The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Information: St. Joan of Arc

Feast Day: May 30

Born: 6 January c. 1412, Domrémy, France

Died: May 30, 1431, Rouen, France

Canonized: May 16, 1920, St. Peter's Basilica, Rome by Pope Benedict XV

Patron of: France; martyrs; captives; militants; people ridiculed for their piety; prisoners; soldiers; Women Appointed for Voluntary Emergency Service; Women's Army Corps

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Joan of Arc

Feast Day: May 30
Born: 1412 :: Died: 1431

Joan was born at Greux-Domremy, Lorraine, a little village in France. Jacques d'Arc, her father, was a hard working farmer. Her mother Isabelle Romee was gentle and loving. She taught Joan many practical things. "I can sew and spin as well as any woman," she once said.

Joan was a shepherdess who loved to pray, especially at the shrines of Our Blessed Mother. This honest little peasant girl was to become a heroine. One day while she was watching her sheep, St. Michael the Archangel, appeared to her and said, "Daughter of God, go save France!"

For three years she heard the voices of saints calling her to action. When she was sixteen, she began her mission.

At that time, there was a war going on between France and England. It was called the Hundred Years' War. England had won so much French land that the king of England called himself the king of France, too. The real French king was weak and fun-loving. He thought the French armies would never be able to save the country.

With his permission, St. Joan led an army into the city of Orleans, which the English had almost captured. In her white, shining armor, this young heroine rode with her banner flying above her. On it were the names of JESUS and MARY.

She was hit by an arrow in the great battle of Orleans, but she kept on urging her men to victory. At last they won! St. Joan and her army won more and more battles. The English armies had to retreat.

After the victories, Joan's time of suffering began. She was captured by the Burgundians. Then she was sold to the English for ten thousand Francs. The ungrateful French king did not even try to save her. She was put in prison and after an unfair trial at Rouen in France, she was tied to a stake and burned to death.

Joan was not even twenty. She had a great horror of fire. Yet she went bravely to her death on May 29, 1431. Her last word was "Jesus." Four hundred and eighty-nine years later, on May 16, 1920, Pope Benedict XV proclaimed Joan a saint.

Reflection: The life of this saint was marked by heroic courage for the sake of the mission that God had entrusted to her. We can call on St. Joan of Arc to help us especially when we need to carry out a very difficult, nearly impossible task.

Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 12
1.	AND he began to speak to them in parables: A certain man planted a vineyard and made a hedge about it, and dug a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it to husbandmen; and went into a far country.	Et cœpit illis in parabolis loqui : Vineam pastinavit homo, et circumdedit sepem, et fodit lacum, et ædificavit turrim, et locavit eam agricolis, et peregre profectus est.	και ηρξατο αυτοις εν παραβολαις λεγειν αμπελωνα εφυτευσεν ανθρωπος και περιεθηκεν φραγμον και ωρυξεν υποληνιον και ωκοδομησεν πυργον και εξεδοτο αυτον γεωργοις και απεδημησεν
2.	And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant to receive of the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.	Et misit ad agricolas in tempore servum ut ab agricolis acciperet de fructu vineæ.	και απεστειλεν προς τους γεωργους τω καιρω δουλον ινα παρα των γεωργων λαβη απο του καρπου του αμπελωνος
3.	Who having laid hands on him, beat him, and sent him away empty.	Qui apprehensum eum ceciderunt, et dimiserunt vacuum.	οι δε λαβοντες αυτον εδειραν και απεστειλαν κενον
4.	And again he sent to them another servant; and him they wounded in the head, and used him reproachfully.	Et iterum misit ad illos alium servum : et illum in capite vulneraverunt, et contumeliis affecerunt.	και παλιν απεστειλεν προς αυτους αλλον δουλον κακεινον λιθοβολησαντες εκεφαλαιωσαν και απεστειλαν ητιμωμενον
5.	And again he sent another, and him they killed: and many others, of whom some they beat, and others they killed.	Et rursum alium misit, et illum occiderunt : et plures alios : quosdam cædentes, alios vero occidentes.	και παλιν αλλον απεστειλεν κακεινον απεκτειναν και πολλους αλλους τους μεν δεροντες τους δε αποκτενοντες
6.	Therefore having yet one son, most dear to him; he also sent him unto them last of all, saying: They will reverence my son.	Adhuc ergo unum habens filium carissimum, et illum misit ad eos novissimum, dicens : Quia reverebuntur filium meum.	ετι ουν ενα υιον εχων αγαπητον αυτου απεστειλεν και αυτον προς αυτους εσχατον λεγων οτι εντραπησονται τον υιον μου
7.	But the husbandmen said one to another: This is the heir; come let us kill him; and the inheritance shall be ours.	Coloni autem dixerunt ad invicem : Hic est hæres : venite, occidamus eum : et nostra erit hæreditas.	εκεινοι δε οι γεωργοι ειπον προς εαυτους οτι ουτος εστιν ο κληρονομος δευτε αποκτεινωμεν αυτον και ημων εσται η κληρονομια
8.	And laying hold on him, they killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.	Et apprehendentes eum, occiderunt : et ejecerunt extra vineam.	και λαβοντες αυτον απεκτειναν και εξεβαλον εξω του αμπελωνος
9.	What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those husbandmen; and will give the vineyard to others.	Quid ergo faciet dominus vineæ ? Veniet, et perdet colonos, et dabit vineam aliis.	τι ουν ποιησει ο κυριος του αμπελωνος ελευσεται και απολεσει τους γεωργους και δωσει τον αμπελωνα αλλοις
10.	And have you not read this scripture, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is made the head of the corner:	Nec scripturam hanc legistis : Lapidem quem reprobaverunt ædificantes, hic factus est in caput anguli :	ουδε την γραφην ταυτην ανεγνωτε λιθον ον απεδοκιμασαν οι οικοδομουντες ουτος εγενηθη εις κεφαλην γωνιας
11.	By the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes.	a Domino factum est istud, et est mirabile in oculis nostris ?	παρα κυριου εγενετο αυτη και εστιν θαυμαστη εν οφθαλμοις ημων
12.	And they sought to lay hands on him, but they feared the people. For they knew that he spoke this parable to them. And leaving him, they went their way.	Et quærebant eum tenere : et timuerunt turbam : cognoverunt enim quoniam ad eos parabolam hanc dixerit. Et relicto eo abierunt.	και εζητουν αυτον κρατησαι και εφοβηθησαν τον οχλον εγνωσαν γαρ οτι προς αυτους την παραβολην ειπεν και αφεντες αυτον απηλθον

1. And he began to speak to them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and dug a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.
2. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
3. And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.
4. And again he sent to them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.
5. And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.
6. Having yet therefore one son, his well-beloved, he sent him also last to them, saying, They will reverence my son.
7. But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.
8. And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
9. What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard to others.
10. And have you not read this Scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:
11. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?
12. And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.

GLOSS. After the Lord had closed the mouths of His tempters by a wise question, He next shows their wickedness in a parable; wherefore it is said: And he began to speak to them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard.

PSEUDO-JEROME; God the Father is called a man by a human conception. The vineyard is the house of Israel; the hedge is the guardianship of Angels; the winefat is the law, the tower is the temple, and the husbandmen, the priests.

BEDE; Or else, the hedge is the wall of the city, the winefat is the altar, or those winefats, by which the psalms receive their name.

THEOPHYL. Or, the hedge is the law, which prohibited their mingling with strangers. There follows, And went into afar country.

BEDE; Not by any change of place, but He seemed to go away from the vineyard, that He might leave the husbandmen to act on their own freewill. It goes on: And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.

