Posted on 04/25/2007 8:10:45 AM PDT by Salvation
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Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist
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Reading 1
1 Pt 5:5b-14
Beloved:
Clothe yourselves with humility
in your dealings with one another, for:
God opposes the proud
but bestows favor on the humble.
So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt you in due time.
Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.
Be sober and vigilant.
Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, steadfast in faith,
knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world
undergo the same sufferings.
The God of all grace
who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus
will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you
after you have suffered a little.
To him be dominion forever. Amen.
I write you this briefly through Silvanus,
whom I consider a faithful brother,
exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God.
Remain firm in it.
The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son.
Greet one another with a loving kiss.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 89:2-3, 6-7, 16-17
R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The heavens proclaim your wonders, O LORD,
and your faithfulness, in the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies can rank with the LORD?
Who is like the LORD among the sons of God?
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Mk 16:15-20
Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
“Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,
was taken up into heaven
and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Alleluia Ping List.
Orthodox Feast of St. Mark the Apostle & Evangelist, May 3
HOMILIES PREACHED BY FATHER ALTIER ON THE FEAST OF SAINT MARK THE EVANGELIST, APRIL 25
ST MARK, EVANGELIST, PATRON SAINT OF VENICE, Feast: April 25
ACT OF ADORATION
I adore Thee, 0 Jesus, true God and true Man, here present in the Holy Eucharist, humbly kneeling before Thee and united in spirit with all the faithful on earth and all the blessed in heaven. In deepest gratitude for so great a blessing, I love Thee, my Jesus, with my whole heart, for Thou art all perfect and all worthy of love.
Give me grace nevermore in any way to offend Thee, and grant that I, being refreshed by Thy Eucharistic presence here on earth, may be found worthy to come to the enjoyment with Mary of Thine eternal and everblessed presence in heaven. Amen.
FAITH IN THE EUCHARIST
O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art really and corporally present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. I adore Thee here present from the very depths of my heart, and I worship Thy sacred presence with all possible humility. O my soul, what joy to have Jesus Christ always with us, and to be able to speak to Him, heart to heart, with all confidence. Grant, O Lord, that I, having adored Thy divine Majesty here on earth in this wonderful Sacrament, may be able to adore it eternally in Heaven. Amen.
PETITION
Believing that Thou, my God, hast in any way revealed to us--grieving for all my sins, offenses and negligences--hoping in Thee, O Lord, who wilt never let me be confounded--thanking Thee for this supreme gift, and for all the gifts of Thy goodness--loving Thee, above all in this sacrament of Thy love--adoring Thee in this deepest mystery of Thy condescension: I lay before Thee all the wounds and wants of my poor soul, and ask for all that I need and desire. But I need only Thyself, O Lord; I desire none but Thee--Thy grace, and the grace to use well Thy graces, the possession of Thee by grace in this life, and the possession of Thee forever in the eternal kingdom of Thy glory.
FOR THE PEACE OF CHRIST
O most sacred, most loving heart of Jesus, Thou art concealed in the Holy Eucharist, and Thou beatest for us still. Now as then Thou sayest, "With desire I have desired." I worship Thee, then, with all my best love and awe, with my fervent affection, with my most subdued, most resolved will. O make my heart beat with Thy heart. Purify it of all that is earthly, all that is proud and sensual, all that is hard and cruel, of all perversity, of all disorder, of all deadness. So fill it with Thee, that neither the events of the day nor the circumstances of the time may have power to ruffle it; but that in Thy love and Thy fear it may have peace. --Cardinal Newman
ACT OF LOVE
I believe Thou art present in the Blessed Sacrament, O Jesus. I love Thee and desire Thee. Come into my heart. I embrace Thee, O never leave me. I beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus, may the burning and most sweet power of Thy love absorb my mind, that I may die through love of Thy love, who wast graciously pleased to die through love of my love. --St. Francis of Assisi
ACT OF REPARATION
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, well known in connection with devotion to the Sacred Herat of Jesus, led the way in making reparation to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for the coldness and ingratitude of men. This prayer of hers can become our own as we attempt to make amends for our own and others' neglect of the great Sacrament of His love, the Eucharist.
O kind and merciful savior, from my heart I earnestly desire to return Thee love for love. My greatest sorrow is that Thou art not loved by men, and, in particular, that my own heart is so cold, so selfish, so ungrateful. Keenly aware of my own weakness and poverty, I trust that Thy own grace will enable me to offer Thee an act of pure love. And I wish to offer Thee this act of love in reparation for the coldness and neglect that are shown to Thee in the sacrament of Thy love by Thy creatures. O Jesus, my supreme good, I love Thee, not for the sake of the reward which Thou hast promised to those who love Thee, but purely for Thyself. I love Thee above all things that can be loved, above all pleasures, and above myself and all that is not Thee, promising in the presence of heaven and earth that I will live and die purely and simply in Thy holy love, and that if to love Thee thus I must endure persecution and suffering I am completely satisfied, and I will ever say with Saint Paul: Nothing "will be able to separate us from the love of God." 0 Jesus, supreme master of all hearts, I love Thee, I adore Thee, I praise Thee, I thank Thee, because I am now all Thine own. Rule over me, and transform my soul into the likeness of Thyself, so that it may bless and glorify Thee forever in the abode of the saints.
--Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
OFFERING
My Lord, I offer Thee myself in turn as a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Thou hast died for me, and I in turn make myself over to Thee. I am not my own. Thou hast bought me; I will by my own act and deed complete the purchase. My wish is to be separated from everything of this world; to cleanse myself simply from sin; to put away from me even what is innocent, if used for its own sake, and not for Thine. I put away reputation and honor, and influence, and power, for my praise and strength shall be in Thee. Enable me to carry out what I profess. Amen. --Cardinal Newman
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
Early Christians on the Holy Eucharist
Holy Father stresses Need of Devotion to Holy Eucharist outside of Mass: Pope Paul VI
The Fourth Cup: The Sacrament of the Eucharist [Holy Thursday] [Passover]
The Holy Face of Jesus Christ as appeared on the Holy Eucharist
The Reverence due to the Holy Eucharist
New rules on the Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday
Devotion to the Holy Eucharist Advances Devotion to Jesus' Person
Vatican: Matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist (April 23, 2004)
CATHOLICS AND BAPTISTS WITNESSED UNUSUAL IMAGES IN BLESSED SACRAMENT
The Discipline of the Eucharist Holy See Releases Redemptionis Sacramentum...
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
THE HOLY EUCHARIST: NOURISHMENT TO FINISH OUR COURSE
LITANY OF REPARATION TO OUR LORD IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
The Disposition of Priests [Valid Mass, Valid Holy Eucharist?]
Grace of the Eucharist is secret to holy priests, says Pope
Area worshipers march to celebrate Holy Eucharist
Custody of Holy Land Concludes Year of Eucharist - In Capernaum, Site of a Key Discourse
Gift Of Life, Gift Eternal: The Most Holy Eucharist and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
THE HOLY EUCHARIST IS THE WHOLE CHRIST
This is My Body, This is My Blood
Prayer Before the Blessed Sacrament
A series of reflections from St. Peter Julian Eymard Blessed Sacrament(Catholic Caucus)
| First reading | 1 Peter 5:5 - 14 © |
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| To the rest of you I say: do what the elders tell you, and all wrap yourselves in humility to be servants of each other, because God refuses the proud and will always favour the humble. Bow down, then, before the power of God now, and he will raise you up on the appointed day; unload all your worries on to him, since he is looking after you. Be calm but vigilant, because your enemy the devil is prowling round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to eat. Stand up to him, strong in faith and in the knowledge that your brothers all over the world are suffering the same things. You will have to suffer only for a little while: the God of all grace who called you to eternal glory in Christ will see that all is well again: he will confirm, strengthen and support you. His power lasts for ever and ever. Amen. I write these few words to you through Silvanus, who is a brother I know I can trust, to encourage you never to let go this true grace of God to which I bear witness. Your sister in Babylon, who is with you among the chosen, sends you greetings; so does my son, Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ. |
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| Psalm or canticle: Psalm 88 |
| Gospel | Mark 16:15 - 20 © |
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| Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’ And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven: there at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it. |
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O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 18 (19) |
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| Praise of God the creator |
| The skies tell the story of the glory of God, the firmament proclaims the work of his hands; day pours out the news to day, night passes to night the knowledge. Not a speech, not a word, not a voice goes unheard. Their sound is spread throughout the earth, their message to all the corners of the world. At the ends of the earth he has set up a dwelling place for the sun. Like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, it rejoices like an athlete at the race to be run. It appears at the edge of the sky, runs its course to the sky’s furthest edge. Nothing can hide from its heat. 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 63 (64) |
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| A prayer against enemies |
| Listen, O God, to my voice; keep me safe from fear of the enemy. Protect me from the alliances of the wicked, from the crowd of those who do evil. They have sharpened their tongues like swords, aimed poisonous words like arrows, to shoot at the innocent in secret. They will attack without warning, without fear, for they are firm in their evil purpose. They have set out to hide their snares – for they say, “Who will see us?” They have thought out plans to commit wicked deeds, and they carry out what they have planned. Truly the heart and soul of a man are bottomless depths. And God has shot them with his arrow: in a moment, they are wounded – their own tongues have brought them low. All who see them will shake their heads; all will behold them with fear and proclaim the workings of God and understand what he has done. The just will rejoice and hope in the Lord: the upright in heart will give him 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 96 (97) |
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| The glory of God in his judgements |
| The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice, let the many islands be glad. Clouds and dark mist surround him, his throne is founded on law and justice. Fire precedes him, burning up his enemies all around. His lightnings light up the globe; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains flow like wax at the sight of the Lord, at the sight of the Lord the earth dissolves. The heavens proclaim his justice and all peoples see his glory. Let them be dismayed, who worship carved things, who take pride in the images they make. All his angels, worship him. Sion heard and was glad, the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of your judgements, O Lord. For you are the Lord, the Most High over all the earth, far above all other gods. You who love the Lord, hate evil! The Lord protects the lives of his consecrated ones: he will free them from the hands of sinners. A light has arisen for the just, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice, you just, in the Lord and proclaim his holiness. 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 | Ephesians 4:1 - 16 © |
