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).

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: September 11th

Wednesday of the Twenty-Third Week of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

September 11, 2019 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, by whom we are redeemed and receive adoption, look graciously upon your beloved sons and daughters, that those who believe in Christ may receive true freedom and an everlasting inheritance. 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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Old Calendar: Sts. Protus and Hyacinth, martyrs; St. Paphutius (Hist)

According to tradition Sts. Protus and Hyacinth were Romans by birth, brothers and servants in the house of St. Basilla. They were burned alive around 257, during the persecution of Valerian and Gallian. St. Hyacinth is unique among Roman martyrs in that his epitaph and grave in the cemetery of Basilla on the Old Salarian Way were found intact in modern time (1845); in it were the charred bones of the martyr, who had been put to death by fire. Part of the empty tomb of St. Protus was also found. According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is their feast.

Sts. Protus and Hyacinth
The story of most martyrs of the first three centuries is so obscured by legend that it is difficult for us to cull out the historical kernel; this is true of today's saints. Tradition tells us that the brothers Protus and Hyacinth were chamberlains to the holy virgin Eugenia (listed as a martyr on December 25 in the Roman Martyrology) and were baptized along with their patron by Bishop Helenus. They devoted themselves zealously to the study of Sacred Scripture and lived for a time with the hermits in Egypt, illustrious for humility and holiness of life. At a later date they accompanied Eugenia to Rome and were arrested by Emperor Gallienus (260-268) for their profession of the Christian faith. In no manner could they be persuaded to deny the faith or worship the gods. Accordingly, after an inhuman scourging, they were beheaded on September 11.

Veneration of the two martyrs in the Church of Rome dates to venerable antiquity. Ancient registers contain their names, Pope Damasus praises them in verse at the end of the age of martyrs. The cemetery of Basilla marked the site of their graves; relics of St. Hyacinth were discovered there in 1845 and now are honored in the chapel of the Propaganda.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Things to Do:

The unshakable fortitude of the martyrs throughout the Christian ages should serve as a stimulating reproach to us when we are tempted to lose patience under the most ordinary trials. Offer your Mass or Rosary for the grace of final perseverance.

St. Paphnutius
The holy confessor Paphnutius was an Egyptian, and after having spent several years in the desert, under the direction of the great St. Antony, was made bishop in Upper Thebais. He was one of those confessors who, under the tyrant Maximin Daia, lost their right eye, and were afterward sent to work in the mines. Peace being restored to the Church, Paphnutius returned to his flock. The Arian heresy being broached in Egypt, he was one of the most zealous in defending the Catholic faith, and for his eminent sanctity and the glorious title of confessor (or one who had confessed the Faith before the persecutors and under torments) was highly considered in the great Council of Nice. Constantine the Great, during the celebration of that synod, sometimes conferred privately with him in his palace, and never dismissed him without kissing respectfully the place which had once held the eye he had lost for the Faith.

St. Paphnutius remained always in a close union with St. Athanasius, and accompanied him to the Council of Tyre, in 335, where they found much the greater part of that assembly to be professed Arians. Seeing Maximus, Bishop of Jerusalem, among them, Paphnutius took him by the hand, led him out, and told him he could not see that any who bore the same marks as he in defence of the Faith should be seduced and imposed upon by persons who were resolved to oppress the most strenuous assertor of its fundamental article. We have no particular account of the death of St. Paphnutius, but his name stands in the Roman Martyrology on the 11th of September.

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

Things to Do:

Read The Hermits by Charles Kingsley in which the introduction relates a story told by St. Paphuntius. It contains a miniature sketch, not only of the social state of Egypt, but of the whole Roman Empire, and of the causes which led to the famous monastic movement in the beginning of the fifth century after Christ.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Colossians 3:1-11

23rd Week in Ordinary Time

You have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. (Colossians 3:9-10)

Have you ever become overly attached to a worn-out piece of clothing? Perhaps it was an old coat that kept you very warm but was faded and stained. The zipper was broken, and there was a big tear in the sleeve. When winter arrived, you took it out of your closet and started wearing it again. But then a good friend told you, “Please get rid of that! It just doesn’t look good anymore. Here! Try on this new coat I just bought for you.”

Paul is saying something similar in today’s reading. He reminds us that we have cast off our “old self.” We now have a “new self”—a new life in Christ, given to us in Baptism (Colossians 3:9, 10). Unfortunately, we don’t always recognize how “new” our new self is. We often see only our old self with all its failings.

What is Paul’s remedy? “Put to death . . . the parts of you that are earthly” (Colossians 3:5). The Colossians may have acted with anger or malice in the past. But the past is over and done with. They are a new creation now, so their identity, their memory, and the vision they have of themselves and the world have changed. They don’t have to keep walking around in old, dirty clothing. Just get rid of it, Paul says. You have something infinitely better to wear!

Of course, this isn’t always easy to do. Our old desires haven’t completely left us. Like that old coat, it can take us a long time to part with them completely. So often we fail because we lose sight of how wonderful our new life in Christ really is. We give in to old temptations because we forget about what God has already done—and still wants to do—through his power and grace.

