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

Alleluia Ping!

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Feast Day:	July 7
Died:	664 at Faremoutier, France

Continuing to pray for priests.

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

Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)

Rosary for the Bishops Campaign celebrates six months of prayer, global expansion

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

Pray the Rosary

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. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence 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 will be forever. Amen.

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 Ghost (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]

~ 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 evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+

Prayer Chain Request for the United States of America

Pray for Nancy Pelosi

Bachmann: Prayer and fasting will help defeat health care reform (Freeper Prayer Thread)

Prayer Campaign Started to Convert Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians to Pro-Life

[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries

Non-stop Rosary vigil to defeat ObamaCare

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:

"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"

Psalm 109:8

"Let his days be few; and let another take his place of leadership."

PLEASE JOIN US -

Evening Prayer
Someone has said that if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.
Did you know that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. Please forward this to your praying friends.

July Devotion: The Precious Blood

July Devotion: The Precious Blood

Like the Sacred Wounds of Jesus, His Precious Blood deserves special honor because of its close relation to the Sacred Passion. That honor was given to it from the beginning by the Apostles who praised its redeeming power. (Rom. 5:9 "we are justified by His blood"; Heb. 13:12 "and so Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people by His blood, suffered outside the gate"; 1 John 1:7 "and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.")

The Church has always held devotion to the Precious Blood in high esteem. We continue to recognize and publicly acknowledge the profound indebtedness of the whole human race to Christ, Priest and Victim.

Standing at the foot of the cross, we see Jesus' head, hands, feet, and side pouring out streams of precious blood. It is precious because it:

· Redeems us and atones for our sins. Through His precious blood we are reconciled to God, made one with Him. Death ceases to be death and heaven's gates are opened to us.

· Cleanses us from all sin.

· Preserves us and keeps us safe from the grasp of evil. When the Father sees us washed in the Blood of the Lamb we are spared.

· Comforts us. It is the constant reminder that Jesus - true God and true man suffered and died to save us and to open heaven to us because He loves us.

· Sanctifies us. The same blood that justifies by taking away sin, continues to work within us. Its action gives us the grace to continue on the path toward the Kingdom of God. It assists us in achieving our new nature, leading us onward in subduing sin and in following the commands of God.

Jesus shed His precious blood seven times during His life on earth. They events were:

· Jesus shed His Blood in the Circumcision

· Jesus shed His Blood whilst praying in the Garden of Olives

· Jesus shed His Blood in the scourging

· Jesus shed His Blood in the crowning with thorns

· Jesus shed His Blood while carrying His cross

· Jesus shed His Blood in the crucifixion

· Jesus shed His Blood and water when His side was pierced

The Power of the Precious Blood

"I adore You, O Precious Blood of Jesus, flower of creation, fruit of virginity, ineffable instrument of the Holy Spirit, and I rejoice at the thought that You came from the drop of virginal blood on which eternal Love impressed its movement; You were assumed by the Word and deified in His person. I am overcome with emotion when I think of Your passing from the Blessed Virgin's heart into the heart of the Word, and, being vivified by the breath of the Divinity, becoming adorable because You became the Blood of God." (St. Albert the Great)

At their recent meeting, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had continuous Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for "healing and peace." They encouraged parishes and communities to have ongoing Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In these dark months of woundedness, pain and violence we need to turn to the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist, for healing, peace, and light.

"What power we have in the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist! He is there to protect us, to be our refuge and our redemption. (In Exodus 12, God told Moses to have His chosen people mark their door posts with the blood of an unblemished lamb, during the first Passover. Those who did this were spared when the Angel of the death passed by). This is why Archbishop Sheen said that we must call down the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. For, he warned, when we stop calling down the Blood of the Lamb, we start calling down the blood of each other." (From our book Bread of Life)

"And the Lamb on the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water" (Rev 7:17).

"In the tumultuous events of our time, it is important to look to the Eucharist: it must be at the heart of the life of priests and consecrated people; the light and strength of spouses in putting into practice their commitment to fidelity, chastity and the apostolate; the ideal in education and in training children, adolescents and young people; the comfort and support of those who are troubled, of the sick and all who are weeping in the Gethsemane of life." (Pope John Paul II)

Precious Blood of Jesus, save us!

