Posted on 06/19/2015 10:32:25 PM PDT by Salvation
June 20, 2015
Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 2 Cor 12:1-10
Brothers and sisters: I must boast; not that it is profitable, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who, fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows), was caught up to the third heaven. And I know that this man (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows) was caught up into Paradise and heard ineffable things, which no one may utter. About this man I will boast, but about myself I will not boast, except about my weaknesses. Although if I should wish to boast, I would not be foolish, for I would be telling the truth. But I refrain, so that no one may think more of me than what he sees in me or hears from me because of the abundance of the revelations. Therefore, that I might not become too elated, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Responsorial Psalm PS 34:8-9, 10-11, 12-13
R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. Taste and see how good the LORD is; blessed the man who takes refuge in him. R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. Fear the LORD, you his holy ones, for nought is lacking to those who fear him. The great grow poor and hungry; but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing. R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. Come, children, hear me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Which of you desires life, and takes delight in prosperous days? R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Alleluia 2 Cor 8:9 R. Alleluia, alleluia. Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich. R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mt 6:24-34
Jesus said to his disciples: No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, What are we to eat? or What are we to drink? or What are we to wear? All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.
Pray for me as this hopefully gets fixed tomorrow.
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Since my ping list is on my computer (and is currently lost), please consider yourself pinged.
I am pinged.
It’s a relief to be back to my morning prayer routine.
Please re-add me.
Translations, Fathers, art — shortly.
Matthew | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
Matthew 6 |
|||
24. | No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. | Nemo potest duobus dominis servire : aut enim unum odio habebit, et alterum diliget : aut unum sustinebit, et alterum contemnet. Non potestis Deo servire et mammonæ. | ουδεις δυναται δυσιν κυριοις δουλευειν η γαρ τον ενα μισησει και τον ετερον αγαπησει η ενος ανθεξεται και του ετερου καταφρονησει ου δυνασθε θεω δουλευειν και μαμωνα |
25. | Therefore I say to you, be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat, nor for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than the meat: and the body more than the raiment? | Ideo dico vobis, ne solliciti sitis animæ vestræ quid manducetis, neque corpori vestro quid induamini. Nonne anima plus est quam esca, et corpus plus quam vestimentum ? | δια τουτο λεγω υμιν μη μεριμνατε τη ψυχη υμων τι φαγητε και τι πιητε μηδε τω σωματι υμων τι ενδυσησθε ουχι η ψυχη πλειον εστιν της τροφης και το σωμα του ενδυματος |
26. | Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value than they? | Respicite volatilia cæli, quoniam non serunt, neque metunt, neque congregant in horrea : et Pater vester cælestis pascit illa. Nonne vos magis pluris estis illis ? | εμβλεψατε εις τα πετεινα του ουρανου οτι ου σπειρουσιν ουδε θεριζουσιν ουδε συναγουσιν εις αποθηκας και ο πατηρ υμων ο ουρανιος τρεφει αυτα ουχ υμεις μαλλον διαφερετε αυτων |
27. | And which of you by taking thought, can add to his stature by one cubit? | Quis autem vestrum cogitans potest adjicere ad staturam suam cubitum unum ? | τις δε εξ υμων μεριμνων δυναται προσθειναι επι την ηλικιαν αυτου πηχυν ενα |
28. | And for raiment why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they labour not, neither do they spin. | Et de vestimento quid solliciti estis ? Considerate lilia agri quomodo crescunt : non laborant, neque nent. | και περι ενδυματος τι μεριμνατε καταμαθετε τα κρινα του αγρου πως αυξανει ου κοπια ουδε νηθει |
29. | But I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. | Dico autem vobis, quoniam nec Salomon in omni gloria sua coopertus est sicut unum ex istis. | λεγω δε υμιν οτι ουδε σολομων εν παση τη δοξη αυτου περιεβαλετο ως εν τουτων |
