Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 11-10-03, Memorial, St. Leo the Great, Pope,Doctor of the Chur

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[Salvation]

November 10, 2003
Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, pope and doctor of the Church

Psalm: Monday 48 Reading I Responsorial Psalm Gospel

Reading I
Wis 1:1-7

Love justice, you who judge the earth;
think of the Lord in goodness,
and seek him in integrity of heart;
Because he is found by those who test him not,
and he manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him.
For perverse counsels separate a man from God,
and his power, put to the proof, rebukes the foolhardy;
Because into a soul that plots evil, wisdom enters not,
nor dwells she in a body under debt of sin.
For the holy Spirit of discipline flees deceit
and withdraws from senseless counsels;
and when injustice occurs it is rebuked.
For wisdom is a kindly spirit,
yet she acquits not the blasphemer of his guilty lips;
Because God is the witness of his inmost self
and the sure observer of his heart
and the listener to his tongue.
For the Spirit of the Lord fills the world,
is all-embracing, and knows what man says.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 139:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8, 9-10

R (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it.
Behind me and before, you hem me in
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
too lofty for me to attain.
R Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.
R Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
and your right hand hold me fast.
R Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

Gospel
Lk 17:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples,
"Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.
It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea
than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Be on your guard!
If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,'
you should forgive him."

And the Apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."

[Salvation]

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

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Alleluia Ping!

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From: Luke 17:1-6

On Leading Others Astray, Fraternal Correction

---

[1] And He (Jesus) said to His disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure
to come; but woe to him by whom they come! [2] It would be better for
him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the
sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. [3]
Take heed yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he
repents, forgive him; [4] and if he sins against you seven times in the
day, and turns to you seven times, and says, `I repent,' you must
forgive him."

The Power of Faith

---

[5] The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith! [6] And the
Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say
to this sycamine tree, `Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea', and
it would obey you."

---

Commentary:

1-3. Our Lord condemns scandal, that is, "any saying, action or
omission which constitute for another an occasion of sin" ("St. Pius X
Catechism", 417). Jesus is teaching two things here: the first is that
scandal will "in fact" happen; the second, that it is a grave sin, as
shown by the punishment it earns.

The reason why it is so serious a sin is that it "tends to destroy
God's greatest work, that of Redemption, through souls being lost; it
kills one's neighbor's soul by taking away the life of grace, which is
more precious than the life of the body, and it is the cause of a
multitude of sins. This is why God threatens with the most severe
punishment those who cause others to stumble" ("ibid"., 418). See [the
notes on] Matthew 18:6-7; 18-8; 18:10.

"Take heed to yourselves": a serious warning, meaning that we should
not be a cause of scandal to others nor should we be influenced by the
bad example others give us.

People who enjoy authority of any kind (parents, teachers, politicians,
writers, artists, etc.) can more easily be a cause of scandal. We need
to be on the alert in this respect in view of our Lord's warning, "Take
heed to yourselves."

2. Millstones were circular in shape with a large hole in the center.
Our Lord's description, therefore, was very graphic: it meant that the
person's head just fitted through the hole and then he could not get
the stone off.

3-4. In order to be a Christian one must always, genuinely, forgive
others. Also, one has to correct an erring brother to help him change
his behavior. But fraternal correction should always be done in a very
refined way, full of charity; otherwise we would humiliate the person
who has committed the fault, whereas we should not humiliate him but
help him to be better.

Forgiving offenses--which is something we should always do--should not
be confused with giving up rights which have been justly violated. One
can claim rights without any kind of hatred being implied; and
sometimes charity and justice require us to exercise our rights.
"Let's not confuse the rights of the office you hold with your rights
as a person. The former can never be waived" ([St] . Escriva, "The Way", 407).

Sincere forgiveness leads us to forget the particular offense and to
extend the hand of friendship, which in turn helps the offender to
repent.

The Christian vocation is a calling to holiness, but one of its
essential requirements is that we show apostolic concern for the
spiritual welfare of others: Christianity cannot be practiced in an
isolated, selfish way. Thus, "if any one among you wanders from the
truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings
back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death
and will cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:20).

5. "Increase our faith!": a good ejaculatory prayer for every
Christian. "Omnia possibilia sunt credenti". Everything is possible
for anyone who has faith.' The words are Christ's. How is it that you
don't say to Him with the Apostles: `"adauge nobis fidem"! increase my
faith!'?" ("The Way", 588).

