Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 11-20-16, SOL, Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 11-20-16 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

November 20, 2016

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Reading 1 2 Sm 5:1-3

In those days, all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said:
“Here we are, your bone and your flesh.
In days past, when Saul was our king,
it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back.
And the LORD said to you,
‘You shall shepherd my people Israel
and shall be commander of Israel.’”
When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron,
King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD,
and they anointed him king of Israel.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5

R. (cf. 1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Reading 2 Col 1:12-20

Brothers and sisters:
Let us give thanks to the Father,
who has made you fit to share
in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.
He delivered us from the power of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

Alleluia Mk 11:9, 10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 23:35-43

The rulers sneered at Jesus and said,
“He saved others, let him save himself
if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God.”
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
“If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.”
Above him there was an inscription that read,
“This is the King of the Jews.”

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
“Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us.”
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
“Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal.”
Then he said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
He replied to him,
“Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.”

[Salvation]

For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

[Salvation]

Alleluia Ping

Please FReepmail me to get on/off the Alleluia Ping List.

[Salvation]

KEYWORDS: catholic; jesuschrist; lk23; ordinarytime; prayer;

[Salvation]

From: 2 Samuel 5:1-3

David is Anointed King of Israel at Hebron

---

[1] Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, “Behold, we
are your bone and flesh. [2] In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was
you that led out and brought in Israel; and the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be
shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’” [3] So all
the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a cove-
nant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over
Israel.

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

5:1-5. David’s consecration as king of Israel is told quite simply but the account
emphasizes details of primary importance in salvation history: the tribes of the
North and the South are all brothers: “we are your flesh and bone” (v. 1); the ima-
ges of the shepherd (v. 2), David’s original profession, conveys the notion of a ru-
ler and king who governs not for his own advantage but for the welfare of his sub-
jects; David’s covenant with the leaders (v. 3) is in line with the general doctrine
of covenant which is the basis of God’s relations with his people, and of those
between Israelite and Israelite; the figures given for David’s reigns (seven as king
of Judah, forty as king of Judah and Israel) are symbols of plenitude. Even in the
New Testament the numbers seven and forty have the same connotation (cf. Mt
4:2; 18:22; Rev 1:11; Acts 4:22; etc.). Hebron, the place where David was also
anointed king of Judah, was the main city of the South; within it was the cave of
Mach-pelah (cf. Gen 25:9) and close to it was the sacred oak of Mamre. How-
ever, it was replaced by Jerusalem perhaps to show that a new kingdom warran-
ted a new royal base.

David is a figure of Jesus Christ on many counts, but they all derive from the fact
that he is king: Jesus Christ, too will be acclaimed King of Israel. “But what did
it mean for the Lord to be acclaimed the King of Israel? What did it mean to the
King of all ages to be recognized as the king of men? Christ did not become the
King of Israel in order to demand tributes or to raise armies and make war against
the enemies [of Israel]; he became the King of Israel to reign over souls, to give
counsel that leads to eternal life, to bring those who were filled with faith, hope
and Love to the Kingdom of heaven” (St Augustine, “In loannis Evangelium”, 51,
4).

The liturgy of the Church uses this passage from the book of Samuel for the so-
lemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, together with the passage a-
bout the crucifixion (Lk 23:35-43). Jesus won his kingdom through his obedience,
which has its climax in death on the cross, bringing about the definitive salvation
of all mankind.

*********************************************************************************************
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: Colossians 1:12-20

Prayer for Advancement in Holiness; Exhortation to Gratitude (Continuation)

---

[12] Give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance
of the saints in light. [13] He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, [14] in whom we have
redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Hymn in Praise of Christ as Head of All Creation

---

[15] He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; [16] for
in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whe-
ther thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities — all things were crea-
ted through him and for him. [17] He is before all things, and in him all things
hold together. [18] He is the head of the body, the church, he is the beginning;
the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. [19] For
in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, [20] and through him to re-
concile to himself all things.

