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

KEYWORDS: catholic; lk6; ordinarytime; prayer; saints;

Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man...

How did he know then that his followers would be hated. They weren’t at the time of this sermon.

I assume he knew what was coming because he was/is God.

Alleluia Ping

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

From: Colossians 3:1-11

Seek the Things That Are Above

[1] If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Avoid Sin

[2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. [3]
For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. [4] When Christ who
is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. [5] Put to death
therefore what is earthly in you: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and
covetousness, which is idolatry. [6] On account of these the wrath of God is
coming. [7] In these you once walked, when you lived in them. [8] But now put
them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. [9]
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its
practices [10] and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in know-
ledge after the image of its creator. [11] Here there cannot be Greek and Jew,
circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but
Christ is all, and in all.

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

1-4. The more ethical and exhortatory part of the letter begins at this point. It is
a practical application of the teaching given in the earlier chapters, designed to
suit the circumstances that have arisen in the Colossian church.

By His death and resurrection the Son of God frees us from the power of Satan
and of death. “By Baptism men are grafted into the paschal mystery of Christ;
they die with him, are buried with Him, and rise with Him” (Vatican II, “Sacro-
sanctum Concilium”, 6). In other words, Christians have been raised to a new
kind of life, a supernatural life, whereby they share, even while on earth, in the
glorious life of the risen Jesus. This life is at present spiritual and hidden, but
when our Lord comes again in glory, it will become manifest and glorious.

Two practical consequences flow from this teaching — the need to seek the
“things that are above”, that is, the things of God; and the need to pass un-
noticed in one’s everyday work and ordinary life, yet to do everything with a
supernatural purpose in mind.

As regards the first of these the Second Vatican Council has said: “In their pil-
grimage to the Heavenly city Christians are to seek and relish the things that
are above (cf. Colossians 3:1-2): this involves not a lesser, but a greater com-
mitment to working with all men to build a world that is more human” (”Gaudium
Et Spes”, 57). Work, family relationships, social involvements — every aspect of
human affairs — should be approached in a spirit of faith and done perfectly, out
of love: “The true Christian, who acts according to this faith”, St. Escriva com-
ments, “always has his sights set on God. His outlook is supernatural. He
works in this world of ours, which he loves passionately; he is involved in all its
challenges, but all the while his eyes are fixed on Heaven” (”Friends of God”,
206).

Ordinary life, everyday interests, the desire to be better and to serve others
without seeking public recognition of one’s merits — all this makes for holiness
if done for love of God. A simple life “hid with Christ in God” (verse 3) is so im-
portant that Jesus Himself chose to spend the greater part of His life on earth li-
ving like an ordinary person: He was the son of a tradesman. “As we meditate
on these truths, we come to understand better the logic of God. We come to
realize that the supernatural value of our life does not depend on accomplishing
great undertakings suggested to us by our over-active imagination. Rather it is
to be found in the faithful acceptance of God’s will, in welcoming generously the
opportunities for small, daily sacrifice” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”,
172).

This means that those who try to seek holiness by imitating Jesus in His hid-
den life will be people full of hope; they will be optimistic and happy people; and
after their death they will share in the glory of the Lord: they will hear Jesus’
praise, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little;
I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your Master” (Matthew 25:21).

On the value of the hidden life, see the note on Luke 2:15.

5-17. The Christian, who in Baptism has risen with Christ, should not live for
himself but for God. This means that every day he needs to put off his old na-
ture and put on the new.

The “old nature”, the “old man”: one who lets himself be led by disorderly pas-
sions (cf. Rom 7:8), who lets his body do evil in the service of sin (v. 5; cf. Rom
6:12f). With the help of grace the old nature is being more and more broken
down, while the new nature is constantly being renewed (cf. 2 Cor 6:16). Impuri-
ty and the other vices need to be uprooted so as to make room for goodness
and its train of Christian virtues (vv. 12-13), especially charity (v. 14), which are
features of the new nature.