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| I, the prisoner in the Lord, implore you to lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, through all and within all. Each one of us, however, has been given his own share of grace, given as Christ allotted it. It was said that he would: When he ascended to the height, he captured prisoners, he gave gifts to men. When it says, ‘he ascended’, what can it mean if not that he descended right down to the lower regions of the earth? The one who rose higher than all the heavens to fill all things is none other than the one who descended. And to some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ. In this way we are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself. Then we shall not be children any longer, or tossed one way and another and carried along by every wind of doctrine, at the mercy of all the tricks men play and their cleverness in practising deceit. If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to its function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love. |
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| Reading | From the treatise Against Heresies by Saint Irenaeus, bishop |
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| Preaching truth | |
| The Church, which has spread everywhere, even to the ends of the earth, received the faith from the apostles and their disciples. By faith, we believe in one God, the almighty Father who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them. We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who became man for our salvation. And we believe in the Holy Spirit who through the prophets foretold God’s plan: the coming of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, his birth from the Virgin, his passion, his resurrection from the dead, his ascension into heaven, and his final coming from heaven in the glory of his Father, to recapitulate all things and to raise all men from the dead, so that, by the decree of his invisible Father, he may make a just judgement in all things and so that every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth to Jesus Christ our Lord and our God, our Saviour and our King, and every tongue confess him. The Church, spread throughout the whole world, received this preaching and this faith and now preserves it carefully, dwelling as it were in one house. Having one soul and one heart, the Church holds this faith, preaches and teaches it consistently as though by a single voice. For though there are different languages, there is but one tradition. The faith and the tradition of the churches founded in Germany are no different from those founded among the Spanish and the Celts, in the East, in Egypt, in Libya and elsewhere in the Mediterranean world. Just as God’s creature, the sun, is one and the same the world over, so also does the Church’s preaching shine everywhere to enlighten all men who want to come to a knowledge of the truth. Now of those who speak with authority in the churches, no preacher however forceful will utter anything different – for no one is above the Master – nor will a less forceful preacher diminish what has been handed down. Since our faith is everywhere the same, no one who can say more augments it, nor can anyone who says less diminish it. |
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| Hymn | Te Deum |
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| 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. |
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| Concluding Prayer |
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| O God, you gave blessed Mark the evangelist the grace of preaching your gospel. Grant that we may be guided by his wisdom to walk in the footsteps of Christ. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. |
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April 25, 2007
St. Mark
Most of what we know about Mark comes directly from the New Testament. He is usually identified with the Mark of Acts 12:12. (When Peter escaped from prison, he went to the home of Mark's mother.)
Paul and Barnabas took him along on the first missionary journey, but for some reason Mark returned alone to Jerusalem. It is evident, from Paul's refusal to let Mark accompany him on the second journey despite Barnabas's insistence, that Mark had displeased Paul. Later, Paul asks Mark to visit him in prison so we may assume the trouble did not last long. The oldest and the shortest of the four Gospels, the Gospel of Mark emphasizes Jesus' rejection by humanity while being God's triumphant envoy. Probably written for Gentile converts in Rome—after the death of Peter and Paul sometime between A.D. 60 and 70—Mark's Gospel is the gradual manifestation of a "scandal": a crucified Messiah. Evidently a friend of Mark (Peter called him "my son"), Peter is only one of the Gospel sources, others being the Church in Jerusalem (Jewish roots) and the Church at Antioch (largely Gentile). Like one other Gospel writer, Luke, Mark was not one of the 12 apostles. We cannot be certain whether he knew Jesus personally. Some scholars feel that the evangelist is speaking of himself when describing the arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane: "Now a young man followed him wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body. They seized him, but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked" (Mark 14:51-52). Others hold Mark to be the first bishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Venice, famous for the Piazza San Marco, claims Mark as its patron saint; the large basilica there is believed to contain his remains. A winged lion is Mark's symbol. The lion derives from Mark's description of John the Baptist as a "voice of one crying out in the desert" (Mark 1:3), which artists compared to a roaring lion. The wings come from the application of Ezekiel's vision of four winged creatures (Ezekiel, chapter one) to the evangelists. Quote:
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| Wednesday, April 25, 2007 St. Mark, Evangelist (Feast) |
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Feast of St. Mark, evangelist
St. Mark, the author of the second Gospel, was the son of Mary whose house at Jerusalem was the meeting place of Christians. He was baptized and instructed by St. Peter. In about the year 42 A.D. he came to Rome with the Prince of the Apostles. There at the request of the faithful he wrote his Gospel about the year 50 A.D. His Gospel is a record of St. Peter's preaching about Our Lord and pays special attention to the head of the Apostles. The Gospel was written for Roman Gentile converts. It rarely quotes the Old Testament, and is careful to explain Jewish customs, rites and words. It excels in portraying the emotions and affections of both Christ and His hearers. St. Mark preached in Egypt, especially in Alexandria and was martyred there by the heathen.
