Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 08-22-16, M, The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 08-22-16 | Revised New American Bible

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August 22, 2016

Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Reading 1 2 Thes 1:1-5, 11-12

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians
in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters,
as is fitting, because your faith flourishes ever more,
and the love of every one of you for one another grows ever greater.
Accordingly, we ourselves boast of you in the churches of God
regarding your endurance and faith in all your persecutions
and the afflictions you endure.

This is evidence of the just judgment of God,
so that you may be considered worthy of the Kingdom of God
for which you are suffering.

We always pray for you,
that our God may make you worthy of his calling
and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose
and every effort of faith,
that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,
and you in him,
in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 4-5

R. (3) Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
For great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
awesome is he, beyond all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are things of nought,
but the LORD made the heavens.
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Alleluia Jn 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 23:13-22

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,
or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple swears by it
and by him who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by him who is seated on it.”

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From: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12

Greeting

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[1] Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: [2] Grace to you and peace from God the Fa-
ther and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

---

[3] We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, as is fitting, be-
cause your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one
another is increasing. [4] Therefore we ourselves boast of you in the churches of
God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions
which you are enduring.

[5] This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be made wor-
thy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.

Prayer for Perseverance

---

[11] To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of
his call, and may fulfill every good resolve and work of faith by his power, [12] so
that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, accor-
ding to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Commentary:

1-2. This heading is similar to that of the first letter. Two slight differences bear
comment. The first is the adjective “our” applied to God the Father. This under-
lines the divine filiation of Christians. Only the second person, the Word, is the
Son of God by nature; human beings are children of God by adoption, thanks to
the Son’s deigning to make us sharers in the divine filiation which is his in all its
fullness; in theology this is expressed in the well-known proposition that we are
“filii in Filio,” sons in the Son. “The Son of God, his only son by nature,” St
Augustine says, “deigned to become Son of man, so that we who are sons of
man by nature might become sons of God by grace” (”The City of God”, 21,15).
And St lrenaeus explains that “if the Word became flesh, and if the Son of God
became Son of man, he did this so that man, by entering into communion with
the Word and receiving the privilege of adoption, might become a son of God”
(”Against Heresies”, 2,19).

The Second Vatican Council gives the same teaching when it says that “the fol-
lowers of Christ, called by God not in virtue of their works but by his design and
grace, and justified in the Lord Jesus, have been made sons of God in the bap-
tism of faith and partakers of the divine nature, and so are truly sanctified” (”Lu-
men Gentium”, 40). The full import of what Christian life means becomes clear
if one keeps in mind “this expressible and simple fact—that he is our Father and
we are his children” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 144).

The second difference in the heading (as compared with the first letter) is that it
specifically says that grace comes “from God the Father and [from] the Lord Je-
sus Christ”. Peace is inseparable from grace, and has its source in God. That is
why the Second Vatican Council emphasized that “peace on earth, which flows
from love of one’s neighbor, symbolizes and derives from the peace of Christ
which proceeds from God the Father” (”Gaudium Et Spes”, 78).

See the note on 1 Thess 1:1-2.

3-4. As in other letters, the Apostle expresses his deep gratitude to the Lord (cf.
Phil 4:6; Col 3:15-17; 1 Tim 2:1; etc.). By doing so he is imitating Jesus himself
who at the start of prayer used to praise the Father and give him thanks (cf. Mt
11:25; 15:36; 26:27 and par.; Jn 11:41; etc.). In its supreme act of worship, the
Mass, the Church exclaims at the start of the Preface: “We do well always and
everywhere to give you thanks.” In addition to showing the nobility of our feelings,
gratefulness also puts us in the way of further gifts, because the Lord is particu-
larly well disposed to a humble and grateful heart. As St Bernard teaches,
“someone who humbly recognizes himself as obliged for gifts and who is grateful
for them, is bound to receive many more. For if he shows that he is faithful in lit-
tle things, he has a right to be entrusted with many; whereas on the contrary,
someone who does not appreciate the favors he has been given renders himself
unworthy of being given additional favors” (”Sermons on Psalm 90”, 4).

