Posted on 09/19/2006 6:58:47 AM PDT by Salvation
Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
1 Cor 12:12-14, 27-31a
Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Now the body is not a single part, but many.
Now you are Christ’s Body, and individually parts of it.
Some people God has designated in the Church
to be, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers;
then, mighty deeds;
then gifts of healing, assistance, administration,
and varieties of tongues.
Are all Apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?
Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5
R. (3) We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
For he is good, the LORD,
whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
Gospel
Lk 7:11-17
Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,
and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.
As he drew near to the gate of the city,
a man who had died was being carried out,
the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
A large crowd from the city was with her.
When the Lord saw her,
he was moved with pity for her and said to her,
“Do not weep.”
He stepped forward and touched the coffin;
at this the bearers halted,
and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming,
“A great prophet has arisen in our midst,”
and “God has visited his people.”
This report about him spread through the whole of Judea
and in all the surrounding region.
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Sept. 19: St. Januarius, Bishop & Martyr, and His Companions, Martyrs (Gueranger)
Saint's Dried Blood Liquefies in 'Miracle' [2002]
Saint's Blood Liquefies - Good Omen for the World [2001]
Feast of St. Januarius: Naples Saint's Blood Liquefies As Usual. [2000] [Read Only]
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. |
| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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From: 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27-31
Unity and Variety in the Mystical Body of Christ
From: Luke 7:11-17
The Son of the Widow in Nain Restored to Life
| First reading | 1 Corinthians 12:12 - 31 © |
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| Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink. Nor is the body to be identified with any one of its many parts. Now you together are Christ’s body; but each of you is a different part of it. In the Church, God has given the first place to apostles, the second to prophets, the third to teachers; after them, miracles, and after them the gift of healing; helpers, good leaders, those with many languages. Are all of them apostles, or all of them prophets, or all of them teachers? Do they all have the gift of miracles, or all have the gift of healing? Do all speak strange languages, and all interpret them? Be ambitious for the higher gifts. And I am going to show you a way that is better than any of them. |
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| Psalm or canticle | Psalm 99 (100) |
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| Enter the Temple with joy | |
| Rejoice in the Lord, all the earth. Exult in his presence and serve him with joy. Know that the Lord is God. He made us and we are his – his people, the sheep of his flock. Cry out his praises as you enter his gates, fill his courtyards with songs. Proclaim him and bless his name; for the Lord is our delight. His mercy lasts for ever, his faithfulness through all the ages. |
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| Gospel | Luke 7:11 - 17 © |
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| Soon afterwards Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. When he was near the gate of the town it happened that a dead man was being carried out for burial, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the townspeople were with her. When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry’ he said. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up’. And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother Everyone was filled with awe and praised God saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people’. And this opinion of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside. | |
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 101 (102) |
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| Prayers and vows of an exile |
| Lord, listen to my prayer and let my cry come to you. Do not hide your face from me: whenever I am troubled, turn to me and hear me. Whenever I call on you, hurry to answer me. For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones are dry as tinder. My heart is cut down like grass, it is dry – I cannot remember to eat. The sound of my groaning makes my bones stick to my flesh. I am lonely as a pelican in the wilderness, as an owl in the ruins, as a sparrow alone on a rooftop: I do not sleep. All day long my enemies taunt me, they burn with anger and use my name as a curse. I make ashes my bread, I mix tears with my drink, because of your anger and reproach – you, who raised me up, have dashed me to the ground. My days fade away like a shadow: I wither like grass. 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 101 (102) |