"The only time our Lord asked the Apostles for anything was the night when He went into His agony. But as often in the history of the church since that time, evil was awake, but the disciples were asleep. That is why there came out of His anguished and lonely Heart a sigh: 'Could you not watch one hour with Me?'" (Mt 26:40). Not for an hour of activity did he plead, but for an hour of friendship (Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen).

St. Maria Goretti, Patroness of Youth & Children of Mary, Feast-July 6 St. Maria of Italy (1890-1902), couldn't wait to make her First Communion. She wanted to receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist so that she could become more beautiful and pure like Him; she wanted Him to live in her, close to her heart. After she received Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for the first time, she stayed in Church for a long time after Mass to talk to Him. Maria's family lived with and worked for a farmer. His son Alessandro kept trying to make Maria sin against purity. One day, when everyone else was working, Alessandro grabbed Maria and tried to make her sin. Maria kept crying out for him to stop, and each time she did, he stabbed her. Courageously, Maria resisted him and was stabbed fourteen times. St. Maria died the next day.

"Look at Maria Goretti.... Like her, be capable of defending your purity of heart and body. Be committed to the struggle against evil and sin. Always esteem and love, purity and virginity." (Pope John Paul II, 1990)

A Prayer for Priests

O my God, help those priests who are faithful to remain faithful; to those who are falling, stretch forth Your Divine Hand that they may grasp it as their support. In the great ocean of Your mercy, lift those poor unfortunate ones who have fallen, that being engulfed therein they may receive the grace to return to Your Great Loving Heart. Amen. Precious Blood of Jesus, protect them!A

menHe

"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you" (Jn 6:53).

The Eucharist is the fruit of our Lords Passion. Jesus gave up His Body on the cross so that He may give you His Body in the Holy Eucharist. Jesus poured out His very last drop of Blood on the cross so that He may fill you with His Divine Love each time that you receive Him in Holy Communion and visit Him in Eucharistic Adoration!

"The Eucharist, in the Mass and outside of the Mass, is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and is therefore deserving of the worship that is given to the living God, and to Him alone" (Pope John Paul II, September 29, 1979, Phoenix Park, Ireland)

"The bread and wine, fruit of human hands, transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit into the body and blood of Christ, become a pledge of the 'new heaven and new earth,' announced by the Church in her daily mission." "In Christ, whom we adore present in the mystery of the Eucharist, the father uttered his final word with regard to humanity and human history." "To live the Eucharist, it is necessary, as well, to spend much time in adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament, something which I myself experience every day drawing from it strength, consolation and assistance." "How could the Church fulfill her vocation without cultivating a constant relationship with the Eucharist, without nourishing herself with this food which sanctifies, without founding her missionary activity on this indispensable support?" "To evangelize the world there is need of apostles who are 'experts' in the celebration, adoration and contemplation of the Eucharist" (Pope John Paul II, World Mission Message 2004).

The Power of the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist

"The Precious Blood belongs in an especial manner to men. Much more, therefore, does God invite them to come to its heavenly baths, and receive therein, not only the cleansing of their souls, but the power of a new and amazing life. Every doctrine in theology is a call to the Precious Blood. Every ceremony in the Church tells of it . . . . Every supernatural act is a growth of it. Everything that is holy on earth is either a leaf, bud, blossom or fruit of the Blood of Jesus. To its fountains God calls the sinner, that he may be lightened of his burdens. There is no remission of him in anything else. Only there is his lost sonship to be found. The saints are no less called by God to these invigorating streams. It is out of the Precious Blood that men draw martyrdoms, vocations, celebacies, austerities, heroic charities, and all the magnificent graces of high sanctity. The secret nourishment of prayer is from those fountains" (Father Faber, The Precious Blood).

Devotion to the Drops of Blood Lost by our Lord Jesus Christ on His Way to Calvary (Prayer/Devotion)

Chaplet of the Most Precious Blood
The Traditional Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Catholic Caucus)
Devotion to the Precious Blood
DOCTRINE OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,And More on the Precious Blood
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
NOTHING IS MORE POTENT AGAINST EVIL THAN PLEADING THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST
FORMER PENTECOSTAL RELATES MIRACLE THAT OCCURRED WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
St.Gaspar:Founder of the Society of the Precious Blood[AKA The Hammer of Freemasons]

Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The Most Precious Blood of Jesus
July is traditionally associated with the Precious Blood of Our Lord. It may be customary to celebrate the votive Mass of the Precious Blood on July 1.

