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Synaxis of The Three Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, & John Chrysostom, Jan.30

The Translation of the Relics of St. John Chrysostom (Jan 27 or Feb 9 Julian calendar)

The Easter Sermon of St. John Chrysostom (c. 400 AD)

The Life of Saint John Chrysostom

PASCHAL Homily of St John Chrysostom

The Golden Mouthed Preacher-St.John Chrysostom [Bishop,Doctor of Catholic and Orthodox Churches]

From: Luke 6:20-26

The Beatitudes and the Curses

[20] And He (Jesus) lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said:
"Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. [21] Blessed
are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you
that weep now, for you shall laugh. [22] Blessed are you when men
hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your
name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! [23] Rejoice in that day,
and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in Heaven; for so their
fathers did to the prophets. [24] But woe to you that are rich, for you
have received your consolation. [25] Woe to you that are full now, for
you shall hunger. Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and
weep. [26] Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their
fathers did to the false prophets."

Commentary:

20-49. These thirty verses of St. Luke correspond to some extent to the
Sermon on the Mount, an extensive account of which St. Matthew gives
us in Chapters 5 to 7 in his Gospel. It is very likely that in the course
of His public ministry in different regions and towns of Israel Jesus
preached the same things, using different words on different occasions.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit each evangelist would have chosen
to report those things which he considered most useful for the instruction
of his immediate readers--Christians of Jewish origin in the case of
Matthew, Gentile converts in the case of Luke. There is no reason why
one evangelist should not have selected certain items and another diffe-
rent ones, depending on his readership, or why one should not have laid
special stress on some subjects and shortened or omitted accounts of
others.

In this present discourse, we might distinguish three parts--the
Beatitudes and the curses (6:20-26); love of one's enemies (6:27-38);
and teaching on uprightness of heart (6:39-49).

Some Christians may find it difficult to grasp the need of practising
the moral teaching of the Gospel so radically, in particular Christ's
teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is very demanding in what
He says, but He is saying it to everyone, and not just to His Apostles
or to those disciples who followed Him closely. We are told expressly
that "when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished
at His teaching" (Matthew 7:28). It is quite clear that the Master calls
everyone to holiness, making no distinction of state-in-life, race or per-
sonal circumstances. This teaching on the universal call to holiness
was a central point of the teaching of (Blessed) Monsignor Escriva de
Balaguer. The Second Vatican Council expressed the same teaching
with the full weight of its authority: everyone is called to Christian
holiness; consider, for example, just one reference it makes, in "Lumen
Gentium", 11: "Strengthened by so many and such great means of
salvation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state--though each
in his or her own way--are called by the Lord to that perfection of sanc-
tity by which the Father Himself is perfect."

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is not proposing an unattainable
ideal, useful though that might be to make us feel humble in the light
of our inability to reach it. No. Christian teaching in this regard is quite
clear: what Christ commands, He commands in order to have us do
what He says. Along with His commandment comes grace to enable
us to fulfill it. Therefore, every Christian is capable of practising the
moral teaching of Christ and of attaining the full height of his calling --
holiness--not by his own efforts alone but by means of the grace which
Christ has won for us, and with the abiding help of the means of sanc-
tification which He left to His Church. "If anyone plead human weak-
ness to excuse Himself for not loving God, it should be explained that
He who demands our love pours into our hearts by the Holy Spirit the
fervor of His love, and this good Spirit our Heavenly Father gives to
those that ask Him. With reason, therefore, did St. Augustine pray:
`Give Me what Thou command, and command what You please.'
As, then, God is ever ready to help us, especially since the death of
Christ our Lord, by which the prince of this world was cast out, there
is no reason why anyone should be disheartened by the difficulty of
the undertaking. To him who loves, nothing is difficult" ("St. Pius V
Catechism", III, 1, 7).

20-26. The eight Beatitudes which St. Matthew gives (5:3-12) are
summed up in four by St. Luke, but with four opposite curses. We
can say, with St. Ambrose, that Matthew's eight are included in Luke's
four (cf. "Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc."). In St. Luke they
are in some cases stated in a more incisive, more direct form than in
the First Gospel, where they are given with more explanation: for ex-
ample, the first beatitude says simply "Blessed are you poor", where-
as in Matthew we read, "Blessed are the poor in spirit", which contains
a brief explanation of the virtue of poverty.

20. "The ordinary Christian has to reconcile two aspects of this life
that can at first seem contradictory. There is on the one hand "true
poverty", which is obvious and tangible and made up of definite things.
This poverty should be an expression of faith in God and a sign that
the heart is not satisfied with created things and aspires to the Creator;
that it wants to be filled with love of God so as to be able to give this
same love to everyone. On the other hand, an ordinary Christian is
and wants to be "one more among his fellow men", sharing their way
of life, their joys and happiness; working with them, loving the world
and all the good things that exist in it; using all created things to solve
the problems of human life and to establish a spiritual and material
environment which will foster personal and social development [...].

"To my way of thinking the best examples of poverty are those mothers
and fathers of large and poor families who spend their lives for their
children and who with their effort and constancy--often without com-
plaining of their needs--bring up their family, creating a cheerful home
in which everyone learns to love, to serve and to work" ([Blessed] J.
Escriva, "Conversations", 110f).

24-26. Our Lord here condemns four things: avarice and attachment to
the things of the world; excessive care of the body, gluttony; empty-
headed joy and general self-indulgence; flattery, and disordered desire
for human glory--four very common vices which a Christian needs to
be on guard against.

24. In the same kind of way as in verse 20, which refers to the poor in
the sense of those who love poverty, seeking to please God better, so
in this verse the "rich" are to be understood as those who strive to
accumulate possessions heedless of whether or not they are doing so
lawfully, and who seek their happiness in those possessions, as if they
were their ultimate goal. But people who inherit wealth or acquire it
through honest work can be really poor provided they are detached from
these things and are led by that detachment to use them to help others,
as God inspires them. We can find in Sacred Scriptures a number of
people to whom the beatitude of the poor can be applied although they
possessed considerable wealth--Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, Job,
for example.

