Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 09-17-06, Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

http://www.usccb.org/nab/091706.shtml ^

[Salvation]

September 17, 2006

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Psalm: Sunday 39

Reading 1
Is 50:5-9a

The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.

The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let that man confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

R. (9) I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I love the LORD because he has heard
my voice in supplication,
Because he has inclined his ear to me
the day I called.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The cords of death encompassed me;
the snares of the netherworld seized upon me;
I fell into distress and sorrow,
And I called upon the name of the LORD,
“O LORD, save my life!”
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gracious is the LORD and just;
yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD keeps the little ones;
I was brought low, and he saved me.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For he has freed my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading II
Jas 2:14-18

What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, ”
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.

Indeed someone might say,
“You have faith and I have works.”
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.

Gospel
Mk 8:27-35

Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.”
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it.”

[Salvation]

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[Salvation]

From: Isaiah 50:5-9

Third Song of the Servant of the Lord

---

[5] The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I turned
not backward. [6]I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to those
who pulled out the beard; I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

[7] For the LORD GOD helps me; therefore I have not been confounded;
therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put
to shame; [8] he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near me.
[9] Behold, the Lord GOD helps me; who will declare me guilty? Behold,
all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up.

---

Commentary:

50:4-9. The second song dealt with the servant's mission (cf. 49:6);
the third song focuses on the servant himself. The term "servant"; as
such does not appear here, and therefore some commentators read the
passage as being a description of a prophet and not part of the songs.
Still, the context (cf. 50:10) does suggest that the protagonist is
the servant. The poem is neatly constructed in three stanzas, each
beginning with the words, "The Lord God"; (vv. 4, 5, 7), and it has a
conclusion containing that same wording (v. 9). The first stanza
emphasizes the servant's docility to the word of God; that is, he is
not depicted as a self-taught teacher with original ideas, but as an
obedient disciple. The second (vv. 5-6) speaks of the suffering that
that docility has brought him, without his uttering a word of
complaint. The third (vv. 7-8) shows how determined the servant is: if
he suffers in silence, it is not out of cowardice but because God helps
him and makes him stronger than his persecutors. The conclusion
(v. 9) is like the verdict of a trial: when all is said and done, the
servant will stand tall, and all his enemies will be struck down.

The evangelists saw the words of this song as finding fulfillment in
Jesus--especially what the song has to say about the suffering and
silent fortitude of the servant. The Gospel of John, for example, quotes
Nicodemus' acknowledgment of Christ's wisdom: "Rabbi, we know
that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs
that you do, unless God is with him" (Jn 3:21). But the description of
the servant's sufferings was the part that most impressed the early
Christians; that part of the song was recalled when they meditated on
the passion of Jesus and how "they spat in his face; and struck him;
and some slapped him" (Mt 26:67) and later how the Roman soldiers
"spat upon him, and took the reed and struck him on the head" (Mt
27:30; cf. also Mk 15:19; Jn 19:3). St Paul refers to v. 9 when applying
to Christ Jesus the role of intercessor on behalf of the elect in the suit
pressed constantly against them by the enemies of the soul: "Who
shall bring any charge against God's elect?" (Rom 8:33).

St Jerome sees the servant's docility as a reference to Christ: "His
self-discipline and wisdom enabled him to communicate to us the
knowledge of the Father. And he was obedient onto death, death on
the cross; he offered his body to the blows they struck, his shoulders
to the lash; and though he was wounded on the chest and on his face,
he did not try to turn away and escape their violence" ("Commentarii In
Isaiam", 50, 4). This passage is used in the liturgy of Palm Sunday
(along with Psalm 22 and St Paul's hymn in the Letter to the
Philippians 2:6-11), before the reading of our Lord's passion.

---

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.

[Salvation]

From: James 2:14-18

Faith Without Good Works Is Dead

---

[14] What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but
has not works? Can this faith save him? [15] If a brother or sister
is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, [16] and one of you says to
them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the
things needed for the body, what does it profit? [17] So faith, by
itself, if it has no works, is dead.

[18] But some one will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show
me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you
my faith.

---

Commentary:

14-26. This passage forms the core of the letter. The sapiential method
(often used in the Old Testament) and pedagogical style of the passage
help to engrave the message on the readers' minds: unless faith is
accompanied by works, it is barren, dead. This basic message, with
different variances, is stated up to five times (verses 14, 17, 18, 20,
26), in a cyclical, repetitive way.

The initial rhetorical question (verse 14) and the simple, vivid example
of a person who is content with giving good advice to someone in urgent
need of the bare essentials (verses 15-16), catch the disciples' attention
and predispose them to accept the core message, which is couched in
the form of a sapiential maxim (verse 17).

The narrative retains its conventional tone, with a series of questions;
we are given three examples of faith: firstly (a negative example), the
faith of demons, which is of no avail (verses 18-19); contrasting with this,
the faith of Abraham, the model and father of believers (verses 20-23);
and finally, the faith of a sinner whose actions won her salvation, Rabah,
the prostitute (verses 24-25). The last sentence once again repeats the
essential idea: "faith apart from works is dead" (verse 26).

14. This teaching is perfectly in line with that of the Master: "Not every
one who says to Me, `Lord, Lord', shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven,
but he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven" (Matthew 7:21).

A faith without deeds cannot obtain salvation: "Even though incorporated
into the Church, one who does not however persevere in charity is not
saved. He remains indeed in the bosom of the Church, but `in body' not
`in heart'. All children of the Church should nevertheless remember that
their exalted condition results not from their own merits but from the
grace of Christ. If they fail to respond in thought, word, and deed to that
grace, not only shall they not be saved, but they shall be the more
severely judged" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 14).

In the Christian life, therefore, there needs to be complete consistency
between the faith we profess and the deeds we do. "Unity of life", one
of the key features of the spirituality of Opus Dei, tries to counter the
danger of people leading a double life, "on the one hand, an inner life,
a life related to God; and on the other, as something separate and
distinct, their professional, social and family lives, made up of small
earthly realities [...]. There is only one life, made of flesh and spirit.
And it is that life which has to become, in both body and soul, holy
and filled with God: we discover the invisible God in the most visible
and material things" ([St] J. Escriva, "In Love with the Church", 52).

