: “All are
yours; you are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s” (1 Corinthians 3:22-23).

The reward for investing completely in Christ will be fully obtained in eternal life:
but we will also get it in this life. Jesus says that anyone who generously leaves
behind his possessions will be rewarded a hundred times over in this life.

He adds “with persecutions” (v. 30) because opposition is part of the reward for
giving things up out of love for Jesus Christ: a Christian’s glory lies in becoming
like the Son of God, sharing in His cross so as later to share in His glory: “pro-
vided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him (Romans
8:17); “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted’ (2
Timothy 3:12).

29. These words of our Lord particularly apply to those who by divine vocation
embrace celibacy, giving up their right to form a family on earth. By saying “for
My sake and for the Gospel” Jesus indicates that His example and the demands
of His teaching give full meaning to this way of life: “This, then, is the mystery of
the newness of Christ, of all that He is and stands for; it is the sum of the highest
ideals of the Gospel and of the Kingdom; it is a particular manifestation of grace,
which springs from the paschal mystery of the Savior and renders the choice of
celibacy desirable and worthwhile on the part of those called by our Lord Jesus.
Thus, they intend not only to participate in Christ’s priestly office, but also to
share with Him His very condition of living” (Paul VI, “Sacerdotalis Coelibatus”,
23).

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


6 posted on 10/10/2015 9:18:08 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman &Todd

Readings at Mass


First reading Wisdom 7:7-11 ©
I prayed, and understanding was given me;
I entreated, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me.
I esteemed her more than sceptres and thrones;
compared with her, I held riches as nothing.
I reckoned no priceless stone to be her peer,
for compared with her, all gold is a pinch of sand,
and beside her silver ranks as mud.
I loved her more than health or beauty,
preferred her to the light,
since her radiance never sleeps.
In her company all good things came to me,
at her hands riches not to be numbered.

Psalm Psalm 89:12-17 ©
Fill us with your love so that we may rejoice.
Make us know the shortness of our life
  that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever?
  Show pity to your servants.
Fill us with your love so that we may rejoice.
In the morning, fill us with your love;
  we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Give us joy to balance our affliction
  for the years when we knew misfortune.
Fill us with your love so that we may rejoice.
Show forth your work to your servants;
  let your glory shine on their children.
Let the favour of the Lord be upon us:
  give success to the work of our hands.
Fill us with your love so that we may rejoice.

Second reading Hebrews 4:12-13 ©
The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely: it can slip through the place where the soul is divided from the spirit, or joints from the marrow; it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing can hide from him; everything is uncovered and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves.

Gospel Acclamation Mt11:25
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
Or Mt5:3
Alleluia, alleluia!
How happy are the poor in spirit:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Alleluia!
EITHER:
Gospel Mark 10:17-30 ©
Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.’ Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.
  Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, ‘My children,’ he said to them ‘how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were more astonished than ever. ‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.’
  Peter took this up. ‘What about us?’ he asked him. ‘We have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not be repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land – not without persecutions – now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.’
OR:
Alternative Gospel Mark 10:17-27 ©
Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.’ Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.
  Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, ‘My children,’ he said to them ‘how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were more astonished than ever. ‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.’

7 posted on 10/10/2015 9:24:35 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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It's time to kneel down and pray for our nation (Sacramental Marriage)

And pray for the Synod too.

8 posted on 10/10/2015 9:27:06 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Perpetual Novena for the Nation (Ecumenical)
9 posted on 10/10/2015 9:27:31 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)
10 posted on 10/10/2015 9:27:58 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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7 Powerful Ways to Pray for Christians Suffering in the Middle East
11 posted on 10/10/2015 9:28:48 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
Pray the Rosary!

Why Boko Haram and ISIS Target Women
Report reveals scale of Boko Haram violence inflicted on Nigerian Catholics
Military evacuating girls, women rescued from Boko Haram
Echos of Lepanto Nigerian bishop says rosary will bring down Boko Harm
After vision of Christ, Nigerian bishop says rosary will bring down Boko Haram (Catholic Caucus)
Nigerian Bishop Says Christ Showed Him How to Beat Islamic Terror Group

12 posted on 10/10/2015 9:29:24 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

 
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.