PSEUDO-JEROME; The servants who were sent were the prophets, the fruit of the vineyard is obedience; some of the prophets were beaten, others wounded, others slain. Wherefore it goes on, And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.

BEDE; By the servant who was first sent, we must understand Moses, but they beat him, and sent him away empty, because they angered Moses in the tents.

There follows, And again he sent to them another servant, and they wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. This other servant means David and the other Psalmists, but they wounded Him in time head and shamefully handled him, because they despised the songs of the Psalmists, and rejected David himself, saying, What portion have we in David?

It goes on, And he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some. By the third servant and his companions, understand the band of the prophets. But which of the prophets did they not persecute? In these three kinds of servants, as the Lord Himself elsewhere pronounces, may be included in a figure all the doctors under the law, when He says, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me.

THEOPHYL. Or else, By the first servant, understand the prophets who lived about the time of Elias, for Zedekiah the false prophet beat Micaiah; and by the second servant whom they wounded in the head, that is, evil entreated, We may understand the prophets who lived about the time of Hosea and Isaiah; but by the third servant understand the prophets who flourished about the time of Daniel and Ezekiel. It goes on, Having yet therefore one son, his well-beloved, he sent him also last to them, saying, Perchance they will reverence my son.

PSEUDO-JEROME; The well-beloved son and the last is the Only-begotten; and in that He Says, They will reverence my son, He speaks in irony.

BEDE; Or else, this is not said in ignorance, but God is said to doubt, that freedom of will may be left to man.

THEOPHYL. Or else, He said this not as though He were ignorant of what was to happen, but to show what it was right and fitting that they should do. But those husbandmen said amongst themselves, This is the heir, come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.

BEDE; The Lord proves most clearly that the chiefs of the Jews did not crucify the Son of God through ignorance, but through envy; for they understood that this was He to whom it was said, I will give you the heathen for your inheritance. But these evil husbandmen strove to seize upon it by slaying Him, when the Jews crucifying Him tried to extinguish the faith which is by Him, and rather to bring forward their own righteousness which is by the Law, and to thrust it on the nations, and to imbue them with it.

There follows: And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

THEOPHYL. That is, without Jerusalem, for the Lord was crucified out of the city.

PSEUDO-JEROME; Or else, they cast Him out of the vineyard, that is, out of the people, saying, You are a Samaritan, and have a devil. Or, as far as in them lay, they cast Him out of their own borders, and gave Him up to the Gentiles that they might receive Him.

There follows, What then will the Lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those husbandmen, and give the vineyard to other.

AUG. Matthew indeed subjoins that they answered and said, He will miserably destroy those wicked men , which Mark here says was not their answer, but that the Lord after putting the question, as it were answered Himself. But we may easily understand either that their answer was, subjoined without the insertion of, they answered, or they said, which at the same time was implied; or else, that their answer, being the truth, was attributed to the Lord, since He also Himself gave this answer concerning them, being the Truth.

THEOPHYL. The Lord of the vineyard then is the Father of the Son who was slain, and the Son Himself is He who was slain, who will destroy those husbandmen, by giving them up to the Romans, and who will give the people to other husbandmen, that is, to the Apostles. Read the Acts of the Apostles, and you will find three thousand, and five thousand on a sudden believing and bearing fruit to God.

PSEUDO-JEROME; Or else, the vineyard is given to others, that is, to those who come from the east, and from the west, and from the south, and from the north, and who sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

BEDE; But that this was done by Divine interposition he affirms, by immediately afterwards adding, And have you not read this Scripture, The stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone in the corner? As if he had said, how is this prophecy to be fulfilled, save in that Christ, being rejected and slain by you, is to be preached to the Gentiles, who will believe on Him? Thus then as a corner stone, He will found the two people on Him self, and of the two people will build for Himself a city of the faithful, one temple. For the masters of the synagogue, whom He had just called husbandmen, He now calls builders, because the same persons, who seemed to cultivate His people, that they might bear the fruits of life, like a vineyard, were also commanded to construct and adorn this people, to be, as it were, a house worthy to have God for its inhabitant.

