Posted on 06/09/2006 7:44:38 AM PDT by Salvation
Friday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
2 Tm 3:10-17
You have followed my teaching, way of life,
purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions,
and sufferings, such as happened to me
in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra,
persecutions that I endured.
Yet from all these things the Lord delivered me.
In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted.
But wicked people and charlatans will go from bad to worse,
deceivers and deceived.
But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed,
because you know from whom you learned it,
and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,
which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching,
for refutation, for correction,
and for training in righteousness,
so that one who belongs to God may be competent,
equipped for every good work.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 119:157, 160, 161, 165, 166, 168
R. (165a) O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Though my persecutors and my foes are many,
I turn not away from your decrees.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Permanence is your word’s chief trait;
each of your just ordinances is everlasting.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Princes persecute me without cause
but my heart stands in awe of your word.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Those who love your law have great peace,
and for them there is no stumbling block.
R O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
I wait for your salvation, O LORD,
and your commands I fulfill.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
I keep your precepts and your decrees,
for all my ways are before you.
R. O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.
Gospel
Mk 12:35-37
As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said,
“How do the scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David?
David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said:
The Lord said to my lord,
‘Sit at my right hand
until I place your enemies under your feet.’
David himself calls him ‘lord’;
so how is he his son?”
The great crowd heard this with delight.
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The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian
Authority Over Demons (St. Ephrem the Syrian)
St. Ephrem the Syrian, If Christ is Not God, Our Salvation is a Lie (Rejecting the DaVinci Code)
From: 2 Timothy 3:10-17
Preventing Error From Doing Harm
From: Mark 12:35-37
Christ the Son and Lord of David
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| First reading | 2 Timothy 3:10 - 17 © |
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| You know what I have taught, how I have lived, what I have aimed at; you know my faith, my patience and my love; my constancy and the persecutions and hardships that came to me in places like Antioch, Iconium and Lystra – all the persecutions I have endured; and the Lord has rescued me from every one of them. You are well aware, then, that anybody who tries to live in devotion to Christ is certain to be attacked; while these wicked impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and deceived themselves. You must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true; remember who your teachers were, and how, ever since you were a child, you have known the holy scriptures – from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people’s lives and teaching them to be holy. This is how the man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work. |
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| Psalm or canticle: Psalm 118 |
| Gospel | Mark 12:35 - 37 © |
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| Later, while teaching in the Temple, Jesus said, ‘How can the scribes maintain that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, moved by the Holy Spirit, said: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand and I will put your enemies under your feet. David himself calls him Lord, in what way then can he be his son?’ And the great majority of the people heard this with delight. |
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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 34 (35) |
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| The Lord, a saviour in time of persecution |
| Judge, Lord, those who are judging me: attack those who are attacking me. Take up your shield and come out to defend me. Brandish your spear and hold back my pursuers. Say to my soul, “I am your deliverance”. Let them be thrown into confusion, those who are after my life. Let them be weakened and put to flight, those who plan harm to me. Let them be like chaff blowing in the wind, when the angel of the Lord scatters them. Let their paths be dark and slippery, when the angel of the Lord harries them. For it was without cause that they spread out their nets to ensnare me, without cause that they dug a pit to take my life. Let death come upon them suddenly, may they be entangled in their own nets. But my soul will exult in the Lord and rejoice in his aid. My bones themselves will say “Lord, who is your equal?” You snatch the poor man from the hand of the strong, the needy and weak from those who would destroy them. 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 34 (35) |