During the years that followed, the rapidly maturing youth witnessed the growth of the infant Church in his mother's Upper Room and became acquainted with its traditions. This knowledge he put to excellent use when compiling his Gospel. Later, we find Mark acting as a companion to his cousin Barnabas and Saul on their return journey to Antioch and on their first missionary journey. But Mark was too immature for the hardships of this type of work and therefore left them at Perge in Pamphylia to return home. As the two apostles were preparing for their second missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take his cousin with him. Paul, however, objected. Thereupon the two cousins undertook a missionary journey to Cyprus. Time healed the strained relations between Paul and Mark, and during the former's first Roman captivity (61-63), Mark rendered Paul valuable service (Col. 4:10; Philem. 24), and the Apostle learnt to appreciate him. When in chains the second time Paul requested Mark's presence (2 Tim. 4:11). The Gospel of St. Mark, the shortest of the four, is, above all, a Roman Gospel. It originated in Rome and is addressed to Roman, or shall we say, to Western Christianity. Another high merit is its chronological presentation of the life of Christ. For we should be deeply interested in the historical sequence of the events in our blessed Savior's life. Furthermore, Mark was a skilled painter of word pictures. With one stroke he frequently enhances a familiar scene, shedding upon it new light. His Gospel is the "Gospel of Peter," for he wrote it under the direction and with the aid of the prince of the apostles. "The Evangelist Mark is represented as a lion because he begins his Gospel in the wilderness, `The voice of one crying in the desert: Make ready the way of the Lord,' or because he presents the Lord as the unconquered King." Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch. Patron: Against impenitence; attorneys; barristers; captives; Egypt; glaziers; imprisoned people; insect bites; lawyers; lions; notaries; prisoners; scrofulous diseases; stained glass workers; struma; Diocese of Venice, Florida; Venice, Italy. Symbols: Winged lion; fig tree; pen; book and scroll; club; barren fig tree; scroll with words Pax Tibi; winged and nimbed lion; lion.
Collect:
Father, you gave St. Mark the privilege of proclaiming your Gospel. May we profit by his wisdom and follow Christ more faithfully. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Prayers:
more
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April 25, 2007
Old Calendar: St. Mark; The Greater Litanies
St. Mark
John Mark, later known simply as Mark, was a Jew by birth. He was the son of that Mary who was proprietress of the Cenacle or "upper room" which served as the meeting place for the first Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12). He was still a youth at the time of the Savior's death. In his description of the young man who was present when Jesus was seized and who fled from the rabble leaving behind his "linen cloth," the second Evangelist might possibly have stamped the mark of his own identity. 
An intimate friendship existed between Mark and Peter; he played the role of Peter's companion, disciple, and interpreter. According to the common patristic opinion, Mark was present at Peter's preaching in Rome and wrote his Gospel under the influence of the prince of the apostles. This explains why incidents which involve Peter are described with telling detail (e.g., the great day at Capharnaum, 1:14f)). Little is known of Mark's later life. It is certain that he died a martyr's death as bishop of Alexandria in Egypt. His relics were transferred from Alexandria to Venice, where a worthy tomb was erected in St. Mark's Cathedral.
Often Pictured as: Man writing or holding his gospel; man with a halter around his neck; lion in the desert; man with a book or scroll accompanied by a winged lion; holding a palm and book; holding a book with pax tibi Marce written on it; bishop on a throne decorated with lions; helping Venetian sailors; rescuing Christian slaves from Saracens.
From: 1 Peter 5:5b-14
To the Faithful
[6] Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in
due time He may exalt you. [7] Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He
cares about you. [8] Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil
prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. [9]
Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of
suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world. [10]
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who
has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore,
establish and strengthen you. [11] To Him be the dominion for ever
and ever. Amen.
Epilogue
Peace to all of you that are in Christ.
***********************************************************************
Commentary:
5-11. The Apostle concludes his exhortation with a call to humility,
which should express itself in complete docility in the face of the
trials God permits (verses 6-7). This last piece of advice is often
found in Sacred Scripture: “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will
sustain you” (Psalm 55:22); Jesus also teaches that we should trust in
God’s fatherly providence (cf. Matthew 6:19-34). “You have such care
for each one of us”, St. Augustine exclaims, “as if you had no offers
to care for” (”Confessions”, 3, 11).
However, abandonment in God does not mean irresponsibility, so St.
Peter reminds them there is always need to be watchful against the
assaults of the devil, who will pounce on us if we lower our guard
(verse 8).
