Saturday of the Twenty-seventh week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint Bernard (1091-1153), Cistercian monk and doctor of the Church
Sermon 31 on the Song of Songs (©Cistercian Fathers series)

“Blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Lk 1,45)

Our ancestors possessed only shadows and images, whereas the truth itself shines on us by the grace of Christ present in the flesh, so also no one will deny that in relation to the world to come, we still live in the shadow of the truth, unless he wishes to deny what the apostle Paul asserts: "our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect;" (1Cor 13,9) or when he says: "I do not reckon myself to have got hold of it yet. " (Phil 3,13). Why should there not be a distinction between him who walks by faith and him who walks by light? Hence the just man lives by faith (Hab 2,4; Rom 1,17) - the blessed rejoices in the vision; the holy person here below lives in the shadow of Christ... That the faith is shadowy is a blessing, it tempers light to the eye's weakness and prepares the eye for the light for it is written: "God cleansed their hearts by faith." (Acts 15,9). Faith, therefore, does not quench the light but protects it. What it may be that the angel sees, is preserved for me by the shadow of faith, stored up in its trusty breast, until it is revealed in due time. If you cannot yet grasp the naked truth is it not worthwhile to possess it wrapped in a veil?

The Lord's Mother herself lived in the shadow of faith, for she was told: "Blessed are you who believed," (Lk 1,45). Even the body of Christ was a shadow for her, as implied in the words: "The power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow,” (Lk 1,35). That is no mean shadow which is formed by the power the Most High. Assuredly there was power in the flesh of Christ that overshadowed the Virgin, since by means of the envelope of his vivifying body she was able to bear his majestic presence, and endure the unapproachable light, something impossible to mortal woman. That was power indeed by which every opposing might was overcome. Both the power and the shadow put the demons to flight and became a shelter for men: an invigorating power surely, a shadow radiating coolness! We therefore who walk by faith live in the shadow of Christ; we are fed with his flesh as the source of our life.

'If thou remainest faithful to Me, I will never forsake thee. . . I forgive thy ignorance, because, as yet, thou dost not know Me; but, if thou art faithful to Me and followest Me, I will teach thee to know Me, and I will reveal Myself to thee.'

The Lord, to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

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 11
27.	And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck.	Factum est autem, cum hæc diceret : extollens vocem quædam mulier de turba dixit illi : Beatus venter qui te portavit, et ubera quæ suxisti.	εγενετο δε εν τω λεγειν αυτον ταυτα επαρασα τις γυνη φωνην εκ του οχλου ειπεν αυτω μακαρια η κοιλια η βαστασασα σε και μαστοι ους εθηλασας
28.	But he said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.	At ille dixit : Quinimmo beati, qui audiunt verbum Dei et custodiunt illud.	αυτος δε ειπεν μενουνγε μακαριοι οι ακουοντες τον λογον του θεου και φυλασσοντες αυτον

27. And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said to him, Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the paps which you have sucked.
28. But he said, Yes rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

BEDE; While the Scribes and Pharisees were tempting our Lord, and uttering blasphemies against Him, a certain woman with great boldness confessed His incarnation, as it follows, And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said to him, Blessed is the womb that bore you, &c. by which she refutes both the calumnies of the rulers present, and the unbelief of future heretics. For as then by blaspheming the works of the Holy Spirit, the Jews denied the true Son of God, so in after times the heretics, by denying that the Ever virgin Mary, by the cooperating power of the Holy Spirit, ministered of the substance of her flesh to the birth of the only-begotten Son, have said, that we ought not to confess Him who was the Son of man to be truly of the same substance with the Father. But if the flesh of the Word of God, who was born according to the flesh, is declared alien to the flesh of His Virgin Mother, what cause is there why the womb which bore Him and the paps which gave Him suck are pronounced blessed? By what reasoning do they suppose Him to be nourished by her milk, from whose seed they deny Him to be conceived? Whereas according to the physicians, from one and the same fountain both streams are proved to flow. But the woman pronounces blessed not only her who was thought worthy to give birth from her body to the Word of God, but those also who have desired by the hearing of faith spiritually to conceive the same Word, and by diligence in good works, either in their own or the hearts of their neighbors, to bring it forth and nourish it; for it follows, But he said, Yes rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

CHRYS. In this answer He sought not to disown His mother, but to show that His birth would have profited her nothing, had she not been really fruitful in works and faith. But if it Met profited Mary nothing that Christ derived His birth from her, without the inward virtue of her heart, much less will it avail us to have a virtuous father, brother, or son, while we ourselves are strangers to virtue.