As early as St. Augustine's time there were people who failed to
understand poverty and riches properly: they reasoned as follows: The
Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the poor, the Lazaruses of this world,
the hungry; all the rich are bad, like this rich man here. This sort of
thinking led St. Augustine to explain the deep meaning of wealth and
poverty according to the spirit of the Gospel: "Listen, poor man, to my
comments on your words. When you refer to yourself as Lazarus, that
holy man covered with wounds, I am afraid your pride makes you des-
cribe yourself incorrectly. Do not despise rich men who are merciful,
who are humble: or, to put it briefly, do not despise poor rich men. Oh,
poor man, be poor yourself; poor, that is, humble [...]. Listen to me,
then. Be truly poor, be devout, be humble; if you glory in your ragged
and ulcerous poverty, if you glory in likening yourself to that beggar
lying outside the rich man's house, then you are only noticing his pov-
erty, and nothing else. What should I notice you ask? Read the Scrip-
tures and you will understand what I mean. Lazarus was poor, but he
to whose bosom he was brought was rich. `It came to pass, it is
written, that the poor man died and he was brought by the angels to
Abraham's bosom.' To where? To Abraham's bosom, or let us say, to
that mysterious place where Abraham was resting. Read [...] and
remember that Abraham was a very wealthy man when he was on earth:
he had abundance of money, a large family, flocks, land; yet that rich
man was poor, because he was humble. `Abraham believed God and
he was reckoned righteous.' [...] He was faithful, he did good, received
the commandment to offer his son in sacrifice, and he did not refuse to
offer what he had received to Him from whom he had received it. He
was approved in God's sight and set before us as an example of faith"
("Sermon", 14).

To sum up: poverty does not consist in something purely external, in
having or not having material goods, but in something that goes far
deeper, affecting a person's heart and soul; it consists in having a
humble attitude to God, in being devout, in having total faith. If a
Christian has these virtues and also has an abundance of material
possessions, he should be detached from his wealth and act chari-
tably towards others and thus be pleasing to God. On the other
hand, if someone is not well-off he is not justified in God's sight on
that account, if he fails to strive to acquire those virtues in which
true poverty consists.

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries".
Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate.
Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University
of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin,
Ireland.
Reprinted with permission from from Four Courts Press and Scepter
Publishers, the U.S. publishers.

Emailed reflections from Navarre for this Memorial were the wrong ones -- a new guy is trying to take over.

Diud get this -- part of it is correct.

From: 1 Corinthians 7:1;17;25-31

The Excellence of Virginity

[1] Now concerning the matters about which you wrote. It is well for
a man not to touch a woman.

[17] [L]et every one lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him,
and in which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.

[25] Now concerning the unmarried, [2] I have no command of the Lord,
but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy.
[26] I think that in view of the impending distress it is well for a person
to remain as he is. [27] Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be
free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek marriage. [28] But if you
marry, you do not sin, and if a girl marries she does not sin. Yet those
who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. [29] I
mean, brethren, the appointed time has grown very short; from now on,
let those who have wives live as though they had none, [30] and those
who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice
as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they
had no goods, [31] and those who deal with the world as though they
had no dealings with it. For the form of this world is passing away.

Commentary:

25-35. The Apostle now explains the excellence of virginity or celibacy
(vv. 26ff) for love of God as compared with marriage. The Magisterium
of the Church has explicitly spoken on the same lines (cf. Council of
Trent, "De Sacrum Matrimonio", can. 10; Pius XII, "Sacra Virginitas",
11).

He begins by saying that he has no commandment from the Lord on this
matter (cf. note on 7:12-16; Mt 19-12) but he for his part recommends
celibacy, and his advice carries weight because he is an Apostle chosen
by the Lord in his mercy. The reasons why he makes this recommenda-
tion reduce to one, basically--the love of God: the unmarried person can
dedicate himself or herself to God more fully than a married person can,
who has to look after the family and is "divided" (v. 34). "This is the main
purpose and primary reason for Christian virginity--to dedicate oneself
exclusively to divine things, giving them all one's attention and love
thinking of Him constantly and consecrating oneself to Him completely,
body and soul" (Pius XII, "Sacra Virginitas", 5). This exclusive dedication
to God will lead to a full and productive life because it enables a person
to love others and devote himself or herself to them with great freedom
and availability. Also, celibacy has an eschatological dimension: it is a
special sign of heavenly delights (cf. Vatican II, "Perfectae Caritatis", 12),
and points to the fact that the blessed in heaven live as angels (cf. Mt
22:30).

St Paul's references to marriage should be understood in the context in
which he is writing (cf. note on 7:1-9). All he wants to make clear here is
that, although celibacy is a higher state, marriage is not something bad:
those who marry are not doing anything wrong (v. 28), nor is there any
need for married people to live as celibates (vv. 3-5) or to separate (v. 27).
However, only someone who acknowledges the great value that marriage
has is in a position to appreciate celibacy as a gift of God. "Virginity or
celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of God not only does not contradict
the dignity of marriage but presupposes it and confirms it. Marriage and
virginity or celibacy are two ways of expressing and living the one mystery
of the covenant of God with his people. When marriage is not esteemed,
neither can consecrated virginity or celibacy exist; when human sexuality
is not regarded as a great value given by the Creator, the renunciation of
it for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven loses its meaning" (John Paul II,
"Familiaris Consortio", 16)

28. "Worldly troubles" (tribulation of the flesh): this is not in any way
pejorative of marriage: "Married love is uniquely expressed and perfected
by the exercise of the acts proper to marriage. Hence the acts in mar-
riage by which the intimate and chaste union of the spouses takes place
are noble and honorable: the truly human performance of these acts
fosters the self-giving they signify and enriches the spouses in joy and
gratitude" (Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 49).

The phrase is very like that used in v. 33 ("worldly affairs"): that is, mar-
ried people cannot ignore the material needs of their family. This is also
what the Apostle means when he says that the married man's interests
are "divided" (v. 34), that is, he cannot please God unless he attend to
the needs--including material needs--of his family. Married people have
to turn these circumstances--inherent in their state of life--into a means
of sanctification. "Husband and wife are called to sanctify their married
life", Monsignor Escriva writes, "and to sanctify themselves in it. It would
be a serious mistake if they were to exclude family life from their spiritual
development. The marriage union, the care and education of children, the
effort to provide for the needs of the family as well as for its security and
development, the relationships with other persons who make up the
community--all these are among the ordinary human situations that
Christian couples are called upon to sanctify" ("Christ Is Passing By",
23).