The extraordinary importance of the saving Blood of Christ has ensured a central place for its memorial in the celebration of this cultic mystery: at the centre of the Eucharistic assembly, in which the Church raises up to God in thanksgiving "the cup of blessing" (1 Cor 10, 16; cf Ps 115-116, 13) and offers it to the faithful as a "real communion with the Blood of Christ" (1 Cor 10, 16); and throughout the Liturgical Year. The Church celebrates the saving Blood of Christ not only on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, but also on many other occasions, such that the cultic remembrance of the Blood of our redemption (cf 1 Pt 1, 18) pervades the entire Liturgical Year. Hence, at Vespers during Christmastide, the Church, addressing Christ, sings: "Nos quoque, qui sancto tuo redempti sumus sanguine, ob diem natalis tui hymnum novum concinimus." In the Paschal Triduum, the redemptive significance and efficacy of the Blood of Christ is continuously recalled in adoration. During the adoration of the Cross on Good Friday the Church sings the hymn: "Mite corpus perforatur, sanguis unde profluit; terra, pontus, astra, mundus quo lavanturflumine", and again on Easter Sunday, "Cuius corpus sanctissimum in ara crucis torridum, sed et cruorem roesum gustando, Deo vivimus (194).

July 2010

Holy Father's Intentions
Justice in Electing those who Govern
General: That in every nation of the world the election of officials may be carried out with justice, transparency and honesty, respecting the free decisions of citizens.

An Urban Culture of Justice, Solidarity and Peace
Missionary: That Christians may strive to offer everywhere, but especially in great urban centers, an effective contribution to the promotion of education, justice, solidarity and peace.

From: Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12

Israel’s idolatry

[1] Israel is a luxuriant vine
that yields its fruit.
The more his fruit increased
the more altars he built;
as his country improved
he improved his pillars.
[2] Their heart is false;
now they must bear their guilt.
The Lord will break down their altars,
and destroy their pillars.
[3] For now they will say:
“We have no king,
for we fear not the Lord,
and a king, what could he do for us?”

[7] Samaria’s king shall perish,
like a chip on the face of the waters.
[8] The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel,
shall be destroyed.
Thorn and thistle shall grow up
on their altars;
and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us,
and to the hills, Fall upon us.

Israel reproached for its pride

[12] Sow for yourselves righteousness,
reap the fruit of steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come and rain salvation upon you.

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

10:1-15. Verses 1-2 summarize the underlying point in the passage: the weal-
thier Israel becomes, the more corrupt she is. The verbs “to increase” (v. 1) and
“to bear guilt” (v. 2) are in direct contrast to one another. The “We have no king”
(v. 3) and the king’s being “like a chip on the face of the waters” (v. 7) refer to the
instability of the monarchy in the Northern kingdom: the period between 747
(when Jeroboam II died) to 721 (when Samaria fell to the Assyrians) saw a suc-
cession of six kings, who were puppets of Assyria or were assassinated by usur-
pers. Hosea is quite right when he says they had no king to rule them. The re-
sults of this anarchy are mentioned in vv. 4-8 — lots of empty talk, contracts with
no substance to them, unjust legal decisions; and the result of it all will he that
Assyria will destroy Israel’s altars, the monarchy will perish, and the people will
despair. Verses 9-10 probably hark back to the war when all the tribes turned on
the tribe of Benjamin to avenge the crime committed at Gibe-ah (cf. Judg 19:1-
20:48). Hosea must have regarded that crime and the war it led to (in which the
tribe of Benjamin was almost wiped out) as an archetype of the infamy and cruel-
ty that became so prevalent in later years. Verse 8 is quoted by our Lord when
He meets the women of Jerusalem on his way to Calvary (cf. Lk 23:20), and al-
so in Revelation 6:16, in the scene where the sixth seal is opened. The whole
passage is a reminder that material progress can also have negative consequen-
ces: “Holy Scripture teaches the human family what the experience of the ages
confirms — that while human progress is a great advantage to man, it brings with
it a strong temptation. For when the order of values is jumbled. and bad is mixed
with the good, individuals and groups pay heed solely to their own interests, and
not to those of others” (Vatican II, Gaudium et spes, 37).