THEOPHYL. The stone then which the builders refused, the same has become the head-stone of the corner, that is, of the Church. For the Church is, as it were, the corner, joining together Jews and Gentiles; and this corner has been made by the Lord, and is wonderful in our eyes, that is, in the eyes of the faithful; for miracles meet with detraction from the faithless. The Church indeed is wonderful, as it were resting on wonders, for the Lord worked with the Apostles, and confirmed the word with signs. And this is what is meant, when it is said, This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

PSEUDO-JEROME; This rejected stone, which is borne by that corner where the lamb and the bread met in the supper, ending the Old and beginning the New Testament, does things marvelous in our eyes as the topaz.

BEDE; But the Chief Priests showed that those things which the Lord had spoken were true; which is proved from what follows: And they sought to lay hold on him; for He Himself is the heir, whose unjust death He said was to be revenged by the Father. Again, in a moral sense, each of the faithful, when the Sacrament of Baptism is entrusted to him, receives on hire a vineyard, which he is to cultivate. But the servant sent to him is evil entreated, beaten, and cast out, when the word is heard by him and despised, or, what is worse, even blasphemed; further, he kills, as far as in him lies, the heir, who has trampled under foot time Son of God.

The evil husbandman is destroyed, and the vineyard given to another, when the humble shall be enriched with that gift of grace, which the proud man has scorned. And it happens daily in the Church, that the Chief Priests wishing to lay hands on Jesus, are held back by the multitude, when some one, who is a brother only in name, either blushes or fears to attack the unity of the faith of the Church, and of its peace, though he loves it not, on account of the number of good brethren who dwell together within it.

Catena Aurea Mark 12

Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen

Monday

May 30, 2016 ~ Memorial Day

A Prayer for Courage

On this annual Memorial Day, we pray for all Veterans, living and deceased. We pray for those who graciously give of their time, talent, and treasure to protect their country. We pray this prayer in honor of them.

Lord, I ask for courage.
Courage to face and conquer my own fears....
Courage to take me where others will not go.
I ask for strength...
Strength of body to protect others..
Strength of spirit to lead others.
I ask for dedication...
Dedication to my job, to do it well...
Dedication to my country, to keep it safe.
Give me Lord, concern... For those who trust me
and compassion for those who need me.
And please Lord..... Through it all be at my side.
Amen.

Year of Mercy Calendar for Today: “This week, pray for our Diocesan Deacons.”

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Monday, May 30

Liturgical Color: Green

St. Joseph Marello died on this
day in 1895. He founded the
Oblates of St. Joseph, an order
dedicated to helping the poor.
He chose St. Joseph as the
order’s patron because of St.
Joseph’s unending desire to
serve Jesus.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: May 30th

Monday of the Ninth Week of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

May 30, 2016 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, whose providence never fails in its design, keep from us, we humbly beseech you, all that might harm us and grant all that works for our good. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Recipes (1)

Cassoulet

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Activities (3)

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Prayers (2)

May Devotion: Blessed Virgin Mary
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Litany of Loretto)
Old Calendar: Ember Saturday after Pentecost; St. Felix I, pope and martyr; St. Joan of Arc, virgin
According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of Corpus Christi which traditionally is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. In the Ordinary Rite the Solemnity is celebrated on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday.
Also today is the feast of Pope St. Felix I, who governed the Church from 268 to 273. St. Felix I was buried in the "crypt of the popes," in the catacomb of St. Callixtus, and is often confused with the second century martyr St. Felix, a victim of persecution under the Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Also it is the feast of St. Joan of Arc (some places), Patron saint of France. In her day, the English were allied with the Burgundians in a war against the rest of France. Joan was compelled by voices of her favorite saints to take up arms in defence of her country. Dressed in a suit of white armor, she led the French in battle against the English, who retreated, believing that she was in league with the devil. She continued to battle against the English, with dwindling support, until she was eventually captured and tried as a witch. She was found guilty and at the scaffold she pleaded guilty in exchange for a pardon from the Church. However, since the English had no intention of releasing her from prison, she quickly renounced her confession and resumed wearing men's clothing. For this they publicly burned her at the stake for witchcraft and heresy. The Church reversed its decision in 1455, and she was canonized in 1920.