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| Lying witnesses rose up against me; they asked me questions I could not answer. They paid me back evil for the good I did, my soul is desolation. Yet I – when they were ill, I put on sackcloth, I mortified my soul with fasting, I prayed for them from the depths of my heart. I walked in sadness as for a close friend, for a brother; I was bowed down with grief as if mourning my own mother. But they – when I was unsteady, they rejoiced and gathered together. They gathered and beat me: I did not know why. They were tearing me to pieces, there was no end to it: they teased me, heaped derision on me, they ground their teeth at 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. |
| Psalm 34 (35) |
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| Lord, how long will you wait? Rescue my life from their attacks, my only life from the lions. I will proclaim you in the great assembly, in the throng of people I will praise you. Let not my lying enemies triumph over me, those who hate me for no reason, who conspire against me by secret signs, who do not speak of peace, who plan crimes against the innocent, who cry out slanders against me, saying “Yes! Yes! We saw it ourselves!” You see them, Lord, do not stay silent: Lord, do not leave me. Rise up and keep watch at my trial: my God and my Lord, watch over my case. Judge me according to your justice, Lord: my God, let them not rejoice over me! Let them not think to themselves, “Yes! We have what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up”. But let those who support my cause rejoice, let them say always “How great is the Lord, who takes care of his servant’s welfare”. And my tongue too will ponder your justice, and praise you all day long. 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. |
| Reading | Job 40:1 - 42:6 © |
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| The Lord turned to Job, and he said: Is Shaddai’s opponent willing to give in? Has God’s critic thought up an answer? Job replied to the Lord: My words have been frivolous: what can I reply? I had better lay my finger on my lips. I have spoken once... I will not speak again; more than once... I will add nothing. The Lord gave Job his answer from the heart of the tempest. He said: Brace yourself like a fighter, now it is my turn to ask questions and yours to inform me. Do you really want to reverse my judgement, and put me in the wrong to put yourself in the right? Has your arm the strength of God’s, can your voice thunder as loud? If so, assume your dignity, your state, robe yourself in majesty and splendour. Let the spate of your anger flow free; humiliate the haughty at a glance! Cast one look at the proud and bring them low, strike down the wicked where they stand. Bury the lot of them in the ground, shut them, silent-faced, in the dungeon. I myself will be the first to acknowledge that your own right hand can assure your triumph. This was the answer Job gave to the Lord: I know that you are all-powerful: what you conceive, you can perform. I am the man who obscured your designs with my empty-headed words. I have been holding forth on matters I cannot understand, on marvels beyond me and my knowledge. Listen, I have more to say, now it is my turn to ask questions and yours to inform me. I knew you then only by hearsay; but now, having seen you with my own eyes, I retract all I have said, and in dust and ashes I repent. |
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| Reading | A treatise of Bishop Baldwin of Canterbury |
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| The Lord sees our thoughts and the intentions of our hearts | |
| The Lord knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. Without a doubt, every one of them is known to him, while we know only those which he lets us read by the grace of discernment. The spirit of man does not know all that is in man, nor all of the thoughts which he has, willingly or unwillingly. Man does not always perceive his thoughts as they really are. Having clouded vision, he does not discern them clearly with his mind’s eye. Often under the guise of devotion a suggestion occurs to our mind – coming from our own thoughts or from another person or from the tempter – and in God’s eyes we do not deserve any reward for our virtue. For there are certain imitations of true virtues as also of vices which play tricks with the heart and bedazzle the mind’s vision. As a result, the appearance of goodness often seems to be in something which is evil, and equally the appearance of evil seems to be in something good. This is part of our wretchedness and ignorance, causing us anguish and anxiety. It has been written: There are paths which seem to man to be right, but which in the end lead him to hell. To avoid this peril, Saint John gives us these words of advice: Test the spirits to see if they are from God. Now no one can test the spirits to see if they are from God unless God has given him discernment of spirits to enable him to investigate spiritual thoughts, inclinations and intentions with honest and true judgement. Discernment is the mother of all the virtues; everyone needs it either to guide the lives of others or to direct and reform his own life. In the sphere of action, a right thought is one ruled by the will of God, and intentions are holy when directed single-mindedly toward him. In a word, we could see clearly through any action of ours, or into our entire lives, if we had a simple eye. A simple eye is an eye, and it is simple. This means that we see by right thinking what is to be done, and by our good intention we carry it out with simple honesty, because deceitful action is wrong. Right thinking does not permit mistakes; a good intention rules out pretence. This then is true discernment, a combination of right thinking and good intention. Therefore, we must do all our actions in the light of discernment as if in God and in his presence. |