The second stanza comprises a parable (vv.11-13) which recalls the first days of
Israel, the years in the wilderness, as being a golden age the stanza continues
(vv. 13-15) with a passage that reveals how disappointed God feels; there are re-
ferences here to recent events — the siege of Beth-arbel by Shalman, a Moabite
king (v. 14) and unlawful cults at Bethel (v. 15; note w). The underlying theme is
that of the whole book: the people put their trust in their own resources (cf. v.
13), neglecting to seek the Lord (cf. v. 12).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Matthew 10:1-7

The Calling and First Mission of the Apostles

[1] And He (Jesus) called to Him His twelve disciples and gave them authority
over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infir-
mity. [2] The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called
Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
[3] Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the
son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; [4] Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot,
who betrayed Him.

[5] These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, “Go nowhere among the Gen-
tiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, [6] but go rather to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel. [7] And preach as you go, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven
is at hand.’”

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

1-4. Jesus calls His twelve Apostles after recommending to them to pray to the
Lord to send laborers into His harvest (cf. Matthew 9:38). Christians’ apostolic
action should always, then, be preceded and accompanied by a life of constant
prayer: apostolate is a divine affair, not a merely human one. Our Lord starts His
Church by calling twelve men to be, as it were, twelve patriarchs of the new peo-
ple of God, the Church. This new people is established not by physical but by
spiritual generation. The names of those Apostles are specifically mentioned
here. They were not scholarly, powerful or important people: they were average,
ordinary people who responded faithfully to the grace of their calling—all of them,
that is, except Judas Iscariot. Even before His death and resurrection Jesus con-
fers on them the power to cast out unclean spirits and cure illnesses—as an ear-
nest of and as training for the saving mission which He will entrust to them.

The Church reveres these first Christians in a very special way and is proud to
carry on their supernatural mission, and to be faithful to the witness they bore to
the teaching of Christ. The true Church is absent unless there is uninterrupted
apostolic succession and identification with the spirit which the Apostles made
their own.

“Apostle”: this word means “sent”; Jesus sent them out to preach His Kingdom
and pass on His teaching.

The Second Vatican Council, in line with Vatican I, “confesses” and “declares”
that the Church has a hierarchical structure: “The Lord Jesus, having prayed at
length to the Father, called to Himself those whom He willed and appointed
twelve to be with Him, whom He might send to preach the Kingdom of God (cf.
Mark 3:13-19: Matthew 10:1-10). These Apostles (cf. Luke 6:13) He constituted
in the form of a college or permanent assembly, at the head of which He placed
Peter, chosen from among them (cf. John 21:15-17). He sent them first of all to
the children of Israel and then to all peoples (cf. Romans 1:16), so that, sharing

in His power, they might make all peoples His disciples and sanctify and govern
them (cf. Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:45-48; John 20:21-23) and
thus spread the Church and, administering it under the guidance of the Lord,
shepherd it all days until the end of the world (cf. Matthew 28:28)” (”Lumen
Gentium”, 19).

1. In this chapter St. Matthew describes how Jesus, with a view to the spreading
of the Kingdom of God which He inaugurates, decides to establish a Church,
which He does by giving special powers and training to these twelve men who
are its seed.

5-15. After revealing His intention to found the Church by choosing the Twelve
(verses 1-4), in the present passage He shows that He intends to start training
these first Apostles. In other words, from early on in His public ministry He be-
gan to lay the foundations of His Church.

Everyone needs doctrinal and apostolic training to follow his Christian calling.
The Church has a duty to teach, and the faithful have a parallel duty to make
that teaching their own. Therefore, every Christian should avail of the facilities
for training which the Church offers him—which will vary according to each per-
son’s circumstances.

5-6. In His plan of salvation God gave certain promises (to Abraham and the pa-
triarchs), a Covenant and a Law (the Law of Moses), and sent the prophets. The

Messiah would be born into this chosen people, which explains why the Messiah
and the Kingdom of God were to be preached to the house of Israel before being
preached to the Gentiles. Therefore, in their early apprenticeship, Jesus restricts
the Apostles’ area of activity to the Jews, without this taking from the world-wide
scope of the Church’s mission. As we will see, much later on He charges them
to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19); “Go into all the world
and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:16). The Apostles also,
in the early days of the spread of the Church, usually sought out the Jewish com-
munity in any new city they entered, and preached first to them (cf. Acts 13:46).