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

12-14. “The dominion of darkness”: the condition of enslavement to the devil of a
person in the state of sin. As is frequent in Sacred Scripture (cf. Is 58:10; Jn 12:
35; 1 Jn 1:5; 2:8; 2 Cor 6:14; Rom 13:11-14; Eph 5:7-13), the simile of movement
from darkness to light is used to refer to “redemption” or the change from a condi-
tion of sin to one of righteousness and friendship with God, which is effected by
infusion of sanctifying grace (cf. St Thomas, “Commentary on Col, ad loc.”).

“Light: this is a symbol of the risen Christ and also of the abundance of graces
which he won for mankind in his Easter Mystery. It also describes the whole en-
semble of supernatural benefits which grace brings with it — goodness, righteous-
ness (or holiness) and truth (cf. Eph 5:9), which lead to the glory of heaven (cf. 2
Cor 4:6). Hence the “rite of light”, so richly a symbol of supernatural realities,
which has formed part of baptismal liturgy since the first centuries.

The struggle between light and the power of darkness is referred to in many pas-
sages of Sacred Scripture (cf. Jn 1:5, 9-11). Darkness means both evil and the
power of the Evil One. Before the redemption took place, all men — as a conse-
quence of original sin and their personal sins — were slaves to sin; this slavery
darkened their minds and made it difficult for them to know God, who is the true
light. Christ our Lord, by carrying out the redemption and obtaining forgiveness
for our sins (cf. v. 14), rescued us from the kingdom of darkness from the tyran-
ny of the Evil One, and brought us into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of truth
and justice, of love and of peace (cf. “Preface for the Solemnity of Christ the
King”), enabling us to enjoy “the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Rom
8:21).

“His beloved Son”: the Hebrew expression “Son of his love”, which is paralleled
in the Greek, is one of the ways Jesus Christ is referred to in the New Testament
(cf. Mt 12:6; Lk 20:13). A variation, “my Son, the Beloved”, is spoken by the voice
from heaven, that is, by the Father, at Jesus’ baptism (cf. Mt 3:17; Mk 1:11; Lk 3:
22) and at the Transfiguration (cf. Mt 17:5; Mk 9:7; Lk 9:35).

By speaking in this way St Paul, like St John, is underlining the fact that “God is
love” (1 Jn 4:8). God’s love for us was made manifest by his sending his only Son
into the world so that we might live through him (cf. 1 Jn 4:9). By dying on the
Cross he won life for us; by redeeming us with his blood he obtained forgiveness
for our sins (cf. Col 1:14; Eph 2:4ff): “He revealed to us that God is love, and he
gave us the ‘new commandment’ of love (Jn 13:34), at the same time communica-
ting to us the certainty that the path of love is open for all people, so that the ef-
fort to establish universal brotherhood is not a vain one (cf. “Gaudium Et Spes”,
38). By conquering through his death on the Cross evil and the power of sin, by
his loving obedience he brought salvation to all” (John Paul II, “Reconciliatio Et
Paenitentia”, 10).

On the meaning of “redemption” and “forgiveness of sins”, see the note on Eph
1:7-8.

12. We Christians should be grateful to God for his great mercy in deigning to
free us from the power of the devil, forgiving our sins and making us worthy to
“share in the inheritance of the saints”. We have benefited in so many ways: “In
addition to the gift itself, he also gives us the power we need so receive it [...].
God has not only honored us by making us share in the inheritance, but has
made us worthy to possess it. And so we receive a double honor from God —
firstly, the position itself; and secondly, the capacity to measure up to it” (Chry-
sostom, “Hom. on Col, ad loc.”).

Our sharing in “the inheritance of the saints” enables us to draw on the treasury
of spiritual goods which the Church is continually applying to its members — pra-
yers, sacrifices and all kinds of meritorious actions, which benefit every Christian.
This “inheritance of the saints” — in which we begin to share in this present life —
will be found in its full and permanent form by those who attain everlasting joy.