The description of the devil (etymologically the word means liar,
detractor: cf. Revelation 12:9-10) as a roaring lion seeking someone to
devour has often been taken up by the Saints. “He moves round each
one of us”, St. Cyprian says, “like an enemy who has us surrounded
and is checking the walls to see if there is some weak, unsecured part,
where he can get in” (”De Zelo Et Livore”).
Christians “firm in the faith” will resist the attacks of the devil. The
trials
they suffer (cf. 1:6-7; 4:13; 5:1-4) serve to purify them and are a pledge
of the glory God will give them: “For this momentary affliction is preparing
for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparisons” (2 Corinthians
4:17). “So great is the good that I hope for, that any pain is for me a
pleasure” (St. Francis of Assisi, “Reflections on Christ’s Wounds”, 1).
5. “You who are younger”: it is not clear whether he is addressing
people who are young in age or Christians who are not “elders”
(priests), that is, lay people.
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble”: a quotation
from Proverbs (cf. James 4:6 and note on same), containing an idea
which runs right through the Old Testament (cf., e.g., Job 12:19; Psalm
18:88; 31:34) and the teachings of Christ (cf., e.g., Luke 14:11). The
Blessed Virgin proclaims this truth in the “Magnificat”: “He has put
down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree”
(Luke 1:52).
“Humility is the source and foundation of every kind of virtue,” the
Cure of Ars teaches; “it is the door by which all God-given graces
enter; it is what seasons all our actions, making them so valuable and
so pleasing to God. Finally, it makes us masters of God’s heart, to
the point, so to speak, of making Him our servant; for God has never
been able to resist a humble heart” (”Selected Sermons”, Tenth Sunday
after Pentecost).
8. For the third time, St. Peter exhorts the faithful to be sober; earlier
he referred to the importance of sobriety so as to put one’s hope in
Heavenly things (1:13) and to help one to pray (4:7). Now he stresses
that it puts us on guard against the devil.
Man should use the goods of this world in a balanced, temperate way,
so as to avoid being ensnared by them, thereby forgetting his eternal
destiny: “Detach yourself from the goods of the world. Love and practice
poverty of spirit: be content with what enables you to live a simple and
sober life. Otherwise, you will never be an apostle” ([St] J. Escriva, “The
Way”, 631).
12. Silvanus, called Silas in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 15:22),
accompanied St. Paul on his second apostolic journey through Asia Minor
and Greece (cf. Acts 15:36-18:22); he was therefore well known to the
Christians addressed in this letter.
>From the reference St. Peter makes to him here, it is not possible to say
for sure whether Silvanus was simply the bearer of the letter, or acted as
an amanuensis who took down the Apostle’s dictation, or was an editor
or redactor of ideas the Apostle gave him (on this subject, see the
Introduction to this Letter).
13. “Babylon”: this is a symbolic way of referring to Rome, the prototype
of the idolatrous and worldly city of the era. Some centuries earlier
Babylon had been the subject of severe reproaches and threats by the
prophets (cf., e.g., Isaiah 13:47; Jeremiah 50-51). In the Book of
Revelation Rome is also referred to by this name (cf. e.g., Revelation
17-18).
The Mark referred to is the author of the second Gospel. Tradition
says that he acted as St. Peter’s interpreter in Rome. The Apostle
calls him “son”, meaning that he was spiritually his son, and implying
that they had been close to each other for a long time (cf. “The Navarre
Bible: St. Mark”, pp. 56-57).
14. “The kiss of love”: St. Paul also, at the end of some of his letters,
refers to the “holy kiss” (cf. Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2
Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26), a mark of supernatural charity
and shared faith. With this meaning the gesture passed into primitive
eucharistic liturgy (cf. note on 1 Corinthians 16:20).
The final words, “Peace to all of you that are in Christ”, are similar
to the way St. Paul ends many of his letters; since the first age of
the Church it has been used in liturgical celebrations. St. Cyril of
Jerusalem, for example, ends his baptismal catechism with these words:
“May the God of peace hallow you entirely, and your body and your soul
remain unsullied until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be
glory for ever and ever. Amen” (”Mystagogical Catechesis”, 5, 23).
*********************************************************************************************
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, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Mark 16:15-20
Jesus Appears to the Eleven. The Apostle’s Mission
The Ascension
The Apostles Go Forth and Preach
***********************************************************************
Commentary:
15. This verse contains what is called the “universal apostolic mandate”
(paralleled by Matthew 28:19-20 and Luke 24:46-48). This is an
imperative command from Christ to His Apostles to preach the Gospel
to the whole world. This same apostolic mission applies, especially to
the Apostles’ successors, the bishops in communion with Peter’s
successor, the Pope.
But this mission extends further: the whole “Church was founded to
spread the Kingdom of Christ over all the earth for the glory of God the
Father, to make all men partakers in redemption and salvation....
