Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 11-17-16, M, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 11-17-16 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

November 17, 2016

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious

Reading 1 Rv 5:1-10

I, John, saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who sat on the throne.
It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals.
Then I saw a mighty angel who proclaimed in a loud voice,
“Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth
was able to open the scroll or to examine it.
I shed many tears because no one was found worthy
to open the scroll or to examine it.
One of the elders said to me, “Do not weep.
The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed,
enabling him to open the scroll with its seven seals.”

Then I saw standing in the midst of the throne
and the four living creatures and the elders
a Lamb that seemed to have been slain.
He had seven horns and seven eyes;
these are the seven spirits of God sent out into the whole world.
He came and received the scroll from the right hand
of the one who sat on the throne.
When he took it,
the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders
fell down before the Lamb.
Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense,
which are the prayers of the holy ones.
They sang a new hymn:

“Worthy are you to receive the scroll
and break open its seals,
for you were slain and with your Blood you purchased for God
those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation.
You made them a kingdom and priests for our God,
and they will reign on earth.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

R. (Rev. 5:10) The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia Ps 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 19:41-44

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

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From: Revelation 5:1-10

The Sealed Scroll and the Lamb

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[1] And I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll writ-
ten within and on the back, sealed with seven seals; [2] and I saw a strong angel
proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its
seals?” [3] And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open
the scroll or to look into it, [4] and I wept much that no one was found worthy to
open the scroll or to look into it. [5] Then one of the elders said to me, “Weep
not; lo, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that
he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

[6] And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I
saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with se-
ven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth; [7] and he
went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.
[8] And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four
elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full
of incense, which are the prayers of the saints; [9] and they sang a new song, sa-
ying, “Worthy are thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain
and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and peo-
ple and nation, [10] and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and
they shall reign on earth.”

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Commentary:

1-5. The sealed scroll contains God’s mysterious plans for the salvation of man-
kind; no one on earth can disclose them (v. 3). Only the risen Christ can take
the scroll and make its contents known (vv. 6-7). On this account he is praised
by the four living creatures, by the elders (vv. 8-10), by a whole host of angels (vv.
11-12) and by all creation (vv. 13-14).

The image of a scroll (or book) containing God’s hidden plans for mankind was
used before, particularly by the prophet Daniel (cf. Dan 12:4-9; also Is 29:11),
who refers to a prophecy remaining sealed until the end of time. St John uses
this image to make the point that the End Time, the Last Days, have already be-
gun with Christ, so now he can reveal God’s plans. The fact that there are seven
seals stresses the hidden nature of the scroll’s contents; and its being written
on both sides shows its richness.

The author of the Book of Revelation, and everyone in fact, really does need to
know what is written on the scroll; for, if he knows God’s plans he will be able to
discover the meaning of life and cease to be anxious about events past, present
and future. Yet no one is able to open the scroll: that is why the author weeps
so bitterly.

The scroll is sealed: the Revelation of the salvation of mankind and the consola-
tion of the Church is being delayed. Soon, however, the seer ceases to weep, for
he learns that Christ (here called “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” and “the Root”
or descendant of David: cf. Gen 49:9; Is 11:1, 10) has conquered and therefore is
able, to break the seven seals.

The Church contemplates Christ’s victory when it “believes that Christ, who died
and was raised for the sake of all, can show man the way and strengthen him
through the Spirit in order to be worthy of his destiny [...]. The Church likewise
believes that the key, the center and the purpose of the whole of man’s history
is to be found in its Lord and Master” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 10).

“In fact,” the Council adds, “it is only in the mystery of the Word made flesh that
the mystery of man truly becomes clear. For Adam, the first man, was a type of
him who was to come (cf. Rom 5:14). Christ the Lord, Christ the new Adam, in
the very revelation of the mystery of the Father and of his love, fully reveals man
to himself and brings to light his most high calling” (ibid., 22).