15-16. This very graphic example is similar to that in the First Letter
of St. John: "If any one has the world's goods and sees his brother in
need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in
him?" (1 John 3:17); and the conclusion is also along the same lines:
"Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in
truth" (1 John 3:18). St. Paul gives the same teaching: "the Kingdom
of God does not consist in talk but in power" (1 Corinthians 4:20).
Actions, works, measure the genuineness of the Christian life; they
show whether our faith and charity are real.

Almsgiving, for example, so often praised and recommended in Scrip-
ture (cf., e.g., Deuteronomy 15:11; Tobias 4:7-11; Luke 12:33; Acts
9:36; 2 Corinthians 8:9), is very often a duty. Christ "will count a kind-
ness done or refused to the poor as done or refused to Himself [...].
Whoever has received from the divine bounty a large share of temporal
blessings whether they be external or material, or gifts of the mind,
has received them for the purpose of using them for the perfecting of
his own nature, and, at the same time, that he may employ them, as
the teward of God's providence, for the benefit of others" (Leo XIII,
"Rerum Novarum", 24).

17. As well as involving firm adherence to revealed truth, faith must
influence a Christian's ordinary life and be a standard against which
he measures his conduct. When one's works are not in accordance
with one's beliefs, then one's faith is dead.

Christian teaching also describes as "dead faith" the faith of a person
in mortal sin: because he is not in the grace of God he does not have
charity, which is as it were the soul of all the other virtues. "Faith
without hope and charity neither perfectly unites a man with Christ nor
makes him a living member of His body. Therefore it is said most truly
that `faith apart from works is dead' (James 2:17ff) and useless"
(Council of Trent, "De Iustificatione", 7).

18. The Apostle makes it crystal clear that faith without work makes no
sense at all. "The truth of faith includes not only inner belief, but also
outward profession, which is expressed not only by declaration of one's
belief, but also by the actions by which a person shows that he has faith"
(St. Thomas, "Summa Theologiae", II-II, q. 124, a. 5).

---

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.

[Salvation]

From: Mark 8:27-35

Peter's Profession of Faith

---

[27] And Jesus went on with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea
Philippi; and on the way He asked His disciples, "Who do men say that I
am?" [28] And they told Him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah;
and others one of the prophets." [29] And He asked them, "But who do
you say I am?" Peter answered Him, "You are the Christ." [30] And He
charged them to tell no one about Him.

Jesus Foretells His Passion and Resurrection. Christian Renunciation

---

[31] And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many
things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the
scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. [32] And He
said this plainly. And Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him.
[33] But turning and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, and said,
"Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of
men." [34] And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and
said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself
and take up his cross and follow me. [35] For whoever would save his
life will lose it: and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's
will save it."
747

---

Commentary:

29. Peter's profession of faith is reported here in a shorter form than
in Matthew 16:18-19. Peter seems to go no further than say that Jesus
is the Christ, the Messiah. Eusebius of Caesarea, in the fourth
century, explains the Evangelist's reserve by the fact that he was the
interpreter of St. Peter, who omitted from his preaching anything which
might appear to be self-praise. The Holy Spirit, when inspiring St.
Mark, wanted the Gospel to reflect the preaching of the prince of the
Apostles, leaving it to other evangelists to fill out certain important
details to do with the episode of the confession of Peter.

The sketchiness of the narrative still show Peter's role quite clearly:
he is the first to come forward affirming the messiahship of Jesus.
Our Lord's question, "But who do you say that I am?", shows what Jesus
is asking the Apostles for--not an opinion, more or less favorable, but
firm faith. It is St. Peter who expresses this faith (cf. note on
Matthew 16:13-20).

31-33. This is the first occasion when Jesus tells His disciples about
the sufferings and death He must undergo. He does it twice more, later
on (cf. Mark 9:31 and 10:32). The Apostles are surprised, because they
cannot and do not want to understand why the Master should have to
suffer and die, much less that He should be so treated "by the elders
and the chief priests and the scribes." But Peter, with his usual
spontaneity, immediately begins to protest. And Jesus replies to him
using the same words as He addressed the devil when he tempted Him
(cf. Matthew 4:10); He wants to affirm, once again, that His mission
is spiritual, not earthly, and that therefore it cannot be understood
by using mere human criteria: it is governed by God's designs, which
were that Jesus should redeem us through His passion and death. So
too, for a Christian, suffering, united with Christ, is also a means
of salvation.

34. When Jesus said "If any nam would come after me ...", he was well
aware that in fulfilling his mission he would be brought to death on a
cross; this is why he speaks clearly about his passion (vv:31-32). The
Christian life, lived as it should be lived, with all its demands, is also a
cross which one has to carry, following Christ.

Jesus' words, which must have seemed extreme to his listeners, indicate
the standard he requires his followers to live up to. He does not ask for
short-lived enthusiasm or occasional dedication; he asks everyone to re-
nounce himself, to take up his cross and follow him. For the goal he sets
men is eternal life. This whole Gospel passage has to do with man's eter-
nal destiny. The present life should be evaluated in the light of this eternal
life: life on earth is not definitive, but transitory and relative; it is a means
to be used to achieve definitive life in heaven: "All that, which worries you
for the moment, is of relative importance. What is of absolute importance
is that you be happy, that you be saved" (J. Escriva, The Way, 297).

"There is a kind of fear around, a fear of the Cross, of our Lord's Cross.
What has happened is that people have begun to regard as crosses all
the unpleasant things that crop up in life, and they do not know how to
take them as God's children should, with supernatural outlook. So much
so, that they are evenremoving the roadside crosses set up by our fore-
fathers. . . ! "In the Passion, the Cross ceased to be a symbol of punish-
ment and became insteada sign of victory. The Cross is the emblem of
the Redeemer: in quo est salus,vita et resurrectio nostra: there lies our
salvation, our life and our resurrection" (J. Escriva, The Way of the Cross,
II, 5).

