Reading 1 Gn 28:10-22a

Jacob departed from Beer-sheba and proceeded toward Haran.
When he came upon a certain shrine, as the sun had already set,
he stopped there for the night.
Taking one of the stones at the shrine, he put it under his head
and lay down to sleep at that spot.
Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground,
with its top reaching to the heavens;
and God's messengers were going up and down on it.
And there was the LORD standing beside him and saying:
"I, the LORD, am the God of your forefather Abraham
and the God of Isaac;
the land on which you are lying
I will give to you and your descendants.
These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth,
and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south.
In you and your descendants
all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.
Know that I am with you;
I will protect you wherever you go,
and bring you back to this land.
I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you."

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he exclaimed,
"Truly, the LORD is in this spot, although I did not know it!"
In solemn wonder he cried out: "How awesome is this shrine!
This is nothing else but an abode of God,
and that is the gateway to heaven!"
Early the next morning Jacob took the stone
that he had put under his head,
set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on top of it.
He called the site Bethel,
whereas the former name of the town had been Luz.

Jacob then made this vow: "If God remains with me,
to protect me on this journey I am making
and to give me enough bread to eat and clothing to wear,
and I come back safe to my father's house, the LORD shall be my God.
This stone that I have set up as a memorial stone shall be God's abode."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 91:1-2, 3-4, 14-15ab

R. (see 2b) In you, my God, I place my trust.
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
Say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
R. In you, my God, I place my trust.
For he will rescue you from the snare of the fowler,
from the destroying pestilence.
With his pinions he will cover you,
and under his wings you shall take refuge.
R. In you, my God, I place my trust.
Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress.
R. In you, my God, I place my trust.

Alleluia See 2 Tm 1:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 9:18-26

While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward,
knelt down before him, and said,
"My daughter has just died.
But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live."
Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.
A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him
and touched the tassel on his cloak.
She said to herself, "If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured."
Jesus turned around and saw her, and said,
"Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you."
And from that hour the woman was cured.

When Jesus arrived at the official's house
and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion,
he said, "Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping."
And they ridiculed him.
When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand,
and the little girl arose.
And news of this spread throughout all that land.

From: Genesis 28:10-22a

Jacob’s Dream

[10] Jacob left Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. [11] And he came to a cer-
tain place, and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of
the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to
sleep. [12] And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the
top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and
descending on it! [13] And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the
Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which
you lie I will give to you and to your descendants; [14] and your descendants
shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and
to the east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants
shall all the families of the earth bless themselves. [15] Behold, I am with you
and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will
not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you.” [16] Then
Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place; and I
did not know it.” [17] And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place!
This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

[18] So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone which he had put
under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. [19] He
called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first.
[20] Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in
this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, [21] so that
I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, [22a]
and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house.”

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

28:10-22 The narrative continues with this scene which deals with the first appea-
rance of God to Jacob, when he confirms to him the promise he made to Abra-
ham; it also recalls the foundation of the shrine at Bethel.

It is significant that these events occur in Canaan, the land of the promise and
the land to which Jacob and his sons will later have reason to return. After the
exodus from Egypt and the conquest of the land, the Israelites consulted [the
LORD] at Bethel (cf. Judg 20:18, 26-28); and after the division of the country
into two kingdoms, on the death of Solomon, Bethel became one of the main
religious shrines of the Northern kingdom (cf. 1 Kings 12:26-33).

In the context in which it appears here, the account of Jacob’s dream shows how
the patriarch, strengthened by God who has revealed to him his plan, is now able
to face the long years which he will have to spend away from the promised land.
The Lord will not appear to him again until he returns (cf. 32:22-32). The Lord
does the same thing with us, sometimes allowing quite a time to go by when we
do not feel his presence. “You told me that God sometimes fills you with light for
a while and sometimes does not. I reminded you, firmly, that the Lord is always
infinitely good. That is why those moments of light are enough to help you carry
on; but the times when you see no light are good for you too, and make you
more faithful” (St. J. Escriva. “Furrow”, 341).

28:12. As described in the biblical text, the ladder which Jacob sees in his
dream (which might have been like the staircases in Mesopotamian or Egyptian
temples, copied in turn in the shrines of Canaan) is filled with deep symbolism:
it is the link between heaven and earth. Some Fathers of the Church interpret
this ladder as being divine providence, which reaches earth through the ministry
of angels; others see it as a sign of the Incarnation of Christ (who is of the line
of Jacob), for the Incarnation is truly the time when divine and human join, since
Christ is true God and true man.