Christ’s disciple, who has been made a new person and who lives for the Lord,
has a new and more perfect knowledge of God and of the world (v. 10). Thanks
to this he see things from a more elevated viewpoint; he has a “supernatural in-
sight”. This enables him to love and understand everyone without distinction of
race, nation or social status (v. 11), and to imitate Christ, who has given himself
up for all. “The Only-begotten of the Eternal Father vouchsafed to become a son
of man, that we might be made conformable to the image of the Son of God and
be renewed according to the likeness of him who created us. Therefore let all
those who glory in the name of Christians not only look upon our divine Savior
as the most sublime and most perfect model of all virtues, but also, by the care-
ful avoidance of sin and the unremitting practice of holiness, so reproduce in
their conduct his teaching and life, that when the Lord appears they may be like
to him in glory, seeing him as he is (cf. 1 Jn 3:2)” (Pius XII, “Mystici Corporis”,
20).

*********************************************************************************************
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: Luke 6:20-26

The Beatitudes and the Curses

[20] And He (Jesus) lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said: “Blessed are
you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. [21] Blessed are you that hunger
now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall
laugh. [22] Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you
and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!
[23] Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in Hea-
ven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. [24] But woe to you that are rich, for
you have received your consolation. [25] Woe to you that are full now, for you
shall hunger. Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. [26]
Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false
prophets.”

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

20-49. These thirty verses of St. Luke correspond to some extent to the Sermon
on the Mount, an extensive account of which St. Matthew gives us in Chapters 5
to 7 in his Gospel. It is very likely that in the course of His public ministry in diffe-
rent regions and towns of Israel Jesus preached the same things, using different
words on different occasions. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit each evan-
gelist would have chosen to report those things which he considered most useful
for the instruction of his immediate readers—Christians of Jewish origin in the
case of Matthew, Gentile converts in the case of Luke. There is no reason why
one evangelist should not have selected certain items and another different ones,
depending on his readership, or why one should not have laid special stress on
some subjects and shortened or omitted accounts of others.

In this present discourse, we might distinguish three parts—the Beatitudes and
the curses (6:20-26); love of one’s enemies (6:27-38); and teaching on upright-
ness of heart (6:39-49).

Some Christians may find it difficult to grasp the need of practising the moral
teaching of the Gospel so radically, in particular Christ’s teaching in the Sermon
on the Mount. Jesus is very demanding in what He says, but He is saying it to
everyone, and not just to His Apostles or to those disciples who followed Him
closely. We are told expressly that “when Jesus finished these sayings, the
crowds were astonished at His teaching” (Matthew 7:28). It is quite clear that
the Master calls everyone to holiness, making no distinction of state-in-life, race
or personal circumstances. This teaching on the universal call to holiness was
a central point of the teaching of St. Escriva. The Second Vatican Council ex-
pressed the same teaching with the full weight of its authority: everyone is
called to Christian holiness; consider, for example, just one reference it makes,
in “Lumen Gentium”, 11: “Strengthened by so many and such great means of
salvation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state — though each in his
or her own way—are called by the Lord to that perfection of sanctity by which
the Father Himself is perfect.”

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is not proposing an unattainable ideal, useful
though that might be to make us feel humble in the light of our inability to reach
it. No. Christian teaching in this regard is quite clear: what Christ commands,
He commands in order to have us do what He says. Along with His command-
ment comes grace to enable us to fulfill it. Therefore, every Christian is capable
of practising the moral teaching of Christ and of attaining the full height of his
calling —holiness—not by his own efforts alone but by means of the grace which
Christ has won for us, and with the abiding help of the means of sanctification
which He left to His Church. “If anyone plead human weakness to excuse Him-
self for not loving God, it should be explained that He who demands our love
pours into our hearts by the Holy Spirit the fervor of His love, and this good Spirit
our Heavenly Father gives to those that ask Him. With reason, therefore, did St.
Augustine pray: ‘Give Me what Thou command, and command what You please.’
As, then, God is ever ready to help us, especially since the death of Christ our
Lord, by which the prince of this world was cast out, there is no reason why any-
one should be disheartened by the difficulty of the undertaking. To him who loves,
nothing is difficult” (”St. Pius V Catechism”, III, 1, 7).

