Madonna Enthroned with the Infant Christ and Saints
Antoniazzo Romano
1487
Oil on panel, 166 x 165 cm
Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome
The saints are St. Peter and St. Francis.
Posted on 05/27/2006 11:10:34 PM PDT by Salvation
| Jn 17:11-19 | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | Douay-Rheims | Vulgate |
| 11 | And now I am not in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name whom thou hast given me: that they may be one, as we also are. | et iam non sum in mundo et hii in mundo sunt et ego ad te venio Pater sancte serva eos in nomine tuo quos dedisti mihi ut sint unum sicut et nos |
| 12 | While I was with them, I kept them in thy name. Those whom thou gavest me have I kept: and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition: that the scripture may be fulfilled. | cum essem cum eis ego servabam eos in nomine tuo quos dedisti mihi custodivi et nemo ex his perivit nisi filius perditionis ut scriptura impleatur |
| 13 | And now I come to thee: and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy filled in themselves. | nunc autem ad te venio et haec loquor in mundo ut habeant gaudium meum impletum in semet ipsis |
| 14 | I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them: because they are not of the world, as I also am not of the world. | ego dedi eis sermonem tuum et mundus odio eos habuit quia non sunt de mundo sicut et ego non sum de mundo |
| 15 | I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from evil. | non rogo ut tollas eos de mundo sed ut serves eos ex malo |
| 16 | They are not of the world, as I also am not of the world. | de mundo non sunt sicut et ego non sum de mundo |
| 17 | Sanctify them in truth. Thy word is truth. | sanctifica eos in veritate sermo tuus veritas est |
| 18 | As thou hast sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. | sicut me misisti in mundum et ego misi eos in mundum |
| 19 | And for them do I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. | et pro eis ego sanctifico me ipsum ut sint et ipsi sanctificati in veritate |
Our love for God mirrors the love between the Father and the Son. From that love “spirates” (breathes) the love of our neighbor (you do get from “spirate” to Spirit, right?).Let us recall that the love of our neighbor is expressed by Christ in ecclesial terms in Luke 10:29-37. The Samaritan, a figure of Christ, leaves the wounded man, his spiritual neighbor, to the care of the innkeeper, to whom the oil, the wine, and the two coins are given to sustain the wounded till Christ returns from His journey to Jerusalem. The parallel between the innkeeper and the Church Militant is impossible to miss.Thus, as the Father and the Son Love and from them proceeds the Holy Spirit (as our creed states), so to we — in response to Jesus’ prayer that we be one — unite ourselves in Love with God and from us (God and us) proceeds the love of our neighbor.
An Awesome and Inspiring Sermon on the Solemnity of Ascension Sunday.
http://www.catholicdoors.com/homilies/2006/060528.htm
My brothers and sisters in Jesus, children of the Lord who is abounding in steadfast love, welcome to today's celebration of the Holy Mass. I pray that the love and grace of Jesus dwells within all of you on this beautiful spiritual day.
Today, we are celebrating the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. This Feast commemorates the elevation of Christ into Heaven by His own power in the presence of His disciples on the fortieth day after His glorious Resurrection.
The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven completed His earthly work of our redemption. Through His numerous apparitions to hundreds of people between the Day of His glorious Resurrection and the Day of His Ascension, Jesus proved two things. First of all, He proved that He was the promised Messiah. Secondly, He proved that through He Who overcame death, those who persevere in their living faith shall also overcome death and inherit the Kingdom of God.
Based on the writings of St. Augustine, the Catholic Church believes that the observance of the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus is of Apostolic origin. During the 5 th century, St. Augustine wrote that this Feast was of universal observance within the Church far long before his time.
During today's First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles that spiritually enriched us with the Word of God, we heard the words that were written in the beginning of the second book of St. Luke to Theophilus. In his first book, the Gospel According to Luke, St. Luke wrote an orderly account about what Jesus had done and taught from the beginning of His ministry until the day when He was taken up to Heaven after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen. Now, St. Luke was writing about what took place following those days.
For forty days, Jesus had appeared to His disciples, presenting Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs. While speaking about the Kingdom of God, Jesus explained the Scriptures to His disciples. He ate and drank with them. He walked on the Road to Emmaus with some. He allowed some to touch Him to prove that He had a physical body.
