'Do nothing, say nothing before considering if that which you are about to say or do is pleasing to God, profitable to yourself, and edifying to your neighbor.'

St. Ignatius of Loyola

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).

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 6
43.	For there is no good tree that bringeth forth evil fruit; nor an evil tree that bringeth forth good fruit.	Non est enim arbor bona, quæ facit fructus malos : neque arbor mala, faciens fructum bonum.	ου γαρ εστιν δενδρον καλον ποιουν καρπον σαπρον ουδε δενδρον σαπρον ποιουν καρπον καλον
44.	For every tree is known by its fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns; nor from a bramble bush do they gather the grape.	Unaquæque enim arbor de fructu suo cognoscitur. Neque enim de spinis colligunt ficus : neque de rubo vindemiant uvam.	εκαστον γαρ δενδρον εκ του ιδιου καρπου γινωσκεται ου γαρ εξ ακανθων συλλεγουσιν συκα ουδε εκ βατου τρυγωσιν σταφυλην
45.	A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.	Bonus homo de bono thesauro cordis sui profert bonum : et malus homo de malo thesauro profert malum. Ex abundantia enim cordis os loquitur.	ο αγαθος ανθρωπος εκ του αγαθου θησαυρου της καρδιας αυτου προφερει το αγαθον και ο πονηρος ανθρωπος εκ του πονηρου θησαυρου της καρδιας αυτου προφερει το πονηρον εκ γαρ του περισσευματος της καρδιας λαλει το στομα αυτου
46.	And why call you me, Lord, Lord; and do not the things which I say?	Quid autem vocatis me Domine, Domine : et non facitis quæ dico ?	τι δε με καλειτε κυριε κυριε και ου ποιειτε α λεγω
47.	Every one that cometh to me, and heareth my words, and doth them, I will shew you to whom he is like.	Omnis qui venit ad me, et audit sermones meos, et facit eos, ostendam vobis cui similis sit :	πας ο ερχομενος προς με και ακουων μου των λογων και ποιων αυτους υποδειξω υμιν τινι εστιν ομοιος
48.	He is like to a man building a house, who digged deep, and laid the foundation upon a rock. And when a flood came, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and it could not shake it; for it was founded on a rock.	similis est homini ædificanti domum, qui fodit in altum, et posuit fundamentum super petram : inundatione autem facta, illisum est flumen domui illi, et non potuit eam movere : fundata enim erat super petram.	ομοιος εστιν ανθρωπω οικοδομουντι οικιαν ος εσκαψεν και εβαθυνεν και εθηκεν θεμελιον επι την πετραν πλημμυρας δε γενομενης προσερρηξεν ο ποταμος τη οικια εκεινη και ουκ ισχυσεν σαλευσαι αυτην τεθεμελιωτο γαρ επι την πετραν
49.	But he that heareth, and doth not, is like to a man building his house upon the earth without a foundation: against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.	Qui autem audit, et non facit, similis est homini ædificanti domum suam super terram sine fundamento : in quam illisus est fluvius, et continuo cecidit : et facta est ruina domus illius magna.	ο δε ακουσας και μη ποιησας ομοιος εστιν ανθρωπω οικοδομησαντι οικιαν επι την γην χωρις θεμελιου η προσερρηξεν ο ποταμος και ευθεως επεσεν και εγενετο το ρηγμα της οικιας εκεινης μεγα

43. For a good tree brings not forth corrupt fruit; neither does a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

THEOPHYL; Our Lord continues the words which He had begun against the hypocrites, saying, For a good tree brings not forth corrupt fruit; i.e. as if He says, If you would have a true and unfeigned righteousness, what you set forth in words make up also in works, for the hypocrite though he pretends to be good is not good, who does evil works; and the innocent though he be blamed, is not therefore evil, who does good works.

TITUS BOS. But take not these words to thyself as an encouragement to idleness, for the tree is moved conformably to its nature but you have the exercise of free will; and every barren tree has been ordained for some good, but you were created to the good work of virtue.