35. "Life": in the original text and the New Vulgate the word literally means
"soul." But here, as in many other cases, "soul" and "life" are equivalent.
The word "life" is used, clearly, in a double sense: earthly life and eternal
life, the life of man here on earth and man's eternal happiness in heaven.
Death can put an end to earthly life, but it cannot destroy eternal life (cf.
Mt 10:28), the life which can only be given by Him who brings the dead
back to life.

Understood in this way, we can grasp the paradoxical meaning of our
Lord's phrase: whoever wishes to save his (earthly) life will lose his
(eternal) life. But whoever loses his (earthly) life for me and the Gospel,
will save his (eternal) life. What, then, does saving one's (earthly) life
mean? It means living this life as if there were none other-letting oneself
be controlled by the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the
pride of life (cf. 1 Jn 2: 16). And losing one's (earthly) life means morti-
fying, by continuous ascetical effort, this triple concupisence-that is,
taking up one's cross (v. 34}-and consequently seek ing and savouring
the things that are God's and not the things of the earth (cf. CoI3:1-2).

---

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.

[Salvation]

The Son of Man Must Suffer Greatly

by Fr. Jack Peterson

Other Articles by Fr. Jack Peterson

The Son of Man Must Suffer Greatly

09/16/06

I never liked this Gospel passage when I was a kid. I could not understand how Jesus could use such harsh language with a good friend. What would drive Jesus to call Peter “Satan"?

As always, the context is important. Jesus had recently performed several miracles. He had cured many ills, mysteriously fed the vast crowd, calmed the storm and confronted the scribes and Pharisees. The crowds were gathering in large numbers and people were taking a serious interest in Christ and His work.

Today’s passage marks a transition. Jesus has finished the Galilean ministry and now He is headed to Jerusalem. It is time to explain more clearly His mission to His disciples.

They are more or less convinced that He is the Messiah, but they still walk in darkness.

So Jesus “began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly.”

Because their faith was young and immature, this was more than they could handle. Peter pulls the Lord aside and objects rather strongly. Perhaps his thoughts went along these lines, “Lord, what are you talking about? You are on a roll. The people are flocking to you. They hang on every word you speak. They can’t wait for your next sign. You are the only one with the authority to challenge the Sanhedrin. Why are you talking about suffering and dying?”

Then Jesus turns to Peter, eyes the other Apostles, and says: “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” The Apostles still had so much to learn, and the most important lessons are often the hardest. The disciples were all excited for a Messiah, but not a suffering one. They were captivated by the Truth, but they were reluctant to hear the whole of it. They were thrilled about the idea of new life and renewal, but they were slow to walk the narrow path. They were ready for almost anything except the message of suffering.

So Jesus decided to make it clear what it will mean to be a real follower: “Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”

Christian love demands that we be willing to embrace suffering, offer it to the Father like Christ did, and see it as a means to salvation. Jesus showed the way when He subjected Himself to a hideous death and was nailed to a tree.

As Christians, our love for God will approach perfection in proportion to our willingness to suffer for Him and for our neighbor. For sure, we do not go looking for suffering, but we will embrace it when God asks us to. We do not see suffering as an intrinsic evil to be avoided at all costs. Practically speaking, we will sacrifice time, rest and money to take care of a sick family member. We will gradually let go of deceased loved ones and trust that God will take better care of them in heaven than we can. We will die to ourselves and give up a bad habit that is harming our health or the good of our family. We will avoid sex before marriage because it is God’s plan, because it is best for us, for marriage and for society. We will put up with many trials at work in order to provide for those entrusted to our care as parents. We will seriously consider a vocation to the consecrated life or priesthood in order to further the work of Christ in this world.

“Whoever loses his life for My sake and that of the gospel will save it.”


Fr. Peterson is Campus Minister at Marymount University in Arlington and interim director of the Youth Apostles Institute.

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

[Salvation]

 

September Devotion: Our Lady of Sorrows

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. Due to her feast day on September 15, the month of September has traditionally been set aside to honor Our Lady of Sorrows. All the sorrows of Mary (the prophecy of Simeon, the three days' loss, etc.) are merged in the supreme suffering at the Passion. In the Passion, Mary suffered a martyrdom of the heart because of Our Lord's torments and the greatness of her love for Him. "She it was," says Pope Pius XII, "who immune from all sin, personal or inherited, and ever more closely united with her Son, offered Him on Golgotha to the Eternal Father together with the holocaust of her maternal rights and motherly love. As a new Eve, she made this offering for all the children of Adam contaminated through his unhappy fall. Thus she, who was the mother of our Head according to the flesh, became by a new title of sorrow and glory the spiritual mother of all His members."

INVOCATIONS
Mary most sorrowful, Mother of Christians, pray for us.
Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us.

TO THE QUEEN OF MARTYRS
Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that every thought of my mind, and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy divine Son Jesus, keep me in His grace, and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in heaven and sing thy glories. Amen.

TO THE MOTHER OF SORROWS
Most holy Virgin. and Mother, whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the Passion of thy divine Son, and who in His glorious Resurrection wast filled with never-ending joy at His triumph; obtain for us who call upon thee, so to be partakers in the adversities of Holy Church and the sorrows of the Sovereign Pontiff, as to be found worthy to rejoice with them in the consolations for which we pray, in the charity and peace of the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

IN HONOR OF THE SORROWS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
O most holy and afflicted Virgin! Queen of Martyrs! thou who didst stand motionless beneath the Cross, witnessing the agony of thy expiring Son--through the unceasing sufferings of thy life of sorrow, and the bliss which now more than amply repays thee for thy past trials, look down with a mother's tenderness and pity on me, who kneel before thee to venerate thy dolors, and place my requests, with filial confidence, in the sanctuary of thy wounded heart; present them, I beseech thee, on my behalf, to Jesus Christ, through the merits of His own most sacred death and passion, together with thy sufferings at the foot of the cross, and through the united efficacy of both obtain the grant of my present petition. To whom shall I resort in my wants and miseries if not to thee, O Mother of Mercy, who, having so deeply drunk of the chalice of thy Son, canst compassionate the woes of those who still sigh in the land of exile? Offer for me to my Savior one drop of the Blood which flowed from His sacred veins, one of the tears which trickled from His divine eyes, one of the sighs which rent His adorable Heart. O refuge of the universe and hope of the whole world, do not reject my humble prayer, but graciously obtain the grant of my petition.