29-31. In their letters, St Paul and the other Apostles frequently
remind us that life is short (cf. Rom 13:11-14; 2 Pet 3:8; 1 Jn 2:15-
17), in order to encourage us to make the very best use of our time to
serve God, and others for his sake. "When I reflect on this, how well I
understand St Paul's exclamation when he writes to the Corinthians,
"tempus breve est" (1 Cor 7:29). How short indeed is the time of our
passing through this world! For the true Christian these words ring
deep down in his heart as a reproach to his lack of generosity, and
as a constant invitation to be loyal. Brief indeed is our time for loving,
for giving, for making atonement. It would be very wrong, therefore, for
us to waste it, or to cast this treasure irresponsibly overboard. We
must not squander this period of the world's history which God has
entrusted to each one of us" (J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 39).

A Christian, therefore, should always be detached from worldly things,
and never let himself become the slave of anything or anyone (cf. 1 Cor
7:23; "Lumen Gentium", 42) but, instead, always have his sights on
eternal life. "It is a great help towards this", St Teresa of Avila teaches,
"if we keep a very constant care of the vanity of all things, and the rapi-
dity with which they pass away, so that we may withdraw our affections
from everything and fix them on what will last forever. This may seem to
be a poor kind of help but it will have the effect of greatly fortifying the
soul. With regard to little things, we must be very careful, as soon as
we begin to be fond of them, to think no more about them and to turn
our thoughts to God. His majesty will help us to do this" ("Way of Per-
fection", chap. X).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries".
Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate.
Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University
of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin,
Ireland.
Reprinted with permission from from Four Courts Press and Scepter
Publishers, the U.S. publishers.

Mass Readings

First reading	1 Corinthians 7:25 - 31 ©
About remaining celibate, I have no directions from the Lord but give my own opinion as one who, by the Lord’s mercy, has stayed faithful. Well then, I believe that in these present times of stress this is right: that it is good for a man to stay as he is. If you are tied to a wife, do not look for freedom; if you are free of a wife, then do not look for one. But if you marry, it is no sin, and it is not a sin for a young girl to get married. They will have their troubles, though, in their married life, and I should like to spare you that. Brothers, this is what I mean: our time is growing short. Those who have wives should live as though they had none, and those who mourn should live as though they had nothing to mourn for; those who are enjoying life should live as though there were nothing to laugh about; those whose life is buying things should live as though they had nothing of their own; and those who have to deal with the world should not become engrossed in it. I say this because the world as we know it is passing away.

First reading

1 Corinthians 7:25 - 31 ©

About remaining celibate, I have no directions from the Lord but give my own opinion as one who, by the Lord’s mercy, has stayed faithful. Well then, I believe that in these present times of stress this is right: that it is good for a man to stay as he is. If you are tied to a wife, do not look for freedom; if you are free of a wife, then do not look for one. But if you marry, it is no sin, and it is not a sin for a young girl to get married. They will have their troubles, though, in their married life, and I should like to spare you that.
Brothers, this is what I mean: our time is growing short. Those who have wives should live as though they had none, and those who mourn should live as though they had nothing to mourn for; those who are enjoying life should live as though there were nothing to laugh about; those whose life is buying things should live as though they had nothing of their own; and those who have to deal with the world should not become engrossed in it. I say this because the world as we know it is passing away.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 44

Gospel	Luke 6:20 - 26 ©
Fixing his eyes on his disciples Jesus said: ‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God. Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied. Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh. Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets. ‘But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now. Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry. Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep. ‘Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Gospel

Luke 6:20 - 26 ©

Fixing his eyes on his disciples Jesus said:
‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God.
Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied.
Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh.

Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.
‘But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now.
Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry.
Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.

‘Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Office of Readings -- Awakening Prayer

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

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 88 (89)
The Lord's kindness to the house of David
I will sing for ever of the kindnesses of the Lord: to generation upon generation my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness. For you have said “My kindness shall be established for ever”; your faithfulness will be established in the heavens. “I have made a covenant with my chosen one. I have sworn to David my servant: To all eternity I will set your descendants firm; I shall build your house to last for all generations”. The heavens will proclaim your wonders, O Lord, the assembly of your holy ones will proclaim your faithfulness. For who in the sky can be compared to the Lord? Who could resemble the Lord among all the sons of God? God is to be feared in the council of his holy ones, great and terrible above all who surround him. Lord God of hosts, who is like you? Yours is the power, and faithfulness surrounds you. You subdue the pride of the sea: when its waves rise high, you calm them. You have trampled Rahab underfoot, like a wounded man; through the strength of your arm you have scattered your enemies. Yours are the heavens and yours is the earth, you set firm the globe and all it contains. You made the north and the south, Tabor and Hermon will rejoice in your name. Your arm it is that has the power, your hand is strong, your right hand held high. Your throne is founded on justice and right, kindness and faithfulness are your attendants. Happy the people that knows the cry of praise! They will walk in the light of your presence, Lord, and rejoice in your name all the day – for you are the splendour of their strength, and by your good will our standard is held high. For our shields belong to the Lord, and our king to the Holy One of 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.

Psalm 88 (89)

The Lord's kindness to the house of David

I will sing for ever of the kindnesses of the Lord:
to generation upon generation
my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said
“My kindness shall be established for ever”;
your faithfulness will be established in the heavens.

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one.
I have sworn to David my servant:
To all eternity I will set your descendants firm;
I shall build your house to last for all generations”.

The heavens will proclaim your wonders, O Lord,
the assembly of your holy ones will proclaim your faithfulness.
For who in the sky can be compared to the Lord?
Who could resemble the Lord among all the sons of God?
God is to be feared in the council of his holy ones,
great and terrible above all who surround him.

Lord God of hosts, who is like you?
Yours is the power, and faithfulness surrounds you.
You subdue the pride of the sea:
when its waves rise high, you calm them.
You have trampled Rahab underfoot, like a wounded man;
through the strength of your arm you have scattered your enemies.

