Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 09-05-16, OM, St. Teresa of Calcutta, Labor Day

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 09-05-16 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

September 5, 2016

Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 1 Cor 5:1-8

Brothers and sisters:
It is widely reported that there is immorality among you,
and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans–
a man living with his father’s wife.
And you are inflated with pride.
Should you not rather have been sorrowful?
The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst.
I, for my part, although absent in body but present in spirit,
have already, as if present,
pronounced judgment on the one who has committed this deed,
in the name of our Lord Jesus:
when you have gathered together and I am with you in spirit
with the power of the Lord Jesus,
you are to deliver this man to Satan
for the destruction of his flesh,
so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.

Your boasting is not appropriate.
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
inasmuch as you are unleavened.
For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 5:5-6, 7, 12

R. (9) Lead me in your justice, Lord.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
You hate all evildoers.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
But let all who take refuge in you
be glad and exult forever.
Protect them, that you may be the joy
of those who love your name.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.

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 Lk 6:6-11

On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up and stand before us.”
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
“Stretch out your hand.”
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

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From: 1 Corinthians 5:1-8

Punishment of the Sinner

---

[1] It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and of a kind that
is not found even among pagans; for a man is living with his father’s wife. [2] And
you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be
removed from among you.

[3] For though absent in body I am present in spirit, and as if present, I have al-
ready pronounced judgment [4] in the name of the Lord Jesus on the man who
has done such a thing. When you are assembled, and my spirit is present, with
the power of our Lord Jesus, [5] you are to deliver this man to Satan for the de-
struction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

[6] Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the
whole lump? [7] Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you
really are unleavened. For Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed. [8] Let
us, therefore, celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice
and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

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

5:1-6:20. These chapters cover the same general subject: after taking the Corin-
thians to task for their disunity (a sin which is the cause of other evils), and before
replying to questions they themselves have raised (chaps. 7ff), St Paul deals with
two matters which are inhibiting the Christian life of that community — sins of un-
chastity, and recourse to pagan courts.

He begins with the case of incest and the punishment of the man in question (5:
1-8), and uses this incident to tell the Corinthians how obstinate sinners should
be treated: they should be excluded from the Christian community (5:9-13).

The other matters—sins of impurity and recourse to pagan courts — provide him
with an opportunity to give more general practical advice in an elevated tone: first-
ly, he deals with lawsuits between Christians and how disputes should be solved
(6:1-8); human injustice leads him, by association, to describe those sins which
prevent people from inheriting the Kingdom of heaven (6:9-11). And then, in a lyri-
cal passage, he extols the dignity of the human body and the need to keep it for
God: this is a beautiful hymn in praise of the virtue of holy purity (6:12-20).

1-2. With sadness in his heart St Paul admonishes these Christians for their pas-
sive attitude to behavior so scandalous that even pagans would not tolerate it: a
Christian was co-habiting with his stepmother — something which even Roman
law forbade. Clearly it could not have been his own mother, for no society would
tolerate that; the woman would have been his father’s second wife, and probably
his father was dead; and the woman must have been a pagan because the Apo-
stle’s references are to the man.

It is possible that some self-opinionated Corinthians were arguing in favor of what
the man was doing; it may be that they were misinterpreting the idea of conver-
sion being a kind of new birth (cf. Jn 3:5), and using this as a pretext for saying
that previous family ties were no longer binding (as some Jewish rabbis taught
converts to Judaism).

The Apostle accepts no excuse for this type of behavior: he stresses the gravity
of the sin and moves quickly and boldly to see that action is taken.

If the incestuous man is guilty of grave sin, also are those Christians who con-
done his behavior. Jesus’ teaching is that one should correct an erring person
(cf. Mt 18:15-17). “Therefore, when in our own life or in that of others we notice
that ‘something is wrong’, something that requires the spiritual and human help
which, as children of God, we can and ought to provide, the prudent thing to do
is to apply the appropriate remedy by going to the root of the trouble, resolutely,
lovingly and sincerely. There is no room here for inhibition, for it is a great mis-
take to think that problems can be solved by omissions or procrastination” (St.
J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 157).