That is why the Christian feels the need to express his gratitude to God: “Thank
you, my Jesus, for your choosing to become perfect Man, with a most loving and
lovable heart; a heart which loves unto death; a heart which suffers; which is fitted
with joy and sorrow; which delights in the things of men and shows us the way to
heaven; which subjects itself heroically to duty and acts with mercy; which wat-
ches over the poor and the rich, which cares for sinners and the just.... Thank
you, my Jesus. Give us hearts to measure up to Yours!” (St. J. Escriva, “Furrow”,
813).

“Your faith is growing”: faith needs to grow, it needs to be alive. It grows when it
is joined to love. The Thessalonians were active in their practice of faith and love,
and this meant that their morale was good despite persecution and affliction. “Ob-
serve how the love and mutual solidarity of the believers is a great help in resis-
ting evils and bearing affliction,” St John Chrysostom says. “That deep fraternity
was a great source of consolation. It is only a weak faith and an imperfect charity
that afflictions cause to waver; but a solid, robust faith is in fact strengthened by
affliction. A weak, languid soul derives no benefit from suffering, whereas a gene-
rous soul finds in suffering a source of new energy” (”Hom. on 2 Thess, ad loc.”).

5. Fidelity to God, even in a situation which is adverse and difficult; is a guaran-
tee of future reward. Our Lord sometimes allows us to experience suffering for
the sake of the Gospel; he thereby tests our love and makes us worthy of the
enduring Kingdom which awaits us in the life to come. In a particularly authori-
tative way, Paul VI taught that “the Kingdom of God begun here below in the
Church of Christ is not of this world whose form is passing, and [...] its proper
growth cannot be confounded with the progress of civilization, of science or of
human technology, but [...] consists in an ever more profound knowledge of the
unfathomable riches of Christ, an ever stronger hope in eternal blessings, an
ever more ardent response to the Love of God, and an ever more generous be-
stowal of grace and holiness among men” (”Creed of the People of God”, 27).

Suffering, like faith, should he accepted as a mark of God’s special love: “it has
been granted to you that...you should not only believe in him but also suffer for
his sake” (Phil 1:29). Making the same point Bl. John Paul II reminds us that
“in bringing about the Redemption through suffering, Christ has also raised hu-
man suffering to the level of the Redemption. Thus each man, in his suffering,
can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ” (”Salvifici Dolo-
ris”, 19).

11. St. Paul takes up the thread of the prayer he began in v. 4, asking God to
keep the believers true to their calling. He himself is very good example of how
teachers of Christian doctrine should approach their work; he does not confine
himself to expounding the truths of faith: the first step he takes is to pray for his
work to be fruitful. St. Augustine observes that anyone who wants to teach the
word of God “tries as far as possible to make his words understandable, pleasing
and persuasive. But he should be convinced that if he is to obtain a good result
it will be due more to the piety of his prayers than to his gifts of speech. And so,
praying for those he is to address, he should be more a supplicant than a spea-
ker. When the time comes for him to speak, before actually doing so he should
raise his parched soul to God that he may utter only what he has himself eaten
and drunk” (”Christian Instruction”, 4, 15).

The Apostle asks God to make the Thessalonians “worthy of his call”, that their
efforts should have the support of divine grace, for no supernatural action can be
planned, begun or brought to a conclusion without the grace of God (cf. Boniface
II, “Per Filium Nostrum, Dz-Sch”, 399). Hence the liturgical prayer: “Lord, be the
beginning and end of all that we do and say. Prompt our actions with your grace,
and complete them with your all-powerful help” (”Liturgy of the Hours”, Morning
Prayer, Monday Week 1).

12. The Greek formula here translated as “according to the grace of our God and
the Lord Jesus Christ” could also be interpreted as “according to the grace of our
God and Lord Jesus Christ”—in which case we would have here a confession of
Christological faith which would be of enormous value on account of its antiquity.
It would be an acknowledgment of Christ being both God (”Theos”) and Lord
(”Kyrios”), that is, “Iesus Christus, Dominus et Deus noster”. However, the ex-
pression “our God” often appears in Pauline writings (cf., in this very chapter, vv.
2 and 11); he also frequently uses the formula “Lord Jesus Christ”. This suggests
that there is a distinction between “our God” and “the Lord Jesus Christ” (or even
“our Lord Jesus Christ”); hence the preferred translation.