Having done these things, Jesus commanded the disciples not to leave Jerusalem until such time as they had been baptized with the Holy Spirit in fulfillment of the promise of the Father. While John the Baptist baptized with water for the repentance of sins, Jesus would baptize His disciples with the Holy Spirit.
Through His actions, Jesus was opening the eyes of His disciples as to what was to come. In seeking to understand what was to come, some asked Jesus, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom of Israel?" Jesus answered, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority." Failing to perceive the unmeasurable greatness of the mystery of God that was unravelling itself before their eyes, some of the disciples still longed for a worldly kingdom, a time when the enemies of the Jewish people would be destroyed. Had the disciples forgotten the past teachings of Jesus when He had told them not to believe in those who would say that the kingdom of God is here or there because it is within?
Jesus said to His disciples, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the eyes of the disciples would be opened. They would embrace a spiritual heart that would open their minds to the fact that the spiritual Kingdom of God has come on earth as it is in Heaven. They would perceive that the spiritual Kingdom of God embraces all the saints of the past, present and future who are baptized and receive the Holy Spirit. For it is living faith in Christ and the Sacrament of Baptism that one is born again and qualifies to receive salvation and eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
When Jesus had finished telling His disciples what they needed to know, He was lifted up and a cloud took Him out of their sight. When we say that Jesus was lifted up into Heaven, it is not meant that to the height of the clouds is Heaven. It simply means that Jesus disappeared from their view. He was raised up and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
After Jesus was lifted up and the cloud took Him out of the sight of the disciples, they kept gazing towards heaven. Suddenly, two men in white robes stood by them and asked them why they were looking up towards heaven. They told the disciples that Jesus shall return in the same way that He was taken up into Heaven.
Contrary to the false teachings that we hear around us, Jesus shall not return to this world through a second physical birth. Nor shall He return to come and get 144,000 chosen ones to raise them to Heaven. When He returns, it will be at the end of this age when this physical world shall come to its end. It shall be at the resurrection of the bodies, at the moment before the final judgment of all.
While awaiting that moment, St. Paul tells us through today's Second Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians that we should lead a life worthy of the calling to which we have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
We are reminded that there is One Body of Christ and one Spirit of God. The Body of Christ is the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that Jesus has instituted on earth. To this Body and Spirit, we have been called to the one hope of our calling, to one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Contrary to the false circulating teachings of many, there is no salvation outside the one Body of Christ. Not all or many Churches lead to Christ and to salvation. Not all Churches in this world have the same Lord, the same faith, the same baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. Each Church has its own doctrines. Only one Church has the true doctrine, the truth that Jesus taught to His followers. Jesus instituted only one Church on earth. All other Churches have been instituted by men. And the true Church is the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that has its seat in Rome under our spiritual father and Vicar of Christ, Pope Benedict, The XVI. Just as the human body without a spirit is dead, [Jas. 2:26] the bodies of the false Churches without the Spirit of Christ are dead!
Before the coming of Christ on earth, man was a slave to sin. He was a captive within the kingdom of Satan who was the prince of this world. Since the glorious Resurrection of Jesus, God reclaimed His Kingdom, making captivity itself a captive. Through Christ, the captives of Satan become the captives of Jesus. To Jesus, we are indebted for our freedom from the slavery of sin.
Over and above Jesus making captives out of His people, He gave them gifts. To each was given grace according to what Jesus determined was needed for the spiritual growth of His Body. Some were called to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and some teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until all have come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.
"In Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, there are similar lists of gifts. However, there are some striking differences. In Ephesians, it is a question of the universal Church and not particular communities. The gifts are concentrated in certain "offices" within the Church. No mention is made of individual charismatic gifts of tongues, healing, etc... as in 1 Corinthians." (The Jerome Biblical Commentary, p. 347)
During today's Second Reading, we heard St. Paul asking what it meant that Jesus had ascended. Did it mean that He had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? No! In this passage, it meant that He who descended from Heaven, who had been sent by the Father, is the same One who ascended far above all the heavens. Jesus has returned to Heaven from where He came from.
Today's spiritual message is found in the Gospel Reading that we heard earlier. When Jesus appeared to the eleven, He said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the Good News to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved: but the one who does not believe will be condemned." In other words, those who do not believe and refuse the Sacrament of Baptism will be condemned. It is absolutely necessary that one be baptised of water and Spirit in order to enter the Kingdom of God.
