January, 2019

The Holy Father's Prayer Intention

Evangelization – Religious Minorities in Asia, That Christians and other religious minorities in Asian countries, may be able to practice their faith in full freedom.

'The wise man is cautious and shuns evil; the fool is reckless and sure of himself.'

Proverbs 14:16

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).

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3718374/posts

Saint of the Day — Saint Angela of Foligno

Information: St. Apollinaris of Hierapolis

Feast Day: January 8

Died: 175

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Tuesday, January 8

Liturgical Color: White

Today the Church honors Bl. Peter Thomas,
bishop. When talks with Orthodox Churches
were initiated to try and mend the Great
Schism, Peter was called on by the Pope to be
his representative. Later he traveled to Cyprus
where he died in 1366.

Catholic Culture

Christmas: January 8th

Tuesday Christmas Weekday

MASS READINGS

January 08, 2019 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Cast your kindly light upon your faithful, Lord, we pray, and with the splendor of your glory set their hearts ever aflame, that they may never cease to acknowledge their Savior and may truly hold fast to him. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Little Mince Pies

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The Magi are called "saints" for the first time in the writings of Archbishop Hildebert of Tours (1133). In the twelfth century their veneration spread over all of Europe. The authorities of the Church did not prohibit this cult, and Epiphany acquired the popular name of "Feast of the Three Holy Kings" in most countries of Europe.

The name Magi is not a Hebrew word, but of Indo-European origin, and means "great, illustrious." Saint Matthew mentioned the term without explanation because it was well known to the people of Palestine. The Magi originated in Media (Persia), and their caste later spread to other Oriental countries. They were a highly esteemed class of priestly scholars, devoting themselves not only to religion but also to the study of natural sciences, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and astrology. In several countries they were members of the king's council.

Where did the Magi come from? Saint Matthew gives a general answer: "Wise men from the East." In modern terms, it could have been from any one of the countries of Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, or India. It has never been exactly determined from which of these countries they came.

Quite early in the Christian era a popular tradition conferred on them the title of "kings." This tradition became universal at the end of the sixth century. It was based on Biblical prophecies which described the conversion of the pagans and, although not referring to the Magi, were applied to their visit:

The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents: the kings of the Arabians and of Sheba shall bring gifts. (Psalms 71, 10) The kings shall walk in the brightness of thy rising.... They all shall come from Sheba, bringing gold and frankincense. (Isaiah 60, 3-6)

The Gospel does not tell us how many they were. The Christians in the Orient had an old tradition of twelve Magi. In early paintings and mosaics they are represented as two, three, four, and even more. In the occidental Church a slowly spreading tradition put their number at three. It does not seem to have any historical foundation, but was probably based on the fact of the threefold presents. Another reason for the number three was the early legend that they represented all humanity in its three great races. Thus one of them was pictured as a member of the black race, and this choice seemed to be confirmed by the Bible:

Let the great ones come forth from Egypt, let Ethiopia stretch out her arms to God. (Psalms 67, 32)

The book Collectanea et Flores, ascribed to Saint Bede the Venerable (735), records an earlier legend of their names and appearance:

The first was called Melchior; he was an old man, with white hair and long beard; he offered gold to the Lord as to his king. The second, Gaspar by name, young, beardless, of ruddy hue, offered to Jesus his gift of incense, the homage due to Divinity. The third, of black complexion, with heavy beard, was called Baltasar; the myrrh he held in his hands prefigured the death of the Son of man.

There is an old legend that when many years had passed the Magi were visited by Saint Thomas the Apostle, who, after instructing them in Christianity, baptized them. They were then ordained to the priesthood and made bishops. It is said that once more the star of Bethlehem appeared to them and reunited them toward the end of their lives. "The city of Sewa in the Orient" is given as the place of their burial.

The legendary relics of the Magi were brought from Constantinople to Milan in the sixth century. In 1164 Emperor Frederick Barbarossa obtained them from the archbishop of Milan and transferred them to Cologne. Their shrine in Cologne was, and still is, the center of many pilgrimages.

