Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 09-23-04, Memorial, St. Pio of Pietrelcina

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 09-23-04 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

September 23, 2004
Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Psalm: Thursday 41 Reading I Responsorial Psalm Gospel

Reading I
Ecc 1:2-11

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
What profit has man from all the labor
which he toils at under the sun?
One generation passes and another comes,
but the world forever stays.
The sun rises and the sun goes down;
then it presses on to the place where it rises.
Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north,
the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds.
All rivers go to the sea,
yet never does the sea become full.
To the place where they go,
the rivers keep on going.
All speech is labored;
there is nothing one can say.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing
nor is the ear satisfied with hearing.

What has been, that will be;
what has been done, that will be done.
Nothing is new under the sun.
Even the thing of which we say, "See, this is new!"
has already existed in the ages that preceded us.
There is no remembrance of the men of old;
nor of those to come will there be any remembrance
among those who come after them.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17bc

R (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, "Return, O children of men."
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Gospel
Lk 9:7-9


Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
"John has been raised from the dead";
others were saying, "Elijah has appeared";
still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen."
But Herod said, "John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?"
And he kept trying to see him.

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

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St. Pio Of Pietrelcina, 1887-1968

Padre Pio: on Spirituality, Vatican II and the Novus Ordo Missae

Padre Pio Now A Saint - Wrestled With Devil, Predicted Future

Padre Pio Wrestled with Devil, Predicted Future

Pope Bestows Sainthood on Padre Pio

Remarkable Transformation: Padre Pio

His Friends Remember Padre Pio

PADRE PIO DA PIETRELCINA

Padre Pio Aid Says Saint Accepted New Mass

St. Padre Pio

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Ping to #3

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From: Luke 9:7-9

Herod's Opinion of Jesus

---

[7] Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done, and he was
perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from
the dead, [8] by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one
of the old prophets had risen. [9] Herod said, "John I beheaded; but
who is this about whom I hear such things?" And he sought to see Him.

---

Commentary:

7-9. Except for the Sadducees, all Jews believed in the resurrection
of the dead, as revealed by God in Sacred Scripture (cf. Ezekiel 37:10;
Daniel 12:2 and 2 Maccabees 7:9). It was also commonly believed by
Jews at the time that Elijah or some other prophet had to appear again
(Deuteronomy 19:15). This may have been why Herod began to think that
perhaps John had come back to life (Matthew 14:1-2 and Mark 6:14-16),
particularly since Jesus worked miracles and people thought this power
was the prerogative of those who had risen from the dead. And yet he
was aware that Christ was working miracles even before John died (cf.
John 2:23); therefore, at first, he was disconcerted. Later, as the
fame of Christ's miracles spread, to have some sort of adequate
explanation he decided, as the other Gospels tell us, that John must
indeed have risen.

---

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]

FEAST OF THE DAY

Saint Pio da Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) was born on May 25, 1887 at the
city of Pietrelcina and was baptized Francesco De Nunzio. During his
youth, Francesco discerned that he was called to the religious life. In
January, 1903, at the age of sixteen, Francesco entered the
noviatiate of the Capuchin Friars at Morcone and on the 22nd, he
took the Franciscan habit and the name Brother Pio. At the end of
his novitiate year, Pio took simple vows; he took his solemn vows
four years later on January 27, 1907.

Soon after he professed solemn vows Brother Pio began his
theological studies for the priesthood. He was ordained in August
1910 at Benevento. Due to poor health, Father Pio was not able to
apply the zeal he wanted to his ministry of priesthood and was spent
almost six years with his family to improve his health. In September
1916, Padre Pio left his family and went to the friary of San Giovanni
Rotondo, where he remained to his death.