In St John’s Gospel we see Jacob’s dream fulfilled in the glorification of Jesus
through his death on the cross: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven
opened, and the angels or God ascending and descending upon the Son of man”
(Jn 1:5 1). And so other prominent interpreters see Jacob’s ladder as represen-
ting the cross, whereby Christ and Christians attain the glory of heaven. St Ber-
nard applied the symbolism of the ladder to the Blessed Virgin: “She is the lad-
der of Jacob, which has twelve rungs, counting the two sides. The right-hand
side is disdain for oneself out of love for God; the left-hand side is disdain for the
world, for love for the Kingdom. The ascent up its twelve rungs represents the
degrees of humility. [...] By these rungs angels ascend and men are raised up...”
(”Sermo ad Beatam Virginem”, 4).

28:14. Once more, divine revelation makes it clear that the reason for choosing
the people of Israel (a choice now confirmed to Jacob) is to have the blessing of
God reach all nations (cf. 12:3), and to let all men, created as they are in God’s
image and likeness (cf. 1:26), benefit from that choice. The fact that God chose
one people does not mean that he has put a limit on his goodness; it is simply
the way that he, the Creator of all, chose to make his fatherly call reach the ears
of all. “Connected with the mystery of creation is the “mystery of the election”,
which in a special way shaped the history of the people whose spiritual father is
Abraham by virtue of his faith. Nevertheless, through this people which journeys
forward through the history both of the Old Covenant and of the New, that mys-
tery of election refers to every man and woman, to the whole great human family.
‘I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have continued my faithful-
ness to you’ (Jer 31:3)” (”Dives in Misericordiae”, 4).

28:20. St John Chrysostom comments that the words “will give me bread to eat”
were endorsed by Jesus in the Our Father: “Give us this day our daily bread”:
“Let us request of him no material things beyond this. I mean, it would be quite
inappropriate to ask of such a generous giver, who enjoys such an abundance
of power, things that will dissolve with this present life and undergo great trans-
formation and decay. All such things are, in fact, human, whether you refer to
wealth, or power, or human glory. Let us instead ask for what lasts forever, for
what is permanent’ (”Homiliae in Genesim”, 54, 5).

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

From: Matthew 9:18-26

The Raising of Jairus’ Daughter

[18] While He (Jesus) was speaking to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt
before Him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on
her, and she will live.” [19] And Jesus rose and followed him, with His disciples.

The Curing of the Woman with a Hemorrhage

[20] And behold, a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years
came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment; [21] for she said to
herself, “If I only touch His garment, I shall be made well.” [22] Jesus turned,
and seeing her He said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.”
And instantly the woman was made well. [23] And when Jesus came to the
ruler’s house, and saw the flute players, and the crowd making a tumult, [24]
He said, “Depart; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.”And they laughed at Him.
[25] But when the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took her by the
hand, and the girl arose. [26] And the report of this went through all that district.

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

18-26. Here are two miracles which occur almost simultaneously. From parallel
passages in Mark (5:21-43) and Luke (8:40-56) we know that the “ruler” (of the
synagogue) referred to here was called Jairus. The Gospels report Jesus raising
three people to life—this girl, the son of the widow of Nain, and Lazarus. In each
case the identity of the person is clearly given.

This account shows us, once again, the role faith plays in Jesus’ saving actions.
In the case of the woman with the hemorrhage we should note that Jesus is won
over by her sincerity and faith: she does not let obstacles get in her way. Simi-
larly, Jairus does not care what people will say; a prominent person in his city,
he humbles himself before Jesus for all to see.

18. “Knelt before Him”: the eastern way of showing respect to God or to impor-
tant people. In the liturgy, especially in the presence of the Blessed Eucharist,
reverences are a legitimate and appropriate external sign of internal faith and
adoration.

23. “The flute players”: engaged to provide music at wakes and funerals.

24. “Depart, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping”: Jesus says the same thing
about Lazarus: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him”
(John 11:11).

Although Jesus speaks of sleep, there is no question of the girl—or Lazarus, later
—not being dead. For our Lord there is only one true death—that of eternal punish-
ment (cf. Matthew 10:28).

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

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

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading
Genesis 28:10-22 ©

Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. When he had reached a certain place he passed the night there, since the sun had set. Taking one of the stones to be found at that place, he made it his pillow and lay down where he was. He had a dream: a ladder was there, standing on the ground with its top reaching to heaven; and there were angels of God going up it and coming down. And the Lord was there, standing over him, saying, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give to you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants shall be like the specks of dust on the ground; you shall spread to the west and the east, to the north and the south, and all the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you and your descendants.