BEDE; But she was the mother of God, and therefore indeed blessed, in that she was made the temporal minister of the Word becoming incarnate; yet therefore much more blessed that she remained the eternal keeper of the same ever to be beloved Word. But this expression startles the wise men of the Jews, who sought not to hear and keep the word of God, but to deny and blaspheme it.

Catena Aurea Luke 11

Reliquary Tabernacle

Fra Angelico

c. 1430
Tempera and gold on panel, 62 x 39 cm
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston

Information: St. Pelagia

Feast Day: October 8

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Simeon

Feast Day: October 8
Born: (before Christ) :: Died: (soon after Christ was born)

In Luke's Gospel, chapter two, Joseph and Mary bring Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem. That is where they meet Holy Simeon.

The holy man had waited patiently for the Lord to grant him a request: he wanted to live to see the Messiah, the Savior of the world. But he did not know who that would be, or when and if his prayer would be fulfilled.

The young couple from Nazareth approached him with their baby. He looked into the eyes of the Child and felt a burst of joy in his heart. His eyes glowed. He lifted Jesus into his arms, then held him up and prayed:

"Now, my God, I can die in peace. I have seen with my own eyes the world's salvation. You have prepared this for all your people."

Mary and Joseph looked at one another. They were silently amazed. Then the old man turned to Mary.

His eyes became sad as he said softly, "Your own soul will be pierced by the sword." Mary did not understand what this meant, and she prayed to God for courage.

God had answered the prayer of Holy Simeon and he remained in joyful thanksgiving as the couple and their baby left.

Saturday

October 8, 2016
Marian Jubilee

Being Faithful

“Be faithful in small things because
it is in them that your strength lies.”
- Mother Teresa

Year of Mercy Calendar for Today: “Say the Rosary as a family tonight.”

Forward this message to a friend! Visit LiveMercy.org to sign up for daily inspiration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlenviZKuBw&feature=youtu.be&t=18m23s

Great video about voting!

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Saturday, October 8

Liturgical Color: Green

The Council of Chalcedon
opened on this day in 451 A.D.
Its primary purpose was to
refute Monophysitism. This
heresy taught that Jesus had
only one nature, contrary to the
Church's teaching of Christ
possessing both a Divine and
human nature.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: October 8th

Saturday of the Twenty-Seventh Week of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

October 08, 2016 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Almighty ever-living God, who in the abundance of your kindness surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you, pour out your mercy upon us to pardon what conscience dreads and to give what prayer does not dare to ask. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Recipes (1)

Moussaka

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Activities (2)

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Prayers (1)

Prayer for Various Types of Christians

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Library (3)

Old Calendar: St. Bridget of Sweden, widow; Sts. Sergius, Bacchus, Marcellus and Apuleius, martyrs; St. Demetrius (Hist)

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Bridget of Sweden, widow.

It is also the feast of Sts. Sergius, Bacchus, Marcellus and Apuleius, Roman martyrs. In the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, these martyrs, plus many others, are honored on June 30 and St. Bridget is celebrated on July 23.

Historically today is the feast of St. Demetrius of Sirmium who was both soldier and martyr; he suffered in the early 4th century under Maximian. He became immensely popular in the East, where he was called ‘The Great Martyr,’ and subsequently in the West.

Sts. Sergius and Bacchus
Sergius and Bacchus were martyrs under the Diocletian persecution around the year 303 A.D. Legend states that Sergius was an officer in the Roman army and Bacchus an officer under him, and both were friends of Emperor Maximian. When they did not enter a temple of Jupiter with the Emperor, he ordered them to do so. When they further refused his order that they sacrifice to pagan gods, they were humiliated by being led through the streets of Arabissus in women's garb. Maximian then sent them to Rosafa, Mesopotamia, where they were scourged so terribly that Bacchus died of the scourging. Sergius was then tortured further and beheaded.

Symbols: Former with cross; white shield with gold cross fleuree; scourges.

Things to Do:

Read more about these martyrs from the Catholic Encyclopedia.

Sts. Marcellus and Apuleius
At Rome, the holy martyrs Marcellus and Apuleius, who at first were followers of Simon Magus, but seeing the wonders performed through the Apostle Peter, they abandoned Simon and embraced the apostolic doctrine. After the death of the apostles, under the proconsul Aurelian, they won the crown of martyrdom and were buried near the City.