TO OUR LADY OF SORROWS
O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and the death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion, and awaken in my heart a tender commiseration for those sufferings, as well as a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that, being disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem, and that henceforward all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object. Honor, glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and immaculate Mother of God. Amen.    --Saint Bonaventure

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

 

Lord, have mercy on us.        Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God, the Father of heaven,  God the Son, Redeemer of the world, . God the Holy Ghost,  Holy Mary, Mother of God,  Holy Virgin of virgins,  Mother of the Crucified,  Sorrowful Mother,  Mournful Mother,  Sighing Mother,  Afflicted Mother,  Foresaken Mother, . Desolate Mother,  Mother most sad,  Mother set around with anguish,  Mother overwhelmed by grief,  Mother transfixed by a sword,  Mother crucified in thy heart,  Mother bereaved of thy Son,  Sighing Dove,  Mother of Dolors,  Fount of tears,  Sea of bitterness,  Field of tribulation,  Mass of suffering,  Mirror of patience,  Rock of constancy,  Remedy in perplexity,  Joy of the afflicted,  Ark of the desolate,  Refuge of the abandoned,. Shiled of the oppressed,  Conqueror of the incredulous,  Solace of the wretched,  Medicine of the sick,  Help of the faint,  Strength of the weak,  Protectress of those who fight,  Haven of the shipwrecked,  Calmer of tempests,  Companion of the sorrowful,  Retreat of those who groan,  Terror of the treacherous,  Standard-bearer of the Martyrs,  Treasure of the Faithful,  Light of Confessors,  Pearl of Virgins, . Comfort of Widows, . Joy of all Saints,  Queen of thy Servants, Holy Mary, who alone art unexampled, Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin,	Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, graciously hear us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray, --- O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of grief pierced through the most sweet soul of Thy glorious Blessed Virgin Mother Mary: grant that we, who celebrate the memory of her Seven Sorrows, may obtain the happy effect of Thy Passion, Who lives and reigns world without end,  Amen.
The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady 1. The Prophecy of Simeon  2. The Flight into Egypt . 3. The Loss of Jesus in the Temple  4. Mary meets Jesus Carrying the Cross  5. The Crucifixion 6. Mary Receives the Dead Body of Her Son 7. The Burial of Her Son and Closing of the Tomb.
Consecration to Our Lady of Sorrows Most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, Mary, would that I could be in Heaven, there to contemplate the honors rendered to thee by the Most Holy Trinity and by the whole Heavenly Court! But since I am still a pilgrim in this vale of tears, receive from me, thy unworthy servant and a poor sinner, the most sincere homage and the most perfect act of vassalage a human creature can offer thee.  In thy Immaculate Heart, pierced with so many swords of sorrow, I place today my poor soul forever; receive me as a partaker in thy dolors, and never suffer that I should depart from that Cross on which thy only begotten Son expired for me.  With thee, O Mary, I will endure all the sufferings, contradictions, infirmities, with which it will please thy Divine Son to visit me in this life. All of them I offer to thee, in memory of the Dolors which thou didst suffer during thy life, that every thought of my mind, every beating of my heart may henceforward be an act of compassion to thy Sorrows, and of complacency for the glory thou now enjoyest in Heaven.  Since then, O Dear Mother, I now compassionate thy Dolors, and rejoice in seeing thee glorified, do thou also have compassion on me, and reconcile me to thy Son Jesus, that I may become thy true and loyal son (daughter); come on my last day and assist me in my last agony, even as thou wert present at the Agony of thy Divine Son Jesus, that from this painful exile I may go to Heaven, there to be made partaker of thy glory. Amen.

 

[Salvation]

Sunday, September 17, 2006
Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary time

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel:

Isaiah 50:5-9 Psalm 116:1-6, 8-9 St. James 2:14-18 Mark 8:27-35 With those who are perfect and walk with simplicity, there is nothing small and contemptible, if it be a thing that pleases God; for the pleasure of God is the object at which alone they aim, and which is the reason, the measure, and the reward of all their occupations, actions, and plans; and so, in whatever they find this, it is for them a great and important thing. -- St. Alphonsus Rodriguez

[Salvation]

Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd

Mass Readings

First reading

Isaiah 50:5 - 9 ©

For my part, I made no resistance, neither did I turn away. I offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who tore at my beard; I did not cover my face against insult and spittle. The Lord comes to my help, so that I am untouched by the insults. So, too, I set my face like flint; I know I shall not be shamed. My vindicator is here at hand. Does anyone start proceedings against me? Then let us go to court together. Who thinks he has a case against me? Let him approach me. The Lord is coming to my help, who will dare to condemn me? They shall all go to pieces like a garment devoured by moths.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 114

Second reading

James 2:14 - 18 ©

Take the case, my brothers, of someone who has never done a single good act but claims that he has faith. Will that faith save him? If one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on, and one of you says to them, ‘I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty’, without giving them these bare necessities of life, then what good is that? Faith is like that: if good works do not go with it, it is quite dead. This is the way to talk to people of that kind: ‘You say you have faith and I have good deeds; I will prove to you that I have faith by showing you my good deeds – now you prove to me that you have faith without any good deeds to show.

Gospel

Mark 8:27 - 35 ©

Jesus and his disciples left for the villages round Caesarea Philippi. On the way he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say I am?’ And they told him. ‘John the Baptist,’ they said ‘others Elijah; others again, one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he asked ‘who do you say I am?’ Peter spoke up and said to him, ‘You are the Christ’. And he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about him. And he began to teach them that the Son of Man was destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and to be put to death, and after three days to rise again; and he said all this quite openly. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him. But, turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said to him, ‘Get behind me, Satan! Because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.’ He called the people and his disciples to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.’