20-26. The eight Beatitudes which St. Matthew gives (5:3-12) are summed up in
four by St. Luke, but with four opposite curses. We can say, with St. Ambrose,
that Matthew’s eight are included in Luke’s four (cf. “Expositio Evangelii Sec.
Lucam, in loc.”). In St. Luke they are in some cases stated in a more incisive,
more direct form than in the First Gospel, where they are given with more expla-
nation: for example, the first beatitude says simply “Blessed are you poor”,
whereas in Matthew we read, “Blessed are the poor in spirit”, which contains
a brief explanation of the virtue of poverty.

20. “The ordinary Christian has to reconcile two aspects of this life that can at
first seem contradictory. There is on the one hand “true poverty”, which is ob-
vious and tangible and made up of definite things. This poverty should be an ex-
pression of faith in God and a sign that the heart is not satisfied with created
things and aspires to the Creator; that it wants to be filled with love of God so
as to be able to give this same love to everyone. On the other hand, an ordinary
Christian is and wants to be “one more among his fellow men”, sharing their
way of life, their joys and happiness; working with them, loving the world and
all the good things that exist in it; using all created things to solve the problems
of human life and to establish a spiritual and material environment which will fos-
ter personal and social development [...].

“To my way of thinking the best examples of poverty are those mothers and
fathers of large and poor families who spend their lives for their children and who
with their effort and constancy—often without complaining of their needs—bring
up their family, creating a cheerful home in which everyone learns to love, to
serve and to work” (St. J. Escriva, “Conversations”, 110f).

24-26. Our Lord here condemns four things: avarice and attachment to the things
of the world; excessive care of the body, gluttony; empty-headed joy and general
self-indulgence; flattery, and disordered desire for human glory—four very common
vices which a Christian needs to be on guard against.

24. In the same kind of way as in verse 20, which refers to the poor in the sense
of those who love poverty, seeking to please God better, so in this verse the “rich”
are to be understood as those who strive to accumulate possessions heedless
of whether or not they are doing so lawfully, and who seek their happiness in
those possessions, as if they were their ultimate goal. But people who inherit
wealth or acquire it through honest work can be really poor provided they are de-
tached from these things and are led by that detachment to use them to help
others, as God inspires them. We can find in Sacred Scriptures a number of peo-
ple to whom the beatitude of the poor can be applied although they possessed
considerable wealth—Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, Job, for example.

As early as St. Augustine’s time there were people who failed to understand
poverty and riches properly: they reasoned as follows: The Kingdom of Heaven
belongs to the poor, the Lazaruses of this world, the hungry; all the rich are bad,
like this rich man here. This sort of thinking led St. Augustine to explain the deep
meaning of wealth and poverty according to the spirit of the Gospel: “Listen, poor
man, to my comments on your words. When you refer to yourself as Lazarus,
that holy man covered with wounds, I am afraid your pride makes you describe
yourself incorrectly. Do not despise rich men who are merciful, who are humble:
or, to put it briefly, do not despise poor rich men. Oh, poor man, be poor yourself;
poor, that is, humble [...].

Listen to me, then. Be truly poor, be devout, be humble; if you glory in your rag-
ged and ulcerous poverty, if you glory in likening yourself to that beggar lying
outside the rich man’s house, then you are only noticing his poverty, and nothing
else. What should I notice you ask? Read the Scriptures and you will understand
what I mean. Lazarus was poor, but he to whose bosom he was brought was rich.
‘It came to pass, it is written, that the poor man died and he was brought by the
angels to Abraham’s bosom.’ To where? To Abraham’s bosom, or let us say, to
that mysterious place where Abraham was resting. Read [...] and remember that
Abraham was a very wealthy man when he was on earth: he had abundance of
money, a large family, flocks, land; yet that rich man was poor, because he was
humble. ‘Abraham believed God and he was reckoned righteous.’ [...] He was
faithful, he did good, received the commandment to offer his son in sacrifice, and
he did not refuse to offer what he had received to Him from whom he had received
it. He was approved in God’s sight and set before us as an example of faith”
(”Sermon”, 14).