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| A concluding prayer may follow here. |
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June 9, 2006
St. Ephrem
(306?-373)
Poet, teacher, orator and defender of the faith, Ephrem is the only Syrian recognized as a doctor of the Church. He took upon himself the special task of opposing the many false doctrines rampant at his time, always remaining a true and forceful defender of the Catholic Church. Born in Nisibis, Mesopotamia, he was baptized as a young man and became famous as a teacher in his native city. When the Christian emperor had to cede Nisibis to the Persians, Ephrem, along with many Christians, fled as a refugee to Edessa. He is credited with attracting great glory to the biblical school there. He was ordained a deacon but declined becoming a priest (and was said to have avoided episcopal consecration by feigning madness!). He had a prolific pen and his writings best illumine his holiness. Although he was not a man of great scholarship, his works reflect deep insight and knowledge of the Scriptures. In writing about the mysteries of humanity’s redemption, Ephrem reveals a realistic and humanly sympathetic spirit and a great devotion to the humanity of Jesus. It is said that his poetic account of the Last Judgment inspired Dante. It is surprising to read that he wrote hymns against the heretics of his day. He would take the popular songs of the heretical groups and, using their melodies, compose beautiful hymns embodying orthodox doctrine. Ephrem became one of the first to introduce song into the Church’s public worship as a means of instruction for the faithful. His many hymns have earned him the title “Harp of the Holy Spirit.” He preferred a simple, austere life, living in a small cave overlooking the city of Edessa. It was here he died around 373. Quote:
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| Friday, June 9, 2006 Feria |
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June 09, 2006    Optional Memorial of St. Ephrem, deacon and doctor Old Calendar: Saints Primus and Felician, martyrs; St. Columba
Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar St. Ephrem's feast was celebrated on June 18 and today was the feast of Sts. Primus and Felician as well as St. Columba. Their feasts are no longer on the calendar in the United States. Primus and Felician are two Roman martyrs of the via Nomentana. Their relics, transferred in the seventh century within the city, are at present in the church of St. Stephen on the Coelian Hill. St. Columba, or Columkill, apostle of the Picts, was of illustrious Irish descent. He was brought up in the company of many saints at the school of St. Finian of Clonard. Being an ordained priest, and having founded many churches in Ireland, he went to Scotland with twelve companions, and there converted many of the northern Picts to the faith of Christ. He founded the monastery of Iona which became the nursery of saints and apostles. He also evangelized the northern English. He died on June 9, 597 at the foot of the altar at Iona while blessing his people, and was buried, like St. Brigid, beside St. Patrick at Downpatrick in Ulster.
St. Ephrem  Ephrem was of Syrian descent and son of a citizen of Nisibis. While yet a young man be betook himself to the holy bishop James, by whom he was baptized, and he soon made such progress in holiness and learning as to be appointed master in the school of Nisibis in Mesopotamia. After the death of the bishop James, Nisibis was captured by the Persians, and Ephrem went to Edessa, where he settled first among the monks in the mountains. Later, to avoid the company of those who flocked to him, he adopted the eremitical life. He was made deacon of the church of Edessa, but refused the priesthood out of humility. He was rich in all virtues and strove to acquire piety and religion by the following of true wisdom. He placed all his hope in God, despised all human and transitory things, and was ever filled with the earnest desire of those which are divine and eternal. He was led by the Spirit of God to Caesarea in Cappadocia, where he saw Basil, the mouthpiece of the Church, and they obtained benefit from their mutual intercourse. In order to refute the many errors which troubled the Church at that time, and to expound the mysteries of Jesus Christ, he wrote many books in the Syrian tongue, almost all of which have been translated into Greek. St. Jerome bears witness that he attained such fame that his writings were read publicly in the churches after the reading from the Holy Scriptures. On account of his works, so full of the light of heavenly doctrine, he was greatly honored even during his lifetime as a Doctor of the Church. He composed a poem in praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints for which he was called by the Syrians "the Harp of the Holy Ghost." He was noted for his great and tender devotion towards the immaculate Virgin. He died, rich in merits, at Edessa in Mesopotamia, on the fourteenth of the Kalends of July, in the reign of Valens. Pope Benedict XV, at the instance of many Cardinals of the holy Roman Church, patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, abbots and religious communities, declared him by a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites to be a Doctor of the Universal Church. Excerpted from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B. Patron: Spiritual directors; spiritual leaders. Symbols: cowl with small cross; pillar of light; scourge. Things to Do:
Sts. Primus and Felician  At an advanced age the brothers Primus and Felician were beheaded at Nomentum (or Mentana). According to the legendary Acts of their martyrdom, they were thrown into prison by Diocletian. Felician was separated from his brother and subjected to cruel tortures. Then the magistrate called for Primus. "See," he said, "your brother has acted much more wisely than you ; he listened to the emperor's wishes and now enjoys the greatest honor with him. If you follow his example, like consideration and favor will be shown you." Primus retorted: "What has happened to my brother, an angel has told me. Oh, that I, even as I am one in mind and heart with him, may not be separated from him in death!" Both were then thrown to the lions, but the beasts crouched at their feet, fawning with head and tail. Of the twelve thousand persons who witnessed this marvel, five hundred together with their families embraced the faith. Finally the two brothers were beheaded. Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch Things to Do:
St. Columba of Iona, Abbot  St. Columba is a saint who still, after fourteen hundred years, exerts an appeal upon our imaginations. Born in Ireland, in Donegal in the year 521, he was of the blood royal, and might indeed have become High King of Ireland had he not chosen to be a priest. His vital, vigorous personality has given rise to many legends, and it is a little hard to sift fact from what is more probably fiction. We do know that he was a man of tremendous energy, probably somewhat headstrong in his youth, but with his tendency to violence curbed by a gentle magnanimity. It seems certain that he left Ireland as an act of penance, although it is less certain how far this was connected with his quarrelling over a copy of the Gospels he had made, a dispute that led to a bloody battle. He came from Ireland to Scotland, to the colony of Dalriada founded on the west coast by his fellow Irish Scots who were at that time somewhat oppressed by the dominant Picts. With twelve companions he founded his monastery on Iona in the year 563. These Celtic monks lived in communities of separate cells, but Columba and his companions combined their contemplative life with extraordinary missionary activity. Amongst his many accomplishments, Columba was a splendid sailor. He sailed far amongst the islands and travelled deep inland, making converts and founding little churches. In Ireland he had already, it is said, founded a hundred churches. Of all the Celtic saints in Scotland, Columba's life is much the best documented, because manuscripts of his life, written by St Adamnan, one of his early successors as abbot of Iona, have survived. Iona itself remains a place of the greatest beauty, a serene island set in seas that take on brilliant colors in the sunshine, recalling the life and background of this remarkable man whose mission led to the conversion of Scotland and of the north of England, and indeed carried its influence far further afield. It later became the site of a Benedictine Abbey and of a little cathedral. These were dismantled by the Scottish reformers in 1561, and part of Columba's prophecy was fulfilled: In Iona of my heart, Iona of my love,When Dr Samuel Johnson visited the island in 1773 he observed, 'That man is little to be envied, whose patriotism would not gain force upon the plain of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of Iona!' Columba was a poet as well as a man of action. Some of his poems in both Latin and Gaelic have come down to us, and they reveal him as a man very sensitive to the beauty of his surroundings, as well as always, in St Adamnan's phrase, 'gladdened in his inmost heart by the joy of the Holy Spirit.' He died in the year 597. Courtesy of the Catholic Information Network Patron: Against floods; bookbinders; floods; Ireland; poets; Scotland. Symbols: Coracle; white horse; Celtic cross; devils fleeing. Things to Do:
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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 50 (51) |
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| God, have mercy on me |
| Take pity on me, Lord, in your mercy; in your abundance of mercy wipe out my guilt. Wash me ever more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I know how guilty I am: my sin is always before me. Against you, you alone have I sinned, and I have done evil in your sight. Know this, so that you may give just sentence and an unbiased judgement. See, I was conceived in guilt, in sin my mother conceived me; but you love truth in the heart, and deep within me you have shown me your wisdom. You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be made clean; you will wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. You will make me hear the sound of joy and gladness; the bones you have crushed will rejoice. Turn your face away from my sins and wipe out all my transgressions; create a pure heart in me, God, put a steadfast spirit into me. Do not send me away from your presence, or withdraw your holy spirit from me; give me again the joy of your salvation, and be ready to strengthen me with your spirit. I will teach the unjust your ways, and the impious will return to you. Free me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, God my saviour, and my voice will glory in your justice. Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will proclaim your praise; for you do not delight in sacrifices: if I offered you a burnt offering, it would not please you. The true sacrifice is a broken spirit: a contrite and humble heart, O God, you will not refuse. Be pleased, Lord, to look kindly on Sion, so that the walls of Jerusalem can be rebuilt, Then indeed you will accept the proper sacrifices, gifts and burnt offerings; then indeed will bullocks be laid upon your altar. 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 | Isaiah 45 |