[Salvation]

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 23 (24)

The Lord comes to his temple

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, the world and all who live in it.
He himself founded it upon the seas and set it firm over the waters.

Who will climb the mountain of the Lord? Who will stand in his holy place?
The one who is innocent of wrongdoing and pure of heart,
who has not given himself to vanities or sworn falsely.
He will receive the blessing of the Lord and be justified by God his saviour.
This is the way of those who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Gates, raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors, and let the king of glory enter.
Who is the king of glory?
The Lord of might and power. The Lord, strong in battle.

Gates, raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors, and let the king of glory enter.
Who is the king of glory?
The Lord of hosts – he is the king of 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.

---

Psalm 65 (66)

Hymn for a sacrifice of thanksgiving

Cry out to God, all the earth,
 sing psalms to the glory of his name,
 give him all glory and praise.
Say to God, “How tremendous your works!
 Faced with the greatness of your power
 your enemies dwindle away.
Let all the earth worship you and sing your praises,
 sing psalms to your name”.

Come and see the works of God,
 be awed by what he has done for the children of men.
He turned the sea into dry land,
 and they crossed the waters on foot:
 therefore will we rejoice in him.
In his might he will rule for all time,
 his eyes keep watch on the nations:
 no rebellion will ever succeed.

Bless our God, you nations,
 and let the sound of your praises be heard.
Praise him who brought us to life,
 and saved us from stumbling.

For you have tested us, O Lord,
 you have tried us by fire, as silver is tried.
You led us into the trap,
 heaped tribulations upon us.
You set other men to rule over us –
 but we passed through fire and water,
 and you led us out to our rest.

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 65 (66)

I shall enter your house with burnt-offerings.
 I shall fulfil my vows to you,
the vows that I made with my lips,
 the vows that I uttered in my troubles.
I shall offer you rich burnt-offerings,
 the smoke of the flesh of rams;
 I shall offer you cattle and goats.

Draw near and listen, you who fear the Lord,
 and I will tell all that he has done for me.
I cried out aloud to him,
 and his praise was on my tongue.
If I looked upon sin in the depths of my heart,
 the Lord would not hear me –
but the Lord has listened,
 he has heard the cry of my appeal.

Blessed be God, who has not spurned my prayer,
 who has not kept his mercy from 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.

---

Reading

Ezekiel 1:3 - 28 ©

The word of the Lord was addressed to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldaeans, on the bank of the river Chebar. There the hand of the Lord came on me. I looked; a stormy wind blew from the north, a great cloud with light around it, a fire from which flashes of lightning darted, and in the centre a sheen like bronze at the heart of the fire. In the centre I saw what seemed four animals. They looked like this. They were of human form. Each had four faces, each had four wings. Their legs were straight; they had hooves like oxen, glittering like polished brass. Human hands showed under their wings; the faces of all four were turned to the four quarters. Their wings touched each other; they did not turn as they moved; each one went straight forward. As to what they looked like, they had human faces, and all four had a lion’s face to the right, and all four had a bull’s face to the left, and all four had an eagle’s face. Their wings were spread upwards; each had two wings that touched, and two wings that covered his body; and they all went straight forward; they went where the spirit urged them; they did not turn as they moved. Between these animals something could be seen like flaming brands or torches, darting between the animals; the fire flashed light, and lightning streaked from the fire. And the creatures ran to and fro like thunderbolts. Over the heads of the animals a sort of vault, gleaming like crystal, arched above their heads; under this vault their wings stretched out to one another, and each had two covering his body. I heard the noise of their wings as they moved; it sounded like rushing water, like the voice of Shaddai, a noise like a storm, like the noise of a camp; when they halted, they folded their wings, and there was a noise. Above the vault over their heads was something that looked like a sapphire; it was shaped like a throne and high up on this throne was a being that looked like a man. I saw him shine like bronze, and close to and all around him from what seemed his loins upwards was what looked like fire; and from what seemed his loins downwards I saw what looked like fire, and a light all round like a bow in the clouds on rainy days; that is how the surrounding light appeared. It was something that looked like the glory of the Lord.

---

Reading	A sermon of St Augustine
I am a Christian as well as a leader
You have often learned that all our hope is in Christ and that he is our true glory and our salvation. You are members of the flock of the Good Shepherd, who watches over Israel and nourishes his people. Yet there are shepherds who want to have the title of shepherd without wanting to fulfil a pastor’s duties; let us then recall what God says to his shepherds through the prophet. You must listen attentively; I must listen with fear and trembling. The word of the Lord came to me and said: Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel and speak to the shepherds of Israel. We just heard this reading a moment ago, my brothers, and I have decided to speak to you on this passage. The Lord will help me to speak the truth if I do not speak on my own authority. For if I speak on my own authority, I will be a shepherd nourishing myself and not the sheep. However, if my words are the Lord’s, then he is nourishing you no matter who speaks. Thus says the Lord God: Shepherds of Israel, who have been nourishing only themselves! Should not the shepherds nourish the sheep? In other words, true shepherds take care of their sheep, not themselves. This is the principle reason why God condemns those shepherds: they took care of themselves rather than their sheep. Who are they who nourish themselves? They are the shepherds the Apostle described when he said: They all seek what is theirs and not what is Christ’s. I must distinguish carefully between two aspects of the role the lord has given me, a role that demands a rigorous accountability, a role based on the Lord’s greatness rather than on my own merit. The first aspect is that I am a Christian; the second, that I am a leader. I am a Christian for my own sake, whereas I am a leader for your sake; the fact that I am a Christian is to my own advantage, but I am a leader for your advantage. Many persons come to God as Christians but not as leaders. Perhaps they travel by an easier road and are less hindered since they bear a lighter burden. In addition to the fact that I am a Christian and must give God an account of my life, I as a leader must give him an account of my stewardship as well.