Christmas Weekday - Day Fifteen
Dawn is the time of day in which the first rays of light begin to glimmer, to illumine and dispel the darkness. . . Christ’s actual birth in Bethlehem shows forth the beautiful reality that God works with things according to their nature. Simply put, it makes perfect sense that a darkened world is tangibly illumined by divine, supernatural intervention upon the natural. — Father Wade L. J. Menezes, CPM

Candles are a symbol of Christ, the Light of the World. The wax is regarded as typifying in a most appropriate way the flesh of Jesus Christ born of a virgin mother. From this has sprung the further conception that the wick symbolizes more particularly the soul of Jesus Christ and the flame the Divinity which absorbs and dominates both. — Catholic Encyclopedia

Day Fifteen activity (Mexican Christmas)
Day Fifteen recipe (Little Mince Pies)

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Mark 6:34-44

Christmas Weekday

They all ate and were satisfied. (Mark 6:42)

Has anyone ever surprised you with a gift of food? Maybe it was dinner that a neighbor brought over when a family member passed away. Maybe someone at work handed you a cup of gourmet coffee when you were laboring over a tight deadline. Or maybe someone gave you a gift card to your favorite restaurant for your birthday.

The miracle of the feeding of the five thousand was also an unexpected gift. The people who had followed Jesus into a deserted place weren’t expecting him or his disciples to give them dinner. No one asked him to perform this miracle. He just chose to do it out of love for these people who had come so far to see him. Jesus fed them because he wanted to spend more time with them rather than have them leave early to find food in the surrounding villages.

What makes Jesus’ gesture even more striking is that he was grieving the execution of John the Baptist at the time. He had initially wanted some time alone but changed his plans when he saw the crowd of people eager to hear him teach. Mark tells us that Jesus’ “heart was moved with pity,” and he decided to put aside his grief and care for the people (Mark 6:34).

This says so much about the heart of Jesus. First, he wants to spend time with us. You could say that he even enjoys his time with us. He will never “dismiss” us when we go to him (Mark 6:36). Second, we can trust that Jesus will give us the gifts we need, even when we least expect it. Even when it never occurred to us to ask, he will pour out his grace and his peace. We just have to make time, like those in the crowd, to come and sit with him.

Jesus’ greatest gift to us is the Bread of Life in the Eucharist. Even better, we don’t have to travel far to receive this heavenly food. He comes to us on every altar at every Mass and feeds us. And just like the people who ate and were satisfied, we, too, can be filled to overflowing every time we share a meal with Jesus.

“Jesus, thank you for spending time with me and for feeding me in the Eucharist.”

1 John 4:7-10
Psalm 72:1-4, 7-8

Daily Gospel Commentary

Catechism of the Catholic Church
§1373-1374, 1378, 1380

"I am the bread of life; those who come to me will never hunger" (Jn 6:35)

"Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us," (Rm 8:34) is present in many ways to his Church:195 in his word, in his Church's prayer, "where two or three are gathered in my name," (Mt 18:20) in the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned,197 in the sacraments of which he is the author, in the sacrifice of the Mass, and in the person of the minister. But "he is present . . . most especially in the Eucharistic species." (Vatican II SC 7).

The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique… In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained…" (Council of Trent) "This presence is called 'real' - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present." (Saint Paul VI)…

Worship of the Eucharist… "The Catholic Church has always offered and still offers to the sacrament of the Eucharist the cult of adoration, not only during Mass, but also outside of it, reserving the consecrated hosts with the utmost care, exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and carrying them in procession." (Saint Paul VI) It is highly fitting that Christ should have wanted to remain present to his Church in this unique way. Since Christ was about to take his departure from his own in his visible form… he wanted us to have the memorial of the love with which he loved us "to the end," (Jn 13:1) even to the giving of his life. In his Eucharistic presence he remains mysteriously in our midst as the one who loved us and gave himself up for us, (Gal 2:20)…under signs that express and communicate this love.

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

Daily Marriage Tip for January 8, 2019:

“Fatherhood and motherhood represent a responsibility which is not simply physical but spiritual in nature.” – St. John Paul II, Letter to Families, 10. Parents, take seriously your task in nurturing your children’s faith. Godparents are a great help here.

Regnum Christi

January 8, 2019 – The Power of My Nothingness

08 Jan 2019

Tuesday after the Epiphany

Mark 6:34-44

When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. By now it was already late, and his disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already very late. Dismiss them so that they can go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” He said to them in reply, “Give them some food yourselves.” But they said to him, “Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food and give it to them to eat?” He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out they said, “Five loaves and two fish.” So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass. The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties. Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; he also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up 12 wicker baskets full of fragments and what was left of the fish. Those who ate of the loaves were 5,000 men.

Introductory Prayer: Lord I am nothing without you in my mission. I believe that there is no difficulty in deepening my union with you that cannot be overcome. I want to know and see with greater clarity that your hand moves mine. You make possible what would otherwise be impossible.

Petition: Lord, increase my confidence and dependence on you.