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

Mass Readings

First reading	Hosea 10:1-3,7-8,12 ©

Israel was a luxuriant vine

yielding plenty of fruit.

The more his fruit increased,

the more altars he built;

the richer his land became,

the richer he made the sacred stones.

Their heart is a divided heart;

very well, they must pay for it:

the Lord is going to break their altars down

and destroy their sacred stones.

Then they will say,

‘We have no king

because we have not feared the Lord.’

But what can a king do for us?

Samaria has had her day.

Her king is like a straw drifting on the water.

The idolatrous high places shall be destroyed –

that sin of Israel;

thorn and thistle will grow on their altars.

Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’

and to the hills, ‘Fall on us!’

Sow integrity for yourselves,

reap a harvest of kindness,

break up your fallow ground:

it is time to go seeking the Lord

until he comes to rain salvation on you.

Psalm	Psalm 104:2-7

Gospel	Matthew 10:1-7 ©

Jesus summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.

These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows:

‘Do not turn your steps to pagan territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’

Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Weekday

First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:

Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12
Psalm 105:2-7
Matthew 10:1-7

Hear, O Lord, my prayer: and let my cry come to thee.

-- Psalm cii. 2

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.

Amen!

Office of Readings and Invitatory Psalm

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

Introduction

O God, come to my aid.

O Lord, make haste to help me.

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. Alleluia.

Hymn

Thou madest all and dost control,

Lord, with thy touch divine.

Cast out the slumbers of the soul,

The rest that is not thine.

Look down, Eternal Holiness,

And wash the sins away,

Of those, who, rising to confess,

Outstrip the lingering day.

Our hearts and hands by night, O Lord,

We lift them in our need;

As holy Psalmist gives the word,

And holy Paul the deed.

Each sin to thee of years gone by,

Each hidden stain lies bare;

We shrink not from thine awful eye,

But pray that thou wouldst spare.

Grant this, O Father, Only Son

And Spirit, God of grace,

To whom all worship shall be done

In every time and place.

Psalm 38 (39) A prayer in sickness

We groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free.

I said, “I will watch my ways,

I will try not to sin in my speech.

I will set a guard on my mouth,

for as long as my enemies are standing against me.”

I stayed quiet and dumb, spoke neither evil nor good,

but my pain was renewed.

My heart grew hot within me,

and fire blazed in my thoughts.

Then I spoke out loud:

“Lord, make me know my end.

Let me know the number of my days,

so that I know how short my life is to be.”

All the length of my days is a handsbreadth or two,

the expanse of my life is as nothing before you.

For in your sight all men are nothingness:

man passes away, like a shadow.

Nothingness, although he is busy:

he builds up treasure, but who will collect it?

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.

We groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free.

Psalm 38 (39)

Listen, Lord, to my prayer: see my tears.

What, now, can I look forward to, Lord?

My hope is in you.

Rescue me from all my sins,

do not make me a thing for fools to laugh at.

I have sworn to be dumb, I will not open my mouth:

for it is at your hands that I am suffering.

Aim your blows away from me,

for I am crushed by the weight of your hand.

You rebuke and chastise us for our sins.

Like the moth you consume all we desire

– for all men are nothingness.

Listen, Lord, to my prayer:

turn your ear to my cries.

Do not be deaf to my weeping,

for I come as a stranger before you,

a wanderer like my fathers before me.

Turn away from me, give me respite,

before I leave this world,

before I am no more.

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.

Listen, Lord, to my prayer: see my tears.

Psalm 51 (52) Against calumny

But I hope in the kindness of God forever.

Why do you take pride in your malice,

you expert in evil-doing?

All day long you plan your traps,

your tongue is sharp as a razor –

you master of deceit!

You have chosen malice over kindness;

you speak lies rather than the truth;

your tongue is in love with every deceit.

For all this, in the end God will destroy you.

He will tear you out and expel you from your dwelling,

uproot you from the land of the living.

The upright will see and be struck with awe:

they will deride the evil-doer.

“Here is the man who did not make God his refuge,

but put his hope in the abundance of his riches

and in the power of his stratagems.”

But I flourish like an olive in the palace of God.

I hope in the kindness of God,

for ever, and through all ages.

