Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 07-20-17, OM, St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 07-20-17 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:  And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.  Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.  Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.  Hail Mary . . .  And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.  Hail Mary . . .  Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.  Let us pray:  Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.  "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)   "Blessed are you among women,  and blessed is the fruit of your womb" (Lk 1:42).

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Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 11
28.	Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you.	Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis, et onerati estis, et ego reficiam vos.	δευτε προς με παντες οι κοπιωντες και πεφορτισμενοι καγω αναπαυσω υμας
29.	Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls.	Tollite jugum meum super vos, et discite a me, quia mitis sum, et humilis corde : et invenietis requiem animabus vestris.	αρατε τον ζυγον μου εφ υμας και μαθετε απ εμου οτι πραος ειμι και ταπεινος τη καρδια και ευρησετε αναπαυσιν ταις ψυχαις υμων
30.	For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.	Jugum enim meum suave est, et onus meum leve.	ο γαρ ζυγος μου χρηστος και το φορτιον μου ελαφρον εστιν

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28. Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest to your souls.
30. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

CHRYS; By what He had said, He brought His disciples to have a desire towards Him, showing them His unspeakable excellence; and now He invites them to Him, saying, Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden.

AUG; Whence do we all thus labor, but that we are mortal men, bearing vessels of clay which cause us much difficulty. But if the vessels of flesh are straitened, the regions of love will be enlarged. To what end then does He say, Come to me, all you who labor, but that you should not labor?

HILARY; He calls to Him those that were laboring under the hardships of the Law, and those who are burdened with the sins of this world.

JEROME; That the burden of sin is heavy, the Prophet Zachariah bears witness, saying, that wickedness sits upon a talent of lead. And the Psalmist fills it up, your iniquities are grown heavy upon me.

GREG; For a cruel yoke and hard weight of servitude it is to be subject to the things of time, to be ambitious of the things of earth, to cling to falling things, to seek to stand in things that stand not, to desire things that pass away, but to be unwilling to pass away with them. For while all things fly away against our wish, those things which had first harassed the mind in desire of gaining them, now oppress it with fear of losing them.

CHRYS; He said not, Come you, this man and that man, but all whosoever are in trouble, in sorrow, or in sin, not that I may exact punishment of you, but that I may remit your sins. Come you, not that I have need of your glory, but that I seek your salvation. And I will refresh you. Not, I will save you, only; but that is much greater, I will then refresh you, that is, I will set you in all quietness.

RABAN; I will not only take from you your burden, but will satisfy you with inward refreshment.

REMIG; Come, He says not with the feet, but with the life, not in the body, but in faith. For that is a spiritual approach by which any man approaches God; and therefore it follows, Take my yoke upon you.

RABAN; The yoke of Christ is Christ's Gospel which joins and yokes together Jews and Gentiles in the unity of the faith. This we are commanded to take upon us that is, to have in honor; lest perchance setting it beneath us, that is wrongly despising it, we should trample upon it with the miry feet of unholiness; wherefore He adds, learn of me.

AUG; Not to create a world, or to do miracles in that world; but that I am meek and lowly in heart. Would you be great? Begin with the least. Would you build up a mighty fabric of greatness? First think of the foundation of humility; for the mightier building any seek to raise, the deeper let him dig for his foundation. Whither is the summit of our building to rise? To the sight of God.

RABAN; We must learn then from our Savior to be meek in temper, and lowly in mind; let us hurt none, let us despise none, and the virtues which we have strewn in deed let us retain in our heart.

CHRYS; And therefore in beginning the Divine Law He begins with humility, and sets before us a great reward, saying, And you shall find rest for your souls. This is the highest reward, you shall not only be made useful to others, but shall make yourself to have peace; and He gives you the promise of it before it comes, but when it is come, you shall rejoice in perpetual rest. And that they might not be afraid because He had spoken of a burden, therefore He adds, For my yoke is pleasant, and my burden light.

HILARY; He holds forth the inducements of a pleasant yoke, and a light burden, that to them that believe He may afford the knowledge of that good which He alone knows in the Father.