6. "I'm not one for miracles. I have told you that in the Holy Gospel
I can find more than enough to confirm my faith. But I can't help
pitying those Christians--pious people, `apostles' many of them--who
smile at the idea of extraordinary ways, of supernatural events. I
feel the urge to tell them: Yes, this is still the age of miracles: we
too would work them if we had faith!" ("The Way", 583).

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

A great reflection on the possibility of leading others astray.

Would that ALL the Catholic posters might read this and heed it.

[Salvation]

FEAST OF THE DAY

Pope St. Leo the Great was a Italian of noble birth. In his youth, he
applied himself to his studies, especially in the study of scripture and
theology. He was ordained to the priesthood and was known to be
very eloquent in his writings and in his sermons. In 440, Pope Sixtus
III died, and Leo was elected to the Papacy. In exercising the office
of pope, Leo did not hold back any of his talents or any of the tools of
sanctity, learning, prudence and eloquence, which he had
developed, from the use of God.

During his reign, which exceeded twenty years, he battled the
heresies of Pelagianism, Manichaeism, and helped the faithful
strengthen their love of God. As a leader of Rome, Leo led its
defense against a barbarian attack. And as the pastor of all
Catholics, he reached out to the Church in the East to help settle
areas of doctrinal controversy.

During his lifetime, and especially during his reign as pope, Leo
wrote many letters and sermons encouraging and teaching his flock.
Many of these writings still exist today, and it is for these writings and
his sermons that Leo is a Doctor of the Church. Leo died around the
year 461.


QUOTE OF THE DAY

Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptation, for there is no conflict
without an enemy, no victory without strife. -Pope St. Leo the Great


TODAY IN HISTORY

461 St Leo I ends his reign as Pope
1977 It was announced that Pope Paul VI had ended the automatic
excommunication imposed on divorced American Catholics who
remarried.


TODAY'S TIDBIT

The automatic excommunication of divorced Catholics was not a
decree that was announced by the Vatican. This decree was first
imposed by the Plenary Council of American Bishops in 1884 and
applied only to the diocese of America.


INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for the strengthening of all families.

[Salvation]

Thought for the Day

Chastity, or cleanness of heart, holds a glorious and distinguished place among the virtues, because she alone enables man to see God; hence Truth Itself said: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

 -- St. Augustine

[NYer]

A great reflection on the possibility of leading others astray. Would that ALL the Catholic posters might read this and heed it.

This would have been a most appropriate reading at the bishop's conference, JUST BEFORE, they began discussing the additional f/t and p/t positions in the Office of Child Protection. It would have silenced any 'nays'.

[NYer]

*I love this psalm - it's one of my favorites.*

Didn't Gregory Norbert of Weston Priory set this to music? "Yahweh"

It is such a comforting psalm.

[Askel5]

that's one of the few modern hymns I really love.

[Salvation]

**This would have been a most appropriate reading at the bishop's conference, JUST BEFORE, they began discussing the additional f/t and p/t positions in the Office of Child Protection. It would have silenced any 'nays'.**

So very true. That was amazing since the budget for the office was much larger than what is currently being spent. I think the bishops were just whining about their low offertory collections.

Well, they better get it together like your pastor obviously has!

BTW, we had quite a discussion going about stewardship there didn't we?

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Monday, November 10, 2003 Meditation Luke 17:1-6 The disciples had been taught by the rabbinical standard that if someone were to forgive a person three times, he would be considered a perfect man. And now here is Jesus telling them that they had to forgive not only once, not only three times, but seven times—which is a symbolic way of saying always! This may have seemed impossible, but hadn’t Jesus shown them through his miracles and teachings that what seemed impossible to man was possible for God? Upon hearing that they would be held accountable for unforgiveness, the disciples cried out, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5). Just like the disciples, we know how hard it is to overcome hurts and injustices done to us. Sometimes it seems impossible, and yet in our hearts we know that Jesus has shown us how far the power of forgiveness can go. And just like the disciples, increased faith is what we need! The call to forgiveness may seem just as impossible as trying to move a sycamore tree with just one word. But Jesus teaches us that with even the smallest faith we can accomplish great things. We can ask Jesus to increase our faith by opening our eyes to his power and presence within us. The more we believe that we are nothing less than temples of his Holy Spirit, the more confident we will become that following his call to forgive is a very real possibility. Is there an old wound, affront, or injury you have not been able to forgive? Tell Jesus, “This is impossible for me, but for you all things are possible. I surrender this issue to you and ask for the grace and power to forgive.” It may be that in the beginning you can only ask God to make you want to be willing to forgive. Jesus will take us wherever we are and help us take the next step on the journey to full forgiveness. “Father, I thank you for your great mercy in sending your Son. By his great sacrifice on the cross, he has forgiven and cleansed me completely. Now, Lord, I ask you to help me forgive others as fully as you have forgiven me.”