6-7. Christ is able to open the scroll on account of his death and resurrection,
an event symbolized by the Lamb standing upright and victorious and at the
same time looking as though it had been immolated. In the Fourth Gospel, John
the Baptist calls Christ “the Lamb of God” (Jn 1:29, 36); in the Apocalypse this
expression is the one most often used to refer to him: he is the Lamb raised to
the very height of God’s throne and has dominion over the entire cosmos (cf. 5:8,
12-13; 6:1, 16; 7:9-10; 13:8; 15:3; etc.). This Christological title, which is a fea-
ture of St John’s writings, has great theological depth; the Church reverses it,
using it frequently in the liturgy — particularly in the Mass, after the kiss of peace
when the Lamb of God is invoked three times; also, just before Holy Communion
is distributed the host is shown to the faithful as him who takes away the sin of
the world and those who are called to his marriage supper are described as
“happy” (cf. Rev 19:9).

The image of the Lamb reminds us of the passover lamb, whose blood was
smeared on the door frames of houses as a sign to the avenging angel not to in-
flict on Israelites the divine punishment being dealt out to the Egyptians (cf. Ex
12:7, 13). St Paul refers to the Lamb in one of his letters: “Christ, our paschal
lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Cor 5: 7). At a high point in Old Testament prophe-
cy Isaiah portrays the Messiah as the suffering Servant of Yahweh, “a lamb that
is led to the slaughter” (Is 53:7). St Peter, on the basis of that text, states that
our Lord “bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live
to righteousness” (1 Pet 2:24).

The Lamb is a sacrifice for sin, but the Apocalypse also focuses attention on the
victorious power of the risen Lamb by showing him standing on the throne, in the
center of the vision; the horns symbolize his power and the eyes his knowledge,
both of which he has to the fullest degree as indicated by the number seven. The
seven spirits of Christ also indicate the fullness of the Spirit with which Christ is
endowed and which he passes on to his Church (cf. notes on Rev 1:4 and 4:5).
This completes the description of the risen Christ, who through his victory re-
veals the mystery of God.

8-10. The greatness of Christ the Lamb is duly acknowledged and proclaimed
through the worship rendered him, firstly, from the four living creatures and the
twenty-four elders, then from all the angels and finally from the whole of creation
(vv. 11-13). St John selects these three points to highlight on the praise rendered
by the heavenly Church, with which the pilgrim Church on earth joins through its
own prayer (symbolized by the image of the golden bowls). Later on (15:7ff),
seven bowls appear again, this time filled with God’s wrath, which is caused by
the complaint of the righteous who are being cruelly tormented by the agents of
evil.

All this shows the value of the prayers of those who stay loyal to God: “the pra-
yer of a righteous man has great power in its effects” (Jas 5: 16), for “the prayer
of the humble pierces the clouds, and he will not be consoled until it reaches the
Lord” (Sir 35:17).

The “new song” proclaims that Christ alone decides the destinies of the world
and of mankind; this is a consequence of himself being offered in sacrifice as the
atoning victim “par excellence”. By shedding his blood Christ has won for himself
an immense people, from every nation under heaven; in them, a holy people, his
chosen ones that people which was originally assembled in the Sinai desert (cf.
Ex 19:6; 1 Pet 2:9f) has come to full maturity. When it says that they have been
ransomed from every tribe and nation, it is pointing out that God’s salvific plans
extend to the whole human race: he “desires all men to be saved and to come to
the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4). This does not exempt us from making an
effort to merit salvation, for, as St Augustine teaches, “God who created you with-
out your cooperation will not save you without your cooperation” (”Sermon” 169,
11). Here is how another early writer puts it: “we know that God will give to each
individual the opportunity to be saved — to some in one way, to others in another.
But whether we respond eagerly or listlessly depends on ourselves” (Cassian,
“Collationes”, 3, 12).

“Didst ransom men for God”: in many important Greek manuscripts this reads,
“you ransomed us for God”, and some even change the reading of the following
verse: “you made us a kingdom...and we will reign”. The earlier Latin translation,
the Vulgate, chose that reading, which emphasizes that those who are intoning
the chant are men, that is, members of the Church triumphant in heaven. The
new official Latin version, the New Vulgate, follows what it considers to be the
most reliable Greek text. But the meaning does not really change.

*********************************************************************************************
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 19:41-44

Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem

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[41] And when He (Jesus) drew near and saw the city He wept over it, [42]
saying, “Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace! But
now they are hid from your eyes. [43] For the days shall come upon you, when
your enemies will cast a bank about you and surround you, and hem you in on
every side, [44] and dash you to the ground, you and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another in you; because you did not
know the time of your visitation.”