GREG; What burden is it to put upon the neck of our mind that He bids us shun all desire that disturbs, and turn from the toilsome paths of this world?

HILARY; And what is more pleasant than that yoke, what lighter than that burden? To be made better, to abstain from wickedness, to choose the good, and refuse the evil, to love all men, to hate none, to gain eternal things, not to be taken with things present, to be unwilling to do that to another which yourself would be pained to suffer.

RABAN; But how is Christ's yoke pleasant, seeing it was said man above, Narrow is the way which leads to life? That which yoke is entered upon by a narrow entrance is in process of time made broad by the unspeakable sweetness of love.

AUG; So then the they who with an unfearing neck have submitted to the yoke of the Lord endure such hardships and dangers, that they seem beneath to be called not from labor to rest, but from rest to labor. But the Holy Spirit was there who, as the outward man decayed, renewed the inward man day by day, and giving a foretaste of spiritual rest in the rich pleasures of God in the hope of blessedness to come, smoothed all that seemed rough, lightened all that was heavy. Men suffer amputations and burning, that at the price of sharper pain they may be delivered from torments less but more lasting, as boils or swellings. What storms and dangers will not merchants undergo that they may acquire perishing riches? Even those who love not riches endure the same hardships; but those that love them endure the same, but to them they are not hardships. For love makes right easy, and almost nothing all things however dreadful and monstrous. How much more easily then does love do that for true happiness, which avarice does for misery as far as it can?

JEROME; And how is the Gospel lighter than the Law, seeing in the Law murder and adultery, but under the Gospel anger and concupiscence also, are punished? Because by the Law many things are commanded which the Apostle fully teaches us cannot be fulfilled; by the Law works are required, by the Gospel the will is sought for, which even if it goes not into act, yet does not lose its reward. The Gospel commands what we can do, as that we lust not; this is in our own power; the Law punishes not the will but the act, as adultery Suppose a virgin to have been violated in time of persecution, as here was not the will she is held as a virgin under the Gospel; under the Law she is cast out as defiled.

Catena Aurea Matthew 11

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Christ Carrying the Cross

Girolamo della Robbia

1513-14
Glazed terracotta, 172 x 77 cm
Certosa del Galluzzo, Florence

[Salvation]

Saint Apollinaris

Fr. Don Miller, OFM

Image: Statue of Saint Apollinaris in Santa Maria del Suffragio, Ravenna | José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro

Saint Apollinaris

Saint of the Day for July 20

(d. c. 79)

 

Saint Apollinaris’ Story

According to tradition, Saint Peter sent Apollinaris to Ravenna, Italy, as its first bishop. His preaching of the Good News was so successful that the pagans there beat him and drove him from the city. He returned, however, and was exiled a second time. After preaching in the area surrounding Ravenna, he entered the city again. After being cruelly tortured, he was put on a ship heading to Greece. Pagans there caused him to be expelled to Italy, where he went to Ravenna for a fourth time. He died from wounds received during a savage beating at Classis, a suburb of Ravenna. A beautiful basilica honoring him was built there in the sixth century.

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Reflection

Following Jesus involves risks—sometimes the supreme risk of life itself. Martyrs are people who would rather accept the risk of death than deny the cornerstone of their whole life: faith in Jesus Christ. Everyone will die eventually—the persecutors and those persecuted. The question is what kind of a conscience people will bring before the Lord for judgment. Remembering the witness of past and present martyrs can help us make the often small sacrifices that following Jesus today may require.

[Salvation]

SAINT APOLLINARIS of RAVENNA, First Bishop of Ravenna and Martyr [Apollinarius]

[Salvation]

Information: St. Margaret of Antioch

Feast Day: July 20

Born: Antioch (in Pisidia)

Died: 304

Patron of: childbirth, pregnant women, dying people, kidney disease, peasants, exiles, falsely accused people; nurses

[Salvation]

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Joseph Barsabbas

Feast Day: July 20
Born/Died: (around the time of Jesus)

The Acts of the Apostles in the Bible, mentions that St. Peter wanted to replace Judas after Jesus' resurrection. Peter, who did not want to show favoritism, asked the community to suggest someone. He wanted a person who had been among the disciples from the time Jesus was baptized by John until the Lord's death and resurrection.