30. | And if the grass of the field, which is to day, and to morrow is cast into the oven, God doth so clothe: how much more you, O ye of little faith? | Si autem fnum agri, quod hodie est, et cras in clibanum mittitur, Deus sic vestit, quanto magis vos modicæ fidei ? | ει δε τον χορτον του αγρου σημερον οντα και αυριον εις κλιβανον βαλλομενον ο θεος ουτως αμφιεννυσιν ου πολλω μαλλον υμας ολιγοπιστοι |
31. | Be not solicitous therefore, saying, What shall we eat: or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? | Nolite ergo solliciti esse, dicentes : Quid manducabimus, aut quid bibemus, aut quo operiemur ? | μη ουν μεριμνησητε λεγοντες τι φαγωμεν η τι πιωμεν η τι περιβαλωμεθα |
32. | For after all these things do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. | hæc enim omnia gentes inquirunt. Scit enim Pater vester, quia his omnibus indigetis. | παντα γαρ ταυτα τα εθνη επιζητει οιδεν γαρ ο πατηρ υμων ο ουρανιος οτι χρηζετε τουτων απαντων |
33. | Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you. | Quærite ergo primum regnum Dei, et justitiam ejus : et hæc omnia adjicientur vobis. | ζητειτε δε πρωτον την βασιλειαν του θεου και την δικαιοσυνην αυτου και ταυτα παντα προστεθησεται υμιν |
34. | Be not therefore solicitous for to morrow; for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. | Nolite ergo solliciti esse in crastinum. Crastinus enim dies sollicitus erit sibi ipsi : sufficit diei malitia sua. | μη ουν μεριμνησητε εις την αυριον η γαρ αυριον μεριμνησει τα εαυτης αρκετον τη ημερα η κακια αυτης |
This is the fifth of the twenty-eight scenes (twenty-five of which were painted by Giotto) of Legend of Saint Francis.
When Francis' father accuses his son before the episcopal tribune of squandering his fortune, Francis returns to him even the clothes he is wearing, and repudiates him. Giotto illustrates this sensational public separation, which signifies the decisive step towards the saint's future life of poverty, by means of the two groups of people on opposite sides. The buildings further reinforce the gulf between the two worlds
Guess what I just found in my Recycle bin~
Alleluia Ping~
Thank you.
Glad you found it!
From: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
Visions and Revelations
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
1-10. He continues his apologia by referring to visions and revelations he has re-
ceived from the Lord. From other letters and from the Acts of the Apostles we
know that there were many of these in the course of his life (cf. Acts 9:1-8; 16:9;
18:9f; 22:17-21; 27:23f; 1 Cor 15:8; Gal 1:12); but he refers to only one of them.
The Apostle couches this account in the third person—”a man in Christ”—possibly
because he feels embarrassed (vv. 1, 5) to have to reveal these graces God has
given him. Therefore, after describing these visions briefly (vv. 1-6), he speaks
about the weakness the Lord has allowed him to have, to prevent him from taking
pride in these wonderful experiences (vv. 7-10).
“Fourteen years ago”: that is, in the period 43-44, possibly during his stay in Tar-
sus (cf. Acts 9:30), Antioch (Acts 11:25ff; 13:1-3) or Jerusalem (Acts 11:30).
2-4. Although he is able to quote the precise time of the vision, he cannot explain
how it happened. It may have been an instance of supernatural contemplation in
which his physical senses played no part, which would explain why he does not
know whether he was in the body or not. St Thomas Aquinas, with St Augustine,
is of the view that St Paul was given a vision of the essence of God, as Moses
had been (cf. Ex 33:11; Deut 34:10): “The Apostle’s very words indicate this. For
he says that ‘he heard words that cannot be told, which man may not utter’, and
such would be words pertaining to the vision of the blessed, which transcends the
state of the wayfarer” (”Summa Theologiae”, II-II, q. 175, a. 3). To help us under-
stand the difficulty St Paul had in explaining himself, we might study what St
Catherine of Siena said when God revealed to her some of the mysteries of divine
providence: “O eternal Father, fire and depths of love, eternal mercy! O hope! O
refuge of sinners, eternal and infinite good! [...] What need have you of your crea-
tures? [...] What more can I say? Shall I act like a baby and say, Ah, ah, ah, for
that is all I can say: language cannot express the affection of a soul that infinitely
desires you? I seem to be saying what Paul said: ‘Words cannot describe, not
ear hear, nor eyes see ...what I have seen.’ What did you see then? I have seen
the mystery of God. But, what is this that I am saying? Not, to be sure, that I
have seen them with these lower senses; however, I tell you, my soul, that you
have tasted and have seen the very depths of supreme, eternal Providence”
(”Dialogue”, 10).