Padre Pio soon gained a wide reputation for his holiness and many
priests, religious, and faithful began to seek him out for his spiritual
direction. Padre Pio gave direction to anyone who came to him for
more than fifty years. Although Padre Pio spent his life in the
monastery, he remained aware of problems in the world. In 1956 he
established house for relief of the suffering to help the downtrodden
of society. In the friary, Padre Pio worked to follow the Franciscan
rule closely. He practiced habitual mortification to gain the virtue of
temperance and let this virtue spill over into his life and his dealings
with those around him. Pio also worked to perfect his obedience to
the Franciscan Rule and his superiors even when the commands
given to him were tedious and burdensome.

Pio's holiness was evident to all that met him and he is known to
have received the Stigmata. Whenever anyone would approach him
with admiration for his holiness he would reply by saying, "I only want
to be a poor friar who prays". Padre Pio was rarely graced with
vigorous health, but he lived to the age of 81. Pio died on September
23, 1968 at the age of 81. Pope John Paul II beatified Padre Pio on
May 2 1999 and canonized him on June 16, 2002.


QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Look what fame he had, what a worldwide following gathered
around him! But why? Perhaps because he was a philosopher?
Because he was wise? Because he had resources at his disposal?
Because he said Mass humbly, heard confessions from dawn to
dusk and was-it is not easy to say it-one who bore the wounds of our
Lord. He was a man of prayer and suffering". Pope Paul VI (21 Feb.
1971) commenting on the life of Padre Pio


TODAY IN HISTORY

704 Death of St. Adamnan
1968 Death of Padre Pio


TODAY'S TIDBIT

One of the remarkable things about Padre Pio was that he received
the Stigmata. This is the suffering of any of the five wounds that
Christ received during his Passion and Crucifixion. Padre Pio wore
gloves to hide the fact that he had the Stigmata on his hands.


INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for the conversion of all who do not believe in God.

[Salvation]

Thursday, September 23, 2004
St. Pio of Pietrelciana, Priest (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Jeremiah 9:22-23 or Galatians 6:14-18 Psalm 15:1-2, 7-8, 11 Matthew 11:25-30 In the spiritual life he who does not advance goes backward. It happens as with a boat which always must go ahead. If it stands still the wind blows it back. Fix the time, the length of your meditation, and do not rise from your place until you have finished even at the cost of being crucified.  -- Padre Pio

[oceanperch]

Daily Mass Prayer Bump, Thank You Salvation.

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You're welcome, oceanperch. How's that son of yours?

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Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	What Will You Have to Show for All Your Work?
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D
Date:	Thursday, September 23, 2004

Ecclesiastes 1:2-11; Luke 9:7-9

Recent studies indicate that most Americans are working harder than they have in the past. More of us are taking work home from the office and more of us are taking shorter and shorter vacations. The economy is doing well, but too many of us never seem to catch up. Too many people are asking what happened to the better quality of life that was just around the corner?

There will come a day when the desk at which we’ve worked for so long will be discarded or occupied by someone else. And the day will come too, when the house we’ve lovingly made into a home will belong to someone else for whom we are no more than a name, or more likely, just “the people who lived here before us.”

What will there be left to show for all our struggling and striving? File drawers full of cancelled checks and paid bills? A stack of bank and brokerage account statements? What will be left that matters? Only the consequences of the deeds of love, that is, people’s lives changed for the better and our own hearts transformed in the process.

That’s all we get for a lifetime lived at our best, but it’s all we need to take home to our Father. Be clear about that and be content.

[Ciexyz]

Lord, bless the work of our hands, Amen.

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Thursday, September 23, 2004

Meditation
Luke 9:7-9



A popular motivational speaker once pointed out that the reason many people don’t succeed is because they don’t understand the nature of commitment. When it comes to improving their lives, they are content to stay curious, to explore their options, and to make only partial attempts at change. But as the speaker noted, the word “decision” literally means “cut off from.” Making a commitment necessarily means eliminating other options and focusing on one goal.

Herod could have used a lesson in decision making. He was intrigued by John the Baptist. He “liked to listen to him,” and he thought that John was “a holy and righteous man” (Mark 6:19-20). But he would not listen to John’s rebuke about living with his brother’s wife, Herodias. He even had John killed—not because he decided to do it but because he didn’t want to look bad! At his birthday party, Herod promised Salome, Herodias’ daughter, that she could have anything she wanted—which happened to be John’s head (6:17-29).