Be sure that I am with you; I will keep you safe wherever you go, and bring you back to this land, for I will not desert you before I have done all that I have promised you.’ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Truly, the Lord is in this place and I never knew it!’ He was afraid and said, ‘How awe-inspiring this place is! This is nothing less than a house of God; this is the gate of heaven!’ Rising early in the morning, Jacob took the stone he had used for his pillow, and set it up as a monument, pouring oil over the top of it. He named the place Bethel, but before that the town was called Luz.

Jacob made this vow, ‘If God goes with me and keeps me safe on this journey I am making, if he gives me bread to eat and clothes to wear, and if I return home safely to my father, then the Lord shall be my God. This stone I have set up as a monument shall be a house of God.’

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 90(91):1-4,14-15 ©

My God, in you I trust.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

and abides in the shade of the Almighty

says to the Lord: ‘My refuge,

my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!’

My God, in you I trust.

It is he who will free you from the snare

of the fowler who seeks to destroy you;

he will conceal you with his pinions

and under his wings you will find refuge.

My God, in you I trust.

Since he clings to me in love, I will free him;

protect him for he knows my name.

When he calls I shall answer: ‘I am with you,’

I will save him in distress.

My God, in you I trust.

Gospel Acclamation	cf.Jn6:63,68

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;

you have the message of eternal life.

Alleluia!

Or	cf.2Tim1:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death

and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.

Alleluia!

Gospel	Matthew 9:18-26 ©

While Jesus was speaking, up came one of the officials, who bowed low in front of him and said, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and her life will be saved.’ Jesus rose and, with his disciples, followed him. Then from behind him came a woman, who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years, and she touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I can only touch his cloak I shall be well again.’ Jesus turned round and saw her; and he said to her, ‘Courage, my daughter, your faith has restored you to health.’ And from that moment the woman was well again.

When Jesus reached the official’s house and saw the flute-players, with the crowd making a commotion he said, ‘Get out of here; the little girl is not dead, she is asleep.’ And they laughed at him. But when the people had been turned out he went inside and took the little girl by the hand; and she stood up. And the news spread all round the countryside.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

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

The Joyful Mysteries

(Mondays and Saturdays)

1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]

Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ

July Devotion: The Precious Blood

July Devotion: The Precious Blood

Like the Sacred Wounds of Jesus, His Precious Blood deserves special honor because of its close relation to the Sacred Passion. That honor was given to it from the beginning by the Apostles who praised its redeeming power. (Rom. 5:9 "we are justified by His blood"; Heb. 13:12 "and so Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people by His blood, suffered outside the gate"; 1 John 1:7 "and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.")

The Church has always held devotion to the Precious Blood in high esteem. We continue to recognize and publicly acknowledge the profound indebtedness of the whole human race to Christ, Priest and Victim.

Standing at the foot of the cross, we see Jesus' head, hands, feet, and side pouring out streams of precious blood. It is precious because it:

• Redeems us and atones for our sins. Through His precious blood we are reconciled to God, made one with Him. Death ceases to be death and heaven's gates are opened to us.

• Cleanses us from all sin.

• Preserves us and keeps us safe from the grasp of evil. When the Father sees us washed in the Blood of the Lamb we are spared.

• Comforts us. It is the constant reminder that Jesus - true God and true man suffered and died to save us and to open heaven to us because He loves us.

• Sanctifies us. The same blood that justifies by taking away sin, continues to work within us. Its action gives us the grace to continue on the path toward the Kingdom of God. It assists us in achieving our new nature, leading us onward in subduing sin and in following the commands of God.

Jesus shed His precious blood seven times during His life on earth. They events were:

• Jesus shed His Blood in the Circumcision

• Jesus shed His Blood whilst praying in the Garden of Olives

• Jesus shed His Blood in the scourging

• Jesus shed His Blood in the crowning with thorns

• Jesus shed His Blood while carrying His cross

• Jesus shed His Blood in the crucifixion

• Jesus shed His Blood and water when His side was pierced

The Power of the Precious Blood

"I adore You, O Precious Blood of Jesus, flower of creation, fruit of virginity, ineffable instrument of the Holy Spirit, and I rejoice at the thought that You came from the drop of virginal blood on which eternal Love impressed its movement; You were assumed by the Word and deified in His person. I am overcome with emotion when I think of Your passing from the Blessed Virgin's heart into the heart of the Word, and, being vivified by the breath of the Divinity, becoming adorable because You became the Blood of God." (St. Albert the Great)

At their recent meeting, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had continuous Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for "healing and peace." They encouraged parishes and communities to have ongoing Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In these dark months of woundedness, pain and violence we need to turn to the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist, for healing, peace, and light.