Yours are the heavens and yours is the earth,
you set firm the globe and all it contains.
You made the north and the south,
Tabor and Hermon will rejoice in your name.
Your arm it is that has the power,
your hand is strong, your right hand held high.
Your throne is founded on justice and right,
kindness and faithfulness are your attendants.

Happy the people that knows the cry of praise!
They will walk in the light of your presence, Lord,
and rejoice in your name all the day –
for you are the splendour of their strength,
and by your good will our standard is held high.
For our shields belong to the Lord,
and our king to the Holy One of 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.

Psalm 88 (89)
In a vision you spoke to your holy ones. You said, “I have given strength to a warrior, I have raised a chosen one from the people. I have found David my servant, I have anointed him with my holy oil. For my hand will always give him support, my right arm will give him strength. The enemy shall make no headway against him, the son of iniquity shall have no power over him. I will crush his foes in his sight and strike down those who hate him. My faithfulness and kindness shall be with him and his strength will be triumphant through my name. I shall extend his power over the sea, and his right hand over the rivers. He will call upon me: ‘you are my father, my God and my safe refuge’. And I shall make him my first-born, supreme over all the kings of the earth. My kindness to him will continue for ever, my covenant with him will remain firm. For all ages I shall establish his descendants, and for all the days of heaven his throne will stand”. 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 88 (89)

In a vision you spoke to your holy ones.
You said, “I have given strength to a warrior,
I have raised a chosen one from the people.
I have found David my servant,
I have anointed him with my holy oil.
For my hand will always give him support,
my right arm will give him strength.

The enemy shall make no headway against him,
the son of iniquity shall have no power over him.
I will crush his foes in his sight
and strike down those who hate him.
My faithfulness and kindness shall be with him
and his strength will be triumphant through my name.
I shall extend his power over the sea,
and his right hand over the rivers.

He will call upon me: ‘you are my father,
my God and my safe refuge’.
And I shall make him my first-born,
supreme over all the kings of the earth.
My kindness to him will continue for ever,
my covenant with him will remain firm.
For all ages I shall establish his descendants,
and for all the days of heaven his throne will stand”.

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 88 (89)
“But if his children abandon my law and walk no more in the paths of my decrees; if they profane my judgements and do not keep to my commandments, I will punish their transgressions with a rod, I will punish their wickedness with a beating. Even so, I will not turn my kindness away from him, nor will I be untrue to my word. I will not profane my covenant, I will not go against the word I have spoken. I have sworn in my sanctuary, once and for all: I will not lie to David. His seed shall remain for ever, his throne firm as the sun in my sight, just as the moon, stays firm for ever, a faithful witness in the sky”. 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 88 (89)

“But if his children abandon my law
and walk no more in the paths of my decrees;
if they profane my judgements
and do not keep to my commandments,
I will punish their transgressions with a rod,
I will punish their wickedness with a beating.

Even so, I will not turn my kindness away from him,
nor will I be untrue to my word.
I will not profane my covenant,
I will not go against the word I have spoken.
I have sworn in my sanctuary, once and for all:
I will not lie to David.
His seed shall remain for ever,
his throne firm as the sun in my sight,
just as the moon, stays firm for ever,
a faithful witness in the sky”.

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	Habakkuk 2:5 - 20 ©
Wealth is indeed a treacherous thing. Haughty and unable to rest is he who is as greedy as Sheol, who is like death, insatiable, who assembles all the nations for his own ends, collects all the peoples to his own advantage. On him, will not all men make satires, and turn an epigram against him? They will say: Trouble is coming to the man who amasses goods that are not his, (for how long?) and loads himself with pledges. Will not your creditors suddenly rise, will not your duns awake? Then you will be their victim. Since you have plundered many nations, all that remains of the peoples will plunder you; for you have shed men’s blood and ravished the country, the city and all who live in it. Trouble is coming to the man who grossly exploits others for the sake of his House, to fix his nest on high and so evade the hand of misfortune. You have contrived to bring shame on your House; by making an end of many peoples you have worked your own ruin. For the stone from the very walls cries out, and the beam responds from the framework. Trouble is coming to the man who builds a town with blood and founds a city on crime. Is it not the will of the Lord of Hosts that the labouring of peoples should end in fire, and the toiling of nations come to nothing? For the country shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters swell the sea. Trouble is coming to the man who makes his neighbours drink, who pours his poison until they are drunk, to look at their nakedness. You are drunk with ignominy, not with glory. Your turn now to drink and show your foreskin. The cup from the Lord’s right hand comes round to you, and disgrace will overshadow your glory. For the violence done to Lebanon is going to overwhelm you, so will the slaughter of terrified beasts, for you have shed men’s blood and ravished the country, the city and all who live in it. Trouble is coming to the man who says to the piece of wood, ‘Wake up!’ to the dumb stone, ‘On your feet!’ (And that is the oracle.) Plated it may be with gold and silver, but not a breath of life inside it. What is the use of a carved image, or for its maker to carve it at all? It is a thing of metal, a lying oracle. What is the use of its maker trusting this and fashioning dumb idols? But the Lord is in his holy Temple: let the whole earth be silent before him.

Reading

Habakkuk 2:5 - 20 ©

Wealth is indeed a treacherous thing.
Haughty and unable to rest is he
who is as greedy as Sheol,
who is like death, insatiable,
who assembles all the nations for his own ends,
collects all the peoples to his own advantage.
On him, will not all men make satires,
and turn an epigram against him?
They will say:

Trouble is coming to the man who amasses goods that are not his,
(for how long?)
and loads himself with pledges.

Will not your creditors suddenly rise,
will not your duns awake?
Then you will be their victim.

Since you have plundered many nations,
all that remains of the peoples will plunder you;
for you have shed men’s blood and ravished the country,
the city and all who live in it.

Trouble is coming to the man who grossly exploits others for the sake of his House,
to fix his nest on high
and so evade the hand of misfortune.

You have contrived to bring shame on your House;
by making an end of many peoples
you have worked your own ruin.

For the stone from the very walls cries out,
and the beam responds from the framework.

Trouble is coming to the man who builds a town with blood
and founds a city on crime.

Is it not the will of the Lord of Hosts
that the labouring of peoples should end in fire,
and the toiling of nations come to nothing?