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

41-44. When the procession reaches a place where there is a good view of the
city, they are disconcerted by Jesus’ unexpected weeping. Our Lord explains
why He is weeping, by prophesying the destruction of the city which He loved
so much: not one stone will remain on another, and its inhabitants will be mas-
sacred—a prophecy which was fulfilled in the year 70, when Titus razed the city
and the temple was destroyed. These historical events will be a punishment
for Jerusalem failing to recognize the time of its visitation, that is, for closing its
gates to the salvific coming of the Redeemer. Jesus loved the Jews with a very
special love: they were the first to whom the Gospel was preached (cf. Matthew
10:5-6); to them He directed His ministry (cf. Matthew 15:24); He showed by His
word and by His miracles that He was the Son of God and the Messiah foretold
in the Scriptures. But the Jews for the most part failed to appreciate the grace
the Lord was offering them; their leaders led them to the extreme of calling for
Jesus to be crucified.

Jesus visits every one of us; He comes as our Savior; He teaches us through
the preaching of the Church; He gives us forgiveness and grace through the sa-
craments. We should not reject our Lord, we should not remain indifferent to
His visit.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

[Salvation]

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

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

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First reading

Apocalypse 5:1-10 ©

I, John, saw that in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne there was a scroll that had writing on back and front and was sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a powerful angel who called with a loud voice, ‘Is there anyone worthy to open the scroll and break the seals of it?’ But there was no one, in heaven or on the earth or under the earth, who was able to open the scroll and read it. I wept bitterly because there was nobody fit to open the scroll and read it, but one of the elders said to me, ‘There is no need to cry: the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed, and he will open the scroll and the seven seals of it.’

  Then I saw, standing between the throne with its four animals and the circle of the elders, a Lamb that seemed to have been sacrificed; it had seven horns, and it had seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits God has sent out all over the world. The Lamb came forward to take the scroll from the right hand of the One sitting on the throne, and when he took it, the four animals prostrated themselves before him and with them the twenty-four elders; each one of them was holding a harp and had a golden bowl full of incense made of the prayers of the saints. They sang a new hymn:

‘You are worthy to take the scroll

and break the seals of it,

because you were sacrificed, and with your blood

you bought men for God

of every race, language, people and nation

and made them a line of kings and priests,

to serve our God and to rule the world.’

---

Responsorial Psalm	Psalm 149:1-6,9 ©

You made us a line of kings and priests to serve our God.

or

Alleluia!

Sing a new song to the Lord,

  his praise in the assembly of the faithful.

Let Israel rejoice in its Maker,

  let Zion’s sons exult in their king.

You made us a line of kings and priests to serve our God.

or

Alleluia!

Let them praise his name with dancing

  and make music with timbrel and harp.

For the Lord takes delight in his people.

  He crowns the poor with salvation.

You made us a line of kings and priests to serve our God.

or

Alleluia!

Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,

  shout for joy and take their rest.

Let the praise of God be on their lips:

  this honour is for all his faithful.

You made us a line of kings and priests to serve our God.

or

Alleluia!

---

Gospel Acclamation	Ps118:135

Alleluia, alleluia!

Let your face shine on your servant,

and teach me your decrees.

Alleluia!

Or	Ps94:8

Alleluia, alleluia!

Harden not your hearts today,

but listen to the voice of the Lord.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel	Luke 19:41-44 ©

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem and came in sight of the city he shed tears over it and said, ‘If you in your turn had only understood on this day the message of peace! But, alas, it is hidden from your eyes! Yes, a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all round you, when they will encircle you and hem you in on every side; they will dash you and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you – and all because you did not recognise your opportunity when God offered it!’