The grace of conversion originates in God’s loving kindness. “Prior to God’s gift of
grace, although not every man might be sinful there is nothing that he does or can
do which would merit forgiveness or the grace of God. You must realize”, St John
of Avila says, “that it is God who has brought you out of darkness into his wonder-
ful light [...]. And what caused him to do so was not your past merits or any ser-
vice you have rendered him, but his kindness alone and the merits of our only me-
diator, Jesus Christ our Lord” (”Audi, Filia”, 65).

15-20. Now we come to a very beautiful hymn in praise of Christ’s sublime dignity
as God and as man. This was a truth deserving emphasis in view of the danger to
the faith which the false apostles’ teaching represented (cf. note on vv. 7-8). How-
ever, quite apart from the particular situation in Colossae, the sublime teaching
contained in this canticle holds good for all times; it is one of the most important
Christological texts in St Paul’s writings.

The real protagonist of this passage is the Son of God made man, whose two na-
tures, divine and human, are always linked in the divine person of the Word. How-
ever, at some points St Paul stresses his divinity (vv. 16, 17, 18b and 19) and at
others his humanity (vv. 15, 18a, 18c and 20). The underlying theme of the hymn
is Christ’s total pre-eminence over all creation.

We can distinguish two stanzas in the hymn. In the first (vv. 15-17) Christ’s domi-
nion is stated to embrace the entire cosmos, stemming as it does from his action
as Creator: “in him all things were created” (v. 16). This same statement is made
in the prologue to the fourth Gospel (cf. Jn 1:3), and it is implied in the Book of
Genesis, which tells us that creation was effected by God’s word (cf. Gen 1:3, 6,
9, etc.). Since Christ is the Word of God, he is above all things, and therefore St
Paul stresses that all angels — irrespective of their hierarchy or order — come un-
der his sway.

Christ’s pre-eminence over natural creation is followed by his primacy in the eco-
nomy of supernatural salvation, a second creation worked by God through grace.
The second stanza (vv. 18-20) refers to this further primacy of Christ: by his death
on the cross, Christ has restored peace and has reconciled all things — the world
and mankind — to God. Jews and Gentiles both are called to form part of one bo-
dy, the Church, of which Christ is the head; and all the celestial powers are sub-
ject to his authority.

This passage is, then, a sublime canticle celebrating Christ, the head by virtue
of his surpassing excellence and his salvific action. “The Son of God and of the
Blessed Virgin”, Pius XII teaches, “must be called the head of the Church for the
special reason of his preeminence. For the head holds the highest place. But
none holds a higher place than Christ as God for he is the Word of the Eternal
Father and is therefore justly called ‘the first-born of all creation’. None holds a
higher place than Christ as man, for he, born of the immaculate Virgin, is the
true and natural Son of God, and by reason of his miraculous and glorious resur-
rection by which he triumphed over death he is ‘the first-born from the dead’. And
none stands higher than he who, being the ‘one mediator between God and man’
(1 Tim 2:5), admirably unites earth with heaven; who, exalted on the Cross as
on his throne of mercy, has drawn all things to himself” (”Mystici Corporis”, 15).

15. By the unaided use of reason man can work out that God exists, but he
could never, on his own, have grasped the essence of God: in this sense God is
said to be invisible (cf. St Thomas, “Commentary on Col, ad loc.”). This is why it
is said in St John’s Gospel that “no one has ever seen God” (Jn 1:18).

In Sacred Scripture we are told that man was created “in the image of God” (Gen
1:26). However, only the second person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son, is the
perfect image and likeness of the Father. “The image [likeness] of a thing may
be found in something else in two ways; in one way it is found in something of
the same specific nature — as the image of the king is found in his son; in another
way it is found in something of a different nature, as the king’s image on the coin.
In the first sense the Son is the image of the Father; in the second sense man is
called the image of God; and therefore in order to express the imperfect character
of the divine image in man, man is not simply called ‘the image’ but is referred to
as being ‘according to the image’, whereby is expressed a certain movement or
tendency to perfection. But it cannot be said that the Son of God is ‘according to
the image’, because he is the perfect image of the Father” (”Summa Theologiae”,
I, q. 35, a. 2 ad 3). And so, “for something to be truly an image, it has to proceed
from another as similar to it in species, or at least in some aspect of the species”
(”Summa Theologiae”, I, q. 35, a. 1, c.) To say that the Son is “image of the invisi-
ble God” means that the Father and the Son are one-in-substance — that is, both
possess the same divine nature — with the nuance that the Son proceeds from
the Father. It also conveys the fact that they are two distinct persons, for no one
is the image of himself.