For the country shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
as the waters swell the sea.

Trouble is coming to the man who makes his neighbours drink,
who pours his poison until they are drunk,
to look at their nakedness.
You are drunk with ignominy, not with glory.

Your turn now to drink and show your foreskin.
The cup from the Lord’s right hand comes round to you,
and disgrace will overshadow your glory.

For the violence done to Lebanon is going to overwhelm you,
so will the slaughter of terrified beasts,
for you have shed men’s blood and ravished the country,
the city and all who live in it.

Trouble is coming to the man who says to the piece of wood, ‘Wake up!’
to the dumb stone, ‘On your feet!’
(And that is the oracle.)
Plated it may be with gold and silver,
but not a breath of life inside it.

What is the use of a carved image, or for its maker to carve it at all?
It is a thing of metal, a lying oracle.
What is the use of its maker trusting this
and fashioning dumb idols?

But the Lord is in his holy Temple:
let the whole earth be silent before him.

Reading	A sermon by St John Chrysostom
For me, life means Christ, and death is gain
The waters have risen and severe storms are upon us, but we do not fear drowning, for we stand firmly upon a rock. Let the sea rage, it cannot break the rock. Let the waves rise, they cannot sink the boat of Jesus. What are we to fear? Death? Life to me means Christ, and death is gain. Exile? ‘The earth and its fullness belong to the Lord. The confiscation of goods? We brought nothing into this world, and we shall surely take nothing from it. I have only contempt for the world’s threats, I find its blessings laughable. I have no fear of poverty, no desire for wealth. I am not afraid of death nor do I long to live, except for your good. I concentrate therefore on the present situation, and I urge you, my friends, to have confidence. Do you not hear the Lord saying: Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst? Will he be absent, then, when so many people united in love are gathered together? I have his promise; I am surely not going to rely on my own strength! I have what he has written; that is my staff, my security, my peaceful harbour. Let the world be in upheaval. I hold to his promise and read his message; that is my protecting wall and garrison. What message? Know that I am with you always, until the end of the world! If Christ is with me, whom shall I fear? Though the waves and the sea and the anger of princes are roused against me, they are less to me than a spider’s web. Indeed, unless you, my brothers, had detained me, I would have left this very day. For I always say “Lord, your will be done”; not what this fellow or that would have me do, but what you want me to do. That is my strong tower, my immovable rock, my staff that never gives way. If God wants something, let it be done! If he wants me to stay here, I am grateful. But wherever he wants me to be, I am no less grateful. Yet where I am, there you are too, and where you are, I am. For we are a single body, and the body cannot be separated from the head nor the head from the body. Distance separates us, but love unites us, and death itself cannot divide us. For though my body die, my soul will live and be mindful of my people. You are my fellow citizens, my fathers, my brothers, my sons, my limbs, my body. You are my light, sweeter to me than the visible light. For what can the rays of the sun bestow on me that is comparable to your love? The sun’s light is useful in my earthly life, but your love is fashioning a crown for me in the life to come.

Reading

A sermon by St John Chrysostom

For me, life means Christ, and death is gain

The waters have risen and severe storms are upon us, but we do not fear drowning, for we stand firmly upon a rock. Let the sea rage, it cannot break the rock. Let the waves rise, they cannot sink the boat of Jesus. What are we to fear? Death? Life to me means Christ, and death is gain. Exile? ‘The earth and its fullness belong to the Lord. The confiscation of goods? We brought nothing into this world, and we shall surely take nothing from it. I have only contempt for the world’s threats, I find its blessings laughable. I have no fear of poverty, no desire for wealth. I am not afraid of death nor do I long to live, except for your good. I concentrate therefore on the present situation, and I urge you, my friends, to have confidence.
Do you not hear the Lord saying: Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst? Will he be absent, then, when so many people united in love are gathered together? I have his promise; I am surely not going to rely on my own strength! I have what he has written; that is my staff, my security, my peaceful harbour. Let the world be in upheaval. I hold to his promise and read his message; that is my protecting wall and garrison. What message? Know that I am with you always, until the end of the world!
If Christ is with me, whom shall I fear? Though the waves and the sea and the anger of princes are roused against me, they are less to me than a spider’s web. Indeed, unless you, my brothers, had detained me, I would have left this very day. For I always say “Lord, your will be done”; not what this fellow or that would have me do, but what you want me to do. That is my strong tower, my immovable rock, my staff that never gives way. If God wants something, let it be done! If he wants me to stay here, I am grateful. But wherever he wants me to be, I am no less grateful.
Yet where I am, there you are too, and where you are, I am. For we are a single body, and the body cannot be separated from the head nor the head from the body. Distance separates us, but love unites us, and death itself cannot divide us. For though my body die, my soul will live and be mindful of my people.
You are my fellow citizens, my fathers, my brothers, my sons, my limbs, my body. You are my light, sweeter to me than the visible light. For what can the rays of the sun bestow on me that is comparable to your love? The sun’s light is useful in my earthly life, but your love is fashioning a crown for me in the life to come.

A concluding prayer may follow here.

American Catholic’s Saint of the Day

God calls each one of us to be a saint.

September 13, 2006

St. John Chrysostom

(d. 407)

The ambiguity and intrigue surrounding John, the great preacher (his name means "golden-mouthed") from Antioch, are characteristic of the life of any great man in a capital city. Brought to Constantinople after a dozen years of priestly service in Syria, John found himself the reluctant victim of an imperial ruse to make him bishop in the greatest city of the empire. Ascetic, unimposing but dignified, and troubled by stomach ailments from his desert days as a monk, John began his episcopate under the cloud of imperial politics.

If his body was weak, his tongue was powerful. The content of his sermons, his exegesis of Scripture, were never without a point. Sometimes the point stung the high and mighty. Some sermons lasted up to two hours.

His life-style at the imperial court was not appreciated by some courtiers. He offered a modest table to episcopal sycophants hanging around for imperial and ecclesiastical favors. John deplored the court protocol that accorded him precedence before the highest state officials. He would not be a kept man.

His zeal led him to decisive action. Bishops who bribed their way into their office were deposed. Many of his sermons called for concrete steps to share wealth with the poor. The rich did not appreciate hearing from John that private property existed because of Adam's fall from grace any more than married men liked to hear that they were bound to marital fidelity just as much as their wives. When it came to justice and charity, John acknowledged no double standards.