ISIDORE PELEUS; He does not then exclude repentance, but a continuance in evil, which as long as it is evil cannot bring forth good fruit, but being converted to virtue, will yield abundance. But what nature is to the tree, our affections are to us. If then a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit, how shall a corrupt heart?

CHRYS. But although the fruit is caused by the tree, yet, it brings to us the knowledge of the tree, because the distinctive nature of the tree is made evident by the fruit, as it follows, For every tree is know by its fruit.

CYRIL; Each man's life also will be a criterion of his character. For not by extrinsic ornaments and pretended humility is the beauty of true happiness discovered, but by those things which a man does; of which he gives an illustration, adding, For of thorns men do not gather figs.

AMBROSE; On the thorns of this world the fig cannot be found, which as being better in its second fruit, is well fitted to be a similitude of the resurrection. Either because, as you read, The fig trees have put forth their green figs, that is, the unripe and worthless fruit came first in the Synagogue. Or because our life is imperfect in the flesh, perfect in the resurrection, and therefore we ought to cast far from us worldly cares, which eat into the mind and scorch up the soul, that by diligent culture we may obtain the perfect fruits. This therefore has reference to the world and the resurrection, the next to the soul and the body, as it follows, Nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. Either because no one living in sin obtains fruit to his soul, which like the grape nearest the ground is rotten, on the higher branches becomes ripe. Or because no one can escape the condemnations of the flesh, but he whom Christ has redeemed, Who as a grape hung on the tree.

THEOPHYL; Or, I think the thorns and bramble are the cares of the world and the prickings of sin, but the figs and the grapes are the sweetness of a new life and the warmth of love, but the fig is not gathered from the thorns nor the grape from the bramble, because the mind still debased by the habits of the old man may pretend to, but cannot bring forth the fruits of the new man. But we must know, that as the fruitful palm tree is enclosed and supported by a hedge, and the thorn bearing fruit not its own, preserves it for the use of man, so the words and acts of the wicked wherein they serve the good are not done by the wicked themselves, but by the wisdom of God working upon them.

CYRIL; But having shown that the good and the bad man may be discerned by their works as a tree by its fruits, he now sets forth the same thing by another figure, saying, A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth that which is evil.

THEOPHYL; The treasure of the heart is the same as the root of the tree. He therefore who has in his heart the treasure of patience and perfect love, brings forth the best fruits, loving his enemy, and doing the other things which have been taught above. But he who keeps a bad treasure in his heart does the contrary to this.

BASIL; The quality of the words shows the heart from which they proceed, plainly manifesting the inclination of our thoughts. Hence it follows, For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

CHRYS. For it is a natural consequence when wickedness abounds within, that wicked words are breathed as far as the mouth; and therefore when you hear of a man uttering abominable things, do not suppose that there lies only so much wickedness in him as is expressed in his words, but believe the fountain to be more copious than the stream.

THEOPHYL; By the speaking of the mouth the Lord signifies all things, which by word, or deed, or thought, we bring forth from the heart. For it is the manner of the Scripture to put words for deeds.

46. And why call you me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47. Whosoever comes to me, and hears my sayings, and does them, I will show you to whom he is like:
48. He is like a man which built a house, and dug deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49. But he that hears, and does not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth: against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

THEOPHYL; Lest any one should vainly flatter himself with the words, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, as if words only and not rather works were required of a Christian, our Lord adds the following, But why call you me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? As if He said, Why do you boast of sending forth the leaves of a right confession, and show forth no fruit of good works.

CYRIL; But Lordship both in name and reality belongs only to the Highest Nature.

ATHAN. This is not then the word of man, but the Word of God, manifesting His own birth from the Father, for He is the Lord Who is born of the Lord alone. But fear not the duality of Persons, for they are not separate in nature.

CYRIL; But the advantage which arises from the keeping of the commandments, or the loss from disobedience, he shows as follows; Whosoever comes to me, and hears my sayings, he is like to a man who built his house upon a rock, &c.