The supreme revelation of God is that effected by the Son of God through his In-
carnation. He is the only one who can say, “He who has seen me has seen the
Father” (Jn 14:9). His sacred humanity, therefore, reflects the perfections of God,
which he possesses by virtue of the hypostatic union — the union of divine nature
and human nature which occurs in his person, which is divine. The second Per-
son of the Trinity restored man to his original dignity. The image of God, imper-
fect though it be, which there is in every man and woman, was blurred by Adam’s
sin; but it was restored in Christ: God’s true self-image takes on a nature the
same as ours, and thanks to the redemption wrought by his death, we obtain
forgiveness of sins (v. 14).

Jesus Christ is the “first-born of all creation” by virtue of the hypostatic union. He
is, of course, prior to all creation, for he proceeds eternally from the Father by ge-
neration. This the Church has always believed, and it proclaims it in the Creed:
“born of the Father before time began ..., begotten, not made, of one being [con-
substantial] with the Father” (”Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed”).

In Jewish culture, the first-born was first in honor and in law. When the Apostle
calls Jesus “the first-born of all creation”, he is referring to the fact that Christ has
pre-eminence and headship over all created things, because not only does he pre-
date them but they were all created “through him” and “for him” (v. 16).

16-17. Jesus Christ is God; this is why he has pre-eminence over all created
things. The relationships between Christ and creation are spelled out by three pre-
positions. “In him all things were created”: in Christ: he is their source, their cen-
ter and their model or exemplary cause. “All things were created through him and
for him”: through him, in other words, God the Father, through God the Son, cre-
ates all things; and for him, because he is the last end, the purpose or goal of
everything.

St Paul goes on to say that “in him all things hold together”; “the Son of God has
not only created everything: he conserves everything in being; thus, if his sove-
reign will were to cease to operate for even an instant, everything would return in-
to the nothingness from which he drew everything that exists” (Chrysostom,
“Hom. on Col, ad loc.”).

All created things, then, continue in existence because they share, albeit in a li-
mited way, in Christ’s infinite fullness of existence or perfection. His dominion ex-
tends not only over celestial things but also over all material things, however in-
significant they may seem: it embraces everything in heaven and in the physical
universe.

The sacred text also points to Christ’s supremacy over invisible creation, that is,
over the angels and celestial hierarchies (cf. Heb 1:5). If St Paul stresses this
fact, it is to expose the errors of those who were depicting Jesus as a creature
intermediary between corporeal beings and spiritual created beings, and, there-
fore, lower than the angels.

18. “He is the head of the body, the church”: this image shows the relationship
of Christ with the Church, to which he sends his grace in abundance, bearing life
to all its members. ‘The head,” St Augustine says, “is our very Savior, who suf-
fered under Pontius Pilate and now, after rising from the dead, is seated at the
right hand of the Father. And his body is the Church [...] For the whole Church,
made up of the assembly of the faithful — for all the faithful are Christ’s mem-
bers — has Christ, as its head, who rules his body from on high” (”Enarrationes
in Psalmos”, 56, 1).

St Paul unequivocally teaches that the Church is a body. “Now if the Church is
a body it must be something one and undivided, according to the statement of St
Paul: ‘We, though many, are one body in Christ’ (Rom 12:5). And not only must
it be one and undivided, it must also be something concrete and visible, as our
Predecessor of happy memory, Leo XIII, says in his Encyclical “Satis Cognitum”:
‘By the very fact of being a body the Church is visible.’ It is therefore an aberra-
tion from divine truth to represent the Church as something intangible and invisi-
ble, as a mere ‘pneumatic’ entity joining together by an invisible link a number
of communities of Christians in spite of their difference in faith.