— Roman Martyrology

St. Demetrius
Saint Demetrius was born to a wealthy, noble family and raised Christian. He was a soldier and a Deacon. He was raised to the rank of Duke of Thessaly by the Emperor Maximian. But when he was found to be a Christian he was arrested and imprisoned in a bath-house. He was run through with spears c.306 at Sirmium (in modern Serbia).

St. Demetrius was extremely popular in the Middle Ages and was reported to have appeared during a battle in 586, centuries after his death to help defend Thessalonica.

Over 200 churches in the Balkans are known to have been dedicated to him. His relics were said to emit holy oil.

Excerpted from Evangelizo.org 2001-2014

Demetrius was probably a deacon who was martyred sometime before the fifth century at Sirmium (Mitrovic in former Yugoslavia). During that century two churches were built in his honor, one at Sirmium and the other at Thessalonica. It may be that the cult of the saint migrated from Sirmium when Leontius, the prefect of Illyricum, moved the seat of civil suthority to Thessalonica–he is reputed to have built both churches. Certainly Demetrius was honored as a saint at Sirmium before the church at Thessalonica was built. Sirmium, however, was destroyed by the invading Huns in 441, and it was the second church that became the principal center for the cult of the martyr and attracted very large numbers of pilgrims. The church was destroyed by fire in 1917 but has since been rebuilt; it was obviously meant to hold a great number of people.

In time Demetrius became known as "the Great Martyr," and a legend grew up about his life. According to this he had been a citizen of Thessalonica who had been arrested for preaching the gospel and executed without trial in the local baths.The church was built over the baths and incorporated part of them as a kind of crypt. At a later date relics of the saint were said to exude a miraculous oil, but the arrangements whereby the pilgrims could collect some of this seem to have been quite fraudulent.

The earliest written account we have dates from the ninth century and says that the order for his execution came from the emperor Maximian himself. Later accounts make out that he was a proconsul (this is how the Roman Martyrology described him) or a warrior-saint similar to St. George and second only to him in popularity. He as one of the saints adopted by the Crusaders as their patrons in battle. None of these later accounts can be trusted, though we can be sure of the existence of a martyr of that name. His feastday is kept with great solemnity throughout the Eastern Church on October 26, and he is named in the preparation of the Byzantine liturgy. The popular Slav name, Dmitry, comes from him. His cult was popular also in Ravenna in Italy, where the earliest chapel was dedicated in his honor.

The original basilica, destroyed in 1917, had important mosaics from the sixth to the ninth century; in these Demetrius was portrayed as a deacon. More often he was depicted as a soldier.

Excerpted from Butler's Lives of the Saints, Volume 10

Patron: Thessalonica, Greece; patron of soldiers; patron of the Crusades

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 11:27-28

Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it. (Luke 11:28)

It’s exciting to watch a baby take her first step. Still, it is only a first toddle toward so much more, a springboard to the next milestone or undertaking or accomplishment. It’s only natural for us to rejoice in a little one’s efforts and at the same time look forward to their next successes as they grow.

Jesus makes a similar point in today’s Gospel. A woman in the crowd jubilantly calls out, “Your mother must be so blessed to have such a wonderful son!” But Jesus shifts the focus: yes, but pay attention to what God is saying right now, and follow it.

Consider the Virgin Mary, whom this woman praises: she is “blessed” because she said yes to God at the Annunciation, but also because each day, as best as she knew how, she set her heart on obeying his laws and his words to her. It’s the same thing that God wants for each of us—to focus on what he is saying today and, to the best of our ability, to “observe it” (Luke 11:28). Don’t forget the past, but don’t live there either. Keep moving forward.

Remember, no toddler ever learned to walk without wobbling, stumbling, and plopping to the ground. And no parent scolded the toddler for trying. In the same way, God is patient as you learn to walk in the same obedience that Mary had. Daily, slowly but surely, he will help you.

Things are always changing. They have to because the world is changing, and so are we. Blessings may meld into challenges, and vice versa. Old temptations may have fallen away, and you may have found strength to combat new ones. Your sense of wonder over what God is doing in your life may deepen, or it may fade for a time. Whatever happens, whether good or bad, you will be more deeply in love with Jesus because of what you have heard and focused on.

God is intensely creative, exceptionally far-seeing, and infinitely patient. So stay focused on what he is saying today, and keep moving forward!

“Jesus, sharpen my hearing, and strengthen my obedience, as I learn to trust and yield to you.”