THEOPHYL; The rock is Christ. He digs deep; by the precepts of humility He plucks out all earthly things from the hearts of the faithful, lest they should serve God from regard to their temporal good.

BASIL; But lay your foundations upon , a rock, that is, lean upon the faith of Christ, so as to persevere immovable in adversity, whether it come from man or God.

THEOPHYL; Or the foundation of the house is the resolution to live a good life, which the perfect hearer firmly lays in fulfilling the commandments of God.

AMBROSE; Or, He teaches that the obedience to heavenly precepts is the foundation of all virtue, by means of which this our house can be moved neither by the torrent of pleasures, nor by the violence of spiritual wickedness, neither by the storms of this world, nor by the cloudy disputations of heretics; hence it follows, But the flood came, &c.

THEOPHYL; A flood comes in three ways, either by unclean spirits, or wicked men, or the very restlessness of mind or body; and as far as men trust in their own strength they fall away, but as long as they cling to the immovable rock they cannot even be shaken.

CHRYS. The Lord also shows us that faith profits a man nothing, if his manner of life be corrupt. Hence it follows, But he that hears and does not, is like a man, that without a foundation built an house upon the earth, &c.

THEOPHYL; The house of the devil is the world which lies in wickedness, which he builds upon the earth, because those who obey him he drags down from heaven to earth; he builds without foundation, for sin has no foundation, standing not by its own nature, for evil is without substance, which yet whatever it is, grows up in the nature of good. But because the foundation is called so from fundus, we may not unfitly understand that fundamentum is placed here for fundus. As then he who is fallen into a well is kept at the bottom of the well, so the soul falling away remains stationary, as it were, at the very bottom, as long as it continues in any measure of sin. But not content with the sin into which it is fallen, while daily sinking into worse, it can find no bottom, as it were, in the well to which it may fix itself. But every kind of temptation increasing, both the really bad and the feignedly good become worse, until at last they come to everlasting punishment Hence it follows, Against which the stream did beat vehemently. By the force of the stream may be understood the trial of the last judgment, when both houses being finished, the wicked shall go into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal.

CYRIL; Or they build upon the earth without foundation, who upon the quicksand of doubt, which relates to opinion, lay the foundation of their spiritual building, which a few drops of temptation wash away.

AUG. Now this long discourse of our Lord, Luke begins in the same way as Matthew; for each says, Blessed are the poor. Then many things which follow in the narration of each are like, and finally the conclusion of the discourse is found to be altogether the same, I mean with respect to the men who build upon the rock and the sand. It might then easily be supposed that Luke has inserted the same discourse of our Lord, and yet has left out some sentences which Matthew has kept, and likewise put in others which Matthew has not; were it not that Matthew says the discourse was spoken by our Lord on the mountain, but Luke on the plain by our Lord standing. It is not however thought likely from this that these two discourses are separated by a long course of time, because both before and after both have related some things like or the same. It may however have happened that our Lord was at first on a higher part of the mountain with His disciples alone, and that then he descended with them from the mount, that is, from the summit of the mountain to the flat place, that is, to some level ground, which was on the side of the mountain, and was able to hold large multitudes, and that there He stood until the crowds were gathered together to Him, and afterwards when He sat down His disciples came nearer, and to them, and the rest of the multitude who were present, He held the same discourse.

Catena Aurea Luke 6

San Antimo
Cistercian Abbey Church

Tuscany, Italy

Information: St. Nicholas of Tolentino

Feast Day: September 10

Born: 1246 AD

Died: 1305 AD

Canonized: 5 June (Pentecost) 1446 by Pope Eugene IV

Patron of: animals; babies; boatmen; dying people; mariners; sailors; sick animals; souls in purgatory; watermen

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Nicholas of Tolentino

Feast Day: September 10
Born: 1245 / Died: 1305

Nicholas was born in Ancona, Italy after his parents had waited a long time for a child. Nicholas was the answer to prayer and a pilgrimage they made to the shrine of St. Nicholas of Bari. His parents were so grateful to the saint that they named their baby after him.

