Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 03-26-19

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 03-26-19 | Revised New American Bible

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March, 2019

The Holy Father's Prayer Intention

Recognition of the Right of Christian Communities: That Christian communities, especially those who are persecuted, feel that they are close to Christ and have their rights respected.

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'The unreasonable and excessive man cannot labor for any length of time in God's service; just like the steed that, running immoderately at first, gives out half way in the course, and cannot reach its destination.'

St. Ignatius of Loyola

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The Angelus

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

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Day by Day -- Saints for All, Saint Catherine of Genoa, 03-26-17

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Information: St. Margaret Clitherow

Feast Day: March 26

Born: 1556 as Margaret Middleton at York, England

Died: 25 March 1586 at York, England

Canonized: 25 October 1970 by Pope Paul VI

Major Shrine: The Shambles, York

Patron of: businesswomen, converts, martyrs

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CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Tuesday, March 26

Liturgical Color: Violet

St. Margaret Clitherow was pressed to death
for sheltering priests on this day in 1586. She
became a Catholic because she saw the many
priests and lay people who suffered for the
defense of the faith in England.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Lent: March 26th

Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

MASS READINGS

March 26, 2019 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

May your grace not forsake us, O Lord, we pray, but make us dedicated to your holy service and at all times obtain for us your help. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Recipes (2)

• New Orleans Shrimp and Spaghetti
• Shrimp Jambalaya

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Activities (1)

• Lenten Prayer Pot

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Prayers (3)

• Prayer for the Fifth Week of Lent
• Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Lent (2nd Plan)
• Prayer Before a Crucifix

Library (0)

» Enjoy our Liturgical Seasons series of e-books!

Old Calendar: St. Ludger, bishop (Hist)

"If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:20)." The need to make reparation is a vital, inescapable urge of a free person. His very nature cries out for order and peace. His reason tells him that where an order has been violated, the order must be repaired; and the higher the order, the greater must be the reparation. To be free at all, is to accept the responsibility for atonement. Sin is a violation of God's order. Sin demands reparation — the reparation of personal penance, personal prayer, personal charity to all. Part of our atonement to God is made by serving our fellow men. — Daily Missal of the Mystical Body

Stational Church

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Meditation
The story of the Prodigal Son is repeated again today. It is the history of the Church; it is the history of our own desertion. In this Gospel we are given an urgent call to repentance and conversion. "Father, I have sinned." Penance alone can save us. Our Father welcomes us with mercy. The sin and its eternal punishment are forgiven; the good works which we did before sin and the merits which we lost through sin are revived. The Father receives us again as His children, and celebrates a joyful banquet with us at Holy Communion.

In the story of each human life, God's mercy stands on one side and the unfaithfulness of man on the other. Will God have to cast us off as He did the people of Israel? Have we not fully deserved it? Sometimes it appears that God wishes to allow our faithless generation to go its own way. If He does, it will merit a well deserved punishment.

What can save us from rejection? Only penance, self-examination, and conversion. "Be converted to Me with all your heart, in fasting and in weeping and in mourning" (Joel 2:12).

Excerpted from The Light of the World by Benedict Baur, O.S.B.

Things to Do:

• The parable of the lost sheep and the prodigal son in today's Gospel are both very important for your children to learn by heart. The well-known Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for children was developed by Sofia Cavaletti, a Roman Catholic Hebrew scholar who spent 30 years researching the religious development of children, and Gianna Gobbi, an educator who was trained by Maria Montessori. Through her observation of children's responses to different religious themes, Cavaletti found that an overwhelming number of younger children responded especially well to depictions of Christ as the Good Shepherd. Here is a brief article discussing the increasing prevalence of this religious program today. Find out more about this curriculum and try it with your own children. If you are pressed for time, find out about the nearest (Catholic) Good Shepherd program and consider enrolling your child.

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St. Ludger
St. Ludger was born in Friesland about the year 743. His father, a nobleman of the first rank, at the child's own request, committed him very young to the care of St. Gregory, the disciple of St. Boniface, and his successors in the government of the see of Utrecht. Gregory educated him in his monastery and gave him the clerical tonsure. Ludger, desirous of further improvement, passed over into England, and spent four years and a half under Alcuin, who was rector of a famous school at York.

In 773 he returned home, and St. Gregory dying in 776, his successor, Alberic, compelled our Saint to receive the holy order of priesthood, and employed him for several years in preaching the Word of God in Friesland, where he converted great numbers, founded several monasteries, and built many churches.

The pagan Saxons ravaging the country, Ludger travelled to Rome to consult Pope Adrian II, what course to take, and what he thought God required of him. He then retired for three years and a half to Monte Casino, where he wore the habit of the Order and conformed to the practice of the rule during his stay, but made no religious vows.

In 787, Charlemagne overcame the Saxons and conquered Friesland and the coast of the Germanic Ocean as far as Denmark. Ludger, hearing this, returned into East Friesland, where he converted the Saxons to the Faith, as he also did the province of Westphalia. He founded the monastery of Werden, twenty-nine miles from Cologne.