To those who believe, Jesus promised to bless them with spiritual signs. In His Name, they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.
Again, I must emphasize that these gifts are not the same as the gifts that are found in Romans and 1 Corinthians. Some of these gifts were given to the disciples of Christ in the early days of the founding of the Catholic Church for the benefit of the universal Church. As such, I do not recommend that anyone should go out and play with snakes and poison to test the Word of God. In all likelihood, unless prevented by the grace of God as part of His mysterious Divine Plan, they will be bitten and they will be poisoned.
Having said this, after being taken up into Heaven, the disciples went out and proclaimed the Good News everywhere. Today, we see the fruit of their work because Jesus worked with them and confirmed the messages by the signs that accompanied the Gospel.
For two thousand years, the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church has valiantly persisted by the grace of God the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit in the Most Holy Name of Jesus. For two thousand years, the Catholic Church has proclaimed the Good News to the whole creation, generation after generation. For two thousands years, the Ascension of the Lord has been commemorated in thoughts, in words and in actions.
My brothers and sisters, as you reflect upon the Ascension of the Lord Jesus during the coming week, remember that while Jesus has ascended into Heaven, He is here with us today. He is present in our hearts. He is present in His apostolic Church. He is physically present in the Holy Eucharist and in the Sacred Tabernacle. As mysterious as it appears, while He has ascended, our faith affirms to us that He is still here with us.
May Jesus always be with each and everyone of you as you are moved by His Spirit to proclaim the Good News to those around you.
Extinguish the Paschal Candle on the Feast of Ascension . . . or Else!
HOMILIES PREACHED BY FATHER ALTIER ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION
 |
Pray for A Voice in the Desert |
Novena to the Holy Spirit Prayers for the Third Day
To receive updates, email us. |
|
Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA This action of the Archbishop is not related to any scandal We regret any inconvenience and humbly ask for your prayers. Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn |
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.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 109 (110) |
|---|
| The Messiah, king and priest |
| The Lord has said to my lord: “Sit at my right hand while I make your enemies into your footstool”. From Sion the Lord will give you a sceptre, and you will rule in the midst of your foes. Royal power is yours in the day of your strength, glorious and holy; from the time of your birth, before the dawn. The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: “You are a priest for ever, a priest of the priesthood of Melchisedech”. The Lord is at your right hand, and on the day of his anger he will shatter kings. He will judge the nations, he will pile high their skulls; he will drink from the stream as he goes – he will hold his head high. 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. |
| Psalm 110 (111) |
|---|
| Great are the works of the Lord |
| I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and the assembly. Great are the works of the Lord, to be studied by all who delight in them. His works are splendour and majesty, his righteousness lasts for ever and ever. He gives us a record of the wonders he has worked, the Lord, the kind and compassionate. He gives food to those who fear him: for all ages he will remember his covenant. He has shown to his people the power of his deeds, he has given them the inheritance of the nations. Steadfastness and justice are the works of the Lord. All his precepts are to be trusted, they stand firm for ever and ever: they were laid down in faithfulness and justice. He has sent deliverance to his people; he has set up his covenant for ever. Holy is his name, and much to be feared. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. To those who fear him comes true understanding, and his praise endures for ever and ever. 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. |
| Canticle | Apocalypse 19 |
|---|---|
| The wedding of the Lamb | |
| Alleluia. Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, because his judgements are true and just. Alleluia. Alleluia. Praise our God, all his servants, and you who fear him, small and great. Alleluia. Alleluia. For the Lord reigns, our God, the Almighty: let us rejoice and exult and give him glory. Alleluia. Alleluia. The marriage of the Lamb has come, and his spouse has made herself ready. Alleluia. 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. |
|
| A short Bible reading and responsory may follow here. |
| Canticle | Magnificat |
|---|---|
| My soul rejoices in the Lord | |
| My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation. For he has shown me such favour – me, his lowly handmaiden. Now all generations will call me blessed, because the mighty one has done great things for me. His name is holy, his mercy lasts for generation after generation for those who revere him. He has put forth his strength: he has scattered the proud and conceited, torn princes from their thrones; but lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. 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. |
|
| Some short prayers may follow here, to offer up the day's work to God. |
| 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 that trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. |
| A concluding prayer may follow here. |