13 posted on 10/10/2015 9:47:14 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Celebrating the Year of Consecrated Life
Cardinal Francis Arinze on Radical Discipleship and the Consecrated Life
Pope Francis' Message for the Year of Consecrated Life
Consecrated Life Is Of Benefit To The Whole Church [Catholic Caucus]
Bishops Launch ... Website To Promote Vocations To Priesthood & Consecrated Life (Catholic Caucus)
A consecrated virgin captures her life in a blog [Catholic Caucus]


14 posted on 10/10/2015 9:49:49 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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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 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]

15 posted on 10/10/2015 9:50:16 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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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
+

16 posted on 10/10/2015 9:50:43 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:
"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"

PLEASE JOIN US - Evening Prayer
Someone has said that if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.
Did you know that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. Please forward this to your praying friends.

17 posted on 10/10/2015 9:51:07 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
 

October Devotion: The Holy Rosary
 

This feast was established by Pope Pius V to commemorate the great victory of the Christian army against the Turks in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.

All soldiers on the battlefield prayed the Rosary for three hours and the wind has shifted in their favor. They were able to defeat an army three times bigger, in one of the greatest naval victory in history.

Pope Pius V named this the Feast of Our Lady of Victories, to be celebrated on October 7th.

In 1573, Pope Gregory XIII changed the title of this memorial to Feast of the Holy Rosary.

 

 

Pope Paul VI established the form that we celebrate this feast today, in 1969 under the name “Our Lady of the Rosary”.

“The celebration of this day invites all to mediate upon the mysteries of Christ, following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary who was so singularly associated with the incarnation, passion and glorious resurrection of the Son of God.”



Madonna del Rosario

Caravaggio

1607

Pray the Rosary

1.  Sign of the Cross:  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

2.  The Apostles Creed:  I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence 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 will be forever. Amen.

Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer.  Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary

By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
 

The Joyful Mysteries
(Mondays and Saturdays)
1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]

The Luminous Mysteries or Mysteries of Light
(Thursdays) see Rosarium Virginis Mariae
1. Jesus' Baptism in the Jordan (II Corinthians 5:21, Matthew 3:17 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Gratitude for the gift of Faith]
2. Jesus' self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana (John 2:1- 12) [Spiritual fruit - Fidelity]
3. Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with His call to conversion (Mark 1:15, Mark 2:3-13; Luke 7:47- 48, John 20:22-23) [Spiritual fruit - Desire for Holiness]
4. Jesus' Transfiguration (Luke 9:35 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Spiritual Courage]
5. Jesus' institution of the Eucharist, as the sacramental expression of the Paschal Mystery. (Luke 24:13-35 and parallels, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25) [Spiritual fruit - Love of our Eucharistic Lord]

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]

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 Ghost (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]

 

The Fifteen Promises Granted to Those Who Recite the Rosary [Catholic Caucus]
Essays for Lent: The Rosary

Radio Replies Second Volume - The Rosary
Town Rejects Rosary as Offensive and the Prayers that Changed Everything
No-contact order over a student's rosary
Collecting 860 rosaries result of a lifelong passion (Catholic Caucus)
After rosary campaign, Florida sheriff abruptly shuts down abortion clinic on Marian feast
Public Rosary in San Francisco to draw thousands [Catholic Caucus]
Chicago's Incredible Floating Rosary
Enourmous Rosary floats over Chicago
Surprised by the Joyful Mysteries (of the Rosary) [Catholic Caucus]
HISTORY OF THE ROSARY [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]

The Rosary-a tool for evangelization [Catholic Caucus]
OUR LADY AND HEAVEN’S PEACE PLAN (Say the Rosary) [Ecumenical]
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding in the Temple (Patristic Rosary)
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation (Patristic Rosary)
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity (Patristic Rosary)
Praying the Holy Rosary in October
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation (Patristic Rosary)
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 1st Joyful Mystery: The Annuniciation (Patristic Rosary)
[CATHOLIC CAUCUS] On the Rosary
Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With: 15 [20] Mysteries of the Holy Rosary & When They Are Prayed