St. Felix I
The son of Constantius, Felix was a Roman by birth. He was elected to the papacy shortly after the death of St. Dionysius. It was Felix who received the letter from the Asiatic bishops announcing the deposition of Bishop Paul of Antioch, Dionysius having died before its arrival. Felix was also informed of the election of Domnus I to replace the deposed heretic. Unfortunately, Paul refused to vacate the church building and denied entrance to the newly appointed Domnus. Emperor Aurelian, who then sat on the throne, happened to be passing through Antioch when he was asked to intervene in the matter. Aurelian ordered the see to be turned over to whichever bishop was in true communication with the bishops of Italy and Rome. At long last, Paul was forced to make an undignified exit, while Timaeus, Domnus' successor, was able to take his rightful place among his flock.
Felix is said to have ordained that the celebration of Mass take place over the graves of martyrs. Although Felix reigned for nearly six years, little else is know of his pontificate, except that it was free from persecution. Felix died in December and was buried in the papal crypt located in the cemetery of Calixtus. His feast is kept on May 30.
— Excerpted from The Popes: A Papal History, J.V. Bartlett

St. Joan of Arc
Saint Joan was born on January 6, 1412, in the village of Domremy to Jacques and Isabelle d'Arc. Joan was the youngest of their five children. While growing up among the fields and pastures of her village, she was called Jeannette but when she entered into her mission, her name was changed to Jeanne, la Pucelle, or Joan, the Maid.
As a child she was taught domestic skills as well as her religion by her mother. Joan would later say, "As for spinning and sewing, I fear no woman in Rouen." And again, "It was my mother alone who taught me the 'Our Father' and 'Hail Mary' and the 'Creed;' and from none other was I taught my faith."
From her earliest of years Joan was known for her obedience to her parents, religious fervor, goodness, unselfish generosity and kindness toward her neighbors. Simonin Munier, one of Joan's childhood friends, tells how Joan had nursed him back to health when he was sick. Some of her playmates teased her for being 'too pious.' Others remembered how she would give up her bed to the homeless stranger who came to her father's door asking for shelter.
Joan was 'like all the others' in her village until her thirteenth year. "When I was about thirteen, I received revelation from Our Lord by a voice which told me to be good and attend church often and that God would help me." She stated that her 'Voices' were Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret. At first her 'Voices' came to her two or three times a week but as the time for her mission drew near (five years later), they visited her daily telling her to 'Go into France' to raise the siege of Orleans, conduct the Dauphin Charles to Reims for his crowning and to drive the English from the land.
Joan went to the neighboring town of Vaucouleurs, which means Valley of many colors. There she spoke to the loyal French governor by the name of Sir Robert de Baudricourt. After many rejections he finally agreed to send her to the Dauphin who at the time was living at the castle of Chinon.
On the evening of February 23, 1429, she began her mission for God. In the company of six men, she rode through the Gate of France on her way to Chinon. Joan reached this town on March 6th, but was not received by the Dauphin, Charles, until the evening of March 9th.
After being accepted and approved by a Church council headed by the Archbishop of Reims, Joan was allowed to lead the Dauphin's army. This part of her career was meteoric. She entered Orleans on the evening of April 29th and by May 8th the city had been freed. The Loire campaign started on June 9th and by June 19th the English were driven out of the Loire valley. The march to Reims started on June 29th and by July 17th Charles was crowned King of France in the cathedral of Reims.
From this time on, for reasons know only to King Charles, the king no longer valued Joan's advice and guidance. She had always told him that God had given her 'a year and a little longer' to accomplish His will but the king seemed to take no notice of it. For almost a year he wasted what time remained to Joan, until in frustration, she left the court. Her last campaign lasted from the middle of March until her capture at the town of Compiegne on May 23rd, 1430. Her 'year and a little longer' was over.
Abandoned by her king and friends, she started her year of captivity. As a prisoner of the Burgundians she was treated fairly but that all changed when on November 21st, 1430, she was handed over the English. How she survived their harsh treatment of her is a miracle in itself.
The English not only wanted to kill Joan but they also wanted to discredit King Charles as a false king by having Joan condemned by the Church as a witch and a heretic. To obtain this goal the English used those Church authorities whom they knew to be favorable to them and the staunchest of these was Bishop Cauchon.
Joan's trial of condemnation lasted from February 21st until May 23rd. She was finally burnt at the stake in Rouen's market square on May 30th, 1431.
Twenty-five years later the findings of Joan's first trial were overturned and declared 'null and void' by another Church court, who this time was favorable to King Charles. It was not until 1920 that the Church of Rome officially declared Joan to be a saint. Her feast day is celebrated on May 30th.
Excerpted from St. Joan of Arc Center
Patron: Captives; France; imprisoned people; martyrs; opposition of Church authorities; people ridiculed for their piety; prisoners; rape victims; soldiers; WACs; WAVES; Women Appointed for Voluntary Emergency Service; Women’s Army Corps
Symbols: Bareheaded girl in armor with sword, lance or banner
Things to Do:
- Visit the St. Joan of Arc Center for more information.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Mark 12:1-12