The first Christians suggested two men, who were equally good. One was Joseph, called Barsabbas or Joseph the Just, and the other was Matthias. "One of these men must become a witness with us of Jesus' resurrection," Peter said.

The community prayed. "Lord," they said, "you know the hearts of each of us here. Help us to know the person who should take the place of Judas." Then they "cast lots." The man selected was Matthias and he was added to the company of apostles.

Soon the disciples spread out and went with the mission to preach the good news of salvation to all nations. Joseph Barsabbas preached in many places using his energy to spread the Good News. His love for the Church and his dedication whether he was chosen or not, are his gift to us.

Reflection: When we sometimes feel unappreciated for what we have done, we can pray to the Holy Spirit to free us from the need to be praised.

[Salvation]

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Thursday, July 20

Liturgical Color: Green

Today is the optional memorial
of St. Paul of the Cross, priest.
He founded the Passionists, an
order devoted to the Passion of
Christ. St. Paul was a renowned
preacher and mystic, dying in 1775.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: July 20th

Optional Memorial of St. Apollinaris, bishop and martyr

MASS READINGS

July 20, 2017 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Direct your faithful, Lord, in the way of eternal salvation, which the Bishop Saint Apollinaris showed by his teaching and martyrdom, and grant, through, his intercession, that we may so persevere in keeping your commandments as to merit being crowned with him. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Recipes (1)

• Moussaka

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Activities (1)

• Fourteen Holy Helpers

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Prayers (2)

• Litany of the Fourteen Holy Helpers
• Novena to St. Anne

  Old Calendar: St. Jerome Emiliani, confessor; St. Margaret of Antioch, virgin and martyr; Ellias the Prophet (Eastern Church and Carmelite Order)

  Early accounts report that Saint Apollinaris was ordained Bishop by Saint Peter himself and sent as a missionary bishop to Ravenna during the reign of the emperor Claudius. Renowned for his powers to heal in the name of Christ, he was frequently exiled, tortured and imprisoned for the faith, and finally martyred.

  This optional memorial is new to the USA liturgical calendar and will be inscribed on July 20. It was dropped from the General Roman Calendar in 1968, at that time this feast was celebrated on July 23. This was the feast of St. Jerome Emiliani whose optional memorial is now celebrated on February 8. Today was also the commemoration of St. Margaret of Antioch, probably a virgin martyr of the third century. Her veneration spread from the East to the West at the time of the crusades. She is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.

  Elias the Prophet's feast is celebrated today by the Eastern Church. He is revered as the spiritual Father and traditional founder of the Catholic religious Order of Carmelites. In addition to taking their name from Mt. Carmel where the first hermits of the order established themselves, the Calced Carmelite and Discalced Carmelite traditions pertaining to Elijah focus upon the prophet’s withdrawal from public life.[33][34] The medieval Carmelite Book of the First Monks offers some insight into the heart of the Orders' contemplative vocation and reverence for the prophet.

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  St. Apollinaris
  Apollinaris came to Rome from Antioch with the prince of the apostles, by whom he was consecrated bishop, and sent to Ravenna to preach the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. He converted many to the faith of Christ, for which reason he was seized by the priests of the idols and severely beaten. At his prayer, a nobleman named Boniface, who had long been dumb, recovered the power of speech, and his daughter was delivered from an unclean spirit; on this account a fresh sedition was raised against Apollinaris. He was beaten with rods, and made to walk barefoot over burning coals; but as the fire did him no injury, he was driven from the city.