“But a body requires a number of members so connected that they help one ano-
ther. And, in fact, as in our mortal organism when one member suffers the others
suffer with it, and the healthy members come to the assistance of those who are
ailing, so in the Church individual members do not live only for themselves but
also help one another, alleviating their suffering and helping to build up the entire
body” (Pius XII, “Mystici Corporis”, 7).

“He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead”: this can be said because he
was the first man to rise from the dead, never again to die (cf. 1 Cor 15:20; Rev
1:5), and also because thanks to him it enabled men to experience resurrection
in glory (cf. 1 Cor 15:22; Rom 8:11), because they are justified through him (cf.
Rom 4:25).

So, just as the previous verses looked to Christ’s pre-eminent role in creations
the hymn now focuses on his primacy in a new creation — the rebirth of mankind,
and all creation in its train, in the supernatural order of grace and glory. Christ
rose from the dead to enable us also to walk in newness of life (cf. Rom 6:4).
Therefore, in every way Jesus Christ is “pre-eminent.”

19. The word “pleroma” translated here as “fullness”, has two meanings in Greek:
one, an active meaning, describes something that “fills” or “completes”; for exam-
ple, a ship’s full load can be referred to as its pleroma. The other meaning is pas-
sive, “that which is filled” or “that which is complete”, so that a ship can be said
to be “pleroma” when it is fully loaded. In this passage St Paul is using the word
in both senses: Christ is the fullness (passive sense) of the Godhead (cf. Col 2:9),
because he is full of all the perfections of the divine essence; and he is the full-
ness (active sense), because he fills the Church and all creation.

St John Chrysostom suggests that “the word ‘fullness’ is to be taken to mean the
divinity of Jesus Christ [...]. This term has been chosen the better to show that
the very essence of the godhead resides in Jesus Christ” (”Hom. on Col, ad loc.”).

Since Christ possesses the divine nature, he also possesses the fullness of the
supernatural gifts, for himself and for all mankind. Hence St Thomas’ comment
that pleroma “reveals the dignity of the head in so far as it has the fullness of all
grace” (”Commentary on Col”, ad loc.). In this sense, Christ is the fullness of the
Church, for as its head he vivifies his body with all kinds of unmerited gifts. Final-
ly, the entire created universe can be termed the “fullness” (”pleroma”) of Christ,
because everything that exists in heaven and on earth has been created and is
maintained in existence by him (cf. vv. 16-17); they are ever-present to him and
are ruled by him (cf. Is 6:3; Ps 139:8; Wis 1:7; etc.). Thus, the world, which was
created good (cf. Gen 1:31) tends towards its fulfillment insofar as it clearly re-
flects the imprint God gave it at the start of creation.

20. Since Christ is pre-eminent over all creation, the Father chose to reconcile
all things to himself through him. Sin had cut man off from God, rupturing the per-
fect order which originally reigned in the created world. By shedding his blood on
the cross, Christ obtained peace for us; nothing in the universe falls outside the
scope of his peace-giving influence. He who in the beginning created all things in
heaven and on earth has reestablished peace throughout creation.

This reconciliation of all things, ushered in by Christ, is fostered by the Holy
Spirit who enables the Church to continue the process of reconciliation. However,
we will not attain the fullness of this reconciliation until we reach heaven, when
the entire created universe, along with mankind, will be perfectly renewed in
Christ (cf. “Lumen Gentium”, 48).

“The history of salvation — the salvation of the whole of humanity, as well as of
every human being of whatever period—is the wonderful history of a reconciliation;
the reconciliation whereby God, as Father, in the Blood and the Cross of his Son
made man, reconciles the world to himself and thus brings into being a new fa-
mily of those who have been reconciled.