Aloof, energetic, outspoken, especially when he became excited in the pulpit, John was a sure target for criticism and personal trouble. He was accused of gorging himself secretly on rich wines and fine foods. His faithfulness as spiritual director to the rich widow, Olympia, provoked much gossip attempting to prove him a hypocrite where wealth and chastity were concerned. His action taken against unworthy bishops in Asia Minor was viewed by other ecclesiastics as a greedy, uncanonical extension of his authority.

Two prominent personages who personally undertook to discredit John were Theophilus, Archbishop of Alexandria, and Empress Eudoxia. Theophilus feared the growth in importance of the Bishop of Constantinople and took occasion to charge John with fostering heresy. Theophilus and other angered bishops were supported by Eudoxia. The empress resented his sermons contrasting gospel values with the excesses of imperial court life. Whether intended or not, sermons mentioning the lurid Jezebel and impious Herodias were associated with the empress, who finally did manage to have John exiled. He died in exile in 407.

Comment:

John Chrysostom's preaching, by word and example, exemplifies the role of the prophet to comfort the disturbed and to disturb the comfortable. For his honesty and courage he paid the price of a turbulent ministry as bishop, personal vilification and exile.

Quote:

Bishops "should set forth the ways by which are to be solved very grave questions concerning the ownership, increase and just distribution of material goods, peace and war, and brotherly relations among all people" (Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops, 12).

Wednesday, September 13, 2006
St. John Chrysostom, Bishop, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:

1 Corinthians 7:25-31
Psalm 45:11-17
Luke 6:20-26

May you be praised, O Lord, in all your creatures, especially brother sun, by whom you give us light for the day; he is beautiful, radiating great splendour, and offering us a symbol of you, the Most High. . . May you be praised, my Lord, for sister water, who is very useful and humble, precious and chaste. . . May you be praised, my Lord, for sister earth, our mother, who bears and feeds us, and produces the variety of fruits and dappled flowers and grasses. . . Praise and bless my Lord, give thanks and serve him in all humility.

-- St. Francis of Assisi, Canticle of the Creatures

Catholic Culture

Collect:
Father, the strength of all who trust in you, you made John Chrysostom renowned for his eloquence and heroic in his sufferings. May we learn from his teaching and gain courage from his patient endurance. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Recipes:

» Greek Salad

Activities:

Prayers:

» September Devotion: Our Lady of Sorrows

September 13, 2006

Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor

St. John Chrysostom, born in Antioch about 347 A.D., was a great genius. His powerful eloquence earned him the surname of Chrysostom, or golden mouthed. With St. Athanasius, St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Basil, he forms the group of the four great doctors of the Eastern Church. As Archbishop of Constantinople, his courageous stance against the vices of even the wealthy caused him to be exiled several times. As a result he died in 407, still in exile. His body is at St. Peter's in Rome. Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar St. John Chrysostom's feast was celebrated on January 27.

St. John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom was the son of a Latin father and a Greek mother; his mother, Anthusa, was widowed at the age of twenty, soon after his birth. Putting aside all thought of remarriage, Anthusa gave all of her attention to her son: she gave him the best classical education of the day, and enrolled him as a catechumen when he was eighteen. He came under the influence of Meletius, patriarch of Antioch, who sent him to the monastic school of Diodore, then baptized him and ordained him lector.

At this time, St. John Chrysostom decided to take his future into his own hands and became a monk-hermit, living in a cave, studying the Scriptures, and putting himself under the discipline of an old hermit named Hesychius. However, his health broke under this austere regimen and he returned to Antioch, was ordained a priest, and began his remarkable career as a preacher.

During the next twelve years, he electrified Antioch with his fiery sermons, filled with a knowledge and an eloquence that were astonishing. It was during this period that he received the nickname Chrysostom, or golden mouth, for his words seemed to be pure gold. In 397, when the see of Constantinople became vacant, the Emperor Arcadius appointed John patriarch, and since it was feared that he would refuse the honor, he was lured to Constantinople and consecrated bishop of the city in 398.

John found himself in a nest of political intrigue, fraud, extravagance, and naked ambition. He curbed expenses, gave lavishly to the poor, built hospitals, reformed the clergy, and restored monastic discipline. But his program of reform made him enemies, in particular the Empress Eudoxia and the Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria. The city in turmoil, his life threatened, John was exiled by the emperor in the year 404.

The papal envoys were imprisoned, and John — defended by the pope and ordered restored to his see — was sent further into exile, six hundred miles from Constantinople, across the Black Sea. Worn out and sick, he died of his hardships at Comana in Pontus. His last words were, "Glory to God for all things."

Excerpted from The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens

Patron: Constantinople; epilepsy; orators; preachers.

Symbols: Beehive; chalice on Bible; white dove; scroll or book; pen and inkhorn; bishop's mitre.

Things to Do:

Discuss and implement some ideas on how to follow this idea: "Family life becomes sanctified when parents carry out St. John Chrysostom's plea to make each home a family church".
Cook special foods for this feast--Greek foods or foods with a "golden" color, such as honey.
Imitate the patron of orators, learn how to give speeches, perhaps have a speech contest.
St. John was a great Scripture scholar, and we should follow his encouragement of daily Bible reading and study.
Read excerpts from St. John Chrysostom's writing to see why he was called "golden-mouthed".
Learn more about the Eastern Rite churches.
View some of the world's most famous icons.

Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

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 85 (86)
A poor man's prayer in time of trouble
Turn your ear to me, Lord, and hear me, for I am poor and destitute. Keep my life safe, for I am faithful; O God, save your servant, who trusts in you. Take pity upon me, O Lord, for I call to you all the day long. Make your servant’s heart glad, for to you, O Lord, I have raised it. For you, Lord, are gentle and mild: you are kind to all those who call on you. Let your ears hear my prayer, O Lord! Turn to the voice of my pleading! In my time of trouble I call on you, for you, O Lord, will hear me. No other god is like you, O Lord, and nothing compares with your works. All people – all nations you made – will come and worship before you; they will give glory to your name. For you are great, you work wonders: you alone are God. O Lord, teach me your paths, and I will come to your truth. Make my heart simple and guileless, so that it honours your name. I will proclaim you, Lord my God, and give you praise with all my heart. I will give glory to your name for ever, for your great kindness is upon me: you have rescued me from the deepest depths. O God, the proud rise against me, in the meetings of the powerful they seek my life: they do not keep you in their sight. And you, Lord, are a God of compassion, full of mercies, patient and true. Look upon me, have mercy upon me, give your strength and protection to your servant your servant, the child of your handmaid. Give me a sign of your goodness, let my enemies see it and be confounded; because you, O Lord, have helped me and given me comfort. 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 85 (86)

A poor man's prayer in time of trouble

Turn your ear to me, Lord, and hear me,
for I am poor and destitute.
Keep my life safe, for I am faithful;
O God, save your servant, who trusts in you.

Take pity upon me, O Lord,
for I call to you all the day long.
Make your servant’s heart glad,
for to you, O Lord, I have raised it.
For you, Lord, are gentle and mild:
you are kind to all those who call on you.

Let your ears hear my prayer, O Lord!
Turn to the voice of my pleading!
In my time of trouble I call on you,
for you, O Lord, will hear me.

No other god is like you, O Lord,
and nothing compares with your works.
All people – all nations you made –
will come and worship before you;
they will give glory to your name.
For you are great, you work wonders:
you alone are God.

O Lord, teach me your paths,
and I will come to your truth.
Make my heart simple and guileless,
so that it honours your name.
I will proclaim you, Lord my God,
and give you praise with all my heart.
I will give glory to your name for ever,
for your great kindness is upon me:
you have rescued me from the deepest depths.

O God, the proud rise against me,
in the meetings of the powerful they seek my life:
they do not keep you in their sight.
And you, Lord, are a God of compassion,
full of mercies, patient and true.
Look upon me, have mercy upon me,
give your strength and protection to your servant
your servant, the child of your handmaid.

Give me a sign of your goodness,
let my enemies see it and be confounded;
because you, O Lord, have helped me and given me comfort.

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 33
The Lord will give just judgement
Hear what I have done, you who are far off, and you who are near, learn of my strength. In Sion, the sinners are afraid; the hypocrites tremble. Which of you could live with a devouring fire? Which of you will abide in everlasting burning? He who walks in justice, he who speaks fairly – he who rejects the spoils of robbery – he who throws back a bribe – he who blocks his ears against murderous counsels – he who shuts his eyes against evil sights – this is he who will dwell on high, secure in a fortress of rocks. Bread is given to him; his supply of water is secure. 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 33

The Lord will give just judgement

Hear what I have done, you who are far off,
and you who are near, learn of my strength.
In Sion, the sinners are afraid;
the hypocrites tremble.
Which of you could live with a devouring fire?
Which of you will abide in everlasting burning?

He who walks in justice, he who speaks fairly –
he who rejects the spoils of robbery –
he who throws back a bribe –
he who blocks his ears against murderous counsels –
he who shuts his eyes against evil sights –
this is he who will dwell on high, secure in a fortress of rocks.
Bread is given to him; his supply of water is secure.

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 97 (98)
The Lord has brought salvation
Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has worked wonders. His right hand, his holy arm, have brought him victory. The Lord has shown his saving power, and before all nations he has shown his justice. He has remembered to show his kindness and his faithfulness to the house of Israel. The farthest ends of the earth have seen the saving power of our God. Rejoice in God, all the earth. Break forth in triumph and song! Sing to the Lord on the lyre, with the lyre and with music. With trumpets and the sound of the horn, sound jubilation to the Lord, our king. Let the sea resound in its fulness, all the earth and all its inhabitants. The rivers will clap their hands, and the mountains will exult at the presence of the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge all the world in justice, and the peoples with fairness. 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 97 (98)

The Lord has brought salvation

Sing a new song to the Lord,
for he has worked wonders.

His right hand, his holy arm,
have brought him victory.
The Lord has shown his saving power,
and before all nations he has shown his justice.
He has remembered to show his kindness
and his faithfulness to the house of Israel.
The farthest ends of the earth
have seen the saving power of our God.

Rejoice in God, all the earth.
Break forth in triumph and song!
Sing to the Lord on the lyre,
with the lyre and with music.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn,
sound jubilation to the Lord, our king.

Let the sea resound in its fulness,
all the earth and all its inhabitants.
The rivers will clap their hands,
and the mountains will exult at the presence of the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge all the world in justice,
and the peoples with fairness.

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
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.

Canticle

Benedictus

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.

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

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	It's All So Simple In The End!
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Wednesday, September 13, 2006

1 Cor 7:25-31 / Lk 6:20-26

Today’s epistle is something of a curiosity in that it shows St. Paul seriously taking for granted something that just wasn’t true, namely, that the end of the world was just around the corner. On the basis of that assumption, Paul advised his listeners to stand pat wherever they were and to use the time remaining to get ready for Christ’s coming.

The Old and New Testaments are filled with false assumptions that came from the current culture, but they shouldn’t un-nerve us. They are passive elements of the scriptures which the various authors simply took those things for granted. They weren’t actively taught as religious truths any more than Genesis set out to give us an accurate calendar for the creation of the universe.

So, looking past his false assumption, we focus on what Paul was actively teaching in today’s epistle: Keep your eyes on the Lord and let nothing distract you. In the end, everything else will pass away except the Lord and his big family, and the success or failure of our lives will be measured in the simplest of terms: Were we grateful for life and faithful to the Lord’s gifts; and with loving hearts did we carry them to those for whom they were intended? That’s all that ever mattered, and it’s all that matters now!

First Day Back to Catechism!

Daily Mass Bump!

Been dreaming about what we will learn all night.

A marvelous intersection between this Feast and today's Gospel "Blessed are the poor..." as one of St. John Chrysostom's finest works was a series of sermons on Lazarus and the Rich Man, based on Luke 16. The "golden mouth" had nothing but contempt for the gold of this world and for those whose lives were impoverished by their thirst for more gold.