When Nicholas grew up, he wanted to become a priest. He prayed a lot and wanted to live close to God. Friends of his family wanted him to be a priest in a rich parish where Nicholas would be promoted.

Nicholas didn't say anything, but quietly prayed to God for direction. One day he slipped into a church where Father Reginald, a fervent Augustinian priest was giving a sermon. He said: "Don't love the world or the things of this world because this world is passing away."

These words went deep into Nicholas' heart and he realized how God had used that preacher to touch his own life. He knew now the importance of preaching God's Word.

He decided to join the Augustinian Friars when he was just eighteen years old and Father Reginald became his novice master. Then he began his studies for the priesthood and became a priest around 1270.

Father Nicholas spread God's word with love in many parishes. Then while praying in church one day, he seemed to hear a voice saying: "To Tolentino, to Tolentino. Stay there." Soon afterward, he was sent to the town of Tolentino.

He spent the remaining thirty years of his life there. There was great political trouble in those times and many people did not come to church to hear the Word and to worship the Lord.

The friars of St. Augustine decided that street-preaching was necessary. St. Nicholas willingly preached in gathering places where people listened and many repented of their sins and lack of caring and began to lead better lives.

Father Nicholas spent hours in the slum areas of Tolentino. He visited the lonely, brought the sacraments to the sick and dying. He took care of the needs of children and visited prisoners.

Miracles were reported while St. Nicholas was still alive. He touched a diseased child and said, "May the good God make you well," and the child was cured. St. Nicholas of Tolentino was sick for about a year before he died on September 10, 1305.

Saturday

September 10, 2016

Most Loving Friends

“Acquire the habit of speaking to God as if you were alone with Him, familiarly and with confidence and love, as to the dearest and most loving of friends.” – St. Alphonsus Ligouri

Year of Mercy Calendar for Today: “Renew your baptismal promises today by taking advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.”

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Saturday, September 10

Liturgical Color: Green

St. Nicholas of Tolentino, priest,
died on this day in 1305. He
received visions of Purgatory
causing him to fast and pray
often for the Holy Souls. Even
though troubled by disease in old
age, he maintained his fasts until
his death.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: September 10th

Saturday of the Twenty-Third Week of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

September 10, 2016 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, by whom we are redeemed and receive adoption, look graciously upon your beloved sons and daughters, that those who believe in Christ may receive true freedom and an everlasting inheritance. 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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He Raised 100 Children from the Dead | Lucy Gordan

Old Calendar: St. Nicholas of Tolentino, confessor; St. Pulcheria (Hist)

St. Nicholas of Tolentino, a native of Sant' Angelo, in the diocese of Fermo, was born about the year 1245. As a young man, but already endowed with a canon's stall, he was one day greatly affected by a sermon preached by a Hermit of St. Augustine and decided to enter this newly-founded Order. At first he lived at the hermitage of Pesaro and then at Tolentino where he died in 1305. His whole life was remarkable for its great austerity which was inspired by his great love of the cross. According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is his feast.

Historically today is the feast of St. Pulcheria, daughter of the Byzantine emperor Arcadius (395-408), was coregent and adviser of her brother Theodosius the Younger (408-450). Throughout her life she defended the Faith against various heresies. After giving away her wealth to the poor and to the Church, she died peacefully at the age of fifty-four in the year 453.

St. Nicholas of Tolentino
This Nicholas was born in answer to his mother's prayers. Childless and in middle age, she had made a pilgrimage with her husband to the shrine of St. Nicholas of Bari to ask for a son whom she promised to dedicate to God's service. When her wish was granted, she named the boy Nicholas and he soon gave unusual signs of saintliness. Already at seven he would hide away in a nearby cave and pray there like the hermits whom he had observed in the mountains.