3-5. In addition to giving his personal decision on the case of the incestuous man
(v. 3), St Paul also supplies a solemn formula of excommunication (vv. 4-5). This
contains four key elements: “in the name of the Lord Jesus”, showing that the
Church’s judgment is on a higher than human plane; “with the power of our Lord
Jesus”, showing that the Church’s authority derives from Christ himself: “What-
ever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven” (Mt 18:18; cf. Mt 16:19; 28:28);
“when you are assembled and my spirit is present”: although this is not techni-
cal language — which would be out of place in a letter — it is easy to see here a
reference to collegiality of decisions taken under the hierarchical authority of the
Apostle.

And then the sentence is described: “you are to deliver this man to Satan.” The
erring man should be kept away from the Church, unable to draw on its spiritual
resources and exposed to the hostile power of the devil. “The excommunicated,
because they are outside the Church, lose some of the benefits it contains. There
is an additional danger: the Church’s prayer renders the devil less able to tempt
us; therefore, when someone is excluded from the Church, he can be easily over-
come by him. So it was that in the early Church when someone was excommuni-
cated it was common for him to be physically tormented by the devil” (St Thomas
Aquinas, “Super Symbolum Apostolorum”, 10). However, this punishment is a
temporary one, imposed “that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Je-
sus”, that is, imposed in order to bring him to correct his behavior.

Throughout history the Church has used its power to impose sanctions (even
severe ones such as excommunication) when other means of persuasion have
failed. “If on account of the gravity of the sin [public] punishment be necessary,
they [bishops] must use rigor with meekness, justice with mercy, and severity
with gentleness, so as to maintain without asperity that discipline which is good
and necessary for people, and which leads those who are corrected to mend their
ways; or, if they do not wish to change, so that their punishment may serve as a
salutary warning to others and lead them away from vice” (Council of Trent, “De
Reformatione”, chap. 1).

6. Jesus used the example of leaven in dough to describe the growth of good-
ness (cf. Mt 13:31-33 and par.) and also of evil (cf. Mk 8:15-16 and par.): in both
cases a small amount can produce a very large result. Here St Paul uses the si-
mile to show the Corinthians the harm the incestuous man’s behavior can do to
the whole community through the bad example and scandal he gives and also
through others’ consenting to his sin and not doing what they can to get him to
reform (cf. St Thomas, “Commentary on 1 Cor, ad loc.”).

St Paul draws attention to the gravity of the sin of scandal — “anything said,
done or omitted which leads another to commit sins” (”St Pius X Catechism”,
417): “For, all other sins, no matter how grave they be, do injury only to the per-
son who commits them; but this sin harms those others whom it steers off God’s
path. How can satisfaction be made for this injury, which involves killing a soul
whom Christ has bought with his blood? For if gold is what gold is worth, the
blood of Christ is what cost blood. Whence it follows that, if these people be
condemned, not only will they undergo punishment for their faults but also for
the faults of those whom they led into evil. Therefore, every Christian realizes
how justly Christ spoke when he said (Mt 18:7), “Woe to the world for tempta-
tions to sin” (Fray Luis de Granada, “Sermon on Public Sins”).

7-8. The Apostle is here using examples taken from the Jewish celebration of
the Passover and the Azymes, to draw spiritual lessons for the Corinthians. The
Passover was the principal Jewish feast, and its central rite the eating of the pass-
over lamb. At the passover meal, as also on the seven days following, which were
also feast-days, the eating of leavened bread was forbidden, which was why they
were described as the days of the Azymes (”a-zyme” = without leaven). Thus, in
the Book of Exodus God laid it down that during these days no leaven should be
kept in Jewish homes (cf. Ex 12:15, 19).