Doctors of the Catholic Church

ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM SPOKE BRAVELY, BOLDLY AND WAS PERHAPS THE MOST OUTSPOKEN PREACHER THE CHURCH EVER HAD. HE COMFORT THE DISTURBED AND DISTURBED THE COMFORTABLE. JOHN WOULD NOT BE CAUGHT UP IN THE POLITICS OF HIS DAY. HE ADVOCATED PEACE AND JUSTICE. FOR THIS HE WAS BANISHED.

THE DOCTOR OF PREACHERS MESSAGE TO US TODAY IS TO LOVE THOSE WHO HATE YOU AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU. HE SHOWED NO BITTERNESS OR MALICE TOWARD THOSE WHO HATED AND EXILED HIM FROM HIS CHURCH. JOHN ASKED TO SHARE ONE'S WEALTH WITH THE POOR.

FATHER RENGERS TELLS US IN HIS DOCTOR BOOK, LISTED IN THE SOURCES, THAT HE WAS SO GOOD AT PREACHING THAT PICKPOCKETS CAME TO HIS SERMONS AND STOLED AS JOHN'S AUDIENCE WAS RAPT ATTENTIVELY BY HIS PREACHING. HE CAN EASILY LAY CLAIM TO THE TITLE OF THE GREATEST PREACHER OF CHRISTIANITY.

HE IS ALSO THE DOCTOR OF THE EUCHARIST FROM WHICH, WE CAN BE SURE, HE HONED HIS SPEAKING SKILLS AND FOUND THEREIN WHAT TO SAY AS HE LISTENED TO HIS SAVIOR'S SENTIMENTS WHILE BEING SATED WITH THE FLESH OF THE SON OF GOD.

St John Chrysostom, 345-407. Doctor of Preachers, Feast, Sept 13th.

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

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 125 (126)
Gladness and hope in the Lord
When the Lord gave Sion back her captives, we became like dreamers. Our mouths were filled with gladness and our voices cried in exultation. Among the Gentiles they were saying, “By his deeds the Lord has shown himself great”. The Lord’s deeds showed forth his greatness, and filled us with rejoicing. Give us back our captives, O Lord, as you renew the dry streams in the desolate South. Those who sow in tears will rejoice at the harvest. They wept as they went, went with seed for the sowing; but with joy they will come, come bearing the sheaves. 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 125 (126)

Gladness and hope in the Lord

When the Lord gave Sion back her captives, we became like dreamers.
Our mouths were filled with gladness and our voices cried in exultation.
Among the Gentiles they were saying,
“By his deeds the Lord has shown himself great”.
The Lord’s deeds showed forth his greatness,
and filled us with rejoicing.

Give us back our captives, O Lord,
as you renew the dry streams in the desolate South.
Those who sow in tears will rejoice at the harvest.

They wept as they went, went with seed for the sowing;
but with joy they will come, come bearing the sheaves.

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 126 (127)
Without the Lord, we labour in vain
If the Lord does not build the house, its builders labour in vain. If the Lord does not watch over a city, its workmen guard it in vain. It is vain for you to rise before the dawn and go late to your rest, eating the bread of toil – to those he loves, the Lord gives sleep. The Lord bestows sons as an heirloom, the fruit of the womb as a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior – so are the sons of one’s youth. Happy the man who fills his quiver thus: when he disputes with his enemies at the gate, he will not be the loser. 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 126 (127)

Without the Lord, we labour in vain

If the Lord does not build the house,
its builders labour in vain.
If the Lord does not watch over a city,
its workmen guard it in vain.

It is vain for you to rise before the dawn
and go late to your rest,
eating the bread of toil –
to those he loves, the Lord gives sleep.

The Lord bestows sons as an heirloom,
the fruit of the womb as a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior –
so are the sons of one’s youth.
Happy the man who fills his quiver thus:
when he disputes with his enemies at the gate,
he will not be the loser.

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	Colossians 1
Christ, firstborn of all creatures and firstborn from the dead
Let us give thanks to God the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the light that is the saints’ inheritance. He has rescued us from the power of the shadows and brought us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation, for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, thrones and dominations, principalities and powers. All things were created through him and for him: he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the Church. He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, and so he is pre-eminent above all. For it was the Father’s will that the fullness of God should dwell in him, and that through him all things should be reconciled to himself. Through the blood of the Cross he brought peace to all things, both on Earth and in the heavens. 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

Colossians 1

Christ, firstborn of all creatures and firstborn from the dead

Let us give thanks to God the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the light that is the saints’ inheritance.
He has rescued us from the power of the shadows and brought us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation,
for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
thrones and dominations, principalities and powers.

All things were created through him and for him: he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the Church. He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, and so he is pre-eminent above all.
For it was the Father’s will that the fullness of God should dwell in him, and that through him all things should be reconciled to himself.
Through the blood of the Cross he brought peace to all things, both on Earth and in the heavens.

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.

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

Lk 6:20-26
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
20	And he, lifting up his eyes on his disciples, said: Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.	et ipse elevatis oculis in discipulos suos dicebat beati pauperes quia vestrum est regnum Dei
21	Blessed are ye that hunger now: for you shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for you shall laugh.	beati qui nunc esuritis quia saturabimini beati qui nunc fletis quia ridebitis
22	Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.	beati eritis cum vos oderint homines et cum separaverint vos et exprobraverint et eiecerint nomen vestrum tamquam malum propter Filium hominis
23	Be glad in that day and rejoice: for behold, your reward is great in heaven, For according to these things did their fathers to the prophets.	gaudete in illa die et exultate ecce enim merces vestra multa in caelo secundum haec enim faciebant prophetis patres eorum
24	But woe to you that are rich: for you have your consolation.	verumtamen vae vobis divitibus quia habetis consolationem vestram
25	Woe to you that are filled: for you shall hunger. Woe to you that now laugh: for you shall mourn and weep.	vae vobis qui saturati estis quia esurietis vae vobis qui ridetis nunc quia lugebitis et flebitis
26	Woe to you when men shall bless you: for according to these things did their fathers to the false prophets.	vae cum bene vobis dixerint omnes homines secundum haec faciebant prophetis patres eorum

Crucifixion and Saints

Andrea del Castagno

1440-41
Fresco
Ospedale Santa Maria Nuova, Florence

Saint John Chrysostom