"What power we have in the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist! He is there to protect us, to be our refuge and our redemption. (In Exodus 12, God told Moses to have His chosen people mark their door posts with the blood of an unblemished lamb, during the first Passover. Those who did this were spared when the Angel of the death passed by). This is why Archbishop Sheen said that we must call down the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. For, he warned, when we stop calling down the Blood of the Lamb, we start calling down the blood of each other." (From our book Bread of Life)

"And the Lamb on the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water" (Rev 7:17).

"In the tumultuous events of our time, it is important to look to the Eucharist: it must be at the heart of the life of priests and consecrated people; the light and strength of spouses in putting into practice their commitment to fidelity, chastity and the apostolate; the ideal in education and in training children, adolescents and young people; the comfort and support of those who are troubled, of the sick and all who are weeping in the Gethsemane of life." (Pope John Paul II)

Precious Blood of Jesus, save us!

"The only time our Lord asked the Apostles for anything was the night when He went into His agony. But as often in the history of the church since that time, evil was awake, but the disciples were asleep. That is why there came out of His anguished and lonely Heart a sigh: 'Could you not watch one hour with Me?'" (Mt 26:40). Not for an hour of activity did he plead, but for an hour of friendship (Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen).

St. Maria Goretti, Patroness of Youth & Children of Mary, Feast-July 6 St. Maria of Italy (1890-1902), couldn't wait to make her First Communion. She wanted to receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist so that she could become more beautiful and pure like Him; she wanted Him to live in her, close to her heart. After she received Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for the first time, she stayed in Church for a long time after Mass to talk to Him. Maria's family lived with and worked for a farmer. His son Alessandro kept trying to make Maria sin against purity. One day, when everyone else was working, Alessandro grabbed Maria and tried to make her sin. Maria kept crying out for him to stop, and each time she did, he stabbed her. Courageously, Maria resisted him and was stabbed fourteen times. St. Maria died the next day.

"Look at Maria Goretti.... Like her, be capable of defending your purity of heart and body. Be committed to the struggle against evil and sin. Always esteem and love, purity and virginity." (Pope John Paul II, 1990)

A Prayer for Priests

O my God, help those priests who are faithful to remain faithful; to those who are falling, stretch forth Your Divine Hand that they may grasp it as their support. In the great ocean of Your mercy, lift those poor unfortunate ones who have fallen, that being engulfed therein they may receive the grace to return to Your Great Loving Heart. Amen. Precious Blood of Jesus, protect them!

The Eucharist is the fruit of our Lords Passion. Jesus gave up His Body on the cross so that He may give you His Body in the Holy Eucharist. Jesus poured out His very last drop of Blood on the cross so that He may fill you with His Divine Love each time that you receive Him in Holy Communion and visit Him in Eucharistic Adoration!

"The Eucharist, in the Mass and outside of the Mass, is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and is therefore deserving of the worship that is given to the living God, and to Him alone" (Pope John Paul II, September 29, 1979, Phoenix Park, Ireland)

"The bread and wine, fruit of human hands, transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit into the body and blood of Christ, become a pledge of the 'new heaven and new earth,' announced by the Church in her daily mission." "In Christ, whom we adore present in the mystery of the Eucharist, the father uttered his final word with regard to humanity and human history." "To live the Eucharist, it is necessary, as well, to spend much time in adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament, something which I myself experience every day drawing from it strength, consolation and assistance." "How could the Church fulfill her vocation without cultivating a constant relationship with the Eucharist, without nourishing herself with this food which sanctifies, without founding her missionary activity on this indispensable support?" "To evangelize the world there is need of apostles who are 'experts' in the celebration, adoration and contemplation of the Eucharist" (Pope John Paul II, World Mission Message 2004).

The Power of the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist

"The Precious Blood belongs in an especial manner to men. Much more, therefore, does God invite them to come to its heavenly baths, and receive therein, not only the cleansing of their souls, but the power of a new and amazing life. Every doctrine in theology is a call to the Precious Blood. Every ceremony in the Church tells of it . . . . Every supernatural act is a growth of it. Everything that is holy on earth is either a leaf, bud, blossom or fruit of the Blood of Jesus. To its fountains God calls the sinner, that he may be lightened of his burdens. There is no remission of him in anything else. Only there is his lost sonship to be found. The saints are no less called by God to these invigorating streams. It is out of the Precious Blood that men draw martyrdoms, vocations, celebacies, austerities, heroic charities, and all the magnificent graces of high sanctity. The secret nourishment of prayer is from those fountains" (Father Faber, The Precious Blood).

