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From: Deuteronomy 6:4-13

The Shema

(Moses said to the people,) [4] “Hear; 0 Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD;
[5] and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your
soul, and with all your might. [6] And these words which I command you this
day shall be upon your heart; [7] and you shall teach them diligently to your chil-
dren, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by
the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. [8] And you shall bind them
as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. [9]
And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

An Appeal for Faithfulness

[10] “And when the LORD your God brings you into the land which he swore to
your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, with great and good-
ly cities, which you did not build, [11] and houses full of all good things, which you
did not fill, and cisterns hewn out, which you did not hew, and vineyards and olive
trees, which you did not plant, and when you eat and are full, [12] then take heed
lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the
house of bondage. [13] You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve him,
and swear by his name.”

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

6:19. This is a very moving text and one of special importance for the faith and
life of the chosen people. The high-point comes at v. 5, which is reminiscent of
other pages of the Old Testament (Deut 10:12; Hos 2:21-22; 6:6). The love
which God seeks from Israel is preceded by God’s love for Israel (cf. Deut 5:32-
33). Here we touch one of the central points of God’s revelation to mankind,
both in the Old and in the New Testament: over and above everything else,
God is love (cf., e.g., 1 Jn 4:8-16).

Verse 4 is a clear, solemn profession of monotheism, which is a distinctive fea-
ture of Israel that marks it out from the nations round about (cf. the note on 5:6-
10). The first Hebrew word of v. 4 (”shema”: “Hear”) has given its name to the
famous prayer which the Israelites recited over the centuries and which is made
up largely of 6:4:9; 11:18-21 and Numbers 5:37-41. Pious Jews still say it today,
every morning and evening. In the Catholic Church, vv. 4-7 are said at Compline
after first vespers on Sundays and solemnities in the Liturgy of Hours.

The exhortations in vv. 8-9 were given a literal interpretation by the Jews: this is
the origin of phylacteries and of the “mezuzah”. Phylacteries were short tassels
or tapes which were attached to the forehead and to the left arm, and each tas-
sel held a tiny box containing a biblical text, the two Deuteronomy texts of the
“Shema” plus Exodus 3:1-10, 11-16; in our Lord’s time the Pharisees wore wider
tassels to give the impression that they were particularly observant of the Law
(cf. Mt 23:5). The “mezuzah” is a small box, attached to the doorposts of
houses, which contains a parchment or piece of paper inscribed with the two
texts from Deuteronomy referred to; Jews touch the “mezuzah” with their fin-
gers, which they then kiss, on entering or leaving the house.

6:5. God asks Israel for all its love. Yet, is love something that can be made the
subject of a commandment? What God asks of Israel, and of each of us, is not
a mere feeling which man cannot control; it is something that has to do with the
will. It is an affection which can and should be cultivated by taking to heart, ever-
more profoundly, our filial relationship with our Father; as the New Testament (1
Jn 4:10,19) will later put it: “In this is love, not that we loved God but that he
loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.[...] We love, because
he first loved us.” That is why God can indeed promulgate the precept of love;
as he does in this verse of Deuteronomy (6:5) and further on in 10:12-13.

“With all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (v. 5): the
wording shows that love for God should be total. Our Lord will quote these verses
(4-5), which were so familiar to his listeners, when identifying the first and most
important of the commandments (cf Mt 12:29-30).

“When someone asks him ‘Which commandment in the Law is the greatest?’
(Mt 22:36), Jesus replies: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first com-
mandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On
these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets’ (Mt 22:37-40; cf.
Deut 6:5; Lev 19:18). The Decalogue must be interpreted in light of this twofold
yet single commandment of love, the fullness of the Law” (”Catechism of the
Catholic Church”, 2055).

6:13. The exhortation to fear of the Lord is to be found often in Deuteronomy and
in the entire Old Testament. It does not mean an irrational fear or terror in regard
to Yahweh. Fear of the Lord is, rather, a rule of behavior, equivalent to being faith-
ful to the Covenant, obeying the commandments, walking in the way of the Lord,
serving him with all one’s heart (cf. 10:12); it is a fear which means that one fears
nothing else—enemies or strange gods (cf. e.g., 5:7; 6:14; 11:16). In practice, a
“God-fearing” Jew is a devout Jew (cf., e.g., 1 Kings 18:3; Lk 1:50).