Jesus Christ, our Passover, our paschal lamb, “has been sacrificed”. The pas-
chal lamb was a promise and prefigurement of the true Lamb, Jesus Christ (cf.
Jn 1:29), who was the victim of the sacrifice on Calvary, offered on behalf of all
mankind: “He is the true lamb who took away the sins of the world; by dying he
destroyed our death; by rising he restored our life” (”Roman Missal”, first Easter
Preface). The perennial value of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross (cf. Heb 10:
14), renewed every time Mass is said, means that Christians are always celebra-
ting a festival. Therefore, the Apostle concludes, Christians should eliminate from
community life and personal life — the old leaven, which in the context of the fes-
tival symbolizes impurity and sinfulness; and they should always live a genuinely
Christian life, with azymes, the symbol of cleanness and purity, “of sincerity and
truth”.

“The present time is, then, a festival day,’ St John Chrysostom comments, “for
when he says ‘let us celebrate the festival’, Paul does not add: ‘for Passover or
Pentecost is imminent.’ No, he is pointing out that all this life is a festival for
Christians by virtue of the ineffable benefits they have received. Indeed, Christians,
what wonders have you not received from God? For your sakes Jesus Christ has
become man; he has freed you from eternal damnation, to call you to take pos-
session of his kingdom. With this thought in mind, how can you not be in contin-
uous festival right through your life on earth? Poverty, sickness or the persecution
which oppresses us—these should not discourage us: this present life, the Apo-
stle tells us, is a life of rejoicing” (”Hom. on 1 Cor, 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.

[Salvation]

From: Luke 6:6-11

The Cure of a Man with a Withered Hand

---

[6] On another Sabbath, when He (Jesus) entered the synagogue and taught, a
man was there whose right hand was withered. [7] And the scribes and the Pha-
risees watched Him, to see whether He would heal on the Sabbath, so that they
might find an accusation against Him. [8] But He knew their thoughts, and He
said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he
rose and stood there. [9] And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the
Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” [10] And He
looked around on them all, and said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did
so, and his hand was restored. [11] But they were filled with fury and discussed
with one another what they might do to Jesus.

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

10. The Fathers teach us how to discover a deep spiritual meaning in apparently
casual things Jesus says. St. Ambrose, for example, commenting on the phrase
“Stretch out your hand,” says: “This form of medicine is common and general.
Offer it often, in benefit of your neighbor; defend from injury anyone who seems
to be suffering as a result of calumny; stretch your hand out also to the poor man
who asks for your help; stretch it out also to the Lord asking Him to forgive your
sins; that is how you should stretch your hand out, and that is the way to be
cured” (”Expositio Evangelii sec. Lucam, in loc”.).

11. The Pharisees do not want to reply to Jesus’ question and do not know how
to react to the miracle which He goes on to work. It should have converted them,
but their hearts were in darkness and they were full of jealousy and anger. Later
on, these people, who kept quiet in our Lord’s presence, began to discuss Him
among themselves, not with a view to approaching Him again but with the pur-
pose of doing away with Him. In this connection St. Cyril comments: “O Phari-
see, you see Him working wonders and healing the sick by using a higher power,
yet out of envy you plot His death” (”Commentarium in Lucam, in 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.

[Salvation]

KEYWORDS: catholic; lk6; ordinarytime; prayer; saints;

[Salvation]

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

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

---

First reading

1 Corinthians 5:1-8 ©

I have been told as an undoubted fact that one of you is living with his father’s wife. This is a case of sexual immorality among you that must be unparalleled even among pagans. How can you be so proud of yourselves? You should be in mourning. A man who does a thing like that ought to have been expelled from the community. Though I am far away in body, I am with you in spirit, and have already condemned the man who did this thing as if I were actually present. When you are assembled together in the name of the Lord Jesus, and I am spiritually present with you, then with the power of our Lord Jesus he is to be handed over to Satan so that his sensual body may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

  The pride that you take in yourselves is hardly to your credit. You must know how even a small amount of yeast is enough to leaven all the dough, so get rid of all the old yeast, and make yourselves into a completely new batch of bread, unleavened as you are meant to be. Christ, our passover, has been sacrificed; let us celebrate the feast, then, by getting rid of all the old yeast of evil and wickedness, having only the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

---

Responsorial Psalm	Psalm 5:5-7,12 ©

Lead me, Lord, in your justice.