9th Week in Ordinary Time

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. (Mark 12:10)

Do you think there is a purpose in the rejection and failure we experience? Some of history’s most notable people would say yes. Abraham Lincoln lost eight elections before becoming President. He later said, “Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” Steve Jobs was fired from his own company yet came back to develop the iPhone and iPad. He believed that getting fired was “the best thing that could have ever happened to me. . . . It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”

Certainly this principle applies in Jesus’ case. As we see in the parable of the landowner, he was the “stone that the builders rejected” (Mark 12:10). He experienced the ultimate rejection of being crucified. But it was through the cross that Jesus was raised to sit at his Father’s right hand.

We have all been rejected at one time or another. We have all been let down by someone, perhaps someone very important to us. The wounds that these times of rejection leave can stay with us for a long time. But if we stay close to Jesus, we’ll find him bringing good out of them.

The first step to healing these wounds is forgiveness. Rather than trying to do this on your own, fix your eyes on Jesus. Think about how he forgave the people who crucified him, and ask him to help you forgive the people who have hurt you. Ask for the grace to see them through his eyes so that you can slowly let go of your resentment. Try to give your pain to the Lord, and ask him to make your heart lighter.

Don’t stop at forgiveness. Ask Jesus to fill the wounded places in your heart with his love. Imagine him sitting next to you, his arm around your shoulder, speaking words of encouragement to you. Rest in his presence, and let him minister to you. Keep this up over time, and you’ll find that whatever has hurt you is bringing you closer to the Lord. He surely can work all things for your good (Romans 8:28)!

“Lord, thank you for your promise to heal my wounds. Give me confidence that you have a perfect, loving plan for my life.”

2 Peter 1:2-7
Psalm 91:1-2, 14-16

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for May 30, 2016:

Meet your spouse where he/she is today, but remember to challenge each other to grow in holiness.

Regnum Christi

Payback Time

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

May 30, 2016 - Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Father Edward McIlmail, LC

Mark 12:1-12

Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey. At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another servant. And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully. He sent yet another whom they killed. So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed. He had one other to send, a beloved son. He sent him to them last of all, thinking, ´They will respect my son.´ But those tenants said to one another, ´This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.´ So they seized him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, put the tenants to death, and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this scripture passage: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?" They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd, for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them. So they left him and went away.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I come before you humbly. As one who has frequently fallen into sin, I am aware of my weakness. Your great love, though, assures me that your grace can keep me on the path to holiness.