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| All peoples, turn to the Lord | |
| In truth you are a hidden God, the God and Saviour of Israel. They were dismayed and ashamed, all the makers of idols, all of them fled in dismay. Israel has been saved by the Lord, saved for ever; you will not be dismayed or ashamed, to the end of time. For thus says the Lord, the God who made the heavens, who made the earth, shaped it, set it firm – he did not make it to be empty, but to be full of life – “I am the Lord, there is no other. “I have not spoken secretly, in some dark corner of the earth. I have not said to the children of Jacob, ‘seek me in vain’. I am the Lord who speaks justice, who proclaims uprightness. “Gather together, come, approach me all of you who have been rescued from the Gentiles. They were ignorant, who raised up wooden idols and begged favours of a god without power. Announce it – come, ponder it together – who was saying this from the beginning, who foretold this from the start? Am I not the Lord? Is there any other God but me? Do you seek a just God who will save you? There is no other. “Turn to me and you will be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, there is no other. “I have sworn by my own being, I have decreed a judgement that will not be revoked; for every knee will bend to me, every tongue swear by my name.” “Only in the Lord,” they will say, “are there justice and strength!” All who resisted him will come to him, and be dismayed; but in the Lord all descendants of Israel will receive justice and glory. 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. |
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| Psalm 99 (100) |
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| Enter the Temple with joy |
| Rejoice in the Lord, all the earth. Exult in his presence and serve him with joy. Know that the Lord is God. He made us and we are his – his people, the sheep of his flock. Cry out his praises as you enter his gates, fill his courtyards with songs. Proclaim him and bless his name; for the Lord is our delight. His mercy lasts for ever, his faithfulness through all the ages. 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 | Benedictus |
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| The Messiah and his forerunner | |
| 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. |
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| 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 |
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Lord of Light Friday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Mark 12:35-37 Introductory Prayer: Help me recollect my thoughts, Lord, as I kneel to pray. Inspire in my heart a deeper love for prayer. Petition: Grant me the sensitivity, Lord, to see your hand at work in the souls around me. 1. "Son of David." Jesus was known as being of the line of King David. Mary was of the house of David. So too was Joseph. Jesus goes a step further and says that the Christ is also David´s lord. "So how is he his son?" Note that Jesus (the Christ) doesn´t deny the filial tie to David. Rather, he wants his listeners to think on another level. Jesus is son of David by the flesh, but lord of David by his divinity. Just as Jesus is both son of Mary and her lord. God the Father can lead us spiritually even through those who are dependent on us. Think of how often he uses children ― their simple questions, their blunt observations ― to shake us up and to guide us. Their sincerity gives new meaning to the old line: "The child is father to the man." What might God be saying to me through the young people in my life? 2. "Heard This with Great Delight." The mystery of Christ stirs joy in his listeners´ hearts. His fresh teaching and loving witness inspires them and lifts them up. Isn´t that what the joy of love is about? Encountering a person who is authentic and loving helps us to discover the worth and depth of our own being. Such can be the sway of a sweetheart, a spouse, a teacher, a friend, a Pope. The people who love us most help us find ourselves. How often do I thank God for the loved ones he has put in my life? 3. "How do the Scribes Claim…" Jesus not so subtly targets the scribes in this instance, while he finds a good reception in the great mass of people. Our Lord sometimes likes to upset the intellectuals among us and appeal instead to those of simple hearts. Which side of the fence do I find myself on? Do I intellectualize Christ´s word too much? Or do I accept it with childlike simplicity? Dialogue with Christ: Lord, I know you try to speak to me through the Scripture, especially in time of prayer. Help me discover your voice in the people I meet throughout the day. Resolution: I will offer up a sacrifice or make a visit to the Eucharist for someone who has asked for my prayers. |