I shall praise you for all time for what you have done.

I shall put my hope in your name and in its goodness

in the sight of your chosen ones.

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.

But I hope in the kindness of God forever.

My soul waits for his word;

– my soul puts its hope in the Lord.

Reading	2 Samuel 24:1-4,10-18,24-25 ©

The anger of the Lord once again blazed out against the Israelites and he incited David against them. ‘Go,’ he said ‘take a census of Israel and Judah.’ The king said to Joab and to the senior army officers who were with him, ‘Now go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and take a census of the people; I wish to know the size of the population.’ Joab said to the king, ‘May the Lord your God multiply the people a hundred times while my lord the king still has eyes to see it, but why should my lord the king be so set on this?’ But the king enforced his order on Joab and the senior officers, and Joab and the senior officers went from the king’s presence to take a census of the people of Israel.

But afterwards David’s heart misgave him for having taken a census of the people. ‘I have committed a grave sin’ David said to the Lord. ‘But now, Lord, I beg you to forgive your servant for this fault. I have been very foolish.’ But when David got up next morning, the following message had come from the Lord to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, ‘Go and say to David, “the Lord says this: I offer you three things; choose one of them for me to do to you.”’

So Gad went to David and told him. ‘Are three years of famine to come on you in your country’ he said ‘or will you flee for three months before your pursuing enemy, or would you rather have three days’ pestilence in your country? Now think, and decide how I am to answer him who sends me.’ David said to Gad, This is a hard choice. But let us rather fall into the power of the Lord, since his mercy is great, and not into the power of men.’ So David chose pestilence.

It was the time of the wheat harvest. The Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning till the time appointed and plague ravaged the people, and from Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of them died. The angel stretched out his hand towards Jerusalem to destroy it, but the Lord thought better of this evil, and he said to the angel who was destroying the people, ‘Enough! Now withdraw your hand.’ The angel of the Lord was beside the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. When David saw the angel who was ravaging the people, he spoke to the Lord. ‘It was I who sinned;’ he said ‘I who did this wicked thing. But these, this flock, what have they done? Let your hand lie heavy on me then, and on my family.’

Gad went to David that day and said, ‘Go up and erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.’ David paid fifty shekels in silver for the threshing-floor and oxen. David built an altar to the Lord there and offered holocausts and communion sacrifices. Then the Lord took pity on the country and the plague was turned away from Israel.

Responsory

Lord, remember your covenant and say to the destroying angel, Enough! Now withdraw your hand, lest the land be laid waste and all the people destroyed.

See, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Lord, I implore you to turn away your wrath from your people, lest the land be laid waste and all the people destroyed.

Reading	From the ancient document entitled "The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles"

The Eucharist

Celebrate the Eucharist as follows: Say over the cup: “we give you thanks, Father, for the holy vine of David, your servant, which you made known to us through Jesus your servant. To you be glory for ever.”

Over the broken bread say: “we give you thanks, Father, for the life and the knowledge which you have revealed to us through Jesus your servant. To you be glory for ever. As this broken bread scattered on the mountains was gathered and became one, so too, may your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom. For glory and power are yours through Jesus Christ for ever.”

Do not let anyone eat or drink of your eucharist except those who have been baptised in the name of the Lord. For the statement of the Lord applies here also: Do not give to dogs what is holy.

When you finish the meal, offer thanks in this manner: “We thank you, holy Father, for your name which you enshrined in our hearts. We thank you for the knowledge and faith and immortality which you revealed to us through your servant Jesus. To you be glory for ever. Almighty ruler, you created all things for the sake of your name; you gave men food and drink to enjoy so that they might give you thanks. Now you have favoured us through Jesus your servant with spiritual food and drink as well as with eternal life. Above all we thank you because you are mighty. To you be glory for ever.

“Remember, Lord, your Church and deliver her from all evil. Perfect her in your love; and, once she has been sanctified, gather her together from the four winds into the kingdom which you have prepared for her. For power and glory are yours for ever.

“May grace come and this world pass away! Hosanna to the God of David. If anyone is holy, let him come. If anyone is not, let him repent. Maranatha. Amen.”