In 802, Hildebald, Archbishop of Cologne, not regarding his strenuous resistance, ordained him Bishop of Munster. He joined in his diocese five cantons of Friesland which he had converted, and also founded the monastery of Helmstad in the duchy of Brunswick.

Being accused to the Emperor Charlemagne of wasting his income and neglecting the embellishment of churches, this prince ordered him to appear at court. The morning after his arrival the emperor's chamberlain brought him word that his attendance was required. The Saint, being then at his prayers, told the officer that he would follow him as soon as he had finished them. He was sent for three several times before he was ready, which the courtiers represented as a contempt of his Majesty, and the emperor, with some emotion, asked him why he had made him wait so long, though he had sent for him so often. The bishop answered that though he had the most profound respect for his Majesty, yet God was infinitely above him; that whilst we are occupied with Him, it is our duty to forget everything else. This answer made such an impression on the emperor that he dismissed him with honor and disgraced his accusers.

St. Ludger was favored with the gifts of miracles and prophecy. His last sickness, though violent, did not hinder him from continuing his functions to the very last day of his life, which was Passion Sunday, on which day he preached very early in the morning, said Mass towards nine, and preached again before night, foretelling to those that were about him that he should die the following night, and fixing upon place in his monastery of Werden where he chose to be interred.

He died accordingly on the 26th of March, at midnight.

Excerpted from Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

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The Station is in the church of St. Pudentiana, daughter of Pudens the senator. This holy virgin of Rome lived in the second century. She was remarkable for her charity, and for the zeal wherewith she sought for and buried the bodies of the martyrs. Her church is built on the very spot where stood the house in which she lived with her father and her sister St. Praxedes. St. Peter the Apostle had honored this house with his presence, during the lifetime of Pudentiana's grandfather.

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Matthew 18:21-35

3rd Week of Lent

If my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? (Matthew 18:21)

So many important elements in life depend on a person’s point of view, don’t they? When Peter approached Jesus with a question about forgiving a particularly difficult brother, his focus was on the proper limits to forgiveness. Peter sets up the scene to make himself the injured party—how forgiving should I be? Certainly, mercy has its limits.

But Jesus turns the tables on him and tries to place him in the role of the forgiven party instead. He asks Peter to imagine what it would be like to have a huge debt removed from his account. How would he respond? With generosity toward his debtors? Or with the same cold calculus that should have landed him in jail? Will he let mercy transform him, or will he end up in prison despite his master’s forgiveness?

We are all recipients of God’s overflowing, transforming mercy. It’s a generosity that bursts forth from the Father’s heart. Like a river overflowing its banks, it cannot be contained. It flows everywhere and washes everyone clean who remains in its path and lets it wash over them.

The next time you are the injured party and you are thinking about what you consider the demands of justice to be, take a moment to widen your point of view. Remember that another person is involved—another recipient of God’s love and mercy. Remember the way that God looks at you, and try to look at the other person with the same love, compassion, and forgiveness. Ask yourself, How can I possibly withhold forgiveness when God never held back from me?

If we can keep God’s look of love in the forefront of our minds, mercy will burst forth from us. It may start as a trickle, and it won’t always be easy. But that doesn’t have to stop us from trying. God knows how hard this can be, and he is infinitely patient. After all, if he was so merciful as to give up his only Son for us, why would he not treat us the same way now?

“Father in heaven, give me my daily bread today, and forgive me as I strive to forgive the people indebted to me.”

Daniel 3:25, 34-43
Psalm 25:4-9

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Daily Gospel Commentary

Saint Caesarius of Arles (470-543)
monk and Bishop
Sermon 25 ; SC 243 (trans. breviary 17th Monday rev.)

"Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?"

What is human mercy like? It makes you concerned for the hardship of the poor. What is divine mercy like? It forgives sinners...

In this world God is cold and hungry in all the poor, as he himself said (Mt 25:40)... What sort of people are we? When God gives, we want to receive, when he asks, we refuse to give? When a poor man is hungry, Christ is in need, as he said himself: “I was hungry and you gave me no food” (v. 42). Take care not to despise the hardship of the poor, if you would hope, without fear, to have your sins forgiven... What he receives on earth he returns in heaven.

I put you this question, dearly beloved: what is it you want, what is it you are looking for, when you come to church? What indeed if not mercy? Show mercy on earth, and you will receive mercy in heaven. A poor man is begging from you, and you are begging from God: he asks for a scrap, you ask for eternal life... And so when you come to church give whatever alms you can to the poor in accordance with your means.

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

Daily Marriage Tip for March 26, 2019:

Lenten check-in, week 3: We are half-way through Lent. Use this milestone as the opportunity to encourage your family to approach your Lenten resolutions with renewed vigor.

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Regnum Christi

March 26, 2019 – Forgiveness from the Heart

26 Mar 2019

Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

Matthew 18:21-35

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”

 

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, as I prepare for the coming of Easter during this Lenten season, I turn to you in prayer. You have been merciful to me. Many times you have pardoned the great debt I owe. I trust in your merciful love and wish to transmit your love to many others faithfully. Here I am, Lord, ready to learn from your tender heart.