As we see from today’s reading, Herod wanted to know about Jesus also. He approached Jesus with the same curiosity he had about John. Herod was “very glad” when Pilate sent Jesus to him, but not because he wanted to get to the bottom of who Jesus was. All he wanted was to see a miracle. So rather than have a life-changing encounter with the Son of God, Herod had a disappointing bit of Passover entertainment (Luke 23:8-12).

Do we face a similar challenge today? Even if we have known the Lord for years, we may still hesitate to do something he is asking of us. Don’t put it off! Take that step now and watch heaven open up for you! Even if you can only take one small step now and another one a bit later, don’t delay. Herod had numerous opportunities to take small steps, but he didn’t. By the time he was faced with a big decision—the fate of John the Baptist—he already felt trapped. So take that first step out of your comfort zone. Jesus will be right there, reaching out his hand to help you.

“Lord, give me the ‘mustard seed’ of faith to do whatever you ask of me. Help me to leave behind whatever keeps me from following your will.”

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

All Issues > Volume 20, Number 5

<< Thursday, September 23, 2004 >>

St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Ecclesiastes 1:2-11

Psalm 90

Luke 9:7-9

View Readings

FROM VANITY TO TRINITY

“Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” —Ecclesiastes 1:2

Solomon was the most learned, richest, and possibly most powerful man in the world. He was smart enough to realize that his life and all lives had no meaning. Life was hopeless. People today try to avoid facing such a bleak reality by many distractions, addictions, and forms of escapism, but this “mad dash” only shows how desperate we are.

The only way to be saved from the impossible situation of life without hope is to be baptized into Jesus, receive a new nature and a new life, become sons or daughters of God, and members of the Church, the body of Christ, by which we share in the communion of saints. If we are living in and for Christ, every detail of our lives is charged with meaning and love. As sons or daughters of God and partakers in the divine nature (2 Pt 1:4), our very beings and all that we do is in Christ and in His body the Church. Thus, our selves and actions are taken up into the divine life, action, and infinite fulfillment of the Holy Trinity. Our lives enter into the mystery of God. Thus, the cry of the human race changes from “Vanity” to “Trinity.”

Therefore, let us pray to live by faith this new life in the Trinity and to resist temptations to sin so that nothing will endanger our living this new life.

Prayer: Father, thank You for changing everything by sending Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I worship You now and forever. May I share this new life with the hopeless.

Promise: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.” —Ps 90:12

Praise: St. Pio, a holy Capuchin priest, bore the stigmata of Christ’s crucified wounds in his hands for fifty years (see Gal 6:17).

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American Cathlic's Saint of the Day

September 23, 2004

St. Padre Pio da Pietrelcina

(1887-1968)

In one of the largest such ceremonies in history, Pope John Paul II canonized Padre Pio of Pietrelcina on June 16, 2002. It was the 45th canonization ceremony in Pope John Paul's pontificate. More than 300,000 people braved blistering heat as they filled St. Peter's Square and nearby streets. They heard the Holy Father praise the new saint for his prayer and charity. "This is the most concrete synthesis of Padre Pio's teaching," said the pope. He also stressed Padre Pio's witness to the power of suffering. If accepted with love, the Holy Father stressed, such suffering can lead to "a privileged path of sanctity."Many people have turned to the Italian Capuchin Franciscan to intercede with God on their behalf; among them was the future Pope John Paul II. In 1962, when he was still an archbishop in Poland, he wrote to Padre Pio and asked him to pray for a Polish woman with throat cancer. Within two weeks, she had been cured of her life-threatening disease.

Born Francesco Forgione, Padre Pio grew up in a family of farmers in southern Italy. Twice (1898-1903 and 1910-17) his father worked in Jamaica, New York, to provide the family income.