On the Lord’s day, when you have been gathered together, break bread and celebrate the Eucharist. But first confess your sins so that your offering may be pure. If anyone has a quarrel with his neighbour, that person should not join you until he has been reconciled. Your sacrifice must not be defiled. In this regard, the Lord has said: In every place and time offer me a pure sacrifice. I am a great king, says the Lord, and my name is great among the nations.

Responsory

Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?

Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all share in the one bread. Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?

O God, the world had fallen flat in the dust but your Son’s humility stood it upright once more.

Fill your faithful people with a holy joy:

take those whom you have torn away from slavery to sin

and make them rejoice eternally.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever.

Amen.

Caholic Culture

Daily Readings for: July 07, 2010
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Father, through the obedience of Jesus, your servant and your Son, you raised a fallen world. Free us from sin and bring us the joy that lasts for ever. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

7th

Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time Old Calendar: Sts. Cyril and Methodius, bishops and confessors

There is only one who has no claim on the mercy of Jesus—he who lacks confidence. Confidence is the key to the Sacred Heart, the key to all His graces, the key to all His blessings.

We should always approach Him with adamant and childlike confidence in His love and mercy. Every day of our lives, but especially at the hour of our death, let us take refuge in the Sacred Heart that has been opened for us sinners.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. Their memorial in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on March 7.

Meditation
"As He [Jesus] was going to Jerusalem, He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered into a certain town, there met Him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off and lifted up their voices, saying: Jesus, Master, have mercy on us."

The affliction of leprosy, which banned men from association with others, prevented these unhappy men from coming close to Jesus. Undaunted by the horrors of their condition and the distance that separated them from Christ, the lepers cried out from afar: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." We, too, may sometimes seem to be kept away from Christ by the spiritual leprosy that afflicts our souls. But let us not be disheartened by the sins and imperfections that prevent us from approaching Him. With confidence in His infinite mercy and love, let us lift up our voices from the depths of our misery and cry: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." Never will our plea fail to reach His compassionate heart.

"Forget not to the end the souls of Thy poor."

Excerpted from Liturgical Meditations, The Sisters of St. Dominic

Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

Introduction

O God, come to my aid.

O Lord, make haste to help me.

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. Alleluia.

Hymn

Hence, night and clouds that night-time brings,

Confused and dark and troubled things;

The dawn is here, the sky grown white,

Christ is at hand; depart from sight.

Earth’s dusky veil is torn away,

Pierced by the sparkling beams of day:

The world resumes its hues apace

Soon as the day-star shows its face.

But thee, O Christ, alone we seek,

With conscience pure and temper meek:

With tears and chants we humbly pray

That thou wouldst guide us through the day.

So many shades obscure each sense

Which needs thy beams to purge it thence:

Light of the Morning-Star, illume,

Serenely shining, all our gloom.

All laud to God the Father be;

All praise, eternal Son, to thee;

All glory, as is ever meet,

To God the Holy Paraclete.

Psalm 76 (77) Remembering the works of the Lord

O God, your ways are holy: what god is as great as our God?

I cried out loud to the Lord,

cried out to God, and he turned to me.

In my time of trouble I sought for God,

my hands stretched out all night long,

tireless in supplication.

My soul will not be consoled:

I think of God, and I sigh;

I meditate, and my spirit fails.

You have kept me awake, my eyes open;

in my distress, I did not speak.

I pondered on the days of old,

thought through the immemorial years.

In the night I meditated in my heart.

I was troubled, and I asked my soul:

Will God reject you for ever,

will he never again take you into his favour?

Has his kindness ended for ever,

his word come to an end for all generations?

Will God forget to show mercy,

will he lock up his mercies in his anger?

And I said, “I am wounded indeed,

that the Most High has changed.”

I will remember the works of the Lord.

I will remember your wonders, from the beginning.

I will ponder on all you have done,

think deeply through all your great deeds.

O God, your ways are holy:

what god is as great as our God?

You are God, you work wonders,

you made known your strength to your people.

By your own action you redeemed your people,

the children of Jacob and of Joseph.

The waters saw you, O God,

the waters saw you and writhed,

stirred up even to their depths.

The clouds poured down water,

the clouds sounded their voice,

your arrows shot forth.

Your voice thundered in the whirlwind,

your lightnings lit up the world,

the earth trembled and shook.

Your way led through the sea,

your paths through the great waters,

your steps left no trace behind them.

You led your people like a flock,

by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

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.

O God, your ways are holy: what god is as great as our God?