Petition: Lord, enlighten me to your gift of mercy.

1. An Unpayable Debt: Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother. Jesus gives a short answer, telling a parable to make sure his answer is understood. In the parable God is the king, and we are all the servants who owe the king a huge amount. We are all in debt to God. He created us and keeps us in existence and gives us every good thing we have, every talent and virtue. We owe God everything. He owes us nothing. Do my daily thoughts and actions reflect this truth?

 

2. The Forgiving King: The servant, not being able to pay, falls to his knees and begs for more time so that he can pay back the debt. The king offers him more than just time – he pardons the entire debt. God is generous. When we turn to him and ask for forgiveness, he offers us much more than we could hope for – he pardons our entire debt. Then why, we might ask, does the king settle accounts with his servant if he is so generous? Why not pardon the debt from the beginning instead of ordering him along with his wife and children to be sold? He calls the servant to account so that the servant will realize how much he owes and in realizing this, he might imitate God when dealing with his fellow-worker. God does not want us to be punished for our sins. He desires to forgive us the great debt we owe him, but he calls us to account for our sins in the hope that we will recognize how much we have both received from him and owe to him and thus will ask for forgiveness.

3. Unequal Treatment and Abuse of Freedom: After being pardoned, the servant does not treat his debtor in the same merciful manner. He sends him to prison. He had every right to do so. In justice, his fellow servant owed him money; but in doing so he abuses the liberty that he has just been given. He does not stop to reflect that in this moment he himself should rightly be in slavery, sold along with his wife and children in order to pay his debt. He does not reflect that he is able to confront his fellow servant only because the king has had pity on him in the first place, giving him liberty. The offenses we suffer from our fellow men are real offenses, but before we demand justice we must stop and reflect that it is only because God has forgiven us our sins that we have the liberty to demand reparation from our fellow men. That reflection must lead us to have the same mercy with our fellow men that God has had with us.

Conversation with Christ: Lord thank you for this time of prayer. I must recognize that you have been merciful with me and forgiven me the great debt I owe. Thank you for the many times you have given me a second chance. During this time of Lent, help me to practice mercy toward those who owe or offend me.

Resolution: I will think of someone who has offended me and say a prayer asking God to help me forgive them.

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

March 26, 2019

Forgiveness is a recurring theme in our faith, because it is one of the cornerstones of Christianity, and because it is one of the hardest virtues to practice.

In the parable, an official owed the king a huge sum of money and could not repay him. When the official pleaded for mercy and promised to pay the debt in due time, the king relented and even wrote off the debt. But this same official put a fellow servant in jail because the latter couldn’t repay him for a much smaller debt. When the king heard of this, he became justifiably angry and put the official in jail.

“So will my heavenly Father do with you unless each of you sincerely forgive your brother or sister?” (Mt 18: 35) Forgiveness is mending a broken relationship so it can become whole again. We ask for this grace when we recite the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” How many times should we forgive someone? Jesus says, “seventy times seven times,” which means forgiving – wholeheartedly forgiving – over and over again.

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One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espanol

All Issues > Volume 35, Issue 2

<< Tuesday, March 26, 2019 >>

Daniel 3:25, 34-43
View Readings

Psalm 25:4-9

Matthew 18:21-35
Similar Reflections

PROVING THE NECESSITY OF FORGIVENESS

"I canceled your entire debt when you pleaded with me. Should you not have dealt mercifully with your fellow servant, as I dealt with you?" �Matthew 18:32-33

Jesus probably could not emphasize forgiveness more. He taught us to pray to be forgiven as we forgive those who have sinned against us (Mt 6:12). Jesus commanded us to forgive seventy times seven times, that is, indefinitely, or be handed "over to the torturers" (Mt 18:34). Even while hanging on the cross, Jesus prayed before His death: "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing" (Lk 23:34).

The last hundred years of international military history have illustrated the profound wisdom of Jesus' emphasis and insistence on forgiveness. World War I was billed as "the war to end all wars." However, World War II soon followed, after which came the Korean conflict and the Vietnamese War. Enemies were not forgiven, and thus came the "cold war" and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and then the terrorism of September 11, 2001. Without forgiving our enemies, we create a world of escalating war, violence, and terrorism.

When the world was gridlocked with unforgiveness, God was the first to forgive. He forgave us for our part through our sins in His crucifixion and death. Let us pass on Jesus' forgiveness of us to those who have sinned against us (Mt 18:32-33).

Prayer: Father, make me a peacemaker (Mt 5:9) and a minister of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18).

Promise: "So let our sacrifice be in Your presence today as we follow You unreservedly; for those who trust in You cannot be put to shame." —Dn 3:40

Praise: Antonio gave up a lucrative pension, retired early, sold his home and possessions, and moved out-of-state so he and his wife could minister full-time to the poor.

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