Every activity of the Mystical Body with this in view goes by the name
of `apostolate’; the Church exercises it through all its members, though
in various ways. In fact, the Christian vocation is, of its nature, a
vocation to the apostolate as well. In the organism of a living body
no member plays a purely passive part, sharing in the life of the body
it shares at the same time in its activity. The same is true for the body
of Christ, the Church: `the whole body achieves full growth in
dependence on the full functioning of each part’ (Ephesians 4:16).
Between the members of this body there exists, further, such a unity
and solidarity (cf. Ephesians 4:16) that a member who does not work
at the growth of the body to the extent of his possibilities must be
considered useless both to the Church and to himself.
“In the Church there is diversity of ministry but unity of mission. To
the apostles and their successors Christ has entrusted the office of
teaching, sanctifying and governing in His name and by His power.
But the laity are made to share in the priestly, prophetical and kingly
office of Christ; they have therefore, in the Church and in the world,
their own assignment in the mission of the whole people of God”
(Vatican II, “Apostolicam Actuositatem”, 2).
It is true that God acts directly on each person’s soul through grace,
but it must also be said that it is Christ’s will (expressed here and
elsewhere) that men should be an instrument or vehicle of salvation
for others.
Vatican II also teaches this: “On all Christians, accordingly, rests
the noble obligation of working to bring all men throughout the whole
world to hear and accept the divine message of salvation” (”ibid.”,
3).
16. This verse teaches that, as a consequence of the proclamation of
the Good News, faith and Baptism are indispensable pre-requisites for
attaining salvation. Conversion to the faith of Jesus Christ should lead
directly to Baptism, which confers on us “the first sanctifying grace, by
which Original Sin is forgiven, and which also forgives any actual sins
there may be; it remits all punishment due for sins; it impresses on the
soul the mark of the Christian; it makes us children of God, members
of the Church and heirs to Heaven, and enables us to receive the other
Sacraments” (”St. Pius X Catechism”, 553).
Baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation, as we can see from
these words of the Lord. But physical impossibility for receiving the
rite of Baptism can be replaced either by martyrdom (called, therefore,
“baptism of blood”) or by a perfect act of love of God and of contrition,
together with an at least implicit desire to be baptized: this is called
“baptism of desire” (cf. “ibid.”, 567-568).
Regarding infant Baptism, St. Augustine taught that “the custom of
our Mother the Church of infant Baptism is in no way to be rejected
or considered unnecessary; on the contrary, it is to be believed on the
ground that it is a tradition from the Apostles” (”De Gen., Ad Litt.”,
10, 23, 39). The new “Code of Canon Law” also stresses the need to
baptize infants: “Parents are obliged to see that their infants are
baptized within the first few weeks. As soon as possible after the
birth, indeed even before it, they are to approach the parish priest to
ask for the Sacrament for their child, and to be themselves duly
prepared for it” (Canon 867).
Another consequence of the proclamation of the Gospel, closely linked
with the previous one, is that “the Church is necessary”, as Vatican II
declares: “Christ is the one mediator and way of salvation; He is present
to us in His body which is the Church. He Himself explicitly asserted
the necessity of faith and Baptism (cf. Mark 16:16; John 3:5), and
thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which
men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be
saved who, knowing that the Church was founded as necessary by God
through Christ, would refuse to enter it, or to remain in it” (”Lumen
Gentium”, 14; cf. “Presbyterorum Ordinis”, 4; “Ad Gentes”, 1-3;
“Dignitatis Humanae”, 11).
17-18. In the early days of the Church, public miracles of this kind
happened frequently. There are numerous historical records of these
events in the New Testament (cf., e.g., Acts 3:1-11; 28:3-6) and in
other ancient Christian writings. It was very fitting that this should
be so, for it gave visible proof of the truth of Christianity.
Miracles of this type still occur, but much more seldom; they are very
exceptional. This, too, is fitting because, on the one hand, the truth
of Christianity has been attested to enough; and, on the other, it
leaves room for us to merit through faith. St. Jerome comments:
“Miracles were necessary at the beginning to confirm the people in
the faith. But, once the faith of the Church is confirmed, miracles are
not necessary” (”Comm. In Marcum, in loc.”). However, God still works
miracles through saints in every generation, including our own.
19. The Lord’s ascension into Heaven and His sitting at the right hand
of the Father is the sixth article of faith confessed in the Creed. Jesus
Christ went up into Heaven body and soul, to take possession of
the Kingdom He won through His death, to prepare for us a place in
Heaven (cf. Revelation 3:21) and to send the Holy Spirit to His Church
(cf. “St. Pius X Cathechism”, 123).
To say that He “sat at the right hand of God” means that Jesus Christ,
including His humanity, has taken eternal possession of Heaven and
that, being the equal of His Father in that He is God, He occupies the
place of highest honor beside Him in His human capacity (cf. “St. Pius
V Catechism”, I, 7, 2-3). Already in the Old Testament the Messiah is
spoken of as seated at the right hand of the Almighty, thereby showing
the supreme dignity of Yahweh’s Annointed (cf. Psalm 110:1). The New
Testament records this truth here and also in many other passages (cf.