Galatians 3:22-29
Psalm 105:2-7

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

Daily Marriage Tip for October 8, 2016:

Autumn is here! Take advantage of the cooler weather to go apple-picking, visit a pumpkin patch, or enjoy a bonfire as a family.

Regnum Christi

October 8, 2016 – Mary Is My Master Educator in Virtue

08 Oct 2016

Saturday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Father James Swanson, LC

Luke 11:27-28

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the master of the universe, and yet you wish to listen to me and guide me. You know all things past, present and future, and yet you respect my freedom to choose you. Holy Trinity, you are completely happy and fulfilled on your own, and yet you have generously brought us into existence. You are our fulfillment. Thank you for the gift of yourself. I offer the littleness of myself in return, knowing you are pleased with what I have to give.

Petition: Lord, help me to imitate Mary.

1. Mary’s Masterpiece: The woman in this passage has a great insight. She senses the greatness of Jesus. Probably she intuits that he is the Messiah. It is doubtful if she has guessed that he is also God-made-man. But from Jesus’ greatness, she is able to infer the greatness of Mary. It is obvious to her that whoever produced this masterpiece of humanity must have been a masterpiece of humanity herself. And she is right. The humanity of Jesus is Mary’s masterpiece. All of what she is, she imparted to him. While we cannot credit Mary with the perfections of Jesus’ divinity, we would be doing her a grave injustice to think that Jesus’ human virtues and perfections were not positively impacted by her example.

2. The Immaculate Conception: God desired Jesus to come into this world like every one of us, as an infant, and so Jesus needed a mother. God wanted him to have the finest mother, a perfect mother, and so he gave Mary many gifts, starting with her Immaculate Conception, preserving her from original sin. Who could imagine Jesus – pure and innocent – wrapped in flesh polluted by sin for the first nine months of his existence? Would such an innocent child ever have been able to stop crying while being tended to by a sinner? The Father wanted the best for his Son and gave him the best, even though he had to provide the miracle of the Immaculate Conception in order to do it.

3. Jesus’ Educator: Being truly human, Jesus had to learn just like any one of us. Because of his divinity, his human capacities were untainted by sin, but it was Mary who taught him how to use them, who honed them in the everyday life of the family until they were perfect – just as any mother would. Mary was the perfect one to bring out all the perfections in Jesus’ human nature. Being immaculately conceived, Mary’s mind was not wounded by sin and so was always able to discover ways of parenting and teaching that were perfectly suited to Jesus’ human nature. To educate doesn’t mean to just give knowledge. In its fullest sense, it means to train in virtue. Mary’s continuous example of virtue – hearing the word of God and observing it – was certainly compelling for Jesus in his educational upbringing.

Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, it’s hard for me to understand that, as human, you needed education just like anyone else. Help me to see that you were truly and fully human like me. Moreover, since you have already given me Mary to be my Mother, ask her to educate me too, to form me in all the virtues the way she formed them in you.

Resolution: Do I really think of Mary as my educator in the full sense, in the sense of teaching me virtue? What is the virtue I need the most? I will ask Mary to educate me in it in a special way today.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 32, Issue 6

<< Saturday, October 8, 2016 >>

Galatians 3:22-29
View Readings

Psalm 105:2-7

Luke 11:27-28
Similar Reflections

BLESSED DISCIPLESHIP

"Blest are they who hear the word of God and keep it." —Luke 11:28

Mary prophesied that all ages would call her blessed (Lk 1:48). This prophecy was fulfilled when a woman cried out to Jesus: "Blest is the womb that bore You and the breasts that nursed You!" (Lk 11:27) Jesus replied that Mary and each of us are blessed by being disciples of Jesus, that is, those "who hear the word of God and keep it" (Lk 11:28).

Being a disciple of Jesus means being blessed as Mary was and saying with her: "I am the slave of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38, our transl). Being a disciple of Jesus means having the blessed privilege of denying our very selves and taking up our crosses daily (Lk 9:23). Being a disciple of Jesus means being a blessing to all nations (see Gn 12:2-3) by making disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19).

Jesus said to His disciples: "Blest are your eyes because they see and blest are your ears because they hear" (Mt 13:16). All ages to come will call Mary, and Jesus' other disciples, blessed. Blessed are you!

Prayer: Father, bless us disciples and these Thy gifts.

Promise: "All of you who have been baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Him." —Gal 3:27

Praise: Martha asked her employer to allow her to say "God bless you!" to customers, and was pleased to be granted consent.