*********************************************************************************************
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 17:14-20

The Curing of an Epileptic Boy

[14] And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and kneeling be-
fore him said, [15] “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he
suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. [16] And I
brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” [17] And Jesus an-
swered, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How
long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” [18] And Jesus rebuked him,
and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. [19] Then the
disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” [20]
He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have
faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move hence to
yonder place,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.”

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

14-21. This episode of the curing of the boy shows both Christ’s omnipotence
and the power of prayer full of faith. Because of his deep union with Christ, a
Christian shares, through faith, in God’s own omnipotence, to such an extent
that Jesus actually says on another occasion, “he who believes in me will also
do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go
to the Father” (Jn 14:12).

Our Lord tells the Apostles that if they had faith they would be able to work mi-
racles, to move mountains. “Moving mountains” was probably a proverbial sa-
ying. God would certainly let a believer move a mountain if that were necessary
for his glory and for the edification of one’s neighbor; however, Christ’s promise
is fulfilled everyday in a much more exalted way. Some Fathers of the Church
(St. Jerome, St. Augustine) say that “a mountain is moved” every time someone
is divinely aided to do something which exceed man’s natural powers. This clear-
ly happens in the work of our sanctification, which the Paraclete effects in our
souls when we are docile to him and receive with faith and love the grace given
us in the sacraments: we benefit from the sacraments to a greater or lesser de-
gree depending on the dispositions with which we receive them. Sanctification
is something more sublime than moving mountains, and it is something which
is happening every day in so many holy souls, even though most people do not
notice it.

The Apostles and many saints down the centuries have in fact worked amazing
material miracles; but the greatest and most important miracles were, are and
will be the miracles of souls dead through sin and ignorance being reborn and
developing in the new life of the children of God.

20. Here and in the parable of Matthew 13:31-32 the main force of the compari-
son lies in the fact that a very small seed — the mustard seed — produces a
large shrub up to three meters (ten feet) high: even a very small act of genuine
faith can produce surprising results.

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

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

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading
Deuteronomy 6:4-13 ©

Moses said to the people:

‘Listen, Israel: the Lord our God is the one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. Let these words I urge on you today be written on your heart. You shall repeat them to your children and say them over to them whether at rest in your house or walking abroad, at your lying down or at your rising; you shall fasten them on your hand as a sign and on your forehead as a circlet; you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

‘When the Lord has brought you into the land which he swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that he would give you, with great and prosperous cities not of your building, houses full of good things not furnished by you, wells you did not dig, vineyards and olives you did not plant, when you have eaten these and had your fill, then take care you do not forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You must fear the Lord your God, you must serve him, by his name you must swear.’

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 17(18):2-4,47,51(live) ©

I love you, Lord, my strength.

I love you, Lord, my strength,

my rock, my fortress, my saviour.

I love you, Lord, my strength.

My God is the rock where I take refuge;

my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.

The Lord is worthy of all praise,

when I call I am saved from my foes.

I love you, Lord, my strength.

Long life to the Lord, my rock!

Praised be the God who saves me,

He has given great victories to his king

and shown his love for his anointed.

I love you, Lord, my strength.

Gospel Acclamation	cf.Ep1:17,18

Alleluia, alleluia!

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

enlighten the eyes of our mind,

so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.

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 17:14-20 ©

A man came up to Jesus and went down on his knees before him. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘take pity on my son: he is a lunatic and in a wretched state; he is always falling into the fire or into the water. I took him to your disciples and they were unable to cure him.’ ‘Faithless and perverse generation!’ Jesus said in reply ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.’ And when Jesus rebuked it the devil came out of the boy who was cured from that moment.

Then the disciples came privately to Jesus. ‘Why were we unable to cast it out?’ they asked. He answered, ‘Because you have little faith. I tell you solemnly, if your faith were the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it would move; nothing would be impossible for you.’

Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 17
14.	And when he was come to the multitude, there came to him a man falling down on his knees before him, saying: Lord, have pity on my son, for he is a lunatic, and suffereth much: for he falleth often into the fire, and often into the water.	Et cum venisset ad turbam, accessit ad eum homo genibus provolutus ante eum, dicens : Domine, miserere filio meo, quia lunaticus est, et male patitur : nam sæpe cadit in ignem, et crebro in aquam.	και ελθοντων αυτων προς τον οχλον προσηλθεν αυτω ανθρωπος γονυπετων αυτον
15.	17:14 And when he was come to the multitude, there came to him a man falling down on his knees before him, saying: Lord, have pity on my son, for he is a lunatic, and suffereth much: for he falleth often into the fire, and often into the water.	17:14 Et cum venisset ad turbam, accessit ad eum homo genibus provolutus ante eum, dicens : Domine, miserere filio meo, quia lunaticus est, et male patitur : nam sæpe cadit in ignem, et crebro in aquam.	και λεγων κυριε ελεησον μου τον υιον οτι σεληνιαζεται και κακως πασχει πολλακις γαρ πιπτει εις το πυρ και πολλακις εις το υδωρ
16.	17:15 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.	17:15 Et obtuli eum discipulis tuis, et non potuerunt curare eum.	και προσηνεγκα αυτον τοις μαθηταις σου και ουκ ηδυνηθησαν αυτον θεραπευσαι
17.	17:16 Then Jesus answered and said: O unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.	17:16 Respondens autem Jesus, ait : O generatio incredula, et perversa, quousque ero vobiscum ? usquequo patiar vos ? Afferte huc illum ad me.	αποκριθεις δε ο ιησους ειπεν ω γενεα απιστος και διεστραμμενη εως ποτε εσομαι μεθ υμων εως ποτε ανεξομαι υμων φερετε μοι αυτον ωδε
18.	17:17 And Jesus rebuked him, and the devil went out of him, and the child was cured from that hour.	17:17 Et increpavit illum Jesus, et exiit ab eo dæmonium, et curatus est puer ex illa hora.	και επετιμησεν αυτω ο ιησους και εξηλθεν απ αυτου το δαιμονιον και εθεραπευθη ο παις απο της ωρας εκεινης
19.	17:18 Then came the disciples to Jesus secretly, and said: Why could not we cast him out?	17:18 Tunc accesserunt discipuli ad Jesum secreto, et dixerunt : Quare nos non potuimus ejicere illum ?	τοτε προσελθοντες οι μαθηται τω ιησου κατ ιδιαν ειπον δια τι ημεις ουκ ηδυνηθημεν εκβαλειν αυτο
20.	17:19 Jesus said to them: Because of your unbelief. For, amen I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove from hence hither, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you.	17:19 Dixit illis Jesus : Propter incredulitatem vestram. Amen quippe dico vobis, si habueritis fidem sicut granum sinapis, dicetis monti huic : Transi hinc illuc, et transibit, et nihil impossibile erit vobis.	ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτοις δια την απιστιαν υμων αμην γαρ λεγω υμιν εαν εχητε πιστιν ως κοκκον σιναπεως ερειτε τω ορει τουτω μεταβηθι εντευθεν εκει και μεταβησεται και ουδεν αδυνατησει υμιν
21.	17:20 But this kind is not cast out but by prayer and fasting.	17:20 Hoc autem genus non ejicitur nisi per orationem et jejunium.	τουτο δε το γενος ουκ εκπορευεται ει μη εν προσευχη και νηστεια

(*) Verses 14-15 breakdown differs.

14. And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15. Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.
16. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him.
17. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

ORIGEN; Peter, anxious for such desirable life, and preferring his own benefit to that of many, had said, It is good for us to be here. But since charity seeks not her own, Jesus did not this which seemed good to Peter, but descended to the multitude, as it were from the high mount of His divinity, that He might be of use to such as could not ascend because of the weakness of their souls; whence it is said, And when he was come to the multitude; for if He had not gone to the multitude with His elect disciples, there would not have come near to Him the man of whom it is added, There came to him a man kneeling down, and, saying, Lord, have mercy on my son.

Consider here, that sometimes those that are themselves the sufferers believe and entreat for their own healing, sometimes others for them, as he who kneels before Him praying for his son, and sometimes the Savior heals of Himself unasked by any. First, let us see what this means that follows, For he is lunatic, and sorely vexed. Let the physicians talk as they wish; for they think it no unclean spirit, but some bodily disorder, and say, that the humors in the head are governed in their motions by sympathy with the phases of the moon, whose light is of the nature of humors. But we who believe the Gospel say that it is an unclean spirit that works such disorders in men. The spirit observes the moon's changes, that it may cheat men into the belief that the moon is the cause of their sufferings, and so prove God's creation to be evil; as other demons lay wait for men following the times and courses of the stars, that they may speak wickedness in high places, calling some stars malignant, others benign; whereas no star was made by God that it should produce evil. In this that is added, For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water,

CHRYS; is to be noted, that were not man fortified here by Providence, he would long since have perished; for the demon who cast him into the fire, and into the water, would have killed him outright, had God not restrained him.