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| But you, Lord, remain for ever and your name lasts from generation to generation. You will rise up and take pity on Sion, for it is time that you pitied it, indeed it is time: for your servants love its very stones and pity even its dust. Then, Lord, the peoples will fear your name. All the kings of the earth will fear your glory, when the Lord has rebuilt Sion and appeared there in his glory; when he has listened to the prayer of the destitute and not rejected their pleading. These things shall be written for the next generation and a people yet to be born shall praise the Lord. Because he has looked down from his high sanctuary, – the Lord has looked down from heaven to earth – and heard the groans of prisoners and freed the children of death so that they could proclaim the Lord’s name in Sion and sing his praises in Jerusalem, where people and kingdoms gather together to serve the Lord. 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 101 (102) |
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| He has brought down my strength in the midst of my journey; he has shortened my days. I will say, “My God, do not take me away half way through the days of my life. Your years last from generation to generation: in the beginning you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will pass away but you will remain; all will grow old, like clothing, and like a cloak you will change them, and they will be changed. “But you are always the same, your years will never run out. The children of your servants shall live in peace, their descendants will endure in your sight”. 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 8:1 - 9:11 © |
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| In the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, I was sitting at home and the elders of Judah were sitting with me, when the hand of the Lord fell on me. I looked and saw something that looked like a man. Downwards from what seemed to be his loins he was fire; and upwards from his loins he seemed to shine like polished bronze. He stretched out what seemed to be a hand and took me by the hair; and the spirit lifted me into the air and, in visions from God, took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the inner north gate, where the idol of Jealousy stands, provoking jealousy. There I saw the glory of the God of Israel, as I had seen it in the valley. He said, ‘Son of man, raise your eyes to the north’. I raised my eyes to the north, and there, to the north of the altar gate, stood this statue of Jealousy at the entrance. He said, ‘Son of man, do you see what they are doing? Do you see all the filth practised here by the House of Israel, to drive me out of my sanctuary? You will see filthier practices yet.’ He then led me to the inner court of the Temple of the Lord. And there, at the entrance to the sanctuary of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, there were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the sanctuary of the Lord and their faces turned to the east. They were bowing to the east, towards the sun. He said to me, ‘Son of man, do you see that? Is it not bad enough for the House of Judah to do the filthy things that they are doing here? But they fill the country with violence and provoke my anger further; look at them now putting that branch to their nostrils. My anger forces me to it; I will show neither pity nor mercy. They may shout as loud as they like; I will not listen to them.’ Then as I listened he shouted, ‘Come here, you scourges of the city, and bring your weapons of destruction’. Immediately six men advanced from the upper north gate, each holding a deadly weapon. In the middle of them was a man in white, with a scribe’s ink horn in his belt. They came in and halted in front of the bronze altar. The glory of the God of Israel rose off the cherubs where it had been and went up to the threshold of the Temple. He called the man in white with a scribe’s ink horn in his belt and said, ‘Go all through the city, all through Jerusalem, and mark a cross on the foreheads of all who deplore and disapprove of all the filth practised in it’. I heard him say to the others, ‘Follow him through the city, and strike. Show neither pity nor mercy; old men, young men, virgins, children, women, kill and exterminate them all. But do not touch anyone with a cross on his forehead. Begin at my sanctuary.’ So they began with the old men in front of the Temple. He said to them, ‘Defile the Temple; fill the courts with corpses, and go’. They went out and hacked their way through the city. While they were hacking them down, I stayed behind; I fell face downwards and exclaimed, ‘Ah, Lord, are you going to annihilate all that is left of Israel as you turn your anger on Jerusalem?’ He said, ‘The guilt of the House of Israel and Judah is immense, boundless; the country is full of bloodshed, the city overflows with wickedness, for they say, “The Lord has abandoned the country, the Lord cannot see”. Right, then, I too will show no pity, I too will not spare. I mean to call them to account for all their behaviour.’ The man in white with the scribe’s ink horn in his belt then came back and made his report, ‘I have carried out your orders’. |