As soon as he was old enough he was received into the Order of Augustinian friars. On account of his kind and gentle manner his superiors entrusted him with the daily feeding of the poor at the monastery gates, but at times he was so free with the friary's provisions that the procurator begged the superior to check his generosity. He was ordained in 1271 and said his first Mass with exceptional fervor; thereafter, whenever he celebrated the holy Mystery he seemed aglow with the fire of his love. His preaching, instructions and work in the confessional brought about numerous conversions, and his many miracles were responsible for more, yet he was careful not to take any credit for these miracles. "Say nothing of this," he would insist, "give thanks to God, not to me. I am only a vessel of clay, a poor sinner."

He spent the last thirty years of his life in Tolentino, where the Guelfs and the Ghibellines were in constant strife. Nicholas saw only one remedy to the violence: street preaching, and the success of this apostolic work was astounding. "He spoke of the things of heaven," says his biographer St. Antonine. "Sweetly he preached the divine word, and the words that came from his lips fell like flames of fire. Among his hearers could be seen the tears and heard the sighs of people detesting their sins and repenting of their past lives."

During the last years of his life St. Nicholas was bedridden and suffered grievously. He died surrounded by his community. In 1345 a lay Brother cut off the arms of his body intending to take them to Germany as relics, and the friars then hid his body to prevent further attempts of this kind. It has not been found to this day, but the arms have been preserved. It is recorded that they have bled on several occasions, usually, it is said, before some calamity that befell the Church or the world.

Excerpted from A Saint A Day by Berchman's Bittle, O.F.M. Cap.

Patron: Lost souls; mariners; infants; animals; dying people; souls in purgatory.

Symbols: Crucifix and wreath of lilies; flaming star; doves and dish; partridge; fountain; basket with bread rolls; bread; lily; man in black Augustinian habit holding one of the symbols; star above Augustinian; Augustinian with star on breast.

Things to Do:

A single phrase from a sermon effected St. Nicholas' conversion and made him a saint. An excellent example of the power of God's word! Christ once said, "Not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." In other terms: Bread nourishes one's physical life, the word of God nourishes one's supernatural life. Recall the parable of the sower about the seed that fell on good ground and produced abundant returns-a parable explained by Jesus Himself. The seed is the word of God. This point is particularly important. The word of God is seed containing limitless vitality. It does not yet live, but requires the good earth to burst into life, to become a living, growing plant. Spend some time today meditating on the words of the Gospel and praying that God will bring similar fruit from your life and make you a saint.
Read another account of St. Nicholas' life here.
St. Nicholas had a great love for the Holy Souls. He would offer Mass, pray and do penance for them so they could more quickly enter Heaven. Why not offer up a Mass or pray the Rosary today.
The Convento di San Nicola located in the center of the beautiful town of Tolentino is a very popular place of pilgrimage. It has one of the most important fresco cycles of the 1300s, painted by the Master of Tolentino. There are also many excellent paintings in the elegant baroque basilica, a memorable cloister, the cell where St. Nicholas of Tolentino lived, and an interesting museum containing some fine ceramics. St. Nicholas is buried in the crypt. If you read Italian or if you just like to look at photographs you might find this site about the Basilica of St. Nicholas interesting.

St. Pulcheria
“Thanks to you, the scandals stimulated by the evil spirit were suppressed. Thanks to your efforts, the whole earth today is united in the confession of the same Faith.”

With these words, Pope St. Leo the Great paid tribute to Empress Pulcheria (399-453), grand-daughter of Theodosius. She was baptized by St. John Chrysostom in Constantinople and while still very young, she made a vow of virginity along with her two younger sisters.

Six years after her father, Arcadius, died, the Senate proclaimed her Augusta (empress), and named her regent of her younger brother Theodosius II. Pulcheria was 15 years old when she assumed the full responsibility of government. It is rare in History to find so much prudence joined with such great precocity.

At age 20, Theodosius married Athenais, daughter of a pagan philosopher of Athens. His wife, who received the name Eudoxia when she was baptized, sought to weaken Pulcheria’s influence over the Emperor. Eudoxia ended by persecuting her sister-in-law and favoring the heresy of Nestorius, while St. Pulcheria supported St. Cyril of Alexandria against the heretic. Pulcheria was removed from power and withdrew from the court.