“The third heaven”: according to some commentators, this simply refers to the
situation in which the blessed dwell, that is, the most sublime level of divine con-
templation. Others see in it an echo of Jewish traditions which spoke of a first
heaven (the atmosphere of the earth), a second (the heaven of the stars) and a
third (the dwelling-place of God). In any event, “Paradise” (v. 4) would have the
same meaning.
5-6. The Apostle is speaking metaphorically as if there were two people in him—
one, who receives supernatural gifts, which he glories in as coming from God; the
other, who experiences severe afflictions of different kinds, which he also boasts
about because they show forth God’s power (cf. 12:9). “In man”, St Thomas com-
ments, “two things may be considered—the gift of God, and the human condition.
If one glories in some divine gift, as coming from God, that is a good boast, be-
cause it is boasting in the Lord [...]. But if one glories in that gift as something
coming from oneself, then that is a bad kind of boast” (”Commentary on 2 Cor,
ad loc.”).
7-10. Displaying admirable humility, St Paul now refers to the weakness God al-
lowed him to experience to ensure his supernatural gifts did not make him proud.
It is impossible to say what exactly the “thorn in his flesh” was. Some Fathers—
St Augustine, for example—and modern commentators think that it was some
particularly painful and humiliating physical ailment, possibly the same one as
he refers to in Galatians 4:13f, where he also speaks in general terms. Others,
like St John Chrysostom, are of the view that he is referring to the pain which
continual persecution caused him. Others—from St Gregory the Great onwards
—opt for an ascetical interpretation; they say he is referring to temptations to do
with conscience; but the supporters of the two other theses argue, for example,
that it is unlikely that St Paul would have mentioned anything of that kind, be-
cause it could have given his enemies ammunition for further attacks.
St Paul asked God to take this “thorn” away, but the heavenly answer he re-
ceived is very revealing: God’s grace is enough to enable him to cope with this
difficulty—which serves to reveal God’s power. And so it is that he boasts of and
is content with his weaknesses and the persecution he suffers: in these circum-
stances he is stronger than ever, thanks to God’s supernatural help.
When commenting on this passage, St Thomas explains that God sometimes
permits certain kinds of evil in order to draw out greater good: for example, in or-
der to protect people from pride—the root of all vices — he sometimes allows his
chosen ones to be humiliated by an illness, or a defect, or even by mortal sin, in
order that “the person who is humbled in this way might recognize that he cannot
stand firm by his own efforts alone. Hence it is said in Romans 8:28, ‘We know
that in everything God works for good with those who love him’—not of course that
God seeks the sin but [the sinner’s] turning to him” (”Commentary on 2 Cor, ad
loc.”).
7. “A messenger of Satan”, an angel of Satan: this is how he describes the hu-
miliating “thorn”. This suggests that the disability could have been seen as an
obstacle to his work of evangelization—which the devil, logically, would have
been keen to frustrate (cf. 2:11; 11:14f).
8-10. Christians can learn a great deal about the ascetical struggle from these
words. They remind us, on the one hand, of the need to ask the Lord to help us
when we experience difficulties, and at the same time to be full of trust and to
abandon ourselves to God, who knows what is best for us. “The Lord is good”,
St Jerome teaches, “because he often does not give us what we desire, in order
to give us something we would prefer” (”Epist. ad Paulinum”).
The passage also shows us what attitude we should take to our own weakness:
“We have to glory”, St Alphonsus says, “in the knowledge of our own weakness
in order to acquire the strength of Jesus Christ, which is holy humility”, without
“giving in to lack of confidence, as the devil wants, and falling into more serious
sins” (”Treasury of Preaching Material”, II, 6).
At the same time this passage teaches us that awareness of our personal short-
comings should lead us to put all our trust in God: “We have to cry out cease-
lessly with a strong and humble faith, ‘Lord, put not your trust in me. But I, I put
my trust in you. ‘ Then, as we sense in our hearts the love, the compassion, the
tenderness of Christ’s gaze upon us (for he never abandons us) we shall come
to understand the full meaning of those words of St Paul, “virtus in infirmitate
perficitur” (2 Cor 12:9). If we have faith in our Lord, in spite of our failings — or
rather, with our failings—we shall be faithful to our Father, God; his divine power
will shine forth in us, sustaining us in our weakness” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends
of God”, 194).
*********************************************************************************************
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 6:24-34
Trust in God’s Fatherly Providence (Continuation)
[25] “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or
what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more
than food, and the body more than clothing? [26] Look at the birds of the air; they
neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds
them. Are you not of more value than they? [27] And which of you by being an-
xious can add one cubit to his span of life? [28] And why are you anxious about
clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin;
[29] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
[30] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow
is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?