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Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 19
41.	And when he drew near, seeing the city, he wept over it, saying:	Et ut appropinquavit, videns civitatem flevit super illam, dicens :	και ως ηγγισεν ιδων την πολιν εκλαυσεν επ αυτη
42.	If thou also hadst known, and that in this thy day, the things that are to thy peace; but now they are hidden from thy eyes.	Quia si cognovisses et tu, et quidem in hac die tua, quæ ad pacem tibi : nunc autem abscondita sunt ab oculis tuis.	λεγων οτι ει εγνως και συ και γε εν τη ημερα σου ταυτη τα προς ειρηνην σου νυν δε εκρυβη απο οφθαλμων σου
43.	For the days shall come upon thee, and thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and straiten thee on every side,	Quia venient dies in te : et circumdabunt te inimici tui vallo, et circumdabunt te : et coangustabunt te undique :	οτι ηξουσιν ημεραι επι σε και περιβαλουσιν οι εχθροι σου χαρακα σοι και περικυκλωσουσιν σε και συνεξουσιν σε παντοθεν
44.	And beat thee flat to the ground, and thy children who are in thee: and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone: because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation.	et ad terram prosternent te, et filios tuos, qui in te sunt, et non relinquent in te lapidem super lapidem : eo quod non cognoveris tempus visitationis tuæ.	και εδαφιουσιν σε και τα τεκνα σου εν σοι και ουκ αφησουσιν εν σοι λιθον επι λιθω ανθ ων ουκ εγνως τον καιρον της επισκοπης σου

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41. And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
42. Saying, If you had known, even you, at least in this your day, the things which belong to your peace! but now they are hid from your eyes.
43. For the days shall come upon you, that your enemies shall cast a trench about you, and compass you round, and keep you in on every side,
44. And shall lay you even with the ground, and your children within you; and they shall not leave in you one stone upon another; because you knew not the time of your visitation.

ORIGEN; All the blessings which Jesus pronounced in His Gospel He confirms by His own example, as having declared, Blessed are the meek; He afterwards sanctions it by saying, Learn of me, for I am meek; and because He had said, Blessed are they that weep, He Himself also wept over the city.

CYRIL; For Christ had compassion upon the Jews, who wills that all men should be saved. Which had not been plain to us, were it not revealed by a certain mark of His humanity. For tears poured forth are the tokens of sorrow.

GREG. The merciful Redeemer wept then over the fall of the false city, which that city itself knew not was about to come upon it. As it is added, saying, If you had known, even you (we may here understand) would weep. You who now rejoice, for you know not what is at hand. It follows, at least in this your day. For when she gave herself up to carnal pleasures, she had the things which in her day might be her peace. But why she had present goods for her peace, is explained by what follows, But now they are hidden from your eyes. For if the eyes of her heart had not been hidden from the future evils which were hanging over her, she would not have been joyful in the prosperity of the present.

Therefore He shortly added the punishment which was near at hand, saying, For the days shall come upon you.

CYRIL; If you had known, even you. The Jews were not worthy to receive the divinely inspired Scriptures, which relate the mystery of Christ. For as often as Moses is read, a veil overshadow s their heart that they should not see what has been accomplished in Christ, who being the truth puts to flight the shadow. And because they regarded not the truth, they rendered themselves unworthy of the salvation which flows from Christ.

EUSEBIUS; He here declares that His coming was to bring peace to the whole world. For to this He came, that He should preach both to them that were near, and those that were afar off. But as they did not wish to receive the peace that was announced to them, it was hid from them. And therefore the siege which was shortly to come upon them He most expressly foretells, adding, For the days shall come upon you, &c.

GREG. By these words the Roman leaders are pointed out. For that overthrow of Jerusalem is described, which was made by the Roman emperors Vespasian and Titus.

EUSEBIUS; But how these things were fulfilled we may gather from what is delivered to us by Josephus, who though he was a Jew, related each event as it took place, in exact accordance with Christ's prophecies.

GREG. This too which is added, namely, They shall not leave in you one stone upon another, is now witnessed in the altered situation of the same city, which is now built in that place where Christ was crucified without the gate, whereas the former Jerusalem, as it is called, was rooted up from the very foundation. And the crime for which this punishment of overthrow was inflicted is added, Because you knew not the time of your visitation.

THEOPHYL. That is, of my coming. For I came to visit and to save you, which if you had known and believed on Me, you might have been reconciled to the Romans, and exempted from all danger as did those who believed on Christ.

ORIGEN; I do not deny then that the former Jerusalem was destroyed because of the wickedness of its inhabitants, but I ask whether the weeping might not perhaps concern this your spiritual Jerusalem. For if a man has sinned after receiving the mysteries of truth, he will be wept over. Moreover, no Gentile is wept over, but he only who was of Jerusalem, and has ceased to be.