It Was the Rosary: Mainz Priest Talks About His Vocation
Rosary to Halt Construction of NYC Mosque (Catholic Caucus)
British Soldier Shot in Afghanistan is Saved by His ROSARY...Like His Great-Grandfather in WWII
Catholic Caucus: Rosary Beads Saved My Life, British Soldier Says
British soldier shot in Afghanistan is saved my his ROSARY
Rosary returned to Vietnam vet as pledged 44 years ago
Rosary for the Bishop celebrates six months of prayer, global expansion
Rosary Rallies for Priests Give Final Flourish to Their Special Year (ECUMENICAL)
The Unseen Power of the Rosary
Worldwide Rosary Relay to Offer Prayer for Priests

Boy Suspended For Rosary -- Reinstated
NY school sued after teen suspended over rosary
Student Suspended for Wearing Rosary Beads
[CATHOLIC CAUCUS] The 3:30 Beads!
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Private Devotions to Mary: The Rosary
Benedict XVI Promotes Rosary in Fatima [Catholic Caucus]
Archbishop Naumann, Bishop Finn Lead Mother's Day Rosary at Planned Parenthood
Did the Apostles Pray the Rosary? (First Novena to the Holy Spirit?) [Catholic Caucus]
The Importance of the Meditated Holy Rosary -- What the Popes have to say [Catholic Caucus]
A Ladder from Earth to Heaven: The Rosary for All Christians

Jesus is in the Holy Rosary
The Rosary, a powerful weapon against the devil
History of The Scriptural Rosary [Ecumenical]
The Lord Is with Thee
Rosary of Our Lady's Tears(Catholic Prayer Thread)
The Rosary and Me - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Rosary promoted as path to Christ and peace [at third annual Rosary Bowl NW]
The Efficacy and Power of One Hail Mary [Ecumenical]
“ Let Us Do It!“ (Sunday: Rosary to be simultaneously prayed on five continents)
The Fruits of the Mysteries of the Rosary

[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries
The Family Rosary [Try it for Lent!] (Catholic Caucus)
History of the Scriptural Rosary - Meditating on The Word
Rosary Resurgence [Ecumenical]
Beginning Catholic: How to Pray the Rosary: Contemplating Christ With Mary [Ecumenical]
[Oregon] Rosary Bowl focuses on links between prayer, evangelization
Praying the Rosary By Bishop Fulton J. Sheen(Catholic Caucus)
Rosary-Prayers Aiming to Break Record [Catholic Caucus]
Rosary vs. Repetitious Prayer [Ecumenical]
The Luminous Mysteries [of the Rosary]: Knowing Jesus in His Public Ministry

Rosary Is a School of Mary, Says Pope: Encourages Recitation [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
New campaign launched to promote family rosary
The Rosary and the Republic
Chant the Rosary... in Latin!
(...)and the rosary
Estimated 50,000 recite rosary in event at Rose Bowl
Our Lady of Victory (HLI Page)
Rosary to Mark St. Martha's Feast
Pray the Rosary
Rosary Aids Spiritual Growth, Says Pope


Image Detail

Remembering Lepanto
The Battle that Saved the Christian West (October 7, 1571: Battle of Lepanto)
Battle of Lepanto: Armada of the Cross
Remember Lepanto
How Europe Escaped Speaking Arabic
Bishop compares election to Battle of Lepanto
Bishop compares election to Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto
Civilization in the Balance: The Battle of Lepanto and Election ‘08
LEPANTO

A Call To Prayer: This Lepanto Moment [Repost]
Lepanto, 1571: The Battle That Saved Europe
Celebrating the Battle of Lepanto
Clash of civilizations: Battle of Lepanto revisited
Lepanto, Bertone e Battesimo, Oh My!
Lepanto Sunday
Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval (A Mini-Lepanto in the Philippines)
Swiss Guards at the Battle of Lepanto, 7 October 1571
Battle of Lepanto
LEPANTO, 7 OCTOBER 1571: The Defense of Europe

Battle of Lepanto
Remember Lepanto!
The Battle of Lepanto
On This Day In History, The Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto
Chesterton's Lepanto
The Miracle At Lepanto...
Lepanto
The Naval Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto

18 posted on 10/10/2015 9:51:56 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Daily Gospel Commentary

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B
Commentary of the day
Saint Clement of Alexandria (150- c.215), theologian
Homily “What rich man can be saved?” 16-17

"You are lacking in one thing"

There is a kind of wealth that is deadly to all: the loss of it salutary. Which, when it makes the soul pure — that is, poor and bare — hears the Savior speaking thus: "Come, follow Me." For to the pure in heart he now becomes the way. But into the impure soul the grace of God finds no entrance because that soul is unclean which is rich in lusts and in thrall to many worldly posessions.