In 441 Eudoxia was exiled because of her infidelity to the Emperor, and Pulcheria returned. Theodosius was supporting the heresy of the monk Eutyches, but Pulcheria convinced him to withdraw it and follow St. Leo the Great.

In 450 Theodosius died. Pulcheria was again proclaimed Empress. One year later the Council of Chalcedon (451) - she assisted at its third session - condemned Monophysism, the heresy of Eutyches. In a letter to the Empress Pulcheria, St. Leo credited her with overcoming the heresies of Nestorius and Euthyches.

On her return from exile, she found the Empire threatened by Attila. She agreed to marry General Marcian to maintain the stability of the Empire on the condition that he respect her vow of virginity. Together they governed the Empire. Marcian persecuted the Nestorians and followers of Eutyches, recalled the Catholic Bishops who had been exiled by Theodosius, and kept Attila outside the boundaries of the Empire. St. Pulcheria died in 453 at age 54.

Excerpted from Tradition in Action

Things to Do:

Read this accout of St. Pulcheria's life in Butler's Lives of the Saints. For the historian here's The Life and Times of the Empress St. Pulcheria.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 6:43-49

Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Every tree is known by its own fruit. (Luke 6:44)

“Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are.” This old adage has much gospel truth within it. In fact, today’s reading about fruit reflecting the kind of tree it comes from says something very similar. How and where you are rooted show the way you will grow and determine the kind and quality of fruit you will bear. We get a certain degree of support and nourishment from our friends and associates and thus reflect their influence. Where you turn for information upon which to base decisions says something about your approach to life.

Going a step further, we can apply this to family life. More than anyone else, parents are the initial and most influential source of development and formation for their children. The home is the “soil” where they will take root—the soil that will probably have the most significant impact on the kind of fruit the children will bear.

It stands to reason, then, that parents who are rooted in Christ will bear the fruit of children who are secure in who they are and who are open to the Lord. So the question is “How am I doing in giving my children the proper grounding in the Lord?”

The answer doesn’t have to be grandiose. Sometimes, the smallest things make the biggest impact. Let your children see you praying. Every now and then, share something you think God has said to you in prayer. By your own acts of mercy, show them how forgiveness brings life and healing. Even something as minor as saying “I forgive you” instead of “That’s okay” can make a big difference.

Remember, your goal is to help your children find their security and nourishment in the Lord. That happens as you provide the right kind of environment. Then, when their world expands beyond the family, children will look for sources that will continue to nourish the growth you have started. They may try some other paths, but they will always know what is truly capable of producing the wholeness and peace they long for. Be assured, your efforts at forming and evangelizing your children will be with them wherever they go.

“Father, I trust that you will help me to shine the light of your good news in my home.”

1 Corinthians 10:14-22
Psalm 116:12-13, 17-18

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

Daily Marriage Tip for September 10, 2016:

Pope Francis calls “I’m sorry” one of the magic words of marriage. Be quick to offer these healing words when you harm your spouse or children, no matter how small the offense.

Regnum Christi

September 10, 2016 – Know the Tree by Its Fruits

10 Sep 2016

Saturday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 6:43-49

Jesus said to his disciples: “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thorn bushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord, here I am again spending time in prayer. I am going to meditate on your word. I do not want to be one of those people who cries out “Lord, Lord” but never does what you say. You know too well how weak I am, how many times I have trusted in my own strength and left you to one side. I come to you today in humility to ask for your light and your grace.

Petition: Lord, help me to build my life on a firm foundation.

1. Good Fruit from a Good Tree: How will we know what lies deep down in our souls? We will know from the kind of fruit we produce. If our lives are examples of charity, faith, patience and honesty, we know that our soul is healthy and strong. If our lives are examples of anger, envy, lust, selfishness or laziness, then we know that there is a weak and sickly soul inside. If we want to change, we cannot simply try to change the appearances – to put on a nice face or pretend to be a good person. Sooner or later the mask will fall, because it is only hiding something rotten inside. We must change from within, go deep down to the root of our defects, heal our soul in the sacrament of penance, and work to build a life of virtue from the very foundation.