GREG. For our Redeemer does not cease to weep through His elect whenever he perceives any to have departed from a good life to follow evil ways. Who if they had known their own damnation, hanging over them, would together with the elect shed tears over themselves. But the corrupt soul here has its day, rejoicing in the passing time; to whom things present are its peace, seeing that it takes delight in that which is temporal. It shuns the foresight of the future which may disturb its present mirth; and hence it follows, But now are they hid from your eyes.

ORIGEN; But our Jerusalem is also wept over, because after sin enemies surround it, (that is, wicked spirits,) and cast a trench round it to besiege it, and leave not a stone behind; especially when a man after long continence, after years of chastity, is overcome, and enticed by the blandishments of the flesh, has lost his fortitude and his modesty, and has committed fornication, they will not leave on him one stone upon another, according to Ezekiel, His formed righteousness I will not remember.

GREG. Or else; The evil spirits lay siege to the soul, as it goes forth from the body, for being seized with the love of the flesh, they caress it with delusive pleasures. They surround it with a trench, because bringing all its wickedness which it has committed before the eyes of its mind, they close confine it to the company of its own damnation, that being caught in the very extremity of life, it may see by what enemies it is blockaded, yet be unable to find any way of escape, because it can no longer do good works, since those which it might once have done it despised. On every side also they enclose the soul when its iniquities rise up before it, not only in deed but also in word and thought, that she who before in many ways greatly enlarged herself in wickedness, should now at the end be straitened every way in judgment. Then indeed the soul by the very condition of its guilt is laid prostrate on the ground, while its flesh which it believed to be its life is bid to return to dust. Then its children fall in death, when all unlawful thoughts which only proceed from it, are in the last punishment of life scattered abroad. These may also be signified by the stones. For the corrupt mind when to a corrupt thought it adds one more corrupt, places one stone upon another. But when the soul is led to its doom, the whole structure of its thoughts is rent asunder. But the wicked soul God ceases not to visit with His teaching, sometimes with the scourge and sometimes with a miracle; that the truth which it knew not it may hear, and though still despising it, may return pricked to the heart in sorrow, or overcome with mercies may be ashamed at the evil which it has done. But because it knows not the time of its visitation, at the end of life it is given over to its enemies, that with them it may be joined together in the bond of everlasting damnation.

Catena Aurea Luke 19

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Dominus Flevit Church

Antonio Barluzzi, architect
Completed 1955
Mount of Olives, Jerusalem

[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]

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[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 Luminous Mysteries or Mysteries of Light (Thursdays) see Rosarium Virginis Mariae
1. Jesus' Baptism in the Jordan (II Corinthians 5:21, Matthew 3:17 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Gratitude for the gift of Faith]
2. Jesus' self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana (John 2:1- 12) [Spiritual fruit - Fidelity]
3. Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with His call to conversion (Mark 1:15, Mark 2:3-13; Luke 7:47- 48, John 20:22-23) [Spiritual fruit - Desire for Holiness]
4. Jesus' Transfiguration (Luke 9:35 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Spiritual Courage]
5. Jesus' institution of the Eucharist, as the sacramental expression of the Paschal Mystery. (Luke 24:13-35 and parallels, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25) [Spiritual fruit - Love of our Eucharistic Lord]

[Salvation]

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.

[Salvation]

(For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,) And because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins." II Maccabees 12

 

November Devotion: The Holy Souls in Purgatory

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. As a reminder of our duty to pray for the suffering faithful in Purgatory, the Church has dedicated the month of November to the Holy Souls. The Holy Souls are those who have died in the state of grace but who are not yet free from all punishment due to their unforgiven venial sins and all other sins already forgiven for which satisfaction is still to be made. They are certain of entering Heaven, but first they must suffer in Purgatory. The Holy Souls cannot help themselves because for them the night has come, when no man can work (John 9:4). It is our great privilege of brotherhood that we can shorten their time of separation from God by our prayers, good works, and, especially, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

To Help the Holy Souls in Purgatory:

1. Have the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered up for them.

2. Pray the Rosary and or the Chaplet of Divine Marcy for them, or both.

3. Pray the Stations of the Cross.

4. Offer up little sacrifices and fasting.

5. Spread devotion to them, so that others may pray for them.

6. Attend Eucharistic Adoration and pray for them.

7. Gain all the indulgences you can, and apply them to the Holy Souls

8. Visit to a Cemetery

 

Litany for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

The just shall be in everlasting remembrance; 

He shall not fear the evil hearing.