JEROME; In saying, And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him, he covertly accuses the Apostles, whereas that a cure is impossible is sometimes the effect not of want of power in those that undertake it, but of want of faith in those that are to be healed.

CHRYS; See herein also his folly, in that before the multitude he appeals to Jesus against His disciples. But He clears them from shame, imputing their failure to the patient himself; for many things show that he was weak in faith. But He addresses His reproof not to the man singly, that He may not trouble him, but to the Jews in general. For many of those present, it is likely, had improper thoughts concerning the disciples, and therefore it follows, Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, how long shall I suffer you? His How long shall I be with you? shows that death was desired by Him, and that He longed for His withdrawal.

REMIG; It may be known also, that not now for the first time, but of a long time, the Lord had borne the Jews' stubbornness, whence He says, How long shall I suffer you? because I have now a long while endured your iniquities, and you are unworthy of My presence.

ORIGEN; Or; Because the disciples could not heal him as being weak in faith, He said to them, O faithless generation, adding perverse, to show that their perverseness had introduced evil beyond their nature. But I suppose, that because of the perverseness of the whole human race, as it were oppressed with their evil nature, He said, How long shall I be with you?

JEROME; Not that we must think that He was overcome by weariness of them, and that The meek and gentle broke out into words of wrath, but as a physician who might see the sick man acting against his injunctions, would say, How long shall I frequent your chamber? How long throw away the exercise of my skill, while I prescribe one thing, and you do another? That it is the sin, and not the man with whom He is angry, and that in the person of this one man He convicts the Jews of unbelief, is clear from what He adds, Bring him to me.

CHRYS; When He had vindicated His disciples, He leads the boy's father to a cheering hope of believing that he shall be delivered out of this evil; and that the father might be led to believe the miracle that was coming, seeing the demon was disturbed even when the child was only called;

JEROME; He rebuked him, that is, not the sufferer, but the demon.

REMIG; In which deed He left an example to preachers to attack sins, but to assist men.

JEROME; Or, His reproof was to the child, because for his sins he had been seized on by the demon.

RABAN; The lunatic is figuratively one who is hurried into fresh vices every hour, one while is cast into the fire, with which the hearts of the adulterers burn; or again into the waters of pleasures or lusts, which yet have not strength to quench love.

AUG. Or the fire pertains to anger, which aims upwards, water to the lusts of the flesh.

ORIGEN; Of the changefulness of the sinner it is said, The fool changes as the moon. We may see sometimes that an impulse towards good works comes over such, when, lo! again as by a sudden seizure of a spirit they are laid hold of by their passions, and fall from that good state in which they were supposed to stand. Perhaps his father stands for the Angel to whom was allotted the care of this lunatic, praying the Physician of souls, that He would set free his son, who could not be delivered from his suffering by the simple word of Christ's disciples, because as a deaf person he cannot receive their instruction, and therefore he needs Christ's word, that henceforth he may not act without reason.

19. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20. And Jesus said to them, Because of your unbelief: for I say to you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you.
21. This kind goes not out except by prayer and fasting.

CHRYS; The disciples had received from the Lord the power over unclean spirits, and when they could not heal the demoniac thus brought to them, they seem to have had misgivings lest they had forfeited the grace once given to them; hence their question. And they ask it apart, not out of shame, but because of the unspeakable matter of which they were to ask.

Jesus said to them, Because of your unbelief.

HILARY; The Apostles had believed, yet their faith was imperfect; while the Lord tarried in the mount, and they abode below with the multitude, their faith had become stagnant.

CHRYS; Whence it is plain that the disciples' faith was grown weak, yet not all, for those pillars were there, Peter, and James, and John.

JEROME; This is what the Lord says in another place, Whatever you shall ask in my name believing, you shall receive. Therefore when we receive not, it is not the weakness of Him that gives, but the fault of them that ask.

CHRYS; But it is to be known, that, as often the faith of him that draws near to receive supplies the miraculous virtue, so often the power of those that work the miracle is sufficient even without the faith of those who sought to receive. Cornelius and his house hold, by their faith, attracted to them the grace of the Holy Spirit; but the dead man who was cast into the sepulcher of Elisha, was revived solely by virtue of the holy body. It happened that the disciples were then weak in faith; for indeed they were but in an imperfect condition before the cross; wherefore He here tells them, that faith is the mean of miracles, I say to you, if you shall have faith as a grain of mustard-seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove hence, and it shall remove.