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2 Tim 3:10-17 / Mk 12:35-37 Again, Paul is writing to Timothy from his prison chains: “…Yet from all these things the Lord delivered me. In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But wicked people and charlatans will go from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived. But you, remain faithful to what you have learned….” Why that sentence about wicked people and charlatans? I think he is warning Timothy that there are those who will try to make the Christian life easy and comfortable. There are those who would accept a piece of glass instead of a diamond. People who try to follow Jesus, but do not expect persecution, according to Paul, are wicked. Taking the easy way to faith is actually wickedness. Please let me repeat the line from Wednesday: “Can we dare to let the truth of the gospel cost us whatever it will? As one poet (the Reverend Calvin Miller) put it, ‘I don’t buy love, but I owe it everything.’ Obedience, love, the splendor of truth: pursue these, and you will have the peace that Paul lived and died in.” Ignore these and be a deceiver or be deceived. Paul tells Timothy to keep digging to deepen the truth that he has already heard. The digging may be slow, but the treasure to be found is worth the cost. A lot of metaphorical language? Yes. Paul does make it very clear in our reading, though. He tells Timothy that he will find what he needs in Scripture because there is “wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” May our Lord find the faith in our hearts as precious as any diamond. |
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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 |
Faith-sharing bump.
Prayers offered up for the safety of our soldiers in the Mid East.
| Mk 12:35-37 | ||
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| # | Douay-Rheims | Vulgate |
| 35 | And Jesus answering, said, teaching in the temple: How do the scribes say, that Christ is the son of David? | et respondens Iesus dicebat docens in templo quomodo dicunt scribae Christum Filium esse David |
| 36 | For David himself saith by the Holy Ghost: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool. | ipse enim David dicit in Spiritu Sancto dixit Dominus Domino meo sede a dextris meis donec ponam inimicos tuos scabillum pedum tuorum |
| 37 | David therefore himself calleth him Lord, and whence is he then his son? And a great multitude heard him gladly. | ipse ergo David dicit eum Dominum et unde est filius eius et multa turba eum libenter audivit |
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 40 (41) |
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| Prayer in time of sickness |
| Blessed is he who takes thought for the helpless, for the Lord will keep him safe in time of trouble. The Lord will guard him and give him life. He will give him good fortune on the earth, and not betray him into the power of his enemies. The Lord will lend him strength on his bed of pain; you will transform all his sickness into health. I said, “Lord, have mercy, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you”. My enemies spoke against me, saying: “When will he die? When will his name perish?” When one of them came to visit me, he talked of nothing, but stored up wickedness in his heart. He went out, and told tales against me. All my enemies whispered together against me, imagined the worst: “A plague has taken hold of him: he has lain down and will not rise”. Even my dearest friend, in whom I put my trust, who had eaten my bread – even he trampled me down. But you, Lord – have mercy on me, revive me, and I will pay them back. This is how I know that I have your favour, when my enemy cannot triumph over me, when you raise me up because of my innocence, and put me in your presence for all eternity. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from the beginning to the end of time. Amen! Amen! 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 45 (46) |
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| God, our refuge and our strength |
| The Lord is our refuge and our strength, a true help in our troubles. Therefore we do not fear, even when the earth is shaken and mountains fall into the depths of the sea, the waves roar and foam and rise up to shake the mountains. The streams of the river give joy to the city of God, the holy dwelling-place of the Most High. God is within it, it will not be shaken; God will give help as the day dawns. The nations are in turmoil and kingdoms totter: at the sound of his voice, the earth flows like water. The Lord of strength is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come and see the works of the Lord, who has done wonders on the earth. He puts an end to wars over all the world: he tramples the bow, shatters weapons, and burns the shields with fire. Stop and see that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth. The Lord of strength is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. 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 15 |
|---|---|
| A hymn of adoration | |
| Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are your ways, King of all nations! Who, Lord, will not revere and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship in your presence, for your judgements have been seen by all. 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. |
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| 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 |
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