Ephesians 1:20-22; Hebrews 1:13).
As the “St. Pius V Catechism” adds, Jesus went up to Heaven by His
own power and not by any other. Nor was it only as God that He ascended,
but also as man.
20. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the evangelist attests that the words of
Christ have already begun to be fulfilled by the time of writing. The
Apostles, in other words, were faithfully carrying out the mission of our
Lord entrusted to them. They begin to preach the Good News of salvation
throughout the known world. Their preaching was accompanied by the
signs and wonders the Lord had promised, which lent authority to their
witness and their teaching. Yet, we know that their apostolic work was
always hard, involving much effort, danger, misunderstanding, persecution
and even martyrdom—like our Lord’s own life.
Thanks to God and also to the Apostles, the strength and joy of our Lord
Jesus Christ has reached as far as us. But every Christian generation,
every man and woman, has to receive the preaching of the Gospel and,
in turn, pass it on. The grace of God will always be available to us: “Non
est abbreviata manus Domini” (Isaiah 59:1), the power of the Lord has not
diminished.
*********************************************************************************************
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, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
|
The Time for Holiness Has Come; the Time for Miracles Is Over
Saint Mark, evangelist Mark 16: 15-20 Introductory Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me to be generous with my prayer time and not think about anything else I might be doing, no matter how necessary it might be. Grant me a deeper desire to spend time with you and never count it as wasted time. Petition: Lord, help me to make up my mind and heart to struggle constantly to achieve the holiness you want from me. 1. Jesus Gets the Ball Rolling Up till this point in the Gospel, everything has depended on Jesus. He has spent the last three years preaching the Good News, explaining everything that we need for our salvation. He has performed the wonders that the prophets said would be the signs of the Messianic Age, principally healing the sick and driving out demons. He did these two things copiously, in towns, villages and deserted places. He occasionally did other kinds of miracles: feeding thousands with just a few loaves and fish, walking on water, even raising the dead on at least three occasions. It is clear for anyone with an open mind that he must be the Messiah they had been waiting for and that he should be listened to. Thousands and thousands had received his message. 2. Jesus Prepares Others to Carry on His Work Through all of this, Jesus was not alone. One of the first things he did was gather a group of disciples, a word that means “students”. Since he chose the lifestyle of a wandering rabbi, something common in Galilee at the time, his disciples knew from the first day what was expected of them. A wandering rabbi went from place to place, teaching and interpreting scripture for people in the villages that had no rabbi of their own. Apparently there were few rabbinical schools in Galilee, so these rabbis gathered disciples whose duty it was to listen and learn from them, memorize their doctrine and then go out and teach it themselves. The apostles had learned everything that Jesus taught them. Even more, they had received from Jesus the command to preach in his name as well as the power to heal and drive out demons just like Jesus did. They had already gone out and practiced it – with overwhelming success. They were perfectly prepared to take the next step that Jesus had planned: the establishment of his Church. 3. The Time for Wonder-workers Is Over Jesus now takes this step. He turns everything over to the Apostles. At the same time, he gives them new powers. These powers are not to be used for their own glory, but only as signs that they are sent by God. These powers are still evident in the Church today, as signs that its members are part of the same group started by Jesus and formed by the Apostles so long ago. Why aren’t these gifts as common? Because they are meant to kindle faith in people who have open minds. Most people nowadays have decided already to be believers or disbelievers. Most disbelievers don’t have open minds. There are few who don’t believe because they haven’t heard about Christ yet. They still receive miracles, but doing miracles for the sake of spectacle is not God’s way. Such miracles would only serve to puff up the pride of the wonder-worker and wouldn’t give glory to God or increase faith. Then the Church needed miracles as the sign it was a work of God. Now it needs the much less showy but much more important work of the daily struggle for holiness. Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, I find so many ways to put off working on holiness, yet that is the main thing you are asking me for. Sometimes I want to say I’m too busy. Sometimes I want to say it’s too hard. Sometimes I even try to delay, thinking I deserve some kind of sign. All the necessary signs have been given. Help me to take your command to be holy seriously and start working on it today. Resolution: Since holiness consists primarily of the practice of the virtue of charity, I will try to do some act of charity today – in such a way that the beneficiary doesn’t realize who did it, so they can’t thank me. I want to do it motivated purely by love for God and others, rather than by anything I might get out of it. |
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 62 (63) |
|---|
| Thirsting for God |
| O God, you are my God, I wait for you from the dawn. My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you. I came to your sanctuary, as one in a parched and waterless land, so that I could see your might and your glory. My lips will praise you, for your mercy is better than life itself. Thus I will bless you throughout my life, and raise my hands in prayer to your name; my soul will be filled as if by rich food, and my mouth will sing your praises and rejoice. I will remember you as I lie in bed, I will think of you in the morning, for you have been my helper, and I will take joy in the protection of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand raises me up. 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 |
|---|---|
| All creatures, bless the Lord | |