JEROME; Some think that the faith that is compared to a grain of mustard-seed is a little faith, whereas the Apostle says, If I shall have such faith that I could remove mountains. The faith therefore which is compared to a grain of mustard-seed is a great faith.

GREG; The mustard-seed, unless it be bruised, does not give out its qualities, so if persecution fall upon a holy man, straightway what had seemed weak and contemptible in him is roused into the heat and fervor of virtue.

ORIGEN; Or, all faith is likened to a grain of mustard-seed, because faith is looked on with contempt by men, and shows as something poor and mean; but when a seed of this kind lights upon a good heart as its soil, it becomes a great tree. The weakness of this lunatic's faith is yet so great, and Christ is so strong to head him amidst all his evils, that He likens it to a mountain which cannot be cast out but by the whole faith of him who desires to heal afflictions of this sort.

CHRYS; So He not only promises the removal of mountains, but goes beyond, saying, And nothing shall be impossible to you.

RABAN; For faith gives our minds such a capacity for the heavenly gifts, that whatsoever we will we may easily obtain from a faithful Master.

CHRYS; If you shall ask, Where did the Apostles remove mountains? I answer, that they did greater things, bringing many dead to life. It is told also of some saints, who came after the Apostles, that they have in urgent necessity removed mountains . But if mountains were not removed in the Apostles' time, this was not because they could not, but because they would not, there being no pressing occasion. And the Lord said not that they should do this thing, but that they should have power to do it. Yet it is likely that they did do this, but that it is not written, for indeed not all the miracles that they wrought are written.

JEROME; Or; the mountain is not said of that which we see with the eyes of the body, but signified that spirit which was removed by the Lord out of the lunatic, who is said by the Prophet to be the corrupter of the whole earth.

GLOSS; So that the sense then is, you shall say to this mountain, that is to the proud devil, Remove hence, that is from the possessed body into the sea, that is into the depths of hell, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible to you, that is, no sickness shall be incurable.

AUG; Otherwise; That the disciples in working their miracles should not be lifted up with pride, they are warned rather by the humbleness of their faith, as by a grain of mustard-seed, to take care that they remove all pride of earth, which is signified by the mountain in this place.

RABAN; But while He teaches the Apostles flow the demon ought to be cast out, He instructs all in regulation of life; that we may all know that all the heavier infliction, whether of unclean spirits, or temptations of men, may be removed by fasts and prayers; and that the wrath also of the Lord may be appeased by this remedy alone; whence he adds, This kind is not cast out except by prayer and fasting.

CHRYS; And this He says not of lunatics in particular, but of the whole class of demons. For fast endues with great wisdom, makes a man as an Angel from heaven, and beats down the unseen powers of evil. But there is need of prayer as even still more important. And who prays as he ought, and fasts, had need of little more, and so is not covetous, but ready to almsgiving. For he who fasts, is light and active, and prays wakefully, and quenches his evil lusts, makes God propitious, and humbles his proud stomach. And he who prays with his fasting, has two wings, lighter than the winds themselves. For he is not heavy and wandering in his prayers, (as is the case with many,) but his zeal is as the warmth of fire, and his constancy as the firmness of the earth. Such an one is most able to contend with demons, for there is nothing more powerful than a man who prays properly. But if your health be too weak for strict fast, yet is it not for prayer, and if you cannot fast, you can abstain from indulgences. And this is not a little, and not very different from fast.

ORIGEN; If then we shall ever be required to be employed in the healing of those who are suffering any thing of this sort, we shall not adjure them, nor ask them questions, nor even speak, as though the unclean spirit could hear us, but by our fasting and our prayers drive away the evil spirits.

GLOSS; Or; This class of demons, that is the variety of carnal pleasures, is not overcome unless the spirit be strengthened by prayer, and the flesh enfeebled by fast.

REMIG; Or, fasting is here understood generally as abstinence not from food only, but from all carnal allurements, and sinful passions. In like manner prayer is to be understood in general as consisting in pious and good acts, concerning which the Apostle speaks, Pray without ceasing.

Catena Aurea Matthew 17

Exorcism of demons whose name is Legion

Gospel of the Healing
AD 1353
Armenia

Thanks for posting.

JoMa

My pleasure. Will now post the rest of the thread. Had a short retreat this morning.

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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.

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 ]

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
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August 12, 2017

Saturday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Dt 6:4-13

Responsorial Psalm Ps 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 47 and 51

Alleluia See 2 Tm 1:10

Gospel Mt 17:14-20

Readings at Mass