---

Canticle

Te Deum

God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you! You, the Father, the eternal – all the earth venerates you. All the angels, all the heavens, every power – The cherubim, the seraphim – unceasingly, they cry: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts: heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!” The glorious choir of Apostles – The noble ranks of prophets – The shining army of martyrs – all praise you. Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you. – Father of immeasurable majesty, – True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship, – Holy Spirit, our Advocate. You, Christ: – You are the king of glory. – You are the Father’s eternal Son. – You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb. – You defeated the sharp spear of Death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you. – You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father. – You will come, so we believe, as our Judge. And so we ask of you: give help to your servants, whom you set free at the price of your precious blood. Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory. Bring your people to safety, Lord, and bless those who are your inheritance. Rule them and lift them high for ever. Day by day we bless you, Lord: we praise you for ever and for ever. Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us. Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you. In you, Lord, I trust: let me never be put to shame. 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 concluding prayer may follow here.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Collect: Almighty God, our creator and guide, may we serve you with all our heart and know your forgiveness in our lives. We ask 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: » Late Summer into Fall Sample Menu Prayers: » Blessing of Students and Teachers

September 17, 2006 Twenty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesare'a Philip'pi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Eli'jah; and others one of the prophets." And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." And he charged them to tell no one about him (Mark 8:27-30). Ordinarily today would be the Feast of St. Robert Bellarmine but the Sunday liturgy supercedes it. St. Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) was born in Montepulciano, Italy, and died in Rome. The son of noble parents, he entered the Society of Jesus, finishing his theological studies at Louvain, Belgium. His services to the Church were outstanding and many. He occupied the chair of controversial theology in Rome. He defended the Holy See against anti-clericals. He wrote books against the prevailing heresies of the day. His catechism, translated into many languages, spread the knowledge of Christian doctrine to all parts of the world. He was the Counsellor of Popes and spiritual director of St. Aloysius Gonzaga. He helped St. Francis de Sales obtain approval of the Visitation Order. As a religious he was a model of purity, humility and obedience; as a bishop and Cardinal, an example of great love for his flock. Sunday Readings The first reading is taken from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 50:5-9. The prophet Issiah describes some of the sufferings which the Messiah will endure. The second reading is from the Letter of St. James 2:14-18 and is a continuation of the practical guidance we heard two Sundays ago. Christians must be "doers of the word not hearers only." The Gospel is from St. Mark 8:27-35. We need not be surprised at the slowness of the Apostles in grasping the messiahship of Jesus. He did not want the crowds who flocked to him to know this until later — after his resurrection — because they had the idea that the Messiah would be a political leader who would set them free from their subjection to pagan Rome. It was not until this occasion, near Caesarea Philippi, somewhat over a year after he had called them, that he admitted to his Apostles that he was the Messiah. He charged them not to make this fact known outside of their own limited circle. To forestall and erase any wrong ideas of a political leader which some of the Apostles might have, he immediately foretold the sufferings and death he would have to endure at the hands of the leaders of the Jews. He would be conquered and humiliated by his enemies but their victory would be short-lived --death would not hold him-he would rise triumphant on the third day. To the Apostles this seemed incredible and Peter, their spokesman, told him so. This outlook of the Apostles is also very understandable. They had seen him work many miracles, God was evidently very near to him: how could God let his enemies humiliate and kill him? They did not know God's plan, they were fishermen and knew little if anything of the Old Testament messianic prophecies. Had they read of the Suffering Servant in second-Isaiah they would not have disbelieved the prophecy of his forthcoming sufferings, death and resurrection. And his mention of his resurrection after three days, which would prove that it was he and not his enemies who conquered, fell on deaf ears, because the idea of a resurrection of that kind was incomprehensible to them. We know how slow they were to accept his resurrection even after it had happened. Although the message was only vaguely and dubiously grasped, Christ had forewarned his Apostles (he repeated this twice later: Mk. 9 : 9-10; 31-32 and 10: 32-34), so as to prepare them for the scandal of the cross. While it did not really prepare them because they were still too worldly-minded, it did help to. strengthen their faith once the facts convinced them of the resurrection. They then realized that their beloved Master was more than Messiah, that he was in fact the Son of God, who with knowledge aforethought freely accepted his humiliations and shameful death for their sakes and ours. They gladly gave their lives to bringing this news of God's great love for men to all nations. From being a scandal the cross became the emblem and the proud standard of God's love for mankind. We are in the happy position of the Apostles after the resurrection of Jesus. We know how much God loves us; we appreciate the humiliation that the incarnation brought on his beloved Son and the sufferings and cruel death which the sins of the world, ours included, brought on the Son of God. All of this took place because God wished to make us his adopted sons and worthy of the inheritance he had planned for us. For a faithful and grateful Christian, however, theoretical appreciation is not enough. Atonement has been made for our sins, but we have still a very important part to play. Our sins can be forgiven but we must truly repent of them before God will forgive them. St. Mark adds some words of Christ which illustrate what practical form our appreciation and gratitude for Christ's sufferings should take. We must be ready to follow him on the road to Calvary. We must deny ourselves — deprive ourselves not only of sinful pleasure or gain, but even of lawful things at times, in order to be Christ-like. We must take up our cross and follow him. This does not mean that we must search for crosses — there are plenty of them in any good Christian's life — but we must gladly accept the crosses life brings us and see in them God's means of keeping us close to him. Life on earth is very short, eternal life is endless. No thinking man, and certainly no true Christian, would risk losing the eternal life for the sake of a few paltry gains or a few extra years here below. Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

[Salvation]

Saint Robert Bellarmine [Patron of Catechists]

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Getting to Know the Lord
September 17, 2006

Who do people say that I am?

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Father Robert Presutti

Mark 8:27-35
Now Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" They said in reply, "John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets." And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said to him in reply, "You are the Messiah." Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him. He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do." He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it."

Introductory Prayer: Heavenly Father, I believe that you are here present with me as I pray. Help me pray with a lively sense of your closeness, trust in your mercy and love you for all you have done for me.