1. “His Heart Was Moved with Pity for Them, for They Were like Sheep Without a Shepherd”: A heart that loves expands to meet the needs of those it loves. None could love as perfectly as Christ. Will I let Christ move me in this prayer to see what he sees, suffer what he suffers, and love what he loves? Who will teach the vast numbers of those who are lost, especially the young? Who will console the sorrowing who fight the pervasive darkness of despair, and guide with fidelity the hungry souls ready for the fullness of God’s truth? Who can make present the power of the Shepherd to heal and stay the force of evil in so many dark corners of the world? If I open my heart to see what Christ sees, I will follow everyday what he asks of me to remedy a broken world that needs salvation.

2. Give Them Some Food Yourselves: Our Lord insists that we be active protagonists in tackling the most difficult problems in the world. Many only sigh at the world’s miseries as if to say, “Lord, you have a problem. I will pray for them.” Christ looks back and says to us, “This is your mission now. I put it in your hands.” Will we panic? Will we wonder where we will get the time, the resources, the wisdom? Will we imagine ourselves making it all happen? Our Lord asks us to take responsibility, but he does not want us taking control. There is a difference: One is the steward in the mission—us; the other the owner—God. Taking responsibility means making the needs of souls and the Church our own. Not taking control means we never lose sight of the one who controls the plan. I want to do it his way, and not mine.

3. How Many Loaves Do You Have? When Christ chooses us for a mission, he does not select us because he thinks we have what it takes, but rather because he knows he will give us all that we need. Sometimes we are faced with goals that are real, yet beyond our power to accomplish. Anxiety––thinking we need to be superhuman before a superhuman endeavor––inserts all sorts of complexes into the human spirit: shutting down, feeling overwhelmed, uncontrolled anger, unjustly limiting our field of action. What does Christ ask when we face the impossible? Just give what we have––give it all and don’t hold back. Put all our loaves and fishes on the table, and then Christ will work. Believe in the power of our poor nothingness united to Christ.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I believe in the power of my nothingness united to your power and grace. Today I accept the challenge of the mission before me, but only if I take each step depending on you. With you every burden is sweet, and every impossible task is a new encounter with the power of your hand.

Resolution: I will stop sometime in the middle of the day to spiritually place what I am doing into Christ’s hands.

Homily of the Day

January 8, 2019

One of the difficulties of our Christian journey is to have to understand the teachings of Jesus, given our limited human capability to understand. How can we never be hungry and never be thirsty? Even with the scientific advancements of the 21st century, there hasn’t been a discovery of a certain food or drink that can sustain us forever.

But what Jesus tells us is not about the sustenance of the body but rather, food for the soul. What seems to be universal is the hunger that is felt from within. We reach a time in our lives when we search for something more.

If we allow ourselves to listen to our souls, we embark on a journey to find that which can fill that hunger within. And we do not have to go far. Jesus showed us the way. He said, “Whoever comes to me shall never be hungry and whoever believes in me shall never be thirsty.”

St. Augustine expressed this hunger hauntingly with these words: “Thou hast created us for Thyself, and our heart is not quiet until it rests in Thee.”

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espanol

All Issues > Volume 35, Issue 1

<< Tuesday, January 8, 2019 >>

1 John 4:7-10
View Readings

Psalm 72:1-4, 7-8

Mark 6:34-44
Similar Reflections

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"GOD IS LOVE"

"Love, then, consists in this: not that we have loved God, but that He has loved us and has sent His Son as an offering for our sins." �1 John 4:10

God loved the world so much (see Jn 3:16) that He:

created us,
became a man,
died on the cross for us,
rose from the dead for us,
offers us a share in His divine nature through Baptism (2 Pt 1:4),
forgives all our sins,
makes it possible for us to be His sons and daughters,
invites us to be members of His Body, the Church,
wants us to live in Him and He in us (see Jn 6:56),
gives us His Body and Blood in Holy Communion,
wants to make us a "royal priesthood, a holy nation" (1 Pt 2:9), and
will return to take us to the perfect love and happiness of heaven.

God is indeed Love (1 Jn 4:8, 16), and there is no greater love than His perfect, infinite, unconditional, eternal love. We "love because He first loved us" (1 Jn 4:19). Therefore, let us live in His love (Jn 15:9-10) and love one another (1 Jn 4:7), especially our enemies. Let us love even to the point of laying down our lives for our brothers and sisters in Christ (1 Jn 3:16). Remain in Love and remain in God (1 Jn 4:16).

Prayer: Father, on this day of the Christmas season, give me "love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith" (1 Tm 1:5).

Promise: "God's love was revealed in our midst in this way: He sent His only Son to the world that we might have life through Him." —1 Jn 4:9

Praise: Elizabeth prayed in great faith for her children and their children every day until her last.

Amen.