For whoever holds possessions, gold, silver and houses, as gifts of God, witnesses his thanksgiving to God by coming to the aid of the poor. He knows that he possesses them more for the sake of others than his own and is superior to the possession of them, not the slave of the things he possesses. He does not carry them about in his soul, nor bind and circumscribe his life within them, but is ever labouring at some good and divine work. Even should he be necessarily, at some time or other, deprived of them, he is able with cheerful mind to bear their removal equally with their abundance. This is someone who is blessed by the Lord, and called “poor in spirit”, a fitting heir of the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5,3)…

But someone who carries his riches around enclosed within his soul and, instead of God's Spirit, bears in his heart gold or land, and is always acquiring possessions without end, and is perpetually on the outlook for more, never looking up to heaven: such a one is fettered in the toils of the world, being earth and destined to return to the earth (Gn 3,19). How can someone like that be able to desire the kingdom of heaven who, instead of a heart, carries land or metal, and who is due to be surprised by death in the midst of his uncontrolled desires? For “where your heart is, there also will your treasure be” (Mt 6,21).

19 posted on 10/10/2015 9:54:37 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Zenit.org

To Follow the Truth That Makes Us Free Forever

Lectio Divina: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

France, October 09, 2015 (ZENIT.org) Archbishop Francesco Follo

Roman Rite

Wis. 7, 7-11; Ps 90; Heb 4.12 to 13; Mk 10.17 to 30

Ambrosian Rite

Is 43.10 to 21; Ps 120; 1 Cor 3.6 to 13; Mt 13.24 to 43

Seventh Sunday after the Martyrdom of St. John the Precursor.

--

1) The road.

In the Gospel passage of this Sunday we see once more Christ on the way to Jerusalem, and today we read of a meeting of the Messiah with a man that does not want to enter into controversy with him. This man is rich but, although young, knew that soon or later he had to abandon his riches. "I think he was called in a kind of judgment by the fear of death and gnawed among his delights, thinking about having to leave his property. He had collected them, without knowing on behalf of whom, and wanted something eternal "(St. Augustine). Seeing that what he had was slipping from his hand, he asks to the Lord "Good Teacher, what good do I have to do to achieve eternal life?" It is as to say "I'd be fine, but I know that what I have can easily disappear. Tell me how I can take possession of what will be forever; tell me how I can come to the possession of what I will never lose "(St. Augustine)

This rich young man runs to meet Jesus, kneels before Him and to Him, who is the Way, asks the way, the direction of life.

Christ replies citing some of the Ten Commandments, the ones that have meaning in the social dimension and that concern love of neighbor, the test for the love of God. "Know the commandments: Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not false witness, do not defraud, Honor your father and mother ... ".

To the young man who answers him that he already follows the commandments, Jesus proposes to go further and to make his love for God more radical and profound, putting this love at the first place among the values ​​of life. He then suggests "'Go, sell what you have and give it to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come and follow me.”

The key requirement of the following is the primacy of God, the rest is superfluous. You can own or not own, but it is necessary that the heart is not totally linked, absorbed in riches, but wants deeply the "treasure that is in heaven". The heart of man, as St. Augustine teaches, is made for God, and to Him should aspire, while "using" temporal realities. Let the Lord enters into our hearts with the sword of His word, so that in the light of His wisdom we can evaluate earthly and eternal things, and become poor and free for His kingdom. (Prayer of the today’s Mass)

Jesus invites this young man and his disciples, including us, to follow him at a level that is unprecedented. In a passage similar to that of the Gospel of St. Mark, the Evangelist Luke writes "While he was on the way, on the road, a man said to him 'I will follow you wherever you go’. Jesus said to him, 'Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head '... Another said,' I will follow you, Lord, but first allow me to take leave from my home '. Jesus replied: 'Everyone who looks back, while putting hand to the plow, is not fit for the kingdom of God' "(Lk. 9, 57-58 ... 61-62).