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| Reading | A sermon of St Augustine on the anniversary of his ordination |
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| For you I am a bishop, with you I am a Christian | |
| From the moment this burden, about which such a difficult account has to be rendered, was placed on my shoulders, anxiety about the honour shown to me has always haunted me. What is to be dreaded about the office I hold, if not that I may take more pleasure (which is so dangerous) in the honour shown to me than in what bears fruit in your salvation? Whenever I am terrified by what I am for you, I am given comfort by what I am with you. For you I am a bishop, but with you I am, after all, a Christian. The former signifies an office undertaken, the latter, grace; the former is a name for danger, the latter a name for salvation. Finally, as if on the open sea, I am being tossed about by the stormy activity involved in being a bishop; but as I recall by whose blood I have been redeemed, I enter a safe harbour in the tranquil recollection of being a Christian. Thus, while toiling away at my own proper office, I take my rest in the marvellous benefit conferred on us all in common. So I hope that the fact that I have been bought, together with you, gives me more pleasure than my having been placed at your head; then, as the Lord has commanded, I will be more effectively your servant, and be preserved from ingratitude for the price for which I was bought to be, not too unworthily, your fellow-servant. I am certainly obliged to love the Redeemer, and I know what he said to Peter: Peter, do you love me? Feed my sheep. Once he said it, twice, a third time. Love was being questioned and toil demanded, because where the love is greater, the work is less of a burden. What shall I pay back to the Lord for all that he has paid back to me? If I say that I am paying back by herding his sheep, even then it is not I who am doing it, but the grace of God within me. So when can I be found to be paying back to him, if he is always there before me? And yet, because we give our love freely, because we are herding his sheep, we look for a reward. How can this be? How can it be consistent to say “I give my love freely, which is why I am herding sheep” and at the same time “I request a reward because I am herding sheep”? This could not possibly happen: in no way at all could a reward be sought from one who is loved freely, unless the reward actually were the very one who is being loved. I mean, if what we are paying back for his having redeemed us is our herding his sheep, being his shepherds, what are we paying back for the fact of his having made us shepherds? Being bad shepherds, you see (may God preserve us from it) is something that we are through our own badness, whereas being good shepherds (God grant it may be so!) is something that can come only through his grace. So it is, my brethren, that we command and implore you not to receive the grace of God in vain. Make my ministry fruitful. You are God’s agriculture. From the outside, receive the work of the planter and the waterer; but from the inside, receive the work of the One who makes you grow. Please, give me your help by both your prayers and your obedience, so that I may find my delight not in being in charge of you but in being of use to you. |
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| A concluding prayer may follow here. |
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God calls each one of us to be a saint.
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September 19, 2006
St. Januarius
(d. 305?)
Nothing is known of Januarius's life. He is believed to have been martyred in the Diocletian persecution of 305. Legend has it that after Januarius was thrown to the bears in the amphitheater of Pozzuoli, he was beheaded, and his blood ultimately brought to Naples.
Comment: Quote:
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| Tuesday, September 19, 2006 St. Francis Mary Croese of Camporosso (Memorial) |
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September 19, 2006    Optional Memorial of St. Januarius, bishop & martyr Old Calendar: St. Januarius and his Companions; Our Lady of La Salette
Little is known about St. Januarius. He was Bishop of Benevento in Campania. He died near Naples, about the year 305, martyred under the persecution of Emperor Diocletian. Around the year 400 the relics of St. Januarius were moved to Naples, which honors Januarius as a patron saint. He supposedly protected Naples from a threatened eruption of the volcano Mt. Vesuvius. The "miracle of Januarius" has world-wide fame. At least three times a year—on his feast day, December 16 and the first Sunday of May—the sealed vial with congealed blood of the saint liquifies, froths and bubbles up. This miraculous event has occurred every year, with rare exceptions. Popular tradition holds that the liquefaction is a sign that the year will be preserved from disasters. (In 1939, the beginning of World War II, the blood did not bubble up.)