Petition: Lord Jesus, help me to know your true greatness so that I will never be tempted to leave you.

1. A Pop Quiz.  Jesus asks his disciples a question completely out of the blue: Who do people say that I am? Christ really wants to know who his disciples think he is. Yet he leads them by degrees to a tougher and more committing question. The first question – Who do people say I am? – provokes thought and is easy to answer; all the disciples participate in the answer. The second question requires something more. It involves an introspection and self-examination that closeness to Christ always provokes, and for which love for him sustains. Only Peter had the courage to respond. Like the disciples in the Gospel, throughout our own spiritual journey, Christ will give us surprise examinations –  pop quizzes –, moments when each of us too will be asked to evaluate who Jesus really is for him or her.

2. Judging by God’s Standards.  Just as with the disciples in the Gospel, the closer we draw to Christ, the more he reveals himself. Once the disciples know and accept Jesus as the Messiah, it is important they know the type of Messiah he is. Many misconceptions abound, and all conceive of the Messiah in terms that are all too human. He is not the political liberator who will cast off the Roman subjugation and make life “easy.” Rather he is the Redeemer of the human person. In no uncertain terms, Jesus makes it clear to Peter and the disciples that the Messiah is the Suffering Servant of Yahweh, who must suffer greatly and be rejected.

3. Bound to Christ by the Cross.  Peter thought he was doing Christ a favor by trying to dissuade him from the suffering he predicted would be coming. Yet Peter received the surprise of his life. His well-intentioned but completely misinformed attempt got him the worst possible rebuke from Christ: “Get behind me Satan.” Christ makes it clear that not only must his disciples walk the path, but they must be ready to follow in his footsteps. The path to salvation necessarily leads through the sorrow and joy of the cross.

Dialogue with Christ: Lord Jesus, help me love you above all things and be especially ready to follow you when it means a personal sacrifice or discomfort for me.

Resolution: I will accept difficulties today with joy.

[annalex]

Mk 8:27-33
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
27	And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi. And in the way, he asked his disciples, saying to them: Whom do men say that I am?	et egressus est Iesus et discipuli eius in castella Caesareae Philippi et in via interrogabat discipulos suos dicens eis quem me dicunt esse homines
28	Who answered him, saying: John the Baptist; but some Elias, and others as one of the prophets.	qui responderunt illi dicentes Iohannem Baptistam alii Heliam alii vero quasi unum de prophetis
29	Then he saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Peter answering said to him: Thou art the Christ.	tunc dicit illis vos vero quem me dicitis esse respondens Petrus ait ei tu es Christus
30	And he strictly charged them that they should not tell any man of him.	et comminatus est eis ne cui dicerent de illo
31	And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the ancients and by the high priests, and the scribes, and be killed: and after three days rise again.	et coepit docere illos quoniam oportet Filium hominis multa pati et reprobari a senioribus et a summis sacerdotibus et scribis et occidi et post tres dies resurgere
32	And he spoke the word openly. And Peter taking him, began to rebuke him.	et palam verbum loquebatur et adprehendens eum Petrus coepit increpare eum
33	Who turning about and seeing his disciples, threatened Peter, saying: Go behind me, Satan, because thou savorest not the things that are of God, but that are of men.	qui conversus et videns discipulos suos comminatus est Petro dicens vade retro me Satana quoniam non sapis quae Dei sunt sed quae sunt hominum
34	And calling the multitude together with his disciples, he said to them: If any man will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.	et convocata turba cum discipulis suis dixit eis si quis vult post me sequi deneget se ipsum et tollat crucem suam et sequatur me
35	For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel, shall save it.	qui enim voluerit animam suam salvam facere perdet eam qui autem perdiderit animam suam propter me et evangelium salvam eam faciet

[annalex]

The Crowning with Thorns

Caravaggio

Oil on canvas, 127 x 165,5 cm
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	Give It Away If You Want It to Be Yours
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D
Date:	Sunday, September 17, 2006

Is 50:5-9 / Jas 2:14-18 / Mk 8:27-35

A very nervous young couple were standing at the altar of their parish church, waiting to pronounce their marriage vows. The bride was pale, the groom was shaking, and both had forgotten everything they'd practiced at the rehearsal. Finally the moment arrived, and the priest asked the big question: "Do you, James, take Heather here present to be your lawful wife?"

With a shaky voice the groom responded, "I do???"

"Nice try, young man," said the priest. "Now, could you try it without the question mark?"

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In Sunday's Gospel Jesus is urging us to try life without the question mark. He's pleading with us not to settle for half a life, but to be fully invested and hold nothing back. Listen to what he says: "Whoever would save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." He's warning us about our ingrained habit of hedging our bets and holding back, keeping our eye on the nearest exit, and always making sure we've got a way out.

Now that's a great survival strategy for investors, poker players, and the Mafia, but it's a recipe for failure at the core of life. For if our real life work is to help one another grow into masterpieces, then nothing less than our best efforts will do. Nothing less than investing everything we've got in building up God's kingdom within us and around us. To let our fears cause us to withhold any part of ourselves from our life's work is a recipe for lifetime failure, sadness, and isolation. Holding tight to what we've already got is a sure formula for dying from the inside out.

Jesus is telling us we have an alternative - losing our lives in order to save them. It seems a strange paradox, but if we've been paying attention, we've probably already discovered a bit of how it works.

Just one example: At times we've all had the experience of connecting intensely with someone we trust. As we talked to that person and listened, it was as if the whole rest of the world fell away and ceased to exist. We forgot about ourselves, our image, how we looked, and whether we were hungry. For a few moments we gave our whole attention, we gave away our whole self to the other. And, in return for our gift, we found that we had become more on the inside.

The pattern repeats itself in every part of our life: When we give our best self into any moment, into any interaction, and hold nothing back and let all that is secondary fall away, we find to our surprise that we become more, much more. It is that "something more" that Jesus wants for us.

So let us pray for one another that we learn to give away our lives from the inside - give it all away - that we may have real life in abundance now and into eternity! Amen.