You are no God who loves evil;

  no sinner is your guest.

The boastful shall not stand their ground

  before your face.

Lead me, Lord, in your justice.

You hate all who do evil;

  you destroy all who lie.

The deceitful and bloodthirsty man

  the Lord detests.

Lead me, Lord, in your justice.

All those you protect shall be glad

  and ring out their joy.

You shelter them; in you they rejoice,

  those who love your name.

Lead me, Lord, in your justice.

---

Gospel Acclamation	Ps118:105

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your word is a lamp for my steps

and a light for my path.

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	Luke 6:6-11 ©

On the sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching him to see if he would cure a man on the sabbath, hoping to find something to use against him. But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Stand up! Come out into the middle.’ And he came out and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, ‘I put it to you: is it against the law on the sabbath to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy it?’ Then he looked round at them all and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He did so, and his hand was better. But they were furious, and began to discuss the best way of dealing with Jesus.

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Pray for Pope Francis.

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It's time to kneel down and pray for our nation (Sacramental Marriage)

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Perpetual Novena for the Nation (Ecumenical)

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Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)

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

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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

[Salvation]

 

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.

[Salvation]

Fatherhood and Mercy
Jubilee of Mercy: A Final Gift, Prophecies, End Times
Sharing God's Mercy with Our Children
Mercy Heals Fear to Trust
Jubilee of Mercy, But With the Confessionals Empty
If You Don't Know the Bad News, the Good News is No News -- A Meditation on the Coming Year of Mercy
Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis According to which an Indulgence is Granted...[Catholic Caucus]
POPE FRANCIS FOR YEAR OF MERCY GRANTS THAT SSPX PRIESTS CAN VALIDLY ABSOLVE!
MISERICORDIAE VULTUS: BULL OF INDICTION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCY
Pope: Church Must Be 'Oasis of Mercy,' Not Severe Fortress

[Salvation]

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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Our Blessed Lady's Sorrows

Sea of Sorrow

Oh! on what a sea of sorrow
Was the Virgin-Mother cast,
When her eyes with tears o'erflowing
Gazed upon her Son aghast,
From the bloodstained gibbet taken,
Dying in her arms at last.

In her bitter desolation,
His sweet mouth, His bosom too,
Then His riven side beloved,
Then each hand, both wounded through,
Then His feet, with blood encrimsoned,
Her maternal tears bedew.

She, a hundred times and over,
Strains Him closely to her breast
Heart to Heart, arms arms enfolding,
Are His wounds on her impressed:
Thus, in sorrow's very kisses,
Melts her anguished soul to rest.

Oh, dear Mother! we beseech thee,
By the tears thine eyes have shed,
By the cruel death of Jesus
And His wounds' right royal red,
Make our hearts o'erflow with sorrow
From thy heart's deep fountainhead.

To the Father, Son, and Spirit,
Now we bend on equal knee:
Glory, sempiternal glory,
To the Most High Trinity;
Yea! perpetual praise and honor
Now and through all ages be.

Novena Prayer To Our Sorrowful Mother

Most Blessed and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who didst stand generously beneath the cross, beholding the agony of thy dying Son; by the sword of sorrow which then pierced thy soul, by the sufferings of thy sorrowful life, by the unutterable joy which now more than repays thee for them; look down with a mother's pity and tenderness, as I kneel before thee to compassionate thy sorrows, and to lay my petition with childlike confidence in thy wounded heart. I beg of thee, O my Mother, to plead continually for me with thy Son, since He can refuse thee nothing, and through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with thy own sufferings at the foot of the cross, so to touch His Sacred Heart, that I may obtain my request,
For to whom shall I fly in my wants and miseries, if not to thee, O Mother of mercy, who, having so deeply drunk the chalice of thy Son, canst most pity us poor exiles, still doomed to sigh in this vale of tears? Offer to Jesus but one drop of His Precious Blood, but one pang of His adorable Heart; remind Him that thou art our life, our sweetness, and our hope, and thou wilt obtain what I ask, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hail Mary
Virgin Most Sorrowful, pray for us
(Seven times each)

Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy Heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please Our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that: every thought of my mind and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy Divine Son, Jesus; keep me in His grace and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in Heaven and sing thy glories.

Most holy Virgin and Mother, whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the Passion of thy Divine Son, and who in His glorious Resurrection wast filled with never ending joy at His triumph, obtain for us who call upon thee, so to be partakers in the adversities of Holy Church and the Sorrows of the Sovereign Pontiff, as to be found worthy to rejoice with them in the consolations for which we pray, in the charity and peace of the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Litany of the Seven Sorrows

For private use only.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary,
Pray for us.
Holy Mother of God,
Pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, etc.
Mother crucified,
Mother sorrowful,
Mother tearful,
Mother afflicted,
Mother forsaken,
Mother desolate,
Mother bereft of thy Child,
Mother transfixed with the sword,
Mother consumed with grief,
Mother filled with anguish,
Mother crucified in heart,
Mother most sad,
Fountain of tears,
Abyss of suffering,
Mirror of patience,
Rock of constancy,
Anchor of confidence,
Refuge of the forsaken,
Shield of the oppressed,
Subduer of the unbelieving,
Comfort of the afflicted,
Medicine of the sick,
Strength of the weak,
Harbor of the wrecked,
Allayer of tempests,
Resource of mourners,
Terror of the treacherous,
Treasure of the faithful,
Eye of the Prophets,
Staff of the Apostles,
Crown of Martyrs,
Light of confessors,
Pearl of virgins,
Consolation of widows,
Joy of all Saints,

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

Look down upon us, deliver us, and save us from all trouble,
in the power of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Let Us Pray.
Imprint, O Lady, thy wounds upon my heart, that I may read therein sorrow and love
--- sorrow to endure every sorrow for thee, love to despise every love for thee. Amen.

Conclude with the Apostles Creed, Hail Holy Queen, and three Hail Marys,
in honor of the Most Holy Heart of Mary.

Stabat Mater Dolorosa

Stabat mater dolorosa
iuxta Crucem lacrimosa,
dum pendebat Filius.

Cuius animam gementem,
contristatam et dolentem
pertransivit gladius.

O quam tristis et afflicta
fuit illa benedicta,
mater Unigeniti!

Quae maerebat et dolebat,
pia Mater, dum videbat
nati poenas inclyti.

Quis est homo qui non fleret,
matrem Christi si videret
in tanto supplicio?

Quis non posset contristari
Christi Matrem contemplari
dolentem cum Filio?

Pro peccatis suae gentis
vidit Iesum in tormentis,
et flagellis subditum.

Vidit suum dulcem Natum
moriendo desolatum,
dum emisit spiritum.

Eia, Mater, fons amoris
me sentire vim doloris
fac, ut tecum lugeam.

Fac, ut ardeat cor meum
in amando Christum Deum
ut sibi complaceam.

Sancta Mater, istud agas,
crucifixi fige plagas
cordi meo valide.

Tui Nati vulnerati,
tam dignati pro me pati,
poenas mecum divide.

Fac me tecum pie flere,
crucifixo condolere,
donec ego vixero.

Iuxta Crucem tecum stare,
et me tibi sociare
in planctu desidero.

Virgo virginum praeclara,
mihi iam non sis amara,
fac me tecum plangere.

Fac, ut portem Christi mortem,
passionis fac consortem,
et plagas recolere.

Fac me plagis vulnerari,
fac me Cruce inebriari,
et cruore Filii.