St. Januarius  Together with his deacons Socius and Festus, and his lector Desiderius, Januarius, bishop of Beneventum, was subjected to most atrocious torturing during the Diocletian persecution (about 304). Nevertheless, with God's aid they were preserved unmaimed. The wild animals let loose upon them would not attack. Beheaded at Puteoli, their bodies were reverently interred in the neighboring cities. Eventually the remains of St. Januarius became the prized possession of the city of Naples. "Even to the present time the blood of the saint that is preserved in a glass vial will become fluid shortly after it is brought close to the head of the saint; then it bubbles up in a remarkable manner, as if it had just been shed" (Breviary). Cardinal Schuster makes this statement in his Liber Sacramentorum (vol. 8, p. 233): "The author has seen the marvel of the blood liquefaction at closest range and can give witness to the fact. Taking into consideration all the scientific investigations that have been made, he would say that a natural explanation of the phenomena does not seem possible." Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch. Patron: patron of Naples, Italy; blood banks; volcanic eruptions. Symbols: heated oven; two red vials on Bible; bishop's mitre (headdress); palm frond (symbol of martrydom); crown (of martyrdom). Things to Do:
Our Lady of La Salette  On September 19, 1846, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Maximin Giraud and Melanie Calvat on the mountain of La Salette, France. After thorough investigation the Catholic Church gave approval to the message and secret of La Salette as written by Melanie. The account was published in Lecce on November 15, 1879 with the imprimatur of Bishop Zola of Lecce. Mary's message was much the same as at Fatima, "If my people do not wish to submit themselves, I am forced to let go of the hand of my Son. It is so heavy and weighs me down so much I can no longer keep hold of it." She lamented with tears those who do not keep Sunday holy and who take the name of the Lord in vain. She indicated that if men did not stop offending Our Lord the potato crop would fail. She gave Maximin his secret which he never revealed. She then turned to Melanie and gave her a secret which she revealed 30 years later. This secret was given to the Holy Father, who gave orders that it was never to be revealed. |
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Compassionate Omnipotence Tuesday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Luke 7:11-17 Introductory Prayer: My Lord and God, I need this time of prayer and intimacy with you. I believe you are with me. I hope in your goodness and power. I love you above all things. Petition: Lord Jesus, let me encounter you along the path of my life. Please see and answer my needs. 1. Christ’s Sensitive Heart. Not once did Christ perform even the smallest miracle for his own personal enjoyment or comfort. He is very tough when it comes to the demands he places on himself. But when it comes to others, he is willing to unleash his divine power to assist whoever is in need and disposed to receive his help. Personal austerity enables us to have compassion on others. Self-indulgence leads to a heart hardened toward others. 2. Do Not Weep. When Christ is around there is no reason to weep. Even the worst tragedies become occasions for hope. Sorrow comes from the thought that we are alone before the difficulties of life and that our challenges surpass our abilities. If it were not for the reality of Christ’s presence, we should weep and weep bitterly. But Christ is present! Even without our realizing it, the Lord is present to give us strength. The young man that Jesus brought back to life would eventually die again, but the miracle was meant to teach us that Christ is capable of the impossible. It invites us to hope for the fullness of life and God’s blessings. 3. Arise! Those present at this miracle rightly concluded that a mighty prophet had come. With a single word, Christ is able to dispel the worst darkness and dissipate the deepest fears of the human person. Yet the greatness of Christ lies in who he is, not in what he does. The miracles are simply a symbol and reminder that it is in his person -- not his actions -- that we have the greatest gift. Otherwise, only those who are the objects of miracles can lay claim to God’s love. Even without the miracles, there remains the greatness, love and awesomeness of the Person of Christ, who is accessible to all. Dialogue with Christ: Lord Jesus, help me live so that you can always reveal your power and love through my life. Help me to know you better each day. I trust that you are near me and desire only what is best for me. Resolution: I will fight negativism and pessimistic outlooks. |
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 100 (101) |
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| The declaration of a just ruler |
| I will sing of kindness and justice – to you, Lord, will I sing. My thoughts shall follow the way of perfection: when will you come to me, Lord? I will walk with an innocent heart through the halls of my palace. I will allow no evil thing in my sight. I will hate the man who retreats from perfection: he may not stay near me. The wicked of heart must leave me; the plotter of evil I will not acknowledge. The man who plots against his neighbour in secret: I will suppress him. The haughty of eye, the puffed-up and proud – I will not support them. I will turn my eyes to the faithful of the land: they shall sit with me. Whoever walks in the way of perfection – he shall be my servant. The haughty shall not live in my palace; the slanderer shall not stand in my sight. Each morning I will suppress all the wicked of the land. I will rid the city of the Lord of all that do evil. 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 | Daniel 3 |