| May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life. |
| A M E N |
 |
Sunday, May 28, 2006 Meditation John 17:11-19 Recently married couples often turn into matchmakers on behalf of their friends. The newlyweds find life together so fulfilling that they want everyone to enjoy the same unity. Secure in each other’s unconditional love, they wish the same joyful anchor for others.This love is not exclusive. A newlywed wants each friend to find a lover like his or her own new spouse but is, of course, unwilling to share that spouse. Our divine Lover, however, can enter into an intimate relationship with every human being without being unfaithful to any other. And what’s more, intimate union with him makes all who love him into lovers of each other. Consider a family of thirteen children who recently buried their mother. This woman was never too busy to welcome one more child into her home, not only those who were born into her family but the friends they frequently brought home. No one felt shortchanged when their mother reached out to someone new; there was plenty of love to go around! God, too, has room in his heart and at his table for many more children. He is the perfect spouse, the answer to everyone’s deepest longings. So how diligently are we scouring the highways and byways for new guests? How eagerly do we present the “match made in heaven”? How warmly do we welcome those Jesus is drawing into his family? Are we willing to let them linger among us long enough to taste the love that Jesus has given us—a love that keeps reaching out to others? “Jesus, you have drawn me into your intimate union with the Father and the Spirit. Open my eyes to those around me whom you now want to draw into the same life-changing fellowship of love.” Acts 1:15-17,20-26; Psalm 103:1-2, 11-12,19-20; 1 John 4:11-16 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.
| This is an excellent moment for an examination of conscience. In a communal celebration of Compline, one of the penitential acts given in the Missal may be recited. |
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 90 (91) |
|---|
| The protection of the Most High |
| Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. |
| He who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells under the shade of the Almighty. He will say to the Lord: “You are my shelter and my strength, my God, in whom I trust”. For he will free you from the hunter’s snare, from the voice of the slanderer. He will shade you with his wings, you will hide underneath his wings. His faithfulness will be your armour and your shield. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day; nor the plague that walks in the shadows, nor the death that lays waste at noon. A thousand will fall at your side, at your right hand ten thousand will fall, but you it will never come near. You will look with your eyes and see the reward of sinners. For the Lord is your shelter and refuge; you have made the Most High your dwelling-place. Evil will not reach you, harm cannot approach your tent; for he has set his angels to guard you and keep you safe in all your ways. They will carry you in their arms in case you hurt your foot on a stone. You walk on the viper and cobra, you will tread on the lion and the serpent. Because he clung to me, I shall free him: I shall lift him up because he knows my name. He will call upon me and for my part, I will hear him: I am with him in his time of trouble. I shall rescue him and lead him to glory. I shall fill him with length of days and show him my salvation. 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. Alleluia. Alleluia. |
| Reading | Apocalypse 22:4-5 |
|---|---|
| They will see the face of the Lord, and his name will be marked on their foreheads. There will be no more night: they will not need sunlight or lamp-light, because the Lord God himself will shine upon them. And they will reign for ever and ever. | |
| Short Responsory | ? |
|---|---|
| Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit, alleluia, alleluia. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit, alleluia, alleluia. You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness, alleluia, alleluia. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit, alleluia, alleluia. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit, alleluia, alleluia. |
|
| Canticle | Nunc Dimittis |
|---|---|
| Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace. Alleluia. | |
| Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace. You have fulfilled your promise. My own eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples. A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness; the glory of your people Israel. 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. |
|
| Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace. Alleluia. | |
| Prayer | |
|---|---|
| Let us pray. Today we have celebrated the mystery of the Christ’s resurrection, and so now we humbly ask you, Lord, that we may rest in your peace, far from all harm, and rise rejoicing and giving praise to you. Through Christ our Lord, Amen. |
|
| May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. |
| A M E N |
| Final Antiphon | |
|---|---|
| Queen of Heaven, be joyful, Alleluia. You who were worthy to bear him. Alleluia. He has risen, as he promised. Alleluia. Pray for us to God. Alleluia. |
|
|
|
| Solemnity of the Ascension |
|
 |
|
| 05/29/06 |
 |
 |
It is fitting to celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. We rejoice to see the Holy City roll out the red carpet and hail Jesus as the promised Messiah. The problem is, however, that the only crown they gave their King was a crown of thorns. |
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
Safe isn't Safe Anymore