“Reconciliation becomes necessary because there has been the break of sin
from which derive all the other forms of break within man and about him. Recon-
ciliation therefore, in order to be complete, necessarily requires liberation from
sin, which is to be rejected in its deepest roots. Thus a close internal link unites
“conversion” and “reconciliation”. It is impossible to split these two realities or to
speak of one and say nothing of the other (John Paul II, “Reconciliatio Et Paeni-
tentia”, 13).

Jesus Christ also counts on the cooperation of every individual Christian to apply
his work of redemption and peace to all creation. The founder of Opus Dei says,
in this connection: “We must love the world and work and all human things. For
the world is good. Adam’s sin destroyed the divine balance of creation; but God
the Father sent his only Son to reestablish peace, so that we his children by
adoption, might free creation from disorder and reconcile all things to God”
(”Christ Is Passing By”, 112).

*********************************************************************************************
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 23:35-43

The Crucified Christ is Mocked

---

[35] And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed at Him (Jesus), sa-
ying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He is the Christ of God, His Cho-
sen One!” [36] The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up and offering Him vine-
gar, [37] and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!” [38] There
was also an inscription over Him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

The Good Thief

---

[39] One of the criminals who were hanged railed at Him, saying, “Are You not
the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” [40] But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do
you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? [41]
And we indeed justly: for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this
man has done nothing wrong.” [42] And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you
come in Your kingly power.” [43] And He said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today
you will be with Me in Paradise.”

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

35. The Roman governor’s soldiers join the Jewish people and their leaders in mo-
cking Jesus; thus, everyone — Jews and Gentiles — contributed to making Christ’s
passion even more bitter. But we should not forget that we too make a mockery
of our Lord every time we fall into sin or fail to respond sufficiently to grace. This
is why St. Paul says that those who sin “crucify the Son of God on their own ac-
count and hold Him up to contempt” (Hebrews 6:6).

39-43. The episode of the two thieves invites us to admire the designs of divine
providence, of grace and human freedom. Both thieves are in the same position
— in the presence of the Eternal High Priest as He offers Himself in sacrifice for
them for all mankind. One of them hardens his heart, despairs and blasphemes,
while the other repents, prays with confidence to Christ and is promised imme-
diate salvation. “The Lord,” St. Ambrose comments, “always grants more than
one asks: the thief only asked Him to remember Him, but the Lord says to him,
‘Truly, I say to you, today, you will be with Me in Paradise.’ Life consists in dwel-
ling with Jesus Christ, and where Jesus Christ is there is His Kingdom” (”Expo-
sitio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.). “It is one thing for man to judge someone he
does not know; another, for God, who can see into a person’s conscience.
Among men, confession is followed by punishment; whereas confession to God
is followed by salvation” (St. John Chrysostom, “De Cruce Et Latrone”).

While we make our way through life, we all sin, but we can all repent also. God
is always waiting for us with His arms wide open, ready to forgive us. Therefore,
no one should despair: everyone should try to have a strong hope in God’s mercy.
But no one may presume that he will be saved, for none of us can be absolutely
certain of our final perseverance (cf. Council of Trent, “De Justificatione”, Canon
16). This relative uncertainty is a spur God gives us to be ever vigilant; this vigi-
lance in turns helps us progress in the work of our sanctification as Christians.

42. “Many times have I repeated that verse of the eucharistic hymn: “Peto quod
petivit latro poenitens,” and it always fills me with emotion: to ask like the peni-
tent did! He recognized that he himself deserved that awful punishment.... And
with a word he stole Christ’s heart and ‘opened up for himself’ the gates of Hea-
ven” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way of the Cross”, XII, 4).

43. In responding to the good thief, Jesus reveals that He is God, for He has po-
wer over man’s eternal destiny; and He also shows that He is infinitely merciful
and does not reject the soul who sincerely repents. Similarly by these words
Jesus reveals to us a basic truth of faith: “We believe in eternal life. We believe
that the souls of all who die in the grace of Christ — whether they must still make
expiation in the fire of Purgatory, or whether from the moment they leave their bo-
dies they are received by Jesus Christ into Paradise like the good thief — go to
form the People of God which succeeds death, death which will be totally de-
stroyed on the day of the Resurrection when these souls are reunited with their
bodies” (Paul VI, “Creed of the People of God”, 28).