Petition: Lord, let me be open to you and your messages.

Stand Corrected: Being corrected hurts. Being corrected in public hurts even more. And having one´s whole way of life corrected — well, that really stings. And so it must have been for the group of leaders who approached Jesus. Our Lord, in a not-so-subtle way, tells them that they are wrong. Wrong about their self-righteousness, wrong about their narrow reading of Scripture, and wrong about how they think God works in the world. This blinded them to the Son of God when he came among them. We like to think we would have been different ― we would not have rejected Jesus, we tell ourselves. Are we so sure? Aren´t we really like the leaders of Jesus´ time when we fail to listen to his agents ― a bishop, a parish priest, a legitimate superior? Have I said no to Christ lately?

"Another Servant" God doesn´t give up on us after one try. He often sends a number of messengers into our lives, to draw us closer to him. Such is the illogic of a Father´s love. Where do we miss the clues that God sends us? It could be in something a child says; a line from a homily; an e-mail from a friend in crisis ― these are the ordinary means God uses to reach out to us. Old Testament prophets faced rejection by the people of God. Have things changed much? Could I be turning a deaf ear to a prophet?

"This Is the Heir" The tenant farmers don´t seem very bright. They murder the son in order to get his inheritance. What father would give an inheritance to someone who killed his son? It doesn´t make sense. Then again, sin doesn´t make sense either. Many times we reject Christ in our life and then wonder why our prayers to God the Father go (seemingly) unanswered. What could we be thinking? How often do I offer up a sacrifice or an act of charity for a prayer intention?

Conversation with Christ: Let me live up to the demands of my faith, Lord. Let me realize that my dignity as a Christian demands that I try to live a life worthy of my baptism ― that I not be satisfied living like everyone else.

Resolution: I will offer up a decade of a rosary for a family member who is far from the faith.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 32, Issue 3

<< Monday, May 30, 2016 >>

2 Peter 1:2-7
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Psalm 91:1-2, 14-16

Mark 12:1-12
Similar Reflections

LOVING YOUR CHILD'S MURDERERS

"It was the Lord Who did it and we find it marvelous to behold." �Mark 12:11

The owner of a vineyard sent slave after slave "to the tenants to obtain from them his share of produce from the vineyard" (Mk 12:2). "Some they beat; some they killed. He still had one to send � the son whom he loved. He sent him to them as a last resort, thinking, 'They will have to respect my son' " (Mk 12:5-6). "Then they seized and killed him and dragged him outside the vineyard" (Mk 12:8). The owner of the vineyard seems astoundingly naive for continuing to send slaves to almost certain beatings or death and then send his own son to be killed.

In this allegory, the owner of the vineyard represents God the Father. He sent prophet after prophet to turn us away from our sins. Almost all of these prophets were rejected. Many were murdered. Then God the Father sent His Son. Unlike the owner of the vineyard in the allegory, God the Father knew for certain that His Son, Jesus, would be tortured, nailed to a cross, and murdered. Nevertheless, He sent Jesus so that all could be saved from sin and death, and some would be saved.

If you knew a person would be party to killing your child, would you send your child to him? Would you create a person whom you knew would drive a nail into your child or imbed a thorn into his head? God the Father did this when He created each one of us and sent His Son, Jesus, to save us. Why did He do this? "God is Love" (1 Jn 4:16).

Prayer: Father, may the love from the Spirit impel me (2 Cor 5:14). May I love others without counting the cost.

Promise: "He has bestowed on us the great and precious things He promised, so that through these you who have fled a world corrupted by lust might become sharers of the divine nature." �2 Pt 1:4

Praise: After a long struggle, Jane finally accepted God's forgiveness for aborting her daughter.

Pray for an end to this painful procedure.