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

[Salvation]

From: Matthew 23:13-22

Jesus Indicts the Scribes and Pharisees

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(Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees,) [13] “But woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the Kingdom of Heaven against men;
for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in. [15]
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you traverse sea and land to
make a single proselyte, and when he becomes proselyte, you make him twice
as much a child of Hell as yourselves.

[16] “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If any one swears by the temple, it is
nothing; but if any one swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
[17] You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made
the gold sacred? [18] And you say, ‘If any one swears by the altar, it is nothing;
but if one swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ [19]
You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sa-
cred? [20] So he who swears by the altar, swears by it and everything on it; [21]
and he who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it; [22]
and he who swears by Heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who
sits upon it.”

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

13. Here comes our Lord’s invective against the behavior of the scribes and Pha-
risees: His “woes” condemn their past conduct and threaten them with punish-
ment if they do not repent and mend their ways.

14. As RSV points out, “other authorities add here (or after verse 12) verse 14,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses
and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater con-
demnation.” Our Lord is not reproaching them for praying long prayers but for
their hypocrisy and cupidity. By going in for a lot of external religious practices,
the Pharisees wanted to be recognized as devout men and then trade on that
reputation particularly with vulnerable people. Widows, for example, would ask
them to say prayers; the Pharisees in turn would ask for alms. What Jesus
means here is that prayer should always come from an upright heart and a ge-
nerous spirit.

15. “Proselyte”: a pagan convert to Judaism. The root of the word means “he
who comes”, he who—coming from idolatry—joins the chosen people in response
to a calling from God. The Pharisees spared no effort to gain converts. Our Lord
reproaches them not for this, but because they were concerned only about hu-
man success, their motivation being vainglory.

The sad thing about these proselytes was that, after receiving the light of Old
Testament revelation, they remained under the influence of scribes and Phari-
sees, who passed on to them their own narrow outlook.

22. Our Lord’s teaching about taking oaths is given in the Sermon on the Mount
(Matthew 5:33-37). Jesus does away with the nitpicking casuistry of the Phari-
sees by focusing directly on the uprightness of the intention of the oath-taker
and by stressing the respect due to God’s majesty and dignity. What Jesus
wants is a pure heart, with no element of deceit.

Our Lord particularly reproves any tendency to undermine the content of an oath,
as the Doctors of the Law tended to do, thereby failing to respect holy things and
especially the holy name of God. He therefore draws attention to the command-
ment of the Law which says, ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God
in vain” (Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 19:12; Deuteronomy 5:11).

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

[Salvation]

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

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First reading

2 Thessalonians 1:1-5,11-12 ©

From Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, to the Church in Thessalonika which is in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; wishing you grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

  We feel we must be continually thanking God for you, brothers; quite rightly, because your faith is growing so wonderfully and the love that you have for one another never stops increasing; and among the churches of God we can take special pride in you for your constancy and faith under all the persecutions and troubles you have to bear. It all shows that God’s judgement is just, and the purpose of it is that you may be found worthy of the kingdom of God; it is for the sake of this that you are suffering now.

  Knowing this, we pray continually that our God will make you worthy of his call, and by his power fulfil all your desires for goodness and complete all that you have been doing through faith; because in this way the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified in you and you in him, by the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

---

Responsorial Psalm	Psalm 95:1-5 ©

Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

O sing a new song to the Lord,

  sing to the Lord all the earth.

  O sing to the Lord, bless his name.

Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

Proclaim his help day by day,

  tell among the nations his glory

  and his wonders among all the peoples.

Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

The Lord is great and worthy of praise,

  to be feared above all gods;

  the gods of the heathens are naught.

Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

---

Gospel Acclamation	Jn17:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your word is truth, O Lord:

consecrate us in the truth.

Alleluia!

Or	Jn10:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,

says the Lord,

I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel

Matthew 23:13-22 ©

Jesus said, ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who shut up the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces, neither going in yourselves nor allowing others to go in who want to.

  ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when you have him you make him twice as fit for hell as you are.