 

[Salvation]

The Work of God

Year B

 -  24th Sunday in ordinary time

You are the Christ. Destined to suffer

Mark 8:27-35

27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"
28 And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets."
29 He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah."
30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."
34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Who do you think I am? The answer you give me will determine the kind of relationship that you expect to have with me for the rest of your life, it has to do with your salvation. So think carefully and learn from my followers.

Out of all the apostles, Peter was the only one inspired by my Heavenly Father, to answer that I was the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

When Peter answered my question “Who do people say that I am?” I said to Him, You are blessed because flesh and blood have not revealed this to you, but my Father in Heaven. Yes, He knew already in his heart that I was the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

To be the Christ means to be the perfect man, the Messiah, The Savior of the world. It is not just a title, it is the reality of my being, it is not just an honor, but my role as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.

However I did not come to be proud about my status as King, since my Kingdom was not of this world, I did not come to be served, on the contrary I came to serve humanity by my teachings and by my death on the cross.

He, who follows me, leaves everything behind to surrender his life to me, he learns from the wisdom of my word, he desires to become like me and in the end I make him another Christ. This is what I did with my apostles, except for the one who chose to betray me.

I rebuked Peter for not wanting me to go through the sufferings that I predicted, since it was by those sufferings that humanity would be saved.

Since you know that I am the Christ, your savior; you must cultivate this relationship with me. Your life depends on it. You must come to Calvary and realize that by my wounds, you are healed. You are forgiven your sins by your repentance and by my desire to save you. There is no eternal joy for you unless you penetrate into the value of my sufferings.

This is why I have left a memorial of my death in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, which is a spiritual reenactment of my bloody sacrifice in Calvary, to enable you to eat of my flesh and to drink of my blood in order to be saved.

I know that you are nothing without me; I know that unless you come to me you will be lost. It all depends now on your acceptance of my word.

Who do you think I am?

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

Catholic homilies - gospel inspirations - list

[Salvation]

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[Salvation]

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 109 (110)

The Messiah, king and priest

The Lord has said to my lord: “Sit at my right hand while I make your enemies into your footstool”.

From Sion the Lord will give you a sceptre, and you will rule in the midst of your foes.
Royal power is yours in the day of your strength, glorious and holy; from the time of your birth, before the dawn.

The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: “You are a priest for ever, a priest of the priesthood of Melchisedech”.
The Lord is at your right hand, and on the day of his anger he will shatter kings.

He will judge the nations, he will pile high their skulls;
he will drink from the stream as he goes – he will hold his head high.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

---

Psalm 111 (112)

How blessed are the just

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord and loves his commands above all things.
His seed will be powerful on earth: the descendants of the just will be blessed.
Glory and riches will fill his house, and his righteousness will stand firm for ever.

He rises up in the darkness, a light for the upright,
compassionate, generous, and just.
Happy the man who takes pity and lends, who directs his affairs with wisdom –
he will never be shaken.

The just man will be remembered for ever, no slander will he fear.
His heart is ready, hoping in the Lord; his heart is strong, it will not fear,
until he looks down on his defeated enemies.
He gives alms and helps the poor: his righteousness will endure for ever,
his future will be glorious.

The transgressor will see, and be enraged: he will grind his teeth and fade away.
The desires of the wicked will perish.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

---

Canticle	Apocalypse 19
The wedding of the Lamb
Alleluia. Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, because his judgements are true and just. Alleluia. Alleluia. Praise our God, all his servants, and you who fear him, small and great. Alleluia. Alleluia. For the Lord reigns, our God, the Almighty: let us rejoice and exult and give him glory. Alleluia. Alleluia. The marriage of the Lamb has come, and his spouse has made herself ready. Alleluia. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,  world without end. Amen.

A short Bible reading and responsory may follow here.

Canticle	Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,  and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation. For he has shown me such favour –  me, his lowly handmaiden. Now all generations will call me blessed,  because the mighty one has done great things for me. His name is holy,  his mercy lasts for generation after generation  for those who revere him. He has put forth his strength:  he has scattered the proud and conceited,  torn princes from their thrones;  but lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things;  the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel,  he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,  to Abraham and his children for ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,  world without end. Amen.

---

Some short prayers may follow here, to offer up the day's work to God.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
 hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
 thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
 and forgive us our trespasses
 as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
 but deliver us from evil.

A concluding prayer may follow here.

---

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Sunday, September 17, 2006 Meditation Mark 8:27-35 Have you ever had the experience of being “hot” one moment and then “cold” the next? First, everything is going just fine, and your reactions to every situation are dead right. But then, in the next moment, you make a terrible blunder and wind up in trouble. This seemed to be Peter’s situation in today’s reading. First, he was hot, telling Jesus, “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29). He sensed the Holy Spirit revealing something new about Jesus, and he was right. But then, just a few moments later, when Jesus told him that being “Christ” meant suffering and death, Peter turned cold. He gave the wrong answer, and Jesus rebuked him harshly: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things” (Mark 8:33). What a roller coaster! First, Peter thinks he’s great because of his keen spiritual insight. But then he is being compared to the father of lies and the accuser of the brethren! What a dramatic illustration of how difficult it can be to distinguish the voice of the Holy Spirit from the whisperings of the devil or the well-intentioned but misled thoughts of his own mind. Like Peter, we too can ride a kind of roller coaster of faith. Sometimes we are in touch with the Holy Spirit, and sometimes we are dominated by ill will, self-centeredness, or resentment, as if we had absolutely no access to the wisdom or power of God. As frustrating as this may sound, we can take comfort from the fact that we aren’t all that different from the man who ultimately became the leader of the whole church. Over time, Peter did learn how to hear the Spirit, and so can we. Like him, we just need to do our best to stay close to the Lord every day. We need to examine ourselves to see if our thoughts and motivations are God-centered or self-centered. It may take time, but we can rest assured that God is with us, ready to teach us every step of the way. “Dear Lord, teach me your ways.” Isaiah 50:5-9; Psalm 116:1-6,8-9; James 2:14-18