To follow Christ means to be willing to experience something more than the "thou shalt not steal," "Thou shalt not kill", etc. In addition to not doing evil we should ask ourselves the question of how to do good and especially how “to be” real people in love.

Jesus had already announced that in order to save his life, one had to be willing to lose it for His sake. To follow him it is necessary to deny themselves and take up the cross (Mark 8.34 to 35).

2) To follow with the eyes, with the steps, and with the heart.

The rich man who came to Christ was genuine and earned a look full of love from Jesus, who seems to say to him "One thing you lack, decisive for you. Renounce your possessions, invest in the treasury of the sky, and your heart will be free and will follow me. “But neither the look nor the words of Jesus had effect. This man, however saddened, preferred to return to the security of his own wealth. He could not or would not understand that he was offered a wealth incomparably more valuable and lasting of all its riches: the love of Christ that communicates the fullness of God (Eph 3.18 to 19). To the proposed fellowship, which was implicit in the request of Christ to follow Him, this man preferred solitude.

Yet Christ had looked at him with love. Jesus looked at the rich man and Jesus’ gaze was like a caress, a kiss ... the kiss that the master used to give to the disciple in Jesus' time as in the case of Judas (Mk 14,45.). We could interpret this look as did St. Bede the Venerable, commenting on Jesus' gaze on the publican Matthew (see Mt 9,9) "Jesus saw a publican, saw him being merciful with him, and called him telling him: 'Follow me!'" (Homilies 21, CCL 122.150). Jesus said "What you do is right, but if you want to do something more, then go and sell your goods ...", but “You lack still one thing, leave everything and follow me" (Mk 10:21). That's the point to where Jesus had carried the young man with his eye of merciful love. Unfortunately, this man did not believe in this look and in these words, he became sad and pulled back (see Mk 10 22). He did not believe in that look, did not believe in that love and was not able to follow him with the steps of the heart.

This rich young man did not have the courage to embrace Christ and his proposal of evangelical life, and the reason is clearly stated "Because he had great possessions." Detachment from the goods and poverty are an indispensable condition for discipleship for three reasons:

1. Faith in God who is a provident Father. If He cares for the birds and the lilies of the field, He has even more care for each of us.

2. Need for fraternity: how can we continue to own all that we have, when we realize that all around us there are brothers who lack the necessary?

3. Need for freedom: if we are tied to too many things (and it is not just money) that absorb all of our time and our attention, how can we find the space and the taste for the things of God?

These three reasons can be summarized in one word: virginity, that Jacopone of Todi calls poverty in love.

3) Virginity: Poverty of self for the fullness of God.

Virginity is "poverty in love that makes it possible to have everything in a spirit of freedom" (Jacopone of Todi, “O amor de povertate”). Virginity is how to accommodate the look and love of Christ upon oneself, following him unconditionally, without asking for collateral security or have escape routes. One leaves everything even his own flesh to follow Jesus, without nostalgia and without hesitation for the way that He is. The required detachment is a gain, a bargain, not a loss. This is very true even for a simply human thought: in the sobriety of those goods that the Gospel calls riches there is the possibility of other goods much more important and human, essential for us like the air we breathe: the time for God, the joy of brotherhood, the liberation from the anxiety of possession, freedom and serenity.

Those who through virginity put God first in their life, become part of His "family", where they find brothers and sisters to love, fathers and mothers to worship, houses and fields to work. They find love. Virginity is not a negation of love, is the fullness and totality of love. For this reason the Ritual of the Consecration of the Virgin prays: "Fervent in love, they prefer nothing to your love" (Prayer of consecration of virgins, in the Roman Pontifical, reformed in accordance with the decrees of the Second Vatican Council and promulgated by Pope Paul VI, Consecration of Virgins, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City 1980, n. 38, page 77).

--

Patristic reading

Golden Chain

On Mk 10, 28-31

Gloss.: Because the youth, on hearing the advice of our Saviour concerning the casting away of his goods, had gone away sorrowful, the disciples of Christ, who had already fulfilled the foregoing precept, began to question Him concerning their reward, thinking that they had done a great thing, since the young man, who had fulfilled the commandments of the law, had not been able to hear it without sadness.