  He lay hidden some time in the house of certain Christians, and then went to Aemilia. Here he raised from the dead the daughter of Rufinus, a patrician, whose whole family thereupon believed in Jesus Christ. The prefect was greatly angered by this conversion, and sending for Apollinaris he sternly commanded him to give over propagating the faith of Christ in the city. But as Apollinaris paid no attention to his commands, he was tortured on the rack, boiling water was poured upon his wounds, and his mouth was bruised and broken with a stone; finally he was loaded with irons, and shut up in prison. Four days afterwards he was put on board ship and sent into exile; but the boat was wrecked, and Apollinaris arrived in Mysia, whence he passed to the banks of the Danube and into Thrace.

  In the temple of Serapis the demon refused to utter his oracles so long as the disciple of the apostle Peter remained there. Search was made for some time, and then Apollinaris was discovered and commanded to depart by sea. Thus he returned to Ravenna; but on the accusation of the same priests of the idols, he was placed in the custody of a centurion. As this man, however, worshipped Christ in secret, Apollinaris was allowed to escape by night. When this became known, he was pursued and overtaken by the guards, who loaded him with blows and left him, as they thought, dead. He was carried away by the Christians, and seven days after, while exhorting them to constancy in the faith, he passed away from this life, to be crowned with the glory of martyrdom. His body was buried near the city walls.

  Excerpted from Roman Martyrology

  Patron: Ravenna, Italy.

  Symbols: White vestments and black cross; club; hot coals; raven; crown; stones; cauldron of boiling water; chains; sword.
  Often Portrayed As: Bishop with a club; standing or seated on hot coals; bearded, in a chasuble and pallium, with sheep around him; preaching to sheep.

  Things to Do:

  • The Basilica of St. Apollinaris is considered the cradle of the Christian Faith in Italy and preserves the body of St. Apollinaris. Read the Pope John Paul II's message on the 1,450th anniversary of the dedication of the Basilica and view some of the beautiful mosaics in the Basilicas of St. Apollinaris and St. Vitalis (German site - click on the main graphic, you don't have to speak German to enjoy the beautiful pictures!) and also this site on Ravenna Mosaics which includes some history. This link gives a little information about Byzantine Italy. More pictures and maps. This link will give you the historical background on how Ravenna, Italy ended up with the glories of Byzantium in its Basilicas. Read what the Catholic Encyclopedia says about Ravenna.

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  St. Margaret of Antioch, Virgin and Martyr

  St. Margaret's feast has been suppressed because there is not much historical information about her life. There was great devotion to this saint, especially during the Middle Ages. She is one of the "Fourteen Holy Helpers" and one of the saints that appeared and spoke to St. Joan of Arc.

  "This same day brings before us a rival of the warrior-martyr, St. George: Margaret, like him victorious over the dragon, and like him called in the Menaea of the Greeks, the Great Martyr. The cross was her weapon; and, like the soldier, the virgin, too, consummated her trial in her blood. They were equally renowned in those chivalrous times when valor and faith fought hand in hand for Christ beneath the standard of the saints. So early as the seventh century our Western island rivaled the East in honoring the pearl drawn from the abyss of infidelity. Before the disastrous schism brought about by Henry VIII, the Island of Saints celebrated this feast as a double of the second class; women alone were obliged to rest from servile work, in gratitude for the protection afforded them by St. Margaret at the moment of childbirth—a favor which ranked her among the saints called in the Middle Ages auxiliaries or helpers. But it was not in England alone that Margaret was invoked, as history proves by the many and illustrious persons of all countries who have borne her blessed name."

  Excerpted from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.

  Patron: against sterility; childbirth; dying; escape from devils; exiles; expectant mothers; falsely accused people; kidney disease; loss of milk by nursing mothers; Lowestoft, Suffolk, England; martyrs; nurses; peasants; people in exile; Queens College Cambridge; women; women in labour.

  Symbols: Chained dragon; dragon burst asunder; girdle; sheep; garland of pearls; daisy; wreath of marguerites; long cross; crown.
  Often Portrayed As: shepherdess; woman carrying a small cross in her hand; woman carrying a small girdle in her hand; woman leading a chained dragon; woman standing next to a cauldron or large vessel; woman standing with, on, or beside a dead dragon.
  