To sum up: poverty does not consist in something purely external, in having or
not having material goods, but in something that goes far deeper, affecting a per-
son’s heart and soul; it consists in having a humble attitude to God, in being
devout, in having total faith. If a Christian has these virtues and also has an abun-
dance of material possessions, he should be detached from his wealth and act
charitably towards others and thus be pleasing to God. On the other hand, if
someone is not well-off he is not justified in God’s sight on that account, if he
fails to strive to acquire those virtues in which true poverty consists.

*********************************************************************************************
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: White.

First reading
Colossians 3:1-11 ©

Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.

That is why you must kill everything in you that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god; all this is the sort of behaviour that makes God angry. And it is the way in which you used to live when you were surrounded by people doing the same thing, but now you, of all people, must give all these things up: getting angry, being bad-tempered, spitefulness, abusive language and dirty talk; and never tell each other lies. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator; and in that image there is no room for distinction between Greek and Jew, between the circumcised or the uncircumcised, or between barbarian and Scythian, slave and free man. There is only Christ: he is everything and he is in everything.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 144(145):2-3,10-13a ©

How good is the Lord to all.

I will bless you day after day

and praise your name for ever.

The Lord is great, highly to be praised,

his greatness cannot be measured.

How good is the Lord to all.

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,

and your friends shall repeat their blessing.

They shall speak of the glory of your reign

and declare your might, O God.

How good is the Lord to all.

To make known to men your mighty deeds

and the glorious splendour of your reign.

Yours is an everlasting kingdom;

your rule lasts from age to age.

How good is the Lord to all.

Gospel Acclamation	1Jn2:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

Whenever anyone obeys what Christ has said,

God’s love comes to perfection in him.

Alleluia!

Or	Lk6:23ab

Alleluia, alleluia!

Rejoice and be glad:

your reward will be great in heaven.

Alleluia!

Gospel	Luke 6:20-26 ©

Fixing his eyes on his disciples Jesus said:

‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God.

Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied.

Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh.

Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.

‘But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now.

Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry.

Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.

‘Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.’

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

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
+

Our Blessed Lady's Sorrows

Sea of Sorrow

Oh! on what a sea of sorrow
Was the Virgin-Mother cast,
When her eyes with tears o'erflowing
Gazed upon her Son aghast,
From the bloodstained gibbet taken,
Dying in her arms at last.

In her bitter desolation,
His sweet mouth, His bosom too,
Then His riven side beloved,
Then each hand, both wounded through,
Then His feet, with blood encrimsoned,
Her maternal tears bedew.

She, a hundred times and over,
Strains Him closely to her breast
Heart to Heart, arms arms enfolding,
Are His wounds on her impressed:
Thus, in sorrow's very kisses,
Melts her anguished soul to rest.

Oh, dear Mother! we beseech thee,
By the tears thine eyes have shed,
By the cruel death of Jesus
And His wounds' right royal red,
Make our hearts o'erflow with sorrow
From thy heart's deep fountainhead.

To the Father, Son, and Spirit,
Now we bend on equal knee:
Glory, sempiternal glory,
To the Most High Trinity;
Yea! perpetual praise and honor
Now and through all ages be.