Wherefore Peter questions the Lord for himself and the others, in these words, "Then Peter began to say unto Him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee."

Theophylact: Although Peter had left but few things, still he calls these his all; for even a few things keep us by the bond of affection, so that he shall be beatified who leaves a few things.

Bede: And because it is not sufficient to have left all, he adds that which makes up perfection, "and have followed thee." As if he said, We have done what Thou hast commanded. What reward therefore wilt Thou give us?

Theophylact: But (p. 206) while Peter asks only concerning the disciples, our Lord makes a general answer; wherefore it goes on: "Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or lands." But in saying this, He does not mean that we should leave our fathers, without helping them, or that we should separate ourselves from our wives; but He instructs us to prefer the glory of God to the things of this world.

Chrys., Hom. in Matt., 64: But it seems to me that by these words He intended covertly to proclaim that there were to be persecutions, as it would come to pass that many fathers would allure their sons to impiety, and many wives their husbands.

Chrys., Cat. in Marc. Oxon.: Again He delays not to say, "for my name's sake and the Gospel's" and Mark says, or "for the kingdom of God," as Luke says; the name of Christ is the power of the Gospel, and of His kingdom; for the Gospel is received in the name of Jesus Christ, and the kingdom is made known, and comes by His name.

Bede: Some, however, taking occasion from this saying, in which it is announced that he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, teach that Jewish fable of a thousand years after the resurrection of the just, when all that we have left for the Lord's sake is to be restored with manifold usury, besides which we are to receive the crown of everlasting life. These persons do no perceive, that although the promise in other respects be honourable, yet in the hundred wives, which the other Evangelists mention, its foulness is made manifest: particularly when the Lord testifies that there shall be not marriage in the resurrection, and asserts that those things which are put away from us for His sake are to be received again in this life with persecutions, which, as they affirm, will not take place in their thousand years. (ed. note: Certain early Fathers, as, for instance, St. Austin and Irenaeus, held the doctrine of the Millennium; Bede however mentions the Chilliasts (though their name is omitted in the Catena) and thus shews that he means the Corinthians, to whom that name was applied, on account of their shocking doctrine, that after the resurrection the Christians were to reign on earth for a thousand years in sensual pleasures, see Aug, de. Her. 8)

Pseudo-Chrys.: This hundredfold reward therefore must be in participation, not in possession, for the Lord fulfilled this to them not carnally, but spiritually.

Theophylact: For a wife is busied in a house about her husband's food and raiment. See also how this is (p. 207) the case with the Apostles; for many women busied themselves about their food and their clothing, and ministered unto them. In like manner the Apostles had many fathers and mothers, that is, persons who loved them; as Peter, for instance, leaving one house, had afterwards the houses of all the disciples. And what is more wonderful, they are to be persecuted and oppressed, for it is "with persecutions" that the Saints are to possess all things, for which reason there follows, "But many that are first shall be last, and the last first." For the Pharisees who were first became the last; but those who left all and followed Christ were last in this world through tribulation and persecutions, but shall be first by the hope which is in God.

Bede: This which is here said, "shall receive an hundredfold," may be understood in a higher sense. (see note, p. 78) For the number a hundred which is reckoned by changing from the left to the right hand, although it has the same appearance in the bending of the fingers as the ten had on the left, nevertheless is increased to a much greater quantity. This means, that all who have despised temporal things for the sake of the kingdom of heaven through undoubting faith, taste the joy of the same kingdom in this life which is full of persecutions, and in the expectation of the heavenly country, which is signified by the right hand, have a share in the happiness of all the elect. But because all do not accomplish a virtuous course of life with the same ardour as they began it, it is presently added, "But many that are first shall be last, and the last first"; for we daily see many persons who, remaining in a lay habit, are eminent for their meritorious life; but others, who from their youth have been ardent in a spiritual profession, at last wither away in the sloth of ease, and with a lazy folly finish in the flesh, what they had begun in the Spirit.

20 posted on 10/10/2015 10:02:57 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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