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Matthew 11:28-30

Saint Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (Optional Memorial)

Take my yoke upon you. (Matthew 11:29)

Have you ever talked to a newly engaged woman? Beaming with excitement, she eagerly shows you her ring and can’t stop talking about her dreams for the future. She has agreed to join someone on a lifelong journey, and the prospect fills her with joy and eager anticipation.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is not giving us an engagement ring, but he is inviting us to be yoked with him. He is inviting us to join him on an exciting lifelong journey.

Now, the word “yoke” probably doesn’t conjure up feelings of joy and excitement, and for good reason. A yoke is a heavy piece of equipment used to harness a team of animals for difficult labor. Even in Scripture, it tends to have a negative connotation. For example, God describes Israel’s captivity in Egypt as a “yoke” (Leviticus 26:13), and St. Paul talks about the “yoke” of the Law (Galatians 5:1). But that all changed with Jesus. His yoke is altogether different. Instead of laying a heavy burden on us, he offers us grace and freedom: freedom from the power of sin and grace to become more like him.

Being yoked to Jesus means putting ourselves under his direction: he sets the course, and we follow. And as we do, we find him walking beside us at every step. He helps us to hold our tongues or choose encouraging words. He moves us to be more charitable toward the people around us. He gives us the peace we need to endure trying situations. When we are yoked to Jesus, he helps us bear every burden.

Today consider Jesus’ invitation to accept his yoke. Think about his offer of grace and his promise to teach you and guide you. When you are ready, say, “Lord, I want to take your yoke and learn from you.” Then, every morning consecrate yourself to him anew. Tell him you want to be his disciple and to learn to live as he would. To help remind you about his yoke, put a rosary in your pocket. Every time you touch it during the day, pause and recall that you are yoked with Jesus. Remember that he is walking beside you, carrying your burdens and helping you walk in true freedom. He is with you at every step.

“Lord, I want to take your yoke upon me and learn from you.”

Exodus 3:13-20
Psalm 105:1, 5, 8-9, 24-27

[Salvation]

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

Daily Marriage Tip for July 20, 2017:

(Reader’s Tip) Say “thank you,” especially for the little things. It lets your spouse know you noticed and appreciated what they did, no matter how little the task.

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

July 20, 2017 – Weary of Heart

20 Jul 2017

Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Father Shawn Aaron, LC

Matthew 11: 28-30

Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.”

Introductory Prayer: Almighty and ever-living God, I seek new strength from the courage of Christ our shepherd. I believe in you, I hope in you, and I seek to love you with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength. I want to be led one day to join the saints in heaven, where your Son Jesus Christ lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

Petition: Lord Jesus, meek and humble of heart, help me to take on your yoke.

1. Come to Me: If you struggle daily to do what is morally right even when those around you take shortcuts, then come to Jesus. If the life of selfish pleasure and illicit gain seems exceedingly attractive, then come to Jesus. If you are burdened with your patterns of sin and weaknesses of character that affect your vocation as a spouse, a parent, a friend, a consecrated soul, a Christian…, then come to Jesus. If life seems unfair and God seems distant at best, then come to Jesus. He calls us not to a set of principles and noble ideals, but to his very person. We do not follow rules for the sake of rules; we follow Jesus. Only when we have first come to him will we understand the need for the rules which simply help protect the dignity of this relationship.

2. Learn from Me: St. Paul admonishes the Galatians to live in the freedom of Christ: “For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). Yet in his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul invites us to be “slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart” (6:5). To be a slave means that I submit to the will of another or am subordinated (unwillingly) to one stronger than I in some way. One who is a slave of passion, vanity, selfishness or any other vice is subject to that vice as something more powerful than oneself. But Jesus calls us friends and not slaves (cf. John 15:14-15). So to be a “slave” of Christ means to entrust my life to him freely with the intention of following where he leads. Experience shows that he always guides us down the path that leads to our happiness and fulfillment, even when it entails the cross.