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

<< Monday, November 10, 2003 >>

Pope St. Leo the Great

Wisdom 1:1-7

Psalm 139

Luke 17:1-6

View Readings

HOW TO ACCEPT THE GRACE OF DIVINE INTIMACY

“Into a soul that plots evil wisdom enters not, nor dwells she in a body under debt of sin.” —Wisdom 1:4

If we wish to be close to God and to keep the faith rather than lose it, we must:

• not test God (Wis 1:2). God has already proved Himself on the cross and in millions of other ways. We need to be tested, not Him.
• not disbelieve God (Wis 1:2). Some doubts are steps toward faith, but others are a refusal to accept the gift of faith. These doubts must be dismissed, not entertained.
• repent of making perverse and senseless counsels (Wis 1:3, 5). We may have plans that we know are not of God. We either change these plans or separate ourselves from the Lord.
• repent of our sins and let Jesus pay our debt of sin (see Wis 1:4).
• not disdain the discipline of the Lord (see Wis 1:5; Heb 12:5).

The Lord wants to live in us. God Who is Love (1 Jn 4:8, 16) wants to be Love in us. He also wants us to live in Him and have an intimacy with us beyond anything we can imagine. He will do this miracle of love. All we need do is to cooperate with His grace by following His directions.

Prayer: Father, make every aspect of my life reflect my commitment to live for You alone.

Promise: “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith,’ and He answered; ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore, “Be uprooted and transplanted into the sea,” and it would obey you.’ ” —Lk 17:5-6

Praise: St. Leo was noted for his faith not only by his insights on doctrinal issues, but by his faithfulness in simply carrying out his duties.

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	There, But for the Grace of God, Go I
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Monday, November 10, 2003

Wisdom 1:1-7 / Lk 17:1-6

Pick a year, any year, in any century, and the story won’t vary much. The full range of scandals will be there, distressingly visible, everything from abuse of power to abuse of helpless children. Jesus was surely right when he said, “Scandals will inevitably arise.” What remains to be seen is how we react when they do arise.

Perhaps the most common reaction is sadness, which can all too easily evolve into discouragement and despair, or even downright cynicism. To allow that to evolve inside our hearts is to allow evil to seize the field and to prevail, which is neither necessary nor Christian.

Another understandably common reaction is shock, which, however, may well be concealing just a little of the same scandalous leanings inside our own characters. It’s wise to be wary when we find ourselves carrying on just a bit too much about someone else’s sins!

But isn’t there some way of deriving good from all the ugliness? I think there is. We can speak the truth, and the truth for every one of us is: There, but for the grace of God, go I! That kind of honesty before God is the real meaning of humility, and it opens the door to God’s grace and to growth as well.

Remember that the next time that scandal burdens your heart.

 

[NYer]

*that's one of the few modern hymns I really love.*

Here is one of mine ... they sang it Saturday night at my daughter's Confirmation.

CHRIST BE OUR LIGHT

Longing for light, we wait in darkness
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, Your holy people
light for the world to see.

Refrain
Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness. Christ, be our light! Shine in your church gathered today.

We also sang this one - OPEN MY EYES

Open my eyes, Lord, Help me to see your face.
Open my eyes, Lord. Help me to see.

Open my ears, Lord. Help me to hear your voice.
Open my ears, Lord. Help me to hear.

Open my heart, Lord. Help me to love like you.
Open my heart, Lord. Help me to love.

I live within you. Deep in your heart, O Love.
I live within you. Rest now in me.

[fatima]

Salvation,Mass bump.

[Salvation]

I like both of those too.

[Salvation]

[Pope]St.Gregory The Great

St. Leo the Great on the Papacy

St. Leo the Great on Authority

[Salvation]

Oops of the first one. Sorry!