Is there a habit or inclination you would like to “put off”? Obviously, a habit is something ingrained, so you may not shake it overnight. But be encouraged. God has made you a new creation. He’s done so much in you already, and he’s only just begun!

“Lord, give me the grace and the strength to leave behind everything that stands between me and you!”

Psalm 145:2-3, 10-13
Luke 6:20-26

Homily of the Day

September 11, 2019

Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

There are so many people suffering today. It is troubling to see people suffering hunger, oppression and injustice. Yet, as Christians, how do we respond to the plight of our poor brothers and sisters?

In the beatitudes, God favors the poor, the oppressed and the rejected. He is not blind to the sad realities of our world and this is why he calls us to help the poor. The less fortunate look to God for help. We are God’s messengers of hope for them. But though we are called to help, many of us remain blind to their plight. We tend to ignore them because we are too busy satisfying ourselves. Or perhaps, we are indifferent to the poor because we do not know and cannot imagine the pain and suffering they are undergoing.

As Christ is our model for those less fortunate, we are encouraged to get out of our comfort zones and to be with the poor, the sick, and the lonely. It is time to think less of ourselves and to start to humbly serve the needs of others. Let us truly and indeed be God’s messengers of hope.

Regnum Christi

September 11, 2019 – Leap for Joy for Heaven

Wednesday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

Father Patrick Butler, LC

Luke 6: 20-26

Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. 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. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”

Introductory Prayer: God the Father, thank you for the gift of creation, including my own life. God the Son, thank you for redeeming me at the price of your own Body and Blood. God the Holy Spirit, thank you for being the sweet guest of my soul, enlightening my mind, strengthening my spirit and kindling the fire of your love in my heart.

Petition: Father, help me to seek the things that are above.

Because You Say It, Lord… In this passage, I can picture Jesus raising his eyes to look into the faces of his followers. Today, he looks into my eyes and engages my attention with his loving gaze. I accept what he tells me because it is he who speaks. I believe that he has the words of eternal life. Naturally, poverty, hunger, sorrow and being excluded do not appeal to me, but they are the values of my beloved Lord, and that is enough for me.

Seek First the Kingdom: Jesus encourages me to strive for the values of his Kingdom, to be forgetful of myself and my well-being. He will take care of me and give me recompense. Heaven awaits me – laughter and joy, a fullness that is unfathomable. It is arduous not to seek “heaven on earth” in riches and pleasure and in fitting in with the crowd. It takes a vision of faith and a spirit of perseverance.

Warning Signs: St. Luke transmits to us not only the Beatitudes, but also their opposites. These are like warning signs. If my path is aligned with these opposites, I had better be attentive – where does that road lead me in the long run? Where my heart is, there also is my treasure. Is heavenly, eternal happiness my heart’s desire or are earthly, temporal delights?

Conversation with Christ: Lord, give me the joy of experiencing some of the heavenly joy of being united to you here on earth. Help me to find my fulfillment in loving you, in giving my life to you.

Resolution: I will examine what motivates me in my daily duty, striving to purify my intention. I will act out of love of God and not out of self-love.

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espanol

All Issues > Volume 35, Issue 5

<< Wednesday, September 11, 2019 >>

Colossians 3:1-11
View Readings

Psalm 145:2-3, 10-13

Luke 6:20-26
Similar Reflections

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP

"Since you have been raised up in company with Christ, set your heart on what pertains to higher realms, where Christ is seated at God's right hand." �Colossians 3:1

In our secular humanistic society, many people, even Christians, are preoccupied with this world. They don't think very often of God, heaven, or the afterlife. They live as if our short time on earth is all we have. This attitude is out of touch with the major aspects of reality. Therefore, secular humanists tend to feel empty, depressed, stressed, or fearful.

If they find Jesus and give themselves totally to Him, they are saved and elated, for Jesus is the only Way to the Father in heaven (Jn 14:6). He alone is the Resurrection and the Life (Jn 11:25). Those converted to Jesus are no longer doomed to be earthbound prisoners of the world. They are "raised up in company with Christ" (Col 3:1; see also Eph 2:6). They can seek what is above and "be intent on things above rather than on things of earth" (Col 3:2). In being transformed by Jesus, they can "put to death whatever in [their] nature is rooted in earth" (Col 3:5).

The world of itself is a prison. If you are living for Jesus, you have the key to free billions of prisoners from captivity. Share your faith and give the key to those worldlings who are becoming more and more sick and bored with this world. After all, "we have our citizenship in heaven; it is from there that we eagerly await the coming of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Phil 3:20).

Prayer: Father, free my mind from being "set upon the things of this world" (Phil 3:19), thus making me an enemy of Christ's cross (Phil 3:18).

Promise: "Blest are you poor; the reign of God is yours." —Lk 6:20

Praise: After losing his job, George began to attend daily Mass and has found consolation.

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