Flammis ne urar succensus,
per te, Virgo, sim defensus
in die iudicii.

Christe, cum sit hinc exire,
da per Matrem me venire
ad palmam victoriae.

Quando corpus morietur,
fac, ut animae donetur
paradisi gloria. Amen.

Prayer To Our Lady of Sorrows, by St. Bridget

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of God, who didst endure a martyrdom of love and grief beholding the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus! Thou didst cooperate in the benefit of my redemption by thine innumerable afflictions and by offering to the Eternal Father His only begotten Son as a holocaust and victim of propitiation for my sins. I thank thee for the unspeakable love which led thee to deprive thyself of the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus, true God and true Man, to save me, a sinner. Oh, make use of the unfailing intercession of thy sorrows with the Father and the Son, that I may steadfastly amend my life and never again crucify my loving Redeemer by new sins, and that, persevering till death in His grace. I may obtain eternal life through the merits of His Cross and Passion. Amen.

Mother of love, of sorrow and of mercy, pray for us.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori's Prayer To The Mother Of Sorrows

O, my Blessed Mother, it is not one sword only with which I have pierced thy heart, but I have done so with as many as are the sins which I have committed. O, Lady, it is not to thee, who art innocent, that sufferings are due, but to me, who am guilty of so many crimes. But since thou hast been pleased to suffer so much for me, by thy merits, obtain me great sorrow for my sins, and patience under the trials of this life, which will always be light in comparison with my demerits; for I have often deserved Hell.
Amen.

 

Stabet Mater Dolorosa (catholic/orthodox caucus)
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] Spirituality: Our Lady of Sorrows
The Seven Swords Rosary Of Our Lady Of Sorrows [Catholic Caucus] Prayer and Meditation
The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows [Catholic Caucus] Prayer/Devotion
Our Lady of Sorrows, part I: "Her Martyrdom was longer and greater than that of all the martyrs"

Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With: The 7 Sorrows (Dolours) and 7 Joys of Our Lady
The Seven Dolors (Sorrows) of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Devotional]
Apparition in Africa: Our Lady of Sorrows [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary [Catholic Caucus Devotional]
Feast of Our Lady/Mother of Sorrows
Homilies on Our Lady of Sorrows
Starkenburg:Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Sorrows Shrine
Our Mother of Sorrows
ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, OF THE DOLOURS OF MARY, The Glories [Sorrows] of Mary
Our Lady of Sorrows - Sep 15

[Salvation]

September 2016

Pope's Intentions

Universal: That opportunities for education and employment may increase for all young people.

Evangelization: That catechists may give witness by living in a way consistent with the faith they proclaim.

[Salvation]

Daily Gospel Commentary

Monday of the Twenty-third week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint Aelred of Rielvaux (1110-1167), Cistercian monk
The Mirror of Charity, III, 3-6

Enter into true Sabbath peace

When a man, breaking off from all exterior commotion, has recollected himself in the secret of his heart so as to shut his door on the noisy crowd of vanities…; when there is nothing more in him of restlessness or disorder, nothing that tears at him, nothing that racks him…, this is the happy celebration of a first Sabbath. But one can leave this interior chamber for the inn of one’s heart… to enter into the joyful and peaceful rest of the sweetness of fraternal love…

Once it has been purified by these two forms of love [that of self and of one’s neighbour], the soul yearns all the more ardently, insofar as it is the more certain, for the joys of the divine embrace. Afire with great longing it passes beyond the veil of the flesh and, entering into the sanctuary (Heb 10,20), where Christ Jesus is spirit before its face, it is wholly absorbed by an inexpressible light and unaccustomed sweetness. Silence having fallen with regard to all that is material, sensible, changing, it gazes unswervingly on That which Is, That which is always the same, identical to itself, That which is One. Set free to understand that the Lord himself is God (Ps 45,11), without question it celebrates here the Sabbath of all Sabbaths in the sweet embrace of Charity itself.