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| The prayer of Azariah in the furnace | |
| Blessed are you, Lord God of our fathers: your name is glorious for ever for you are just in all you have done to us. For we have sinned and done wrong, we have deserted you and done all things wrong. Do not give us up for ever, for your name’s sake we beg you, do not dissolve your covenant. Take not your loving kindness from us, for the sake of Abraham, your beloved; and Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one. You told them you would multiply their seed like the stars of the sky like the sand on the shores of the sea. But we, Lord, are made the least of all nations. Today we are brought low over all the earth on account of our sins. Today there is no prince no prophet, no leader, no holocaust, no sacrifice. No offering, no incense, no first-fruits offered to you – no way to obtain your mercy. But in our contrite souls, in a spirit of humility, accept us, Lord. Like a holocaust of rams and bulls, like fat sheep in their thousands, let our sacrifice be like these before you today. Bring to fruition the quest of those who follow you, for those who trust in you can never be confounded. And now we follow you with all our heart and we revere you and seek your face. 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 143 (144) |
|---|
| For victory and peace |
| Blessed be the Lord, my help, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war. The Lord is kindness and strength, my refuge and my liberator. He is my shield, and I trust in him – he places my people under his rule. Lord, what is man, that you should take notice of him? The son of man, that you should give him respect? For man is as nothing, his day is like a shadow that passes. Lord, descend from your heavens, touch the mountains so that they smoke. Brandish your lightnings and scatter my enemies, fire your arrows, sow confusion among them. Send down your power from above, raise me and free me from the flooding waters, from the power of those of foreign race, whose speeches are not to be trusted, who lift up their hands in perjury. I will sing a new song to you, God: I will sound your praise on the ten-stringed harp. You give victory to kings, you rescue David your servant from the swords of his enemies. 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. |
|
| 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 |
|
1 Cor 12:12-14, 27-31 / Lk 7:11-17 Watching children at play is a fairly predictable pastime, for sooner or later it seems inevitable that a fight will break out. And the matter of dispute usually concerns what belongs to whom and who gets to use it now. How strangely similar this sounds to the relationships of adults and nations, though the latter may on occasion be slightly more discreetly handled. Wanting what someone else has, to the point of anger, frustration, and even hatred is no stranger to the human scene. Cemeteries and history books are filled with the sad evidence of that. St. Paul today proposes an alternative way of thinking and living. In essence, he’s telling us to look to our own gifts, which God has given to each in ample supply. Our gifts, given to us in this place and in this time, are God’s blueprint for us, God’s guidance for each of us to build a satisfying and productive life. And the best part is that we can make that life with what we’ve got, and without taking or longing for what anyone else has. Take an inventory of your gifts. Name them clearly and give thanks for them. And then use them, share them, as God intended. You’ll be busy for the rest of your life, and content as well. |
| Lk 7:11-17 | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | Douay-Rheims | Vulgate |
| 11 | And it came to pass afterwards that he went into a city that is called Naim: and there went with him his disciples and a great multitude. | et factum est deinceps ibat in civitatem quae vocatur Naim et ibant cum illo discipuli eius et turba copiosa |
| 12 | And when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother: and she was a widow. And a great multitude of the city was with her. | cum autem adpropinquaret portae civitatis et ecce defunctus efferebatur filius unicus matri suae et haec vidua erat et turba civitatis multa cum illa |
| 13 | Whom when the Lord had seen, being moved with mercy towards her, he said to her: Weep not. | quam cum vidisset Dominus misericordia motus super ea dixit illi noli flere |
| 14 | And he came near and touched the bier. And they that carried it stood still. And he said: Young man, I say to thee, arise. | et accessit et tetigit loculum hii autem qui portabant steterunt et ait adulescens tibi dico surge |
| 15 | And he that was dead sat up and begun to speak. And he gave him to his mother. | et resedit qui erat mortuus et coepit loqui et dedit illum matri suae |
| 16 | And there came a fear upon them all: and they glorified God saying: A great prophet is risen up among us: and, God hath visited his people. | accepit autem omnes timor et magnificabant Deum dicentes quia propheta magnus surrexit in nobis et quia Deus visitavit plebem suam |
| 17 | And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judea and throughout all the country round about. | et exiit hic sermo in universam Iudaeam de eo et omnem circa regionem |
As he drew near to the gate of the city,
a man who had died was being carried out,
the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
A large crowd from the city was with her.
When the Lord saw her,
he was moved with pity for her and said to her,
“Do not weep.” And He came and
touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." And the dead man sat up, and began to speak.
And He gave him to his mother.
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