Novena Prayer To Our Sorrowful Mother

Most Blessed and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who didst stand generously beneath the cross, beholding the agony of thy dying Son; by the sword of sorrow which then pierced thy soul, by the sufferings of thy sorrowful life, by the unutterable joy which now more than repays thee for them; look down with a mother's pity and tenderness, as I kneel before thee to compassionate thy sorrows, and to lay my petition with childlike confidence in thy wounded heart. I beg of thee, O my Mother, to plead continually for me with thy Son, since He can refuse thee nothing, and through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with thy own sufferings at the foot of the cross, so to touch His Sacred Heart, that I may obtain my request,
For to whom shall I fly in my wants and miseries, if not to thee, O Mother of mercy, who, having so deeply drunk the chalice of thy Son, canst most pity us poor exiles, still doomed to sigh in this vale of tears? Offer to Jesus but one drop of His Precious Blood, but one pang of His adorable Heart; remind Him that thou art our life, our sweetness, and our hope, and thou wilt obtain what I ask, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hail Mary
Virgin Most Sorrowful, pray for us
(Seven times each)

Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy Heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please Our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that: every thought of my mind and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy Divine Son, Jesus; keep me in His grace and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in Heaven and sing thy glories.

Most holy Virgin and Mother, whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the Passion of thy Divine Son, and who in His glorious Resurrection wast filled with never ending joy at His triumph, obtain for us who call upon thee, so to be partakers in the adversities of Holy Church and the Sorrows of the Sovereign Pontiff, as to be found worthy to rejoice with them in the consolations for which we pray, in the charity and peace of the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Litany of the Seven Sorrows

Litany of Seven Sorrows

Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God, the Father of heaven, God the Son, Redeemer of the world, . God the Holy Ghost, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, Mother of the Crucified, Sorrowful Mother, Mournful Mother, Sighing Mother, Afflicted Mother, Foresaken Mother, . Desolate Mother, Mother most sad, Mother set around with anguish, Mother overwhelmed by grief, Mother transfixed by a sword, Mother crucified in thy heart, Mother bereaved of thy Son, Sighing Dove, Mother of Dolors, Fount of tears, Sea of bitterness, Field of tribulation, Mass of suffering, Mirror of patience, Rock of constancy, Remedy in perplexity, Joy of the afflicted, Ark of the desolate, Refuge of the abandoned,. Shiled of the oppressed, Conqueror of the incredulous, Solace of the wretched, Medicine of the sick, Help of the faint, Strength of the weak, Protectress of those who fight, Haven of the shipwrecked, Calmer of tempests, Companion of the sorrowful, Retreat of those who groan, Terror of the treacherous, Standard-bearer of the Martyrs, Treasure of the Faithful, Light of Confessors, Pearl of Virgins, . Comfort of Widows, . Joy of all Saints, Queen of thy Servants, Holy Mary, who alone art unexampled, Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin,	Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, graciously hear us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray, --- O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of grief pierced through the most sweet soul of Thy glorious Blessed Virgin Mother Mary: grant that we, who celebrate the memory of her Seven Sorrows, may obtain the happy effect of Thy Passion, Who lives and reigns world without end, Amen.
The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady 1. The Prophecy of Simeon 2. The Flight into Egypt . 3. The Loss of Jesus in the Temple 4. Mary meets Jesus Carrying the Cross 5. The Crucifixion 6. Mary Receives the Dead Body of Her Son 7. The Burial of Her Son and Closing of the Tomb.

Consecration to Our Lady of Sorrows Most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, Mary, would that I could be in Heaven, there to contemplate the honors rendered to thee by the Most Holy Trinity and by the whole Heavenly Court! But since I am still a pilgrim in this vale of tears, receive from me, thy unworthy servant and a poor sinner, the most sincere homage and the most perfect act of vassalage a human creature can offer thee. In thy Immaculate Heart, pierced with so many swords of sorrow, I place today my poor soul forever; receive me as a partaker in thy dolors, and never suffer that I should depart from that Cross on which thy only begotten Son expired for me. With thee, O Mary, I will endure all the sufferings, contradictions, infirmities, with which it will please thy Divine Son to visit me in this life. All of them I offer to thee, in memory of the Dolors which thou didst suffer during thy life, that every thought of my mind, every beating of my heart may henceforward be an act of compassion to thy Sorrows, and of complacency for the glory thou now enjoyest in Heaven. Since then, O Dear Mother, I now compassionate thy Dolors, and rejoice in seeing thee glorified, do thou also have compassion on me, and reconcile me to thy Son Jesus, that I may become thy true and loyal son (daughter); come on my last day and assist me in my last agony, even as thou wert present at the Agony of thy Divine Son Jesus, that from this painful exile I may go to Heaven, there to be made partaker of thy glory. Amen.		Litany of Sorrows