Canticle	1 Samuel 2

The song of Hannah, mother of Samuel

My heart rejoices in the Lord: he lays low and he raises up.

My heart rejoices in the Lord,

my strength is raised up in the name of my God.

I cry out in triumph over my enemies

as I rejoice in your deliverance.

No-one is like the Lord, for he is holy;

no-one is like our God, for he is strong.

Do not pile boasting upon boasting:

keep proud words far from your mouth,

for the Lord is the God of all knowledge

and the judge of all actions.

The bow of the mighty is broken,

and the weak are clothed in strength.

Those who fed well must hire themselves out, for bread;

but the hungry are hungry no longer.

The barren woman has given birth to many;

but she who had many sons is left desolate.

The Lord brings death and brings life;

he leads down to the underworld and rescues from it.

The Lord makes poor and makes rich;

he lays low and raises up.

He lifts the needy from the dust and the poor from the dunghill

to sit among princes

to sit on the throne of glory.

To the Lord belong the poles of the earth;

from them he has suspended the world.

He will keep safe the feet of his chosen,

but the impious will be silent in the darkness

– for it is not by his own strength that a man becomes strong.

The Lord grinds down his enemies:

he will thunder on them from the heavens.

The Lord will judge the ends of the earth,

give dominion to his king,

and raise up the standard of his anointed one.

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.

My heart rejoices in the Lord: he lays low and he raises up.

Psalm 96 (97) The glory of God in his judgements

The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice.

The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice,

let the many islands be glad.

Clouds and dark mist surround him,

his throne is founded on law and justice.

Fire precedes him,

burning up his enemies all around.

His lightnings light up the globe;

the earth sees and trembles.

The mountains flow like wax at the sight of the Lord,

at the sight of the Lord the earth dissolves.

The heavens proclaim his justice

and all peoples see his glory.

Let them be dismayed, who worship carved things,

who take pride in the images they make.

All his angels, worship him.

Zion heard and was glad,

the daughters of Judah rejoiced

because of your judgements, O Lord.

For you are the Lord, the Most High over all the earth,

far above all other gods.

You who love the Lord, hate evil!

The Lord protects the lives of his consecrated ones:

he will free them from the hands of sinners.

A light has arisen for the just,

and gladness for the upright in heart.

Rejoice, you just, in the Lord

and proclaim his holiness.

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.

The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice.

Short reading	Romans 8:35,37 ©

Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us.

Short Responsory

I will bless the Lord at all times.

– I will bless the Lord at all times.

His praise shall be always on my lips.

– I will bless the Lord at all times.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– I will bless the Lord at all times.

Canticle	Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Let us serve the Lord in holiness through all our days.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.

He has raised up the sign of salvation

in the house of his servant David,

as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones,

his prophets through the ages:

to rescue us from our enemies

and all who hate us,

to take pity on our fathers,

to remember his holy covenant

and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,

that he would give himself to us,

that we could serve him without fear

– freed from the hands of our enemies –

in uprightness and holiness before him,

for all of our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High:

for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,

to let his people know their salvation,

so that their sins may be forgiven.

Through the bottomless mercy of our God,

one born on high will visit us

to give light to those who walk in darkness,

who live in the shadow of death;

to lead our feet in the path of peace.

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.

Let us serve the Lord in holiness through all our days.

Prayers and Intercessions

Blessed be God our Saviour, who has promised to be with his Church until the end of time. Let us thank him and ask him:

– Lord, remain with us.

Remain with us, Lord, throughout today:

let your grace be a sun that never sets.

– Lord, remain with us.

We consecrate today as an offering to you:

we promise to do nothing evil today, nor even attempt it.

– Lord, remain with us.

Lord, may your gift of light shine through us today:

make us the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

– Lord, remain with us.

May the love of your Holy Spirit guide our hearts and our speech,

so that we may be at one with you in righteousness and praise.

– Lord, remain with us.

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.

Lord, send your light to shine in our hearts.

May we always follow the path of your commandments

and never stray from it.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever.

Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

Mass Readings

Office of Readings

Daily Readings for: July 07, 2010(Readings on USCCB website)

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time Old Calendar: Sts. Cyril and Methodius, bishops and confessors

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

AMEN

Daily Readings for: July 07, 2010
(Readings on USCCB website)