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

---

First reading	2 Samuel 5:1-3 ©

All the tribes of Israel then came to David at Hebron. ‘Look’ they said ‘we are your own flesh and blood. In days past when Saul was our king, it was you who led Israel in all their exploits; and the Lord said to you, “You are the man who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you shall be the leader of Israel.”’ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a pact with them at Hebron in the presence of the Lord, and they anointed David king of Israel.

---

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 121(122):1-5 ©

I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’

I rejoiced when I heard them say:

  ‘Let us go to God’s house.’

And now our feet are standing

  within your gates, O Jerusalem.

I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’

Jerusalem is built as a city

  strongly compact.

It is there that the tribes go up,

  the tribes of the Lord.

I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’

For Israel’s law it is,

  there to praise the Lord’s name.

There were set the thrones of judgement

  of the house of David.

I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’

---

Second reading

Colossians 1:12-20 ©

We give thanks to the Father who has made it possible for you to join the saints and with them to inherit the light.

  Because that is what he has done: he has taken us out of the power of darkness and created a place for us in the kingdom of the Son that he loves, and in him, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins.

He is the image of the unseen God

and the first-born of all creation,

for in him were created

all things in heaven and on earth:

everything visible and everything invisible,

Thrones, Dominations, Sovereignties, Powers –

all things were created through him and for him.

Before anything was created, he existed,

and he holds all things in unity.

Now the Church is his body,

he is its head.

As he is the Beginning,

he was first to be born from the dead,

so that he should be first in every way;

because God wanted all perfection

to be found in him

and all things to be reconciled through him and for him,

everything in heaven and everything on earth,

when he made peace

by his death on the cross.

---

Gospel Acclamation	Mk11:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!

Blessings on the coming kingdom of our father David!

Alleluia!

---

Gospel	Luke 23:35-43 ©

The people stayed there before the cross watching Jesus. As for the leaders, they jeered at him. ‘He saved others,’ they said ‘let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.’ The soldiers mocked him too, and when they approached to offer vinegar they said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ Above him there was an inscription: ‘This is the King of the Jews.’

  One of the criminals hanging there abused him. ‘Are you not the Christ?’ he said. ‘Save yourself and us as well.’ But the other spoke up and rebuked him. ‘Have you no fear of God at all?’ he said. ‘You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus,’ he said ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ ‘Indeed, I promise you,’ he replied ‘today you will be with me in paradise.’

[Salvation]

Pray for Pope Francis.

[Salvation]

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

[Salvation]

Perpetual Novena for the Nation (Ecumenical)

[Salvation]

Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)

[Salvation]

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

[Salvation]

Pray the Rosary!

Is This Bishop Right about the Rosary Conquering Boko Haram? [Catholic Caucus]
Why Boko Haram and ISIS Target Women
Report reveals scale of Boko Haram violence inflicted on Nigerian Catholics
Military evacuating girls, women rescued from Boko Haram
Echos of Lepanto Nigerian bishop says rosary will bring down Boko Harm
After vision of Christ, Nigerian bishop says rosary will bring down Boko Haram (Catholic Caucus)
Nigerian Bishop Says Christ Showed Him How to Beat Islamic Terror Group

[Salvation]

 

Jesus, High Priest

 

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

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

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

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

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

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

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

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

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

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

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

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

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

[Salvation]

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

[Salvation]

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

[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

[Salvation]

November 2016

Pope's Intentions

Universal: Countries Receiving Refugees -- That the countries which take in a great number of displaced persons and refugees may find support for their efforts which show solidarity.

Evangelization: Collaboration of Priests and Laity -- That within parishes, priests and lay people may collaborate in service to the community without giving in to the temptation of discouragement.