Stabat Mater dolorosa
At the Cross Her Station Keeping

Stabat Mater Dolorosa is considered one of the seven greatest Latin hymns of all time. It is based upon the prophecy of Simeon that a sword was to pierce the heart of His mother, Mary (Lk 2:35). The hymn originated in the 13th century during the peak of Franciscan devotion to the crucified Jesus and has been attributed to Pope Innocent III (d. 1216), St. Bonaventure, or more commonly, Jacopone da Todi (1230-1306), who is considered by most to be the real author.

The hymn is often associated with the Stations of the Cross. In 1727 it was prescribed as a Sequence for the Mass of the Seven Sorrows of Mary (September 15) where it is still used today. In addition to this Mass, the hymn is also used for the Office of the Readings, Lauds, and Vespers for this memorial. There is a mirror image to this hymn, which echoes the joy of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the birth of Jesus.

STABAT Mater dolorosa iuxta Crucem lacrimosa, dum pendebat Filius.	AT, the Cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping, close to Jesus to the last.
Cuius animam gementem, contristatam et dolentem pertransivit gladius.	Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, all His bitter anguish bearing, now at length the sword has passed.
O quam tristis et afflicta fuit illa benedicta, mater Unigeniti!	O how sad and sore distressed was that Mother, highly blest, of the sole-begotten One.
Quae maerebat et dolebat, pia Mater, dum videbat nati poenas inclyti.	Christ above in torment hangs, she beneath beholds the pangs of her dying glorious Son.
Quis est homo qui non fleret, matrem Christi si videret in tanto supplicio?	Is there one who would not weep, whelmed in miseries so deep, Christ's dear Mother to behold?
Quis non posset contristari Christi Matrem contemplari dolentem cum Filio?	Can the human heart refrain from partaking in her pain, in that Mother's pain untold?
Pro peccatis suae gentis vidit Iesum in tormentis, et flagellis subditum.	Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled, she beheld her tender Child All with bloody scourges rent:
Vidit suum dulcem Natum moriendo desolatum, dum emisit spiritum.	For the sins of His own nation, saw Him hang in desolation, Till His spirit forth He sent.
Eia, Mater, fons amoris me sentire vim doloris fac, ut tecum lugeam.	O thou Mother! fount of love! Touch my spirit from above, make my heart with thine accord:
Fac, ut ardeat cor meum in amando Christum Deum ut sibi complaceam.	Make me feel as thou hast felt; make my soul to glow and melt with the love of Christ my Lord.
Sancta Mater, istud agas, crucifixi fige plagas cordi meo valide.	Holy Mother! pierce me through, in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified:
Tui Nati vulnerati, tam dignati pro me pati, poenas mecum divide.	Let me share with thee His pain, who for all my sins was slain, who for me in torments died.
Fac me tecum pie flere, crucifixo condolere, donec ego vixero.	Let me mingle tears with thee, mourning Him who mourned for me, all the days that I may live:
Iuxta Crucem tecum stare, et me tibi sociare in planctu desidero.	By the Cross with thee to stay, there with thee to weep and pray, is all I ask of thee to give.
Virgo virginum praeclara, mihi iam non sis amara, fac me tecum plangere.	Virgin of all virgins blest!, Listen to my fond request: let me share thy grief divine;
Fac, ut portem Christi mortem, passionis fac consortem, et plagas recolere.	Let me, to my latest breath, in my body bear the death of that dying Son of thine.
Fac me plagis vulnerari, fac me Cruce inebriari, et cruore Filii.	Wounded with His every wound, steep my soul till it hath swooned, in His very Blood away;
Flammis ne urar succensus, per te, Virgo, sim defensus in die iudicii.	Be to me, O Virgin, nigh, lest in flames I burn and die, in His awful Judgment Day.
Christe, cum sit hinc exire, da per Matrem me venire ad palmam victoriae.	Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence, by Thy Mother my defense, by Thy Cross my victory;
Quando corpus morietur, fac, ut animae donetur paradisi gloria. Amen.	While my body here decays, may my soul Thy goodness praise, safe in paradise with Thee. Amen.