V. Absolve, O Lord, the souls of the faithful departed 

from every bond of sin, 

R. And by the help of Thy grace

may they be enabled to escape the avenging judgment, 

and to enjoy the happiness of eternal life. 

Because in Thy mercy are deposited the souls that departed 

in an inferior degree of grace,

Lord, have mercy.

Because their present suffering is greatest 

in the knowledge of the pain that their separation from Thee is causing Thee,

Lord, have mercy. 

Because of their present inability to add to Thy accidental glory, 

Lord, have mercy.

Not for our consolation, O Lord; 

not for their release from purgative pain, O God; 

but for Thy joy 

and the greater accidental honour of Thy throne, O Christ the King,

Lord, have mercy.

For the souls of our departed friends, relations and benefactors, 

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those of our family who have fallen asleep in Thy bosom, O Jesus, 

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those who have gone to prepare our place,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

(For those who were our brothers [or sisters] in Religion,)

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For priests who were our spiritual directors,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For men or women who were our teachers in school,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those who were our employers (or employees),

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those who were our associates in daily toil,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For any soul whom we ever offended,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For our enemies now departed,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those souls who have none to pray for them,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those forgotten by their friends and kin,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those now suffering the most,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those who have acquired the most merit,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For the souls next to be released from Purgatory,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those who, while on earth, 

were most devoted to God the Holy Ghost, 

to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, 

to the holy Mother of God,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For all deceased popes and prelates,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For all deceased priests, seminarians and religious, 

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For all our brethren in the Faith everywhere, 

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For all our separated brethren who deeply loved Thee, 

and would have come into Thy household had they known the truth,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those souls who need, or in life asked, our prayers,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those, closer to Thee than we are, whose prayers we need,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

That those may be happy with Thee forever, 

who on earth were true exemplars of the Catholic Faith, 

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.

That those may be admitted to Thine unveiled Presence, 

who as far as we know never committed mortal sin,     

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.  

That those may be housed in glory, 

who lived always in recollection and prayer,

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.  

That those may be given the celestial joy of beholding Thee, 

who lived lives of mortification and self-denial and penance,

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.  

That those may be flooded with Thy love, 

who denied themselves even Thy favours of indulgence 

and who made the heroic act 

for the souls who had gone before them,

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.  

That those may be drawn up to the Beatific Vision, 

who never put obstacles in the way of sanctifying grace 

and who ever drew closer in mystical union with Thee,

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.  

V. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, 

R. And let perpetual light shine upon them. 

Let Us Pray 

Be mindful, O Lord, 

of Thy servants and handmaids, 

N. and N., 

who are gone before us 

with the sign of faith 

and repose in the sleep of grace.  

To these, O Lord, 

and to all who rest in Christ, 

grant, we beseech Thee, 

a place of refreshment, 

light and peace, 

through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen

Bringing back the dead… Catholic style
All Souls, Purgatory and the Bible

Letter #95: Remembering the Dead
Hungry Souls (a bit of a [Book] review) Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
What Is All Souls Day (Commemoration of the Faithful Departed)?
All Saints or All Souls? Differences should be black and white
All Souls' Day [Catholic Caucus]
Why I Am Catholic: For Purgatory, Thank Heavens (Ecumenical)
Q and A: Why Pray for the Dead? [Ecumenical]
“….and Death is Gain” – A Meditation on the Christian View of Death [Catholic Caucus]
99 & 1/2 Won’t Do – A Meditation on Purgatory
The Month of November: Thoughts on the "Last Things"
To Trace All Souls Day

November 2 -- All Souls Day
On November: All Souls and the "Permanent Things"
"From the Pastor" ALL SAINTS & ALL SOULS
Praying for the Dead [All Souls Day] (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
To Trace All Souls Day [Ecumenical]
All Souls Day [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Roots of All Souls Day
The Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
During Month of Souls, Recall Mystic, St. Gertrude the Great
All Saints and All Souls