3. Rest for Yourselves: These words mean “rest,” not in the sense of cessation from work and struggle, but in the sense of peace of soul, joy and profound happiness. This is the rest that we all long for, the rest that will one day be uninterrupted in the bliss of heaven. We have each met individuals who experience this peace and joy despite their circumstances. Notice that Jesus does not promise to take away the burdens, the trials, the sufferings. But if we take his yoke upon ourselves, if we submit to his plan, his will, his love, he guarantees the joy. If you have never experienced it, then begin today; give him what you know in your heart he is asking of you. Although it may hurt at first, as does every yoke, this one brings the lightness of peace and the ease of joy.

Conversation with Christ: Blessed Lord, you lead me towards everlasting peace if I will simply follow, but following does not always seem simple. Give me the very things you ask of me: faith, generosity, courage, trust, love. With these gifts and your grace I will have the strength necessary for the journey.

Resolution: Today I will pray an extra decade of the rosary for the persons who are farthest away from Jesus.

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

July 20, 2017

In the first reading, we see the majesty of God revealing himself to Moses in the burning bush, “I Am Who Am.” He reminds Moses of his past dealings with Israel through their fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Through Moses he will perform many great deeds for them to free them from the slavery of Pharaoh in Egypt and to bring them to the promised land. In their long journey to the promised land God will establish a covenant with them in the Ten Commandments. I Am Who Am, the all powerful Creator God, will do great deeds for Israel. He is also the God who saves and also punishes.

In the short Gospel reading we see another face of God in his Son Jesus Christ: “Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is good and my burden is light.”

We see Jesus inviting his followers to come to him for rest, peace and re-assurance. We see Jesus telling us that, with him and his grace, our burdens will be light and bearable because we do not bear them by ourselves, but with Christ and his help.

I Am Who Am, before whom Moses stood in amazement and fear at the burning bush revelation, invites each one of us to the loving heart of Jesus, who is gentle and humble of heart, to ease our burdens and to give us quiet and rest.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espa�ol

All Issues > Volume 33, Issue 4

<< Thursday, July 20, 2017 >>

St. Apollinaris

Exodus 3:13-20
View Readings

Psalm 105:1, 5, 8-9, 24-27

Matthew 11:28-30
Similar Reflections

REST STOP

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you." �Matthew 11:28

Imagine yourself coming to Jesus with this huge burden on your back. Jesus takes the burden off your shoulders (see Ps 81:7). Before you even can thank Him and walk away unburdened, He takes a humongous burden off of His back and puts it on yours. Now you've got more to carry than ever before. For some reason, however, His yoke is easy and His burden light (Mt 11:30). Because this is Jesus' burden, He is bearing most of the weight. You are another Simon of Cyrene helping Jesus carry the cross (Lk 23:26). You're made to carry this cross. You're rested and strengthened in carrying this cross. You come to a point where you boast of nothing but the cross of Jesus Christ (Gal 6:14).

Realistically, we cannot be unburdened in this life on earth. We can only be re-burdened with Jesus' burden, the cross. Pretending that we can unburden ourselves makes life more burdensome. We make life harder by trying to make it easier. Paradoxically, the heaviest burden, that is, the cross, is the easiest to carry because Jesus carried it. It is in striving to carry the cross that we enter into His rest (see Heb 4:11). Take up your cross daily (Lk 9:23) and get the best rest you'll get on this earth.

Prayer: Father, give me both earthly and eternal rest.

Promise: "I am concerned about you and about the way you are being treated in Egypt." �Ex 3:16

Praise: After St. Apollinaris was exiled and martyred, many miracles were attributed to him.

[Salvation]

For every mother-to-be or father-to-be approaching the doors of the abortion clinic — here is a prayer for you.

“Mary, Mother of Jesus be a mother to be now, make me better.”

—prayer from Mother Teresa of Calcutta.