From the Liturgia Horarum. Translation by Fr. Edward Caswall (1814-1878)

Prayer To Our Lady of Sorrows, by St. Bridget

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of God, who didst endure a martyrdom of love and grief beholding the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus! Thou didst cooperate in the benefit of my redemption by thine innumerable afflictions and by offering to the Eternal Father His only begotten Son as a holocaust and victim of propitiation for my sins. I thank thee for the unspeakable love which led thee to deprive thyself of the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus, true God and true Man, to save me, a sinner. Oh, make use of the unfailing intercession of thy sorrows with the Father and the Son, that I may steadfastly amend my life and never again crucify my loving Redeemer by new sins, and that, persevering till death in His grace. I may obtain eternal life through the merits of His Cross and Passion. Amen.

Mother of love, of sorrow and of mercy, pray for us.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori's Prayer To The Mother Of Sorrows

O, my Blessed Mother, it is not one sword only with which I have pierced thy heart, but I have done so with as many as are the sins which I have committed. O, Lady, it is not to thee, who art innocent, that sufferings are due, but to me, who am guilty of so many crimes. But since thou hast been pleased to suffer so much for me, by thy merits, obtain me great sorrow for my sins, and patience under the trials of this life, which will always be light in comparison with my demerits; for I have often deserved Hell.
Amen.

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Our Lady of Sorrows - Sep 15

September, 2017

Pope's Prayer Intention

Parishes, That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.

'Penitents ought never to force their confessor to give them leave to do anything against his inclination.'

St. Philip Neri

Daily Gospel Commentary

Wednesday of the Twenty-third week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Blessed Paul VI, Pope from 1963-1978
Apostolic Exhortation "On Christian Joy" - May 9, 1975 - - Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana

"And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours."

But it is necessary here below to understand properly the secret of the unfathomable joy which dwells in Jesus and which is special to Him... If Jesus radiates such peace, such assurance, such happiness, such availability, it is by reason of the inexpressible love by which He knows that He is loved by His Father. When He is baptized on the banks of the Jordan, this love, which is present from the first moment of His Incarnation, is manifested: "You are my Son, the Beloved; my favor rests on you."(Lk 3:22) This certitude is inseparable from the consciousness of Jesus. It is a presence which never leaves Him all alone.(Jn 16:32) It is an intimate knowledge which fills Him: "...the Father knows me and I know the Father."(Jn 10:15) It is an unceasing and total exchange: "All I have is yours and all you have is mine."(Jn 17:10) "...You loved me before the foundation of the world."(Jn 17:24) Here there is an uncommunicable relationship of love which is identified with His existence as the Son and which is the secret of the life of the Trinity: the Father is seen here as the one, who gives Himself to the Son, without reserve and without ceasing, in a burst of joyful generosity, and the Son is seen as He who gives Himself in the same way to the Father, in a burst of joyful gratitude, in the Holy Spirit.

And the disciples and all those who believe in Christ are called to share this joy. Jesus wishes them to have in themselves His joy in its fullness.(Jn 17:13) "I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them."(Jn 17:26)

This joy of living in God's love begins here below. It is the joy of the kingdom of God. But it is granted on a steep road which requires a total confidence in the Father and in the Son, and a preference given to the kingdom. The message of Jesus promises above all joy—this demanding joy; and does it not begin with the beatitudes? "How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God. Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied. Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh."

September 13, 2017

Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Reading 1 Col 3:1-11

Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:2-3, 10-11, 12-13ab

Alleluia Lk 6:23ab

Gospel Lk 6:20-26

Readings at Mass

September, 2017

Pope's Prayer Intention

Parishes, That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.

Wednesday of the Twenty-third week in Ordinary Time