[31] Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we
drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [32] For the Gentiles seek all these things; and
your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all. [33] But seek first His King-
dom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
[34] “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious
for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.”
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
24. Man’s ultimate goal is God; to attain this goal he should commit himself en-
tirely. But in fact some people do not have God as their ultimate goal, and instead
choose wealth of some kind—in which case wealth becomes their god. Man can-
not have two absolute and contrary goals.
25-32. In this beautiful passage Jesus shows us the value of the ordinary things
of life, and teaches us to put our trust in God’s fatherly providence. Using simple
examples and comparisons taken from everyday life, He teaches us to abandon
ourselves into the arms of God.
27. The word “span” could be translated as “stature”, but “span” is closer to the
original (cf. Luke 12:25). A “cubit” is a measure of length which can metaphori-
cally refer to time.
33. Here again the righteousness of the Kingdom means the life of grace in man
—which involves a whole series of spiritual and moral values and can be summed
up in the notion of “holiness”. The search for holiness should be our primary pur-
pose in life. Jesus is again insisting on the primacy of spiritual demands. Com-
menting on this passage, Pope Paul VI says: “Why poverty? It is to give God,
the Kingdom of God, the first place in the scale of values which are the object of
human aspirations. Jesus says: ‘Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness’.
And He says this with regard to all the other temporal goods, even necessary
and legitimate ones, with which human desires are usually concerned. Christ’s
poverty makes possible that detachment from earthly things which allows us to
place the relationship with God at the peak of human aspirations” (”General Au-
dience”, 5 January 1977).
34. Our Lord exhorts us to go about our daily tasks serenely and not to worry
uselessly about what happened yesterday or what may happen tomorrow. This
is wisdom based on God’s fatherly providence and on our own everyday experi-
ence: “He who observes the wind will not sow; and he who regards the clouds
will not reap” (Eccles 11:4).
What is important, what is within our reach, is to live in God’s presence and
make good use of the present moment: “Do your duty ‘now’, without looking back
on ‘yesterday’, which has already passed, or worrying over ‘tomorrow’, which may
never come for you” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 253).
*********************************************************************************************
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.
Readings at Mass
First reading
2 Corinthians 12:1-10 ©
Must I go on boasting, though there is nothing to be gained by it? But I will move on to the visions and revelations I have had from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who, fourteen years ago, was caught up whether still in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows right into the third heaven. I do know, however, that this same person whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows was caught up into paradise and heard things which must not and cannot be put into human language. I will boast about a man like that, but not about anything of my own except my weaknesses. If I should decide to boast, I should not be made to look foolish, because I should only be speaking the truth; but I am not going to, in case anyone should begin to think I am better than he can actually see and hear me to be.
In view of the extraordinary nature of these revelations, to stop me from getting too proud I was given a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan to beat me and stop me from getting too proud! About this thing, I have pleaded with the Lord three times for it to leave me, but he has said, My grace is enough for you: my power is at its best in weakness. So I shall be very happy to make my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me, and that is why I am quite content with my weaknesses, and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and the agonies I go through for Christs sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong.
Psalm
Psalm 33:8-13 ©
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
The angel of the Lord is encamped
around those who revere him, to rescue them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
He is happy who seeks refuge in him.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Revere the Lord, you his saints.
They lack nothing, those who revere him.
Strong lions suffer want and go hungry
but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Come, children, and hear me
that I may teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is he who longs for life
and many days, to enjoy his prosperity?
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Gospel Acclamation
Mt4:4
Alleluia, alleluia!
Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Alleluia!
Or
2Co8:9
Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus Christ was rich,
but he became poor for your sake,
to make you rich out of his poverty.
Alleluia!
Gospel
Matthew 6:24-34 ©
Jesus said to his disciples: No one can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.
That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and how you are to clothe it. Surely life means more than food, and the body more than clothing! Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are? Can any of you, for all his worrying, add one single cubit to his span of life? And why worry about clothing? Think of the flowers growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin; yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his regalia was robed like one of these. Now if that is how God clothes the grass in the field which is there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more look after you, you men of little faith? So do not worry; do not say, What are we to eat? What are we to drink? How are we to be clothed? It is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
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Jesus, High Priest
We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry. Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.
The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
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