At the age of 15, Francesco joined the Capuchins and took the name of Pio. He was ordained in 1910 and was drafted during World War I. After he was discovered to have tuberculosis, he was discharged. In 1917 he was assigned to the friary in San Giovanni Rotondo, 75 miles from the city of Bari on the Adriatic.

On September 20, 1918, as he was making his thanksgiving after Mass, Padre Pio had a vision of Jesus. When the vision ended, he had the stigmata in his hands, feet and side.

Life became more complicated after that. Medical doctors, Church authorities and curiosity seekers came to see Padre Pio. In 1924 and again in 1931, the authenticity of the stigmata was questioned; Padre Pio was not permitted to celebrate Mass publicly or to hear confessions. He did not complain of these decisions, which were soon reversed. However, he wrote no letters after 1924. His only other writing, a pamphlet on the agony of Jesus, was done before 1924.

Padre Pio rarely left the friary after he received the stigmata, but busloads of people soon began coming to see him. Each morning after a 5 a.m. Mass in a crowded church, he heard confessions until noon. He took a mid-morning break to bless the sick and all who came to see him. Every afternoon he also heard confessions. In time his confessional ministry would take 10 hours a day; penitents had to take a number so that the situation could be handled. Many of them have said that Padre Pio knew details of their lives that they had never mentioned.

Padre Pio saw Jesus in all the sick and suffering. At his urging, a fine hospital was built on nearby Mount Gargano. The idea arose in 1940; a committee began to collect money. Ground was broken in 1946. Building the hospital was a technical wonder because of the difficulty of getting water there and of hauling up the building supplies. This "House for the Alleviation of Suffering" has 350 beds.

A number of people have reported cures they believe were received through the intercession of Padre Pio. Those who assisted at his Masses came away edified; several curiosity seekers were deeply moved. Like St. Francis, Padre Pio sometimes had his habit torn or cut by souvenir hunters.

One of Padre Pio’s sufferings was that unscrupulous people several times circulated prophecies that they claimed originated from him. He never made prophecies about world events and never gave an opinion on matters that he felt belonged to Church authorities to decide. He died on September 23, 1968, and was beatified in 1999.

Comment:

At Padre Pio's canonization Mass in 2002, Pope John Paul II referred to that day's Gospel (Matthew 11:25-30) and said: “The Gospel image of 'yoke' evokes the many trials that the humble Capuchin of San Giovanni Rotondo endured. Today we contemplate in him how sweet is the 'yoke' of Christ and indeed how light the burden are whenever someone carries these with faithful love. The life and mission of Padre Pio testify that difficulties and sorrows, if accepted with love, transform themselves into a privileged journey of holiness, which opens the person toward a greater good, known only to the Lord.”

Quote:

"The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain" (saying of Padre Pio).

[oceanperch]

The interview with the local paper really lifted his spirits. He worked so hard to write out his answers and the interview lasted two hours, the gentlman was a good natured fellow and we are looking forward to the published article.

All his friends are cheering him on and got a real laugh at the stunt he pulled that led to the human interest story.

He is exhausted now, GOOD. He needed that work out.

His being homebound due to the lung spasms is hard on such a social guy.

The gal that has been providing me respite care for two years twice a week and I are going to team up to get him out to the Marine Science Center and Aquarium it is not overly exciting but will get him out.

As soon as my foot injury heals I will be able to take him to a few of his favorite social places that he can handle for a limited time before the resp. distress sets in.

Over all though he is doing great. Keeping his enviroment quiet has kept the breathing problem at bay.

Boy was I glad the RNC was over as that had him way to excited.

His watching Mass daily has started rubbing off on his respite care provider as she is Catholic but has not been interested in practicing her faith for many years now......I can see a change in her attitude over time when Mass is on....no more facial cringing and respecting Chris' need to listen without interuptions.

God is good. It is up to us though to keep the lines of communication open with him. I know. When I am slacking in lifting up Prayers for others it really effects my attitude and daily life.

[ex-Texan]

*BUMP*!