The Most Precious Blood of Jesus
July is traditionally associated with the Precious Blood of Our Lord. It may be customary to celebrate the votive Mass of the Precious Blood on July 1.

The extraordinary importance of the saving Blood of Christ has ensured a central place for its memorial in the celebration of this cultic mystery: at the centre of the Eucharistic assembly, in which the Church raises up to God in thanksgiving "the cup of blessing" (1 Cor 10, 16; cf Ps 115-116, 13) and offers it to the faithful as a "real communion with the Blood of Christ" (1 Cor 10, 16); and throughout the Liturgical Year. The Church celebrates the saving Blood of Christ not only on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, but also on many other occasions, such that the cultic remembrance of the Blood of our redemption (cf 1 Pt 1, 18) pervades the entire Liturgical Year. Hence, at Vespers during Christmastide, the Church, addressing Christ, sings: "Nos quoque, qui sancto tuo redempti sumus sanguine, ob diem natalis tui hymnum novum concinimus." In the Paschal Triduum, the redemptive significance and efficacy of the Blood of Christ is continuously recalled in adoration. During the adoration of the Cross on Good Friday the Church sings the hymn: "Mite corpus perforatur, sanguis unde profluit; terra, pontus, astra, mundus quo lavanturflumine", and again on Easter Sunday, "Cuius corpus sanctissimum in ara crucis torridum, sed et cruorem roesum gustando, Deo vivimus (194).

Catholic Word of the Day: LITANY OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD, 09-25-12
ST. GASPAR: Founder of the Society of the Precious Blood
Mass in the Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (London, 9/18)

Devotion to the Drops of Blood Lost by our Lord Jesus Christ on His Way to Calvary (Prayer/Devotion)
Chaplet of the Most Precious Blood
Catholic Word of the Day: PRECIOUS BLOOD, 12-03-11
The Traditional Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Catholic Caucus)
Devotion to the Precious Blood
DOCTRINE OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,And More on the Precious Blood
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
NOTHING IS MORE POTENT AGAINST EVIL THAN PLEADING THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you" (Jn 6:53).

Daily Gospel Commentary

Monday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint Hilary (c.315-367), Bishop of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church
Commentary on Saint Matthew's Gospel, 9, 5-8 (cf SC 254, p 209f)

"The girl is not dead but sleeping"

This synagogue official can be understood as representing the Law of Moses who, when interceding on behalf of the crowd he had nurtured for Christ by preaching the expectation of his coming, asks the Lord to restore a dead woman to life... The Lord promised to help him and, to assure him of it, he followed him.

First of all, however, the mass of pagan sinners was saved together with the apostles. The gift of life reverted in the first place to the elect predestined by the Law and yet, before that, salvation was bestowed on publicans and sinners in the image of the woman. That was why this woman was confident that, coming upon the Lord as he passed by, she would be healed of her haemorrhage at the touch of the Lord's garment... In her faith she was in haste to touch the fringe of his garment, that is to say to attain, together with the apostles, the gift of the Holy Spirit emanating from Christ's body after the manner of a fringe. She was swiftly healed. Thus the cure intended for the one was also granted to the other, whose faith and perseverance the Lord praised since what had been prepared for Israel had been received by the gentiles... The healing power of the Lord contained in his body spread even to the fringes of his garments. For indeed God is neither divisible nor graspable in such a way as to be enclosed within a body. He himself shares out his gifts in the Spirit but is not divided among his gifts. In every place his power is touched by faith because it exists everywhere and is never absent from anywhere. The body he took did not restrict his power but his power took on the weakness of a body to redeem it...

Then the Lord entered the official's house, otherwise called the synagogue..., and many people mocked him. Effectively, they didn't believe in the God-man and laughed to hear him preach the resurrection from the dead. Taking the young girl's hand the Lord restored her to life, whose death, where he was concerned, was nothing but a dream.

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July 10, 2017

Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Gn 28:10-22a

Responsorial Psalm Ps 91:1-2, 3-4, 14-15ab

Alleluia See 2 Tm 1:10

Gospel Mt 9:18-26

Readings at Mass

July, 2017

Pope's Prayer Intention

Lapsed Christians: That our brothers and sisters who have strayed from the faith, through our prayer and witness to the Gospel, may rediscover the merciful closeness of the Lord and the beauty of the Christian life.|

Monday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time

July, 2017

Pope's Prayer Intention

Lapsed Christians: That our brothers and sisters who have strayed from the faith, through our prayer and witness to the Gospel, may rediscover the merciful closeness of the Lord and the beauty of the Christian life.|