| Bless the Lord, all his works, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, you heavens; all his angels, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, you waters above the heavens; all his powers, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, sun and moon; all stars of the sky, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, rain and dew; all you winds, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, fire and heat; cold and warmth, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, dew and frost; ice and cold, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, ice and snow; day and night, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, light and darkness; lightning and storm-clouds, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, all the earth, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, mountains and hills; all growing things, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, seas and rivers; springs and fountains, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, whales and fish; birds of the air, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, wild beasts and tame; sons of men, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, O Israel, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, his priests; all his servants, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, spirits of the just; all who are holy and humble, bless the Lord. Ananias, Azarias, Mishael, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him for ever. Let us bless Father, Son and Holy Spirit, praise and exalt them for ever. Bless the Lord in the firmament of heaven, praise and glorify him for ever. |
|
| Psalm 149 |
|---|
| The saints rejoice |
| Sing a new song to the Lord, his praise in the assembly of the faithful. Let Israel rejoice in its maker, and the sons of Sion delight in their king. Let them praise his name with dancing, sing to him with timbrel and lyre, for the Lord’s favour is upon his people, and he will honour the humble with victory. Let the faithful celebrate his glory, rejoice even in their beds, the praise of God in their throats; and swords ready in their hands, to exact vengeance upon the nations, impose punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings in fetters and their nobles in manacles of iron, to carry out the sentence that has been passed: this is the glory prepared for all his faithful. 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. |
| Short reading | 1 Corinthians 15:1 - 4 © |
|---|---|
| Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established, the gospel that brings you salvation. In the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures. | |
| 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. |
|
|
||||
| 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. |
| O God, you gave blessed Mark the evangelist the grace of preaching your gospel. Grant that we may be guided by his wisdom to walk in the footsteps of Christ. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. |
| May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life. |
| A M E N |
|
||
| Other Articles by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D. Printer Friendly Version |
||
| Be True from the Inside Out | ||
1 Pt 5:5b-15 / Mk 16:15-20
Buried somewhere in our high school memories is a novel that was on everyone's reading list, Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. It's the story of a pious young puritan clergyman who becomes secretly involved with a beautiful young woman, Hester Prynne. Nature takes its course and the woman gives birth to a child. But no father is in evidence, and no marriage vows have been pronounced. So the tight little Puritan village in which she lives labels her "adulteress," and casts her out of church and friendship and out of all kindly contact. She is alone, with the scarlet letter "A" sewn upon her dress.
Meanwhile, her secret lover, the Reverend Dimmesdale, continues to rise in the esteem of his people. From far and wide they come to marvel at the purity of his soul, and to listen to his beautiful words. But he has no words for Hester and no embrace for his fatherless child. The years pass. Hester and her child survive — alone. But Dimmesdale slowly crumples from within, crushed by the weight of the lie he is living. At the height of his career he is dying. At the very last moment — with the whole town gathered round — he takes Hester to himself and for the first time embraces his little child. Then he dies.
And what moral are we to take from this long, sad story? Hawthorne sums it up in two words — which he repeats three times: "Be true. Be true. Be true."
I wonder if that isn't the essence of Jesus' last words to us before ascending to heaven. "Go out to the whole world," he says to us all, "and tell the good news." Now in its literal sense, telling means using words, talking. And who can deny that talking is important if we want to share good news? But talk is cheap; and, as Dimmesdale reminds us, it always has been. So if we have any hope of following Jesus' command to proclaim the good news, we're going to have to do a lot more than talk, a lot more than just tell the truth. We're going to have to be true. Be true on the inside. And from that truthfulness on the inside will spring forth not only words that are true, but deeds that are true. Deeds that, in their rightness and goodness, shout to the whole world what really matters, deeds that proclaim to the whole world that God is here, living in the hearts of his people.
God has given us an immense mission, telling his good news to all the world. So we truly need to pray for one another:
May God help us become true on the inside, so that every word and deed of ours may speak his good news till that day when he will speak it to us all face to face. Amen.
Faith-sharing bump.
Thanks again, Salvation! May the Lord bless you for doing his work every day!
| Mk 16:15-20 | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | Douay-Rheims | Vulgate |
| 15 | And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. | et dixit eis euntes in mundum universum praedicate evangelium omni creaturae |
| 16 | He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall he condemned. | qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit salvus erit qui vero non crediderit condemnabitur |
| 17 | And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. | signa autem eos qui crediderint haec sequentur in nomine meo daemonia eicient linguis loquentur novis |
| 18 | They shall take up serpents: and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay their hand upon the sick: and they shall recover. | serpentes tollent et si mortiferum quid biberint non eos nocebit super aegrotos manus inponent et bene habebunt |
| 19 | And the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God. | et Dominus quidem postquam locutus est eis adsumptus est in caelum et sedit a dextris Dei |
| 20 | But they going forth preached every where: the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed. | illi autem profecti praedicaverunt ubique Domino cooperante et sermonem confirmante sequentibus signis |
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