  ‘Alas for you, blind guides! You who say, “If a man swears by the Temple, it has no force; but if a man swears by the gold of the Temple, he is bound.” Fools and blind! For which is of greater worth, the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? Or else, “If a man swears by the altar it has no force; but if a man swears by the offering that is on the altar, he is bound.” You blind men! For which is of greater worth, the offering or the altar that makes the offering sacred? Therefore, when a man swears by the altar he is swearing by that and by everything on it. And when a man swears by the Temple he is swearing by that and by the One who dwells in it. And when a man swears by heaven he is swearing by the throne of God and by the One who is seated there.’

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Pray for Pope Francis.

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

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Pray the Rosary!

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Jesus, High Priest

 

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

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

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

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

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

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

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

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

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

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

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

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

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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 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 ]

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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
+

[Salvation]

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:
"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"

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

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

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August Devotion -- The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.

This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.

On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.

INVOCATIONS

O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.

Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."

Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.

Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII

IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Sacred Heart Of Jesus

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Blessed be the Most Loving Heart and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother, in eternity and forever. Amen. ....Only the Heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way ----From the Catechism. P:1439 From the depth of my nothingness, I prostrate myself before Thee, O Most Sacred, Divine and Adorable Heart of Jesus, to pay Thee all the homage of love, praise and adoration in my power. Amen. - - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and his Heart which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins. Christian prayer loves to follow the way of the cross in the Savior's steps.-- >From the Catechism. P: 2669 The Salutation to the Heart of Jesus and Mary   An Offering of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary
Novena Prayer to Sacred Heart  of Jesus Prayer to the Wounded Heart of Jesus   Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart   Meditation & Novena Prayer on the Sacred Heart Beads to the Sacred Heart		Novena Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary   A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary   The Daily Offering to the  Immaculate Heart of Mary   Exaltation of the Immaculate  Heart of Mary   Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

The Holy Heart of Mary Is, After the Heart of Jesus, the Most Exalted Throne of Divine Love
Let us recollect that God has given us the feast of the most pure Heart of the Blessed Virgin so that we may render on that day all the respect, honor and praise that we possibly can. To enkindle this spirit within us let us consider our motivating obligations.

The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.

This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?

How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?

— St. John Eudes

Today: Immaculate Heart of Mary [DEVOTIONAL]

The Immaculate Heart of Mary [Devotional] Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Saturdays and the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Brown Scapular (Catholic Caucus)
The History of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Homilies preached by Father Robert Altier on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Marian Associations Unite to Celebrate Immaculate Heart
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, AUGUST 22ND
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

[Salvation]

August 2016

Pope's Intentions

General Intention: Sports, That sports may be an opportunity for friendly encounters between peoples and may contribute to peace in the world.

Evangelization: Living the Gospel, That Christians may live the Gospel, giving witness to faith, honesty, and love of neighbor.

[Salvation]

Daily Gospel Commentary

Monday of the Twenty-first week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint Clement of Rome, Pope from about 90 to 100
Letter to the Corinthians, § 7-13 (trans. Edgar J. Goodspeed, 1950)

“Return to me with all your heart” (Jl 2,12)

      Let us survey all generations and learn that in generation after generation the Master has offered those who wished to turn to him an opportunity to repent. Noah preached repentance and those who obeyed were saved. Jonah warned the men of Nineveh of destruction, but they repented of their sins and besought God and were forgiven and saved, although they were aliens from God…

      Wishing to give all his beloved a share in his repentance, he has established it by his omnipotent decree. Let us therefore obey his magnificent and glorious desire and, as suppliants of his mercy and goodness, let us fall before him and return to his compassion, forsaking labor that is in vain and strife and jealousy that lead to death….

      So let us be humble-minded, brethren, and put aside all pretentions and conceit and folly and anger… With this command and these orders of our Lord Jesus let us strengthen one another that we may live in obedience to his holy words in humble-mindedness. For the holy word says: “This is the one whom I approve: the lowly and afflicted person who trembles at my word,” (Is 66:2).

[Salvation]

“He stirs my sleeping soul. He moves and soothes and pierces my heart, which was as hard as stone and riddled with disease. He begins to root up and destroy, to build and to plant, to water the dry places and light the dark corners, to open what was closed, set what was cold on fire, and to make the crooked straight and the rough places smooth—all so that I can bless the Lord and so that all that is within me might praise his holy name (Psalm 103:1).”

St. Bernard of Clairvaux