2. False Security: When the sun is shining and all is calm, a house built on a weak foundation seems very strong and sturdy. It is hard to believe that it will not withstand the force of rain, wind and floods. We sometimes have a false security in our lives when all is going well. When there are no big temptations, when the trials and difficulties of life are small and easily overcome, we can convince ourselves that we are on solid ground. We can be lulled into thinking that our spiritual life is strong and that we will never fall into sin as we have in the past. We must be careful and very objective because this may be a false security.

3. The Test: The true test of the foundation comes when the rain starts, the wind blows and the floodwaters rise. The test of our spiritual lives comes with temptations, difficulties, disappointments and trials. If we have built our spiritual lives on a firm foundation of virtue, self-denial and union with God, it does not matter how hard the floods come down against us: We will stand firm. We must keep in mind that in the moment of the flood we will not be able to go out to fix the foundation. It will be too late. We must work on building a strong foundation while the sun is shining so we will be ready for the test. We must act on the words of Christ now, in this moment, while there still is time.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, do not let me be lulled into a false sense of security just because my life is not so difficult in this moment. I want to be ready for the test. I want to be ready when the floods come. Help me to work today to strengthen the foundation of my spiritual life. Help me to grow in virtue.

Resolution: I will concentrate today on practicing one virtue that I know I need to work on.

Pope Francis calls “I’m sorry” one of the magic words of marriage.

Would that apology be addressed to the first spouse or the second spouse in francischurch?

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 32, Issue 5

<< Saturday, September 10, 2016 >>

1 Corinthians 10:14-22
View Readings

Psalm 116:12-13, 17-18

Luke 6:43-49
Similar Reflections

HEART-BURN

"Each man speaks from his heart's abundance." —Luke 6:45

The next time you encounter someone who is in love, pay close attention to what they say. What do they talk about? They talk incessantly about the person they love. He tells all his friends about how wonderful she is. She says that he's always on her heart. They are speaking from their heart's abundance (Lk 6:45), and their hearts are abundantly full of love for each other.

Now, think about what you say. How often do you speak of Jesus? Is He on your heart much? Do you speak about your favorite movie star or sports team more than you speak of Jesus? That tips you off about what's really in your heart.

If your heart is full of fear, ask God for a deeper love for Him, for "perfect love casts out all fear" (1 Jn 4:18). If your heart is full of the things of the world, ask Jesus to purify your heart so you will have room for Him (see Jn 2:15ff; Mal 3:3). If your heart is hard and closed to Jesus, commit to read His Word often and hear His voice through the Scriptures (Heb 3:7-8).

Keep your hearts full of Jesus by frequently receiving His eucharistic body and His Word at Mass. Then your heart will burn with love for Him (Lk 24:32). "My prayer is that your love [for Jesus] may more and more abound" (Phil 1:9), and that you know and experience the overflowing love He has for you (Eph 3:19). Then Jesus will be your Love (1 Jn 4:8), Life (Jn 14:6), and Joy. When your heart is full of Jesus, you won't be able to help speaking of Jesus (see Acts 4:20). You'll love to talk about Him.

Prayer: Jesus, You came to give me abundant life (Jn 10:10). May I give You an abundant harvest (Mt 9:38).

Promise: "Because the loaf of bread is one, we, many though we are, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf." —1 Cor 10:17

Praise: Sarah knows it's time to receive Reconciliation when she realizes the amount of negative comments she speaks.

The chief cause of poverty in this country is single motherhood/absent fatherhood.
71% of poor families are not married.
Children of single parent homes are two times more likely to be arrested for juvenile crime,
two times more likely be treated for emotional and behavioral problems,
twice as likely to be suspended or expelled from school,
33% more likely to drop out of school,
three times more likely to end up in jail by age 30,
50% more likely to live in poverty as adults,
and twice as likely to have a child outside of marriage themselves [Getting the Marriage Conversation Right, by William B. May].